Embracing the Spring on a Scooter or Motorcycle

Nothing like parking the Vespa on an open field with the world before you.  Add to that a dash of springtime warmth and everything feels like a miracle.  That's exactly how it all felt on the way home today.

An absolute joy to be able to ride under a blue sky and not be freezing.  But with the warm weather and the prospect of more riding comes a long list of things to do, fix or at least consider to be truly ready for the normal riding season.

A good washing of the Vespa is in order.  There is so much baked on salt and road grime that I suspect it will never come off.  I picture myself sitting on the driveway, toothbrush in hand, radio blaring, scrubbing away to transform this nasty scene into something more civilized.

And what can I say about the exhaust....   It has to come off, be attacked with the wirebrush at least and probably better a sandblaster.  And then many coats of high temperature paint to hide the fact that it's ready to turn into dust.  This is what winter looks like for a year round rider.

And remove the Heidenau winter scooter tires.

 It's not summer yet.  This morning there was frost on the car window as I rolled out of the driveway. With the sun out I was able to ignore the cold.  Bright sun sent the temperature up quickly.

The light in the morning is more dramatic now.  Or maybe I just imagine it so since the sun hasn't been available much for the past four months.  Surprisingly, State College, Pennsylvania remains quiet in the morning.  Good for me -- no competition for the coveted motorcycle parking spaces.

Clear skies and long beams of hot sunlight make even a simple breakfast of bagel and juice seem spectacular at Saint's Cafe.  Not quite food porn mostly because my culinary inclinations are so simplistic.  Even so things look nice in this light.

The snow is pretty much gone though if you look in the shadows of places where snow was piled after cleared from streets you can still find some ice piles.  The thaw is creating some monster mud puddles in some places.  When you ride a Vespa you absolutely do not ride through water that you can't seen to the bottom.  Sucking water into the engine intake can quickly downgrade you to a bus or cab.

The Far Corners Asian Market in State College has just reopened in this location.  Last time I was in this building it was home to Kissell Motorsports.  I also purchased my first Vespa inside this building.  Springtime -- for rides down memory lane...

Ride, ride, ride.  It's what I want to do right now.  Kim says the birds are twitterpated right now.  I must be scooterpated. Unfortunately the need to continue to pay the light bill and put food in the freezer is getting in the way of my grand plans.  Some have said I should retire.  Others advise getting rid of the scooter.

I just keep my head down and ride when I can.

On my way home from work today, big sky for central Pennsylvania, dry roads for me though the gates where chained shut just down the road so I had to double back onto the pavement to make my way home.

Lot's to get ready for spring riding.  The machine for reasons already outlined, myself in terms of shedding a few pounds of winter weight so my riding clothes are comfortable, and my mind so I remain fully aware of the thundering danger never too far away.

More riding tomorrow...

Scooter Riding in State College, Pennsylvania

As the weather slowly, too slowly, warms it's as if I'm emerging from a long, dark tunnel of winter, dead, listless and finding little sweetness in life.  A morning of sunshine, hell, just a few minutes of solar radiation can shift a state of mind.  Junior and I wander through these fields in the morning, a bit of exercise, a dash of exploration and a dose of meditation.  No riding involved though...

No riding as I spend more time photographing.  Here captured photographing my boots and shadow, one of hundreds of similar images that appear in my archive of work.  On this morning I was using the Leica M6.  Soon I'll be switching to the 8x10 camera.

Most rides of late are simple errands in and around State College, Pennsylvania.  The Vespa delivered me to a Piston and Pints event at the Autoport.

A few nights ago on a search for burgers that eventually brought me to Five Guys.  A vintage BMW sat on one side of the Vespa while a Ducati departed from the other.  Riding home that night I felt the first thrill of the season of being on the road.  Air temperature warmed enough to ensure the ride wasn't a battle against the elements...

Another night in State College -- Margarita's Pizza.  Short rides into town, if only to pick up a few pepperoni rolls and a slice of pizza, have become magical events as the weather softens.

I won't say it's warm yet.  This morning a brisk wind coupled with temperatures in the 30s just felt miserable as Junior and I walked through fields not far from home.  Exertion provided warmth but I'll be happier when it's actually warm.  Things will freeze again tonight and I'm just sick of it all...

Junior still seems impervious to the cold.  Focus on a tennis ball has a unique power.  I've only found them slimy to the touch and having little redeeming value.  Still, my black dog is smitten.

So there's been a bit of scooter riding in State College, Pennsylvania but I'm looking forward to a warming trend and eventual travels farther from home...

Have a New Motorcycle

It's been a wild couple weeks and culminated in a dream I had last night that found me in high school taking one of those damned tests the begins "Read everything before doing anything...".

I got a new motorcycle.

As a photographer I can't help but select things that have some aesthetic qualities that are pleasing to my eye.  And with Scooter in the Sticks in mind I just had to have a motorcycle that would display as well as my trusty Vespa GTS 250ie.  So meet the Triumph Scrambler.

The photographer who made this picture has admirable qualities in both craft, vision and aesthetics.  The high pipe side of the bike is the obvious choice with a camera position just a bit forward to exaggerate the front tire.  Shot with the sun close to the horizon, sunrise or sunset I don't know, but the glow of sunlight fighting through a heavy sky is lovely. Some heavy-handed work with Photoshop on the sky and the intensity of the colors but still, a fine photo.

Saw "Why We Ride" with scooter riding daughter on Sunday.  Left thinking I needed a motorcycle of my own.

And a fine motorcycle to join the Vespa in a too cluttered garage.  But more on how all this has come to be.

Can you say Lottery.  Well, I didn't win enough to be in the news with millions but I do have a motorcycle and spinning thoughts of retiring.  Retiring right now.  Just walk out the door.

My brain is in a swirl at the moment.  To help ease the chaos I purchased a new (to me) 8x10 camera to work on a new project.  This lovely Calumet C-1 black monster...

This very camera is at home, sitting atop an aluminum tripod on a Gitzo G1570 3-way magnesium tripod head waiting for me to venture out into the world.  I figure I have a few more years of back strength before I can't use a camera like this anymore.

I sold my last 8x10 camera in 2007.  Since then film prices have climbed.  A 25 sheet box of 8x10 black and white film costs $110.00.  One sheet of film takes 8 ounces of developer and when you factor in other chemicals and paper to make prints the cost of using this beast is dazzling.  Thank god an 8x10 contact print is magical. And the Lottery wipes away all concerns...

So, things are wild and crazy.  Nuts even.  I have my eye on a BMW and an Alpine Sunbeam.  Too much to consider.  Brain spinning.

But it's all ok for those of you who have read everything before doing anything -- like leaving a comment.  Today is April 1, 2014.  And you know what that means.  Don't be fooled.

The stuff about the lottery and motorcycle is an April Fool's Day fantasy.  Did see "Why We Ride". The 8x10 camera is real though.  Currently figuring out how to haul it on the Vespa.

Always remember to read everything before doing anything.

Best wishes for a fine April Fool's Day.

Released, Relaxed and Sated

Fading snow and warmer temperatures signal the end of winter, more riding and a general recession of the gloom inside my head.  The other morning on the way to work 38F felt positively tropical and my thoughts turned towards longer rides.

The phenomena finds Kim and I outdoors more as well with her working a camera and me wandering on foot and drinking in the world.  I admire her focused attention with a camera.  We work differently and while I may be more technically experienced I cannot match her keen eye.  I see what is familiar.  She explores what is not.

As the snow melts and the thaw works its way through the valley a wet fog develops that paints a mysterious picture.  When I used to work with a large format camera this was the weather I lived for, packing my gear and driving off to chase it.  There are storm chasers, I was a gloom chaser.

This evening, late, a craving swept over me.  Not for riding but for sugar.  Chocolate.  A compulsive companion since I was a kid and would walk to the local general store with a nickel in my pocket to buy a Hershey bar.

And now I ride with dollars in my pocket to find the holy grail -- the small pack of little chocolate donuts, waxy little rings of fatty sugar infused goodness.  The local convenience store glows with the promise of satisfaction as the Vespa resists the pull.  But I don't, seeking satisfaction and relief that only a dose of junk food can deliver.

And now I can rest, released, relaxed and sated...

Thinking About Things Other Than Riding

Today was the first comfortable ride of 2014.  At least that was what I was telling myself and from a purely physical perspective true -- no chill or bite of frigid air, no fogged visor or numb fingers or toes.  Spring nears and the whiteness of winter fades into dirty piles.  The roads are gray with grime and grit while meltwater seeks to wipe it clean.  Despite the air temperature floating in the 50s I couldn't find much excitement in the ride.  At one point on the way home from work I was telling myself I wouldn't care if I ever rode again.

Water from these melting snow piles made the ground softy, muddy, saturated and hazardous for the Vespa.  The big snow tires dug into the muddy ground and did their best to slip the rear end out from under me when I wasn't paying close attention.  

Gordon Harkins, friend, fellow Vespa rider, photographer, educator, and in this picture thinker.

Thinking, perhaps at the root of my lack of interest in riding today as I was turning over a number of non-riding interests in my head -- a writing project that has rented a section of my brain for a long time has suddenly requested additional space.  Add to that a slow darkroom sink refinishing process in preparation for a return to photography based in chemicals and silver.  Epoxy vapors may be playing tricks on me.

It's all Gordon's fault.

Yesterday morning Paul Ruby (seen here with his 8x10 Sinar P view camera), Gordon and I drove out of town to make photos rather than sit at Saint's Cafe and talk.  These expeditions were common, regular rituals at one point but have become ghosts of another life.  Standing in the decidedly more winter-like landscape at Black Moshannon State Park I could feel the embeds of photographic desire glow hot.  I heavy sense of regret swept over me as I thought of the view cameras I've abandoned.

Last week Kim shared a website of the work of Michael Froio, a large format photographer working on a long term project documenting the Pennsylvania Railroad.  Memories of being on the road with the big camera only added to a feeling of loss, something the Vespa could not ease or erase.

A stop on the way home as the sun was setting, a few last moments to consider the world and what the hell I'm doing in it.  At that moment, and right now as I write, my interests are far from the road.  In two days the epoxy in the darkroom will be cured and ready for one last coat of the nasty stuff.  A dozen rolls of film await processing and fresh paper and chemistry have arrived from B&H Photo.

Can't be sure what happens next...

Why We Ride -- The Movie

In a few weeks a documentary film described by the Los Angeles Times as "...an unabashed love letter to all things motorcycle..." will be coming to the State Theater in State College, Pennsylvania.

WHY WE RIDE - The Official Theatrical Trailer from WHY WE RIDE FILM on Vimeo.

Why We Ride will be screened on March 30, 2014 at 3pm.  The showing has been confirmed and tickets are available online for $8.00 each.  For riders in central Pennsylvania and those who wonder about riding this is something you'll want to see.

My scooter riding daughter and I have our tickets!  Wonder how many will be riding to the show?

Robbed of the Riding Life

Cold weather, snow, ice -- winter, it's robbing me of the will to ride, sucking away the riding life and condemning me to a life behind the wheel.  At least that's how if feels.  I don't know how riders who put their machines away in September and don't get on them again until May do it.  I can only assume their souls are already gone, casualties of like in the north.  We're ice people.

Thank god I was able to ride today if only for awhile, it recharged dead part of me, so what does it matter if the scooter took a tumble in the snow...

The past few weeks have been dark.

A friend asked how my life has devolved to a minivan.  With a straight face and in earnest I told him it's a perfect vehicle; comfortable, spacious, useful.  Looking in the mirror that evening I wasn't sure if I said those words or if some hollow man living inside was responsible.

Sunday morning trips to Saint's have seen no signs of the Vespa in a month.

I could ride, have ridden in all but the worst of recent conditions of snow, ice and temperature.  But the desire is gone, not even a flicker of the old pull of the road.  Instead some insidious, pain in the ass voice keeps whispering of risk and danger.

It's hell to get old.

Snow in town, a signal to leave the Vespa at home.  The old defiance is gone, the revolutionary voice quiet.  What kind of life is this?

Hot Earl Grey tea seems ordinary when I arrive warm and relaxed after a ride in the van.

I feel strangely disconnected from things when I'm not riding, reduced to the voyeur in life, watching but not participating.  Paul and Gordon are working, on this morning a review of prints made from Paul's recent trip to Sicily.

With my point and shoot camera I'm the unenthusiastic tourist, content to watch the little screen display a life.  Winter, what a marvelous excuse to do nothing.

So many mornings the road is covered with something that tells me to leave the Vespa in the garage.  A lot of mornings.  In past years this would not have stopped me but I sense a fragility of body and spirit right now that makes it easy to melt into a bucket seat with heat at my fingertips.

This morning temperatures soared into the 40s and reaching towards 50.  Junior and I made our rounds and as I watched him I realized he doesn't let the weather get to him, especially when I get out the big ball that won't get lost in the snow.

The Vespa has been lost in the snow.

By afternoon the sun had warmed the world and I just had to go for a ride.  A short one.  A ride to re-establish a connection to the scooter.  So here I am, on the road and happy.

Everything is melting and water is everywhere.  When the temperature drops below freezing tonight there will be a mess of ice and obstacle.  Who knows if the Vespa will move again at dawn.

For now I just have to be careful and not let the exuberance overtake good sense.  Like the opportunity to learn that the Vespa will run while laying on its side, the result of plowing through the snow and stopping to take a picture without thinking about the centerstand sinking into the mud.

Oh well, the snow was soft.

The weather forecast shows more snow and cold not far off.  I'm so tired of it all.

Something has to change. (Cue Dom)

Take the Chance to Ride

With the temperature rising towards 40F the threat of some rain was no reason not to ride this morning.  With so much salt around, and on the Vespa, a little rain would be a good thing.

A quick ride to town, a little survey of the countryside, and a meandering ride home charged my mental batteries enough to give the Vespa a quick wash, lubricate the centerstand, and inspect the hinge on the seat and make a decision to pull it off, clean out the rust and repaint.

Hope many of you were able to take a ride on your scooter or motorcycle today.  Really must make hay when the sun shines -- the groundhog says we have more winter to come...

Road Rage and Karma

Every time I see a video depicting a less than civil interaction between a rider and automobile I wonder what is going on in people's heads.  There's a lot of anger and frustration in the world and it presents itself frequently on the road.

This one, shared by fellow rider Don Barletta, shows a bit of cosmic karma that is pretty satisfying.  We can't really know what led up to this interaction, and the rider may well not be innocent, but regardless I can't see how the driver of the car could justify their need to engage or educate the rider.  And from that perspective it's a thrill to see the lights start to flash....

Into the Night and Cold

Almost dissolved in the recliner this evening but ended up in the dark and cold on the Vespa. A cloud of salt dust blowing along the road as the traffic passed, what little there was, the rest of the world seeming to choose some other place to live than the road.  Anyone searching for solitude can find it here at night in the cold.

Left the house without my little digital camera and had to rely on the iPhone, not especially good in low light but I lean heavily on images in my posts -- feel mute without them.  Don't often play with the apps to warp images into little fetishes.

Part of the credit for the success of the evening belongs to Heet.  The last couple cold weather rides were a bit frustrating because of fuel line freezing.  Poured a little of this magic elixir into the fuel tank and no more no start events.  At least not this evening at 21F.  I have enough now to get me through the rest of the winter.

My first stop of the evening was for fuel, to mix the Heet with gas and venture off with crossed fingers.  The world is salt covered right now.  The scene actually looked like this.  Yesterday I had lunch at the Happy Valley Brewery in State College, Pennsylvania and the parking lot, a freshly constructed blacktop area, was almost pure white and not from snow.  Just the dregs of road salt.

My poor Vespa...

I had three goals for the evening -- test the fuel fix, go to the grocery store, and stop by the Piston and Pints get together that was taking place at Legends Pub in the Penn State Conference Hotel.

Riding into Innovation Park I was wondering if anyone would show up.

It was a full house at the hotel and a lot of familiar faces at Piston and Pints though no motorcycles.
Didn't attempt any pictures inside, was in a bit of a rush because here was more riding ahead, and I wasn't sure if the fuel line was going to freeze.  In the lobby I talked with a few guys and they had a fine suggestion that I might try -- use a few of the chemical heating bags on the fuel line to thaw it out.  Worth a try and certainly cheaper than a tow.

Dom Chang, author of Redleg's Rides, suggested a couple cans of Sterno under the engine.  That may work for a Ural but I have my doubts about it for the Vespa.  I'll have to think a bit on that.

The trip to the store was for the essentials limited only by what I can fit on the scooter.  Then off into the night and cold.  It's hard to describe how much I enjoy these rides.  I described the experience to Kim as similar to Junior's excitement when the tennis balls are brought out -- an burst of joy packed energy.

Oh to ride...

More Reasons to Not Ride a Vespa in the Winter

After moaning and wallowing in cold driven self pity I forced myself onto the road this morning since the temperature was hovering at a balmy 25F.  During the ride a couple things came to mind as reasons to stay off the road in the winter.  Not the cheap, obvious ones like "It's too cold" or "It's too dangerous to ride whenever it's cold enough for ice to form on the road".  Everyone knows those.  There are more specific, frustrating and teeth grinding reasons to store your scooter or motorcycle in the winter and just stay home and get fat. I guess you can get fat riding too...

Wandering up into the woods the roads become a bit more clogged with snow and ice but with almost no traffic it's easy to navigate this sort of thing on a Vespa.

When asked why I ride in the winter my responses fall into two categories depending on how I'm feeling.  One has to do with the magical appearance of winter.  I can't get enough of the visual splendor that seems to be consumable only by riding.  Can't access it in the car and am too exhausted riding a bike.  I'm probably rationalizing here.

The second reason is the challenge.  There's a satisfaction in pushing through winter on a Vespa.  It's probably as close as I'll ever get to high adventure.  K2 is not in my future.

Lot's of snow still blowing around especially on the smaller secondary roads or private lanes like this one.  The Vespa really floats trying to plow through this deep stuff.  Still, doesn't fall into my reasons why one might not want to ride in the winter.

Rust.  Just like on a car, riding in winter can eat away at the scooter.  And since almost every rider I know baby's their machine whether a scooter or motorcycle, winter pretty much takes them out of the game.

I just noticed the main body seam turning brown.  I read somewhere that it's just the Italian roast coffee leaking through but something tells me it's more of a problem than that.  Not sure how I'll proceed.

And the other reason is things just don't work as well in cold weather leading to all sorts of potential frustrations.  Like this morning.  Had a nice, winter ride through the countryside and into town to return an overdue library book.  By the time I perused the books and made a few choices the fuel line froze again on the scooter.  Nothing more frustrating in my book than a scooter that won't start.

The frustration worsens as it begins to snow.  Called a towing company since all my truck and trailer friends are away and they arrive in about 20 minutes only to tell me they can't "lift" a Vespa.

Off they go and I retreat to the library to call a company that has hauled the scooter before.  They can be there in an hour.  I walk outside to determine my next move and realize if "feels" warmer. A quick check of the temperature shows it has risen to near the freezing mark and I wonder if the scooter will start now.

Indeed it does.  A quick call to cancel the tow and off I go.  Ride in the winter and stuff like this will happen.  Some say it's a wonderful opportunity for personal growth.  To me it's a pain.

So, from where I sit, winter riding is cold, frustrating, dangerous, hard on the machinery, and hard on the body and soul.  Other than that it's pretty fun and satisfying.

So, what other reasons am I missing to pack it in for the winter?

It's Cold and I Don't Care

It's been cold, a cold that penetrates the bones, my bones, and I've not done a damn thing except go to work and come home and curl up.  No Vespa, no camera, nothing.

And the really cool part?  I don't care.

It's taken me several decades to arrive at this destination.  A real spiritual journey...

Mr. Ruby Airborne - Finally

After two days of having his flight out of State College postponed and cancelled Mr. Ruby finally is airborne and on his way to Rome.  I swiped this image from his new Italy 2014 blog.  He's decided to handle the whole blogging thing with his iPhone.

That's hardcore.

He's always hammering me for my LL Bean wardrobe so I was pleasantly surprised to see him in a farmer shirt.  I guess he's not quite the Continental yet.

Looking forward to his arrival in Sicily and the beginning of his adventure by Vespa scooter.

Mr. Ruby Goes to Sicily

Perhaps it would have been more fitting start for a trip to Sicily to take Mr. Ruby to the airport on the back of a Vespa instead of a minivan but there are times when practicality trumps romance.  And so his adventure began.

An hour later I received a call: "My flight's been cancelled".  I wondered what that meant for the train he's supposed to catch out of Rome to Messina where (I think) he's renting a scooter to tour the island for a couple weeks.

Mr. Ruby is nothing if not always ready for an adventure.  He tells me he's going to post to his blog about it all.

I suspect Mr. Ruby wants to experience the real cafe lifestyle in Italy rather than live only for Saint's Cafe on Sunday mornings despite how pleasant the experience.  Steaming hot tea and a warm bagel is a far cry from a Mediterranean existence.

Paul arrived with his new Fuji Finepix X100 camera purchased specifically to undertake the digital version of a Cartier-Bresson life on the road.  It's an impressive piece of technology and a damn fine camera too.  I actually want one of these, a digital replacement for my idle Leica M6...

I'm looking forward to living the adventure vicariously through Mr. Ruby's pictures.

I picture days on the Vespa interrupted by conversations in cafes. Mr. Ruby will bring his own unique reflection of America to Sicily. In uncertain Italian mixed with English he'll attempt to bring the unsuspecting inhabitants under his spell.

Mr. Ruby has the power to mesmerize, use slight of hand and misdirection to bend those of weak mind to his will.  The perfect combination for a man on a Vespa traveling through the rolling hills once haunted by Romans and Greeks in antiquity.

So his adventure continues tomorrow as he attempts departure in the snow...

Annual Vespa Wash

The weather warmed over the weekend providing an opportunity to wash the scooter.  Usually this can wait until spring but for some reason the Vespa was already caked with dirt, mud, salt and other roadway ugliness, so much that I just couldn't stand it.  So off to the local Redline Speed Shine facility to make a lot of that go away.

Once clean I couldn't resist a little ride despite the rain.  By the time I got home another sheen of grime was starting to build.  Can't say I wasn't a little excited -- felt like one of those intrepid BMW Adventurers with a dirty bike.

Seriously though I have to confess a profound disrespect for machines.  Or so it seems as indicated by my pathological disinterest in maintenance of the cosmetic or investment protecting sort.  I squirm a bit when I think of all the cars and devices that went to early graves because I didn't attend to them the way I know others do.

Next time I'm at WalMart I'll look at the cloth diapers and see if it motivates me to rub and shine the Vespa in the manner I know a few others do...