My Dog Ate my Torque Wrench

I didn't become the Vespa mechanic I had hoped to be. Instead I hung out with Kim during my last weekend of vacation before going back to work. When I did get on the scooter it was to buy a big chocolate chunk cookie to enjoy with my afternoon cup of Earl Grey tea and a magazine. The Vespa shop manual was nearby, but only physically. My mind was elsewhere.

But it's not my fault, there was rain, it was cold, I didn't have the right tools, my dog ate my torque wrench! I have to confess, all those hours lying under vehicles as a teenager still has left a bad taste in my mouth for all things mechanical. And the Vespa has not yet allowed me to embrace the joy of mechanical maintenance.

I did have all the parts to do the drive belt and variator weights change. And a new Michelin Pilot City front tire and sparkplug. I ordered everything from Motorsport Scooters in San Diego. There are several great scooter parts and accessory places but I have warmed up to them. If you need parts or want to dream about all the myriad of things you can buy for your scooter check them out and tell them Scooter in the Sticks sent you. Maybe they'll give me a Vespa key chain or something!

I did get the front tire changed and had found the torque wrench so I could tighten things correctly.


I thought of actually changing the tire myself but even that was too much to consider so I took it to the fine folks at Kissell Motorsports for mounting and balancing. All I had to do was take it off and put it back on the scooter. And of course I had to do the really critical testing of the tire and make sure the slippery factory coating was worn off the tire. Entirely for safety reasons you understand. And get that cookie.

So far the Michelin tire seems pretty nice. Certainly a lot smoother ride than I was getting with my Pirelli front tire with 7500 miles on it. I will do a more thorough evaluation of the tire once the roads get wet and cold.

And I will change that belt this week. I told my dog not to be fiddling with the torque wrench.

Thoughts of Riding North

Woke this morning with thoughts of riding north through Pine Creek Gorge. By the time I left the driveway I was on my way south with no particular destination in mind. The weather forecast promised sun and 50° Fahrenheit temperatures but all I saw was dark skies and my hands were cold before I went five miles. Those cold hands gave direction to the ride as I visualized a route that would take me past four motorcycle stores and the hopes of finding something warmer.

The Vespa ran smoothly all day. I have grown more comfortable with its ability to run flat out and perform regardless of conditions. Secondary roads with little traffic and travel speeds between 25 and 55 miles per hour are my first choice but I don't hesitate to join more congested or faster environments if necessary.

The first couple hours I wandered through the township roads that crisscross the mountains and farmland common in central Pennsylvania. I stop often to look around and take pictures that I can't imagine anyone wanting to ride with me unless they had a similar obsession with stopping. I joined the 65 MPH traffic on US Route 22 traveling west towards Hollidaysburg and Altoona. At the top of Short Mountain I stopped to take a picture for Kim of Louie's Coral Lounge.


This place has been around since I first came to this area in 1972 and was once a fine dining establishment. Over the years it has declined into a hybrid roadhouse until I guess it could not make ends meet anymore. Riding down the mountain I stopped to take a photo of the leaves that are now past their flaming prime.

My first destination was Cernic's Suzuki dealership in hopes of finding some good winter gloves or waterproof covers for mine. Before I got there I just had to stop at Donnelly's Antiques in Duncansville to pose the Vespa in an environment more suited to its quiet sophistication.


No gloves at the Suzuki Dealer but on the way home I stopped at Steve Selzer's new Honda Dealership. Nice place and they hand the Tourmaster Winter Elite gloves in stock though not in my size. One of the techs told me he has a pair and rides to work with them and found them warm at 70 MPH at 35 degrees. I'm sold. On payday I will order a pair from someone.

After a stop for gas I made the final run home by the fastest and most direct route. At least that was my plan until the sun came out and the world got brighter. I detoured a bit through some farmlands that I knew would have some of those lone trees I am so drawn too.


By the time I got home I had put another 120 miles on the Vespa and the odometer is turning close to the 7500 mile mark. A new front tire and variator weights are due for delivery tomorrow so I will begin my maintenance work of changing the drivebelt, weights, sparkplug, airfilter, and change the front tire. I will transform from rider to mechanic.

Vespa SuperMoto

This past Monday morning my friend Paul and I decided to take a long ride north. His only requirement was that it not be raining when we left. At dawn the sky was heavily overcast and gray, the roads wet, the wind moving at a sustained 20 MPH and the temperature hovering around 34° Fahrenheit. And it wasn't raining. A perfect morning to ride.

I had gone over the Vespa carefully the night before and made sure everything was mechanically sound so I could roll it out of the garage and go. Paul arrived on his bright yellow Suzuki DRZ400 SuperMoto and off we went. We were only 10 miles out when we stopped to add some more gear. I put on a windproof Mountain Hardware jacket on under my First Gear jacket and Paul pulled on some waterproof and windproof covers over his gloves because his fingertips were getting numb. My hands were still fine but by midday I was looking at every motorcycle store for a pair myself.

We rode over two ridges and down into the Susquehanna river basin and the town of Jersey Shore and stopped for a hearty breakfast at the Penna Waffle House and Deli.


Afterwards Paul decided he wanted to check out a guitar store and Harley dealer in Williamsport, a definite variation from my desire to continue north into the wilderness. The Vespa had been in the lead until now but Paul took responsibility for finding our next stops and I followed behind on US220 at 55 - 60 MPH. Even with the crosswind the LX150 was fine.

We found the Harley dealer was closed on Mondays. And we never found the guitar store. So much for that detour which took up an hour. My turn to lead again so I jumped on US15, a limited access four lane highway that I knew would quickly get us out of town and headed north. We stopped at Bob Logue Motorsports so that I could look for a pair of those waterproof covers for my gloves. This unassuming motorcycle shop was home to the Honda Museum. Check out their Web site. No glove covers but a ton of vintage bikes to look at. And a change to warm up a bit too.

Eventually we rode north into the Tiadaghton State Forest to see the flaming foliage that Pennsylvania is so famous for. We rode through places like Trout Run, Steam Valley, Beech Grove and White Pine before stopping in English Center for lunch.


These little places make nice riding stops but my guess is they do their big business during buck season.

As mid afternoon approached we rode west along Pine Creek through narrow valleys.


This is the kind of place I love to ride and the Vespa performed flawlessly and seemed up to the task of running along with the SuperMoto. Paul kept asking if I wanted to switch bikes and I finally did toward the end of the ride when we were making the run home. Here are my observations from riding the Suzuki:

The LX150 ride is luxurious ride compared to the SuperMoto. The Vespa seat is soft and forgiving compared to the hard, narrow seat on the Suzuki. The Vespa riding position is flat out more comfortable. I felt strangely exposed with my feet on pegs rather than hidden behind the cowl of the scooter. The bars on the Suzuki are extremely wide and I found my shoulders aching after a few miles. And shifting - I just found it annoying. I'm sure I would fall into the groove again but why bother....Finally, the big tires on the Suzuki don't allow for the quick and nimble movements of the scooter. I guess there is a lot of centrifugal force to overcome.

On the positive side the Suzuki shocks were a dream. Every road bump and bang just disappears. The sound and feel of the 400cc thumper engine was nice compared to the silence of the scooter. Not sure that I still wouldn't want silence tough. And power---geez. At 60MPH you twist the throttle and torque and acceleration is yours. I came upon a situation on the road where a car in the other lane was stopped to turn left across my lane while another car was waiting to turn onto the road I was on. With the scooter I slow and become ready to stop. With the SuperMoto I slow but when I got close enough I could haul on the throttle and "squirt" through the gap. With the LX150 there is no squirting.

When we switched back my first impression of the Vespa again was that it was tiny. Sitting lower, narrower bars it seemed weird for a moment but that passed. And I definitely noticed the loss of acceleration and torque.

I asked Paul at the end of the day if my limitations of speed and power prevented him from riding differently. He said that there were only two places where he would have ridden faster, both on 4 lane limited access highways. One I could only manage 45 going up a long grade and the other I was doing 60 to get from one exit to another and he said he would have rocketed along that stretch. For the entire ride through the woods though he said I was going faster than he would normally have gone.

I think I'll stick with the scooter.

I arrived home eight hours after I left. I was warm, dry, and smiling. I only rode 180 miles which surprised me for the amount of time I was gone. I would have stopped a lot more to make photos if I had been by myself. I think Paul would have strangled me if I did my every 300-yard stopping pattern. I guess I will have to ride back north for some pictures. I'm afraid the leaves will all be gone before I get there....

Lessons from 100 Posts

On October 2, 2005 I posted for the first time on Scooter in the Sticks. Today sees the 100th entry here and I thought I would use this as an opportunity to ask why I've done this. Before I do I want to thank my wife Kim for her patience and understanding of the work I do with Scooter in the Sticks, but also with my riding.

And of course she receives complete credit as author of the name Scooter in the Sticks. She always has the best ideas.

As I look back over the past twelve months and think about how writing, riding and photography have come together I see several themes or changes that recur from day to day.

SEE MORE
As a photographer you'd think this would be a simple thing but I've found it a challenge to pursue and sustain. When I purchased the Vespa LX150 it was in large measure a step to introduce some fun into life. And it has exceeded my expectations on that front. What I did not realize is that it has opened my eyes wide to everything around me. The nature and demands of riding do not easily suffer the kind of automaton manner that I can embrace in a four-wheeled vehicle. Riding the scooter has heightened my awareness of the road and my fellows on it, but also everything thing that I pass by. The photo above was taken this past Saturday afternoon as I road home from the local library. Riding along I saw a dense growth of bittersweet vine, something Kim and I have been seeking for a long time. We never saw this growth while driving but ride by it one time on a scooter... I definitely see more.

REFLECT AND RELEASE
The process of riding unwinds me. I can feel the tension, noise, and chaos of a day dissipate as the scooter gains momentum. The scooter asks me to be patient and accept the world around me. It allows me to actually do what has often been suggested. I made the video below before I bought the scooter. I had identified a connection between the photographic work I was doing and the daily work that I was engaged in. Looking at it now I can see the Vespa is a mirror of photography. Both processes do the same thing for me.




CONSCIOUS OF DECISIONS
Managing a safe ride requires focused attention. I'm aware of the direct connection between the choices I make while riding and the results of those decisions. Riding allows me to stay awake and not be asleep in my life. I appreciate the days and being awake allows me to take action rather than just think about things to come.

So there it is, reflections drawn at 7AM on a Monday morning. In another hour I will be departing on a long ride with my friend Paul. It's 37° F right now with a 20 MPH wind. The forecast calls for a high of 44° by midday. We're heading north in the remote and forested countryside of Pennsylvania, me on the Vespa and Paul on his bright yellow Suzuki DRZ400 SuperMoto.

A fine pair we'll make on the road.

And the Road Begins

This will be a short post. A notification for myself as much as something for you to read. As I rode home this evening it was with a fine anticipation of nine days of vacation. I'm not going anywhere or doing anything. Just nine days to hang out at home with Kim and relax. And take the opportunity to ride. I'm pretty excited about it.

I stopped twice just to look at the sky. Fall is upon us and the leaves are changing and falling fast. The late day sun and broken sky just cry out "Autumn!" to me. For any of you who live in places that don't experience a dramatic seasonal change like this you must add it to your "See before I die" list. And to ride through it is magic.

As I approached home I saw a rainbow. By the time I stopped and got the camera out it was nearly gone.


You can see a bit of it above the Vespa. The rainbow is obviously a signal of gold to come.

Nine days of vacation!

Riding Home and the Vespa Commute

I had mixed feelings about the weather looking out my office window late Tuesday. Dark skies and a steady rain on top of a throbbing headache just didn't create the feeling of joy the anticipation of a ride home usually engenders regardless of conditions. Throughout the day people stopped by to comment on the weather and how wet I will be on the ride home. It's difficult to explain to someone who is not a rider why I ride on days like this. From the point of view of comfort, protection from the elements, and others on the road it seems a little crazy. I won't convince anyone that I am comfortable and dry on the way home and actually feel good even in the rain. So I don't try too hard but just smile and agree that yes it is wet outside and I'll be careful.

On Tuesday I decided to detour through some farm roads rather than sit in traffic. It was a muddy mess at times but even with the headache I had to stop and just look at the sky. I love those oppressive skies. A quick picture and off I went. I really wish I had some of those Kenda tires that Gary Charpentier of Rush Hour Rambling recently posted about.

I eased my way through things and out onto a smooth secondary road and wandered home. Just a nice way to wrap up the workday and compared to my cage commutes of the past it is fantastic even on the worst days.

Last night on the way home it was gray but no rain. This time a stop at Meyer's Dairy Store for a bottle, that's right a glass bottle, of milk.


I can carry two gallons under the seat but I worry about the bottles clanging together and breaking so usually it's just one. Chores like this, stopping at the post office, the bank, and other routine business are actually fun on the scooter because it is easy to navigate, park, and I get to ride more. I'm still kicking myself for waiting so many years before riding again.

Lost on the Road

Not every ride delivers happy satisfaction. That's not to say the ride is not good, but not always something I would describe as fun. Right now it is in the mid forties, raining, and dark. I have to leave for work in a few minutes and I can honestly say I don't think the ride will be fun. But I am looking forward to it.

This past weekend I did an early morning ride on Sunday and it was not a ride I would categorize as fun. The temperature was in the high 20's when I left and a heavy frost covered the ground. I wasn't cold but aware that the temperature was something to manage. I paused for a long minute at the end of the driveway wondering where I was going and finally turned down the hill with absolutely no destination in mind. It wasn't until about 50 miles later that I had a destination in mind ---- home.

The ride was compelling though not fun. I found myself looking carefully at the landscape, the road, and just absorbing it. I didn't know where I was going, not that I was lost in the sense of not knowing where I was but lost in the sense that the ride was without expectation. It was movement and experience. Everything seemed to fall away except for that. I stopped often to look around at rocks and plants and just smell the fall air. Color and light was center stage and I was there to witness it. And it was cold. I stopped near a lake to eat a sandwich and the wind was so harsh that I ate with my riding gloves on and wishing for a hat.



I returned home 76 miles after leaving the driveway. It was a good ride and was good to be lost and without a plan. And it was good to recognize that I don't have to come home thinking "Wow, that was fun!".

Time to pull on the gear, ride to work and get wet. My dog doesn't even want to be outside.

You Need More Power

It never seems to end - more power, bigger, more expensive, faster, shinier, more devices, more features, more, more, and more. And it's not just with motorcycles (and scooters). It's cars, it's trucks, "I need four-wheel drive and power to pass..." Homes, TVs, stereos, cameras, our entire culture. Growth. Big. Grow or die. I don't want to spend any time on the economics, culture, or politics of consumption now but I did see a picture on Ben Armstrong's Honky-Tonk Dragon blog that had a picture of John Wayne and a Vespa. Doesn't get much more macho than that. Maybe Steve McQueen, Clint Eastwood....

I posted this mostly out of an ongoing curiosity as to why so many men have such a problem with a Vespa. I have met many who seem actively annoyed by its very existence. They seemed threatened at a deep level as if to look too long at one might irreparably harm them. The Vespa is small. It doesn't have a lot of power. Or chrome. And it is quiet. Sitting on it doesn't make you bigger, stronger or more powerful. Riding it can make you at times an object or derision or the butt of jokes. You better feel confident in yourself before starting one up. No compensation available astride a Vespa LX150.

So I smiled when I saw the Duke on the Vespa. And wearing a beret. Damn. I don't think men need more power, they need more guts.

Cold, Cold, Cold

I know in a couple months I'll think 35° F is positively balmy. But tonight riding home from a meeting I felt cold. Granted that I did not have my ski mask on so the cold air cut into my neck in the gap between the helmet and jacket causing a strong ache at 50 MPH. Stopped at the grocery store for a few things and a welcome chance to let my flesh thaw. Tomorrow morning the weather forecast calls for 30° so I will definitely cover my tender neck meat as Napoleon Dynamite refers to it.

The ride to work this morning was fantastic. Windy, cold, leaves blowing everywhere under an ominous grey sky. Halloween weather. I expected a witch to fly overhead. Or something out of the Exorcist to happen. I love this weather.

Not much else to report and I want to go sit with Kim and eat popcorn. The new tire is worn in and performs like a champ. The Vespa seems ready for winter. And I have all the motorcycle spaces to myself at work.

Keeping a Motorcycle or Scooter Clean

I washed the scooter yesterday in part because it was dirty, but mostly because I was taking it into the shop for its annual Pennsylvania Safety Inspection and to have a new rear tire put on. I felt embarrassed at how dirty the thing had gotten from the past month of riding in rain, mud and dirt. The Excalibur Gray Vespa paint really does a good job hiding the dirt but when you get up close or look underneath at the engine......

Here is a shot of the underneath of engine that I posted on the Modern Vespa forum to indicate where the oil drain plug is. That dirty thing to the right is a week old oil filter.


So I hosed it down and washed it up and cleaned most of the underside, at least as much as I could stand before getting bored. All of this is leading to a question of those of you who read and ride. Am I nuts not washing and shining this scooter more often? I definitely have a long history of slim attendance to cleaning. Don't get me wrong, I do attend to maintenance and mechanical issues, but keeping something shining bright and new just bores the hell out of me. I would rather be riding.

All of this applies equally to my cameras, home, garage, garden, computer hard drive, basement, toolbox and dog. With the Vespa I've really tried to be different but if I wash it once a month that's a lot. I wash my truck maybe three times a year. The last time a friend who borrowed it washed it because it was too dirty for him. It is a truck. It was made to haul wet concrete right?

Anyways, back to the Vespa. I know lots of riders of motorcycles treat their machines with extreme care and patience. My eyes glaze over as they describe some new cleaning product that does a fantastic job but be careful you don't let it linger too long on this or that. I've never seen them with their bike when it didn't look like it came right off the showroom floor. Not a single scratch from riding down a too narrow path in the woods. No mud spray from the last rain. Just shiny. It's like those people I see in the neighborhood who are always dressed up. Never once do they appear dirty or unkempt. They have lawn services....

So, advise me readers. What am I missing here? Am I sending my scooter to an early death by not keeping it sparkling? Isn't it enough to spray the salt off in the winter? Or am I just a lazy man and don't realize it....

Exposure Followed by Sanctuary

Yesterday morning's commute to work took place in a damp, cool fog. Awareness heightens when the riding environment presses more strongly - rain, cold, darkness, fog, wind, or even traffic. That awareness is as if a light has been turned on in a dark room. It's quietly exciting and it's something I have always been drawn towards. When I stop to make photographs I am often searching for evidence of that change in awareness and try to capture the elements responsible for the change. The shift in awareness is consistent while riding. I've also encountered in sailing in the ocean in foul weather or backpacking in the winter. It occurs on walks with my wife on cool nights in our neighborhood while looking at the stars. But with riding it always happens and since I ride almost everyday I get to see the world a little differently with great frequency.

I stumbled across a passage in a book I am reading, "Angle of Repose" by Wallace Stegner, that clearly describes the physical, spiritual and emotional response that I experience and I thought I should share it with you.

"...walks along the shore amid tempests of wind and rain, with a fire and a cup of tea and the sure affections of a sheltered house afterward. Exposure followed by sanctuary was somehow part of Grandmother's emotional need, and it turned out to be the pattern of her life."

Reading that passage things came together for me in one of those moments of clarity. A pattern has existed in my life. I push myself through exposure to the elements, through physical challenges but there is always a promise of sanctuary at the end of the road. A cup of tea at a cafe, a warm house, a cozy sleeping bag, a dry cabin on a boat. I ride for the shift in awareness, I knew that, but now I know that there is an additional element that is essential to me - the sanctuary of shelter, friends and family.

Autumn Rides

This is my favorite time of year. The landscape transforms almost overnight into a paradise of color, fragrance and light. The other morning I was out early with my dog walking near Bear Meadows, a lovely bog area. Mist and rain softened the emerging reds, yellows and oranges.


This morning I found myself traveling along a gravel road through long stretches of drying corn. Autumn is everywhere and I hope to see it on foot and by scooter as much as possible. I'll share pictures as I get them but get out there yourself and see things first hand. For those of you who live in places that don't have such dramatic seasonal changes stay tuned.

Scooter Economics

The real economics of riding aren't at the pump; they are gathered when you make a decision to replace your four-wheeled vehicle as the main choice of transportation. Without that decision the scooter remains a toy, object of recreation or occasional transportation item.

There is no doubt I save at the fuel pump. My Ford Ranger gets about 20 miles per gallon. The Vespa gets around 68. On the highway the difference is even greater--- 24 vs. 90. Some quick math. Last year I rode the scooter about 7000 miles. My truck 1200 (at least 600 of that put on by friends or family needing a truck). The truck uses regular fuel so let's use 2.30 per gallon for calculation. Total fuel cost last year (using city mileage figure)--- $138.00. Pretty cheap. The scooter on the other hand using premium fuel at 2.50 per gallon cost $237.00. Still pretty cheap.

Now had I put all 8200 miles on the truck the fuel cost would have been $943. More but not a terribly troubling number. The focus on fuel is really not where the real economics lie. The real economy of scooters is when they become a replacement vehicle that either does not require the purchase of a four-wheeled vehicle or it extends the useful life of that vehicle. I spent $4500 on the Vespa out the door, tax, and license. The truck was over four times that cost. My wife and I have three vehicles--- VW Jetta, Ford Ranger truck, and Vespa. If we can eliminate the need for the Ford the economic benefits are huge in terms of purchase price saved, maintenance, insurance, fuel. There is also a big benefit if I can extend the useful life of the four-wheeled vehicles.

All of this starts to touch on personal preferences and comfort levels with style, age of vehicles, etc. I could go out an buy a 500-dollar junker and drive it and perhaps be cheaper than the scooter.

And a good economist would probably factor in health risk and medical expenses in the event of an accident. I don't want to even try to estimate that other than the scooter is probably a lot more expensive.

After all the thinking about this stuff I end up with a couple of observations. First, I hate thinking about money. Second, my decision to ride was not based on economics. Third, for me the economic benefit of riding is a welcome one and real based on our family's driving, riding, and ownership parameters. Because we keep vehicles until the wheels fall off we are able to amortize costs over a long period of time.

I hate thinking about money. What about you? Does a scooter or motorcycle save you anything?

Time to ride.