Modern Vespa

First off thought I'd say hi as this is my first post. I saw the guy in the pic below a few years ago when I was in monument valley Arizona. It always seemed like it would have been a cool trip and I've been wondering about it ever since. Then I got the bright idea to post here and see if anyone recognizes this person or maybe know of a trip report that exists. There is a sticker on the bikes windshild that says vespa something but I can't tell what it is.

Here is a link for a more close up pic. I couldn't seem to get in up on the forum without it getting it all pixelated so I have it on my flickr page.

http://flic.kr/p/duMJgA

Way, way, way, way too much gear.

(Sorry, don't recognize him...)

I'd be cautious about answering this question. Too many unknowns here.

WTF?

It was a pretty cool scene. I was on my xr650 on a desert camping trip we had ridden offroad from my house in Flagstaff to Monument valley. I thought I was pretty hardcore. It was almost 200 miles of pretty gnarly off roading, mostly through the reservation. As I'm leaving the park I stop to check out the sunset and this little scooter literally comes bouncing down the road. He passes me and waves and I watch him and the scooter bounce off into the sunset. It looked like he was having a fun adventure.

I know he is all loaded up. But I wouldn't call that protective gear. His knees are bare! Nice tan knees though.

wow paranoid much?

Ok here are all the pics. There is a sticker with a website on his windscreen but I can't read what it says.

I can't' read that either. It must be just someone avoiding the authorities.

Far, far ,far, far, away from giving a shit.



On the way home to/from burning man?

Tucano urbano skirt, must be cool!

Bam! Found it! Thanks for the help. I just briefly looked at his web page. Seems like a pretty serious traveler. I'll have to kill some time on his site tomorrow.

http://www.vespanda.com/contatti.html

In this crowd you might ask if any one can recognise the Scooter... R

Wow this guy is going from new york to dead horse Alaska then all the way around south America.... then back to New York...

Last report looks like Charlotte N.C.

http://www.vespanda.com/ilprogetto.html

If you want to contact him:
info@vespanda.com

Wow burning man 2010. He must of made a detour to monument valley...

Well, that does at least explain all the gear!

BTW Google translator works great on his site!

Max is stalking him already

I can't help but envy that guy, He makes those Iron Ass guys look like a bunch of real pussies. It wouls be interesting to know how many miles he has made.

x2

I was going to say the last time I saw him it was behind a shopping cart.

Nope......I concur with the OP. Pretty gnarly to pack up that much gear and desert camp by yourself on a P.
You should post this on NSM. It's vintage bike. Maybe someone knows the face or the shop website there.

Too much or too little gear is a judgement call and depends on the demands of the trip and the level of comfort/convenience the traveler wants to have.

The obvious weight and space trade-offs are made based on the above, and during the trip most people discard and pick up gear to meet their changing needs and decisions regarding comfort needs and the ability to haul everything.

In my travels I've found people living quite comfortably out of an over large day pack in Nepal and enjoying the north shore of Hawaii with everything but the kitchen sink in a huge mountaineering pack.

Looking at the pictures, this guy sems to have worked out a system and inventory that meets his needs, so if anyone were to approach him and tell him he had 'way, way, way too much gear', he would probably say, "For you, perhaps, but not for me".

I road my Harley in the valley a few years back

Oh, it was certainly meant as personal opinion. There are no absolutes. I have spent so many hours trying to reduce, miniaturize, and eliminate gear from the carry list that I can't help but look at that and shudder.

But to each his own, for sure.

He's posting the Kilometers on his google cycle map. There are some diary entries as well, but it's not in English. it was like 55,000 down in Mexico city.

I posted this thread on the adv rider forum and someone else found some pics of him. You can see the bike a lot better.

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?p=20082507#post20082507

How fast will a 150 go? I believe his was a two stroke at least that's how it sounded as he passed by.

i see he has a spare helmet..

maybe its just in case he comes across any hitchhikers who need a lift...

always room for one more..

An stock 150 that is dialed in could do 50... maybe 55 with a tail wind.

(Yes, all those vintage Vespa's are 2 stokes.)

Here are his travel videos:

http://www.youtube.com/user/MrVespanda?feature=watch

ZNOMIT MAX only you would notice his knees. Impressed at his travels on the bike. I try to be a minimalist but it doesn't work. Been there in a cage. Neet valley, Back in the 90's i didn't see anybody all day except for a cyclist and his support car. Fun times. Hey ZNOMIT no bunny?

Death Road Bolivia

I would have problems walking there, let alone riding.

Max's knees aren't bad either.

Well it didn't take this thread long to fall below the belt... R

Looks like a dream trip to me. 2013, maybe? Who's with me?

His website is Vespanda. An Italian world traveler.
http://www.vespanda.com/viaggipassati.html

Wow, this is a great video - delivered in 3 languages too - shame he does not ride holding the camera up there too...

http://youtu.be/X8AyGVMx6YM

Puts me to shame!!

This man is living the dream.

PS: There are loads of great video's - the Patagonian Gaucho one is rather odd too!

I wish I could.. that is the ride of a lifetime

***laughing*** Both of them have convalesced now.

Who's that Guy? gee maybe we should get him an honorary T-birds jacket, I mean MV jacket. 8)

One hell of a first post, I'd say! Welcome to MV! That's gonna be tough to follow up on.