Modern Vespa

I will I am contemplating which tire to get and will be getting quotes this week. That was some proper scary stuff. Thanks for the tip and kind words Judy. I will be looking into the Heidenau tires. Although I also hear great things about the Michelin tires. I guess everything is better than these coffin nails.

Ordering Heidenau K58's today. Hopefully, they can be fitted at the start of next week or maybe even tomorrow. I really hope they go on soon because these Sava's are scaring me to death on wet roads.

Just got the confirmation that my new tires will be fitted tomorrow. Can't wait!

Good news. This should do great things for your life expectancy.

Love your pictures and stories too Tom!
I nicked the one with the dog in the loving pose.
Is it your dog?
I'm from Roermond originally, but lived 25 years in Amsterdam.
Now I ride Vespa in the North of Thailand, where I have been living for little bit more than twenty years.
You live in a nice part of the Netherlands, but from the other side I think that all of the Netherlands is
so nice that we should collect an entrance fee from tourists to enter, to be collected at the border

Love that yellow scoot.

The others creatures look pretty nice as well.

Twinbrother: Terrific photos, as usual.

And, my wife approves of your Honda CR-V. She loves hers.

Thanks for the reply Twinbrother. Awesome pictures as well!

Well, picked up the Vespa yesterday after the tire change. Of course, it was pissing it down on the way home so I could instantly feel if the tires gave more confidence then the Sava's they replaced and I have to say, even though I took it slowly for the first couple of miles, the changes are instantly noticeable. I can corner way easier, it's almost like the Sava's where square and these tires are round. When countersteering the bike goes instantly the way you point her and doesn't need extra leaning or encouragement to change course.

I absolutely love them and can't wait to explore them some more on dry roads to really exploit the grip levels they are providing.

Had another brilliant ride yesterday. This time I didn't go to Germany but stayed in the Netherlands. First stop: the harbor of Enschede, my hometown. It isn't a big harbor by any means but I just had to have a picture of the Vespa at the water.

Riding the Sprint in the Netherlands by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

Riding the Sprint in the Netherlands by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

Now it was time to search for some bendy roads. As you can see in the pictures above the roads were now dry and I could start to explore the grip my new Heidenau K58 tires are providing. I have to say, they don't disappoint. What amazing levels of grip! They are very confidence inspiring when you compare them to the Sava tires that were previously mounted. I just love them! And i think they look the part to.

Riding the Sprint in the Netherlands by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

I rode and rode till I found this amazing house! It was just finished and I thought it looked amazing.

Riding the Sprint in the Netherlands by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

After riding some more the first milestone happend. I rode my Vespa for 1.000 kilometers.
Riding the Sprint in the Netherlands by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

Riding the Sprint in the Netherlands by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

Riding the Sprint in the Netherlands by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

Riding the Sprint in the Netherlands by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

after visiting the very small towns of Hengevelde and Sint-Isidorushoeve (try to pronounce that! LOL) I found roadworks and got to try the grip levels of my tires in the loose sand.

Riding the Sprint in the Netherlands by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

Which went great but I lacked the power to really enjoy it. So I took some more pictures.

Riding the Sprint in the Netherlands by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

Riding the Sprint in the Netherlands by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

After some more riding I was back home again. Great way to spend an afternoon.

It's been fun following your adventures from the first post to the latest one. It's revived my interest in a 50cc scooter. I have always had my eye on a Honda Ruckus but your photographs remind me how pretty the Vespa scooter is.

Hard to beat the slow ride in seeing things. My GTS will go slow but it's just a different animal.

Thanks for sharing. Be safe. Let those tires wear in before you get too confident!

Thanks! It isn't fast by any means but it's just a great way of traveling.

Today I visited the beautiful town of Munster. My longest ride yet. I will post a story about that trip later.

Anxious to read your next story. I too have greatly enjoyed your posts.

Trip to Munster by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

Well, last Sunday it was time for my first proper ride. I had set my sights on Munster in Germany since the day I decided I would buy a bike. The funny thing is I wasn't sure how to get there and that meant I had to drive through little villages I had never been before. Because I got the whole afternoon I could take my time and there was no need to rush it.

When I drove off I passed Gronau - Ochtrup and after that Steinfurt, but that was the farthest I had been up to that point and I wasn't sure what road to follow. After some driving in the wrong direction and almost getting lost completely I found the correct road.

But first I had to get some water in Steinfurt:
Trip to Munster by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

After that it was off to the quiet little sleepy town of Altenberge and boy did it not disappoint! I'm a huge petrolhead and get weak at the knees if I see some proper cars and the Nissan dealer had some really good stock. It is not very common to see a Nissan GT-R where I live but to see this many all packed in one parking lot and showroom was truly a discovery. It was awesome and upon riding past I knew I had to return to take a proper look at the cars.

Trip to Munster by Tom westendorp, on Flickr
Vespa making friends

Trip to Munster by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

After that, I was off to the next small town before I would arrive in Munster. It was Nienberge and where Altenberge had a nice surprise in the form of the GT-R collection Nienberge would completely blow my socks off. You see, when I was growing up my grandfather always had BMW's and always had them serviced at the same dealership. On a good day, I visited the dealership alone after my grandfather had passed and I talked to the owner who would show me his new toy. The Wiesmann MF3 Roadster. It has the engine from a BMW E46 M3 and all the BMW underpinnings so you can get it serviced at every BMW dealership and not worry about some fancy or delicate exotic electronics. I adored the brand and when they came out with the MF5 I almost lost it. The MF5 had the engine of the E60 M5 and sounded like nothing else I've ever heard. Wiesmann really holds a special place in my heart and I thought it was really sad when they went bankrupt.

Imagine my surprise to stumble upon the company that almost bought everything after the bankruptcy was declared. For a small second, I was in heaven.

Trip to Munster by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

Trip to Munster by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

Some cool vintage cars in stock as well!
Trip to Munster by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

Trip to Munster by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

Trip to Munster by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

Trip to Munster by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

But at some point, I had to go. Sadly leaving the Wiesmann's behind. It was now less than 10 kilometers to Munster and I knew where I wanted to take a picture.

The "Schloss"

Trip to Munster by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

What a majestic building. But as it was now way past four o'clock and I had a long way to get home it was time to push it. I made no pictures on the way back as I was determined to "race" home (LOL) in the fastest possible manner. I am proud to say that 1 hour and 20 minutes later I was at home not taking a single wrong turn. What a great afternoon!

Another great ride and story. Wish we had such places in my area.

You sure are enjoying the scoot!

I see that you are really enjoying your Valentina! Good for you!!
That muscle strain you feel in your face... that is from the constant smiling.

Aral's 102 is excellent fuel for certain. I used it for years in my LX 50, and now in the GTS. Once I had a GTS in that beautiful blue color. I loved pulling into the Aral station as it seemed like "Bruno" was suddenly home. At night with the blue neon... OH MY! Photo opportunities!

Switch the tires, and be careful of German road markings, they are like ice in wet conditions. Leaning not suggested. While it rains I imagine myself to have a bad back that must be kept straight.

While I can appreciate the fun which can happen while lost, sometimes you just need to be where you need to be when you need to be there. For these times I suggest a GPS system of some sort. I've been using a TomTom VIO which is not completely ideal for my purposes, but does enough to make me quite happy.

Sorry I've been so silent I just totally forgot about this thread.

PetrolHead your Sprint 50 is a thing of beauty.

The chrome kit is the max. I love the wheels too.

Did you respond to my question about the LX 50 silencer or did I miss it?

I am working on a GPS solution for my riding purposes. I think I almost got it figured out.

So today my riding jacket came in. I managed to score a really good deal on a Revit Outback2 so I had to test it out. In my urge to get out and experience the jacket I forgot it isn't winter yet and the double inner liners were way to warm.

Managed to find a pretty lake.
Completely deserted.
Small ride tot test the new jacket by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

And tried to take a selfie and show off the jacket. I think I failed, Miserably.
Small ride tot test the new jacket by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

No failure Tom, all good stuff.

Keep it coming!

Made another small modification to Valentina this morning. Or should I say de-modification? I haven't been that thrilled by the large windscreen fitted to her. When it rains it makes it hard to see through and it just takes away to much of the riding experience so I removed it. I think I will sell it and mount a low smoked screen instead.

New look:
De-windscreend by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

De-windscreend by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

Drove to work this morning and it was definetly different to riding with the windscreen. I'm now way more in the wind and it seems like Valentina pulls a little harder. I'm now selling the high screen and want a low smoked screen instead.

Best mod so far.

You will enjoy the extra speed too. On the other hand the fly is exhausting for longer rides.

I have a clear one and love it.

I think it's definitely more exhausting to ride the bike for longer periods than with the screen. I enjoy this more though.

Well another night another ride.

Last time when I visited the awesome village of Bad Bentheim I forgot to take pictures with the castle. So I new I had to return.

Tonight was the night. The tank was filled up, the jacket ready and I was determined to have another awesome ride.

7:40 pm, time to hit the road!

7:44 pm, before heading east I have to take a picture of all the hot air balloons that are in the sky tonight.
Small trip to Bad Bentheim by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

Small trip to Bad Bentheim by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

8:15 pm, I'm already in Bad Bentheim, let the picture fest commence.

Small trip to Bad Bentheim by Tom westendorp, on Flickr
This corner isn't right.

Small trip to Bad Bentheim by Tom westendorp, on Flickr
This isn't any better.

Small trip to Bad Bentheim by Tom westendorp, on Flickr
This shows how steep the road is I am on. I need another spot to take a picture.

Small trip to Bad Bentheim by Tom westendorp, on Flickr
This has to do. Because of the elevation changes in the town I can't park the bike because it will tip over.

Let's ride around some more.

Small trip to Bad Bentheim by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

The time? 8:28 pm.

Small trip to Bad Bentheim by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

As you can see in the picture above I am piling on the kilometers nicely.

Almost 9 pm I am home. Another great little adventure under my belt and a happy purring Valentina.

Small trip to Bad Bentheim by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

All parked up, ready for duty tommorow.

Small trip to Bad Bentheim by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

Thanks for reading!

Last Sunday it was time for another adventure. In Winterswijk my favourite classic car event of the month was being held. I had to be there. But my little Volkswagen up! doesn't really fit in with all the old cars. And as with many cases, the answer was of course: Vespa!

It was a 40-kilometer drive (around 25 miles) and it took me little over an hour to get there. I'm amazed how little time difference there most times is between the car and my little Vespa. As long as you can't drive on the autobahn's, the differences are really small.

This time, however, I didn't get the chance to take any pictures because I was busy filming. I got a couple idea's to make a movie about Valentina.

I hope you can excuse the lack of English in this movie and enjoy it anyways.

So yesterday I had some more time to get out and drive. I was planning on a 1.5-hour ride. In the end, it was right about that. Awesome ride! First I rode to Gronau, always Gronau. Then I rode via Graes to Ahaus to get some more of that good stuff.

Small ride by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

Small ride by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

Then onto some more riding around the outskirts of my hometown Enschede until I got a call. I needed to get home as quickly as possible. There was something waiting for me.

Small ride by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

It's a Porsche 911 Carrera US Model. What an awesome car. I only drove it for a little bit because my friend just got it finished but what an experience it is to drive a car where everything is manual. No power assisted steering, no power assisted brakes and a throttle cable that is directly linked to the carburetors.

All in all a very good night. thanks for reading.

Two questions:

1) Your pictures are quite vibrant and full of rich color - do you color correct them, and if not, what sort of camera/cell phone do you use?

2) It's been a week since we've heard from you. Your cyber-fans are getting nervous. Did you put the Savas back on?

1. Yes i do using Lightroom.
2. I didn't put the sava's back on but haven't really done a proper trip.

Last sunday I was anxious to see how much ground I can cover in a small amount of time. I managed to ride 47 kilometers in one hour.

This is valueble information for the trip I am planning for the spring of 2018.

To be continued.....

Good to know you're still with us!

And the Savas still aren't...

Hey!! I am Dutch too! I have a Vespa LX50. She'll go to the shop soon, I bought new cables and locks!

Lovely to read this post, thanks!

Nice scoot!

Maybe a dynamic duo in the making?

Haha thank you! I'm very proud of my scooter!

Munster ? Now you've got me wanting cheese. TOM glad you got the tires. Big difference between them and the Sava's, They'll last (rear) about 6-8,000 miles. 8)

Is Munster known for it's cheese? I didn't know!

The tires make all the difference. in the world. The last days we had nothing but rain and I flelt safe and secure on the bike knowing it wouldn't just skid away from under me like last time it rained.

I am now researching the possibilities to make the Vespa a little bit faster. I know it isn't going to be a fast bike in any way but it could help a lot if I could extract a little more top speed from it.

It's almost time for service, I think I'm going to combine it with swapping out the rollers, changing the main jet and de restricting my CDI. That way I should get a top speed of 70-ish kilometers an hour. That is fast enough for my goals with the bike.

Some of your towns are named after the cheese that they sell. Edam is another one. Cool history. I spent a month cruising around your country. 8)

Just the thought they could have been remotely photoshopped is a bit disconcerting and inpertinent.

Do you go around asking people: " Oh! Did you change your make-up/facial cream? You look so vibrant and your skin is glowing?"

Love reading about your trips! If I could lend some advice on power improvements, I have a 2006 LX 50 and I, too, was looking to make some performance improvements. I tried the Malossi variator kit and fooled around with carburetor jets and could not get any significant improvements. Then I decided to splurge on the Malossi big bore kit and it was the best money spent. I used to be scared to pull out in traffic, but now my LX 50 is a pleasure to ride on main roads. It turned out so well I decided to do the same with my wife's 2014 Piaggio Fly. I pulled out the engine, installed the Malossi big bore kit, Malossi variator, #80 carb jet, iridium spark plug, and Malossi red air filter. It's like night and day. Good luck with your upgrades!

Which size cylinder kit did you put on the LX 50?