Modern Vespa

So apparently I can't upload video to this site. I have posted a couple of videos to my facebook page if anyone is interested. Hopefully you can see them at (https://www.facebook.com/joseph.metzler.3).

More photos from the Friday ride.

Who's that guy who's way the heck out front all the time?

One of the downsides of leading is you barely get to enjoy watching the other scooters. There are mirrors, I know, but quick glances don't quite cut it.

On the plus side, you're the first to see the eagle rising up off the roadkill. 8)

BTW, I've been "adjusting" a lot of my pictures on the PC. Makes Friday look a lot more cheery when you filter out the gloom. Fortunately you can't see the wind.

I don't know. They were too far ahead for me to get a good look at them. You creating fake news?

Dove in this weekend to fix everything up and found that indeed the gasket was completely gone, i.e. nowhere to be seen. Like it never existed. Hadn't had it go so far before, but interesting to experience.

But even better was the not-at-all shredded belt. In fact it was in perfect condition at 14K miles. So then I went to start the bike after replacing it anyway (thanks Dave for the preventive maintenance pep-talk). And nothing. Got a crank, crank, crank and no ignition. Hhhmmmm.

Having recently replaced the spark plug wire on another scoot I took a look at the GTS's. Eventually found it, dangling free way down there. Got it back into position, heard it click onto the plug and fired it up. Everything working once again.

Moral of the story - when you know its the belt best check the plug and wire first. Save yourself waiting a couple of hours for a tow truck.

Well, that's an unexpected twist. Glad it's not a shredded belt, but yeah, maybe time to change it out.

I kind of dread the thought of getting stuck on the side of the road....probably somewhere, some time, but hopefully close to home. Actually did already twice, but less than a mile from home hardly counts.

Dave,

Werner and I drove down in such a rained soaked blow on Thursday, by comparison, I hardly noticed the wind Friday. Unknown to us, as we headed
South toward La Crosse, there were multiple tornadoes just 20 miles to the
West.

When you early spoke of the wind, I could not understand what you were
talking about. I suppose running in front of tornadoes recalibrated my
brain about what was windy.

I thought everyday was special and excellent. You should publish those
routes in a motorcycle touring magazine. You could name the route,
"Riding the Coulees of SW Wisconsin".

Bob Copeland

Probably close to my first blowout. Just a mesh skeleton.

Kept running into HD riders on the way home that were raving about the crazy Vespa rider they'd crossed paths with that sounded more obnoxious than they did.

Geeze, you Minnesotans are some tough riders.... not only riding through rain, but tornadoes too. Of course if they were to the West they were only Minnesota tornadoes. )I jest, but a Minnesota tornado put a Mankato relative into a nursing home).

I'd ridden on windier days, but getting bounced around by gusts does wear on you pretty quickly.....

Glad you had a good time. Makes all the planning worthwhile!

Anybody going to Amerivespa in Lake Geneva interested in sharing a room?