Modern Vespa

Lyttelton harbour Canterbury New Zealand this afternoon

What a beautiful landscape in which to ride.

I continue to find satisfaction in the familiar roads and landscapes in which I get to ride. Central Pennsylvania is strewn with dirt and gravel roads just crying out for me to visit on my GTS.

Wow another great shot. I enjoy shots like that that just gives me the urge to go out and ride.

I might have to stop using my phone and drag the SLR around.

I seldom take a DSLR with me while riding. Just too big and delicate. Almost everything I shoot is with a point-and-shoot camera. I'm currently using the Canon G15. It's perfect for what I do.

I've seen work done with the iPhone and it can be outstanding. But I like having a zoom lens to manipulate the composition more.

Dayride to summer cabin for fishing, sauna and swimming.

The famous midnight sun.

My baby brother restored some of our teenage toys and brought one to our summer cabin. Do you remember these 70 - 80ies Honda Monkeys and the teenage thrill ? Been cruising around this lake the whole weekend. Unable to quit...

The summer heat has removed most of the fog potential from my rides. But as the fall approaches, I hope to find more magical light.

Riding on foggy mornings is sublime. Even on gravel.

Autumn in the sticks. A fine time to ride.

After two years of little snow, we've already had almost two feet of the white stuff. I still ride in the winter, in the cold, but don't intentionally go out anymore when it's snowing. At least I haven't this year. Yet.

So after the first big snow and the roads cleared I took a ride. Without the Termoscud apron or handlebar muffs installed it was cold. And I haven't put the snow tires on yet.

Didn't take much snow and cold (25F) to make things interesting.

Riding in the nearby mountains of central Pennsylvania. Trying to get my head back into the swing of things as the pandemic keeps the area in a high risk of infection.

It's always nice to see your silver scooter in the gallery Steve. I hope the ride was invigorating and helped blow away the cerebral cobwebs. Here in Cyprus we are about to have a 2-week 'circuit-breaker' lock-down starting tomorrow to try to stem the rise in infections. Looks like my Silver Lady will have to have to remain in the garage a little longer.

Sorry to hear you are going back into lockdown. I hope things stabilize soon. Our infection rate is still high here but restrictions are being lifted. I'm not sure how decisions are being made so I still am careful.

The weather is continually improving so I am riding more. And making more pictures!

A scene from a late day ride.

I'm a morning person. And ideally, I like to have my rides begin before sunrise. Especially if there's fog involved. But you can't always get what you want. This photo was made at the other end of the day. Still, it was a wonderful way to spend some time, on the Vespa, on the road...

Rode to breakfast this morning with my friend Paul. Me on a modern Vespa and he on his 1965 Vespa. On the lazy back roads there was no issue of power differences. And the two stroke engine added to the fragrance of spring...

One thing to note -- I have a water bottle hanging from the purse hook. Paul has a chicken pot cupcake hanging from his that he bought at a little Amish shop we passed.

Nothing like an early spring morning ride through the forest on my Vespa to get my spirit soaring.

This was made on a ride to a new Italian cafe for breakfast. If I weren't so hungry I probably would have stayed in the forest for a long time!

On a morning ride to no where in particular at this point. Eventually ended up at a cafe for breakfast.

Stella in the sticks.

Water's a little high.

High water turns an ordinary ride into an adventure!

Funny story ...

A few years back, while I still had the P200E, I was riding the same area and it isn't uncommon for water to be over the road. I had already ridden up into the downtown area and had passed through an spot that was flooded. Not bad, maybe a couple of inches deep and 30 feet wide. Just enough to slow you down some.

As I was headed back in that direction from town I saw two guys on what appeared to be Harleys pull out way behind me. I know they saw me.

I also knew that they were going to try to catch up with me because ... well ... that's what happens when you ride a scooter. I didn't make it easy for them, but even through the bumps and twists in the road they gained on me until ...

we hit the water.

I didn't even slow down, knowing already what was there. When I looked back they had come to a full stopp and actually turned around. Apparently the threat of water spots on their freshly polished chrome was too much for them.

I don't think I ever loved that old P200 as much as I did that day.

Monday’s ride. There and back again. That stupid Chinese bike is running better than ever, I kid you not.

Love bush tracks

I'm with you -- I love wandering those little tracks through the woods on my Vespa.

I ride in cold and stop for a lot of photos, too.
I decided not to deal with cabled heated gloves, so used Gerbing's 7V battery glove liners for a few years...with leather gauntlets over. Worked well below 20°F....but wires break batteries get tired and Gerbing discontinued them!
So using Highway 21 battery gloves these days. Warm, but not as warm as my previous set-up.
Staying with the battery-in-the-cuff heated gloves.
O.S.

I may try some battery powered gloves when my current corded Gerbings die. With the Tucano Urbano muffs and heated grips I don't need anything but my summer gloves until the temperature gets to around 25F. Below that I don the Gerbings and I'm good to about 5 below zero. But as I get older other parts of my body don't do well with the cold. So 25F is about the lowest I ride in now.

Morning rides often have some lovely scenes. This one when the mist and fog started to burn off.

I love riding in the bush

Somewhere in Central Europe

Ferns and snow, a beautiful combination. I enjoy rides like that in almost any weather. I had to get past my initial fear of messing up the pristine beauty of the scooter. But once I did, it didn't matter at all what dirt, gravel, salt, or grit did to the scooter. I just wanted to ride!

A ride with my friend Paul, he on his newly acquired and now for sale Suzuki Intruder. This was made at a stop for lunch at a state park.

Sounds like a story there ..

Precisely 💯

It was only about two years ago that i got over my hesitancy on unsealed roads. Now i can't stop exploring. I've only dropped it once in the mud 🙃

If only it was easier to change the rear wheel I'd keep a second set on hand with more appropriate tires

I posted the story on my blog. The post is titled:

GRIPPED BY SADNESS.

I had my Heidenau snow tires mounted on separate wheels to facilitate quicky, easier conversion when the snow started to fall. But it was still a pain to change them. Mainly because I'm lazy. I would never do it for occasional rides off-road.

The two wheels and snow tires were recently given to a fellow Vespa rider. My intentional riding in the snow is behind me now. Regular tires are ok for winter riding on dry pavement. Even though the traction isn't as good in cold weather I no longer ride when it gets below 20F.

Cheap therapy indeed. Thanks for sharing.

I have been a serious fan of both your writing and your photography for some time, Steve.
But amongst the very large gallery of wonderfully resonant photographs and images that you have produced - and (thankfully!) continue to keep creating - I find this image - this view of your Vespa standing out in a field, on an oh-so-cloudy day, with everything (light, clouds, the road, the textures, the gradations, the subtle range of shadows) contributing to a whole which, for me, surpasses the sum of its constituent parts.

Short version: what a great photo!

Thank you for continuing to share your images and words here. They tend to inspire me on some days, entertain me on others, and almost always generate moments of introspection.