Modern Vespa

I'm not much of a story teller or a person who shares.

Sold my Vespa today as I am giving up 2 wheels. I have been a loyal Vespa 'geek' since 2007 and it was time to hang up the helmet.

I won't be leaving the 2 wheel written word as I enjoy reading the stories and strangers helping strangers.

I have learned so much from this community and I want to thank Jess for keeping it going.

Sad to hear you won't be out on the road with us anymore!

I guess I look forward to whatever input you contribute.

And Jess deserves a medal or something.

The day's coming for me soon.

Enjoy your new passion, whatever it is!

It is coming for me as well. I am giving my GTS 250 to my daughter and hanging up my helmet next month. I had told my wife that I would give it up when I turned 75 and I am now 76 and beginning to detect that my reflexes and eyesight are not what they used to be.

But I will probably continue to hang around this forum for a long time since you folks are really good and pleasant people. I have had more than one really good laugh here.

Just because you don't ride doesn't mean you should hide. I'm glad you all are going to hang around and give us "youngins" or "newbs" an occasional razzing.

Sorry to see you go, but there's a time for everyone.

Glad you're still hanging out though...it's half the fun!

Sad to hear you're riding days are over, especially being as you live in the sunshine state. Is it the back issues that have decided it for you?

Baudler,
What was the logic that led to that decision? If you'd rather not say, that's fine too. Just trying to learn as well all have to make that decision sometime.

I ask because there are some people who ride to the end. You probably remember Richard Lemmon. His daughter posted only once but she told us that he'd passed away but was still riding his Vespa and flyings his airplane in his early 90s.

SO just asking.

Best
Miguel

Saw your post in the 'for sale' and hoped you were just switching ponies. You'll be missed.
ph

I expect there is a good measure of wisdom in these decisions.

At 70 years old, my body does not bounce very well anymore. I hope I am
smart enough to make the same decision.

Bob Copeland
Minnesota

Not everyone should "ride to the end". And people who have made the decision to stop, should not be second guessed or encouraged to change their minds. They know the score better than we do.

I've been fighting the decision ever since I injured my back at work.

Since we are in full snow-bird season here I felt the timing was right to find a buyer. And I was right as a fellow Minnesotan offered to re-home the GTS.

Thanks for the kind words towards hanging up the helmet. I thought I would cut the strap and toss the Nolan, but actually hanging it up was a fitting end. What to do with all those Scoot related patches?

Did you say patches? Create a "patch" quilt or similar to hang or frame. If that doesn't appeal, I'd be happy to give the little orphans a home.

Backs can be evil! I injured my about 40 years ago as a kid and it gives me fits more often than I'd like to admit.

Wleuthold and I were talking about you just this past Oyster Tour. Even without scooter we are still hoping to meet up with you some day.

Framing/artwork is also an option. My wife had this made up for me a few Christmases ago with my old club patch.

In my case, my left eye is losing clarity and cannot be corrected with glasses, I sense that my reflexes are not what they used to be, and my sense of balance is not what it used to be.

I suppose that all good things must come to an end, .... hopefully a graceful end. My wife and I are making plans to move to a Senior Living community in a couple of years and probably give up our cars sometime after we turn 80.

These are all highly individual decisions, but I am seeing a number of my older friends push their luck and wind up injured.

Might be time for a nice Gulf Cart that will do 50 mph
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ha-DG9JTxrY

Knowing when it is time to "hang up the helmet", relinquish the vehicle keys (car, boat, plane or bike) is something it takes wisdom to do. Some people push their luck and get somebody killed, often a totally innocent bystander. Others acknowledge that the time has come. Often it is easier for other people to see that long before the person involved realizes it. My mother in law was gearing up to take the keys from her husband because his reflexes had gotten to slow to make it safe for him to continue to drive when he had a fall that left him unable to turn a steering wheel. In some ways she was relieved that he acknowledged that injury made him unsafe to drive. She later stopped driving to vision issues after surgery they hoped would improve her vision didn't.

I hope that when the time comes I too have the wisdom to follow the example of those who hung up the keys/helmet before I become a danger to others as well as myself.

Remember that just because you no longer ride you are still welcome here. You experience and knowledge is appreciated.

I feel you both.

It's probably blasphemy here but there are worse things to give up, and there are many ways to get out and enjoy the world.

Yes, true. We can't all be uni-taskers, with only one thing that makes us happy (scooters). I think it was last summer. there was a thread about what you do for fun that was NSR..... there were some interesting hobbies amongst us.

NSR - Favorite hobby besides two wheeling?

As stated above. I would opt for a golf cart in my advanced years. Hell, with how weird new cars have become, I would love to have one right now! Most can't go too fast and their ingress egress are made for seniors. There is a senior couple that ride through our park on theirs every evening in the summer. Illegal around here but the park police seem to let them go. Pure bliss cruising the park on a golf cart. The speed limit in there is 25 mph. They're probably posting right now on a golf cart forum about the dude that rides a scooter through the park every evening in the summer....

Kudos to you to be able to know when to walk away. Nothing wrong doing that at all. New chapter begins....

Bob

Sorry to hear that Baudler, but it sounds like you made a well deliberated choice.

I broke a couple of vertebrae when I was a teenager, and have issues from time to time.

Hope to see you continue to contribute on here.

I envision a self driving car in my future when my driving days are over. In the meantime there is uber and lyft if need be. Those options actually make it easier to give up the keys.

Best Miguel

Aging is a very personal thing, period. I read comments fairly often from riders who "think" they're old at various ages well before what my criteria might be. Our mental outlook can precede actual health events that cause a slow down. How we "look" enters in as well in what we or others thinks is having become "old".
I find my own journey through my senior years to be incremental, thus I feel lucky to maintain many of the activities I've enjoyed since my youth. A few fall away and I miss them but hope the others will fill in my life style.
I do mind "not doing" something much more than "not as good as once was"!
Golf is a great e.g. as my hands have worn out along with shoulders too.
I got a couple hundred new miles on my mtn bike last month in FL snowbirding and as long as I can ride a bicycle I'll logically still ride PTW's.
I suspect driving a car is more difficult a decision to give up than PTW riding as it's not so hard to just sit there and steer, etc., and hope your up to the task.
Meantime, my helmets waiting for some better weather.
No Uber near me. I do pay taxes so others can get a free ride to a doctor though. People like self & wife, who don't qualify for those freebies, not as easy to find a ride...

I always thought your avatar was very creative. Full marks. Hopefully it will pop up every now and then.

Hang it u p when its no fun anymore. Only you know when. Good luck!

Are you going to put those up on the Freecycle thread? Or, can I just PM you my address to send them to me?!?!?!

Sorry to hear the time has come Baudler, but glad to hear you'll be sticking around our corner of the web.

Just saw this thread. Sorry you have to give up riding, but glad you made the decision of your own free will. I turned 60 recently I have begun to wonder when my riding days will come to an end. My hope is that I will do the right thing and won't be in denial about my abilities to ride.

Glad to hear you will be staying around. You are a valued member of MV.

FL has too much traffic for me to haul my scooter down there when we do our snowbird trip. Not conducive to PTW's IMO so we enjoy bicycles on paths and trails much better, age & helmet hang ups aside.
I took my scoot one year but never again and that's said by a guy who has much overall traffic riding experience.
The roads are flat and lack what makes it fun for me.


60 is the new 40?

Never an easy decision to give up something you enjoy. I know that as we all age, there are parts of our life we never think will go but then it becomes a challenge. When that challenge starts to take the fun out of it, then it's time to call it quits.

I respect your decision to move on. Some people push it to far and get hurt. It's tough but hey...memories are powerful things.

Keep here and keep chatting. Not owning a bike doesn't mean you aren't still a rider with a lot to offer others.

[quote="Kantuckid"]FL has too much traffic for me to haul my scooter down there when we do our snowbird trip. Not conducive to PTW's IMO so we enjoy bicycles on paths and trails much better, age & helmet hang ups aside.
I took my scoot one year but never again and that's said by a guy who has much overall traffic riding experience.
The roads are flat and lack what makes it fun for me.
Try north fl, alot less traffic.?
:

My best friend died last year at 85. He rode into his 80s, probably too long, until he could no longer pick up his V50 Guzzi by himself. It was his decision and it was past time. . I am not sure he enjoyed his last few rides, but it was what he and we wanted him to do. Peace to you my friend, Woody, peace to you.

The day when I can no longer drive the Vespa will be my end

Sterling Moss gave up at 80. Good enough for me?

Amen.

We don't stop riding because we grow old.
We grow old because we stop riding.

I will just ride rather less frenetically !

[quote="zigzagguzzi"] One of our sons lived in the Pensacola area, smaller town of Milton for many years and we have done family holiday stays on the Emerald Coast a few times plus my wife and I have canoed Okefenokee Swamp extensively-yes I/we know N FL pretty well. Our state park, snowbird stays in N FL are a stopover though as we "GO SOUTH"! as soon as we can to hit the warmer environs of lower FL. Estero Beach/Ft Myers is our lower start out spot last few years. Only the forests and swamps of N FL have fewer people though, it was a nice try on your part, thanks but I'll stick to boats & bicycles in FL.

Not a contest. Estero and franklin locks are favorites of ours. Mother in law lived in alva on the river before moving into a condo in the fort. Have a good one!