Modern Vespa

Happy New Year all. Anyone got any big trip plans or resolutions this year? I have semi-retired and am enjoying every bit of it. Grandsons, home life, scooter rides, more time. I want and need to quit smoking in 2020, that's my mission.

Who's got what going on this year?

Best,
SDG

SDG: Sounds like a good plan from here.

For me? One goal is to get more out-of-state-road trips under my belt. Started taking baby steps a few months back with trips into PA and Gotham; setting my sights on Boston and DE this year, as well as parts in-between. This ties in well with my longer-range (and longer-gestating) plans to expand my photographic reach via the bike: in the past, I'd always hitched my plans to someone else's travel schedule, but now I have close to free-rein for the first time, and I absolutely plan to take advantage of it.

Melody, as-is, is pretty much up for the game, save for an approaching 12k valve-check. I hope to replace the stock brake levers with a proper set of adjustables in a month or two, as well as snag a decent pair of water-resistant armored pants.

Besides this, other possibilities can pop up, so my other plan is to keep myself as open as possible to them.

Plan!? There ain't no plan!

The Tortoise Crawl Run is shaping up to be like a good resolution to me. 8)

I'm pondering my wife and I driving across country late June to visit family in Iowa and Minnesota then heading straight to Chicago to visit my best friend in Park Ridge, my stomping ground. From there I'm wanting to go to my birthplace for 4-5 days and visit family, and my dream to see the 4th of July fireworks from the front row on the Hudson River.

Haven't done a trip like this since 1997 and honestly I have some anxiety about doing it but if not now when.

Already pondering which car to take, or buy a small Mercedes chassis motorhome. Wheels are turning.

SDG

Riding to Vegas for High Rollers with some buddies in March. Need do fix a few small things on each of our bikes. I'd prefer to avoid breakdowns.

For a personal goal, I'm trying to rebuild a motor-a-month for some of my scooter/moped projects. Halfway through a vertical Minarelli; need to get a few more small parts. Next month's will be an HF03E for my first Elite 80. March will be a pair of Puch E50s. April's looking like an MF03E for a Helix. Not sure on the rest of the months projects yet, but I have several to choose from.

I'm hoping my contractors will get my house finished before we have a full on family meltdown. Working in a family business and living with my father in law is a challenge, especially with five dogs!

My goal, scooter wise, is to organize and lead (if they want to eat two stroke smoke) a Distinguished Gentleman's Ride here in a small town in central Pennsylvania.

Good question. To be honest I haven't thought about it much. Just trying to take one day at a time, do good things and keep focused on the positive.

More to come... Possibly.

My big dream of the year is to ride the China scoot to Americade and demo ride some expensive bikes. I may chicken out and do it on either motorcycle but the cargo carrying capacity of the scooter is hard to beat.

Scooter
-Just keep riding to get experience, pick more challenging routes and make riding second nature instead of having to constantly think. Have almost 600 miles under my belt since getting my license

Non-Scooter
-Getting into better shape both physically and mentally
-Starting a new job hopefully no later than beginning of March (federal positions can take a while)
-Pay down debt from my multiple years of being unemployed
-Starting our classes to become certified to adopt from foster care - were certified once at my husband's prior duty station and it was a bad experience

Finish my VL3 restoration
Where in Iowa. I'm from NW Iowa.

I have two cousins in Des Moines.

SDG

I have a stop smoking program that involves a dog shock collar and giving a remote to everyone you know or hang out with. The rest is up to your friends.

FYI: That is best viewed from the New Jersey side most of the time.

I'll be extra busy at work this this year...which means extra money. I'm hoping a portion of this extra money will go toward a new GTS300...but it will probably go toward exterior foundation/interior slab repairs on the homestead. Getting my motorcycle endorsement is at the top of my list this spring, as well as a trip to Israel late in the fall, or early winter. Losing a few pounds this year would also be really nice.

Des Moines is great! But Iowa city is where all the fun is. I was surprised how much it has grown since I used to live there when I visited. Are you planning to go there? To Iowa City? I miss that place so much.

... if someone from the forum comes to visit Rome, meet him to greet us and have a drink together ...

Happy New Year, David and everyone,

No big trip plans (though I'm open) and no resolutions (gave those up years ago).

I intend to keep working - maybe even expand a bit. I am lucky enough to have a career that is meaningful, fulfilling, and puts some good into the world around me. It's also mentally, emotionally, and sometimes physically challenging, but I view this as a good thing.

On the home front, I have a brand new granddaughter who lives 10 minutes from me and I'm looking forward to getting to know her as she grows and develops.

All this, of course, is dependent on good (or good-enough) health. I'll do what I can to maintain this, but the rest is up to forces beyond my control.

Oh, yes, and to keep riding as long as I feel up to it.

I am also planning to go to either Brazil or Portugal. There are just some places one cannot get to on a scooter and I hate flying. It used to be such a pleasurable experience. The captain would always welcome everybody nowadays we hardly hear the captain unless in very dire conditions. I wish that they would realize how important they are and how important we think they are. An announcement before take off is always appreciated.

I'll be totally retired this year. Three of my passions are my scooter, my metal detector, and my small two-seat airplane. My plan is to use them more in 2020. I will have a Malossi kit installed on my scooter soon, which has me excited about riding in the spring. I also plan to develop another hobby, something that involves assembling or building - maybe a small kit aircraft. Too bad there aren't any scooter kits (that I know of).

I have many options, both in the US and abroad, plus a wedding for son Sam.

I need to get the wedding date established, then we can start making plans.

Regardless, many scooter trips in store for 2020.

Happy New Year to all!!!

If everything goes well, I'm going to finish my T5's full restoration ( One more T5 on the NSM Forum ), lose some weight and finally begin working on my 70s vintage vespa project...

Cannonball 2020

But before that seeing if my new knee is up to hitting the slopes. Then a transatlantic cruise to Ireland, Normandy, then up the Norwegian fiords before visiting Hamburg and returning to the US on the Queen Mary 2

Do tell us more.

The big one is Cannonball 2020 and hopefully a trip to Europe along with our usual camping trips.

Other than that, ride as much as possible!

My big scooter related plans included Cannonball in July. I can't hardly contain myself thinking about it.

Outside of that, the family has planned trips to Vegas in April and Maui at Christmas.

And I want to start the restoration of my 1946 MG TC.

Happy 2020 to all you fine folks!

My basic plan is to live another year. Never thought I would make it past 65. Dad passed away at 72 and my older brother at 58. So the game plan is to:

- Ride a lot when the weather is good
- Travel as much as possible with my partner-in-antics (Bonnie)
- Enjoy and LOVE our family
- Not die this year

Not sure bit up in the air ex wife died. I am on way back from Portugal for her funeral tomorrow in Wales. Next day after she passed went see a mate he died 20 mins later and that funeral was today. Last night another mate died so give it a week or so and I will be heading to Toulouse in France to another funeral. I feel like the harbinger of death.

I also said so in 1990 after the pancreatic cancer operation and three others (including chemo) are still here to break the balls ...
I'm worse than Steven Seagal, hard to kill.

What do you want to know? If it is about the QM maybe PM would be better.

Okay, that's three and enough.

Well, let me see.

Hopefully meet more scooter people.

Finish the Courthouse Tours visiting all 62 courthouses in FLA

A couple of trips to the Jacaranda in Avon Park and up to The Lodge at Wakula Springs, just because.

Maybe Highway 2 from Seattle to where ever the hell it ends.

The Trans Sahara Scooter Race/Rally from Casablanca to Dakar. Or can we call that a Dakar Scooter Rally?

All that may do me. We will see.

Sadly Bill will miss some these due to a wedding.

***Taking notes***

Wow...that's pretty heavy. Think you should just stay dressed in black until it's all over.

Doesn't look like I'd chimed in yet. Trying to weather the s*#tstorm that the year started with....getting work stuff sorted out that hopefully will end with a more relaxed work setting and a few fewer hours.

If things settled down by spring, I think there are some fine folk in Florida that I'd like to ride with...

Amerivespa with the fine folks in the Twin Cities

Wisconscoot with more fine scooter folk.

Probably visit some colleges with our daughter.

Let's see about the rest of the year. In the meanwhile, the plumbers have left a good-sized hole in my basement bathroom's floor, have removed a WW2 era bomb and found a couple of Roman warriors. Expecting some mastodon parts under that. If anyone needs to dispose of a body discreetly, I think there should be plenty of room.

My wife takes the Georgia BAR Exam in February, so my entire existence for the next month (plus) involves doing anything and everything I can to support her studying, resting, and overall feeling of preparedness.

Once that's over - Feb. 25th and 26th - 2020 can officially start! 😂

howdy and ---well now---
im thinkin' oen sell off all my stuff and house and movin' on outa this country. too tame here. i was in haifa , israel last fall and rode the bus up the street i;d like to live on. won't need a car with all that expense BUT might just get a scooter again. there's some excitement hearing a war jet at military power going overhead and returning at relax cruise. i'll plan to be sitting on my east facing balcony with coffee in hand looking at the bay next fall----if'n the good Lord is willin' and the creek don't rise etc.
ken

Vespa-ing in France again come the summer.
Maybe on my French Cosa if I can get it working reliably enough...

Haifa is a nice place. If you want relaxed, go up the coast to Nahariya. Also very nice, great beach-side restaurants, night life....

It's a bit too dicey for me to make a hard and fast plan since we have to help care for my wife's mom. That takes a bit of time some weeks.

My own goal is to continue to get stronger ( stroke recovery is a bitch)

If everything in the stars align's I'd really like to take in Amerivespa , but doubt
I can ride all the way , so I'll need to figure out the best option.

Lot's of local and BRP riding for sure.

A year ago I flew from one side of Aussie to the other, 5 hrs. The Captain came on and did a spiel:
"Hi ladies and gentlemen, I have to say I'm really excited, you know why? I'm excited because I have the best crew ever flying you over the best country in the world tonight. Sit back and relax, it's going to be an awesome trip".
After that I didn't really mind that the TVs weren't working or that they were only serving Fosters.