Modern Vespa

I was sitting at my regular early morning haunt in Deadwood this morning, having my coffee and donating two thirds of my scone to my English Sparrow 'Posse', when I heard the clatter of tappets, and a loaded down old BMW pulled in and parked.

It was a white 'Toaster Tank' '71 or '72 R60/5, and the rider was traveling from California to West Virginia, with a stop in the Black Hills to see Mt. Rushmore and Deadwood.

He was, of course, avoiding the 75-80 mph Interstates, and running the 65 mph secondary highways, which the old 35-40 hp bike performed very well on...still!

Seeing this bike traveling through reminded me of the days when we would set out on a tour with what most today would consider primitive, rudimentary, and entirely inadequate machines (NOT!) and gear....but we had a blast, and it was always an adventure.

My relatable general equivalency photo from 1974, taken somewhere between St. Paul, Minnesota and St. Augustine, Florida. I can relate. The bike was my 1974 Suzuki GT750L....the lady is 'Iron Butt Sandy'.

A good facsimile of that simpler, adventure touring experience can be recaptured with my Vespa GTS300.

Ah, the Water Buffalo/Kettle. I've owned 5 of them over the years, even a couple with expansion chambers. What a sound they make whooping up through the gears!

I'd do it again, except collectors have pushed the prices through the stratosphere.

I miss my old 1973 R75/5. Of all my past motorcycles, that is the one I wish I never sold.

I think that my own 'Water Buffalo' count is also five. Three '74's (one orange, two blues), one '75, and one '76.

The one in my photo was my first GT750, purchased new on May 2'nd 1974, from Midway Suzuki in St. Paul, Minnesota.

I rode that one 61,000 miles before parting company with it in 1977.

Me as well, I had a R75/6 and R75/7 and the /5 is the one I wish I still owned. One smooth ride.

With period-correct (I think -- at the very least, not wildly anachronistic) Wixom side cases. Cool.

That's what I was thinking. Very similar, if not identical to the white fiberglass bags on my GT 750 in my 1974 photo.

Had one like this, 1st brand new motorcycle,
traded in a well seasoned 1986 GSXR 1100 in toward it.

My 1976 R60/6 somewhere in Colorado in 1978.