Modern Vespa

Venice?

New rollerblades. It's what I'd do.

I'm thinking leg warmers and a leotard.

Good call.

They'd have to match my Members Only jacket.

And your pastel blue trousers.

It's like you know me.

Red trousers = I have a yacht and a Duran Duran Album.

Nobody has "A" Duran Duran album.

But everyone has the Batman soundtrack.

Cultural Reference.

I'm cheered up by not looking to buy a house in Capitan, New Mexico.

I'm cheery because I bought a pair of Alien-Eye Sunglasses in Roswell, New Mexico yesterday...for $6.

They're perfect!

The louvers are still cooler.

The cat came back.

I love this bike but I can't ride it.

JBlacklund,

You are the ModernVespa Elton John of eye wear.

Saturday, Saturday, Saturday Nights all Right.

Bob Copeland

Physical issues keep you off of it?

I miss my V7 every time l look at photos of it.

A superbly basic, no bullshit little bike with tons of 'character' and a great history....and it was fun to ride.

Few things members have said to me here scare me, but this one has me thinking that I may be heading down the wrong....you know, 'path'.

The actual quote is " Know what I mean ? Nudge Nudge".

The bike is a bit Hard Core. The engine doesn't wake up until 5000 RPM and unlike the V9 850 it doesn't like to go slowly so in town as it's a bit impatient.

It's cramped even for a small guy like me and my wrists can last about an hour and a half so I have to get off and give them a rest.

Some bikes air flow will tend to lift your chest a little at speed but not this one.

My legs are a bit drawn up also and my head has to be angled up at inhuman level to see the road.

Granted it goes like a rocket so it's ideal for the highway but because it encourages you to break the speed limit it's a bit exhausting to ride.

I fitted it with Avon's which don't warm up and are also a little stiff so you feel everything but without the grip.

A guy who has rebuilt a few Moto Guzzis is having a look at it on Monday.

Even though it looks amazing I have to admit the V9 Bobber was the better bike.

I rode a V7 once. While it was a fun bike, I only lasted about an hour on it and switched back to my SV650s which had a much more linear pickup. But yeah, I can't ride sport bikes anymore either...... But I can still ride scoots, so I'm grateful for that.

I was wandering around the only grocery store in Capitan, New Mexico earlier this afternoon, and couldn't help but notice this woman who was checking out the cold cuts.

I was thinking that she was THE most 'authentic' American west working woman I had ever seen, and being from South Dakota, that's saying something.

She must have been somewhere on either side of seventy, but whatever age she was, she wore it well.

Her clothes were well-worn from top to bottom, but still neat, and her footwear wasn't cowboy boots, but dusty, banged up, work shoes, probably steel-toed.

Her belt buckle was from competing in a National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) event back in 2003.

Her grey hair held in two perfect braids.

I'm usually quite introverted, but introduced myself and said that I thought that she was the perfect image of a true western ranch woman, to which she seemed genuinely pleased to hear.

I asked if I could please take a photo of her, and she happily complied and gave me a nice pose, which you see here.

So that she didn't get the idea that I was some creepy grocery store lady-hustler, I told her that I was in town with my wife, who was running in the 34 hour/No Mileage limit ultra-marathon today (and tonight, and half of tomorrow).

Anyway, I'm SO cheery that she allowed me to take this great photo of her today...

Don't get me wrong the V7 Racer is great fun even though it's only 50 HP but because it's not very subtle it feels like it has more.

I've never owned a bike that's made me ache so much

Hong Kong is cheering me up today.

Flannery Beef always cheers me up! I've taken a real liking to the hanger steaks.

I was about to have to post this in the pissing you off thread, but it ended up okay.

Did my 6k service today. Have more modifications to do to the variator holder from the san francisco fellas (am i wrong in thinking i shouldn't have to modify a tool if it says it's for a specific scooter?) before i can torque it down, but as i was putting everything back together to make sure i had everything where it needs to go (until tomorrow when hopefully the add'l modifications help the tool work--if not, i guess i'm not riding for a while) and the screw where the coolant line bracket and engine ground attach started spinning freely before it was even all the way in. turns out some of the threads inside the hole broke off? oy vey. Any of the other bolts, no big deal.

But i was able to forego the coolant line bracket and just put the engine ground on, and there's enough threads for the screw to grab and seat tightly.

I'm calling that a win (against what it easily could have become lol).

Time for an ol' fashy.

Yesterday was Trixie's 61st birthday, so she ran 80 miles in 24 hours at an event near Capitan, New Mexico.

The front tyre on this crashed bike.

An outside cat of mine has finally warmed up to me. Gaining the trust of him means a lot.

Bill, save that inline-4. It's worth it.

Rob, is that ribeye cap strips?????

Backlund, nice!

Is it matched to the rear?

Matched and balanced

Well Happy Birthday Trixie! Thanks for making us all look bad. I can ride my road bike a 100 miles but good luck seeing me surviving a 5 mile run! You're incredible!, Rob

Great job on the new friend. Everyone of them has a different personality for sure. I learned that the hard way as a little kid thinking it's OK to pet a wild tomcat. He gave me the business!

Not a rib cap. It's a strip of meat that hangs from the diaphragm. Tender as a filet with the taste of the ribeye and half the cost!

Absolutely insane tire Bill! That's taking it to the limit and then some.😆

Happy Birthday to Trixie!!!!!!

No way I'd even consider riding on that tire!

Now, I don't know if he crashed into something or he lost it on his own but there was a fair amount of debris on the road.

As it's braking that contributes the most wear to a front tyre, that rider must have been riding like a racer for ages. Not a smooth operator.

It was parked opposite a T Junction so I'll make the assumption that someone pulled out on him.

I doubt it was stolen.

Max won 👍