Modern Vespa

Riding when the temperature is in the 20s, 30s, and 40s is typical and not much of a stretch when. you have the right gear and approach to riding. A few weeks ago I wanted to test my cold limits and also try out my new Tucano Urbano Termoscud apron. With the sun shining and the thermometer pointing to 6F I felt it was a good time to take the Vespa to breakfast instead of the Toyota van.

What did I discover? I can probably ride about 25 miles at 6F before I would need to stop somewhere to warm up. Riding home from breakfast the temperature warmed to a balmy 16F. At that temperature with the gear I have I could ride all day.

Now I know. And there is no further need to ride when it's that cold. As I near age 71 I'm less interested in stretching limits. A subject for another day.

I made a video of the ride if you're interested.

?si=w-nzGITA5wkEgXWQ

https://youtu.be/JZm7FSkcJQY?si=w-nzGITA5wkEgXWQ

That's why the tall windshield exists.

Call me a pussy if you want to, but in my world, that's why F-150 4X4's exist.

Though that wasn't always the case. The coldest I ever rode a motorcycle in was the winter of 1975, minus 3 (F) for about ten miles on I-94 in Minneapolis.

Me too at this point in my life. I don't mind 30s, but below freezing is just not fun and for me that is the point.

Being a Florida born and bred boy, I truly hate the cold. But in the area I live in now, it never really got cold enough if I really wanted to ride. Anything above freezing is doable. I'll see if that still holds true next Fall and Winter when I get the go ahead to ride scoots again.

Respect.
6°F is -14°C. That is bitterly cold.
Definitely not something for me.
I stop when below 5°C, that is 40°F.

Looking at your video and listening to your voice I got the impression you were shivering. Maybe that is just my imagination.

I've never liked the looks of those tall screens. And as those who know me well would say, if it doesn't look good in my eyes it won't happen.

I had to wait a long time for my mind to change before getting a topcase, muffs, and apron. All butt ugly additions that I now think are beautiful. Maybe another four or five years and I will change on the screen as well.

I always thought that F-150 4x4's were prescribed as anti-pussy medications. See a lot of men suffering around here. The gun racks have largely disappeared so they must be improving. Slowly but surely.

You hit the nail on the head -- fun. Or for me, the opposite because there are a variety of reasons that I will enjoy the ride besides fun. But if I am miserable, then no riding for me.

I wasn't cold so not shivering. Sometimes my voice quavers a bit. Character!

I have no plans to ride that cold again. I just wanted to see if I could still do it in my advancing years. I am looking forward to warmer weather but none yet is in sight.

It's 14F and windy right now. My dog is outside laying on a patch of ice like he doesn't have a care in the world. I'm eating some Haagen-Daz chocolate ice cream. Winter is here and we all seem comfortable.

It thankfully doesn't get that cold in my area! I did buy one of those new cold weather kilts from Scooter Works though. Worth it's weight in gold. Easy to put on and tucks away or hangs easily when not in use. I tried bar muffs and my brain quits communicating with my hands once I put them inside. I use heated gloves when it get cold.

The Ford has it's uses, but is definitely overkill for us, but it just sort of fell into our lap when the Iowa farmer mother-in-law became a widow about three years ago and it was offered to us for a stupid-low price, so there it is. It replaced an aging Nissan Frontier, which I miss the more manageable size of, but what are ya gonna do?

The gun racks may be gone, but the artillery is still there, just not so much in plain sight, under or behind the seat.

I've always enjoyed owning a pickup truck though each has been tiny compared to an F150. First a Chevy S10, then a Mazda B2200, and finally a Ford Ranger XLT. I am amazed though at the size of the new trucks and how little truck use they perform. At least around here. Most are extremely clean and shiny and have never hauled a load of gravel or manure...

Regarding artillery.... I'm sure it's here too. My own history with those items is perplexing both in terms of need and interest. Little need. Heightened interest.

The muffs take some getting used to for sure.

Thanks for posting Steve. A really enjoyable watch.

At least it looked a dry cold (suppose it would be at 6f).

The trouble round here is the roads are often greasy, and when it drops below, they just become a death trap!

Anyway, thanks for the sunshine fix

It's admittedly a great vehicle, IF you can tolerate something that literally fills half of the garage, and manages 16 mpg when outside of it.

It was definitely not our vehicle of choice to replace the smaller Nissan Frontier, but circumstances dictated it's acquisition, for better or worse.

Surprisingly though, the Nissan Frontier was a disappointment in fuel mileage too, barely managing much better than 20 mpg, and doing it with much less weight to haul around, and much less torque and hp to do it with than the Ford had.