Sorry about taking so long to post. My riding days have been longer than I anticipated, and I've been having problems uploading pictures to the web because of the crappy WiFi at the cheap motels I've been staying at. But the good news is that the scooter is performing flawlessly, and I've made it to Fort Scott, KS -- exactly 1400 miles in 4 days.
I knew the first two days were going to be the toughest to try to achieve 300+ miles, as the first day I'd be heading out through DC and the northern Virginia suburbs, and dealing with the twisties and low speed limits on the Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway (but the views are worth it), and I'd be passing through the mountains of southwest VA and eastern KY on the second. I was right... each day took ten hours on the road to achieve 334 and 357 miles, respectively (keeping in mind that I have to stop for gas every 90 - 100 miles). Made it to Salem, VA, on day one, and Berea, KY, on day two. On day 3, I did 312 miles to Marion, IL, in 7 hours, as the terrain had flattened out. Today I did 397 in just under 10 hours.
As I sit in my air-conditioned motel room in Ft. Scott looking back over the past four days, my biggest second thought is that I should have done this trip in May. All four days have been 90-degrees+, and I saw 98 degrees on two bank thermometers yesterday. When I went out to dinner last night, it was still 95 at 8:00 pm. It's tolerable despite the Corazzo Speedway jacket and Olympia mesh hi-vis vest I'm wearing... as long as you are actually moving instead of sitting at a red light. I rode through a deluge in the middle of the Daniel Boone National Forest on day two, and it actually felt good getting soaked to the skin (didn't have time to get my rain suit on, and there was no place to get under cover in the middle of a National Forest). Had thundershowers again today, but was lucky enough to get under cover in time to get the rain covers on the luggage and the rain suit on me.
Scariest road hazard is deer. Four have crossed in front of me so far. You don't want to hit a deer at 50 mph on a scooter! Other road hazards have been more amusing, like a machete lying in the middle of my lane near Fairfax, and a mama wild turkey leading her flock of turklings (or cutlets, or whatever the hell you call them) across the road in front of me on the Skyline Drive.
Best gear choice: the AirHawk seat cushion. I never could have done all those hours without it.
Worst gear choice: the Givi saddlebags. Although they fit well and hold a lot of stuff, they are slowing me down. On my Pennsylvania trip a couple of weeks ago, I carried nearly as much gear, weight-wise, only without the saddlebags. On that trip, I was able to cruise comfortably at 60-65 mph over rolling terrain, with great fuel economy. I'm carrying only 15 lbs. more on this trip, but using the saddlebags. The problem is the windage. The aerodynamic drag is tremendous. No problem up to 50 or so, but trying to cruise at much over 60 really makes the fuel economy go to hell, resulting in much more frequent fuel stops. I've been experimenting the past couple of days, and I can actually cover as much ground cruising at 55 as I can trying to cruise at 65 because of the fewer gas stops. A duffle strapped over the top of my S/X Appeal soft top case would have been a better choice for extra luggage capacity.
Here are a few pictures from the trip so far:
Vespa as pack mule. 65 pounds of stuff to meet all contingencies, including two spare tires mounted on spare wheels and enough spare parts to build another Vespa in the white bag (which also makes a nifty backrest), and all the tools for every conceivable roadside repair under the seat.
A pic of me disguised as a troll at an overlook on the Skyline Drive, taken by a teenaged cutie I coerced (she was thinking "what a weird old man...").
A view of the Shenandoah Valley from another Skyline Drive overlook.
Crossing the New River into West Virginia (for just a brief passage through the very southern tip before heading back into southwestern VA).
A stop yesterday in Bardstown, KY, where everything in town is named after Stephen Foster or one of his songs: i.e. the Good Night Ladies Motel, the Camptown Races Café, the Hard Times Come Again No More Massage Parlor (OK... OK... I made the last one up).
Today -- just before crossing the Mississippi -- in Chester, IL, the "Home of Popeye" (the creator of the character is from there). That's a bronze statue of Popeye just to the left of the Visitor Center, believe it or not.
The Chester Bridge over the Big Muddy.
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