Modern Vespa

What I learned from my first two 200+ mile rides from Schenectady, NY, to Rockport, MA and back (with a week of seaside holiday in between).

Six to eight hours of riding is fatiguing but very doable and, yes, enjoyable!
⁃ I feared dreading the return ride, but I ended up looking forward to it. Knowing it was a different route back was helpful.
Though I didn't need the rain gear, extra MSR bottle of fuel, tire fixer and inflator, and other "just in case" items, I was much more secure knowing I had them.
GPS directions that you can see and hear are extremely helpful.
The whims of the weather are very noticeable when traveling at speed.
⁃ Though sunny, dry, and well into the 70s, I had to wear a windbreaker over my mesh jacket to keep warm most of the day.
Cut down windshield made riding a more relaxed experience.
Earplugs necessary.
Returned waves
⁃ Cruiser MCs 95% of the time
⁃ Sports bikes 40% of the time
⁃ Scooters - too few scooters to say
Not a single interfering, mean, or crazy cager the whole 400+ miles!
⁃ Even while working to maintain speed up mountain foothills, cagers behind were patient and stayed well back (around these parts there are so few scooters that I suspect cagers expect them to just fall over)!
"Full-serve" gas station attendants allowed me fill my own tank.
Serious fatigue set in in about 3 hours (even with stops for refueling).
⁃ Fatigue sneaks up as a subtle (and then glaring!) reduction in focus and awareness (different than simply being tired and yawny)
⁃ To clear the "cobwebs" it was necessary to park, remove helmet and ear plugs, change environment, drink water (can I pass on using the "H" word?), and most importantly a light snack or meal.
"Monkey butt" and positional fatigue also set in after a few hours, but to my surprise, both faded after thirty minutes or so. After that, my butt and body seemed to get into a groove.
Music helped to keep me alert (way better than the hypnotizing drone of muffled wind noise for hours).
Nelli (my ET4) was happy to be at open throttle for long stretches of 55mph roadway (and so was I).

Congratulations! Glad to see folks not afraid to get their 150s out touring.

Yeah, fatigue does sneak up on you. Out in NE Colorado -- after riding without a break for a couple of hours -- I pulled over to read a historical marker and to stretch a bit and check the maps. I guess my left leg must have "fallen asleep" without me realizing it, because it simply collapsed under me when I put my foot down. The scoot went over at zero speed, and the landing was a soft one due to the huge saddlebags I was carrying, but it sure woke me up to the fact that I was getting tired and dehydrated!

Ah, but don't let the universe trick you there! Those are Murphey's Law items. If you don't bring them on a decently long trip, you will wish you had.

Glad to hear you had fun. One of these days if I ever get the time, I need to do some good distance riding on the GTV.

Glad you had a great trip. I go around the island and that's my big trip 100 miles tops. Ah but what a beautiful ride it is. Ocean, mountains, 2 lane highways, surf pounding on the sand so what's not to like Even so i'm envious.

yep, didn't have to use our rain gear till the last leg of our trip, Memphis to Key West on the Vespas...A Wedding Adventure . It poured on us for hours!!!

Sounds like a great trip!

I had a similar experience this weekend...

I just returned from a scooter camping weekend to Geneva-on-the-Lake Ohio. I try to get there on the scooter once a year for the single and highly questionable purpose of having a foot long hot dog and and root beer for lunch at Eddies Grill.

I was surprised, but for me either. It seems everyone caught a case of mellow.

A lot of waves, but I find the number of waves increase as you get further out from the city.

It wasn't a really long trip...3hours 45minutes and 149 miles each way, but it was a nice ride. I like to take a shorter trip to shake down any changes I've made to the scooter prior to setting off on a longer journey...this was it.

I was also trying a new route. I usually leave the GPS turned off unless I need it, especially when the route I planned is pretty simple. On the way out I got off track due to some confusing street signs. When I realized my mistake, I looked at my paper map and saw the route from that point on would now be a bit more complicated, so I turned on the GPS to get me there. Almost no time lost 'case I didn't have to backtrack.

This was my first trip, too, with the fuel bottle. I rode up with it empty to make sure the holder I made for it worked. It did, so I filled it up for the return trip. Never needed it, though.

Two things I'm adding to my packing list: Face shield cleaner and a micro-fiber cloth. I got a big splat about 1/2 hour into the return trip. I tried to clean it with some ice tea I had in the cup holder...bad idea...when it dried it looked like I was riding in the fog. I pulled into a gas station and used the window cleaner at the pumps, but I would have liked to had a softer cloth to wipe it down with. Still, it worked.

A million motorcycles at the resort...only one scooter...mine. As I went to eat my hot dog nearby, a small crowd immediately gathered around it...pointing...talking...eventually one biker came over looking for the scooter guy and we had a nice conversation about scooters...He loved his Harley, but was a big fan of scooters, too.

One of the most common reactions I've received is "Wow!, You rode all the way from Pittsburgh on that little thing!!??" I always am amused to tell them that's probably the shortest tour I've even taken.

It's fun. 8)

Great post! My sweetie won't ride, so I have to take the cage when we go together. Up state NY and New England are awesome, and I will take the scoot up there sometime. Menhir, what part of KY have you scooted in?

Yup, fatigue is the worst to deal with. Worse than snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night, nor the winds of change,.

When I was a wee laddie I was coming home to Torquay from Salford U. It was a dark and stormy night. I was navigating by following the cat's eyes in the road. Couldn't see much else.

After about six hours of coping with this inclement weather, I was truly knackered and did not realize it until I fell asleep. I think that as I teetered to the side, heading for the hard stuff I was driving upon, some kind of internal balance mechanism kicked in and injected a shot of adrenaline into my blood. Luckily, I awoke before I hit the ground and was able to control the scooter. As soon as I could safely do so I parked and walked about a bit before pressing on.

So, one and all, be alert for this insidious enemy who creeps up your unawares.

A couple of years ago I took a NorthEast path through the state, entering from Kentucky South of Lake Cumberland and following 127 North to Lexington, and then 68 through Maysville into Ohio.

Although I enjoyed the ride, I was more passing through than visiting. Something I hope to rectify someday. I see those big green areas on the map, Daniel Boone National Forest for example, that I'd like to visit.

Menhir said: Excellent point, the face shield and wind shield both get pretty mucked up with insects and whatever. I had a cloth and drinking water handy, but a small spray bottle of cleaner would be very useful. I dunno, it seems the sole purpose of taking any trip is to practice eating while away!

Speaking of water, I haven't figured a practical and clean way to carry a water bottle within easy reach. Anything on the curry hook (like a water bottle holder) dangles loosely in the curved cavity under the seat, neither secure or pleasing. Menhir, do you have a solution on your ET?

As the longest ride I've had so far is about 50 miles, I enjoy reading about the more adventurous trips

Muc-Off do a pocket size travel pack of helmet/visor cleaner, and cloth, works great

http://www.muc-off.com/shop/product.php?id=304

They're a UK operation but have US distribution.

Get a camelback. It fits on your back and the mouth piece will be within your reach up front. Military uses then and bikers do to. I'll go find a pic of one and add it to this post. Here ya go and they come in different sizes and colors.

I got thoroughly drenched riding through the Daniel Boone National Forest. Does that count as "visiting"?

I've been using one of these drink caddies for years....

http://www.scooterwest.com/items/?_pageCCS=t#page=/item_details/Scooter-Drink-Caddy-Available-in-Red-or-Black/1960

Just perfect for a standard bottled water, ice tea, whatever you pick up at the mini-mart sized container.

This is also known as a CUP HOLDER. 5 4 3 2 1 0......

LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!!!

I wear a hydration pack every time I ride for more than an hour straight. I feel the water while riding makes for a more aware ride and less pain later. Much of my "after ride pain and aches" are resolved if I drink a little all day. I did a quick search and this review at ADVRider.com is a great moto-review.

http://tinyurl.com/262hv97

This is the bag:


This is on that reviewer:



This a $20 bag at Costco but there are many others. I run the tube inside my helmet and leave the bite valve near my chin for quick sips at speed.

When I stop for gas, I buy the largest, cheapest bottle of COLD water they sell. It is usually a 1.5 liter bottle of Aquafina for about $1.50. I can pour it into the top of the bladder in about 10 seconds and I am good for the next tank of gas (about 120 miles).

This is all interesting stuff and really useful, I've done 60-70 mile runs but this weekend I'm doing a 280 mile round trip in one day (to see the O's play at Yeovil...football...er, soccer to our American friends) and there's info on here that I just hadn't thought about,so now I'm well excited & am looking forward to parking up at Stone Henge on the way & re-hydrating

I love Stonhenge but the fence takes away from the beauty of it. on the hydrating. What's your ale of choice?

I'd say it counts double.

Stonehenge?

Try Carhenge:



It's in Alliance, Nebraska. No fence to speak of.

As long as we're at it...there was a product I purchased this year and I've now had a chance to give it a try.

Let talk about an unpleasant subject. Socks and hot biking boots.

The only real annoying pain I've had on a very long trip was after riding for hours with clammy feet. By the time I got to the campground after a very long day's ride, my feet were sore.

I've since taken to adding some Anti-Monkey Butt powder to my socks on long rides (which incidentally, worked very well, thank you very much). But I recently purchased a pair of Motosox.

I know it sounds gross, but it's reported that you can wear these little beasties for several days of riding in a row without washing and your feet will still be cool and comfortable the whole time.

I tried it out for my commute (60 miles) for several days, and also during my last trip. They work! At least for me they did. Cool and comfy the whole time, seriously.

http://www.defeet.com/prodline.php?line=Motosox

I recently bought a pair of Carhartt Coolmax socks and really like them. They don't have the extra cushioning like the Motosox but they do a great job of keeping your feet cool and dry.

I love Coolmax and have shirts, motorcycle pants (coolmax & kevelar blend), socks and sun protection shirts.

I keep a water bottle on a hook for in-town riding. For longer trips I use a cameback.

Great post. Glad you had a great ride. Always good to bring the rain gear. I've never had an overnight ride where I didn't get rained on.

Awesome adventure! I love long rides too. Now that I know how to stand up riding, I can get butt relief without stopping. But fatigue is serious. I remember one ride where I literally was risking to fall asleep while riding. I had to take a nap (and one of my fellow riders snapped me:)

I found a hydration pack insert at Wal-Mart that has a useful feature: a series of little gel inserts that allow the empty bag to be kept in the freezer. When you're ready to ride, take the bag out of the freezer and fill it with water. The frozen gel keeps the water cold all day, even during triple-digit weather. As I recall, this handy gadget cost me about $20.