Modern Vespa

Greetings Modern Vespa,

I'm elenabouvier a.k.a. sojane press and gojanego. You can check out my unprofessional side here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/elenabouvier/sets/
http://vimeo.com/sojane
http://www.inliquid.com/artist/bouvier_elena/bouvier.php hasn't been updated in eons!

It's been just a tad more than a year since I joined MV and 2.5 years that I've been reading and learning. In all this time I have not formally introduced myself, though I have vivid images of many MV's in my head, and well I'm finally tired of standing outside of the circle being a voyeur.

A little background: I was born and raised in Pennsylvania, and have always resided on the east coast except for the 12 months I lived in Germany as a Fulbright scholar. However, I have been fortunate and well travelled; 40 US states, 20 countries and 247 cities... damn FB apps!
I was a photographer for 20 years and changed gears 5 years ago to get my MFA in Book Arts and Printmaking, and currently work as a book conservation bench technician at one of America's oldest libraries; The American Philosophical Society. I am still a photographer (I always will be) but don't care or strive to be perfect anymore, today I'm just a creative. I make stuff, always have and always will.

My first bike was a Buddy 150 Pamplona bought May 1, 2008. I told my wife it would save us money, I told myself it was finally time! I had visions of myself in goggles, a leather aviator helmet, white scarf and Belstaff Trialmaster. I sold the Buddy August 2009 with 2700 + miles and bought my GTV August 8, 2009. She currently has approx. 3200 miles. While I loved my Buddy, I love my vespa More.

I love driving my bike because it demands my complete attention and I like how deliberate one must be. Plus all the crap and nonsense in my head has to be left in the driveway. Plus, I Love to go fast! ...when I can, when it's "safe". Hence go jane go.

I'm pretty easy going, funny ha ha and funny odd and sometimes I feel socially retarded, but I'm really just kinda' shy... at least until we get drunk together.

So here I am yesterday... just so you know that I do exist.



and here is my GTV with her brand new Pirate Upholstery seat. I just may have to ditch the chrome rack, grab bar, crash bars and box for one of Didge's sprint racks. Damn, and I thought I was done!




Thanks MV for all the info, sh!+ and giggles. Keep it coming!

Nice GTV and welcome!!

Cheers,
Dan

Thanks Dan.
Nice to be here!

Welcome to MV. Nice scooter. Oh and just so you know we do not drive a bike...we ride.

ride or drive? it's the state of mind that determines... Driving is methodical and deliberate to me. Riding is following some twit on an endless double yellow!

Riding is making the double yellows invisible.

Driving sounds a bit uninvolved with surroundings. In my head that is.

I ride my bikes. I used to drive a car.

Now THAT'S a proper introduction.

Welcome in from the cold outside the MV windows.

or driving is the mindless thing you do on cruise control in a cage and riding is second by second decisions and motion as you pick your lines and live the ride.

Welcome to MV! We are all driven to ride.

jimc : alright, I get where you guys are coming from. And yes, then I would have to say that I ride it like I stole it... without being a squid about it!

Hello gojanego. Nice ride. Don't be a stranger.

I think you are gonna fit in well here. Ride it like you stole it! LOL

stickyfrog +1 bootscooter now thats what I'm talking about! btw, I really dig your avitar.

Aloha and welcome to the forum. Nice scooter and great attitude. 8) Ride drive who the hell cares as long as your on it Enjoy that new beauty of yours and have you named it yet? Ride safe

Glad to have you here!

Welcome to MV. Good looking GTV!

Thanks to all for the warm welcome and compliments on my GTV, I mean my ride. Now let' s see how long it takes me to make you LOL and/or piss someone off! ;^) Just kidding... well kinda. Thanks again MV. Elena

Hey, I like the looks of that seat!

Good to know you!
Now, tell me about that seat and topcase! Can your lady ride pillion on there? And the topcase looks impressive - what is it and can we have a closer photo, please? As you are a photog.......

Thanks!

Hey Bunsen,

sad but true, my wife wants nothing to do with scootering or motorcycling so I have never ridden with a passenger. Jay at Pirate Upholstery who did my seat has a modified (for a passenger) cafe' racer on his web site. With that said, I think my seat is certainly cushy enough and the area large enough to hold someone. But I imagine it to be uncomfortable because of the curve. It might work out with a typical top case and back rest though.

About the case, it's an older and out of production Zero Halliburton camera case, also called a train case/cosmetic case. It measures approximately 16" W x 8" H x 9" D. For general commuting, it's perfect for me. It holds a tire repair kit, CO2 kit, jacket liners, shopping sack, bag lunch, quart of seltzer, small small camera case and some cable ties. It is attached with 2 U-bolts I dipped in the plastic dip stuff and wing nuts. I have also hooked up a custom dynamics led brake light to the box, just under the locks. You can find the Zero cases on ebay, but I found mine at KEH Camera for $60 used. A little Mother's Metal cream and some elbow grease and TaDa! The is another post on here from a user that mounted a much larger Zero case that he found on ebay. If I recall properly, he can fit his helmet in it! A search of the general discussion should reveal the post.
As requested, here's a pic. Sorry I don't have more, but I hope this helps.

Yiassas, Elena. Your banter so far points to a welcome presence.

Was just reminiscing with a buddy about many joyful weekends in Philadelphia back in the early 60's, partying and hell raising with the PGRC and other clubs on Boathouse Row. In fact, thanks to the internet, we renewed a few acquaintances from the PGRC last year. Many a night in McGillin's Ale House, the Mickey Mouse Club in Norristown. And, of course, the ladies from PGRC would join is in NY on alternating weekends for the nightlife there.

Welcome.

Al

Thanks much Aviator47!
Mmm, I still love Philly and I've been here quite a while now!

Now if I only had fond memories of Greece to share with you! Unfortunately, I have never been to Greece, Spain, France, England, Ireland, Italy or Scotland. Kinda funny huh?! But they are on my Bucket list!

Cheers.

International scootering in action www.scooteurope.com

Not an "official" MV activity, but primarily folks from here.

Al

I do recommend Italy (esp Venice) and Ireland (west coast esp). If you want you can check out my pix of these, also photo art which I haven't updated in quite awhile at:

www.frii.com/~jimhayes

edit: those art photos are really old, should have been culled a long time ago. Also haven't added the Denmark photos...

Anyway hello from the middle of nowhere. I found that I can get Lowepro Sliplock cases to grab onto the inside of a Wolfman Wolftail pack which I attach to the pillion as my wife doesn't want to ride either. So I can mix and match lenses and camera.

Really nice scooter Jane ... I love your top box! I have had nothing but trouble with top cases. I've spent a small fortune on them and don't like any of them.

I am leaving for Toronto next week and am going to hit a few camera places and a couple of luggage places in hopes of finding the perfect top case. Thanks for the inspiration and welcome to MV!

Great intro and pics. If you ever get the itch to ride down here in the smokies I am sure some of us would like to ride with you.

Hey BoonDocks,

you live just down the road from where I Want to live

Jim, your photos are lovely!

I have the fondest memories of Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and South Dakota.
It's a wonderful part of the US.




TrafficJammer, glad to be of help. Have fun in Toronto looking for a top box!


Old as Dirt, Thanks for your kindness... I so want to do an Extended Ride down your way, Fall 2011 is my goal.

Yeah that's what it looks like, except is that an IR shot? Color is mostly brownish green out here. Pretty arid out here, good side of that is, I don't heat up in gear as much. Oh, and Bison only on ranches these days.

Thank you re: my photos. the "new" gallery is seriously out of date and has a lot of bad ones I can replace with better ones now. And of the travel pics, Denmark really has to be added. I have shots from a 12th century crypt; they have a lot of very old buildings there. The people are mainly nice, and ride bicycles a LOT, some of which can carry tremendous loads. The postal service uses one bicycle with a huge basket in front with stabilizing wheels (like trainer wheels) that come down with the pull of a lever when parked.

All of the western states here differ from one another, somehow they got the borders reasonably straight yet still have weather or scenery change (you know when you've crossed from Colorado to Wyoming-wind, no trees). I've been though all except the Dakotas; personally I think Utah takes the prize for weirdness and beauty.

Boondocks,

yes, that shot is on the out of production Kodak Aerographic InfraRed film 120 format and very fine grain

Southern Utah was my favorite part of the US, until I spent some time in Yellowstone... totally weird and wonderful. Thats where I shot the bison. I really want to retire to Colorado someday, the Eastern slope please!, because it'll put me within 500 miles of most of the places I love in America...




TrafficJammer, forgot to mention that you need to consider the height of the rear rack in relation to the hinge on the top box. Remember, you want to be able to open the box and not have the rack interfere! just sayin'

I mostly shot plain old Tri-X and later T-Max 400.

Yes, I grant that Yellowstone is weirder than Utah. I do suggest Goblin Valley State Park and Kodachrome Basin in Utah as unearthly though.

I was at Yellowstone only once really...the year after the fire.

The population really has been growing here on the Front Range. The tendency now I think, although I'm not into real estate, is to get property that's as close to the mountains as possible. A lot of commericial stuff is going up east however.