A question of....

This morning I woke up and Facebook told me that I bought a new Suzuki 4 years ago today.  Which I know is wrong because this very blog states that I bought Kimmie in February 2013.

I guess it's alternate facts for the reality we now live in.

Happier Times

So I owned Kimmie for just under four years.  I've been wondering if and when I'll be getting back on a bike.  A local place near me has a Honda NC700  which as my five to ten regular readers know I've had my eye on for some time.

I've not stopped in to ask about it, I've not climbed up on it...for the very same reasons I've stated before.  I made a promise.  That does not mean that I'm not tempted to.  Sue asked me about that the other day...and I told her my reasons again.

It's not fear of crashing or dying.  It's fear of losing those I love and care for.  It's not a subtle difference.  Still though when you see the biker across the way lean into that curve, a tree lined avenue where your transported back to when your a kid and you stick both arms up and out....your flying.

Riding a motorcycle they say is freedom, and I disagree.  It's about feeling connected to the road, the earth, the weather.  It's that mindfulness you have as you lean and feel the bike react under you....that being on the edge.  It's knowing that letting your mind wander....even for a second or two can result in an accident.

That's what happened to me.

I'm healing.  The accident itself was not that bad.  My gear did it's job.  My head is still attached and functioning.  My scabs are healed and other than a little pink area you would never know that I suffered some road rash.

My wrists took the worst of it, and the strength is coming back in each of them stronger than it was before.  I still have my Fox gloves..they didn't even rip and I have every intent to never buy cheap gear again...if I ever do ride again. 

Truthfully I think I will.  Just not now.  I want to heal, I want to get my small half-assed financial business off the ground first.  As of February 1, 2017  I can hang my shingle in the window so to speak  I am doing this in addition to my regular 9 - 5 job.  So no more Saturday afternoons off for a while.

No, I'm not going to start up a financial or insurance blog (although you can visit the website here).  I am planning a website but you have to get approval from the various carries and that takes forever and a day.  I'll link it when the time comes if your really that interested.   I have to smile however.  I worked in banking for over 10 years, then got sick of it during the Depression.

I literally argued with my boss over what we were doing and why it was going to end in chaos.  It did, I lost a 65K a year job and then spent the next five years pursuing my first love.  While my time at 3M was good, it ended badly as well.   Maybe...just maybe I'm better off working for myself!

Recently Sue and I picked up another delivery route which is under a 12 month contract, I was ready to let that small end of the business die but that contract alone makes our business twice as profitable.

I have 12 months of car payments on two cars and the largest debt I have is gone.  I will be 51 years old and completely debt free, at least till I need a new car.  My retirement plans may be moved up five years if this continues.

So its a question of time...and if there is any more bounce in this old bumble.

Scoot Tiki

Even though I don't really know them well, or get the opportunity to ride with them often...I consider myself part of the Scooter Crew.  It's an odd little collection of people that seem a little more geared (pun not intended) towards classic Vespa's and lower cc bikes.  Kimmie is one of the bigger bikes in the group but I've always felt welcome and comfortable in the group.

Handmade Tiki

Winter Haven is about 1 hour east of me, near Orlando, Florida and the rally itself was held at a private residence.  The name "Casa Del Tortuga" is Spanish and translated means the "house of the tortoise."  This is because the home has at least two wild Tortoise's living on the property although they seem pretty used to having noisy humans about.

guard tortuga

I've been to this location before and again was impressed with the designs of Gene Leedy (while the home was not specifically designed by Leedy, it was surely influenced by him). 

Sadly do to family commitments I was not able to attend Friday night or spend time there Sunday.  I was able to spend time going on two wonderful rides around the city of Chain Lakes.  It was a perfect day to do that ride, with clear skies and warm but not humid temperatures, and again Winter Haven impresses me with rolling curves, wonderful water views and gently sloping hills.  It is a lovely city that is trying to revitalize itself and is filling up with small restaurants and specialty shops.

Again I wish I trusted myself enough to take pics while moving down the road or had a Go-Pro video set up.  A few of us even talked about the Go-Pro's and their advantages and disadvantages.

That's the thing that I enjoy, getting into quiet conversations about life, food, bikes, beer, and what ever else we care to talk about.   I even got to slide my business card to two different people although that was not why I was there.

I went to spend time with people I enjoy being around.  I went to ride.  I went to have fun.

Andrew owns an open air Tuk-Tuk, a small auto rickshaw that are often found in Asian countries.  He pulled that out for a slow ride through the city as we went as a group for lunch.   It was interesting to ride behind him and see the look on people's faces as this small thing went by.

I have to admit that I wanted to ride in the back of it and wave.  I have to admit that I was surprised by it's speed.  It took a bit of time to pick up speed but once it started moving it maintained a good pace.  It was not "fast" by any stretch of the imagination but it held it's own. 

Sitting at the outdoor bar.

Vespa shoes...that's hardcore.  

Just a few of the bikes

Mid 80's I believe.

As a side note, this was the first time I've used the GPS function on the Sena to any great extent.  It worked wonderfully but at higher speeds I'm still having issues hearing it.  I'm thinking it may be more to my helmet (which I'm going to have to replace sooner or later) than anything else. 

I'm going to try a suggestion and let you know how that goes in a few days.

October plans

September has always been a bittersweet month.  September has always been a harbinger of change.  September found me riding a bit more and a bit longer but also found me being off my bike for the last two weeks or so.

The threat of Hurricane Matthew may, or may not, keep me off the bike for a few days as well.  Even though it appears that I am on the "dry" side and far enough to the west that damage in my area will, hopefully, be minimal.  The last one that came through the area caused minimum damage.  It's not scheduled to make landfall to Thursday in the early morning...but it should be interesting to say the least.  I'm hoping this one, which will hit the shore as a Category 4, will stay far enough east to not be a problem for me. 

I've spent most of the last two weeks or so changing departments at work, gearing up for our busiest time of the year...all the while considering an offer to supplement my income with an independent option on the side.   I was going to turn it down, but retirement is coming quicker than I would like and the possibility of building my 401K's and annuities is tempting.

I've spent much of the past month working towards goals: at work and raising what funds I could for the Distinguished Gentleman's ride.  Tampa raised about $21,500 for the cause and had approx. 150 riders in the event itself.

I have ridden to work where I could, I have rode here and there when and where I could.  The boring non-exciting day to day stuff that fills in most of our lives.   Now suddenly it's October and once again I'm faced with change, some of it is my own making.  Some of it has, like a inevitable change of seasons, been forced upon me.

It will be a busy month, as I attempt to once again take part in the Scooters for Hooters event.  This is an event I've been trying to attend for the last three years it seems, only to have something prevent me from attending.  I'm not fundraising for this, I'm intending to just pay my riding fee of $30 and riding with Kimmie covered in pink to support those that have had, or are currently fighting breast cancer.

Yes, Ladies you can talk me into buying a helmet

Later on in the month Tim Zbell, a old friend and drinking partner - and former amateur motorcycle racer, will be in town for wine, woman, song and the AIMExpo 2016.  This is another event that I've been wanting to attend for the past several years, but have been unable to for a variety of reasons.  This is the last year it will be in Orlando, as the 2017 show will be in Columbus, Ohio.    I am in need of not only a new helmet, but possibly a new jacket as well, and I can think of no better place then the AIME to pick up one or the other.

Going "vintage"

It's occurred to me that to truly get into the spirit of things for the 2016 Distinguished Gentleman's ride, I should be riding an older vintage motorcycle or scooter.  While I love my 2008 Kymco Xciting scooter, it's not really "vintage."

"Vintage" according the to the Merriam Webster dictionary is defined as "used to describe something that is not new but that is valued because of its good condition, attractive design, etc."  While my beloved Kymco (or Kimmie as I like to refer to her as) fits the strict definition in my understanding of the definition.   She fails in two very important ways.

She is not that old.

Nor is her style exactly "classical."

When people think of scooters they are thinking about the lines of a Vespa.  Not the modern sleek design of my Kimmie. 

To the right is a picture of a more traditional and vintage scooter against my more modern Kimmie. 

Dressing up in vintage clothing and going out for a ride is all fun and games.  If I happen to raise some money for a good cause then so much the better.  I'm just hoping that Kimmie doesn't stick out like a sore thumb to much...I know, I'm worried about nothing and I know she can hold her own against nearly any bike on the road. 

I'm letting my social anxiety show.  Call it the curse of an introvert. 

Growing popularity is not a good thing at times.

Nearly everyone I know that rides does so safely.  Helmets, gloves, jackets, boots, etc.  It just seems to go hand in hand.  Of course nearly everyone I know that rides has been doing so for years, and with that experience I'm sure they have gone down, scraped skin and broken a few bones.  You learn some things doing that.   Mostly it hurts and doing it again is stupid.

Scooters are popular here in Tampa, I see them everywhere in the city.  Now that one of the top pop acts in the world - Macklemore and Ryan Lewis (whose video "Downtown" appears above) - is singing about the joys of scooter ownership.  I'm sure we are going to see a uptick in the machines around town.   

Which brings me to today's topic.   I had to deal with an accident yesterday.   I was not directly involved but I saw it happen.   I know why it happened.  Luckily the guy riding the Jonway scooter was not hurt nor was his little 50cc banged up badly.  I hate to say it...but in a way I was glad it happened, he was being an asshole.

He was riding in the bike lane avoiding traffic and that was fine.  Traffic was stop and go and at the time and he was zipping past everyone in the bike lane.   Then the bike lane ended.  No look over his shoulder, no turn signal, just over he came.  Traffic stopped, he continued to move forward on his little 50 cc.   I don't think he ever looked backed or used a signal.   Then he went to make a right turn.

The loose gravel on the side of the road bit him and I watched the rear tire slide out from under him in slow motion   He had no helmet, no jacket and was wearing shorts.   Luckily the car behind him stopped or it could have been worse.   Being a trained first responder, I pulled over and insisted on checking him out.  He was banged up and bruised, but otherwise fine.   I was tempted to admonish him for his riding and tell him to at least buy a helmet (which is not required in Florida).

I've seen stunting on the highways.  I've seen people cut in and out of traffic with out doing a shoulder check or use turn signals.  I've seen scooters with out working brake or head lights on them.  

If someone has read my blog for a bit they know how I feel about ATTGATT, how I feel about the little 50cc scooters that seem to be growing more in popularity.  Riding a scooter is a great thing of that there is no doubt.  

Lets be realistic however.  It's a deadly little thing if you don't take care, obey the laws and be smart about things.  It's a battle the rider is never going to win and frankly I've been wondering what I can do to promote safety and common sense.  I can join something like the American Motorcycle Association  but honestly there are stands they take that I disagree with (such as helmet laws - which I feel should be mandatory - and lane splitting).   

I've been guilty of that myself

Law enforcement could do a better job of enforcing the motor cycle and traffic laws that already exist but I know those guys are often overworked and stretched thin enough as it is.  I've toyed with the idea of taking a few more classes myself and  become an instructor. Following in the footsteps of  Princess Scooterpie.  However I ride a scooter, not a motorcycle and although the advanced riders classes would not hurt me in any way, I'm not ready or experienced enough to be a instructor.  Besides the classes only work if you attend the classes.  How many riders are being trained by a neighbor or a friend?

So I'm going to call out those I see behaving badly, give a friendly warning where I can.  I used to wonder why bikers always told horror stories of accidents and such.  I get it now, we are just trying to tell each other "Don't be stupid and do what I did."  

I think that's good stuff to pass on to the new riders.  

Just a quick update - a famed Lambretta lives.

Our good friends over at Scooter Diaries gave us some good news recently.  The famed Lambretta is restored and purring like a kitten.

I have been wanting to read this book but somehow my subtle hint to the girlfriend and my parents of "Hey, I would really like this book for Christmas...for my birthday....because I want to read it"  seemed to fall on deaf ears; it appears I will have to buy myself a copy.   Truth be told, with everything that has been going on these last few months it was forgotten about.

For those of us that like good stories and adventure, I thought I would share this video with you.

Speaking of Epic Adventures.  This is the last day of the 2014 Scooter Cannonball.  Congrats to all that made that journey.  Have a beer, you deserve it.

Scooter Cannonball Run 2014

I'm a few days late.

It's that time of year again, for the biannual Scooter Cannonball Run.  Long story short for those that may stumble on this miserable attempt at writing...the cannonball is an open event for scooters under 250cc.  It normally is a ten day event that crosses the country and this years event is, to the best of my knowledge, the first to enter another country (Canada) and is being run from Hyder, Alaska to New Orleans, Louisiana.  A distance of some 3500 miles.  The "race" this year concludes with the opening of Amerivespa 2014.

It is not a race.

So I thought I do a little public service and include all the web links I could for the individual riders.  They are on a hell of an adventure - and I will admit I feel a little envious and then I think..."oh hell no!"  After all your going to ride for 350 miles a day roughly on a bike that may only top out at 50 MPH.  Their are a few riders who may not even be capable of that speed.

You have to admire the craziness of it, the dedication to spend hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars to do something like this.  To be on a bike for 8 or 9 hours a day, work on it at night for a few hours and then right back to it again.

It is not a race.  It is a challenge.  An experience.  An insanity.

Last year, two years of ago I would have loved to have done it.  Now....while now is a different story.

So here is to the insane ones, the crazy ones.  The ones that are pushing themselves, their bikes and perhaps even their luck.  Here is to you crazy fools.

Show some love and leave comments on their blogs and Facebook pages.  They would appreciate it.  Here they are in no order what so ever.

Phil's 2014 Cannonball Run  - Blog and photo's

Skwirly's - Sadly his run is already over as I type this due to a bad piston.  But your welcome to peruse.

Scooterfile - Providing coverage via a dedicated page.

Rocket and Me - Pictures and Blog

Dave's Cannonball Run - Blog with photo's and VIDEO.

2014 Cannonball - Blog but no updates since Dec 2013?  Perhaps later?

Rides and Random Thoughts - Blog with Photo's.  She is also one of the few female riders that I know are participating this year.

Scooter Cannonball - Very nice unofficial blog for the whole thing?

Kick Start Karen - some interviews with the riders and other interesting tidbits from a former Cannonballer.

A lot of the riders are offering real time tracking of their progress as well so you can follow along on the journey.  If I missed anyone or anything just let me know and I'll be happy to add it!

Good luck!

This post has only a working title

I was hoping that the doctors, lawyers and powers that be would be kind enough to release me before the Scooters 4 Hooters event on May 10th.  I really was looking forward to riding in this event but will not be able to.  I already contacted the few people that gave me a donation to the event, their money was sent to the organization on their behalf.

The doctors finally released me and this weekend I will finally be able to reacquaint myself with Kimmie.  Probably just taking her out for a small ride around the neighborhood and maybe to work.  Sadly I don't believe I'm ready to ride to Orlando and back yet.  Its been something like four months since I've done any serious riding.  I want to get those skills back.  I want to fall in love all over again.  Maybe.

At the end of last year I had new goals.  I wanted to take Kimmie further.  I had plans to take her up to Jacksonville on one of my business trips.  I wanted to push myself into 150 to 200 mile day trips.  Now, in a what of ways it's back to square one, mile one.  That is not a bad thing, each and every mile I've ridden so far is a little more experience.

I just don't have the enthusiasm for it that I once did.  Call it a weariness if you must.  Call it a new found respect for what is an admittedly dangerous hobby, call it fear.  Maybe when I start her up, hearing Kimmie purr and feel her surge forward it will be a different feeling.

I'm going for a ride.

Art and Design

As a blogger, I hate to jump on the bandwagon of something.  As of late everywhere I turn I've been hearing about or seeing the photographs of Hassan Hajjaj, particularly because of a serious of photo's he has taken showing the - to quote the Guardian - "The motorbike girl gangs of Morocco"

Hassan Hajjaj photography

I don't know what's more interesting to me. The photo's themselves or the interest they have generated.  Perhaps because we here in the west don't really think of woman belonging to "motorbike gangs" or even riding at all.  If they do, the popular image is that of being on the back, a passive passenger.   In a country where bikes are towed to events like Sturgis or Daytona Bike week, the idea that woman are using them every day in their day to day lives seems foreign, alien to us.

Perhaps what makes the photos so good, so interesting is that these woman are not only riding but are in the "middle east" (actually Morocco is  a Northern Africa country that shares a long and varied history with Europe).  We Americans tend to paint the world with a single brush and seeing something that doesn't fit that world view can, at times, be shocking.

To the best of my knowledge all the woman in the series are veiled and modestly dressed.  Yet their is a shocking amount of color, Nike and Gucci branded djellabah (which covers the face) are everywhere, and sensible shoes rule the day.  In nearly all the photo's the woman are relaxed.  Again, I would not call any of the photo's "sexy" but the woman are confident...and that makes them sexy.

Hassan Hjjaj photography

Good art should challenge our perceptions.  Make us question are beliefs and understanding of the world.  In the case, Hassan Hajjaj has done that in spades.  My only wish is that we could see the woman actually working on the bikes, getting their hands dirty and actually riding about town in their colorful polka dotted outfits.  Seeing them carrying their crates filled with goods and children would have made these images all that more powerful to me.  That I suppose is a minor issue.  Supposedly they are not models but actual working woman of Marrakech...I have been to countries where scooters and motorcycles outnumber cars and seeing bikes being ridden as part truck/part family car/part bus is not that uncommon.  But I suppose that is part of the charm of these photo's.   Most of us already have are preconceived notions, and I for one are happy to see those notions tilted a bit.

The second thing that really struck me this week was from the files of the the Scooterfile website.  They raved about Hero's new RNT design, which is not only lovely but shows the diversity of scooters...and what happens when a company actually knows it's market.   Hero is an Indian company and the RNT is a bike developed almost exclusively for the developing world.   The RNT was designed with help from the Eric Buell Racing, who also has exclusive dealership rights in the US.  I cannot see much of a market in the developed world for this thing...but the design is brilliant. 

Long story short its designed to be a workhorse.  You can see it can already carry two or more people easily.  Packages and crates can be lashed down easily in the front and back.  It has a 150cc diesel engine which provides 14 horsepower , a removable front LED headlight that then can be used as a flashlight. This is where the brilliance kicks in.  There is a socket to plug electric items into...so it's a generator too.  The front wheel is also powered by a 1.3 HP motor, so it is a two wheel drive.  Always helpful in those parts of the world where the pavement ends.  Diesel also tends to be less expensive in the long run while providing better fuel economy (one of the reasons you see fleets of trucks running diesel).  

The RNT is often compared to the Jeep of the 1940's.  A "Do anything, go anywhere" vehicle and from what I read, it is.  What it's designed for is the back roads of India, Nigeria, Afghanistan.  It's designed to bring your family into town to shop, for slogging through unpaved roads and taking a farmer's goods to market.  It's designed for work.   

Yet it's also beautiful.   

Scooters for Hooters - Breat Cancer Charity Ride.

**UPDATE**  So far only a couple of people are interested in helping me earn money for this fine cause.  Please either sign up to give directly at their site or contact me here and I'll be happy to ride for you.  

I'm going to do this!   How many of my (2 or 3) readers would be interested in sponsoring me?

Be sure to check out the webpage Scooters4Hooters as well!  Details to follow.  :)

Of course, when ever I make any scooter related plans...life always rears it's ugly head.  All jokes aside, if your interested in sponsoring me, please contact me here.

Heading down new paths (or why I decided to review some products).

I have to admit...when someone from Motorcycle House contacted me about doing reviews of their products I had some trepidation.  After all I ride a scooter, admittedly a big bore scooter who thinks it's a sport bike...but it is still a scooter.

However the more I thought about it the more it made sense to me.  Often I've complained that their is a lack of good reviews of products.  Motorcycle House has there products reviewed by other bloggers I respect, such as Doug at Forty Years on Two Wheels and the Road Pickle crew are two wonderful examples.  A few other bloggers, some I've known and some I didn't, have written fair reviews or produced various You Tube video's concerning their products.  Generally speaking they were positive.

It takes a certain type of company to put there product into the hands of bikers and say "Here...do your worst." and get good reviews in return.  Even before I joined the brotherhood of two wheels, I knew bikers.  They generally are a "bullshit free" type of breed.  They tell you what they think.  Still I need assurance that if I didn't care for something that I be able to say that.  They gave me that assurance in spades.

One of the items I am looking forward to reviewing.

The second reason I decided to review products is that, frankly, their is not much out there designed specifically for the big bore scooters.  Sure, you can find lots of stuff for the smaller cc bikes. When an engineer or designer gets an idea into there mind it's hard to change.  Take for example Formosa Saddlebags, here is a nice product that really can't be used in mid-sized to big bore scooters like mine.  I'm curious to know what can be. 

So what gear will work on the various maxi-scoots?  What won't?  Will something like a motorcycle tank bag work on a scooter like mine?  After all it's designed for a traditional motorcycle...not a scooter. Can it be adapted with little effort?  Or are we going to have to go back to the drawing board?  Is a product like that even reasonable to consider using?

Plus, and I've said this before, the scooter is the wave of the future.  The quicker a company moves to take advantage of that market the better off they will be.  If I know what products work well on scooters, I'm more likely to buy from that company.  

So lets see what happens.  

The Bahama's - A little jaunt with memories that last a lifetime.

“The traveler sees what he sees. The tourist sees what he has come to see.” ― G.K. Chesterton

I was trying to pay attention to the road, trying to keep my eye on my girlfriends daughter who, while having riding bikes and small motorbikes, had never ridden a scooter this far, this fast before.  I was riding behind her in front of the tail-gunner and trying to keep an eye on the rear view mirror of my little Yamaha for the jeep that my Susan and her mother had rented to follow along.  I didn't have much to worry about.  Steph handled the scooter very well, she scared me twice (once where she took a turn to quick and stuck out her foot) and another where she was looking at the lovely countryside and not paying attention to the road and nearly missed a turn.

My little island steed

My ride was a little cramped Yamaha 100 to 125 cc, it was more than a little hot but the traffic keeps moving in the Bahama's thanks to only a few stop lights but what seems like 101 traffic circles on the island.  It kept the air moving.  I had learned about the trip through the Shiftless Scooter Club and the Palm Beach Scooter Club.  As I sit here safely back in the states I find myself wishing that I could have spent more time there.  The people of the Bahama's are amazingly friendly and helpful, not asking for a dime when we required assistance (more on that in a bit).  The roads were in very good shape and there were enough twists to keep it interesting, but not particularly challenging.

I went to ride somewhere new, to visit another country and see things that I may new see again.  To explore history, to meet the people.  For the community and joy of riding with other scooter lovers.  I went to dip my feet in the bluest water, to buy things for family and friends...just to get away from the daily stress of life.  To drink.

The guy that lead the trip I've ridden with once before in a group setting.  He's and excellent leader, finding a pace that fits all the riders and keeps the group together in a tight formation for the most part.   I admit I probably drove the tail-gunner (a guy named Jack) a little crazy as I often fell back a little bit to take in the Bahama's scenery and to give Steph more than ample room to steer.  Again it struck me that I was more of a solo rider than anything.

The group stopped at a stony beach with some of the bluest water on the planet and more than one person dismounted to dip their feet in the water or look for shells and coral.  My lovely Susan and her mother had volunteered their services to transport these treasures in their rented jeep beforehand.  Sadly 5 or 10 minutes later we were again on the road.

We passed lovely old cemeteries, beaches, churches - one of which looked as if the hand of God itself and twisted the metal (I will link the ride video here once posted).  I can understand why a lot of bikers get interested in photography...you want to remember these things.  Riding alone I'm able to stop and explore and read the signs, talk to the locals.  Groups just keep on moving.

When traveling in a foreign land I am always struck how the people live, what is important to them.  Well many of the homes we passed would be considered "shacks" by US standards, I was impressed that for the most parts the yards were clean and neat, I saw a few gardens about.  The people were friendly, beeping thanks as I waved a few by.  When Sue got lost in a roundabout and drove some 15 miles out of the way, a very nice woman insisted on showing her the way back...not taking a dime for her troubles.  "Your a guest in our country" is all she said.  One could just sense the pride the Bahamian people had in their country.

We had lunch in a little local restaurant where a story was told that the owner of the scooter place received $1 for everyone that ate there on his recommendation.   The food was good but frankly to Americanized.  I would not have minded a little bit of the native food, a little taste of the islands.  Instead I settled for a Sands beer.

I knew I would have to head back to this island.  The Bahama's had impressed me in many ways, and I know I would return next year...only this time I would spend more than a day.  I would spend time on the beach, time shopping, time getting to know the islands and the islanders.  I would spend time riding.

Thank you people of the Bahama's.  You made the trip wonderful.

As we headed back home to Tampa I showed off a local free attraction called "Spook Hill"  to Sue's mother and daughter.  They were not that impressed.

The blogger and his "daughter" listening to last minute instructions.

Various riders enjoying lunch.

More pictures can be found on my Facebook page.

Balance and counter balance

In a little under two weeks I will be on a cruise to the Bahama's.  My third cruise overall.  I'm going for one reason and one reason only...to scoot.  Due to the relative low price of the trip my "mother-in-law" and Susan's lovely daughter will be traveling along.

I am very much in need of this week's vacation.  Work has been hectic with lots of mandatory overtime, on top of the usual hectic work I do on the side.  Lately however I've been thinking of passing that work onto others, I'm at that point where I would like to concentrate on other things.  Plus I recently applied for a new position in my company where I would work days and no weekends even though it would extend my commute by only 15 miles.  The problem is that part of it is on the highway and since it's daylight, I would be dealing with rush hour traffic.  But lets get the job first before even thinking about that mess!

Stephanie, my long time girlfriend's daughter, wants to go riding with me while we are in the Bahama's on her own scooter.  This is her first time on a scooter.  I'm not really worried about her to much, because she knows how to drive 4 wheeler's and has been riding bicycles for years.  It's getting over that initial fear of doing something new.  She wants to learn to ride, and guess whose shoulders it falls on to teach her "just the basics."  If she enjoys it and does not kill herself I can see a bike in her future.  She's a tomboy and the adventuresome sort.  A dual sport would be perfect for her.  I think her mother would agree with me however, she will go to a certified Motorcycle training course before getting her bike.  Plus the scooters on the islands are "relatively small" meaning they are in the 100 to 125 cc range.  Enough power to get you where you need to go but not enough to be overpowering.

I am trying to think back to when I first got on my little Yamaha Zuma 125.  I had not taken the MSF class yet and must have rode for 100 miles in parking lots before taking it out into traffic.  I simply got used to the bike below me.  How it turned, braked, felt under me.  The first time I turned into traffic I hit a loose patch of gravel and down I went.  I cursed, picked up the bike and got it off the street asap.  I wasn't hurt but my pride certainly was.  It also taught me important lessons.  One of which become my mantra..."Cocky will get you killed."  I don't like the idea of throwing her on a bike like this.

Because of her inexperience we will take it slow, sticking to the beach areas and away from the twisties.  I would love to get into the interior of the islands to see the "real Bahama's", try some island food and maybe find some Cashew Wine again!  I want to get out of the tourist areas.  We will go as far as she feels comfortable going.

Personally I'm looking forward to this trip, I need a vacation.  I need to meet some people in the scooting community, I need to make some friends.  I need balance.

Hipsters and their bikes (another look)

From a certain point onward there is no longer any turning back. That is the point that must be reached. - Franz Kafka

It's not that rare for me to comment on someone else's blog.  A good blog entry or article in a magazine should engage your mind, make you learn something or consider something in a new light.  Sometimes something should just piss you off enough that you need to fire off a comment just to show that moron that you know more than them.  If it does that then it is a successful piece of writing in my mind.

A dated article recently linked to the Motorcycle Obsession blog got me thinking.  The piece, which you can read here, basically dealt with Hipsters and Motorcycles.  Or what they - which I suppose is young people - are riding today.  Now I am not a hipster.  I would have no idea on how to even define such a thing.  After all I don't smoke clove cigarettes, I have never owned a beret, nor do I find the music of the Decemberists all that interesting (Hey Kids, lets do a song about dying of famine in 1860's Ireland!  Won't that be fun!)      

Now I will agree that poking non-malicious fun of a group other than your own can be enjoyable at times (for example, H-D riders).  The Motorcycle.com piece certainly has it's tongue planted firmly in it's cheek at times, but the problem is that instead of embracing this movement towards greater numbers of people riding it sort of blows them off.  The article lumps a whole lot of people into one category without understanding some of the logic behind the reason why motorized bicycles, small "cc" scoots and vintage bikes are "in."  That I'm afraid I have to take issue with.

The article starts with "hipsters love vintage" and mentions Grandad's old Goldwing.   In fact, several times "vintage" is mentioned and the term "vintage" is used to conjure a certain look or emotion.  A few of the brands mentioned, such as the Triumph Bonneville and the Royal Enfields speak to a much simpler time and, as Motorcycle Obsession points out, simply looks like a motorcycle.  

Let's be honest.  Some bikes are simply more easier to work on than others.   Today's youth, saddled with impossible student loans to pay back and a bleak job outlook, are looking to save money any way they can.  Buying a motorcycle/scooter is certainly one way to do that.  Buying an older motorcycle/scooter is certainly one way to do that.  Guess what might be easier to work on?  The newest computerized high performance engine or your simple two-stroke?  Grandad's old Goldwing might have 130,000 miles on it, but it was lovingly taken care of.  Plus Pop's would be more than willing to throw you some knowledge on it's care.

Hipsters are supposedly riding motorized bicycles as well.   I've not seen to many of these around the streets of Tampa but with top speeds of maybe 30 miles an hour and 130 mpg of gas I can certainly understand the attraction to the "hipster".  It, much like the lower 'cc' scooter, is built for city life.  You're able to ride it to work, to the bus depot or train stop.  You're able to take it inside the building and place it in your cube.  Well at least where I used to work you were able to take your (non-motorized) bike in.  

Scooters of course offer higher gas mileage and  more storage than either a motorcycle or motorized bicycle can.  Vespa's are pretty common and hold their value well and you have a lot of online sources to turn to if you have issues.  The Honda Ruckus is a do anything, go anywhere scooter which again is easy to work on. It also has a very active online presence   Do you see a pattern emerging here?

There was one bike in the article that did surprise me, till I thought about it for a moment.   The Ural however offers a lot other than a slick marketing scheme.  You can carry three people on a Ural without much difficulty.  It's sidecar offers excellent storage and frankly it's go anywhere attitude and ability to go anywhere makes it a perfect year round ride.  Sure it's got issues but if you're serious about making your life car free (and this is a growing movement) the Ural is a near perfect solution.  Is it any wonder their sales keep increasing?  I know I am slowly but surely heading that way and one of the reasons I'm attracted to the Ural is it's unusual pedigree.  There is something to be said for that as well and frankly that is one of the reasons I think "hipsters" are attracted to it as well.

What bothers me in the end is not the article.  Nor the disdain it showed, after all the audience the piece is written for is older and have ridden for years.  I guess what bothered me is that we need to grow the brotherhood of two wheels.  We need to communicate better, to rethink how we market, act and treat each other.  People buy bikes for 1001 reasons, it's up to us to make sure they buy the right bike for their needs and abilities.  

It may finally be "hip" to be on two wheels...why shoot that down?

The Brotherhood of Two Wheels - Scooters and the biker's wave

I have a question for you as a scooter rider. Here in Ottawa I wave to anybody on two wheels but scooter riders never seem to wave back. What's up with that?

David Drouin, who maintains the excellent Motorcycle Addiction blog sent me an email concerning the so called "biker's wave."  It's one of those questions that pop up now and again on the various forums I frequent.  Scooters in most states require the same licensing, the same training as motorcycles.  Today many of the maxi-scoots are certainly as powerful as many motorcycles.  That line continues to blur as motorcycles are redesigned with automatic transmissions and internal storage.  So why don't we scooterists wave?

from http://ridingamericana.wordpress.com/

I generally wave at passing bikes, either the traditional motorcycle or a scooter.  Hell, I even wave at bicyclists...they are part of the brotherhood (and sisterhood) too.  Generally speaking I get a wave back - although there are those snobs that will only wave at a particular type of bike, or worse - a particular model.  Actually I have noticed that I tend to get a "one finger" wave as I pass certain types of bikes whose brand name I will not mention here.  David's question did get me thinking however, so I'm introducing a new series which I'm calling "The Brotherhood of Two Wheels."  Anything dealing with the perceived divided between the scootering and motorcycling community, anything that deals with helping out our fellow riders will fall into this category.

I really don't worry about if I don't get a nod or wave in return.  Frankly you never know what is going on in the other bikers world.  He could be concentrating on shifting, turning, safety, etc.  What really annoys me however is two things I've come across again and again.  The first is a arrogance, either real or perceived by those in the motorcycling community that scooter riders are not real "bikers."  Therefore we are not worthy of a wave.

For example, when I lived in Tampa proper there was a big motorcycle garage.  This was at the beginning of the scooter boom and they had a big sign hanging out front,  "WE DO NOT SERVICE SCOOTERS - DON'T EVEN BOTHER ASKING" 

It's been a few years since and to the best of my knowledge they still don't service scooters, which seems to be cutting off the nose to spite the face, after all scooters are the fastest growing segment of the motorcycling world.  Some forums, like advrider.com (which I am a member of) have a section dedicated to scooters, but with the caption "If your secure in your manhood."  I know, it's meant to be funny.  It's not and again, shows a perceived bias against those of  us that ride "scooters."   That somehow we are not "real men."

I've been asked questions about my scooter.  "Is it street legal?"  "Can you ride on the highway with it?"  These questions often come from the non-riding public.  But I've been asked those same questions by "bikers" as well.

The second issue is the nature of scooters themselves.  I ride a maxi-scooter - generally defined as anything above 250cc.  Well I'm not a rarity; it's much more common to come across a smaller, slower scooter often in the urban environment putting along between 30 to 50 mph (48 - 80 kph).  Even as a scooterist myself, I've railed against these smaller cc machines.  For me it's an issue of safety.  If your top speed is only 45 mph your limited to what roads you can ride safely.

When I first started riding I had a Zuma 125.  My top speed was 55 mph (89 kph) and although I felt safe on the city streets, I was always looking about to make sure I was not going to get hit by some moron behind me.  Any two wheeled vehicle is invisible to most cagers.

 

Scooters are smaller due to their very nature.  So did I wave as often as I do now?  No, I did not.  Putting aside the safety issue however, we scooterists seem to have a bit of an inferiority complex.  I will admit to lying about what I ride at times because of perceived bias on someone's part.  I felt the sting of others scorn because I don't ride a "real bike."  Even my beloved girlfriend wants me to buy a "real bike" sometime in the future.   

Is it because we are underpowered for the most part?  Is it because popular culture recognizes the motorcycle and celebrates the "outlaw lifestyle" it represents?  How many shows and movies involved motorcycles?   Can you name one movie other than Quadrophenia that has scooters in it?  Even the quintessential American Graffiti  has a kid riding a scooter, who promptly crashes it in the opening credits.  At the end of the movie he is given a car.  Given these images it is any wonder why scooterists have an inferiority complex.

We have very little in the culture that celebrates the scooter.  American culture is about speed and power and going long distances.  Sure a scooter is going to go further, some of them are capable of nearly 100 miles on a gallon of gas...but to do so we have to give up speed and power.   Most Americans are not willing to do that.  So the scooter is "inferior."  Those of us that ride them are "inferior."

Finally, and sadly, I think most scooterists don't give the wave for one simple reason.  We don't know any better.  We don't get the wave, so we don't give the wave.  Give the wave.  Give a smile.

I'm going to continue to ride Kimmie in all types of weather and on all types of roads.  I will continue to wave at scooterists and motorcyclists.  Hell, I'm even waving at bicycles.  If I see an issue I'll pull over to offer what little help I can.  I'm a scooterist, I'm a biker, I'm a proud member of the brotherhood of two wheels.

Sleepy Hollow - Part Two

I finally went on my group ride.  I've gone on rides with two other riders that are friends of mine, been involved with groups of riders that I don't know - forming a informal and unofficial group for mutual protection while zipping down the highway.  These things don't count for me.

Kimmie meeting new friends.

I've been wanting to go on a group ride, an organized ride out to somewhere I've never been, for sometime.  Finally I got the chance.  

I'm not sure how many scooters eventually made the run to Sleepy Hollow.  Kimmie was the only Kymco scooter.  The group consisted of mostly Honda Silver Wings, Burgmans and two Aprilla's.  One or two off name brand scooters, surprisingly enough, no Vespa's were to be seen.  A Harley and and Gold Wing rounded out the group.

I fell into the middle of the group and we quickly left the main part of the route (please see the map) to take some side roads.  There were some thrills as the group traveled along at about 50 miles an hour through various sweeping turns.  Over hills and through Florida's central back country.  It was pretty cool to top a hill and see all the other bikes in front of me.  During this part of the ride I was worried about two things.  I wanted to keep up with the group and wanted to make sure that I made the turns well.  Some turns I felt fine in, one I wish I could have back as I entered it to quickly and cursed to myself as I ended up wide cutting off the cyclist behind me.

On and on we went.  A few beautiful places called to me to take photographs.  An old dilapidated barn that called out to be explored.  A lake with a lone single tree sitting out in the water, the light playing over the water.  A strand of cypress trees off in the distance.   If I had been alone or a smaller group, I would have stopped, but the phalanx kept moving on down the road, and so did I.

There was an incident before we got to Sleepy Hollow which bears mentioning.  One of our group went down.  I was immediately behind him and he froze in a turn, becoming fixated on something right in front of him.  The back tire went squirrelly and down he went.  It seemed to happen in slow motion, I veered to the left to go around him and then pulled off, only to find myself in soft soil and unable to get off the bike because it would fall.  Luckily the other riders were able to see to him quickly.   He was shook up but not hurt badly (due to privacy concerns I will not go into more detail concerning the accident).

After that the ride had a different feeling,  a slower pace was called for as we negotiated the last 10 - 15 miles or so.  Each of us understanding that the slower pace was for him, and it could have been us that went down.

Once we arrived there you paid $6 and stood in line for food.  Basically from the conversations I had with other riders, it's pretty much what ever they have in the kitchen.  So it's not uncommon to switch from steak to fish or chicken without any warning.  It was actually better than it looked.

Sleepy Hollow is an outdoor restaurant that sits right on a river.  They had a decent cover band playing and lots of shade.  Sitting next to a river a few boats pulled up, air boat rides were available.  Here are some additional pictures.

An idea of the crowd

Kimmie copping an attitude around the boys

Then along came a spider....

The view from the dock.

I ended up breaking from the group on the way home.  They were going to head back the same way they came and I wanted to ride the route suggested by the motorcycleroads.com site.  I was disappointed that I did that.  The way home was more or less straight.  Little changed in the way of the view.  If I would have stayed on this road I would have returned to the starting point.  I didn't do that.  Deciding to cut cross country and head home via a different route I got a little lost, which is never a bad thing...although for some odd reason my GPS on my phone would not work.

OK...Keep heading inland and eventually you'll find a road you know.   I did it was I-75.  So I jump on I-75 for a few miles and look for the first exit sign...as it happened it was for Dade City.   Literally 12 miles from where I live.

Would I ride with this group again?  Yes.  Although I think I would do better with a smaller group.  Our group leader was amazing, keeping everyone together and driving at a pace that suited most of the riders.  He was very attentive when the rider went down.  I like the idea of being able to pull off the road if something unusual catches my eye.  I like the idea of traveling at a pace suited for me.

Overall it was a great day, the sun was shining.  It wasn't to hot.  I got to to do some much needed recreational riding and got some much needed practice on twisties.  That's all that matters right.  The ride was 146 miles total.

UPDATE:  I had to go to work this morning, only to discover a flat rear tire.  Guess I picked up a nail or something.  :(  I guess Kimmie didn't like being ridden that hard.