April 29, 2010 —Back in 2008, I got really interested in the idea of a Cafe Racer motorcycle. As far back as 2006 I’d been watching a lot of American Chopper, and though I rarely got too excited about the kinds of bikes they build, the whole notion of a proper motorcycle was something that – Read More –
April 20, 2010 — It’s 7:30 a.m. My garage door groans its way open. Morning light spills into my little one-car garage. It’s about 40º out. It’s gonna be a cold ride this morning. Better get my balaclava. I walk around the back of my Vespa GT200L, my hand on the seat like I’m rounding – Read More –
April 1, 2010 — Social media is still a pretty young phenomena, yet its presence in our culture is already pretty profound. We’re now able to connect with people more easily than ever. Some lament that this ease means that our connections are less meaningful. I suppose that’s true if you have 1500 Facebook friends – Read More –
March 23, 2010 — In a lot of scooter cities, there’s a standing, weekly, come-one-come-all ride. In the TC, ride night is on Tuesday and it goes by the illustrious name of TNR — Tuesday Night Ride. Each year the ride meeting place oscillates between St. Paul and Minneapolis. This year, it’s St. Paul’s turn. – Read More –
March 22, 2010 — There’s something about riding safety that’s uniquely personal and divisive. In scooter circles, it’s almost like politics or religion. That is, you discuss it at your own risk on the message boards. Take a stand and you’re guaranteed to have both supporters and detractors. Insist that others follow your standard and you’d better – Read More –
March 14, 2010 — With the frost of winter finally dripping its last drips, 55º meant it was time to un-mothball our scooters. The Mrs wants to know how to do her own scooter maintenance, so today she changed both the crankcase and gear oil in her Buddy 125. I changed the crankcase oil in – Read More –
Last week I accidentally slid my ’06 Cooper S into a curb in the falling snow. It managed to mangle the rim, but thankfully there was no damage beyond the rim and hub. What it did mean was an insurance claim, some time in the shop and another spin on the loaner car merry-go-round. You – Read More –
Today we get our first real snowstorm of winter. What that means, among other things, is that the 2009 riding season is officially over. I winterized my Vespa several weeks ago, but this makes it official. 2009 is done.