Tag Archives: Scooters

Even on my commute, I don’t really have need for a topcase or rear trunk. The Vespa GT comes with a rather sturdy rack mount on the rear, which is all good, but I certainly don’t need it. What’s more, that rack mount covers up the glorious sloping rear end on the GT. So I got the idea that if I swapped the underseat plastic bracket from a GTS, I could clean up the rear end and get more of …

May 9, 2009 — On a lazy and otherwise cloudy and cozy Sabbath, The Mrs and I needed to just get the heck out of the house. With a couple of hours daylight left, we shot across the Mendota bridge and up the Mississippi River Parkway. I just love the Grand Rounds.

May 7, 2009 — Today was the first day this week with a scoot-worthy weather forecast. I’d been relegated to my cage since my first day at the new job on Monday, but used the car commute to scout out the best route for the 17 miles from Eagan to Eden Prairie. Riding my scooter adds 10-15 minutes to my commute depending on traffic, but at three times the gas mileage of my MINI it’s totally worth it. That and my …

May 2, 2009 — Today’s ride made for a long trip, but a pretty short story. The Mrs and I tooled around Eagan today, essentially riding the length of Pilot Knob Rd. It was a nice, lazy cruise on great road surfaces and just a fun amount of traffic. The only thing that would have been better would be something more curvy. Long, straight cruises like that always make me want a proper motorcycle.

High points Gorgeous weather, good riding, …

May 1, 2009 — My new job (yay!) starts on Monday, so today was my last weekday to just ride for the hell of it. Unfortunately, my desire to do so was somewhat dampened by the ongoing wobble issues I’ve been having with the Vespa. The tire wobble, as unsettling as it can be at time, is only part of the equation. In a lean, the bike just feels off. It’s hard to describe, but it’s almost like the bike “scissors” …

April 30, 2009 — Today was a short check ride comparing my old Fulmer Modus flip-up helmet to my new Scorpion EXO-700 solid full-face helmet. My main motivations for replacing the Modus were weight, ventilation, the added safety of a solid chin bar, and especially noise reduction. For any helmet, fit is of course the most important factor after safety rating. My big head doesn’t fit well in most helmets, and unfortunately each manufacturer somehow has a different idea of what …

4/24/2009 — Today was a genuine vacation ride. Since the season opened about a month ago, I’ve ridden out of road hunger, out of compulsion, out of boredom, but now my days of lazy scooting are numbered with the new job starting up. Today the weather was my siren song and I was not alone. Forecast called for clear skies, temperatures in the upper 60s at 9:00 am, but with storms set to move in late afternoon. I took care of …

4/22/2009 — I’m happy to say that I’ve transitioned from being a statistic of the economic downturn to a statistic of the economic recovery — i/e it looks like I’ve got a job now. As such, a big part of my day’s focus is actually now gone. I no longer need to job hunt, which is awesome, but I won’t start until May. With most of our house packed up for an upcoming move and no useful packing left to do, …