I share stories, experiences, and thoughts drawn from time spent on motorcycles and scooters. I'm interested in the therapeutic effects of scooter and motorcycle riding, especially as an older rider. I'll also look at how riding has a way of stripping away the fear, anxiety, concern, and other noise that can surface in my mind. Riding opens a door to an honest view of where I am and provides ways in which I can deal with whatever challenges I face as I ride through central Pennsylvania and beyond.
Machines in my garage:
2022 Royal Enfield Himalayan
2006 Vespa GTS 250ie
2004 Vespa ET4
2001 Kawasaki W650
And you can find essays and photos on my website at scooterinthesticks.com.
Mailing Address:
Scooter in the Sticks
P.O. Box 455
Boalsburg, PA 16827
*Remember -- You alone are responsible for your own safety while riding. What I share here reflects what works for me in my environment. It may not work or be appropriate for yours. You ride at your own risk. Manage it carefully.*
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One question or topic that is skipped in almost all motorcycle and scooter reviews about value. RESELL value. Yes something might be $$$ compared to another model, but if you get more when you sell it, then it can be well worth it. Better vehicle while you use it and good return you may be well ahead of a cheaper vehicle you get nothing for on resell.
It must be so much fun😁👍
More fun than a 70-year-old man is entitled!😂
@@ScooterintheSticks 😁👍
I been out and enjoying mine the last few days … Magic pure and simple👌
I enjoy the magic as often as I can!
Scooter steve wht do you look way moreco frontable on the honda trail cub then the hymilan bike?
If it only had 180cc
It definitely doesn't suffer from too much power!
I prefer lighter weight to more power.
@@mikewiitala9462 Me too.
That’s my 2023 Honda Trail 125 in Pennsylvania’s Rothrock State Forest.😊
A wonderful distillation and sharing…thank you! For me, riding is an experience of active meditation…flow!
Couldn't agree more! It takes some practice and release to get there. But worth the effort.
Poor little W650, out there in the rain. Unusually for the UK, we have had a perfect riding, day here in Somerset. Been out on a group charity ride today, on the Classic 350. A leisurely 135 miles with 3 stops for food / drinks and general breaks. Ride safe Steve.
The W650 seems fine in the rain. Bad weather estimation on my part. Your ride on the Classic 350 sounded fantastic. My kind of ride.
Love your stuff Steve.
Thanks. I'm glad you find something useful in them.
Riding through town at 10mph. Deluge of cold rain. A slow speed wipe out. Tibia and fibula fracture.
Ugh! That's not good. I hope they're simple fractures and you don't have any ongoing healing issues. I got caught in the rain a couple days ago. Turns on my anti-wipeout mechanism. I don't need any fractures now...
@ 67, I’ve 27.5K miles on my ‘19 Himalayan.. Plan to ride it tomorrow; it’s summer on the Blue Ridge. I ‘get it’ ..just not quite ‘there’ ~
I've come to an understanding with my Himalayan. The Honda Trail 125 handles the really rough stuff and the Himalayan the tamer dirt and gravel. My said the other day that she thought I was selling the Himalayan. I told her I still like it. She was fine with that answer so it will stay until it's not comfortable to ride on the pavement and groomed gravel roads. I'm 70 now and figure I have a few more years!
..bought a Wee-Strom 650 to give me the highway capability my Himi lacks.. Fellow riders ask, ‘Where’s your V-strom?” ..this Himalayan just works so much better ‘around here’ (Blue Ridge of VA). Love yur vids ~
I imagine the Himalayan would be a better choice for the Blue Ridge. No high speed needs there. And it is a lighter machine than the V Strom. Thanks for the kind words about my videos. I enjoy piecing them together. Glad someone finds some use from them.
Sitting under a bridge waiting for the rain to stop. Kind of wonderful.
I've done that quite a number of times. Peaceful. Even when it's under an Interstate highway with roaring traffic...
Great video. Picking one up tomorrow! Thank you.
Hope you enjoy it!
After the rain show how much more slick and greasey oil cam the road be expeciallu on a motor bike of motor a scooter?
You're right about the road becoming especially slick after the rain begins to fall. All the oil drippings and debris left on the road surface during the dry days suddenly becomes a slippery film and riders must be especially wary. The good thing about a heavy downpour is it quickly washes everything away reducing the risk a small amount. But a rider still has to be wary of the water on the road surface and the danger of hydroplaning if there is sufficient water collected. The solution? Slow down. Or pull over and wait for the rain to pass. That's not always possible though. I've spent long days riding in the rain because the weather changed unexpectedly or worse, I didn't pay attention. I was suspicious of the rain on this day so I at least packed my Rev-it rainsuit.
Poor estimation of the weather, caught in a heavy downpour 10 miles from home. Stopped at a local cafe to wait until the rain eased. There's something invigorating about enduring a challenge from the weather. Even at age 70.
That was great. Thanks.
Glad you liked it.
I'm 62 I've been riding 50 years riding keeps you mentally and physically sharp I'd die if I couldn't ride I ride a Honda Helix scooter and Honda pacific coast motorcycle but the scooter is more enjoyable at this stage of life
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I know the day will come when I can't ride. It's an uncomfortable thought. Hard to imagine anything replacing riding. But I know others have made the transition...
Deer are dangerous! They're everywhere in the Texas Hill Country. When I lived there I hit one in my MGB. It came out of nowhere. A friend of mine encountered one while riding his BMW. It leaped over the bike and knocked him off!
Yes they are. So far I've avoided them but have had a few close encounters. They are as close to having to deal with an "IED" that a civilian can get I think. An unknown disaster along the road waiting to suddenly present itself. When I ride, deer are my only unsettling concern. And the only way I can effectively manage that risk is to slow down in places and at times of day where they are active. Ugh...
@@ScooterintheSticks The one I hit popped out of the bushes and right into the road. I didn't even have time to touch the brake pedal. Luckily it didn't end up in my lap. Be extra careful when there's vegetation close to the road! The Texas hill country is a fantastic place to ride. Deer and gravel that washes onto the road after rains are the chief hazards.
I'm 71 and have been riding scooters and motorcycles since I was 8. Now I have MS and have found riding my scooter helps my balance as well as mood. Anything with 2 wheels and an engine works for me.
Thank you for your comment. i too am 71 and dealing with MS, and now i'm gonna do it.. my Honda Forza 300 was swiped at the beginning of covid and i've been in a wheeled cage ever since and i think it's been deleterious to my health. time to buy a Vespa.
Thanks for sharing your riding experience and how it helps you. Riding definitely can transform my mood. And it is a good indicator for any changes in balance I might have. Especially when I am pushing a motorcycle out of the garage -- I have a good idea of balance and strength. Something I have to pay attention to as I get older and my arthritis worsens. I hope your scooter helps mitigate issues that arise from MS. And that it will lower whatever stress may come your way.
Sorry to hear your scooter was nicked. And that you're dealing with MS. I hope a return to a scooter helps brighten the day.
Steve, I discovered your channel just recently and am really enjoying the content because it resonates with me. I downsized my bikes a few years ago but still go on decent trips with them. I have a Royal Enfield 350, one of the new ones and a Honda 125 Super Cub. The Enfield and I rode from Bilbao in Spain to Normandy in France at the start of the summer and the Super Cub and I are off to the French Alps from England in three weeks time for a 22 day trip of gentle riding through the French countryside (about 2000 miles there and back. No big miles, no Autoroutes (Freeways) just fields, villages, forests mountains and fine food. What a beautiful part of the world you live in as well. Love what you do, long May it continue, from the UK.
OK. I'm officially envious of your adventures. Especially 22 days in the Alps and French countryside on the Super Cub. I have quiet places where I could ride like that nearby, but have never managed to get away for so long. The Blue Ridge mountains here, or the Adirondacks all hold quiet roads to explore... Enjoy the adventures. And thank you for the support for the things I share here.
“Life is now”👌 Shirley and I have enjoyed lunch in Bellafonte at Bonfattos a couple of times, perfect.
Will you be journeying to see the Blue and White this fall?
@@ScooterintheSticks Blue and White? Have had travel insurance issues for the past year but this might be clearing up and if so, I do hope to savour some bendy bits to our south🤞
@@steverinob3717 Travel insurance... at least that means you're trying to travel!
@@ScooterintheSticks Like Blue Cross😉
@@steverinob3717 I understand. 🙂
Doctor: Take two wheels, and don’t bother calling me in the morning.
😂❤️👍
Another excellent video. Like other good medicines, i fear that riding can be addictive. Sometimes i just want to keep going and not come back.
I smiled when I read your comment. I've certainly fantasized about riding into the horizon and beyond. So far though I've not made any destructive choices that may come with addiction. Maybe I just have a relentless habit!
So true.
One of the best videos that I have seen on the zen like nature of motorcycling. I am 62 years old and have ridden for about 35 of those. I have ridden 1100cc cruisers and 125cc scooters and loved them all! I was never one for riding fast and track days never appealed to me. Sedate rides, on country roads are what I like best. In the last few years I have lost my desire to just ride for fun. Marriage breakdown and family bereavement had taken this away. Watching this has awakened something in me and I will be out on my Royal Enfield Scram this weekend! Bright blessings to you.
"Sedate rides on country roads are what I like best." Yes sir, you and me both. When you find me on a high speed road I am purely in the transportation mode getting from point A to B. But I much prefer a meandering approach to riding. Sorry to hear of your struggles and loss. Life can deliver challenges. I have dealt with some of those things and always try to remember the old Buddhist idea -- "Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional." I can't control most of what happens in my life. But I can make choices in how I respond. Perhaps a ride on the Scram will open a door to something new and different. Or at least put you squarely in the moment as you ride. Thank you for your blessings and I hope the same for you.
Good morning from the uk I think your riding philosophy is simply brilliant. I guess we adopt this attitude as we get a little older and hopefully wiser. Like you I have had a number of smaller and medium sized bikes over the years and I now believe that smaller and slower is the way to go. I am today going to have a look at my first scooter and I’m bursting at the seams with excitement. Hopefully I can get a test ride and order one to pick up next month. Looking forward to your further videos. Ride safe and thanks for the inspirational videos. Geoff
I find there are two challenges to moving into the smaller and lighter kinds of scooters and motorcycles. I'm the first challenge -- adapting my mind to what going slower entails. And the second -- having the right roads to ride on. Anyplace where traffic is relentless makes having a machine that can't make the speed limit tough to deal with. I never feel comfortable having traffic lined up behind me. So I pull over a lot. But in places where the traffic never really stops it becomes almost impossible to ride something slow or slowly. Good luck with a new scooter. I still love mine. It's an amazing machine. And thanks for the kind words about the videos I post. I appreciate them.
Iv got the 250 gts, I genuinely couldn’t imagine replacing it.
So great to have you doing these posts - therapy just watching!
Thank you for the kind words about the things I post. I hope they help in some small way.
@@ScooterintheSticks They really do.
Thanks Steve, I think this is a Vespa morning - Ride On 🛵
It was definitely a Vespa morning for me!
Well over 100,000 mikes here on Vespas NEW JERSEY. Now piaggio liberty 150. You’re the best. Been following you for many years now.
I'll endeavor to keep posting something worth your time. You have me beat. I only have about 60 thousand miles of Vespa travel under my belt at this point. I'll keep at it though!
@@ScooterintheSticks you are our hero. You explain what it is all about.
Great story, and video. I’m going this Sunday to pick up my “new” 2001 W. It has the same color scheme as yours. This one only has 11.6k on the clock. Owned for the past 10-years by an older gentleman, like us. Enjoy your adventures. ✌🏼 from southern California. 🇺🇸
Congratulations on finding a W650. I've fallen in love with mine. It rides like a dream for what I do. I like having to fiddle with a choke and carbs on startup and appreciate how simple it is without almost any really modern technology. That simplicity of mechanicals comes with what others feel is increased risk and decreased utility. No ABS. No rear disc brake. No USB port, traction control, no bluetooth or navigation capabilities. It's just a motorcycle. And that's what I love about it. My W650 is almost ready to turn the odometer to 50K miles. And it is still in great shape. Well cared for and well loved for its entire life. I hope you have many fine adventures on your "new" motorcycle!
It's so true! When I ride, I feel the 10,000 lb gorilla disappear off my back. Riding has been the best relief from life for me.
Same for me.... same for me.
Thanks for the video and words of wisdom!
My pleasure!
Greetings from Mexico! Thanks for another great video and for reminding me what a big part of my life riding used to be. My new Vespa arrives this week :-).
Congratulations on your upcoming return to riding. Many fine miles ahead!
Thanks so much Steve for sharing your inspiring story 😊
My pleasure!
Five years ago I was given seven years to live as a result of a terminal illness. I began riding in 1982 on a 1973 Vespa Sprint. Life got in the way. Then, I became ill. The wife gave me three green light on buying a new scooter on 22 June 2023. I have ridden daily since then. Your words here resonate with me. I call it wing therapy. Be young. Be foolish. Be happy. 🛵🏁🎯 Ride safe. Cheers!
Wing therapy. I like that. Flying and angels come to mind... Medical predictions and prognostications. Worth listening to I suppose but at best they might reflect some statistical norm. After my heart attack I read that for my "type" 90 percent of patients had a second within a year. I'm 9 years out now and no issues. So perhaps we both find ourselves at the end of the statistical bell curve. Or the riding is doing something unexpected...
@@ScooterintheSticks 100% they’re only numbers. Be well m8. Ride safe. Cheers!
@@Dr.ModNut Thanks!
After stopping riding and selling my last motorcycle 7 years ago, at age 65, I'm reconsidering that act. This video reminds me of why I used to ride, what I've been missing, and whether to return to the hobby. Thanks (I think).
I know you're not alone in regard to getting older, giving up riding, and then reconsidering. I suppose it is a healthy process since our risks change as we get older. I just turned 70 and I still don't feel it. At least not until I'm faced with some physical challenge and I realize suddenly I'm not 25 anymore! Best wishes in your reconsideration of riding and whatever path you choose.
The past is history, tomorrow is a mystery ,today is a gift, thats why its called present. May God bless.
Exactly. Took me a long time to understand that.
@@ScooterintheSticks This is it.
@@kayak63red34 Yep.
Hello Steve 👋 great video really enjoyed it
Thank you. I appreciate that your found it worth watching.
Great video, Steve! I didn't realize all the stress I have in my life until I watched this and listened to your soothing voice... Will I get in a ride today? Will my ride be good? Will the scenery be pretty? Will I get good gas mileage? Will the guy on the sport bike wave back? Will it be cool enough that I won't have to wear a cooling vest? Yeah, I'm kidding - your videos always make me feel blessed to be enjoying the ride. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Jim. I hope you can sneak a ride in. I checked the weather and you'll be in the triple digits this afternoon. That's no fun. I'll be riding this afternoon. It will be in the low 80s but the humidity is 75% right now. Find as long as the scooter is moving but I am looking forward to some cooler weather. Be well!
@@ScooterintheSticks Hey, Steve - we are still in the Maggie Valley (North Carolina) area after our time at the Beat The Heat scooter gathering. Unlike what Phoenix is getting, it has been mostly cool and rainy here the last couple weeks. I didn't get much of a ride in today: after a morning rain, I went out to get the scoots out for a ride and discovered my Burgman 200 had a flat tire. Couldn't find the leak, but I was able to get a new tire at Waynesville Cycle Center (dealer for Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki, and Honda), same day; good people! Pounding rain again as I write this (Tuesday evening). The local folks tell us that this rainy spell (some rain about 12 out of the last 14 days) is unusual. When it quits raining, it is going to be *really* humid.
@@captainjim605 it’s a pleasant gift to find a really helpful dealer for service. Especially when you’re away from home. It’s hot and humid again here today. I went for a short ride. It’s fine as long as you’re moving. Lots of rain forecast for tomorrow though.I hope you get some better riding weather.
@@ScooterintheSticks Thanks, Steve - this relentless rain is wearing. I did see some blue sky while riding yesterday... then got rained on before I got back to the motorhome.
@@ScooterintheSticks Yep - these folks at Waynesville Cycle Center are great!
Always love to see your Vespa videos! More pls!
Will do!
Another great and relaxing video Steve. Greetings from Greece..
Thanks 👍. Glad you enjoyed it.
Hi Steve. Thanks for another great video. I can say for certain your videos are ones I look forward to. Your easy going laid back style so resonates with myself. We are a lot alike in that respect. I continue to be envious of your lovely back roads there in central PA. I wish I had similar ones where I am at here in Texas. But I do find one or two off the beaten path. I ride as much as time will allow because my Vespa is also medicine to me in the same ways. I just got it last October and already has nearly 3000 miles on it. It’s my first two-wheeler and my only regret is that I did not do this much earlier in life (I am 61). Stay safe and thanks again.
Thank you for the kind words about the videos I post. I appreciate them. Central Pennsylvania is rich with back roads and I feel I've only scratched the surface with riding them. My chronic needs in regard to mind and spirit will keep me taking the Vespa medicine. I have similar regrets at not riding sooner than I did. But I'm riding now and that's what counts. I hope you find some satisfying times on your Vespa. You're young. You have another 30 years or so to ride!!!
Nice to see you out on the scoot again. I feel the same way and love to be out on my Sei Gorni
I try to ride all the machines in my garage. Sometimes for good reason. Other times just to keep them "exercised." But I'm drawn to my Vespa GTS over and over again. It's just different.
Hi so true what you say all the stresses seem to disappear on the bike frees up the mind and helps you have good feelings I know when I go out for couple hrs I feel so chilled when I’m home I don’t work anymore I was finished off in 2012 with physical problems spinal and that finished me off I was 52 then now 63 lost my wife in April 2021 to sepsis she had lung cancer then radio therapy then 6 months later they said there’s tiny bit there so she had radio and chemo therapy together and it was too much for her so sepsis came along and took her we would been married that same year for 40 years and I lost my mum and dad same year mum in June dad in September 3 of my closest in 5 months I’ve got 4 children and them and the bike is the only thing that keeps me going but you have to push along and keep going sorry for this but sometimes I have to let it out I’m going for a ride round in an hour or two take cars ride safe mate I’m from uk
Thank you for sharing your experiences of life and riding. Like you say, sometimes it's good to speak. I'm sorry for the loss of your wife and the challenges you face. In a few weeks my wife will undergo and complex spine reconstruction. It's scary to think about all the risks and possible outcomes. I'm grateful I have people in my life to lean on. You're blessed to have four children in your life and a motorcycle to help clean out the mind. Best wishes for safe riding and a rich life ahead.
@@ScooterintheSticks thankyou I hope your wife’s surgery goes well and she is ok and gets fully back to normal may GOD be praying for your wife and yourself take care 💪🙏👋
@@nicholasjarrold8649 Thank you. We appreciate your prayers.
Excellent medicine as usual Steve 🇬🇧🇺🇲
Thanks 👍. And with a Vespa there is no bitter aftertaste!
Ohhh yes just got a GTS300 again after moving from California to the Netherlands.
Congratulations. Have fun riding through the Netherlands and beyond!
@@ScooterintheSticks Yep any excuse to go get Chocolate in Belgium 😊
@@RogierYou I operate from a similar frame of mind here!
Hi Steve, For once we have a short but lovely spell of weather, here in South West England, so there have been some lovely rides just lately, both group rides and solo rides. Only yesterday I was out for many hours, including stops for lunch and coffee, first on my W650, then later, on my Classic 350. I was never more than 45 miles from home and was riding through the lanes of Devon, Somerset and Dorset and along the coast roads of Devon and Dorset. I felt totally restored when I eventually and reluctantly put the bikes away, at the end of the day. This video perfectly describes all the reasons I enjoy my riding now, more than at any time in my life. Thank you Steve
I'm glad some good riding weather has come your way. It's frustrating to look out the window knowing I can't ride. South West England on a W650 or Classic 350 sounds like a perfect means to soak in the landscape. I hope to get back to England someday and see more than Heathrow and London. I picture myself on a scooter or motorcycle heading to Carn Euny, the Merry Maidens stones, Porthcurno, and then finding some way out to the Isles of Scilly. That's after I explore the Lake District and the Scottish Highlands. I'm glad you found some interest in the video. As life moves forward things become clearer. For me at least.
@@ScooterintheSticks Thanks Steve, we certainly needed some good weather after the long, wet winter here. It sounds like you have a lot planned for any future trip here and I hope you can fulfil even half of that. Keep doing what you are doing Steve.
@@davericketts9101 will do!
Love the video Steve. Living where it’s hard to find a beautiful side road like that is frustrating. I do lots of short rides doing errands urban areas. In away, it’s fun. It keeps you’re reflexes sharp🙂 Boston Bob
Thanks Bob for the kind words about the video. I am fortunate to live where I do. Lots of quiet roads available here. The only reflex sharpening here though has to do with deer leaping into the road. Different than the metro streets of Boston!
Very nice film regarding driving a Vespa GTS. I´m about to get a license to drive a motorcycle, and you´ve somewhat clarified that this is the bike I´m going to buy. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful. Good luck entering the moto-world regardless of what you end up driving.