Little Billy's Scooter Tales

Same Billy, Different Message

2008-12-27T13:36:00.000-08:00

I wasn't sure when I was going to sit down again and post anything. I never thought about quitting, it was more like a need to put things back in order so I could do the extra little things like this that I enjoy. It just took some time.

I'll try to catch up here a little bit. The biggest reason for stepping away from blogging for awhile was that I really started to dislike how connected I was becoming to "the computer." My work requires me to use one all day. My little family is connected to their games and such, and I began to feel that something was out of sorts in that too much of what we think or do revolves around our need to sit in front of a screen to be connected to whatever keeps us going. I wanted to get back to some sort of basics that include imagination and creativity. It was becoming too much. In short, I wanted to distance myself from computer use. I guess I achieved my goal.

Okay, so in that time, I dug into myself a bit and found that what was missing was a commitment to my spiritual health. I've spent a great deal of time working to improve myself, but I had no solid relationship with God. I established a friendship with a biker preacher, and a fire was lit under me to pick up my Bible and read it. I also found fellowship in a co-worker named Jim that has become a real friendship. These guys opened my eyes and have encouraged my growth, and I have found Christ as my savior, and my intention is to follow his path. I want to share the Word of God and the teachings of Jesus Christ in a biker ministy. Pretty lofty goal huh? I know...that's why I'm gonna do it.

So, what else is up? Oh yeah, I got full upper dentures! I guess my beak wasn't intended to keep all of the chicklets, so my dentist and I decided to pluck them out. Ya see, no matter what the dentist did, my teeth rebelled by breaking. They just liked to chip and break. I'll tell you what...having no more pain is worth the price of all the work involved in getting fake chompers. I was one cool daddy when I went in, and they didn't have to put me under. I rode it out, then drove home on my own. All of the uppers pulled, plus one bottom tooth in one hour flat. The gal at the desk told me a few days later that my "remarkable" recovery was due to my positive attitude. It was a cool experience.

Now, in the motorbike world...I have another project in the works. As you recall, I am a bonified scooter nutjob. I was all into the "Mods and Rockers" history, but coming from a bikers background, I couldn't just switch sides and live on the Mod's side of the fence. No, no friend, I am a Rocker for real, so I went out and bought a bike that I could convert into a cafe' styled peg scraper so I could play both sides. One day I can wear the fishtail parka and slacks, the next day I'll wear my leather jacket and cuffed Levi's. I have the cake, and I'll eat it too!

What I found was a 1973 Honda 500 four. You remember those things? I realize that it isn't a Triumph or a BSA, but for the style of bike, and the price I paid, it'll do quite nicely. The first thing that I had to do, was to strip her down. My true friend Oilcan Kurt has dropped in now and then to lend a hand on the makeover, and what started out as a touring bike setup with a sweet Vetter Windjammer fairing and scroll-work sissy bar, now has an almost stock set-up. She's naked.

Not being an upholsterer didn't stop me from hacking the seat foam down to about an inch in the riders part of the seat, leaving the pillion stock. I stretched the fabric down super tight, and re-clipped it back in place. I also hooked up a rear shock lowering kit, dropping the rear end down about two inches. I then scored an ol' school replacement headlight bucket with internals to take the place of the plastic can that hid behind the fairing. A little wiring work will need to be done, but that ain't no thing. I also got some drop bars on the cheap, so I'll be throwing the stock handle bars in the scrap heap soon. (I hate em) I never will figure out why Honda routed the wires through the bars back then, cuz it's a pain now to dink with them.

Some of these plans will have to wait for a few days though. We still have some snow/slush piled up everywhere, and my shop tends to be only one degree warmer than outside, and I've found it uninspiring to hang out for too long out there. Hopefully the weather will warm up for awhile so I can ride. And yeah, I've still got my collection of scooters to buzz around on. My only hassle is the 1 1/2" thick ice that runs the length of my block that stops me from joyriding or commuting. Our little part of the country has had a real taste of Winter this year, and although I enjoy the beauty and the fact that we had a white Christmas, I have had no saddle time to speak of.

All in all, I want to say that I missed being in touch with the friends that I have here, but I didn't miss the feeling that the computer was a big part of my life. It's all about finding a balance, and I think that I have found it. It's in knowing that everything has a place and time, and in having one's priorities straight. I am who I am because of God, and for having accepted Jesus Christ as my savior. I feel redirected, and reconnected in a different way now, and that will make doing things like riding and posting here a pleasure. It has made a difference in my life.

I have found that some folks shy away from a change like this, but in reality people...it's just the same old me. I just don't do some of the things that I used to, or say things the way that I might have. I wear a cross on my cut now, and a patch on the back that says, "These are my church clothes." Once a biker, always a biker. I just have a different message now.

Have fun,
Bill

Coming Soon...

2008-12-05T16:34:00.000-08:00

Hey, I'm still around. I've got some stuff to square away, then hopefully I'll be hanging out again with all of you guys.

Back soon...

Have fun,
Bill

"Hot" To Get Going On My Next Project

2008-08-14T16:57:00.000-07:00

I noticed on Scooter in the Sticks that Steve is recognizing the first signs of the change of seasons in his neck of the sticks. Well, right here in good ol' Port Angeles it is full-on Summer. We are cookin' in 80 plus temps, and the forecast is for hotter tomorrow. Not even my ride home from work cooled me down. I do like it though.

Well, my latest motorbike project is finally getting a little momentum behind it. My pal Paul, the lead motorcycle mechanic at Olympic Powersports is guiding me through the steps to restoring a 1978 GL1000 Gold Wing. Maybe not restoring as much as "rustoring" since we aren't doing a frame-up job on it. We will get it in good running order with some elbow grease, parts and cash though. I'm looking forward to the project, and can't wait to throw a leg over the saddle. (After it comes back from the upholstery shop.)

The one hitch in the gittalong is the application for lost title. The girl at the Vehicle Licensing desk told me that the vin number look-up showed a titleholder, and a leinholder. The title holder appears to have vanished, and the leinholder has since closed his business. I did however contact his daughter, and it looks as though he will sign-off on his portion of the affidavit.

The nutty part is that if I follow their guidelines, I will need to send the affidavit to the last known address of the registered owner by certified mail. If it is returned unopened, then I can turn it in to the gal at the licensing desk to be hopefully registered to me, but not as the titleholder. It seems that I will need to wait for 3 years in case the original dude decides to come out of the woodwork to reclaim it. That would suck. Oh, and I was told that the State Patrol will need to inspect it. They told me that they don't do inspections any more. What a mess.

I e-mailed Paul the other night throwing out the option that maybe we could look at one of his other Wing's that doesn't carry so much baggage. He has six of them. I have had my eye on one that I call Old Black. It has all the character that appeals to me in a beater motorcycle. If the title is clear and he hasn't become too attached to it, I may end up coming up sweet on the deal. I contacted Paul today to tell him to check out his e-mail box, then let me know whats-up.

And with that, when I know, I'll let you know.

Have fun,
Bill

The Rainy, Dark Highway That Brought Me Back

2008-08-09T11:20:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I'm still around. Life has a way of finding its own priorities for you, and so I dealt with them. I never did stop riding though.

I felt like it was time to get back in the blogging saddle after an adventure in riding that I had last night. Sometimes you need a little nudge to get you moving in the right direction...

My family and I rolled out of town on sunny Wednesday to spend a few days on the beach at Kalaloch, about 100 miles from our doorstep. Since I was in need of a long ride, I loaded up the Big Ruckus and enjoyed the hot August putt to our yearly camping destination. Being that the weather usually doesn't play by the rules in a rainforest region, I packed my raingear just in case. Lately I've taken to wearing my Fieldsheer touring jacket with body armor. I totally abandonded the old school "mod" staple fishtail parka in favor of some serious new school ride-wear technology. I also wear an orange safety vest now too. Like my boss says, "Better to be seen, then flat."

My rainpants are basic fisherman's heavy duty pants, and I keep a light weight hooded hikers rain jacket in my tour pack for when the need arises. Well, the need arose at about 6:00 p.m. yesterday.

After having a real nice dinner, the mist off the Pacific Ocean started getting a little heavy. Not wanting to pull the rug out from anyone's good time, I was hesitant about pushing the issue of maybe bailing out and heading for home a day or two early. Then it started really getting wet.

I tossed the idea about pulling up stakes (literally) to my wife, and she agreed that the fun factor was pretty much gone. In an attempt to keep the trip alive, I went out to build a fire, and the rain said no. I was done. I asked my wife if she would help take the tent down, and in record time, we were packed. I ducked for cover to strip out of my wet clothes and change into dry duds and my raingear, and after pulling the cover off the scoot and saddling up, we were off. It was now 7:45 p.m.

Full-on darkness is about 9:00 p.m., and my goal was to be at Lake Crescent at dark. A bit like a cowboy's trust in his horse, I now feel like I have a riders relationship with my scooter. I trusted my steed to get me home. With my wife in the family mini-van with dozing kids in back, I lead us out of the campground, and headed toward home.

I think we rolled all the way to Forks, (approx. 40 miles) with no traffic behind us. I hung out at around 60 mph in the straight stretches, and backed off a bit in the sweepers. We made Forks in good time, and I stopped to check for any concerns from my wife. She asked why she couldn't see my brake light on the road. I told her that I wasn't using it. I tapped it so she could see that it does work. Now it was my mission to make the lake by dark.

There are sections of highway that run straight and long between Forks and Lake Crescent, and when the rain wasn't drumming down, I was able to roll at around 68 mph. The one thing that I wasn't prepared for though, was the moths and flying bugs made out of glue that live on this stretch. I remembered the saying that I used to use at the service station when washing the bug collection off tourist's windshields, "It won't have the guts to do that again." The whole front of the scooter, the windshield, my helmet and goggles, everything, was covered in a layer of bug guts. I started wishing for the hard rain again to wash some of this stuff off. Soon enough, we had made it to the lake.

Lake Crescent is a beautiful lake that resides in the Olympic National Park, and Highway 101 winds for 21 miles in a twisty path around its shores. It was now dark, and the drenching rains had returned. "Huh... visibility sucks," I thought to myself. I found a wide pull-off at around the halfway point, and stopped to let some traffic go by. I asked my bride to wipe off my goggles for me. I was having a hard time seeing through the water, guts and road grime that covered the lenses. My vision is bad as it is, I needed to see for the home stretch.

I wicked it up and headed for the ranch. The last few miles flew by in familiar territory, and I was thinking as we wound down our quick trip, that I really enjoyed this ride. I was tested in conditions that I don't usually ride in any more, and I did it off-the-cuff. No planning, no worrying, no nothing. I saddled up and rode the way I used to so many years ago. I was happy riding in the rain and darkness. My wife asked if I was stressed out at all. I told her that I was "far from stressed." "I was having a good time out there." It was this thought that compelled me to sit back down at this keyboard.

I've been working my rear-end off to achieve the highest levels of success in so many areas of my life, and having to be "on" so much of the time. Happiness is achieved and cherished, but I have to work for it as well. I didn't expect to gain so much joy in tearing a soggy camp down and hauling balls for home in the rain and darkness, but I did. Absolute flippin' joy. And I got to share it with my wife and kids. That made it even better.

I don't think I would have been back here anytime soon had I not had this experience, but I think I need to do this now. It feels right again...

Have fun,
Bill

Bring Me Another Convert...

2008-06-30T17:13:00.000-07:00

I took some time away from the blogsite to square some stuff away. I basically needed to get refocused on home life, work life, and whatever extra stuff that is thrown in to make up my days. So a few things had to suffer, and this blog ended up being one of them. Stuff just piles up you know, and pretty soon you end up looking up at this huge pile of issues, and say, "Oh crap, I gotta get things figured out." So thats what I've been doing.

Now, where am I?

I don't know how things are in your town, but around here, scooters and small motorbikes are being scooped up left and right. If the trend of rising fuel costs continues, the local riding population will continue to grow with the fuel prices. The local motorcycle dealership is having a hard time keeping the 50cc scoots in stock, and the after-market parts and repair shop that my buddy owns is now bringing in a line of scooters as well. It blows my mind to think that the preferred local Harley repair house will now be selling scooters. I guess that day has come.

My Pa-in-law was looking into buying a cheap-ass scooter on-line for $699.00, and I told him that he was probably going to get boned in some form on the deal. I mentioned an ad in the classifieds for a 1985 Honda Elite 250 going for $1100.00. I didn't wait to see if my in-law was going to make the call, so I rang the dude up myself. The cat seemed real cool on the phone, and said to swing by in about an hour. I gave the old Corndog a ride to the dudes house in my pickup, and met Cliff out back washing his brand new Yamaha V-Star 650 Classic. No wonder he isn't riding the Elite anymore.

I was real pleased when Cliff pulled the cover off the Honda to unveil a very well kept ride. It had a fresh coat of metal flake blue paint, and everything just seemed to look nice. Old Corndog hesitated when Cliff offered up a test ride, but not me, I was on it, and gone in about two seconds. Since the starting procedure is just like my old Helix, I knew just what to do without being shown. And boy did this scoot want to get out and run!

I knew that this was the deal not to be missed, so I went directly to my in-laws house to show my mother-in-law the scooter, so she wouldn't have to come up with a mental picture when Corndog tried to describe to her what the scoot is, and looks like. A sly move, but it paid off.

After Corndog finally took a quick spin around the block, he told Cliff that he'd let him know the next day what his decision would be. About this time, Cliff's cell-phone is jangling, and he flips it open to speaker phone. The cat on the other end wants to know if the scooter is still for sale. Cliff says, "I'll call you back." And here we go down the road with no decision. Geez!

I told my father-in-law that he was a "dumbass" for not pulling the trigger on this deal. He was willing to gamble on an on-line purchase for a 49cc scooter with a max load rating of 165 lbs, and a top speed of next to zero, and then take his time to ponder a sure deal that will do well over the speed limit, while still saving on fuel. So yeah, I called him a "dumbass."

I dropped him off muttering swear words under my breath (loud enough to hear) and ran an errand, and by the time I got home, he was waiting in my back yard...the deal was done. Corndog bought the Elite 250, and has been happily riding almost non-stop since.

Another convert to the magical world of scootering. I've scored again, and am damned proud of it. I may have been gone from here for awhile, but I'm still getting my job done as far as preachin' the good word of scootering. You see...I've got The Secret.

Have fun,
Bill

Welcome To Juneuary

2008-06-10T16:33:00.000-07:00

Juneuary. That's what the folks around here are calling this month. I think its pretty much right on point considering the fact that we had Winter type weather warnings with a 2500 foot snow level yesterday, and 40 mph winds with rain and hail. Hey, no more talk about global warning for a few days!

My friend and fellow blogger/podcaster Dave Mangano was in town this past weekend to visit with his mother, and took some time to hang out with Geezer JayBee and myself. It was a pleasure to shoot the breeze with Dave and get caught up on what's going on in his neck of the woods back in Richmond Virgina. This is the best scootering time of the year where he lives, and we are apparently still struggling to break free of Old Man Winter's grip over here.

Dave took some photos of our scoots parked in his mom's driveway, and I think he took a shine to my "rat rod" influenced Vespa. I've yet to square my camera situation away, and who knows, maybe he will share a photo over on his blogsite. He can be found on my blogroll, or by tapping into www.sctrcst.com

This was the first time that JayBee had seen my scooter in its new get-up, and admitted that the Vespa now has my character. He said that he didn't want to insult me by saying he "didn't like the color" when my 125GT was painted blue, so now that it wears red oxide primer and pin-stripes, he says that he really digs it. Who knows, maybe we can follow the same route with his P200E, and get a cool look going with it too. I have even drawn up a paint scheme incorporating the use of both gray and white primers, topped with some red pin-stripes. If he's into it, I'm all over it. Just think of my approach to what I want a scooter to look like as a mix of traditional Vespa styling, topped with some hardcore kustom kulture rat rod flavoring. I guess my leaning is more toward the Ed Roth, Robert Williams school of kool design.

More to come later on these boss projects...photos too! (Maybe)

Have fun,
Bill

Clearing Away The Fog

2008-06-01T09:20:00.000-07:00

I almost started by saying that there wasn't much going on around here, but I caught it in time. On the contrary, there is a whole lot going on, and my head feels like it is in a constant fog from all of the junk that I have to think about all of the time. Thats why they call it "work," and not "fun."

My pal Oilcan Kurt is grinding away on the Simplex project, and I spent a few hours the other night heating ,beating and sanding on some fifty year old parts, and enjoyed every moment. On my side of the fence, I have been working at honing my pin-striping skills, and now realize that I have about a million miles to go before I can say that I don't suck. It is fun though to try to pull off some straight lines, and then run parallels and flares. Every now and then I surprise myself.

When not soaring with the seagulls at work, being dad and husband, I do get some time to bomb around on the Big Ruckus. It just seems like I don't do it as much as I used to. I do commute to work consistantly though. That will not change. And its good to see five scooters lined up at the fence every day, and know that I had a hand in putting riders on every one of them. And I'm still not done. I still "bang the drum" loudly to send the message of the beauty of two-wheeling to anyone wishing to hear it. It does not matter to me one bit what their personal reason for riding may be. I will continue to speak positively about riding scooters and motorbikes. I believe in the MSF courses, and encourage those that I speak to, to take the class. I speak about proper riding equipment. In a nutshell...I am still playing the role of "Scooter Evangelist," and it is working.

Now that I'm off the soapbox... On the lighter side, the weather has been real nice lately, and has given the family opportunities to get out and about. Yesterday we attended a car show at Seven Cedars Casino, and saw some sweet antiques, street rods, and hot rods of all kinds. Since my camera hasn't been repaired or replaced, I didn't come home with pictures. I did however get caught up with some patch holders that I haven't seen since I stepped away from the biker world. It was good to see these guys again. In my head I will always be on the fence wondering how things would be now if I had followed through on my dream of wearing their patch. I guess that is pretty remote dreaming now that I don't even own a Harley anymore. Dreaming is free though.

Now its time to get busy in the yard so I can sneak in some riding time this afternoon. Maybe a ride out to the Elwha bridge project will clear some of the fog from my head. We'll see...

Have fun,
Bill

Recapping...

2008-05-21T17:03:00.000-07:00

I don't know if the price of gas is chasing people to the local scooter shops, or if the fact that scooters are cool is the reason, but the little gas saving fun-mobiles are popping up all over this area.

This past weekend was very nice and warm, and it seemed that everyone that had a motorbike or scooter was on the road. We took a little family drive and stopped at a fast food joint, and I was blown away by how many Harley's and metric cruisers rolled by with the riders in the slouched, bad to the bone riding position. Everybody was posing and looking sharp, and to tell you the truth, I thought it was awesome.

There was also a glut of really sweet scooters rolling through town to the ferry terminal on their way to the Garden City scooter rally in Victoria B.C. Canada. I was amazed at the number of vintage scoots buzzing by, with some folks dressed in garb making the look very authentic. Even Mod Kevin made it to the rally on his Lambretta, and he looked perfect in his parka and puddin' bowl helmet.

My weekend was cut short by having to pull a shift at work on Sunday, so it looks like I'll have to wait till next year to join the fun.

On the homefront, I worked on my current scooter project, and made contact with the guy that has the WWII military Cushman Airborne scooters. I hope to see him on Saturday and have a look at these gems. And as old motorbikes go, Oilcan Kurt has got his Simplex Servi-cycle in the paint shop now, and I have offered to help with the restoration project. There is something about being involved in bringing an old bike back to life that really appeals to me. Maybe its the heavy smell of epoxy paint hanging in the air...I'm not sure.

Anyway, I need to get my camera fixed before I can share some photo's of what I've been up to, and that should be done soon. So, until then...

Have fun,
Bill

Hey, I Was On Vacation Man!

2008-05-12T18:26:00.000-07:00

Ha, ha. I blabbed about not letting a bunch of time go by between posts, then I did it anyway. Oh well, I had a pretty good excuse this time.

I gathered up my family and went on vacation to San Diego this past week. Actually, my mother in law was the trip planner, and I went along for the ride. Lego Land, San Diego Zoo, Sea World and all touristy points in between were covered, and as every day except one were overcast, we were able to putz around comfortably and not get scorched or overheated. The one day that the sun shined brightly was the day that we spent at the beach. Perfect!

It really was about putting together some memories for my kids that made this adventure important to my wife and I. It was driven home clearly to me when my 9 year old looked up at me and said "Thank you for bringing me to this place," while sitting in the right field bleachers at Petco Field while watching the Padres play the Rockies Friday evening. My first major league ballgame with my son, and he sincerely thanked me as only a little boy can do. Little fart choked me up. Funny how an entire trip can be made perfect by an innocent thank you.

The adventure was great, and my memories will last, but at 6:45 this morning the realization of the trip being over was made when I slipped my card into the timeclock at work and heard it click. I was no longer in a brand new resort off Camino Del Rio South, I was back at the grind. But I'll tell you something...Work makes things like this trip sooo much sweeter. I work, I stress, I worry. I devote too much time, I try to keep the crew happy and motivated. I burn myself out. Trips like these bring everything back to the starting line. And this my cronies, is a good thing.

My next installment will get you caught up on my scooter project, and we'll get back to the root of this blog. Scooters, motorbikes, and the meatwhistles that ride them.

Have fun,
Bill

Gotta Get Out Of The Rut

2008-04-28T16:54:00.000-07:00

I didn't intend to let so much time go by between posts, but I guess I did didn't I? Oh well, I'll work on being more consistant.

Maybe it's because its been business as usual around here, and that alone is like an everyday rut that is hard to get out of. Work plods along at its normal work pace, and the unmotivated stay unmotivated while the true workers take up the slack. The thing here friends, is that it's up to me to find some consistancy in this group. Tomorrow I'll thank the worker bees, and then I'll get eyeball to eyeball with the less than stellar team members. Should be a fun day.

I've been putting in some time with Geezer Oilcan Kurt and getting a chance to see how skilled he is as a painter. I'm talking auto and motorbike painting. Man, it blew me away when I saw what he did with my old Sporty tank and front fender. Two-tone blue on silver with custom "H-D" script, and a ghost flame on the fender. I can't wait till my new project lands in his shop.

Yeah, I said "new project." I'll keep the wraps on this scooter project until I'm ready to unveil it in the next few weeks. What I will say though, is that I have been spending some busy hours in my shop on a scooter project.

Before I forget, I decided to take up pinstriping after all these years of wishing I knew how. On a whim I bought a nice striping brush and some One-shot lettering paint at the local parts house. If I get something decent done I'll post a photo here. The airbrush kit comes next...

Have fun,
Bill

A Week Of Partings

2008-04-19T15:45:00.000-07:00

Those guys that fish for opilio crab would feel right at home around here as far as bad weather goes lately. We've had snow, wind, freezing temps, sleet and hail on and off since Thursday. If the globe is indeed warming, it's starting out slow around here.

I had a couple of partings here this week. On a sad note, my old cat Pete left us late on the 15th. I had shared friendship with the old timer for over seventeen years. His passing was hard for me, as well as my whole family, but I was there when he left, and am grateful for that. On to other things...

I also parted ways with my '92 Harley Davidson Sportster. Our newest Geezer, Oilcan Kurt called last Saturday and asked if I might consider a trade for his '96 Chevy S10 pick-up. The truck has a new motor, and a buttload of other cool stuff, and since I do need a truck, I was hip to the idea. I rolled out the Sporty, and got it road ready, then set up a time to blast over to Oilcan's joint. I took a final spin out to Ediz Hook, since I pretty much knew I would take the deal. Once I rolled into Kurt's driveway and saw him light up like a Christmas house, I knew he wanted the bike. I let him bomb up and down the block, and before I knew it, he was offering me the sun, moon and stars to make the deal. All I really needed was the keys to the rig. I couldn't see the truck till the next morning since his daughter had taken it to work, but by the sound of things, I was sold.

Early Sunday morning, I did a drive-by to see the truck in Kurt's driveway. Shiny, black, and sporting cool aluminum rollers, this was right up my alley. I went home and told the bride that I was saying bye-bye to the Harley, and could she arrange the swap while I was in class that day. After placing a call to say "It's a deal" to Kurt, I was off to school. When I called my wife after class, the switcheroo had been made, and my new truck was in the driveway at home. Stoked like a teenager, I headed out to JayBee's shop to help with the Vespa project for a bit before going home. When I lumbered up JayBee's long landscaped driveway to his shop, there sat my old Sporty. Geez, I just swapped it out, and here it was with its prideful new owner grinning so wide, that I could count all of the teeth in his beak. Oh well, I made the deal, now I'll deal with it.

I have to say that the S10 is really a nice truck. I hope that Oilcan is good on his end, cuz I think I might have gotten the fat end of the deal. I know that in Kurt's world, the pressure was on at his workplace to have a motorcycle since most of his cronies ride everyday, and he was jonesing to join the ranks. Not many were expecting a chopped, lowered, loud club bike with 18" apehangers, but that's his situation to deal with, not mine anymore. Last I heard, the ape's are gone, and the tank and fenders are in primer for a new two-tone paint job. At least when I see it around now, I won't see my personality in it anymore since it will look different.

Strange how I don't feel sad at all in not having the Sportster anymore. It might be because I'm dealing with a truer sense of sadness in the loss of Pete. If I could have either one with me right now, it would be my old friend.

Have fun,
Bill

Thanks To Steve...

2008-04-11T17:08:00.000-07:00

You know, I didn't want to be getting on Steve Williams about keeping his blog going when he decided to wrap it up. Some folks will urge him to keep it going so they can get the same dose of good writing and terrific photos that I enjoyed as well, but when a guy decides to shut it down, well then, tip your hat and wish him the best.

I will miss Scooter in the Sticks a great deal. Steve was there when I started, and provided comments and friendship that I value today, and for that, I tip my beat up old hat and say...Thank you Steve, and...

Have fun,
Bill

Mototherapy

2008-04-06T16:09:00.000-07:00

Here lately it feels like the only time I post, is when I feel like I'm trying to catch up. Today is no different.

I just got home from class,(yes we have work related classes on Sunday) and I am pretty tanked from a long week. This week alone, I spent 3 full days of feeling like crap from another round of some kind of combination cold/flu, and even today my sinuses still feel hammered. I missed work on Tuesday because I was blowing sky-high chunks, and I was real weak and sore. I basically muddled through the rest of the work week by doing as little as possible, while still looking busy. It sucked.

Yesterday was intended for hanging out and letting my batteries recharge, but instead, I went out and totally gutted my shop, and rearranged everything so I can start spending more time on motorbike and scooter projects. Spring cleaning I guess you could call it.

I have been getting in some quality riding time since the days have been sunny, and I tend to feel better when I'm riding, even when I'm sick. Mototherapy I call it. I don't know if it will cure what ails ya', but it brought some spring back to my step.

Tomorrow is back to the grind, so I think I'll pop a Coca-Cola and see what is on the tube for a bit. A little charge to my battery is better than none, and right now my charge light is showing red.

Have fun,
Bill

You Made It....Here's Your Parka!

2008-03-30T09:20:00.000-07:00

Now, these are some truly cheezy grins. This photo was taken yesterday afternoon in the cold, wet yard of Geezer JayBee. The smilin' cat on the right is new member "Oilcan Kurt." Notice the cool parka he's wearing?

Every club in the biker, scooter, hot rod, or whatever world, has some kind of ceremony to bring in prospective members to "full patch" status once the membership has agreed upon their meeting the requirements to become a full member. Well, Kurt was brought in yesterday, and as we don't fly colors, we did present him with an M-65 fishtail parka. As far as a uniform goes, the only thing we all wear in common is the traditional Mod parka. The parka really comes in handy on days like this since we just had about a half hour of freezing rain and snow before we all got together and took the photo.

What Oilcan brings to the mix, is a real enthusiasm to make things happen. As I've written before, the dude is a real good wrench, but beyond that, when we talk about future wishes and adventures that we'd like to undertake, he knows how to make these things happen. While talking about an upcoming rally that would be fun to attend, Oilcan offered up his GMC Yukon to pull a trailer big enough to haul all of our scoots. This rig has room for 9 passengers. Surely we can haul ourselves and our gear with mucho room to spare. Before Oilcan was there to offer an option like this, it would have been difficult to realize something like getting ourselves as a group to a rally. Now we can start making plans rather than "wishing in one hand."

So it looks like "full steam ahead" in getting JayBee's P200E, and Oilcan's Simplex Servi-cycle on the road. Even though my lawn is covered in crunchy white stuff right now, it doesn't change the fact that rally season has started. We have got some work to do now!

Have fun,

Bill

Welcoming Spring With Snowy Days

2008-03-27T18:54:00.000-07:00

It seems like "Old Man Winter" isn't ready to hang up his mission around here. Even though it is pretty nice as I write this, the weather advisory posted is for a system to come through tonight leaving "a trace, to two inches of snow by early morning." Combined with the blast of snow and rain that whipped through last night, we don't seem to be that far away from Winter, even though the calendar says differently. This hasn't slowed the scootering around here though.

Sunday in particular was great fun. Old JayBee and Mod Kevin and I spent some quality time blasting around in a cold drenching rain. Mod Kevin rode the Lambretta, and I rolled out the Vespa, with JayBee hanging back in the road spray on his Vino. The Modster and I both sported our fishtail parka's, and as this was the first real hardcore test of mine's ability to keep me warm and dry, I will say that I this is the best doggone coat to have in my opinion for the true traditionalist. I stayed warm and dry, even though the shell was soaked. The liner did not allow the rain to get through and ruin my fun. All in all, it was a great time, and it's good to know that we will ride, rain or shine.

Slim Jim from work rode his Helix Tuesday and Wednesday, and man, I have to admire the freak, because these were some cold flipping mornings to ride in at 6:30 a.m. Another hardcore scooter bum.

I'm in hopes that our club can sneak in some riding time this weekend, or maybe some shop time over at Casa del JayBee. I want to get in touch with Oilcan Kurt too, and maybe go have a look at his Simplex project. Since Sunday is class day again for my crew at work, Saturday looks to be the only day to kick up some dust. That is unless we have snow covering the dust!

Have fun,
Bill

Doctor Eric's Indian Story

2008-03-22T13:20:00.000-07:00

Well, I just got back from my 2nd visit to the eye doctor. Seems I had some vision issues that the old doc wanted to have another look at, and after an hour of testing, I was given a clean bill of optical health. All that aside from the fact that I needed a new pair of stronger, but much more stylish glasses, I left feeling better that I wasn't moving closer to blindness like Dr. Eric thought. "Whew!" I also left with a really great motorbike story from the doc.

As I was sitting in the chair with my eyes stinging from the drops that had been put in, Dr. Eric asked what year my Vespa is, and how did I come about buying it. After sharing my story, Dr. Eric said "I once had a chance to own an old Indian bike." After belting out, "Why didn't get it?" Dr. Eric told me the story.

Back when Eric was a young man living at home in Canada, his uncle John, who owned a big farm in the country, would come to visit now and again. Eric's dad, who was a doctor, would give old uncle John his annual physical for insurance purposes. Seems that Uncle John would get all wound up and nervous, thus sending his blood pressure soaring whenever he saw anyone other than his own brother for his check-up. During one of the visits, Eric said something about being upset that someone had stolen a motorcycle motor from the back of his pickup. Hearing this, the old uncle said that he had an "old Indian bike" at his farm, and the kid could "have it if he wants it." Well, I don't know about you, but if I had heard an offer like that when I was a kid, I would have peed my shorts in happiness over such an opportunity.

Eric chomped at the bit for weeks bugging his dad to go visit Uncle John so he could collect his prize. Throughout this whole time of waiting, he dreamed of what it would be like to ride the old classic. Finally the day came, and Eric and his dad drove up to the farm in their pickup to have a visit, and finally see the Indian for the first time. The boys spent some time chatting at the kitchen table over lunch before Eric asked if he could go see the bike. It took a bit of reminding for Uncle John to remember that Eric wanted the motorbike, and he finally said, "Oh, so you want the old Indian bike, 'Yeah, its out back in the shed, go have a look at it." Eric beat a path out to the shed, and upon pulling open the door shedding light into the dark, dirt floored out building, he finally saw it sitting there...a Honda Trail 90. "Huh??? this can't be right, where is the Indian bike?" "What do you mean?" Eric heard as his uncle walked up to the shed. "That's the old indian bike I told you about." "An old indian that I know left it with me, and now I'm giving it to you." "Don't you want it?" Before the words were through coming out of Uncle John's mouth, Eric was on his way back to the pickup, his dream completely shattered. He was not going to own the "Indian," and he sure as crap wasn't going to own a Honda 90...he was going home.

I don't know if my eyes were still watering from the solution that had been dripped in earlier, or if they were watering from laughing at the story, but man, this was a classic tale, and I thought that I should share it with you.

Have fun,
Bill

Eye Doctor Day

2008-03-15T16:24:00.000-07:00

Well, I went to the eye doctor today since I've taken notice that my vision in my right eye is a bit weaker than it should be. Basically, I can't read squat anymore through my big money progressive tri-focals. So, it was time to drop some coin on another set.

Last time I visited the optometrist, we got popped with a bill in excess of six hundred bucks. My first question was, "Why the hell do I pay for insurance, if a bill like this won't get covered?" I wasn't going to replay that situation again, or deal with scratching up cash like last time, so I followed the advice of some close cronies and went to Walmart. Bottom line...$196.00!! I can handle that.

Full exam, new lenses, cool retro frames, all for a third of what I had to shell out last time. Say what you will about the empire that Sam Walton built, he still made clear vision affordable for me, and that rules.

Not a lot going on in my scooter world these last few days. The cold, steady rainy days have returned, and I have been going to classes anyway, so there isn't much time for getting out to enjoy tooling around side streets. I actually have to attend a half-day class tomorrow with my sales staff. This will pretty much burn up the best riding time of the day, and JayBee is trying to schedule some time to finish the tear down on his P200 Vespa, and I need to bring some parts home to clean up and paint. The weekend is pretty much spent already.

If I can shake this headache that I got when they dialated my eyes, I might take a spin this evening. If I don't, Monday is gonna show up, and I will be bummed that I didn't.

Have fun,
Bill

I Rode The Silver Special

2008-03-11T18:23:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been a few days since I sat down to peck away at the old keyboard. I just got real busy, and hadn't even thought to sit down long enough to post anything. It's not like I'm caught up today, I just needed to slow down a little.

Sunday was a fun day. After starting my day at the Home Building and Remodeling/Energy Expo, where I schmoozed with a bunch of our vendors, I blasted home to get some shop work done. By the time I finished and sat down and promply fell asleep on the couch, the phone rang, and it was JayBee looking to go for a ride. No problem in getting my second wind, I was gonna go scooting.

The reason for the whole falling asleep thing was that I was totally tanked from spending Saturday framing my Dad's new shop. Coupled with losing an hour to Daylight Saving's time change, I had both butt cheeks dragging when I rolled out at dark o'clock. But it still felt good to be plugging away on something instead of wasting time wondering what to do all day.

Anyway, the ride was sweet because I took the Vespa out, and I was quite pleased to find that it would wax both JayBee and Mod Kevins scooters hands down. JayBee figured that since he maxed out while pacing me, I must have been doing just about 50 mph. That is as fast as I've ever had Ol' Blue rolling, and darned if it didn't run better the rest of the day. I was hooting and hollering like a little boy with a new G.I Joe.

After buzzing the west end streets, we three Geezers rolled over to Mod Kevin's to drool over his Lambretta Silver Special. He kicked her over on the 2nd bump, and man did it ever sound like a pissed off chainsaw. Wow! After hearing the polite noise coming from my 125GT, this sound raised the hair on my arms. It's true...vintage scooters can give you wood.

I paced around kicking rocks mumbling stuff about how much I love this Lambretta, and finally Mod Kevin asked if I wanted to take her out. "Hell yeah" I screached as I jammed my helmet back on my head. I flicked the throttle, bumped the choke, hunched my shoulders, and blasted down the alley and onto 16th Street. By the time I passed the fairgrounds, I must have been doing 60 miles per hour. I still had throttle left, but decided to back her down and ride like a citizen since I was coming up on the juvenile detention center, and there always seems to be a cop hanging around. But that didn't stop me from wicking her up on the way back. Yep...wood again. Man I love this Lambretta!

After shutting her down at the Limey's house, we went inside to hang out for awhile and talk about Geezer stuff. I still hadn't come down from the joy ride, and in some ways, I don't think that I have yet. It has been a real long time since I rode something that impressed me the way that the Silver Special did. I'm awful thankful to the Mod Man for letting me take her out.

I don't think that I want to try to compare the Lambretta and my Vespa. There is no "pissed off chainsaw" in my Vespa's soul. My old GT is a sweet little classic that brings me great joy, and I want to enjoy many miles of exploring and adventure seeking upon it. The Mod Kevin scooter is like opening a Playboy after reading an Archie comic. A real eye opener...know what I mean?

Have fun,
Bill

Sunday Riding With The Geezers

2008-03-02T15:43:00.000-08:00

We met up at noon straight up, and rolled out to Ediz Hook. Geezers JayBee, Mod Kevin and I went for a little ride today, and you know what? It was really nice. From the Hook, we made a run for the west side of town on Edgewood Drive, and stopped at Dry Creek School so JayBee could lay an egg. Youth baseball tryouts were under way in the multi-field complex next to the school, so JayBee made a point of going over and perving some of the mom's hanging out on the sidelines. From here we hit the fogline and headed back toward town in search of lunch, and to talk about the club.

It really is time to get this club up and running since we have added to the roster, but it's hard to do so when nobody ever gets together. This is all beginning to change.

A while back we made some stabs at joining a bigger club, but after further conversation, a few of us decided to hang back and put our efforts into building what we had already started. With the Geezers, we can keep things low-key and roll at our own pace.

There are six members in our club now, and although we are a bit spread out, we are beginning to communicate better and are coming up with some cool ideas for future events and rides. The three of us that rode today tossed some great ideas around over lunch at the SOHO Asian Bistro. Our host Dong knows JayBee, and gave us invitations to a free dinner Tuesday night, and based on the quality of todays lunch, I might just take him up on it. We might even make SOHO our monthly meet-up place.

So far we've discussed a Spring camp-out, a "chicken run" to Forks for the best darn chicken around, and some local bopping around for the scoots that can't roll at highway speeds. It is also our intent to hit the Seattle rallies to get a feel for the culture there.

But aside from all of the planning, it was just really cool to spend time with these guys as a group, and realize that this, right now, is the beginning of the coming together of the Geezers Moto-Scooter Club. This is going to be a good time.

Have fun,
Bill

Welcome Geezer Kurt

2008-02-24T19:12:00.000-08:00

Figured I'd run a quick post this evening just to feel like I'm up to speed. This weekend has flown by so fast. I spent half of today representing the company at the local "Home Show," and had a ball doing it. I've been an exhibitor at the Homebuilders Expo for the past decade or so, and had never worked the Home Show. I'll jump at the chance to do it again next year. It was that fun for me.

Right after I left the high school gym complex where the event was held, I rolled over to JayBee's joint to have a look at the progress that was being made on his Vespa P200 project. Newly accepted member of the Geezers, Kurt was buzy tearing the scooter down to prep for bodywork and paint. He had already plucked the carb and some other parts, and decided after pulling the fuel/oil tanks to replace the hoses, to ask JayBee if he thought that it would be a good idea to go ahead with the teardown now, since they'll have to do it anyway prior to paint. It makes sense since the plan was to paint it to begin with. Geezer Kurt put together a parts list to order tomorrow, and he'll put some teardown time in during the week. We should see some sandblasting done by this weekend!

It's impressive to watch someone with this kind of mechanical knowhow work. As he removes parts and methodically puts things aside in an orderly fashion, he looks everything over and determines if things need to be replaced, or if they are in good enough shape to use again. If they are to be replaced, the part is added to the list, if they are in good shape, they are set aside to be cleaned or painted or whatever. Since we offered to pitch in on this project, I'll be bringing some parts home this week to clean up and paint or polish. I'm looking forward to it.

If all goes well, Kurt should have his '57 Simplex Servicycle on the road in about a month. This cat is good. He just ordered the spokes, and he will be lacing his own wheels! I'm so inspired by being around guys like this. And the bonus here is that as much as we welcome him into our club, he welcomes us to be a part of his project as well. I can't wait to swing by his shop to check out his projects. His other restoration project is a WWII vintage military Jeep. Oh, and when I told him that my intent was to haul my Vespa to Seattle to have a shop give it a once over, he said, "Let me have a look at it first, I'll take care of it." Wow...this is cool.

Welcome to the club Geezer Kurt!

Have fun,
Bill

Two Close Calls Too Many

2008-02-17T14:17:00.000-08:00

I spent some time dinking around the shop today just tinkering on the scooters and motorbikes, and basically just enjoying the decent weather. Every once in a while, I would run in to get my Daytona 500 fix as well. Never being a big NASCAR fan in the past, I find myself drawn more and more to the sport as I get older. I don't know what the appeal is, but I like it.

The Big Ruckus was in dire need of fuel, so I figured to kill two birds with one stone and took my fuel can with 2-stroke mix and fixed it to the back rack of the BR so I could also fill up the Vespa tank today as well. I figured on riding both scoots today, and the gas run would give me a chance to ride the Big Ruckus. I was glad that I was on the BR since it has more power than the Vespa. The extra juice got me out of a near miss as I was riding home.

I was rolling up to an intersection in the thru-lane, and was almost at bumper level with a car that was preparing to turn left when the dumbass "Jabba the Hut" sized lady decided to go straight and yank her car back into the lane I was already filling. I had hung back long enough to watch her commit with both her actions, and turn signal, so rolling through the intersection didn't seem "iffy." The only thing I could do was wick the throttle all the way to pop out right in front of her with very little to spare. Had I not been wearing gloves, I could have reached into the back of my jeans and thrown some of the crap that I had just taken in my pants onto her windshield. Stupid, stupid woman.

So...I get home and fill up the Vespa tank and fire the old dog up, and off for a little neighborhood ride we go. As I'm putting along on "C" Street with no traffic for blocks either in front, or behind me, with the exception of a Subaru, the blond dumbass chick driver of the Subaru decides that it would be a funny joke to crank her wheel to the left into my lane to give me a little scare I guess. Her and the hillbilly moron dude in the passenger seat were laughing like spastics as their car jolted back into her lane before it was too late.

It is one thing that the first idiot was just too stupid to realize that she put me in some serious danger, but the other jackass chose her move to provide some hilarity for herself and her pet human. In either case, both persons deserve a punch directly in the face for what they did, and the laughing dude in the Subaru deserves two punches in the face as well. One for laughing, and one for being with a girl that is that stupid. When it comes to riding, I take it seriously. When it comes to driving, I take it seriously too.

The bottom line is that the actions of these two distinctly different, but also the same, bottom feeding assclowns help me choose to not continue riding today. It's almost funny to think that I can hang out and watch the Daytona 500 where the driving is much safer than on my local streets. Even at 195 miles per hour!

Have fun, and be safe!
Bill

Signs Of Spring

2008-02-16T15:50:00.000-08:00

You can almost feel Spring around here now. The constant barrage of Pacific storms have mellowed out, and the temps are hanging in the 40's instead of hovering at, or below freezing. We may even find ourselves basking in the warmth of 50 plus degrees tomorrow.

Another sign of better weather is the return of motorcycles and scooters to the streets. Sportbikes, high bar cruisers, 50cc and maxi-scooters, and everything in-between are being rolled out and returned to service. Even our employee spots are finding scooters parked in them again. Now if this isn't a good sign...

I've told my wife many times, that to me, the end of Winter is when pitchers and catchers show up for Spring training in the big leagues. With camps in Arizona and Florida slowly filling with position players this week, I guess we are almost there. The only thing left to do is wait until March 20th to make it official. I for one though, will be happy to see Winter put to bed. I feel Spring Fever coming on!

Have fun,
Bill

Now This Looks Like A Military Scooter!

2008-02-10T10:56:00.000-08:00

All of a sudden, my Big Ruckus doesn't have as much of a military look as I thought it did. The above photo was taken in the Walmart parking lot this morning on my cell phone camera. This has the military look big time!

As I was parking the family truckster, I saw this scooter roll right past me, and I hustled over to where the guy parked to get a better look. As I walked up to the guy I recognized him as the owner of a Honda "little" Ruckus that has been completely tricked out. The dude told me that he had gotten a good deal on this Helix, and he had taken on the project of painting it in the beautiful military shade of Olive Drab. You'll notice that the bottom foot panels have been removed, as well as the plastic nose grille. My guess is that its part of the paint work project.

The guy was telling me that he wasn't having much luck in getting the paint to bond well to the plastic bodywork, and that drawing a fingernail over it will peel the paint. He was on his way into the paint department to buy the cure I guess. I mentioned that we had Krylon Fusion spray paint at my store, but I know that we don't have his color. The Fusion paint is specifically for painting plastic, and works great. My pal Dreamcrusher is going to use the Fusion to repaint his Honda Aero 80 in a two-tone green and cream paint scheme. It will have a sweet retro look when its done.

I didn't talk too long with the guy, but we did walk into the store together. He mentioned that he knew I rode scooters, but has never seen me out on one yet. That struck me as true since I haven't been tearing up the streets lately. On the other hand, this guy is always out there.

It's time to take to the streets again. Cool things are happening in our scooter community, and I don't want to miss it by being the rider that just got out of the Chevy Blazer.

I'm glad that I saw this guy today.

Have fun,
Bill

Saturday's Aren't Just For Work Anymore

2008-02-09T15:14:00.000-08:00

It was nice to get a call from JayBee around noon telling me that he was going to be tinkering around on his P200e Vespa, and that a guy named Kurt was going to have a look at it. Kurt is a talented auto paint and body guy, and also has a ton of small engine experience. In fact, right now, Kurt is restoring a 1957 Simplex Servi-cycle. If you haven't seen one before, think of shrinking an old Indian or Harley down to about the size of a scooter and you'll get the idea.

Kurt ran a verbal parts list off to JayBee to be ordered from Scooterworks on Monday. The plan is to get it running in top form and put some miles on it before attacking it with the paint gun. JayBee is ordering the carb rebuild kit, full set of cables, tune up kit, and Shinko 3.50 x 10 whitewall tires and tubes. This will be a good start toward getting the scooter in top form for the riding season. I'm looking forward to hanging out and seeing it all come together. It should be a blast as Kurt is a high energy guy and a pleasure to be around.

The day turned out pretty nice, and it felt good to get a little riding in. I even got to make a run through town with Mod Kevin as we met up on 5th street while both on our way to JayBee's suburban estate. It was nice to hang out with the crew for a change, and just talk about scooters and some future scootering plans. This is what it's all about. Working Saturday's for the last billion years, I now feel like I missed out on a lot of moments like this, and am now grateful to get the opportunity to again join the ranks of the true weekenders. I can get used to this real quick!

Tomorrow will be Vespa riding day. I think that it needs to be wrung out a little, and rain or shine, we'll get out for awhile. I also need to roll the Sportster out for a run. Kurt is looking to get his grease stained hand on a Harley after the Simplex is done, and I told him that "I have a deal for you." He wants to swing by and have a look, and who am I to say no to a true motorhead? My mind is already swimming with potential scooter related ideas with the chance to sell the Sporty and have some cool cash in my hand. Or maybe I'll do the right thing, and pay off some bills. Ahh, what the heck, I'll worry about that later, I'm gonna head out to the shop and get reaquainted with some old projects.

Have fun,
Bill

More Windblown Debris

2008-02-07T16:12:00.000-08:00

The things that go bump in the night turned out to be the things that were flying around in the 50-plus mile per hour winds that blew overnight. As it turned out, there were some overturned garbage cans and regular old windblown debris scattered around that made up most of the racket that I heard in the wee hours. Just another Pacific storm that wanted to come ashore and kick things around a bit.

It looks like JayBee and I will get some time this weekend to peck around on his Vespa P200e. It needs a little TLC and tweaking, and since neither one of us has to work on Saturday, it might be fun to bomb up and down the country road that he lives on. If nothing else, it'll be a scooter related day.

I really want to get out and "Ride Sally ride," as the character Woody says in the movie Wild Hogs. I watched the flick the other night and now I have a real itch to take off on a scooter road trip. I'm putting together a camping trip plan for this Spring for our little band of scooter bums. Even though the location is great for camping, its really not far enough out of town to qualify as a "road trip." It'll make for a great overnighter though, and is close enough to be able to include wives and kids.

Since I still have some daylight, and the branches aren't flying by horizontally, I think I'll get outside and pick up the things that went bump in the night.

Have fun,
Bill

Things Are Really...Nice

2008-02-01T17:07:00.000-08:00

At the beginning of the week, we had snow on the ground, followed by some icy mornings that made driving interesting, and now as we end the work week, we were facing the same snowy forecast. I said "were," because after all of this mumbo jumbo about the entire region being in a snow advisory situation, it was as if the meteorologists all shrugged their shoulders and said "Oh, forget it, lets just have rain."

I looked at the NOAA website earlier today, and it was full of color for the entire western Washington frame. Gale warnings, Winter storm warnings, high surf advisories, lowland snow advisories, and then some. When I refreshed the screen later, most all of the color was gone, as were the dark advisories. Even the forecast had a cheerier tone calling for mostly rain, and warmer temps. I'd hate to have a job like that. Predicting change is pretty hard.

Tomorrow will be the beginning of my new schedule at work. After six plus years, I now have the traditional Saturday-Sunday weekend off. I was thinking of my little five year old son never knowing me to have Saturdays at home. This is going to be nice.

Work is moving in a positive direction now for everyone with a recent change in top level management. The man that I most directly work with is now our CEO/President. Not to take anything away from the outgoing honcho, but the new blood has a vision of the future that has been explained to me in clear enough terms that I can not only understand, but can grasp and embrace as well. And...I have the support of the new management to lead my crew my way. Taking on more responsibilities as the manager for my crew is made much easier by the fact that I have a very good crew to begin with. This too, is going to be nice.

As far as scootering goes, I will now be able to have real honest-to-goodness weekends to take part in rallies and events that I always wished that I could have before. Even when I was living in the "biker" world, I would always have to bag out and miss the runs. I am really looking forward to being involved in the Seattle scooter rally scene, and getting to know some of the folks that are involved. This will be really nice.

Our little scooter group is closer to getting involved in the Royal Bastard Scooter Club scene as well. If not for a change of plans for one of the group, we would have met up with Zippy Bastard in Seattle on Sunday. But, as we all want to make the trip over, we will reschedule for later in the month. My thanks to her for being understanding. And following the theme of this post...she too is really nice.

Have fun,
Bill

Tough, Rugged...Almost Military

2008-01-27T10:13:00.000-08:00

When I posted the image of my Big Ruckus at the snowline a few days back, I had breezed over the image shown above, and after going back and having another look, realized what an almost military look this tough little scooter has.

Being perpetually broke, I haven't had the cash means to buy the Kenda tires that would make this scoot an all-season ride. Rolling on the stock skins is the only way I can roll now, and come replacement time I'll upgrade to a more aggressive tread.

I have been taking a look at some vintage military Cushman's online lately. I have a chance to buy one, but as I stated in the previous paragraph, I am strapped for cash. So, now I have to get creative in finding a way to afford all of these little things in life that I want, but cannot reach. Maybe my Federal gift of income to stimulate the economy can be wisely used to put me on an ex-military Cushman scooter. If nothing else, it will be "stimulating."

But its the rugged, tough, utility look that the military scooters had, that has got my interest now. That with the fact that being Winter, I have a little time in the evenings to research things like this, and finding that picture of my Big Ruckus from last week, I realize that my scooter has the same "rugged, tough, utility look that I am so excited about. Now if I only had those darn Kenda tires!

Have fun,
Bill

Riding To The Snowline

2008-01-21T14:20:00.000-08:00

There are no clouds to be found in the sky for the first time in I don't know how long. This is probably the nicest day since late fall, and if you don't mind your temperatures in the twenties, then its perfect.

I had the itch to get out and ride, and I figured that a run up to the snowline would be just right.

The process of layering up with cold weather gear was necessary, and much appreciated once I got to where the above photo was taken. I figured the temps to be roughly 24 degrees or so, and my choice to wear the fishtail parka was the right one. My mittens didn't quite do the trick though, as I had to warm my hands the old fashioned way above the tailpipe. My helmet let in enough cold air to sting my cheeks a little, and it became a bit distracting. Unfortunately, the balaclava doesn't wrap far enough to cover my entire mug.

My turnaround point was at the 2nd turn-out on the Hurricane Ridge Road, and this is where I first found a real covering of snow. This road has been maintained by the Park Service for the past few months, as the snow has been consistently covering the road from the one mile mark and above. I guessed my elevation at around 800 feet at this point.

I could have gone further, but at the point that I stopped, the layer of gravel and sand was covering the entire road surface. It wasn't until I stopped that I realized that the sand and gravel also covered some fairly thick ice in the shaded spot just behind where my Big Ruckus was parked. That made for one of those, "Whoa, that could have sucked" thoughts to cross my mind. I had crossed from a sunny spot into the shade, and totally missed seeing the ice in the time that it took for my vision to adapt to the shade. Lucky for me that I was rolling in a straight line and not hanging in a curve.

I pretty much knew at this point that I was going to turn back toward the ranch. I meandered around for awhile on the way home looking at the boats at the marina, and watching the construction crews that are tearing up the downtown streets for the umteenth time in recent history, and finally puttered into my backyard chilled and satisfied.

As I type this post, my cheeks still sting from the chilled air sneeking in my helmet, and I don't mind a bit. It's finally sunny out and I was on my scooter. Not much better than that in mid January I think.

Have fun,
Bill

Oh, To Be A Bastard Again

2008-01-20T13:13:00.000-08:00

A few years back I rode with a "social" club by the name of "Dirty Bastards." It was an AMA sanctioned one-piece patch club with a handful of dedicated members. Times changed and so did the club, and the time for this bastard to move on came too. All for the good, as the social club disbanded in the months after my departure.

I did think that it was a cool name though, and missed the association with some of the original members. I have remained friends with most of the guys from the early days,and we run into each other now and then, and the feeling is always good. There was something about being a "Bastard" that I liked though.

It was that name then, that caught my eye when I was hanging out at Dave Mangano's site that had me looking into the "Royal Bastards Scooter Club" website.

It didn't take me a long time to get a good feeling from the way the club presented itself on the site, and I started getting hooked on the idea of wanting to join. Membership interest is encouraged, and I took the idea to my pal JayBee before looking into it further.

Even though we were getting a handle on the idea of being a looseknit band of "Geezers," there was a brighter spark of interest in the idea of becoming members of an established club. I took the genuine excitement that JayBee and Mod Kevin displayed at becoming potential Bastards and ran with it.

I e-mailed "Zippy" Bastard in Seattle to provide us with information about whether or not we could be considered for membership. I was impressed with the prompt reply from Sarah, and was encouraged to contact Lucky from Sacramento about what to do next.

Sarah, aka Zippy, is a "Lone Wolf" in the Seattle area, and she will at this point be the person to make the decision as to if we can, or cannot become members. After some back and forth e-mailing to Lucky, we received a positive vote from the "Ten" in California, and we'll now need to make contact with Sarah to receive her thumbs-up for membership.

I spoke with both Mod Kevin and JayBee yesterday, and we're all pretty excited about this chance to "patch up" with the Royal Bastards." We look at it as a chance to further promote scootering in our area as members of the Royal Bastards, and an opportunity to support the Seattle members as well.

Now we wait to hear from Zippy before we take the next step. Hopefully next time I post, I'll have some news to share.

Have fun,
Bill

Spit-shine Sunday

2008-01-13T10:28:00.000-08:00

Walking out to the shop this morning, I was amazed at how wet my yard is. It's like walking on a loaded sponge. In the Summertime, I'll dink around with my motorbikes on the pad just outside my shop door. It gives quick access to my tools, and still allows me the chance to be in the sunshine. Well, this isn't Summer, and there isn't much in the way of sunshine, so I'll be doing my dinking around inside today.

My project for today, is to do a spit-shine cleaning job on my Vespa. I had placed a small order with Scooterworks for some rubber bits, and after getting the parts and putting them on, I decided to take some time to get everything cleaned up again. The Big Ruckus really needs a bath too since its seen most of the mud and grime over the past weeks, but the Vespa comes first.

I'll probably wait to bathe the Ruckus till next weekend because we're supposed to get some honest to goodness nice weather this week. From Tuesday through Sunday we should see sunshine every day. Aside from cool mornings and some fog to begin each day, the weather hottie is predicting sunny days. This translates into consistant riding for me. I'm stoked!

One twist in my commuting situation that I didn't have before, is that I have taken on some different job duties that I didn't have in my job description. My role as a Retail Sales Manager has been defined a little differently since we began more of a "team management" direction within our 3 stores. I will have more of a crossover role between the different store staff groups. Basically, I will spend time running around a whole bunch more, and working with a lot more people.

Oh yeah...and I carry around this briefcase looking thing to keep all of my files and stuff in. Lucky for me that my bride hooked me up with a messenger bag that she found on eBay. It should do the trick I hope.

One cool thing about this new role, is that our other store is close to home. I will be able to use the Vespa for this commute, since I won't have to deal with having to run at highway speeds. My Vespa will get me to around 42 mph, but thats a little slow for the route I take to my everyday job. I've done it on the Vespa, but its a bit butt-puckering. The dirty Ruckus will handle this part of the job.

The bottom line is that even though my job is changing for the better, with more challenges, the one constant will be that I can remain a scooter commuter. It might take some creativity on my part to make sure that I can take everything that I need with me each day, to wherever I end up, but I'll be riding, and thats all that counts.

Have fun,
Bill

Sunshine Instead Of Snow

2008-01-06T14:10:00.000-08:00

Today we were supposed to get snow. Although its cold enough, we have sunshine instead. Then again, after the way the weather has been over the past few days, a sunny day is apprieciated. Basically, the weather has been pretty poor for a guy that rides a motorbike.

If you caught the news about the West Coast getting pummelled by the "Big Winter Storm" that kicked California and Nevada in the teeth, well then I might add that we took a few shots in Oregon and Washington too. This storm stretched from Canada to Mexico, and the leading low pressure system skirted Washington, staying over the Pacific before slamming into Northern British Columbia. Being a bit of a weather junkie, I liken it to having a really angry elephant stomping down your street intent on doing some damage down the road, but only giving your place a slight glance as it passes by. Damage in its wake, damage to come, but no damage here thank you.

Folks are really talking now about how much our weather has changed over the past few years, and how "the good old days" were only a few years ago. We aren't used to 964mb low pressure systems and barometric readings of 28.66 around here very often. Maybe it'll be the norm from now on. I hope not.

The foothills above town did get a fresh layer of snow this morning, but the forecast was for a wider area of snow, and for accumulations at sea level as well. Thats fine though, it was sketchy enough dealing with the black ice this morning, no need to add a layer of snow to make it trickier.

The bottom line is, that as much as I want to make two-wheeled commuting a full time gig, I end up taking the weather into consideration before my commitment to ride. I haven't regretted my decisions either. I still ride every chance I get, but I don't get the chances as often as I would like, if that makes any sense. The calmer days will come soon enough, so for now I'll practice patience.

I still get my fill of scooter related adventures, even if I'm not riding all the time. I spoke with a guy I know that scored on three 1943 Cushman military model scoots that he is in the process of getting in running order. These are the Cushman's that the U.S. Military used in WWII as dispatch motors, and would be dropped in by parachute. Not only can I not believe that he bought them for a hundred bucks each, but he offered me one of them in running order for $600.00! I will hopefully get to see these scoots soon. I need to find six hundred clams first.

Even though I have a real nice head cold right now, I think I might get outside and enjoy the sunshine while it lasts. Now...where is my parka?

Have fun,
Bill

Happy New Year!

2007-12-31T08:49:00.000-08:00

Here we are at years end. Tomorrow is a day of new beginnings, and folks everywhere will be making their resolutions of change. Not me though. The only resolution that I have, is to continue to be who I am, and try to continue to make the most out of every day I get to play on this spinning rock.

Rather than attempt to relive this year in recap as is the common theme at years end, I thought that I would open the window to my world a little, and share a few tidbits about myself instead.

So with that in mind, I'll explain the picture at the top of the post. Most folks outside of my small circle don't realize that I am a cartoonist. I've been drawing all of my life, and I even make small bits of money with my talents on occasion. The "Geezer" drawing above is something that I did at the kitchen table on a piece of copy paper that my kids had been scribbling on. Nothing fancy, just doodling. It is something that I would normally discard as a non-finished piece, but I thought that I would post it here as a tip of the hat to my fellow Geezer MotoScooter Club cronies.

Mod Kevin and JayBee are certainly worthy of the "hat-tip" after their great adventure in going to Portland to bring home Kevin's beautiful '66 Lambretta. I won't even try to tell their story. Mod Kevin will lay it out in detail over at his blog site. (My Scooter is my Conscience, found on my blogroll) I will say thanks to these guys for stopping by to show it to me last night in the cold dark of night. Nothing like three parka wrapped boys on the street giggling like little girls. It was awesome!

Another point about me that few in blogland realize, is that I am "Billy Corvette," of Billy Corvette and the Smashers. Still able to call ourselves a rock and roll band after 27 years is a great feat. Even though we play on a once yearly basis these days, we were a smokin' unit in the mid-80's and early 90's. We were a local band playing in the Seattle music "scene," and had a large fanbase in the Pacific Northwest. Then the age of responsibility fell upon us, and steady jobs, marriage and children became our lives. But I still get a chance to dust off my chops now and then when I get called on stage by someone who remembers "Billy Corvette."

Drawing, music and motorbikes are always on my front burner. They are just a few of the components that make up who I am. I figured at some point, I would pass these along to folks that stop by here. Anyway...

If I were make any goals at all for '08, they would be to spend more time with my guitars, and to rack more miles on my scooters. I figure that if I call them "goals", I won't be disappointed like I would about a broken resolution. These are goals that I know I can, and will achieve.

In closing, I want to wish all of you cats out there the very best for the coming year, and may miles of road pass under your tires safely in 2008. "Keep on Rockin' in the Free World"

Have fun,

Bill

Christmas Day Riding

2007-12-25T19:40:00.000-08:00

Well, Christmas Day is almost over as I write this post. It seems to fly by so quickly any more. I consider myself quite blessed that I have little ones at home, in that I still get to view the Christmas holiday through the eyes of a child that still believes that Santa Claus is real.

After the last gift was opened, and the sea of ribbons and bows were cleared this morning, we made ready to go visit my wife's parents. It's a tradition to have Christmas breakfast at the in-laws, and the brood was primed to see Grandma and Papa. Either that, or they were ready to go look under Grandmas tree. One way or the other, wherever we were going, I was going to go on my scooter.

Since my wife had the camera ready to cover the days events, she was able to catch my arrival on the Big Ruckus. The weather was cold today, and even though we are getting rain now, when I made my rounds this morning, the roads were clear and dry. With no traffic, I had the streets all to myself.

After trading gifts, we enjoyed a big breakfast of bacon, eggs, hashbrowns and all the goodies. I really wish that I would have thought to take a photo of the feast, but I was too caught up in jamming my mouth full of food to think of photo opportunities.

I never really spend too much time at these gatherings, and I probably come across as an "eat and run" type of dude, but that's the way I've always been when it comes to gatherings of any kind. I usually make my intent to leave known, then I'm gone. Kind of a Lone Ranger exit, minus leaving a silver bullet. I had some riding to do.

My parents house was my next stop, and since one of my kids was still fighting a crud, I went alone this year. I didn't want to introduce any bug into my folk's house. No need for them to be sick. It's tough enough when you are older to deal with the daily aches and pains, getting sick just makes things tougher. So I rolled alone.

We had a real nice visit, and while I was there, I got caught up with almost everyone in my family. My sister was getting snow. One of my brothers was getting snow as well, and then a call from my aunt revealed that she too was having a white Christmas. Geez, what happened to my wish for snow? It was on my Santa's list. "Oh well, maybe next year" as I always say.

The weather swami is now predicting snow sometime this week. Maybe Thursday? We'll see I guess. I just hope that if we do get some snow, that it won't hamper Mod Kevin's trip to Portland to pick up his Lambretta. Geezer JayBee will be riding shotgun, and I wish them a safe trip.

Now it's time to switch my brain from holiday mode back to work mode. Back to the grind tomorrow.

Have fun,
Bill

Merry Christmas!!

2007-12-24T14:37:00.000-08:00

My procrastination has caught up with me today, making everything so doggone rushed that I feel like I'll never get caught up. But then again, that has become my tradition.

I may not be a last minute shopper, but boy am I ever a last minute wrapper. And to make things worse, I wrap worse than a ten year old. Hell, I wrap worse than my neighbors cat!

Anyway, I thought that I would stop, cool out, and post a quick note to everyone in our nicely decorated moto-bloggers neighborhood to have a very Merry Christmas, and I hope that we all get a chance to get out and ride.

The forecast actually calls for a chance of snow tomorrow or maybe Wednesday, but I'll find a way to get out and play in it on one of my scooters. Riding on Christmas has become one of my traditions too.

Happy Holidays!
Bill

Meet The Mod Blogger

2007-12-19T18:47:00.000-08:00

I thought that I would take a moment to let you guys know that the infamous "Mod Kevin" that I have mentioned in recent posts has struck out on his own, and is now the proud owner of his own blogsite. You can find him on my blogroll at "My Scooter is my Conscience." I hope that you take a moment to swing by and have a look at the sweet photo posted on his first entry.

The photo above was taken back in late September on our first ride as the Geezers Scooter Club.

I have found a world of inspiration and information in my time as an avid blog writer, and hope that Kevin enjoys the same success that I have had. There are friendships to be made, and tales to share, and this is only the beginning.

Have fun,
Bill

"How Much Did You Pay For It?'

2007-12-16T16:10:00.000-08:00

I really wish that I had a photo to share, but I don't yet, but I will tell you that JayBee finally has his 1980 Vespa P200e at home. Now the good part...

The P200e has just over 900 original miles on the odometer. The previous owner stands firm that these are true original miles. No hanky panky messing around here. But the sweet cherry on this icing is the price that it went for...Hold on to your shorts, fifteen hundred bucks!! Yep, only $1500.00.

It seems that the original $2800.00 that the dude was asking wasn't getting any bites, so he went down to around two grand, or best offer. JayBee's offer was the right price I guess, so the deal was done. It's in straight shape, good tires, it runs, and had a valid title. What more could a parka wearing, Piaggio loving scooter bum want?

So now the adventure begins. Cleaning comes first. JayBee and Mod Kevin stopped at work to show off the Vespa that was still tied into the back of Kevin's truck, and while there, JayBee scored some steel wool, and primer among other things to start the cleaning process. There is a bit of surface rust here and there that needs attention, but overall that part won't be too big of a deal. The dude had hit the scoot with a coat of beige paint, and I don't know if he was drunk or blind, but I scored his paint job as being in the "piss-poor" range. At least he didn't hit the seat. But it doesn't appear that he was covering up anything like Bondo, or scab welds. He's just not a good painter. But...I told JayBee that the color isn't that bad. If he cleans up the overspray, it will look pretty cool. He could even run some vinyl pinstriping or something to dress it up until he is ready to have it painted right. Just a suggestion.

The main thing is to get the old "Wasp" running soundly, and getting it on the road to actually enjoy riding it. The opportunity to own an old Vespa purchased in this neighborhood is pretty slim, and the score that JayBee made was great. As a friend and one that apprieciates old scooters, I can't wait to see my buddy tooling down the road on this great find. Now the next score to wait for will be Mod Kevin's Lambretta that will be picked up in Portland on December 30th. I'll share pictures of the new scoots in the club stable as soon as I get them.

Have fun,
Bill

Willy's White Wild Ride

2007-12-12T17:35:00.000-08:00

So I hollered at my wife, "Hey, get a picture of me riding in the snow!" Then away I went on Ol' Blue, my sweet little Vespa, whipping and squirreling all over like I was speeding on warm grease. It was sweet!

You see, up till just recently, I was commited to keeping my Vespa in as pristine condition as possible. That is until Sunday before last, when I noticed a paint chip on the headset. Something had fallen off a shelf in the shop and made a direct hit, that in my mind, now made the old scooter a rider, and not just something to bring out on a sunny weekend day. In reality, I was glad that it happened. That chip was in my mind, the difference between a "show piece" and a scooter in really nice shape that you can ride all the time.

Really, what good does it do to have something this cool locked up only to be enjoyed every once in awhile? No good at all I say now. By gosh, I'm going to ride this doggone thing, and use it for what it was meant to be used for. From now on, it is going to be ridden and enjoyed...a lot.

This past Sunday rose cold and dark, and the fairly hot weather chick was calling for snow flurries. I went out the back door to get the newspaper, and on my way back in, I started to notice the first flakes. Swirling light wispy flakes turned into quarter sized flakes in no time, and started accumulating. Hot weather chick said that there would be nothing more than "maybe a half an inch," and "not much more than a ground cover." Well, my math had it at a total ground cover, and at least a good 2 inches. So what's a recovering stomach flu victim to do? Yep, go ride your scooter like a nut-job around in the snow.

I rode my old Chinese model 125 scooter last year, and even had my Big Ruckus out a number of times, but I really wanted to take Ol' Blue out and see how she handled. And like I said, it was squirreling all over the place trying to find the traction that just wasn't there. When in an upright position going straight, the ride was pretty good, but leaning into a corner, the backside wanted to kick out a bit. I just planted a foot and gave her the gas till we righted again. And we did it till my face was soaked, and my goggled eyeballs were too teary to continue.

All in all, I'm real happy that I finally got over my over-protective, "I don't want to get it dirty" feeling toward this scooter. Every time that I would want to break away from keeping it a "showpiece," I would end up tucking it way again, only to wait for the perfect weather opportunity to take the cover off and ride.

Well that day was Sunday, and in the cold, blowing snow, I found the "perfect weather opportunity" to take her out and ride, and I had an absolute ball.

Have fun,

Bill

I Should Have Gotten A Flu Shot

2007-12-08T18:21:00.000-08:00

In my last post, I had told of my family being bitten hard by a flu bug, and my wife even spending time in the hospital. Well, in my mind I was above this crud, and I thought I was going to roll merrily along without being taken down. I was wrong. "Acute viral gastroenteritis with dehydration" is what the discharge instruction sheet from the ER at the hospital read. In other words, "stomach flu."

After playing the role of chief, cook and bottle washer for a solid week for my family, I was hit like a dumptruck load of rocks. I knew to keep hydrated, but once bitten, I couldn't seem to keep anything down. Whatever I took in, twice as much came out. I couldn't find a comfortable position to sit, stand or even lay down, and I knew that my mind was getting goofy when I couldn't figure out how to use the phone at one point. I just didn't know how rough it was going to get.

To cut to the point of my crash, I ended up on the bathroom floor in a variation of the fetal position, with my forehead on the linoleum in a small pool of sweat. I know that I must have been making some pitiful noises, because my wife came to my aid in a hurry. She had been gone to get number two son from school, and wasn't home when I started feeling some intense pain in my stomach. I guess that since the bathroom is the logical place to go when you're feeling crappy, that is where I ended up. I actually don't remember the whole line of events except that I was really wishing that she was home because the pain was getting past my "comfort zone." My wish came true, and she came home. God bless my little wife.

I remember thinking that I was sure sweating an awful lot all of a sudden, and wondered what the deal was with that. If my body was so tapped of fluids, why was I raining so hard on the floor? A persons body must keep fluids in reserve for such events.

In all, it was a strange experience to be a patient in the ER. You wait for awhile, get checked in, get placed in a room, get naked, get dressed in a gown, then wait again. After playing 200 questions, you get your vitals taken, then you wait some more. At least I was entertained by a "Code Three" call-out for a wild woman that went off her nut and was freaking out and screaming and fighting a few doors down. I'm sure this is what held up my doctor from coming in right away. But I was treated very well, and I appreciate the staffs care. After a bit of rehydration and a good talk with the doctor, I was given my walking papers almost 4 hours after being admitted. Still sick, but feeling relieved to be going home.

We stopped at the pharmacy on the way home to pick up my prescription, and after getting home and taking it, I went to sleep right away and really only woke up in time to take it again 6 hours later. One good thing about this anti-barf medication, is that it knocks you right out. I sawed logs until my usual wake-up time of 5:00 a.m.

Today was spent just relaxing and trying to get my batteries back up. I was a little bummed to miss work since I had used up my personal leave time taking care of my family and there was no time left to cover today, but I wouldn't have been worth squat anyway, so I made peace with myself and settled in to lay around like an old dog all day. Now as I sit here feeling a whole bunch better, I'm glad I did. Besides, my wife would have probably put me back on the bathroom floor if I tried to go to work anyway. Once is enough for me!

Have fun,
Bill

What A Weird Week

2007-12-06T09:16:00.000-08:00

Do you remember in the movie "Groundhog Day," when Bill Murray's character barked, "I'm having the weirdest day?" Well, I kind of feel the same, in that I'm having the weirdest week.

My entire family came down with the stomach flu one after the other this week. I felt like frozen garbage for a day or so, but never launched groceries. I was the lucky one. I ended up sending my wife to the hospital Tuesday night when I found that after feeling better for a day, she got popped with another round that literally had her collapsed on the floor. Scary stuff when all three kids are fighting a bug at the same time, then little Momma hits the deck.

The good folks in the ER at the hospital were able to rehydrate her, and added some anti-nausea stuff to her drip to bring her around. She was running an impressive fever as well. It turns out that after her first bout of the crud, that she wasn't able to re-hydrate enough in time to stave off the second, more intense round. My in-laws took her and baby daughter back to their house to spend the night. I had our two boys at home with me, and they were down as well. The living room became our own little MASH unit where we all spent the night making quick trips to the bathroom. Ahhh...making memories.

I'm happy to say that we have everyone back on the mend now (knock wood), and I was able to take a few days off from work to play Nurse Daddy. And I've really enjoyed the challenge to be quite honest. I know that sounds strange, but there is satisfaction in helping everyone through a rough time.

Now, speaking of rough times...did you guys see the news about how freakin hard our region was slammed by the storm on Monday? The media likes to call it the "Pineapple Express." I think that this stupid term is a little frilly for a deadly weather event that had hurricane force winds, record rainfall, incredible flooding, and real people losing loved ones, and others losing all of their belongings. Cities were closed off from the world by the flooding and mud slides. Main power lines and huge trees blocked off all access as well. The National Guard and Coast Guard helicopters are still working around the clock rescuing folks, as well as other local and federal agencies. Our state is in a state of emergency, and we call it a "Pineapple Express." I hate that stupid term.

You see, when a storm system has its origins in the South Pacific or Asia, and runs South to North, (in this case it had a nice little hook that connected us with Hawaii), the weather folks pull out the "Pineapple Express" term, and say it as often as they can throughout their forecast. It's catchy and sounds neat. Why not call it "Winnie the Poohs Blustery Day?" If this was the Gulf of Mexico, it might have been catagorized, and called a hurricane. Ahh, what the heck, you know?

Anyway, with the weather being over-the-top, and my family being under the weather, I haven't had a chance to even think about scooters, or getting a chance to ride at all. I hope that JayBee is going to pounce on the '80 P200 soon. I'll talk to him today, and post an update as soon as I know something. If I get an opportunity today, I'll suit up and ride. Maybe It'll clear my head. Maybe I'll even go to the store and buy a pineapple and pay for it in the "express" lane!

Have fun,
Bill

First Snow Of The Season Adventures

2007-12-02T14:23:00.000-08:00

The winter weather arrived today in a real hurry. An hour before, JayBee and I had been on this stretch going in the opposite direction in a cold rain. By the time we arrived back at his digs, the roads had become downright covered and slick. Now as I sit to type this post, the rain has returned making a slushy mess of all the local roads. By the way, the above photo is a stretch of four lane freeway that was narrowed down to one lane in each direction by the snowfall.

The word is, that the snow event is "punch" number one in a "1-2-3 punch" system of storms set to wreak havoc in the area through Monday night. The balance of today has heavy rains and strong winds forecasted. Tomorrow is supposed to offer up what they are calling the "Big Kahuna" storm with "potentially damaging winds, and river flooding rains." Sustained winds projected at 40+ mph, and gusts to 60+ are on the way from the south, so my best hopes are that the Olympic Mountains will buffer the winds, and hopefully spare us the brunt of this "punch." Hurricane force winds are forecasted on the Pacific coast, and I hope that they stay out there.

Anyway, the reason for the roadtrip this morning was that JayBee has a line on a 1980 Vespa P200 for sale from some cat in Sequim. We rolled down to have a look, and it looked to be in real straight shape. I even took it out for a short spin in the rain. After an impressive first kick start, we rolled it out of the covered parkway and tried to get it to go in a forward direction down the street. A little choking, and some time to let it warm up had me strapping on a helmet and plopping down on the drenched seat. I had to really twist hard to get the shifter into first, but was finally able to get her to roll. The gear selection process process took some effort due to some real tightness, but once I found 3rd gear, I was pretty much flying. After finally rolling back under the dude's covered driveway dripping wet, I found that JayBee had pretty much sewed up the deal with the guy. And for the price that they agreed on, my Geezer brother scored a very sweet deal.

Now, the trick will be to get the old beige beauty home. If this bleak forecast holds true, who knows what kind of adventure we will have just getting it back to JayBee's shop. Through rain, snow, flood or blow, it looks like my old pal the scooter bum is going to add another ride to his stable. Then the real adventure can begin!

Have fun,
Bill

A Cold, But Very Pretty Day To Ride

2007-11-25T13:50:00.000-08:00

Sure it was cold outside, but that didn't matter one bit. This was one pretty day here in my old town, and I didn't want to miss the chance to get out and ride.

In the above photo, my Big Ruckus is taking a rest at the boat haven in Port Angeles harbor. We had been pretty much all over town, and I stopped to have a look around on my way home. Thankfully, this pretty view is part of my regular route, and I never take the view for granted. I like where I live, and am happy to share my enthusiasm as a hometown boy.

I actually started riding in the frostier part of the day on my Vespa, then after a lunch stop at home, I suited up and jumped on the BR. Without any real destination in mind, I ended up at JayBee's upscale penthouse digs. Here I hung out for a bit sipping on coffee and getting the lowdown on the ride that he and Mod Kevin had taken last evening.

It was dark yesterday in the late afternoon when JayBee and Mod Kevin swung into the parking lot at work. They had popped in to say "Hey" on their way out to WalMart to score on a camo balaclava for Kevin. JayBee and I wear these fleece head wraps when its as cold as it has been, and dang if they don't do great keeping your melon warm. JayBee came out with a pair of snowboarders gloves for eight bucks, and they really do the trick too.

I was envious when I heard that they continued on into downtown for the annual Christmas Tree lighting ceremony, joining the hundreds of folks that come out to welcome the season with Santa Claus. After that it was onto Dairy Queen for burgers, then Starbucks for a warm-up cup of java. Naturally, they chose the table under the picture of a vintage Vespa. Meanwhile, I'm closing at work, then tooling home totally burned out. I missed a great time with some cool fellas for darn sure.

The latest word is that Mod Kevin is closing in on a sweet deal on a Lambretta in Idaho. I don't have the solid details on year or model, but I've seen a picture, and it is toothache sweet. He has been in contact with the seller, and it looks like the deal might be done in mid-December. I really hope that Mod Kev scores, because he would be perfect on this scooter. More details soon I'm sure.

Now we just need to get JayBee fired up on the re-birth of the Allstate project. There seems to have been some rattling in the shop lately at JayBee's digs, so maybe we'll have some follow-up details soon on this project as well.

All of a sudden we are seeing the makings of a vintage scooter movement to a small degree. Maybe this small seed will grow into something big and fruitfull. Maybe the increase in old scoots, and scooters in general will raise awareness toward motorbikes and scooters a little more in this pretty old town that I'm so fond of. This would really make this "hometown boy" proud.

Have fun, Bill

My "Happy Thanksgiving" Message

2007-11-21T19:17:00.000-08:00

Here's the deal. If I don't find a chance to post tomorrow, then may all of you out there in our friendly blog neighborhood have a very nice Thanksgiving. Take a moment to really give thanks for all of the blessings that you receive, and for the freedom and joy that we are able to share and enjoy.

Eat healthy, eat hearty, and eat well. Wrap an arm around the shoulder of a loved one and share the warmth of your spirit. Then if so inclined, loosen your belt a notch, or pop a button and savor that piece of pie that you have "just enough room for."

If the opportunity arises, take your two-wheeler out for a spin, and breathe the crisp air of the season. Stop, look around, and take in the beauty of your surroundings. Thanksgiving is a day set aside from our busy schedules to stop and truly GIVE THANKS. Enjoy.

Have fun,
Bill

"Hey, I've Got This Idea"

2007-11-17T17:33:00.000-08:00

I just got home from a week of twelve hour working days, and I think that I am officially pooped. No more gas in my tank, no more lead in my pencil. All I want to do right now is find a spot on the sofa, and sink into it. I won't though, because if my kids find me sound asleep with my chin on my chest and drool running down my chin, they'll giggle and laugh until I wake up anyway, and the cat-nap will be over. So I'll find something to keep me busy, like entering this post.

This is the first week in a very long time that I didn't ride at all. It's been four days since I've seen my scooter. I will have to make up for it some way tomorrow without a doubt. Even if the cold wet weather is still happily making it's home right here I'll ride. If I don't, I'll start to feel like I'm cheating my scooters out of opportunities to get wet and dirty.

I spoke with the local director of the Chamber of Commerce at a function that our company hosted on Thursday evening about the potiential of bringing a scooter rally to Port Angeles with the help of the Chamber. There had been a motorcycle rally scheduled back in September that had to fold due to the inability to secure the proper insurance to cover the event. The rally was to have been modeled after Sturgis, and all of the details and sponsorship work had been done. Russ, (the Chamber Director) had poured a great deal of time and effort into making the rally happen, but came up short. Now, along comes old Billy Boy with this scooter rally idea, and Russ is interested in talking with me. I will absolutely follow up on this.

The original idea had been sparked by Orin O'Neill awhile back, and we had traded some e-mail information. I would have guidance from some members of the Vespa Club of Seattle in the planning of the event, and am thankful that Orin brought up the idea. He is right on the mark that Port Angeles would make a great rally destination due to our proximity to Victoria and Vancouver B.C. Canada, and the pro-scooter cities of Seattle and Bellingham here in Washington State. If done right, we might become a blip on the radar of the northwest scooter scene. I think I'd like that.

I'll be doing my homework by compiling rally information, reaching out to Orin and his group, and getting some of my crew together to help out. I will call to set up a meeting with Russ, and show up on my Vespa with my plan in hand, and hope to get something rolling. I have some solid local resources to call on, and will put a strong proposal together for the Chamber of Commerce. If I'm good at anything, its selling. Now I get the chance to peddle an idea that I really want to sell.

All of a sudden I don't feel so tired anymore!

Have fun,
Bill

What A Way To Start The Week

2007-11-12T14:05:00.000-08:00

Well, today became a bit memorable in a real hurry. If Mother Nature was bowling, our area was the ten-pin, and she got an "X" on her score sheet.

Even though the storm that hit like a kick in the junk was centered to the north of us in central Vancouver Island, we took a pretty strong hit in the way of very strong winds, and street flooding rains. The forecast was for the system to come ashore at around 4:00 a.m. but we lost power hours before that. In all, we were without power for a total of about 8 hours. Depending on which forecast you listen to, we still aren't through with this blast till later on this evening. I was hesitant to sit down and post this entry with the potential of losing power again still looming. But I can't go outside and play, so here I sit.

Right now the winds have shifted from the southeast, and are coming from the west. Even though this might be the tail of the system bringing up the rear of a cold front, the west winds are the ones that pack the most punch for this area. Closer to the mouth of the Strait of Juan De Fuca, Clallam Bay clocked winds at 92 mph. This was during the initial push into the area, now with the westerly winds joining the party, Clallam Bay may get a right cross after receiving this mornings left hook. And we're just down the pike a short way. I suppose we'll just wait and see whats next.

This week might as well start out funky, since aside from a seminar to attend on Wednesday, and a dress up catered affair at work on Thursday, now I have to appear for Superior Court jury duty at 8:30 tomorrow morning. As the reminder notice that came in the mail states, "Failure to appear when summoned is a misdemeanor," I think that it is in my best interest to show up. Up until last night I just needed to call and listen to a recording as to what my instructions were, but the message said that my group number was called in, and a trial is set. Who knows, I might learn something.

But all in all, it appears that the rug of any chance of riding has been pulled from under my feet. With all the going here and there, and getting dressed up in something nicer than work clothes, and the freaky hardcore weather, my trusty workhorse scooter will be tucked in and dry in the shop for a few days. I guess that even the most reliable horses would rather be in the barn than out in the rain. Sounds good to me.

Have fun,
Bill

Can't See Riding When I Can't See...

2007-11-08T17:52:00.000-08:00

Just like the local airport, I was grounded by fog. One look outside this morning and I abandoned all hopes to ride to work. This was some real thick, heavy wet junk that laid in over town all day long, and not only could I not see across the street, I couldn't see taking a risk in traffic either. Some folks don't seem to recognize anything but the speed limit signs, and the mentality seems to be, "Who cares if the conditions are bad, the sign says that I can go too fast." Well, I don't want to be in their way on a scooter.

It was good to see that my riding co-workers made the same choice to drive as well. With the extended outlook calling for typical November weather for the next week that is basically rain, followed by rain, we may see a slight downturn in the amount of scooters parked at work.

I try to stay true to my mission of riding to work every day that I possibly can, but have come to realize that there will be times that it just won't work out. When our store was at the old location before our move in June, I could pick a different route for each day of the week with no big traffic concerns. Now I get lumped in with the eastbound rush, and find myself running well over the speed limit most mornings just to stay ahead of some jackwipe that is in more of a hurry than me. When the icy days ahead arrive, or when the first snows fall, I don't want to be hanging it out there with these bozo's on a scooter. I'll need some Detroit steel around me. This isn't to say that I favor driving over riding, I don't, I just don't want to put reward before risk.

On another note altogether, we find that our pal Cody has hung up his hat as a motoblogger, but will continue down the line as a writer for his friends martial arts blogsite. I wish this cat well, as I seem to have found a friend in Cody. Through our posts and comments, we have closed the gap between the East Coast and the West Coast, and have found a mutual apprieciation for each other, our beliefs, and our views on life. I understand that when you put time and effort into your site by writing creatively, offering photos, and working to find your place amongst your peers, when there seems to be no return in your investment of effort, that your work is all for naught. I've felt that a bunch of times, but decided to keep throwing wood on the fire till folks either return to get warm, or a new bunch comes by to see what's up. I count myself as blessed that I have a readership, and am inspired to keep pecking away to not only keep a journal of my thoughts, but to inspire, entertain, and motivate people about the funky cool world of simply riding a motorbike. Except on a day like today...you know, with the fog and everything.

Have fun,
Bill

Full-Face...Finally!

2007-11-02T17:34:00.000-07:00

I was just thinking about how the end of daylight-saving time was going to affect my daily commute, and realized that no matter what, I'm going to be riding to work in the dark. Oh yeah...and the cold.

We've been blessed with some really nice weather for this time of year, but each day begins with frost on the ground, and temps at around 30 degrees. I've taken to wearing a full-face helmet finally, and have been really happy with the one I bought. After shopping at the local motorcycle shops, I was beginning to wonder if I would find a good helmet that would fit both my melon, and my budget. Then I went shopping at that nice little store that Sam Walton built.

Yes people, I bought myself a Bell Helmet at Walmart for half of what I would have paid at the local shops. Seventy-nine bucks and change, and out the door I went. I'm so stinkin' happy with this thing, that I wish I would have bought one last year. It fits right, vents well, and doesn't fog as bad as my old retired Arai from a few years ago. My only beef is that I can't wear my eyeglasses with this helmet, so I put them in a case and jam them into my pocket.

I had shopped around for a modular helmet, but couldn't quite pull the trigger on paying the price, and knew in the back of my mind that I could make do without the flip-up, so I went with the full-face. At the time of purchase, we were scraping scratch together to pay our property taxes, so being frugal was necessary. I got a cool helmet, saved some bucks, and stayed on my wife's good side. It's all good.

It just seems like the whole cold riding thing has come up so fast. Man, Halloween is gone, and now were talking turkey-time. People are talking about Christmas already, and I still haven't quite pulled my head out of the hole of wondering if we will ever have summer. It's all just gone by so quickly. But on the bright side, I'm still riding every day, my pals are still riding every day, and it really doesn't matter if the clock moves back an hour, it'll still be dark and cold, and thats the way it is. Thats just fine by me.

Have fun,
Bill

Never Too "Blah" Outside To Ride

2007-10-29T08:57:00.000-07:00

So...in the above photos, you may notice some similarities in the cold weather apparel. Yup, it's the often mentioned fishtail parka. In the top picture that I took of Mod Kevin and JayBee, Mod Kevin is modeling the vintage M51 parka that has become quite difficult to find stateside. To his left, JayBee is wearing the M65 model, and is also sporting the new "Geezer" ball cap. While not as jaunty as Mod Kevin's authentic "pork pie" hat, ol' JayBee still pulls off a striking look. The photo below shows myself standing between my cronies scooters with the Port Angeles harbor as my backdrop.

Although the day was rather gray and "blah" looking outside, it was still not a bad day for a scooter ride. After dicking around most of the morning getting nothing done, I finally shuffled out to the shop and rolled my scooter out. I figured that a quick blast over to JayBee's was in order, so off I went. Upon rolling into my Geezer brother's carefully manicured dirt driveway, I could hear the sound of a two-stroke motor winding out. Turns out that JayBee was on the business end of a weed eater. Maybe someday we'll find the Allstate smoking up the yard instead powered lawn care equipment.

My arrival was reason enough to shut down for the day, so we ambled up to the penthouse digs for some coffee. JayBee gave Mod Kevin a call, and luckily reached him in a corner store parking lot. He was out shaking off boredom, riding his scooter the same as I was. Time to meet-up.

It had been a couple of weeks since I had seen Mod Kevin and in that time he had added a windscreen and a chrome rear rack to his Metropolitan. It looks good. Being a graphic artist, Mod Kevin had done some work for a drummer and took the fishtail parka as payment for his work. I think that he scored big time in this deal. Aside from having to do a little stitching and minor repairs, the M51 is in top shape.

We made a run out to Ediz Hook, then over to Von Zipper's place. Max, the guy we call "Von Zipper," rides an old Honda 450, and fits in quite well with our little band of scooter bums. I'm sure the day will come soon when we see him on a scoot. Anyway, after convincing Von Zip' to come along, we headed over to the fairgrounds, then Lincoln Park to finish out our ride.

What I liked so much about the day was that there was no plan. We just ended up getting together and rode around for a while. We are building our group up with some real cool cats and are starting to form some plans for the future. Without having to work at it, we are actually becoming a "club." Right now, structures, rules and regulations don't mean squat. We're just a bunch of guys that like doing the same thing, at the same time, the same way. And it's all about the love of scootering.

So anyway, as a side note...I'm proud to say that I accomplished a short term goal. Today marks one year for the "Little Billy's Scooter Tales" blog site. I appreciate all the folks that visit this site, and touch base through your comments. I feel like I've made some real friends out there, and look forward to continuing this path, and making new friends as I go. The long-term goal is to continue sharing my little world, and to try to keep you interested and entertained in the process.

You know... you people created the nickname "Scooter Evangelist," and I'm cool with that, because it means that my subtle message is being heard. "Riding a motorbike is good for your soul." That's it in a nutshell, and sharing that feeling with others is what I choose to do. All of you that visit pretty much already know this, but it's the folks that I meet and speak with that I want to inspire. I tell them to visit not only this site, but all of yours as well. Folks can learn a lot about riding, and some about life in this little bloggers community. Thank you for letting me be a part of it.

Have fun,

Bill

My "Special" Vespa

2007-10-22T09:50:00.000-07:00

I liked this photo from last weekend for how the color of 'Ol Blue looked against the color of the sky in the background. This was taken last Sunday before we had the change in weather that brought a series of storms through western Washington that included winds of 60+ mph, thunderstorms with hail, and "cow peeing on a flat rock" rain. In a nutshell, the weather sucked.

Since Port Angeles is tucked nicely in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains, storms blowing in from the south generally split around the Olympics, and the wrath is more intensely felt to the east and west of us. This is how it went on Wednesday and Thursday, so we ended up being spared the full brunt of the winds. If the systems roll from the west down the Strait of Juan De Fuca, we usually take it like a punch to the forehead. The forecast for the next week calls for better, "more seasonal conditions."

This junk didn't stop most of the cronies from riding every day though. JayBee wrapped up in the fishtail parka and sloshed his way to work, as did Slim Jim on my old Helix. I was able to get my pant cuffs wet a few times as well on the BR. As long as nobody sends out the message to stop riding, I guess we'll stay the course.

For as long as I've had the Vespa, I hadn't ridden on the highway at any time. I've gotten my fix by riding pretty much in town, and on some close-by country roads with slower speed limits. I really wanted to see what its limitations would be if I were to put it in a commuting situation. So I rode out to work yesterday to find out.

I needed to drop an item off at work, and I would normally ride the Big Ruckus out or drive out, as I do this every Sunday. This trip would be the first for Ol' Blue. It was time to stop worrying about the rain and wet, and how filthy my old scoot would get, and just get out there and ride the darn thing. I've never owned a motorbike that I wouldn't ride in the wet before, so why am I treating the Vespa any different? Riding in the rain is part of the gig around here. So with my old school parka zipped up tight, we headed out.

The best thing about the ride to work on Sunday is the lack of traffic. Either folks are at home, or in church, so the streets are pretty much empty till around noon. This made for a much more relaxed ride, and I was able to putt along quite nicely. The exception was the guy in the red Mazda pick-up that stayed next to me for about 3 blocks that kept looking over at me like he couldn't believe what he was seeing. He finally turned into a coffee stand, and I headed down the Baker Street dip. This "dip" is where I would first encounter a real hill to climb.

I tried to build up a head of steam on the downhill so I could blast up the other side. Well, there was no "blasting" up the other side, but I made it without having to shift into third gear, so now I know what to expect. I've never pushed the Vespa this hard before, and I'm happy to know that it will handle the job. I don't want to make a habit out of doing it though. Taking it out in crummy conditions is one thing, flogging the whiz out of it is another. I still look at the GT as a "special" little scooter, and really don't want to abuse it. But at least I know now that it will do the job if called on.

After making my quick visit to work, we retraced the route home with no problems. Mission accomplished. In all the years that I've been riding, and on all of the motorbikes I've ridden, this little jaunt was a new adventure. Most anybody would look and say "So what?" "It's no big deal to ride a scooter through town." But for me it was special. I was reminded of a time when I was about ten years old, and I rode my bicycle across town. It was a big adventure for me, and with my parents approval, I succeeded in making it to my destination. And when I turned to make the long ride back, I realized that I was exhausted, and hadn't planned on having to ride all the way back home. Parked just down the road from me was the family station wagon. My folks had followed me without me even knowing it. I was triumphant though, and they let me know how proud they were that I had made it. After loading the bicycle into the car, we drove over to my grandparents house to share my great story. How ironic that my grandparents house is the same house that we now own, and are raising our kids in. Maybe that is why this simple little ride on my Vespa reminded my of that great day. Both rides took me to the same place, and both rides gave me the same good feelings.

Isn't it something that forty years can pass, and a memory can return so vividly? I pulled my scooter in, in the exact same spot that my parents parked their car all those years ago. And I walked in the same back door to tell my wife about my scooter ride, that I had walked in to tell my grandmother about my bicycle ride. Who says that you "can't go back." I did, and I did it on my Vespa scooter. Did I mention that I think it's "special?"

Have fun,
Bill

Bigger Isn't Always Better

2007-10-19T08:26:00.000-07:00

Here's a photo that gives you the general idea of where my mind is at in relation to my latest post. This shot was taken a few Sunday's back at Altaire campground, and shows Mod Kevin's Metropolitan, JayBee on his 50cc Vino, and my Big Ruckus parked in a campsite by the river.

This campground in the Olympic National Park is about 15 miles west of Port Angeles, and the route that we took to get there is on some beautiful country roads. With speed limits on these roads no more that 35 mph for most of the trip, it's no problem maintaining the speed limit on the smaller scooters. And our area is filled with such roads.

Where my interest lies, and the way my interest has been fueled, is in how these cats have adapted to their individual rides, and how they genuinely feel about their steeds. These scooters give them the same feeling of enjoyment that maybe a crotch rocketeer gets carving canyon corners, or a weekend warrior Harley rider gets in blasting down a long stretch of open highway. It's about the ability to get your face in the wind, and your knee's in the breeze. These guys enjoy riding as much as I do.

Granted, the speeds come nowhere close to what I can achieve on my motorbikes, but it doesn't seem to matter. They shrug this off by simply saying, "we don't need to go fast to get where we're going." Okay, thats true, no argument there. Now I'm looking into the window of their world, and I like what I see.

When I took the above photo, I was sitting at the picnic table, and this is where we sat and had a really nice conversation about scooters, and how they affected how we viewed our personal scooter lifestyles.

Mod Kevin, gets the whole Mod scene, and minus owning a traditional Mod scooter, plays the role full time. JayBee, has ridden the Vino full time since buying it, and has in my opinion become a real scooterist. Bear in mind, these guys ride 50cc scooters.

Part of our conversation was about how if they had 125, or 150cc scoots, they could really stretch their wings and go farther and faster, but what their daily needs call for doesn't require a larger displacement ride. They are quite content being who they are, riding what they have. This attitude made an impression on me that really got me to thinking. They sold me on the point that "bigger isn't always better" when it comes to having fun riding scooters.

So the seed was planted a few Sunday's back, and I am glad that it was. I know that the popular opinion is that I am off my nut for even considering "stepping down" to a little scooter, but there is something about the passion that was shared by these cats that has stuck with me, and it was the sincerity of the way they spoke that struck me so hard. That friends, is where the idea was planted, and it just might be taking root.

Have fun,
Bill

How About A Little Scooter For A Change?

2007-10-14T07:58:00.000-07:00

I'm always thinking of stuff. I always seem to have a long mental list of things that I want, or want to do. I've been this way for as long as I can remember, and its cool for me because I always have something to reach for. Something to drive my wife crazy is more like it, but I hope by now she is used to it. Once again it has to do with scooters.

You see, most of the hipsters that I know in this area that ride scooters have 50cc models, and they ride them pretty hardcore. JayBee, Mod Kevin, Nick, Talitha, my neighbors Robert and Janet and their group all ride either Honda or Yamaha scooters. And there seems to be even more scoots popping up all the time that I hadn't seen before. This is the beginning of a little scooter culture in our little city, and as usual it has me excited.

I don't mean to leave anyone out of this list of names, but these are just a few of the folks that I see all the time that are out experiencing the joys of scootering, and saving on fuel costs on little rigs. Hmm...I might need to look into this a bit.

So here I sit on a Sunday morning, the owner of a sweet vintage Vespa 125, and my workhorse Big Ruckus, not even including my rat Harley Davidson among a few other rides, trying to form some line of thought that will justify my newest need for of all things...a little scooter.

Yeah, I can sink my teeth into this one for sure. I know for a fact that these little scoots have built in fun factor. Not to say that what I have isn't fun, but I've never had one of the little one's, and there lies the challenge and adventure. What can I do with one of these things? Where, and how far can I go? How much will I learn about them, and how much will I be able to pass on to others? And the big one for me...how far into winter, and in what weather conditions will I ride it in? My immediate thought is that I would put the little scooter through much more than anyone listed above, with maybe the exception of JayBee. This personal challenge would be great.

I've batted the thought around a million times about using the Vespa for the same reasons, but in the end I would hate to beat the whiz out of such a cherry little classic. I care too much for my rolling showpiece to put it through these conditions. In the end, it will always be a sunny day rider. I won't beat up on 'Ol Blue.

So what will I want, and how will I afford it? Ahh...the root of my subject. This is where the excitement and thinking starts. This becomes the challenge and the beginning of a whole new process of learning. Who knows, maybe this will wither on the vine as do many of my great plans, but on this Sunday morning, I have a new plan...and I'm really thinking about it.

Have fun,
Bill

It's Fishtail Parka Season

2007-10-08T12:22:00.000-07:00

I'm convinced that the seasons want to zoom right past Fall and get Winter started NOW! As I looked at the weather map to see that pretty much everyone in our little blog neighborhood, with the exception of Orin, is enjoying temperatures anywhere from the 60's through the 80's, our day started out at 37 degrees. This is a tad bit cold for early October friends, but not too cold to keep old Billy Boy from a nice putt on Ol' Blue.

Even though this is my day off, I had to make an appearance at work this morning. So I rode my Big Ruckus out early, and after getting home again, I still wanted to ride. I had been looking at some rally photo's on Scoot.net last night, and was jonesin' to get out on the Vespa. Today I got my fix. I'll tell you what too, this type of day was made for wearing a fishtail parka. I know some of you cats know what I'm talking about, but for those of you who don't...do some research on this piece of scooter history, and look into why this article of clothing is not only very warm and functional, but also how it ranks on the scale of scooter cool. My parka is the M65 model with the detachable wool hood with the synthetic fur ruff. The M51 has the attached hood that came with real wolf's fur ruff. I hope that Santa wears one to my house this Christmas and leaves it under the tree for me.

The photo above shows the jacket on the seat. I know that everyone isn't into military surplus clothing, and prefer body armor with their riding wear, but there is something about owning a vintage scooter that keeps me wanting to follow tradition, and the Mod's were pretty good about figuring what worked best for poor riding conditions back in "the day."

Another thing about riding my Vespa had me thinking of Orin O'Neill over at Scootin' Old Skool. When Orin travels, he has to deal with traffic moving at speeds much faster than his PX150, so that pretty much keeps him toward the fogline. As I rode today at speeds even slower than what Orin can do, I too had to stay to the far right of my lane to allow cars to pass. I'm used to rolling at the speed of traffic on my Sportster and my BR, so when you're not used to having cars pass you in your own lane, it feels a little funky at first. But every time I take the GT125 out, I think of how cool it would be to test its limits and go on some kind of road trip. Maybe this Winter my Geezer cronies and I will come up with some kind of plan to do something this Spring. We will definitely find our way to some rallies for sure. Our plans of hitting the rally scene this past Summer went down the turd hopper since we had just moved into a new store, and our level of business went from busy to really, really busy. Now hopefully the bugs have been worked out and we can find our stride again. When you miss out on your leisure time in the name of "work," you end up feeling like you are giving up a bit too much. And for a scooter bum that wants to get out and do more than just commute, giving up too much ain't gonna work.

I'm hoping that this goofy speed trip into Winter will bring continued dedicated riding and planning for next season. JayBee is moving forward with his plan to get the Allstate shipped off to Scooterworks in Chicago, and I'm going to haul my scoot to the Emerald City to get a once over before the real crap weather sets in. Then I'll start pondering if I want to keep it in its pristine condition, or if I want to ride it the way it was intended to be ridden...all the time, and in every condition. With my fishtail parka on.

Have fun,
Bill

Getting Used To Getting Wet

2007-09-30T10:36:00.000-07:00

Looking out the kitchen window this morning gives me a good look at what the National Weather Service calls our "first hydrologically significant event of the season." Meaning lots of rain. The areas west of P.A. have gotten over 2 inches since last night, and the rivers will probably get close to flood stage by early this evening. Ahh, the Fall season has arrived.

My most recent post has the photo with sunny skies and beautiful views. Today is just plain wet and dreary. Just a few days ago we had the windows open until after dark because it was still a bit warm. Now the heaters have been turned on, and the long sleeved shirts returned to the front of the line as daily wear. Sweaters will be added soon enough.

At some point today I will don the fishtail parka and set out for a little ride in the rain. I hadn't ridden much this past week, and I think that a couple of my scooter riding cronies at work are beginning to suspect my resolve. The fact is, that I've been spending a bit more time with the Harley lately, and my riding has been in the evenings. After having it down so long, it feels good to blast down the highway on the old ratbike again. I'll post a photo of the ratbike in its lastest form in my next post. I changed the look again, and took it back to the way it was 2 years ago. The way that feels best for me when I'm riding it.

I have to tip my hat to the guys at work that have continued to ride as the season has turned. JayBee, TallSlim and even Dreamcrusher have been real consistent in using the scooter as daily transportation. As we press on in the coming months and face more "hydrologically significant events," hopefully we can keep our scooter parking spots filled up with our little band of scooter fanatics. After all, it's only rain...

Have fun,
Bill

Welcoming Autumn With JayBee And Mod Kevin

2007-09-23T16:35:00.000-07:00

Here you see my pal JayBee, and Mod Kevin enjoying the view of the Elwha River on the first day of Autumn. And what a nice first day at that.

After spending the early part of my day riding in a local bicycling event, I had come home for a shower and a change of duds when J.B. phoned me up to go for a little putt. I had spoken about my rides out to Altaire Campground, and this turned out to be the destination of the day. J.B. had called Mod Kevin, and we all met up in a parking lot at 8th and Pine St.

The pace up Black Diamond Road, then onto Elwha Road was just right for soaking in the sights. With the leaves beginning to turn from green to brilliant yellows, golds, and reds, every corner offered a postcard view. The rather cool temperatures added to the reality that this is truly Fall, and Summer has moved on.

What I was really into, was sharing the experience with these cats. I've been exploring these roads for awhile now, and have had some great moments. It'll really be sweet in a week or so when the colors are full, before the leaves start to fall. We already have a plan to roll back up to Altaire, in full retro Mod style. I'll have to ride the Vespa just to keep in style with these two.

At one point today, I glanced over at Mod Kevin and he was looking smooth in a PorkPie hat, and an authentic British Navy sweater. J.B. was also sporting a British military sweater, and they both had on a variation of the fishtail parka. For the next ride, we've agreed to wear the real fishtail parka's, and do it up right. With the cooler days upon us, we'll need them. We'll probably take some tasty grindage, and some high-test coffee, and make a real event out of it.

Whatever we end up doing, it'll be cool. This is the time of year to get out and ride, and really take in what is around you. These two cats will agree with me. And when they get out, they do it in real style. That's how they roll.

Have fun,
Bill

The Neighborhood Is Changing

2007-09-16T15:03:00.000-07:00

Seems like life is taking it's toll on our little blog neighborhood. We find John over at Combat Commuter "packing it in" to continue his effort to rebuild his home life, and then yesterday I find that my biggest influence in moto-blogging is sliding into "hibernation." What the hell?

I have some solid favorites that I follow in the blog world, and Gary, the "Rush Hour Rambler" is in the top row of my favorites. Even if he pops up now and then to post one of his "Ramble Plans," the lack of consistency in his writings will be what I miss. I liken it to when my close friend told me that he was shipping out in the Navy. He was still my pal, and I would see and hear from him on occasion, but the fact was, that he was gone indefinitely and that was a void that was hard to fill.

But we all move on and continue down the paths that we are meant to follow. My path will still lead me to my keyboard to share my little snippets of life from my neck of the weeds.

The landscape that we've gotten used to is changing, and if "change is good" as the saying goes, then I'm cool with that. It won't stop me from checking in at their sites now and then to see if they have come back for a visit, or maybe for an even longer stay.

Now, that would be cool.

Have fun,
Bill

All Good Things...Are Good Things!

2007-09-11T17:45:00.000-07:00

Well, since I'm back to the daily grind after nine days off from work, I figured that it was time to start poking away at the keyboard to get my blog world current. So, lets recap...

The vacation itself was a "fly by the seat of my pants" time, and I like it that way. I dinked around the house, and spent time with the kids and my bride. I also burrowed into the shop and got reacquainted with my bikes and the tools to keep them up and running. And in the case of my Sportster, it seemed like I always had to wrench on something.

The above photo was taken at the Hurricane Ridge parking lot in the late afternoon. The temp was around 75 degrees where I stood to click the picture. But I had to ride in a chilling fog for 13 miles before busting out into the clear blue sunny skys at around 4800 foot elevation. This was a huge bonus to the sweatshirt wearing day that I was enjoying at home.

I tried to pick a different destination each day to putt to and usually ended up in either the National Park or at a County Park by the water. No matter where the destination was, it was fun to ride and spend a little time checking out the surroundings.

The Sporty chose to keep me on my toes by throwing off parts that it no longer wanted. Like the fork stem bolt and washer. How in the world does this 5/8" x 1", 18 thread bolt just fly out of the hole? I had polished the top of the triple clamp just the day before, and it was intact. Maybe a road gremlin with a 15/16ths socket and wrench found me while at a company picnic Sunday afternoon. A stop at the local industrial hardware house got me fixed up. I first had to convince the dude at the motorcycle shop that it would be cool to call his supplier and ask what the bolt spec's were since the Harley's info was vague. They only list part numbers, and don't indicate within the part # what the size is, the way that some of the Japanese bike manufacturers do. Anyway, I got it done and got back to riding.

One thing that I do, and have always done while riding Harley's, it to pretty much dress like Marlon Brando from the "Wild One." Engineer boots, leather jacket with a denim "cut," that has a 25 year old Harley "Bar and Shield" patch sewn on the back, and a '60's era helmet complete with goggles strapped on. I get more comments about dressing "old school," but the truth is, that I've chosen this uniform since building my old '75 Ironhead Sportster almost 20 years ago. It's part of the deal I guess.

I put in equal time on the Big Ruckus, visiting Altaire Campground on the Elwha River one morning just to enjoy the smells of coffee and bacon and eggs being cooked over an open campfire. Having gotten my fix, I blasted home on Black Diamond Road with almost no traffic to contend with. Twists, turns, hills and beautiful views of the first changing colors of the Fall season, and literally three cars on the road. Sweeeeet!

All of this was just what the proctologist ordered, and I was able to roll into work with a fresher outlook and fully charged mental batteries. Work, meetings and classes...oh crap!

Have fun,

Bill

Back To School

2007-09-05T10:52:00.000-07:00

The spread between my postings is almost turning into a bi-monthly stretch. I gotta remedy that. The last few weeks have felt like a sprint finish as far as the work weeks go, but I cured that by grabbing up some vacation time so I could catch my breath and gear back a bit to enjoy some late summer days without the cloud of work hanging over my mellon.

I've been elected to a "team" of company folks to draw up the road-map for the future direction of our business, and this includes classes through the end of the year. Even though I'm on vacation, I'll be in class today for the whole afternoon. I'm commited to this project because I was voted into the position. Some folks were chosen by a steering committee, others were elected. I got the nod, so now I gotta "Git er' done."

And I will ride my scoot to class for sure. The riding has been nice lately with the cool, foggy mornings, followed by warm sunny afternoons. This is typical weather for this time of year, and it has always been my favorite time of year to ride. I was telling my wife this morning about when I bought my first brand new motorcycle off the showroom floor back in 1981. It was a Yamaha 550 Maxim, and I was telling of the time of year, and how it reminded me of those days. I said that I bought the bike on September 5th, and it was a day like today. How deja vu that its the 5th today, and I didn't even know it. Geez, I don't think about the date when I'm not at work. Time flies, man.

Well, little dude should be rolling in from kindergarten in a few minutes, so I'll go get caught up on his adventures before I head off to class. My books under one arm, and a Mountain Dew Amp Tall Boy in the other hand...I'm ready.

Have fun,
Bill

Exit The Helix...(And A Couple Big Bridges)

2007-08-24T17:06:00.000-07:00

I felt the need to blast out a quick post to at least feel caught up. This week has been full of meetings at work and elsewhere, and a full plate of activities to boot. So blogging fell off a bit, and I hate feeling like I'm behind.

The '86 Honda Helix that I was a short time caretaker for, has moved on to a good new home. The "Tall Slim Fellow" purchased the old gem on Monday, and has been commuting to work everyday since. His ride to work ends at the same place as mine, but begins quite a bit further up the road from where I start out each day. This will become a great fuel saving situation for my friend, and every buck counts. The bonus is the fact that he too will enjoy the feelings that we all share by leaving the cage at home, and two-wheeling to the grind every day. The "In the wind" feeling.

I hope that the Helix does the job as well for him as it did for me in the short time that I had with it. Ol' Mule is doing full duty again, and I don't feel like I'm cheating on it by scooting on another ride.

After dumping a big chunk of cash at the motorcycle shop, the Sportster is in top shape as well. The neighbors hate it when I light it up at 6:30 a.m. though, so I'll keep the peace by riding the Big Ruckus.

In changing subjects, we are all aware of the bridge collapse in the hometown of the Rush Hour Rambler, and the way it has affected Gary's daily commute. If you don't know, see his site on my blogroll, and you'll understand how this tragedy has impacted him as a daily commuter. And in my world, how bridge loss changes my ride as well.

Well ya see...there are these two bridges in my nice little town that connect East to West Port Angeles. Or, there were two, now there is one still in use, and one getting the wrecking ball. After 70 years of use, the City has decided to knock them down and replace them. November of '08 is the target time for being able to cross the valley's again, so we too will get to be creative in finding our ways to work. I happen to live on the far West side of town, and work on the furthest East side, so I enjoy the full effect of losing this connection.

The neat part is how the city turned some quiet little side-streets into main drags by simply putting up traffic signals and barriers with direction signs. Even leaving home early each day, I sometimes get caught waiting through a couple of signal cycles. The full impact won't be felt until mid next month when the Valley Street bridge gets the ball, then we'll start getting hung up even more each day. But, as a lady said to me at work, "In six months it'll all feel normal, and we won't even think about it any more." And she's right.

Until then, I'll keep buzzing out of here in the early hours on my scooter, having fun as usual.

Have fun,
Bill

Catching Up...

2007-08-19T08:43:00.000-07:00

I realized last night that it had been awhile since I posted anything, and that the pace of things in general seems to be moving rather quickly for me right now. Summer is flying past, and before we know it, the leaves will change color and fall to the ground, and the cold of the late season will be on us. I really need to soak in what's left of Summer now, and the only way to do that is to slow down. It's hard to smell the roses when the roses are gone though.

I have been spending some time in the evenings with a friend that landed in the hospital last week. I found out through another friend that my buddy was having complications from an earlier surgery, and would need to be opened back up and repaired. I was with him as the nurses came in to haul him away, and his spirits were good. The next evening found him wiped out on morphine, and not connected with the world around him. Looking out of one eye, trying to make conversation, he finally just reached out his hand and held mine for a moment, then fell asleep.

I hope that my visits make a difference for my friend, because it's made a difference for me. I'm left with the feeling that I am supposed to be there, and I'll continue to touch base till this gent is released to go home.

On the motorbike front, riding has been great lately, and it looks as though the Helix may find a new home soon. The "tall slim fellow" I'll call him, may be riding home on the old gal tomorrow. The Helix will be pressed into service as a full time commuter for both work and school, and in my opinion, will be the perfect scooter for the job. As much as I enjoy riding her, we haven't bonded together yet to the point where I will pine when she's gone. The Harley on the other hand...

I was sure that I could just put a price on the Sportster, and let it go. I was flat wrong. At the point of putting an ad in the classifieds, I walked in the back door and told my wife that I couldn't do it. I had gotten the old sled running, and had blasted all over the neighborhood, and knew from minute one that I couldn't part ways with a bike that I am identified with. This might be the one that I can't part with. I know this bike too well, and I'd hate to have to try to explain every funky little haywired quirk to a potential owner anyway. Better off that I keep peace in the shop, and lose the notion of selling my pony.

Right now the Sporty is in the bike shop getting a new starter. I had been told by a mechanic that the Sportster starter is "bomb proof" and that I probably needed to check my grounds, and clean all the leads. So with the battery replaced, and everything spit shined and cleaned, my electrogremlin showed up and halted my fun again. Frustrated, I pecked away long enough to get it fired up again, and jumped on and hauled tail to the local shop to have my buddy Paul diagnose the problem. Paul, by the way is not the mechanic that uttered the "bombproof" quote. MMI trained, Big Paul is my preferred moto-doctor, and he will hopefully have the sled up and running by mid-week. Just in time for my return to ABATE.

The chapter that I held the position of Coordinator in is going through a major overhaul. The head honcho that was in office when I first started, is coming back to rebuild the chapter literally as it was in its last stages of existence. I had moved along about a year ago when the direction had moved from where we were going, to a negative political path that I didn't want to follow. A simple phone call of "I'm back, and I need your help," was all it took. I'll come back, and I'll help out the best that I can, because the same guy that is leading the chapter again, is also my friend in the hospital, and he can use all the help that he can get right now.

Have fun,
Bill

"Grinitis"

2007-08-07T16:50:00.000-07:00

I was trying to stack up some words to build a new post, then changed direction after I had made a comment to Steve Williams after my last post. I had said that I created the word "grinitis" in reference to my feelings when commuting on my scooter. So this is actually a continuation of the theme of my last post. I had also said that the only time I feel like this when I drive to work is if The Ramones come on the radio. That is pretty rare around these parts.

I had also noted that I had to drive today, and it felt like I brought some work issues along with me. The drive just doesn't have the "good time" flavor of scootering. I need to be in the elements, and feel, hear, smell and be a part of what is going on. Rain or shine, dark or light, old Billy Boy is the happy scooterin' cat. It's the same to me as the person poking his toe into the pool to decide if it's right to wade into. I'm the kid in the baggy swimsuit flying by on my way to a monster cannonball. I want to be all the way in, and enjoying every bit of the experience of being there. Driving to me, puts you there, but not in it the way that moto-commuting does. If this makes sense to you, then I made my point, if not, then chalk up these ramblings as the words of a scootering nut job. I'm happy either way.

I guess this brings me back to the term "grinitis" that I think I coined. This is more a feeling inside that I get when putting along on a simple motorscooter. I grin both inside, and outwardly as I tool along, and I have told many that they too can feel this way by giving riding a chance. What can you lose by giving riding a go? You might like it. Be safe, be smart, use good judgement in wearing protective equipment, and don't put yourself in unsafe conditions until you are prepared. But consider riding as an option to the boxed in world of the cage pilots.

I know that these are the words of the Scooter Evangelist, but unless I bang the drum now and then, I don't deserve to have my motorpulpit to preach from. Riding is not a magic pill, or a snake-oil to bring vitality and everlasting youth, it's just a flavor of happiness that many have acquired a taste for. And the side-effect of this flavor it the afore mentioned "grinitis." It's good stuff man...trust me.

Have fun,
Bill

Power Of The Positive Commute

2007-08-04T17:42:00.000-07:00

Since I'm a pondering sort, I was thinking about my commute and how it affects my day. The Ride to Work is a ride of preparation. These are the moments that put me in a mindset that allows me to begin my workday clear and focused. As I ride, I take the time to look at the mountains, and try to take in some of the early morning sights, sounds and smells. I take deep breaths of the cool morning air and try to enjoy the relaxing feeling I get with riding as I close in on my destination.

I also take this time to start piecing together my battleplan for the day. As I try not to take my work home with me, I really need to get focused to feel like I'm ready to roll when I clock in. It's more about having my attitude in the right place, and I try to be consistant in showing a positive outlook. I find that it is much easier to feel chipper and awake after a ride in the crisp air on a motorscooter.

The ride home is different. This ride is for shedding the stress and mind clouding issues that come with a day on the job. This ride is the ride away from work, and it gives me a chance to prepare for the next part of my day...Husband and Daddy. I tend to string this putt out a little longer than the morning ride, as the extra time gives me a chance to both relax and to brace myself, because when you have little ones at home going full tilt, you gotta be on your toes or you are going to get run over. My kids are at the ages where its still a big deal to have Daddy come walking in from work. I get the full rundown on who did what to who, or "Can I have a popsickle before dinner?" "Can we play baseball?" and all the other things that are important to little whippers. You have to have your head right to handle these things.

Maybe its just me, but I feel clearer headed, sharper and much more prepared to handle both sides of my day by simply operating a scooter as my transportation. I'll try to convince anyone that will listen that the motorscooter is the "Fountain of Youth" in two-wheeled form, and that they will receive endless joy by simply breathing two-stroke smoke. So it's a given that I have convinced myself that I will be happier if I ride instead of drive to and from work. And in my world, that's all that counts.

Have fun,
Bill

Clean It, Fix It, Sell It

2007-07-29T14:45:00.000-07:00

Ever since the big windstorm last November, my Harley Davidson has been tucked away in the "old" shop out back. Now that I've glombed onto the scooter as my chosen mode of two wheeled trasportation, I haven't really wanted to visit my old Sporty. That was, not until Friday.

The wife and I had taken the kids to Burger King in Sequim, about 17 miles from home to have lunch and to get the new Simpson's toys that come with the kid's meals. As we were eating lunch, in strolls a club "Brother" from my days in the patch-holders world. After getting caught up over lunch, we went out to look at his new "Von Dutch" inspired paint job on his FLH. We traded phone numbers and said our goodbyes' but not without his invitation to "come around." This left me with that feeling that I used to struggle with back in the day. The allure of this type of lifestyle is strong, but the commitment to my God, family and work lifestyle will always be stronger. None the less, I'll always wonder how things would be if I had continued down that path.

As we were driving home, I told my wife that I was going to get the HD running...and sell it. I said that the only way to complete the separation, is to be rid of the bike that completes the circle. No Harley...no coming around. It's hard to explain to some folks how it all works, but I know, and I'm going to do something about it.

After tackling the cleaning and scrubbing, I drained the tank and charged the old battery. Sure enough, the "trouble" indicator light lit up on the charger, and I was reminded of an old problem with this relatively new battery from last fall. I pulled the battery, and proceeded to clean all of the leads including the starter leads. The above photo shows a bit of the birds nest of wires underneath the seat. I even pulled the relay from behind the oil bag, and unless you have hands the size of GI Joe's, this task is rather frustrating. But I got it done, and called the motorcycle shop and ordered a new battery. I changed the plugs with Splitfires, and poured in some $3.29 unleaded to have fresh gas when I get it fired up tomorrow...hopefully. The electrical gremlins always have me baffled, so I'm banking on a little luck to get her to fire. If she does, I'll run her for awhile, then change the oil.

While in the middle of all of this fun, I made a call to a fellow that has interest in buying a project bike. We had talked about the potential of me selling my bike awhile back, and I told him that I was ready to get with the program now, and so he will come by sometime this week. I'll make him as sweet a deal as I can, as long as I get what I paid for it. I have a few items to throw in, such as some lifestyle collectibles, and maybe an old peanut helmet, so I hope to swing a quick deal.

I'm actually glad though, that I ran into this Biker friend on Friday. Not only did it cement my decision to finally put the stamp on the end of this part of my motorcycling life, but it made me realize that I really do enjoy my current status as a scooterist, a scooter commuter, and a dude that really enjoys the slower paced, and more relaxed feeling that I get as someone that has finally lifted the weight of indecision from his mind. This by no means is to say that I am giving up on motorcycles as opposed to scooters, it is to say that I am parting with a bike that helped me fit in where I don't belong.

There will be another motorbike with my name on it somewhere down the line, but it will be awhile before I look to buying a "lifestyle" ride other than say a Vespa GT, or a PX. At least with these cool rides, I don't have feelings or thoughts of confusion. I can really look forward to this.

Have fun,

Bill

Kalaloch Beach

2007-07-25T15:21:00.000-07:00

I've been gone for a few days friends, and here's a shot of the view that I had from where we camped on the beach. This is South Beach, just 2 miles south of Kalaloch Lodge in the Olympic National Park. This is what we call "primitive camping," since there are no amenities such as showers, and water or power hook-ups. Here we just pull up to a spot in the open and set up camp.

My father-in-law "Corndog" had gone out last Thursday to meet up with some great folks that we camp with each year, and to secure a choice place to set up. As always, he scored with our favorite piece of land. I spend an entire year waiting to get back to this spot just to unwind and relax. This is my vacation place.

I usually ride every year and follow the family truckster. In years past, I've continued down the coast to the Sun and Surf Rally in Ocean Shores. This event is on the HOG calender, but other factions of the biker world have laid claim to the rally as their own. I've lost interest in this event since departing the "biker culture," and would rather cut firewood to keep the evening flame going to roast hotdogs.

It was literally in the last 30 minutes of packing the car that I decided that I would not ride this year. It wasn't feeling right, and I went with my gut feeling. I walked out the back door, picked up my gear and locked the scoot in the shop. I'm driving!

Ten miles into a 90 mile drive is where we first found rain. It didn't let up for 24 hours. This is rainforest country, and it doesn't just come down, it blows and mists and soaks everything. When the sun finally broke through the marine layer of clouds, it was absolutely beautiful. For about two hours we were in total "Beach Blanket Bingo" conditions. (Minus Frankie and Annette) Girls in short shorts, boogie boards, my kids and I splashing in the surf with "Papa," and the smell of burgers and dogs on the grill. Everything was perfect...until the wind came up.

For twelve hours the wind blew. I commented that I wasn't sure if my red face was from the sun, or from windburn. But boy-howdy did it blow. Three trailer awnings were damaged or destroyed, and tarps and tents were popping loose and flapping in the breeze. And I kid you not friends...I was having a ball! I really enjoyed everything that Mother Nature gave us on these days. It was never boring, and as I am trying to slow down to enjoy these moments, I feel like there were some real bonus moments to remember. This really was a great time to enjoy with my crew. And when the weather really puffed up a bit last night and sent folks for cover, I reached into my scooter gear and produced my M-65 Fishtail Parka, and kicked back and enjoyed the evening on the beach. After all, I'm on vacation.

Have fun,

Bill

I'm Inspired...Again

2007-07-21T18:42:00.000-07:00

As I was breezing through some of my favorite moto-blog sites a few nights back, I rolled into Scootin' Old Skool. Orin O'Neill had posted about a couple of German gents that were touring the U.S. on handlebar model vintage Vespa's. I took a good look at the photos, and was really digging the fact that these two intrepid souls were seeing this beautiful country from the solo-seats of these wonderful old scooters. Let's just say that I was pretty darned impressed.

So, two days later I'm hanging out in front of work on my lunch break, which is Highway 101, and I'll be darned if these two German adventurers don't ride by right in front of me. You would have thought that I just saw Batman by the way I reacted. I'm saying out loud, "Hey, it's those guys...it's the German dudes!" I start looking around to tell someone, and there's nobody to tell. But man, it was cool. The way they dressed made the whole look perfect. If I was quicker and had no pride, I would have chased them like a schoolgirl to get them to stop and chat a bit. But I'm pretty slow, and besides...I had a sandwich to finish.

Anyway, on to other business. I've been tinkering with the idea of still following my desire to own a larger cc model Vespa than the 125GT that I have now. I have these late-night schemes to build into a concise plan to downsize my scooter inventory and purchase a daily workhorse all-purpose Vespa. It's great that I am blessed with a wife that allows me to seize these barn find opportunities, but the wish is still strong to pare down to one brand. Although I'm strong on the Honda brand now, Vespa has a firm grip on my wishbone.

I think change is good anyway. Sometimes a cat has to mix things up a little to see how different everything settles. So I'll research my options, and take some time to plan whatever move I might make, and like so many of you daily Vespa riders, look forward to adopting that one brand, as the real brand of choice.

Have fun,
Bill

A Ruckus On The Ridge

2007-07-16T14:59:00.000-07:00

Okay folks, here's a grainy, unprofessional photo of my favorite riding destination, Hurricane Ridge. The shot above is of Mule at the far end of the parking lot just before the glut of cars, motormotels, and motorbikes. I always park here and hoof it to the lodge, since the tourista's wander through traffic with no attention paid to the moving vehicles. It's safer for both of us to not ride into the mix.

The lodge in the background sits at just above 5400' elevation. This place is packed throughout the Summer months, and keeps the skiers warm and dry in the Winter. This is also where I worked my first job out of high school. Maybe this is where my feelings for "The Ridge" come from. Thirty-one years have passed since I wore my cap and gown, and as the times have changed so much since then, I can always return to this place and feel comfortable as though time has allowed this place to stay the same. Sort of like an alpine comfort zone.

I also used the first 5 miles of the road yesterday as my test grounds for a little comparison between the Helix, and my Big Ruckus. I had noticed that the BR tends to want to hang at around 45 mph on the way up the hill. This got me thinking about the Helix, and since it has the same basic motor, what would it do? I buzzed home and swapped scooters, and headed back up the hill.

Now, the BR likes to throw lots of wind at me from the windscreen when running above 50 mph. Not so with the Helix. The ride on the old "jet-ski on wheels" is nice and quiet without all the wind being forced up the windshield directly into my face like on Mule. The wind seems to channel everywhere but back to me. And it has some "giddy-up and go!" I was quite surprised when on the same stretch of road that I had been on earlier, the Helix ran up over fifty without a problem. I didn't push beyond mid-throttle on either scoot, so it looks as though the sleeker, lighter Helix wins the "King of the Mountain" jersey on this hill.

The other thing I noticed about the Helix, is that the front end feels light and sketchy at low speeds. I don't know what the fork rake is in this thing, but it seems to be stretched out a bit compared to the BR. But...once you run it up to around sixty, it feels much tighter, and handles the corners quite well. I don't know if any of you have ever ridden one of these "old man" scooters before, but you might be surprised at how they get up and run, and handle the highway to boot.

Next time I take a "Back to the Future" ride to the Ridge, I'll take the Helix. We'll see how she handles the twisties!

Have fun,
Bill

Return Of The Ridge Rider

2007-07-09T17:34:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while that little low wattage light bulb over my head blinks to life with a dim glow of an idea. Today I got a little flicker. After a bicycle training ride this morning for an event coming up in September, I looked up at the cloudless sky over the mountains and thought that I hadn't been to Hurricane Ridge yet this Summer. While running errands with the family, I mentioned to my wife that we should take a little drive to Heart 'o the Hills toll booth in the Olympic National Park to buy our season pass. Once there, it was only natural to continue on up to "The Ridge."

After playing tourist for a while with some soft-serve ice cream cones and a walk on the nature trails, we made our way home so I could turn around and head right back up on my scooter.

Now that I have a small stable of rides to choose from, I still opted for my trustiest scoot, Mule. I have been on the hill many times with the Big Ruckus, and although not a "canyon carver" this scooter handles the road quite nicely, and has more than enough power to move me well above the posted speed limits of between 35, and 45 mph.

Today was a banner day for motorbikes on the hill. I won't even try to name everything that I saw, but will say that there were some vintage rides sharing the road with the "Wings," and Roadkings. And one goofy dude with a bug specked grin on a Honda scooter. Man, this was nice. I broke the unwritten rule of having a camera handy to chronical the fun by leaving it on the kitchen table, and will need to make another run soon to bring pictures to the masses. If I get back on the same schedule as last year, I'll be riding up again next Monday. I can't wait!

Have fun,
Bill

Enter The Helix

2007-07-03T17:29:00.000-07:00

So after handing me three eBay print-outs with prices ranging from $1350.00 to $2400.00, Ken asks me "Okay, how much do you want to give me for it?" Without looking up, I said "Thirteen hundred." "AWW, come on!, I just put a new battery in it." "Okay, thirteen hundred, plus the cost of the battery." "Alright...deal." And so it was that I became the owner of this '86 Honda Helix.

After a trip to the courthouse to swap the title over, we headed over to Ken's to pick up the scooter. I did a pre-flight and found the tires to be about 20 lbs. low, so I whipped out the trusty hand pump and air gauge that I had brought along for this very reason, and aired up. After a few spins of the starter, she fired up and idled with a nice low putt, putt, putt, that sounded much different than my trusty Big Ruckus. She sounded good though, and after taking a moment to put the new license plate on, then with a handshake and a wave, we were off to the ranch with my wife and little ones in tow in the family van.

Once home, I took stock in the condition of this old bird and found most everything to be in great shape. I performed basic maintenance with an oil change, bleeding of brakes, a good look at the tire condition, and a good scrubbing. She shined up like a new penny.

I didn't expect to put her into service right away, but as I was looking at the BR and Helix side by side, I noticed that Mule's tabs had just expired at the end of June. No time like now to see if she'll commute, and I'll tell you what, this easy chair on wheels will do just fine. With the better than fair sized "trunk" in back, I now have ample room to store all of my junk with room to spare. And the way that she feels cruising down the road, (although a bit skittish with the light feel to the steering), I get almost zero wind from the front. No wind in my face, chest, legs...nothing. I'm not used to this, as the BR allows me to enjoy all the wonderful breezes and gusts as well as the warm Summer rain. It's different.

I've already been asked what I'm going to do with the Helix, and my answer is "I don't know." Like I told Ken, "I guess I must be a collector now." I'm not going to worry about it, I'll ride whichever scoot suits my fancy, and just be happy that I can commute on two wheels, and not be caged. And if down the road I meet a needy soul that needs this old bird more than me, I'll hand them a stack of eBay print-outs...with prices ranging from about $2000.00 and up!

Have fun,

Bill

Happy In The Rain

2007-06-29T17:10:00.000-07:00

Well, it wasn't raining when I left work, why would I think that it would before I got home? Oh yeah, it always rains in June here. Maybe Summer will officially begin on July 5th like it does every year.

I gotta say, there has always been something about getting caught in the rain that appeals to my twisted sense of what is fun. Riding home on Mule in a total downpour had me grinning like an idiot, and I was laughing as I sloshed my way into the shop to park the scoot. I have to ask myself, what makes my spirits rise on occasions like this, compared to a putt on a warm sunny day? Ahh, who cares, I'm happy and thats all that counts.

Here lately, I've been making a bold attempt at getting into better shape, so I've been running a few days each week, and riding my bicycle a couple of days as well. Now, having been a competitive bicyclist in days long ago, I decided to try another path other than the one before. This time around, my bicycle of choice is not a top-end Trek or Cannondale, it's a hundred dollar beach cruiser with a coaster brake. Yep, no gears to shift, no cables to adjust. Just climb on and go. I figure that simple is best, and you can't get a whole lot more simple that that.

My wife probably thought that I was nuts the other night when I went peeling down the road wearing my cargo shorts and a skull design tee-shirt, yelling "Wooo"! Not your typical Tour de France garb, but I did have my Bell bicycle helmet and gloves on.

So now my list of passions has grown. I ride my scooter to work and back each day, then either jog super slowly for a few miles, or pedal down the road looking like an aging grunger on a boardwalk classic. This is some healthy stuff friends, both for the body, and for the mind. If you get a chance to give it a try, do it. Who knows, you might even have a rainy day to play in, and you too might end up with the "idiots grin". It feels good.

Have fun,
Bill

Little Man, Standing In The Rain

2007-06-26T16:44:00.000-07:00

Nope, no scooter in sight in this shot. Just my little man standing in the rain soaked grass just beyond the cluster of cabins that we called home over the weekend.

Sol Duc Hot Springs has been a Summer destination for our family since I was a wee lad, and now the tradition continues as we took our little family to visit for swimming, hiking and total relaxation. Although the lodging is a bit spendy compared to when I was a whipper-snapper, as is the cost of getting into the natural hot spring heated pools, the feel of the place is the same, and that is what brings me back. There is a price to be paid for what brings you happiness, and being at Sol Duc this weekend was worth every penny.

This post brings to mind something that Dave M. asked me about when we visited a while back. We talked about how most moto-bloggers stayed the course of only two wheeled related writings, and how I strayed into personal thoughts, work and family related points. I'll say it again, my thoughts that I post are where I am at the moment, and how my world turns today. The moto-blogging is why I'm here, and I really need to refocus and get back on track, so look forward to more "on-point" writing as the season rolls on. I have not slipped as a moto-commuter, and riding is still the "happy pill" that I need to take to balance out the stresses of a work day. It's just that sometimes one needs to pack up the whole family for an overnighter to relieve the stresses of a whole bunch of work days.

Have fun,

Bill

Time Machines

2007-06-18T15:05:00.000-07:00

So I hear this really loud plane this morning, and look up to see a B-17 flying slowly above the tree tops heading for the local airport. The sight brought my usual "Huh"? reaction. This warbird, along with a B-24, and a B-25 are in town till Wednesday. I loaded up the family and went out today for a real nostalgia fix. There was a pretty good little crowd milling about, and I was surprised at how many folks were shelling out $425.00 to get rides. I came up short by about $413.00. Oh well, watching is still free.

A little update on the assumed treasure trove of old iron in Ken's shop. Not everything that had been there in the past was there when I popped in Saturday after work. But...there was still some cool stuff.

Ken walked into my work and told me that I needed to come by as soon as I got off. Since he was going to be leaving town right away, I didn't have time to grab my camera from home, much less have time to really look at everything in detail. What I did find was, a 1980 Vespa 200 PX as soon as I walked in the door. I wanted it NOW, and I wanted it BAD, but I was told that it was off limits. Now slumped over in disappointment, I looked at a BMW 60/ 6 in undressed condition. It had been set up for touring, but the tank was nowhere to be found. The license tabs were Dec. '87, so it's been down awhile. It was parked with a '40's vintage pick-up, and a mid '60's Pontiac. The only ride that was available for purchase was in another part of the shop.

Here is where we found the 1986 Honda Helix 250. The color is almost pearl white, and the overall condition is cherry. I didn't expect to see it, so I gave it a crooked look and asked how much?

Going back in time to the weeks leading up to the purchase of my Big Ruckus, I was bouncing back and forth between the Helix, and the BR. There have been times that I wished that I had gone with the Helix instead, but not lately. I wanted something "different". Now I'm faced with the prospect of buying one, and although it has my name on it, I didn't jump on it right away. I won't be seeing Ken again for a couple of weeks, so I have some time to ponder the deal.

I guess the BR and my old Vespa have finally grown on me enough to not let just any scooter share their space. Either that, or my old "grab and go" impulse for buying motorbikes has finally softened enough to let a little common sense in the door. Whatever the case, I have a decision to make, and I'll take my time to do it. For now, I think I might ride back out to the airport to watch the old Veterans take turns in the flying time machines.

Have fun,

Bill

Sitting Down With Dave M.

2007-06-11T13:04:00.000-07:00

Boy, did I ever get a big helping of "It's a small world" when I visited with Dave M. and his wife Marcel a few days back. Dave brings us scooter bums, news, music and scooter related information on his podcast found at www.sctrcst.com and as a follower of this online resource I suggest that you pay a visit today. TODAY!

A number of months ago I received an email at work from this "Dave" character who was putting a podcast together, and he recognized the name of my business while visiting my blog site. No way did I ever think that I would be interviewed months later by this gent from Richmond Virginia. But I did in fact get to sit down with Dave, and our conversation can be found on episode 15 which appeared this morning. Access the podcast by simply clicking the "Pickle Player" icon, and enjoy. I was given the opportunity to share my beginnings in blogging, and also to tip my hat to a few of the fellows that inspired me. I know that I left out some folks that are important to me, but I wanted to acknowledge the three dudes that welcomed me aboard when I began.

The "small world" part comes from the fact that we have close ties to a lot of the same people. My wife even worked for Dave's Mom! My half crazy father-in-law was a childhood friend, and I am good friends with his cousins. I even shopped and hung around at his uncle's motorcycle shop. We touched on quite a few more in-common points that made me feel right at home in his company.

It is amazing to me how our scooter community can be stretched so far across our great country, and I end up making new friends in Dave and Marcel from Virginia. Wow... all because I took up the invitation to create a blog site of my own.

If you have some spare time, have a listen. Let me know what you think. Let Dave know too!

Have fun,
Bill

Waitin' On Ken To Call

2007-06-06T19:20:00.000-07:00

I got a phone call the other night that has had me on pins and needles since I hung up the phone. My Dad wanted me to know that a family friend was finally ready to sell off his fathers motorcycle collection, and I was getting first choice on whatever I wanted.

Ken has been a friend of the family since I was a little boy. As a close friend of my Dad's, Ken would spend hours in the family garage working on old cars, and hopping up his '68 El Camino with my Pop's help. Ken would become an engineer later on in life and work as an independant contractor for Chrysler, Boeing, the State of Washington DOT and the University of Washington to name a few of the outfits that he was a "trouble shooter" for. I just know him as a really cool guy that I looked up to as a kid. I also remember his Dad.

When I was a pump jockey at a Chevron station, Ken's Pop would ride by now and then on any number of "old" motorbikes and bicycles. Only living just over a block from the station, Mr. "Z" would stop in every once in a while for gas and chat a bit. I always thought it was cool that he rode old iron, and was bummed to hear of his passing many years ago. I wondered what became of his collection.

Fast-forward to now, with Ken coming home to Port Angeles to work on his Dad's old place more frequently from his home in the Seattle area, the offer has been made to one of my younger brothers to rent the old place, and handle the upkeep. The determination was also made that it is finally time to clean out the old shop, and the motorbikes will have to go. Thankfully, I've shown interest in "looking" at the bikes, and Ken realizing that I am the "real deal", he is willing to let me in to look with intent to purchase.

My memory can't come up with a clear picture of what I saw back in the late '70's and early '80's, but I remember that there was variety in the bikes that Mr. "Z" rode. I was told recently that there "are some scooters, and a bunch of other bikes in there". This might be one of those "barn find" gold mines that I often read about. Whatever the outcome, next time Ken rolls into town, I'm supposed to meet him at the old place and "we can have a look around'.

I don't want to seem too excited, so I stopped jumping up and down clapping long enough to write this post. But doggone it, I am excited. The end of the rainbow is on 6th Street, and the Pot 'o Gold is right inside the old shed. I'm just waiting for the next call.

Have fun,
Bill

My Scooter's View

2007-06-02T19:06:00.000-07:00

After posting my most recent entry, Irondad commented about the direction that my faithful steed was parked. Any rider worth his salt should know better than to park "nose-in". My insensitivity was robbing my scooters need to look out into the world to see what he was missing during these non-riding hours of my working day. The above photo is the view from my parking space, and what a wonderful view it is.

I hope to think that I am not the only person in our company that spends a moment each day taking in the Olympic Mountains from our storefront windows. I can't think of a better setting to work in.

Today was day two of our grand opening celebration, and it was a true carnival of activity. Aside from the crush of customers coming in to take advantage of the sales event, we had a car show both days, featuring stock vintage restoration's, hot rod's, and a full row of Mustang's, and '55, '56 and '57 Chevy's. And I never really had a chance to get up close to any of them. I was in the mosh pit behind the counter smilin' and selling like a mad man. We also had all of our major vendors displaying their products in the front lot in perfect sunny conditions. At last count, 2500 hamburgers were served at the free barbecue, and probably even more hot dogs. Pepsi was on hand to keep the soft drinks flowing, and prizes were handed out every hour.

What had me pleased, was all of the scooters finding our little parking area. There were makes and models that I have never seen up close before. And the Harley's...geez, when you have a parking lot full of hot rod's and a barbecue pit, you will attract the big bike crowd like bums to a baloney sandwich.

But it's finally over. We moved in, got settled, and had a huge party. Now we can get back to work, and maybe find a comfortable pace and get away from the hectic hustle that has been the past three weeks. Tomorrow I'm on tap to pull one more day of overtime, and as I back my scooter into his spot, I'll stop to look at our view, then I'll get back to work.

Have fun,
Bill

Ride To "New" Work

2007-05-27T13:32:00.000-07:00

Here's my working class scoot Mule, parked in our classy new workplace. We have actually laid claim to a parking area designated for "Scooters Only". Had Jeff and Dreamcrusher not been at lunch, the photo would have been of three scoots instead of one.

I've been on another marathon schedule this week, and hope that after our grand-opening on June 1st, and 2nd to get back to more normal hours. Too much work and not enough rest makes for one edgy dude. Even though you try not to bring work home with you, there is a lack of spirit and energy that comes with running too hard, and too long. And this shows up in how you act, or react at home. One has to remain a "cool cat" to keep loved ones happy during times of edginess. So far, so good.

The upside is that my daily commute has doubled in distance, and this gives me a chance to unwind, and take the slow road home.

Being that the new store is on the East side of town, just outside city limits, we are now county residents. The store is on Highway 101, and I end up getting to run the scoot up to speed a little bit, rather than the slower speeds inside the city limits. Unless...I take a little side route on what used to be called "Bay Loop".

A little exploring led to much surprise as I tooled around this undeveloped oasis between work and town. There are great views of both the Olympic Mountains, and the Strait of Juan De Fuca, and the cool thing is that you can see the sights through fields of grass and trees. There are still old barns and farm houses, and the roads (not streets) wander in a curvy, up and down way, rather than the flat boring grid of city streets. It is by no means a big area, but it offers that rural touch that will make putting around on a Summer lunch hour so much nicer. I'll post some photo's soon.

Well, one more week of controlled chaos before the big opening celebration, then hopefully we can settle into a more normal stride to take us through the Summer months. And as more folks are being impacted by the high fuel costs of travelling further to work, maybe we will see more scooters in the "reserved" parking area. All others will be scoffed at!

Have fun,

Bill

Modern Vespa Calling...

2007-05-23T10:34:00.000-07:00

You know, it seems that the majority of riders in our neighborhood that choose scooters as their two-wheeler of choice, have gravitated to the modern Vespa and have nothing but rave reviews to share. I'll admit that this has had me thinking of ways to join the bandwagon, but the one major hurdle to overcome is always going to be the almighty and elusive dollar. I'd have better luck finding Bigfoot in a supermarket produce aisle than coming up with the scratch to afford another scooter.

I'll have to put the modern Vespa idea on hold until we cover some low-hanging debts, or until I find a fruitful money tree growing in my back yard.

I won't complain though, since I have a sweet vintage Vespa already, and my steady workhorse Honda Big Ruckus. As stylish and pretty as the newer Vespa's are, the Ruckus is rugged and masculine. With the utility vehicle looks and capability of hauling a sizable load, the BR is more like a Jeep than a fine Italian sports car. Not forgetting that Steve Williams used his Vespa to haul a Christmas tree, I still view the modern wasp as more of a sleek, well bred piece of rolling art. And I really want one.

Coming from this part of the country, where logging trucks and dirt haulers still rule the roads, it makes more sense to stick with tradition and ride a utility-look scooter. I mean, where else can you find hickory shirts, suspenders, Carhartt pants and "Romeo" slippers as everyday dress wear? Do I want to stand out like a sore thumb? The answer is YES! I may not have a drop of Italian blood in my veins, but the doggone modern Piaggio, and Vespa world is calling, and I'm just staring at the caller ID deciding whether or not to answer.

As I scroll through the blogroll looking at Steve, Gary, Orin, Harv the Roadbum, "Vancouver" Dave and so on, my desire to keep up with you "Vespisti" brothers increases with each blog post I read. And I do read them all. As I've said before, when I get into something, I usually go all the way.

But...at least for now, as I look at my huge financial roadblock, I at least have something to dream about and plan for. And sometimes half the fun of achieving a goal like this, is in how you apply yourself to making it happen.

I think that today is a good day to start making it happen.

Have fun,
Bill

Workin' To Ride

2007-05-20T13:58:00.000-07:00

I figured that I'd better post something quick before a layer of dust covers my blogspot. The total all-out effort to get the new store open has taken every bit of my free time, and I'm officially pooped. With the exception of Mothers Day, a good number of us have been working seven days a week, with 12 hours a day being the average. And every grumpy minute has been worth it. The new era for Hartnagel Building Supply begins tomorrow when we officially open at 7:00. I'm ready.

Up until Friday, I had been riding every day. My office space needed to be moved, so the family truckster has been pressed into service to cart my junk across town. I've got one more load to haul tomorrow, then I'll be back to scooting every day. The shock of watching my fuel gauge drop to the six o'clock position has me missing my Mule after only 2 days.

I had one highlight on Friday when Orin O'Neill dropped in on his way from Seattle to Victoria B.C. on his '05 Vespa PX150. Orin's trip to the Garden City Scooter Rally is being updated daily at his blogsite, www.scootinoldskool.wordpress.com . I suggest that you take a peek, as his writing style is quite good, and very entertaining. In my opinion, Orin is a true scooterist, and it was a pleasure to spend a few brief moments with him on a very hectic day. Anyone that rolls the stretch of highway that he did, with a top speed of 47 mph, and comes across as cool and collected as he did, earns top honors from me.

Now that I have finally taken an afternoon off, the rain has begun to fall as steadily as my energy dwindles. All I want to do is find a spot on the couch and see how far I can sink into it. If I can pull it off, I'll try to take Wednesday off to catch up on my yard work, and maybe take a spin on my Vespa. I'll be ready for an "Old skool scootin" fix by then.

Have fun,
Bill

Stuck In The '60's

2007-05-13T14:53:00.000-07:00

Yep, that's me smoking up the yard, warming up Ol' Blue. Dressed in my new Fishtail Parka and aviator goggles, I've almost got the look of the '60's Mod down. I don't think that I will push it too far by adding mirrors and spotlights to the scoot though.

After a short warm-up, I'm off. Since it's Mother's Day, I kept my personal playtime to a minimum. But I did have a nice ride around the west side of town, and saw a new scooter in a driveway that I hadn't seen before. Just like the weeds in my yard, they're popping up everywhere.

Now, before I babble on too much, I want to say congratulations to Gary Charpentier on the purchase of his brand new Vespa. The "Rush Hour Rambler" joins the Vespisti of the world, and I look forward to following his blog posts with his adventures in scootering.

Now...back to babbling. The parka has become a bit of a conversation piece around my little circle of cronies. I end up trying to tell the story of how the Fishtail parka wound up becoming a signature article of clothing among the scooter riding youth known as the Mod's back in the 1960's in England. Since the story is colorful, but a bit long, I end up handing the coat over to my bored listener to try on. I then give a verbal tour of all of the bells and whistles, and benefits of this "extreme cold weather" vintage U.S. Army issue parka. I encourage you to look up www.fishtailparka.com to read the well documented story, and check out some cool photo's.

I was finding that the prices on these vintage gems ran over $200.00 on some web sites. I ended finding a cool place that had the 1980's issue, that is constructed better that the early "true collectors" edition for under $48.00. I had passed this hot tip to my old pal Jeff, and he scored one within the same week. After seeing how he looked astride his Vino, decked out in ol' skool cool, I called my wife from work and asked that she order one "right away"! I've been wearing it everyday since.

With our sunny days starting out at around 40 degrees, I feel that the parka passes the test so far. The true test will come this winter, but I don't mind waiting for that. But the parka is warm, and if you tie up the mid waist draw string, you won't catch any wind blowing up under the "skirt" as I found out on the first ride. You also have the option of tying off at the legs to better secure the jacket from wind lift.

In all, it's a lot of fun looking back to the past and researching scooter culture, and following some of the paths that others have blazed on little two stroke smokin' steeds. There is a ton of history surrounding the scooter lifestyle, and I'm only touching the tip of the iceberg. But with my parka, at least I'm dressed for it.

Have fun,

Bill

Blue Metro Blue's

2007-05-07T12:56:00.000-07:00

It's official...the beginning of the big push to get our new store set and ready to open in the next two weeks is ON! I'm looking forward to working every day until we are operating smoothly in our new digs. The only reason that I'm home right now with the opportunity to post this entry, is because I'm working a split day, and I will go back for my second round tonight. A quick scooter ride, then a spin with the lawn mower should fill up the void between shifts.

I saw something that bummed me out on Saturday. A young guy that is just getting his feet wet in the world of scootering was riding to our store to show Jeff his brand new blue and white Honda Metropolitan. It just happened that Jeff and I were standing in the front parking lot when Jeff noticed this fellow coming down the street. Here's this guy with a big grin on his face proudly coming to show off his new purchase, then WHAM!! he lays it down on the street. Since there were cars lined up in the intersection blocking the view, I could see him as far as his entry into the right hand turn, then he dissappeared. But there was no mistaking the noise of heavy plasting meeting tarmac. I told Jeff that his friend had just "ate it", and started hustling over to the street. About then, I saw a very embarrassed, and shaken young man pushing his freshly scarred scooter over to the sidewalk.

I didn't see what happened, so I won't assume anything. I spoke to the guy long enough to see if he was alright. Jeff hung with him as he collected himself. I checked the damage on the scoot, which was just some hard scrapes on the leg shield edge, and the engine cowl was ground down pretty good, but no visible breakage. I think that the real break may have been in this lads trust of his own skills for riding. And this may be a good thing, because he will now have to decide if he wants to continue riding, which should include training and education, or if he wants to stay clear of the horse that just kicked him off. It will be interesting to see how it plays out.

I'm reminded that as playful as one may feel while astride one of these joymobiles, the pavement still has very little give when you come down hard to meet it. As a true flag waver for the joys of scootering, and as someone who has gained some respect in our local scooter community, I also need to promote the absolute need for safe riding practices.

As much as this young lad had a wake-up call, I heard it too. I've got some work ahead of me. And I'm not talking about my round the clock schedule at "work", I mean "work" as in connecting the new riders with the best safety information, and direction towards training that we have available. I don't see and meet everyone, but if I keep some safety literature, and business cards of the local MSF trainers in my tour-pack, then I will at least have something to share. Or...take the time to get myself trained, and do it right. This might be my next "Calling". We'll see how it goes.

Have fun,
Bill

Extraction Day!

2007-05-02T16:59:00.000-07:00

I had the nicest visit with my new dentist today. It was determined back in January that my genetic make-up deemed it necessary that I get to enjoy partial dentures. Woo,Hoo!! So at 9:00 am, I shook hands with Dr. Johnson. Since he's new to the clinic, he had some time on his hands. And I had his hands in my mouth for an hour and a half. Two fillings, and two extractions later, I wobbled out of the office still half lit on the nitrous oxide that had kept me mellow during the drilling, yanking and fretting over how much this was going to tap me out-of-pocket. My insurance doesn't cover much more than a "drive-by" type of visit.

One thing for sure though, I'm glad that I didn't go "cowboy" and ride the scooter. No amount of deep breathing to clear my head when I was done was going to put me in a clear enough frame of mind to ride. Sometimes driving the family truckster is the right choice. I say this because, if I could have possibly eaten anything at all, I should have eaten some words that I had spoken just yesterday.

A co-worker had lined up a ride with his Dad to and from his dentist yesterday for a root-canal that he had done. I had bragged that I've driven, ridden motorcycles and bicycles from the dentist with no problem. Then along comes today, and I have a "problem". I owe him one.

The Doc did tell me though that I could not go back to work today. I had turned him down on getting pain meds, so he told me to go home and do "nothing" for the rest of today. I made some mumbling phone calls and told everyone that I was going to sit this one out, and promply fell asleep for a couple of hours. After coming around again, I puttered around the backyard wishing that I could go for a ride. I think guilt would have won though, because I don't think that I should play, if I can't work. So scooting will have to wait till tomorrow.

And speaking of tomorrow, if the UPS man shows up for our pal Jeff, I hope to post a photo of his newly purchased Fishtail Parka that I had posted about a while back. J.B. scored one online for a great price. For you fans of the Mods and Rockers era, you might recognize the handsome jacket. Who knows, my eBay savvy wife might surprise me with one of my own if she is impressed enough with Jeff's. This old rocker might have a little "Mod" in him after all!

Have fun,
Bill

"Sunshine Day"

2007-04-28T18:27:00.000-07:00

Do you remember that really horrible song, "Sunshine Day" that the Brady Bunch kids sang on the "Silver Platter" episode a few decades ago? Well, that tune could have been played as background music today as Mother Nature painted the sky with brilliant blue, and held the clouds back far enough to have one believe that it really is spring, with summer not far away.

These tasty conditions brought every fair-weather rider out in force, and the newbie scooterists tried their hand at playing in the streets as well. I was amazed at some of the awesome custom iron that I had never seen before, and also some of the rolling junk that folks had stored over the winter without bothering to attempt at least a bit of cleaning. Maybe they were rat bikes? At least they were riding, I was stuck at work trying to earn a buck.

It was great to see new-found friends, Nick and Talitha riding today, and that Nick has customized his C3 with some vinyl graphics that he found on the net. Talitha has a C3PO graphic next to the C3 logo, and it actually looks like it could be a stock decal. Jeff has also added a sweet Bettie Paige sticker to his Vino that has me staring at his scooter for more than one reason now.

The good weather also brought out a long time friend that just returned home from his snowbird residence in Arizona. "Red Sucker Ralph" is probably the one guy that I patterned myself after the most in my years of living in the "biker" lifestyle. In my earliest years of climbing the lifestyle ladder, Ralph was a big influence. How he carried himself, how he endured the elements, how he fought the legal system and won, and how he came back from a broken neck to be able to continue living the way that he chooses, still resonate with me today. And the fact that he still, to this day, treats me well means a great deal to me. Even when he asked me if the rumor was true that I "stepped backwards", and am now riding a scooter. I told him that "Yeah, I'm riding a scooter today, but I still own a Harley Davidson". I went on to tell him of my blogging adventures, and explained that the scooter allows me to ride everyday, and that it is the direction that I'm moving in now as a rider. I didn't want to go into the details of why I moved from that world to where I am now, other than my definition of being a "scooter bum" has changed.

Just like the weather has changed for the better now. As the days get longer, my opportunities to spend time with my Vespa increase. Tomorrow I will try to get my timing adjusted so I won't have to feather the throttle at low rpm. I intend to use the Vespa on occasion as a commuter, and want it to be as trouble-free as I can get it. At some point I want to post a comparison between Mule and Ol' Blue, so I need to have the saddle time to do it right. This should be a fun exercise.

So I'm hoping to hear that "Sunshine Day" tune in my head again tomorrow as I poke around on my "Day of rest". Then friends, I'm going for a ride!

Have fun,
Bill

"It's All About Priorities"

2007-04-23T12:08:00.001-07:00

Ahh... yet another convert to the world of scooter commuting. The above photo is of my pal and co-worker Brian, aka, "Dreamcrusher". He is standing by his Madami Skybreeze 125cc scooter, which has been known up till now as my former "Kung Pow". Along with Jeff and myself, 'Crusher has been commuting to work on the saddle of a motor scooter, foregoing the comfort of his pickup.

As our current business location is in remodel mode, we now have a big covered area to park our scooters under the awning that will be the new entrance. This remodel will not be complete until after we've moved to our new store, so we have the best parking on the lot. It's a bonus having the scooters out front, in that customers will ask about them, and other riders will park their motorbikes by them, creating a nice "biker friendly" atmosphere.

On the subject of work, I've been guilty in the past couple of months of posting a little heavily on what's going on with work and less on how I commute to and from by scooter. I am, after all, on the "Ride to Work.org" blogroll, and not the "I'm Too Involved With Work to Ride" site, if there is such a thing. So I took some time to change my focus and have made daily riding a priority. I can't be the guy speaking encouraging words to others about what is so great about riding, then be "too busy" to strap on a helmet and lead by example. No sirree bub, ain't gonna happen. I'll ride.

I actually found the wisdom in my decision to make a change in priorities in some words from my boss, Doug. I had told him that I was trying to keep on top of some issues that I was involved in with our sub-contractors by anticipating the schedule of material deliveries, and by acting as a go-between with the general contractor and some of the "subs". Doug is as involved as anyone, but has made it a point to remember to take time for himself and his family. It lessens the risk of "burnout" and keeps you fresh. This is sound advice and it has worked.

So now, even as the chaos of moving our business is just about at the boiling point, I'm at home on my off-day, drawing up some local ride routes for our little scooter club, and making plans for a summer barbecue ride event. The Geezers Moto-Scooter Club has grown steadily, and folks want to know when to meet and where to ride. So until someone steps up to handle the details, I'll try to keep up with these issues. Who knows what kind of club we will become? Whether it's loose knit, or a tight organized ship remains to be seen. As long as the focus is on having fun, and being safe, we should be okay. That should be our priority.

Have fun,
Bill

Spreading The Good Word

2007-04-15T20:45:00.000-07:00

To receive the full effect of how happy this goofball in the photo above is...go ahead and click on the picture. Yep, that's my pal Jeff as we were getting ready to roll out on our first group ride. And believe me friends, this was the look that he wore for the entire afternoon.

This next shot was taken at Lincoln Park at the end of our ride. I had made a phone call to Jeff and sent out an e-mail to Nick and his bride Talitha last evening to have a "meet-up" at the courthouse parking lot at 2:00 p.m. Sunday to see if we could get in a little riding. And I'll be darned, it worked! Jeff, Nick and Talitha were waiting as I rolled in at 1:55 and Nick told me that another rider would be joining us soon.

Nick and his bride Talitha are nursing students at the college in town and had just purchased new Yamaha C3 scooters as their daily commuters. The rider coming to join us is one of their instuctors. Cheryl rides a Honda Reflex 250 and I'm told that she really knows her stuff.

As a group, we rode out to Ediz Hook to watch the halibut boats coming and going, then took a run out to the Elwha River across the ancient "one way" bridge. This bridge was old when my Dad was a kid, and although off the beaten track, still gets used quite a bit.

After getting to know each other and the new scooters a little more, we headed back into town with a last stop at one of my favorite places to ride, Lincoln Park. This city park on the outskirts of town is a great family getaway as it has large, stocked fishing ponds, 6 Little League ballfields, forested picnicing areas, and an area devoted to an Indian longhouse and original pioneer log cabins.

My hope is to continue to build on this little foundation. It would be nice to see folks that have an interest in scooters get together now and again to kick tires, swap stories and above all...ride.

I have no idea why I feel the need to "Spread the Good Word" of scootering. I just do it. It's funny that Gary Charpentier called me "Bill the Scooter Evangelist". This caught on with a couple of my friends and the name started to get around pretty quick. I'm good with it.

Really, all of our reasons to ride are good. I don't think that I can really list all of the "Vespanomic" points, or how scooters fit into our "Green" friendly thinking without sounding like a complete dolt. I KNOW that I'm saving fuel and thus saving money. I also know that I'm not pumping huge amounts of harmful gasses into the atmosphere. But I ride simply because I really like to.

How basic is that? I like to ride because of how it makes me feel inside. Maybe this then, is the "Good Word" that I have to share. It has positive emotional value. Yeah, I can share this message. Look again at how it made Jeff feel.

Have fun,
Bill

Bugged Eyed Goggles, And A Shiny New Vino

2007-04-12T19:25:00.000-07:00

My last post was purely focused on my thoughts in relation to how a friend perceives my encouragement to either move forward on restoring his scooter, or looking at option "B", which would be to purchase a new scooter from a dealership. My question was answered the very next day.

The shop that houses the '63 Allstate now has an '06 Yamaha Vino to share space with. And as I had predicted, this was all done within the time frame of a lunch hour.

I could tell by Jeff's jacked up mood that he was excited about the prospect of going to the dealership on Monday. He had done his homework, and was prepared to look at both the Honda Metropolitan, and the Vino when he went to lunch. As Port Angeles Power Equipment is very close to our new store's location, I swung into their lot on a trip out to our store, and sure enough, Jeff's truck was parked there during his lunch break. As I walked onto their sales floor, I saw Jeff in the far corner trying on helmets. I spoke to him when I got up close, and he spun around with the happiest look on his face that I've ever seen. He said, "I got it!, I got the Vino, it's awsome"! I'll tell you what people, this was one happy moment, with one very happy guy. He felt that the Vino was a better deal, and that the silver color worked just right compared to the bright two-tone Metro's. And this little scoot does look nice dressed in silver.

After settling on a helmet, he asked about getting the "goofiest goggles that you've got", and low and behold, Carolyn came through with an aviator style goggle that would fit over Jeff's eyeglasses. They looked so stinkin' wild on him, that I ordered a pair for myself. At this point, I had to get back to work, and Jeff was going into their business office to finalize paperwork. As I was leaving, I had a moment with their head salesman, Bill, and he told me that he had taken care of my friend. Bill and I go way back, and he knew that this sale was special, and I thanked him for that.

Long story short, Jeff has been riding to work in both rain and shine, and it looks great seeing two scooters parked out front. We've picked up some walk-in interest with folks asking about who owns the "mopeds". We even had a guy stop by last night wanting to go for a ride. So after work, the three of us rode out to Ediz Hook to hang for a bit by the water and yak about scooters. Nick, the new rider, told of a group of ladies that have formed a local scooter group that we should contact. Seems that local interest is more far reaching than I had imagined.

The best part about all of this to ME, is that after all the discussions, all the planning, and all of Jeff's efforts, that he finally gets to do what we all live and write about. He gets to suit up and ride his very own scooter wherever he pleases, and whenever he wants. His time is NOW, and by the look of the grin on his mug, especially with those goggles, he's pretty doggone pleased.

To add to this story, I had finally gotten my Chinese 125cc scooter, "Kung Pow" back on the road this weekend after being stored since the big wind damage incident this past winter. I had been riding it to work this week, and the thought came to me that my other Geezer pal "Dreamcrusher" might be interested in something newer than his '80 something Honda Aero 80 that he is getting ready to tear down and rebuild. After running the plan to sell the scooter to "Crusher" by my wife first, I proposed the idea of selling it to him, and was met with a hand shake, and "You got yourself a deal"! Three scooters in the parking lot.

It's not exactly Elvis giving away Cadillac's, but I know that it will be ridden a great deal, and it felt right to make him a great deal.

So my stable is a little smaller, but the ridership has grown. This isn't just a story with a happy ending, but more like a story that's starting with a happy beginning.

Have fun,
Bill

Riding The Fence

2007-04-09T10:02:00.000-07:00

It's been some time since I made any mention of Jeff's '63 Allstate restoration project, so since I've been thinking about that situation the past few days, I figured that I would put these thoughts into this post.

The old quote "Money changes everything" is true in relation to the progress of this wonderful old scooter that needs lots of financial TLC. Surely Jeff would dearly love to be out riding his scooter than having it sit in scattered pieces in his meat locker of a shop, but the available funds are still a tad bit out of his reach. This isn't to say that the project is doomed to die on the vine, but time ticks away, and the time to ride is NOW.

Where my thoughts come into play, is how I might come across to Jeff in my effort to keep the motivation level high. Will he hear me as an angel on one shoulder, or the little devil on the other, whispering sweet inspirations into his ear. "C'mon man, you're missing out on the good weather, you need to get a scooter". We even have a parking area at our new store just for our scooters. "Sorry dude, you can't park your pick-up here".

Jeff is a guy that really wants to ride, but can't. I picture him as an old west cowboy, dressed to ride the open range...jogging after the stray doggie because he doesn't have a horse. That is not a cowboy folks, that is a running calf chaser. No matter how the picture is drawn, if you don't have a mount, you cannot ride.

So there we were at work on Saturday, and a brother of a co-worker rides in with his wife on two brand new Yamaha C3 50cc scooters. After impressing them both with what I knew about their rides, I called Jeff out to the lot to have him look, and to hear about how easy it was for them to purchase these scooters at the local dealership. With a big Yamaha promotion going on now, that is much the same as what Honda is offering, I told my pal that he could literally be riding to work, and enjoying the fun of scootering in the time that it takes for him to go home for lunch. With 15 minute approval, the offer of a free helmet, and being a 50cc scooter that will do close to 40mph, and not require an endorsement, he will be good to go. And...he wouldn't be scratching for the roughly $3400.00 that he will need to put his Allstate back on the road.

So who am I, the cheerleader, or the pain in the ass for trying to map out a plan that I think would work best for HIM? I've done enough selling on all the great reasons to ride, and like a good salesman, I should just back off and see if the seed that I planted will take root. The bottom line is that Jeff will eventually find his way to putting himself in the saddle, and I need to climb off his shoulder and quit whispering to him. I totally respect this friend of mine, and I guess if he wants to park his Toyota in our reserved scooter parking area, we can make room.

Have fun,
Bill

I Work, I Ride, I Hit Grounders And Fly Balls

2007-04-04T18:32:00.000-07:00

I'll start by using the same quote that I had used in responding to a comment from a reader yesterday, "I'm up to my George Castanza hairline in work, and haven't visited blogville lately".

And boy-howdy, is that ever the truth. To some degree, I've worked every day for the past three weeks. I will not complain one bit though. Since we are sneeking up on completion of our new store, I have accepted the responsibility of handling some "above and beyond" types of tasks, and am enjoying the success of my efforts, and the efforts of the crew that I work with.

So finally taking some time off, I grabbed ahold of today as the day that I would spend with my boys teaching them the wonderful fundementals of baseball. As a coach in years past, I had some experience with "wild boys", so I've got a chance to work with my wild boys. Billy and Kevin really want to learn, and I enjoy teaching the game, so we'll give the back yard a workout. I'll use wiffle balls to spare having to buy a new kitchen window.

Our day included a trip to the ballpark to watch the "big boys" take batting practice, and shagging fly balls. To me, there is no place like a ballpark to escape the stress, and mental junk that a day of work provides. Other than a putt on a motorbike that is. But first... I needed to field a few phone calls, and make a couple of trips to the jobsite. Once things were rolling smoothly, I got back to the business of having fun.

Getting an early start today allowed me some time with my scooters. The Honda Express 50 hadn't been out for some time, so while I charged the battery on it, I pulled out Ol' Blue and took a nice ride just to say that I did. I needed a Vespa fix like a junkie needs smack. After that, I took the Express for a spin and had a construction crew at the end of the block pointing and laughing at me as I flew by at 20mph acting like I was flat tracking the corner. I threw them a thumbs-up and blasted for home.

I took some pictures of the scooter action around here today to share, but couldn't find the cord to transfer the photo's from the camera to the computer. The hard target search was on till it started getting late in the day, so I will share my pictures when the cord reappears.

I suited up my young-un, Kevin for a ride on Mule, the Big Ruckus. We went by his Papa's house to see if either he, or Grandma were home, but with no luck there, we just tooled around a bit. Kevin will be a rider for sure. If it comes to being in the shop with the "murtercycles", he's there. Of my two boys, he's the one that mimics the way I dress, and works at being like Daddy. I get a bang out of watching this little goofy version of me.

Overall, it was just a real nice day. My focus was with my family, and I put my energy into just being Daddy for awhile. Tomorrow I'll be starting my day at the new store for a while, then back to our current location for the rest of the day. And so the cycle begins again.

Have fun,
Bill

Waking Up My Old Vespa...And Myself

2007-03-25T13:41:00.000-07:00

Last night I buzzed down to the local bookstore to scan the magazines in search of an infusion of moto-inspiration. What I came home with was Classic Bike Guide. This magazine is published in the UK, and is one of my favorites. If you have any interest, look up classicbikeguide.com and you'll see some great stuff. Anyway, looking at these bikes and their riders, and the way these chaps dress had me itching to take out the old Vespa and put in some miles.

Shortly after breakfast, I went out to the shop to uncover Ol' Blue and give the old scoot the once over. I've had the Vespa covered up with an old blanket in the corner of my little shop for the past few months, and we needed to get reaquainted. After pumping some fresh air into the tires that were a few pounds low, and topping off the tank with mixed fuel, we rolled outside to see what we could do about kicking the old dog to life.

Six short kicks had Ol' Blue clouding up the yard with that wonderful two-stroke smoke that I just love. Even my neighbor took notice and came over. He and his wife have Yamaha Zuma scooters that probably won't see daylight till June. Too bad, because the weather is looking better than it has for months, and it seems a waste to not ride whenever you can. But that's his deal.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, maybe from the photo's of those British riders, I had a thought to not just ride, but to also look the part of the old time Vespa rider. I put on my old bomber jacket, some elbow length gauntlet motorbike gloves, and an old helmet from 1967. I topped off the look with my Bell goggles, and away we went.

I realize that I probably should have worn a fishtail parka, but I don't have one, so I had to make do with what I had at hand. It does give me a goal though, to get squared away with the "proper" riding attire of the Vespisti.

For the most part, the ride was a blast although short, because I had noticed that I didn't have my license tabs renewed, which I'll have to do this week. But it was fun, and it has inspired me to dig a little deeper into the world of the vintage Vespa scooter, and the rich history of the culture of the scooterist. As a vintage motorbike enthusiast, I find that having a specific point of interest usually opens all kinds of doors to information and treasures. I'm excited to have a target to shoot at now.

I no longer have the urge or want for something new as I had posted about recently. I'm happy with my Big Ruckus, and really feel that it is the right steed for the job as my full time commuter. And to have a classic to roll out of the shop to enjoy is really the best of both worlds for a working class stiff like me.

As I follow my friends and their adventures on the Vespa of this era, I'll try to put together some thoughts in writing of my adventures on a Vespa of days gone by.

Have fun,
Bill

A Little Show Of Respect

2007-03-21T16:38:00.000-07:00

Just a real quick post today to let you know that I'm still in the game.

I had a busy day off spent with family, and enjoyed every minute of it. I was able to sneak in a short ride this morning to clear the cobwebs, and felt invigorated afterwards. Things are moving at a hectic pace at work right now, and because of some last minute shift trading with a co-worker, I was able to get Saturday off this week, so I'm looking forward to two days off together for the first time in months. Come rain or shine, Ol' Mule and I are going to find somewhere to ride to. But first...

I want to tip my hat to Steve over at Scooter in the Sticks on his latest post. As one of the guys that I look up to, and one of the three dudes that hooked me on the idea of blogging, I found that this post has all the makings of the writing that first inspired me to begin my journey as a blog writer. As a huge fan of the "Baron in Winter" era, Steve's latest adventure has some of the same flavor that Gary shared, in that Steve found himself in less than ideal weather and road conditions, assessed the situation, then as a true moto-adventurer, set out to conquer the challenge in hardcore fashion. I respect that.

Some may challenge one's judgement in taking a risk, others will recognize character in taking on a challenge. I stand in the corner of the one that takes it to the edge now and then just to get a peek at what lies in the valley below. These are cornerstone moments in the wall of memories that we are all trying to build. Good job Brother.

Have fun,
Bill

Under The Weather Fun

2007-03-18T10:45:00.000-07:00

I'll share an observation that I made this week that I'm sure some of you have noticed at some time. Just one of those funny little things that I seem to pick up on.

I finally fell victim to this coughing, hacking crud that is being passed around work, thus joining the 6 or 7 others that seem to be running on empty. So as part of this little group, I became pretty much in tune with how my fellow sickies were feeling. My observation is that when I strike a conversation with someone about their current condition, I'm always met with a cough or a sniff or two during their response as though they feel the need to prove their level of unwellness. Once I had caught on to this, I went through the group again and with the exception of Dave, everyone hacked and sputtered again when I asked how they were doing. Dave is a rock and a straight up guy who tells it like it is and wouldn't fall into sick mode for the sake of conversation.

The fun part was watching these people for awhile. While showing little outward signs of having been ill and doing their jobs as though in good health, when I finally struck up my baiting conversation, most would assume the slumped shoulders, "I should have called in today", cough, cough, clear the throat noise, followed by dry sniffing, answer to my question. This stuff was great. The more it happened, the more I did it.

Somewhere along the line in human nature, it must have been built in to have folks assume this goofy mode of answer when the occasion arises. I, for one, am now fully aware and have the choice to either do the same, or be more like Dave and just give an honest answer without all the acting. And if I follow the sheep and do the same, it will be with much more conviction and far better acting. My coughing will be loud and exaggerated, my sniffing will be deep and long, and my shoulders will droop till my knuckles are even with my knees. Then, after the shock wears off, I'll share my observation with my co-worker.

I actually feel crummy today, but this post made me feel better. I should be up and tooling around on my scooter in a few days. I can't wait.

Have fun,
Bill

Call Me The Working Man...

2007-03-11T14:35:00.000-07:00

I'm thinking of the Ride to Work website that this blog calls home, and finding that the word "work" is now outweighing the word "ride". It's not that I can't ride to work, its just that I have more use for my car for what I need to do. This is about to change though, since I prefer riding, and will just have to find a way to make it work. I can't call myself a "scooter commuter" if I'm in a Chevy Citation.

We are getting close to crunch time in getting the new store completed, and are finding the cream of the crop employees stepping up to the plate to do the extra little things that some will not make time to help out with. Without question, those little extras have to be done in order to have things flow smoothly in the process of moving our business. So looking ahead, it will probably be six weeks till the actual move, then a period of getting settled in. What will make things interesting, is that the coming of Spring usually brings a strong upward trend of building construction in this area, and we will be running full tilt while still getting used to our new facility. All of this just before Summer, when the stuff really hits the fan. I don't see things relaxing till sometime in the Fall of the year.

I actually like the fact that some individuals have made it clear that they don't want to do any more than their normal work duties. It's also nice to know who is willing to do whatever is needed, whenever it needs to be done. Certain people are destined to sit on the bench, and others will play every minute of the game. I want to be a player. Period. I'm just happy to work with the gamers. Anyway, enough about work. Lets get to the part about riding.

So since I've limited my riding time, I find that my desire to ride, and to be involved with motorbikes has increased like, a billion percent. I scheme, plot and think about ways to come up with the funds to add to my stable of rides. But what peaks my interest today? Geez, yesterday I found a good deal on a Honda Metropolitan. That would be fun. I was offered a good deal on a Kawasaki Ninja 250 that is within my budget. I could be a poor man's crotch rocketeer! But what has me really interested is the Bajaj Chetak that is no longer in production. A dealership in Western Washington still has a quantity in stock, and is offering sale pricing. For a cool $2495.00, I could be a proud owner of a dying breed, similar to my situation with owning a Big Ruckus. But tomorrow it might be something different, so who knows?

The big question is, do I really need another scooter or another motorbike? Also, how do I sell the plan to my wife? The only thing that I know for sure is, I've got a case of "Iwannaitis". I want a new "something", and until I either get over this bug, or run out and blow my hard earned dough, I'd better knuckle down and get back concentrating on my task at hand. And my job proves to be a formidable task. Before all that though, being a good husband and dad.

Have fun,
Bill

Lookin' For Something To Read?

2007-03-05T18:47:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting here with that feeling like "I can't stop thinking about work" hanging over me. Too many things to think about right now, and too many things to get done. Is this a sign of true dedication, or that I'm becoming a nutcase? I'll worry about that later.

I wanted to throw out a suggestion to the masses. If, on a trip to your local newsstand, you come across a copy of "The Antique Motorcycle", buy it. For those of you into motorcycle history, this is a great magazine. The beauty in this is, that you do not need to be a member of the AMCA to buy it, even though it is the official publication of The Antique Motorcycle Club of America. It wasn't always this way.

I like scratching below the surface to find out the history of things. I've always been that way. This magazine gives you a well written look into the early days of motorcycling, and shares stories of the pioneers of these eras. Read "Burn Up The Quarter Mile" Drag Racing's Pioneers by Ed T. Willys, and learn of the beginnings of motorcycle drag racing back in the '30's on the dry lakes of California. Or, how about a read on Indian's Torque Singles. There's lots of content to see and enjoy, and the photos are worth the price alone. You be the judge.

I'm proud to say that I am a member of the AMCA, and have looked forward to, and enjoyed every issue that I've received, and have learned a great deal as well. Take a look and see what you think. Who knows, it might even get you to consider joining.

Have fun,
Bill

Flattery Will Get You Somewhere

2007-02-28T11:21:00.000-08:00

I'll start by saying that the quote "Imitation is the highest form of flattery" is true. And folks, I'm feeling pretty darned flattered right now.

A few months back, a retired gentleman named Hal dropped in at work looking for me. He had been sent to meet me by Bill Rowland at P.A. Power Equipment to talk about my Big Ruckus scooter. We ended up in the parking lot with me running the best sales pitch that I could about this style of scooter. Hal seemed interested, but would have to "clear it with the wife" before making a purchase. One of his main questions was about leg room, since he's about 6 inches taller than me. I pointed out that a great feature of this scooter was the adjustable seat. He could simply pull a lever and slide the seat back to where it would best suit him.

Now, I had heard that a BR had been sold with a set-up like mine, but I wasn't positive that it was the same guy that I had spoken with, so when I saw him ride in to the Honda dealership parking lot today, I was pleased.

I had run out this morning to talk with the owner of P.A. Power Equipment about linking them to my blog site, and after talking with the salesman for a while, I saw the scooter turning into the parking lot. Bill said that it was indeed Hal, and that he was coming in for servicing.

Now mind you, I had only met this guy once, and to my surprise, as he got off the scooter, he walked over and called me by name while shaking my hand and told me how much he loved his Big Ruckus. I was impressed that he remembered my name. He had the doggone thing looking just like mine, with the exception of a different tint to the windscreen. I was flattered to say the least.

It seemed funny that I had to work a little trial and error to get Mule set up the way that I like it, and that by using my scoot as an example, someone else was able to add the same components to theirs, and "wha-la" they have something that works well for them. It seems so simple now when I look at it.

I didn't let on though, that I'm going to be adding leg shields, and some mirror mount hand guards soon, because I didn't want to get beaten to the punch. I won't mind the trial and error approach now that I've seen that what I do works. And for sure, when I'm done with my add-on's, I will call Hal to let him check it out. I might even gain a friend while I'm at it.

But first, it's time to get out to the shop and start cutting out leg shield templates.

Have fun,
Bill

"If I Have To Explain..."

2007-02-21T18:15:00.000-08:00

I'm fairly certain that as riders, we have all had someone question us as to why we ride the brand or type of motorbike that we do. So it is with my switch to riding scooters that I get questioned about why a scooter and not my Harley. One fellow went as far as to question my manhood because I wasn't on a "real bike". He doesn't even own or ride a motorcycle, yet felt that he needed to express his opinion. If they only knew.

I could throw out some stories of adventure and danger and about times that I pushed beyond what was considered acceptable behavior as a biker, but do I really need to? Certainly not to some jamoke that talks out the side of his blow-hole. It's not worth my time to legitimize myself. It reminds me of the quote that is often found on tee-shirts that reads, "If I have to explain, you wouldn't understand". I do understand, because I was there.

My point is, that if someone is into riding and they genuinely enjoy motorbikes no matter what the style, make or model or whether it's a custom bobber or a Lambretta, then that person, to me, is a rider. Period. It is my personal choice to ride what I enjoy and I happen to feel that I'm open-minded enough to be respectful of what another person chooses to ride. The truth is that I am happy riding anything. My passion happens to be scooters. I dig the crazy things.

When I think about it, I'm just one of those people that enjoys the full spectrum of what the two-wheeled world has to offer. There is so much to watch and learn and read about. I still like watching the two Pauls of OCC and the offerings of Two-Wheel Tuesday on Speed. I like the Biker Build-Off episodes, though I am a little freaked out about the way Hugh King looks with the floor mop hair-do. But for the most part, I'll walk up and look at anything parked on the street. It can be a Trail 90 or a Gold Wing, it doesn't matter to me. It's probably the same for folks that are into antique furniture or hot rod cars. You stop and look because it's what catches your eye, it's what interests you.

Every bike and every rider has a story too. People want to talk about what it is that they like about their steed, or where they've gone with it. And folks, every story is worth hearing, because to the teller, it's worth telling. And being a good listener, or for that matter a good reader, completes the circle.

I realize that I'm preaching to the choir now, but in the end, I still feel like I had to "explain" myself. You folks that visit this site, more than most people that I know, already understand. Sometimes a guy just has to get something off his chest. It was worth it for me.

Have fun,
Bill

Huh?

2007-02-18T11:54:00.001-08:00

Although a picture is worth a thousand words, this picture is probably worth somewhat less than ten or twelve. It reminds me of the photo in the Seinfeld episode where Jerry is caught tampering with a broken stereo that Kramer was going to insure and send in to get his money back as a "write off" from being damaged in shipping. Maybe this picture is worth a few words after all.

What we have here is J.B. spending some quality time with his buggered up Allstate motor. The good news is that J.B.'s "money ship" came in with the fact that he sold his RV this week and now has the "dough to throw" toward getting the scooter in running shape. This is great because the lack of fundage was our unhoppable hurdle in this project.

The plot twist comes in the phone calls that Jeff made to certain Vespa shops that he was looking at to get the motor work done. As it turns out, Scooterworks in Chicago looks to be the direction that he'll take. They offered to upgrade the motor with new electrics and basically do more for the money than can be done in our area for a comparable price. So rather than pack up and roll to the Emerald City, we'll build a packing crate and ship the Allstate to the Windy City.

I still intend to find my way to Big People Scooters so they can give Ol' Blue the once-over and bring me up to speed on things that I need to know. Maybe we can combine the trip with a stop at Ducati of Seattle for a speed fix of the good kind.

On another note, the motorbikes have been out in force the past few days. While I toiled at work yesterday, I watched as a group of about 30 sportbikes went by with everyone in full riding gear. It makes me wish that a bike like these was within my budget. But not for awhile I guess. The HD's and lookalike cruisers thundered by in small groups or by themselves. Everyone assuming the "Look" associated with being a leathered-up biker. Lots of loud throttle twisting at the stop light that had me laughing at these weekenders. But there were a lot of them throughout the day nonetheless. And one dude on a scooter.

Although it was a nice day to be out, I won't fool myself into thinking that winter is over and that the springlike weather is here to stay. I know better than that, even though we have flowers pushing through the ground at home. I'd noticed the new snow on the foothills above town this morning, and it would only take a drop of a few degrees to put the white stuff back on my front lawn, and remind us all that it is still winter.

But overall, the combination of having warmer temperatures, and more hours of daylight to enjoy, the daily commute is more enjoyable. Having my Geezer pal Jeff sharing the Ride To Work experience soon will be even better.

But first, we need to build a box, and ship the old girl away to Scooterworks in Chicago to have them put her back on the road, better and stronger than ever.

Have fun,

Bill

Scooter Stress Relief

2007-02-14T13:23:00.000-08:00

Boy, all of a sudden I feel like I'm busier then I've been in a long time. Could be that the days are getting a little longer, or that I'm pressing more at work, or that there is just more on my plate than before. Whatever the case, I was wound tight this morning, and it's my day off!

After running some errands, and spending time at our new store location, (where I ended up taking a materials order from the electrical contractor, which had me going in to work to set up a delivery) I decided that I was going to take some time for myself to try to rest and relax. I decided to go visit my folks.

My Dad's 74th birthday was on Monday, so I went down to the local seafood store and picked up some fresh smoked salmon to give as a gift. I know the guys at the P.A. Fish Market, and they are always good about hooking me up with the good stuff.

After a nice visit with my parents, it was off to find some Valentine gifts for my wife and little ones. No way was I going to get away with missing this holiday, even though Dena said to not worry about it. The kids would be bringing me me a Valentine and I didn't want to not have something for them.

With all of this resting done, it was time to relax with a ride. So wouldn't you know it, as soon as I pulled the scooter out of the shop to warm it up, here came the rain. No big deal, I was going to ride no matter what and off we went.

The ride was my usual jaunt out to Ediz Hook and around the west side of town where I live. This was probably the best stress relief ride that I've had in a while, since I've been pretty much thinking about work and putting in a big effort to get a lot done lately. The ride was a head clearing, coat soaking moment of two wheeled therapy. If I don't do anything else today, I rode my scooter and that makes me happy.

The weather-people call for a few days of river-swelling rain, followed by some nice days over the weekend. Hopefully this will give me a chance to get in a longer ride on Sunday to stretch Mule's city legs out a bit. Seems like more and more people are taking their battery tenders off their motorcycles and riding them again, so it'll be fun to be out amongst the weekend warriors. The lone scooter dude with the crotch rocketeers and the hardcore biker posers. I can't wait.

Have fun,
Bill

Stepping Up

2007-02-11T15:16:00.000-08:00

So it is with anybody that has a hobby or a project, that the one thing that will always bring you to a standstill, is the lack of hard earned cash. And we are at a true blue standstill.

Until Jeff's ship comes in, we only have some cosmetic work that we can do on the Allstate project. The motor needs to be sent off to Seattle for it's makeover, and the funds aren't available for that. Same with the painter man that will have his dusty hand out. It's all about the bucks right now.

Jeff has been trying to sell off a motorhome to fund this project and pay off some debts, but camping and travelling isn't a big fad this time of year, so nobody wants to buy an RV. He's had a few nibbles, but can't seem to get anyone hooked. I feel kind of bad for him because I know that he really wants to be up and running on this old Vespa. Maybe the IRS will be kind to him this year.

We are beginning to ramp up our efforts at work to prepare for our move to our store's new location in the next couple of months. This will be a pretty big deal, as we will continue to do business as usual as we make the transition. Imagine moving your company down the road a few miles and still trying to maintain your daily flow of activities. This should be fun.

The building that we are in now is in the beginning stages of an exterior facelift, so we have a crew tearing things apart, and machinery running all day making lots of racket and basically making things ugly to the eye.

On the inside of the store, we've been pushing the effort to start consolidating inventory, and trying to free up space on the sales floor. I spoke at a meeting last week that six months ago, I had said that the two months prior to the move, we would need to begin this moving process, and I wanted everyone at 100 percent throughout this time, and through the transition. I raised some eyebrows because my overall message wasn't what some wanted to hear. One person wanted to hear "good things, with a positive message". I was told that it was "wrong" to have a negative message. I said that "On the contrary, I am positive that if you took it personally, that you got the message that you needed to hear". I finally let the harder side of my personality out, and it felt good.

Leadership can be a tricky thing, and I basically chose to throw out a challenge to see who was willing to step up to the pace that I need to keep to get this job done. Our general manager had told me in an after-hours talk that he wanted someone to "step up" and that I understood what needed to be done. So I'll run with it.

Anyway, I'll jump off my soapbox now. I just see that there will be a shift in my regular routine coming up, and there will be some limitations to my daily activities. Work will take a front burner position, and I just hope that during this time that I can settle into a routine that will allow me a chance to ride as much as possible. We'll have to see.

But it's an exciting time, and I'm up for the challenge, and with Spring peeking around the corner, and the gloom of Winter slowly moving away, the true riding season is almost at our doorstep, and this is my favorite season of the year.

Have fun,
Bill

Hurry Up And Wait

2007-02-07T07:38:00.001-08:00

Here she sits, waiting for someone to come and pay attention to her. Jeff had some out-of-state company for a few days, and with the Superbowl on Sunday, the Allstate wrenching crew hasn't been active with the restoration project. This should change in a few days.

I spoke with the service manager at Port Angeles Power Equipment and he said that their head mechanic suggested Big People Scooters as the best shop for engine work. Paul, at Olympic Powersports said the same, so it looks like the roadtrip is a go. Personally, this trip will be a great chance to get a good look at not only the vintage rides, but the new models that I only read about.

I've had Vespa on my mind for a while now and am looking for a chance to get out and play on Ol' Blue. The weatherman should have just said that today's forecast calls for "dismal, wet and dreary" because that is what we've got. It's ridable, and I've been commuting on the Big Ruckus, but I don't want the Vespa out in it. I realize that some of you are dealing with some nasty cold weather, so I can't really complain. I read this morning that Minneapolis will have a low of -9 today, so 51 degrees and rain is not too darn bad.

I commented on a blog site the other day about the Yamaha C3 that Gary had posted a photo of. I mentioned to my wife that it would make a great grocery getter with it's 9 gallon cargo capacity. I received an intense stare. I then ran the same thought past a co-worker, and had a much more positive reaction than I got from my wife.

I'm going to go check it out today at the dealership, and get some literature on it. I should hit these guys up for some type of perk, because I basically sold a Big Ruckus for them, based on a guy stopping by my workplace and getting all excited about mine, then going back and buying one with "Everything that Bill has on his". Same windshield, and same tour pack. Imitation is the highest form of flattery.

If all goes as planned, I should have some fresh Allstate info to share soon, along with the sophomoric hi-jinx action that takes place in the process of hanging with these hooligans. For now though, I'm going to see if I can cop a "test ride" on that new little Yamaha.

Have fun,
Bill

Let Me Think About This...

2007-01-31T11:37:00.000-08:00

Being a pondering person by nature, I tend to think things through to try to get a better understanding of what something is about in order to better handle the situation, or to at least know what makes something tick. So it was with this Allstate project that we have in the works. I wondered to myself as to why I have such a keen interest in a project that is not mine.

The first thought came easily to me. I just really enjoy being in a shop environment, especially when motorbikes are concerned. Even more when vintage iron is involved. Everything about being in a shop, the smells, the tools, the motorbike itself, makes me happy. I grew up with my Dad always having an antique car in some form of restoration. It's a comfort zone for me.

Sharing my passion of the scooter world that I have embraced with someone else is quite fulfilling to me as well. Jeff has expressed his desire to be a part of the motorbiking world, and if I can provide some inspiration and information that will be helpful to him, then by all means, I'll be there for him. It's what friends do for each other.

Friendship and the common goal of accomplishing something together is probably the main reason though. I'm the type of person that shuts off the social part of my personality when I come home at night. I am truly happier to be at home with my family, tinkering with my own little projects, then being with any group of people in a social setting. I work in retail, which has me working closely with co-workers and customers my entire day. I enjoy it, but need the seperation. Unless I'm amongst friends, I keep to myself on my own time. At this point in my life, I can easily count my true friends without using too many fingers. Most of them are guys that I work with, and I'm proud to call them true friends.

For example, I brought up my want to build another outbuilding on my property to take the place of the old demolished quonset that blew away. I was offered help in the form of not only labor, but building materials, from a guy named Dave at work. This is what a friend does without asking. He will be there when I need him, and I apprieciate this.

Now Dreamcrusher and J.B. can be counted on as well, along with a few others. This is how close knit we've become as a crew at work, and as friends after hours. If ever I paint myself into a corner and call for help, these guys will show up to either jump in and lend a hand, or to stand back and point and laugh at me. Whichever the case, they can be counted on, and I will do the same for them.

So with all this pondering, I ended up concluding that the reason that I have such an interest in this old scooter, is that I get to share in the "brotherhood" that we in the motorbike world understand best.

Next episode...Part 2 of the Great Allstate adventure.

Have fun,
Bill

Geezers Getting Greasy...Part One

2007-01-28T20:15:00.000-08:00

The top photo is Dreamcrusher and J.B. giving the motor a once over after some cleaning. The lower photo is a look at the underside of the greasy, grimy, filthy Piaggio classic motor from 1963. The belly of the vintage beast.

The focus of todays fun was to get this cleaned up to either box and ship to a real Vespa mechanic or for us to attempt to crack into ourselves. I think we'll box her up.

I had ridden Mule over to J.B's digs at around 1:00 this afternoon to take stock of where we were on the project and help in building a battle plan for what to do in the coming days. It had been awhile since I had seen his little scoot and got to take a look at the broken flywheel cover from when the "mechanic" had been there last. It looked as though he had beaten on it for a while with a crowbar to soften it up before using the wrong puller on it. Needless to say, there will be some replacement parts being ordered in the future. Some of the internals had taken a thrashing during the bash fest. This didn't need to happen, but I guess once the dude got a head of steam going, he threw caution to the wind and common sense to the curb. I feel bad for Jeff, because he was trusting this guys word of being an "old time" Vespa mechanic. He'll have to pay for the trust in hard earned cash.

At around three thirty, good old Dreamcrusher came out after work and jumped into his coveralls and got busy. He added a real boost of energy to our dwindling desire to stay out in the unheated shop. He was gulping coffee from what looked like an oversized German beer stein and was buzzing around like a madman. I should mention that it was freezing doggone cold in the shop and the frost was still crunchy white on the ground outside. We had to make a few quick trips into Jeff's house to warm up just to keep the fingers working.

The other main focus today was the frame. We wanted to figure out how the cables were routed through and which cables went where. With this being done, we spent some time with the book Jeff bought to see how to disassemble the front fork and pull the handlebars. All in preparation for the painter.

At this point, we all just looked at each other and pretty much decided to hang it up for the day as it was getting colder and closer to dinner time for each of us. By now I had put on every extra layer of clothing that I had brought in my tourpack for this very reason. And I was still cold.

But it was a good time, and as Geezers, we did something together today, and that's what counted. Grizz called while we were tinkering to say that he was in Oregon and will be here next week to join in, so that should be a productive day. Until then, maybe we can get something accomplished during the work week. I'll fill you in as we go.

Have fun,
Bill

My Pal's Allstate

2007-01-24T17:35:00.000-08:00

The above photo is Jeff Joaquin's 1963 Vespa Allstate. Imported by the good people at Sears, back when you could order a Playtex Living Bra, a Craftsman drill, and a boss scooter from the same catalog. The good old days. This is the "before" picture that I promised in an earlier post. Looks pretty cherry in this pose doesn't it? It's in a whole bunch of pieces now and will become the focus of attention for Jeff in the coming weeks.

I reached out to Big People Scooters in Seattle and they replied yesterday saying that "Yes they can do the work, but get it in ASAP, because when springtime rolls around, all vintage jobs get put on the back burner". The motor is the big issue right now, because the frame, cowls, seats and most everything else are in real good shape. One of the local motorcycle shops said to bring it in and they will have a look at it, but sometimes it's better to have a wrench turner that knows the brand to tackle the project. Being confident is a plus.

The thundering herd of Geezers will be hanging out at Jeff's shop Sunday afternoon and we should have the frame completely stripped down, and all of the greasy parts cleaned up. Jeff has hooked up with a painter, so we will probably just help out with getting parts prepped and sanded before he sends it out for paint.

Geezer "Dreamcrusher" will be joining us on Sunday, and he's a good hand with tools, as well as welding and metal fab work. His real name is Brian, and he works with Jeff and I at our store. Brian runs our metal fabrication shop, and turns out anything from basic metal roof flashing, to intricate copper work. Dreamcrusher rides a rat Honda Aero 80, that just screams down the road faster than I think they were meant to go. You can spot him a block away with his big American flag flapping from a pole that he clamped on to his luggage basket. True home crafted scooter farkles.

As for this kid, I'm enjoying scootin' to work these days again since the spring-like weather has brought sunny days back to us, with temps around 53 degrees. I had a real nice putt this afternoon out to some of my favorite stomping grounds, and couldn't believe how many folks were out walking, working in their yards, washing their cars, and doing whatever else needed to be done on such a nice day. Even the motorbikes are coming out to play.

I know that spring is still down the road a stretch, but there's nothing wrong with looking ahead. Heck, it's only 56 days!

Have fun,
Bill

Rode Easy And Put Away Clean

2007-01-21T14:21:00.000-08:00

Today was one of those days where the weather conditions sat on the fence. On one side was rain, the other brief moments of sunshine. Regardless of the outcome, I was going for a ride.

First stop would be the Blue Dolphin Carwash. There was so much dried road crud on Mule that needed to be removed, and without wanting to unwrap my outdoor faucet, and reattach the hose, the carwash was the way to go. And this crud was really dried on. I hate to use high pressure, but had to a few times. Soap, water and elbow grease finally won over the Elmer's Mud that coated everything. So with this chore done, it was time to ride awhile.

Our next stop was out at the new facility that our company is building on Highway 101 east of Port Angeles. The siding is well on the way to being finished, then the metal roof comes next. It's better to go out on the off days when the construction crews are gone, so I don't end up being stink-eyed by someone that doesn't know that it's my store. The ride out also allows me to get up to highway speed for awhile, and that felt good.

It became obvious that the low hanging dark cloud above me was tired of retaining water, and heading back toward town was a good idea. I chose to wear a heavy leather bomber jacket today, and was warm enough to really feel comfortable cruising around with no real destination in mind. So I just wandered about till the rain shifted to a higher gear. It was as I was coming out of the downtown area that I picked up on something that I probably wouldn't have had I been driving.

For a short moment, the raindrops were coming down about the size of a half-dollar. But at that same time, the sun broke through the clouds and lit everything up, making the colors all around pop against the dark backdrop. Brilliant greens, reds, yellows, everything was so bright. I felt so good being out IN it, and seeing it, rather than missing out by being protected under it. Just a moment that I enjoyed, and was glad that I didn't miss. I had been missing the chance to have these moments.

Lately I've been doing some homework on vintage Vespa scooters, mostly to compile some information toward Jeff's Allstate project. This has given me some inspiration toward my own Vespa, Ol' Blue. I looked at Big People's Scooters website, and e-mailed them about the Allstate motor. These guys are in Seattle, and have been around for quite awhile. I'll call them as a follow-up this week, and if all is good, I may take Ol' Blue to them to run through a tune-up, and finally get my front brake adjusted. I'd heard good things about this business, and think that I will benefit from being around a real Vespa shop, with real Vespa mechanics. A road trip to the Emerald City to search out scooters sounds like my kind of fun.

I wouldn't mind splitting time between Mule and Ol' Blue as daily commuters. It would be pretty cool having two vintage scooters parked together in front of our business when Jeff is up and running. All we have to do now is just get the job done. Should be a darn good time.

Have fun,
Bill

Getting Caught Up

2007-01-19T11:00:00.000-08:00

With work taking the front burner position this week, I haven't had a chance to get caught up with my own blog site, let alone any of the other sites that I faithfully follow. So with great surprise, I found that Steve Williams is back tooling around the "Sticks" on a new Vespa. I hate to see a good rider down and Steve is full time rider. He's the real deal.

This week has been a series of meetings for me. I attended three on Wednesday alone. Then Thursday morning we had a product certification seminar that I had set up for contractors that lasted from 7:00 till 10:00 a.m. and then I had to write an article for the newspaper for the Home Show next month, so today I'm grabbing a day off to regroup and let my batteries charge.

Local roads are suitable for riding again as the snow and ice are finally gone. Streets are now nicely sanded, so I'll have to pay attention to that, but the main drags look good. Full time commuting on Ol' Mule will begin right away. I'm glad that I had chosen to abort riding for the most part during this spurt of winter weather. There were too many evenings that had icy road conditions that would have put me in a bad situation as far as bike-vs-cage goes.

I mentioned my buddies Allstate restoration project and it looks like we will be getting started next week. J.B. will e-mail some "before" photos to me so I can post them prior to getting everyone caught up to where we are at this point. The engine is out and has sustained some damage due to "mechanics" error. He used the "get a bigger hammer" approach when he shouldn't have and the end result will be costly when ordering replacement parts. Needless to say, he's not getting invited back.

Between the four of us Geezer members that will be working on it, we have a couple of good motorheads. Grizz has proven himself to be very good, as he is the guy that I built a Honda CB450 chopper with a few years back. That beast came to him as a barely rolling junk bike and in a matter of a few months we were up and running on a hardtail, ape hangered, jockey shift, louder than *#@% chopper. And Grizz made it look like he did this kind of work for a living. He welds, does bodywork, paints, and turns wrenches better than any cat I know. And you would think that he was related to Larry The Cable Guy. A true Redneck to his very soul. And he's just one in the cast of characters that you will be meeting soon. I'll introduce "Dreamcrusher" to you in the next installment. He's a metal fab nutjob.

For now though, I'm going for a ride.

Have fun,
Bill