First Ride of Spring (Vespa chases Harley Davidson)

First ride after a long winter off the bike. Beautiful day riding around Horsetooth Reservoir with lots of other bikes. Decide to "chase" a Harley just for fun. So nice to be back on the bike!

[@ricksanchez2983]

Good to see you back on the channel. I'm waiting on my 300 GTS Super Sport.

[@flatgrindrides]

👍

[@ScooterintheSticks]

Good to see you frisky and chasing Harleys with your Vespa. The girlfriend may have been sporting cat ears but I wonder if some devil horns were sprouting under your helmet?? ;) I've chased down a few groups of Harley riders on my Vespa and they aren't wild about the company. It may interfere with their fantasy. Spring is here too. The dogwoods, Red buds, and Shadblow are all in bloom. Despite some snowflakes today, the next couple days will be in the 70s and 80s. Lots of adventures to come.

[@flatgrindrides]

I did keep a polite distance 😜

[@Scootphoria]

Wooohooo, Flatgrind rides again!!!! Beautiful day and beautiful ride!!!!

[@FJWH]

GREAT! You are back. For real you are the one that got me hooked on the GTS since last year. I waited for the 2023 model and got it since march 18Th with already 2600km on it. Love it. Already got lots of accessories like the akrapovic exhaust, black mg biketecbrake levers, black oilcarter, oilpan with side glass and small black suspension cap at the front in stead of all that chrome, black front en rearlagage carrier, tomtom powercable and soon usbport and the speedwheel. Love it!

[@flatgrindrides]

Sweet! So glad you like it. Such a fun bike and it sounds like you have made it yours. Have fun. 👍

[@AltitudeRider]

Where are you buying your accessories?

[@flatgrindrides]

@@AltitudeRider I haven’t really bought any accessories. I bought oil and filters online from a couple of different shops based on price. Will probably be buying rollers and other things later on from Scooter West as they seem to do a good bit to support the Vespa community in the US. What about you? Where have you been getting your goodies?

[@AltitudeRider]

@@flatgrindrides I’ve been shopping ScooterWest as well. They seem to have a great selection of accessories. I was hoping FJWH would reply as he has a list of goodies similar to mine. Now you have my curiosity up on installing new rollers. I watched a video on someone doing the same, but that was to reduce the sound of loose rollers. What do you see as the benefit?

[@flatgrindrides]

@@AltitudeRider the rollers are a wear item, like belts and tires. They will eventually need replacement just as standard maintenance. They come in different weights and also in a different shape called sliders. By changing the weights, you can change the way the transmission “shifts” and tweak it for faster, acceleration and lower top speed, or vice versa. I if you do an Internet search, I’m sure you can find some articles that talk about it.

[@mullerdp3570]

Some beautiful scenery!

[@erikryde7879]

Nice to have you back, sir!

[@frankiepavinato]

Beautiful,i would like to ride there with my Ducati...welcome back! Keep up the Vespa pride and chew those Harleys...

[@flatgrindrides]

😂👍

[@gkelly34]

I love the angular rock formations, interesting geological past I imagine

[@flatgrindrides]

I don’t know much about the geology of the area, but clearly there is a lot going on! 😉

[@niclaslindstrom6164]

Nice video, again! Nice to see that the snow is gone, here we still have about two feet, but the roads are clear, mostly. In a week or two I might pick up my GTS from storage! Keep up the good work!

[@flatgrindrides]

Soon! 🤞

[@iggyzorro2406]

I remember those hills you had to circumnavigate. We were up that road with you last year. Still picturesque. Thanks.

[@AltitudeRider]

Nice to see you back riding! Still waiting on my 300 GTS SS ordered 3/2. Should be coming soon. I want to chase Harleys along that reservoir road!😂

[@flatgrindrides]

Right on!

[@michaelhiggins7365]

Soooooooooooooooooooooo nice to see you back ! Yeah, I've always thought Harley's were obnoxious with their loud exhaust. I especially hate the guy's who blast their stereo's on bikes as well, totally low class in my book. I look forward to your next installment.

[@thorriemschneider3975]

Love it

[@ChrisStynen]

Did anyone catch the Twinkies reference???!!!! LOLOLOLOL

[@Zander10102]

The snow will be back soon!

[@flatgrindrides]

Don’t jinx us!

[@Zander10102]

@@flatgrindrides tell that to NOAA, not me haha

[@flatgrindrides]

@@Zander10102 😂🤞

[@Zander10102]

Quick question, sorry if there is a better place to ask this: how do you fill up the tank without fuel shooting up out of the tank before the auto stop trips? I've tried just pulling the fuel trigger very gently so that gas flows very slowly but it's seems like fuel flows pretty fast or not at all with nothing in between for all the pumps here in noco.

[@flatgrindrides]

I don’t. I have the same issue as you. If you squeeze the pump all the way, the flow is so fast that the tank fills quickly and unexpectedly and overflows before the shut off. If you squeeze the handle partially, the flow will be slower, but the auto shut off won’t work and unless you get it perfect, it will overflow as well. Frustrating! I did a video some months ago where I talked about the evap canister issue that I was having because of the fuel overflows. I ended up just removing the canister and routing the hose down to the bottom of the bike so that overflow just spills onto the ground. That’s a pretty extreme step to take, and most people probably won’t want to do it, but it seems like the right thing for me. The tank is so small, and the pipe leading to it is tiny compared to an automobile, so I have yet to find a pump around here with the flow rate, slow enough to fill it without overfilling. I wish I had some simple answer for you, but I don’t. Is the new black GTS I’ve seen around town recently yours?

[@Zander10102]

@flatgrind rides thanks for the info! I think I will just get a large jerry can and fill that at the pump and then fill my scooter from that. No, that isn't mine. My vespa is light green, like my car!

[@garbinator09]

You ever sit or test ride a BV 400?

[@flatgrindrides]

No, I haven't but they seem like they are nice bikes.

[@treverpitts]

is that a Vespa 300 gt?

[@flatgrindrides]

Yup GTS 300 HPE

[@justinlinnane8043]

Just road my old 250 gts though the dordogne coutnryside in France today. those roads are smooth as a billiard table and curvy as bridgite bardot . perfect vepa country . !!

[@flatgrindrides]

Oh man that’s nice! Bon voyage!

[@karelmarx8899]

what a stupid sound of harley it shouldnt be legal at all 10000 bucks ticket