Indian Summer - A Vespa Ride on a Warm Winter Day

A motovlog style Vespa ride and chat.
Bike is a 2022 Vespa GTS300 HPE.
#scooter
#motorcycle
#vespa
#colorado

[@ScooterintheSticks]

Cold tolerant indeed!😂 short sleeves, tennis shoes, summer gloves. At 50F I’m in my winter riding jacket and electric gloves already. Lots of good advice on cold weather riding, especially the deception of “dry roads” on a clear sunny day. Beautiful landscapes in your video. Good stuff. Merry Christmas to you and your family!

[@flatgrindrides]

Thank you. That warm sun makes all the difference! Merry Christmas!

[@ScooterintheSticks]

@@flatgrindrides Well, it warms the spirit at least!

[@CL-gp3pw]

Cannot believe you're in just a t-shirt at 50F!! Anything under 60, l'm in multiple layers! 😂 Fun ride; thanks for taking us along!

[@flatgrindrides]

The older I get, the colder it feels, but I love that warm sun on my skin!

[@ScooterintheSticks]

I should add that my Vespa GTS is with the mechanic now. The front end wobble which is a non-issue was added to by what I suspect to be aging steering races and bearings. So it is undergoing some extensive work. Hopefully when it returns I'll have more years of riding pleasure. Watching your video and seeing the smooth, effortless riding free of shifting and down shifting and managing a less nimble motorcycle I was reminded once again of how much I love my Vespa!

[@hikikomori69]

Gotta love some Colorado sublimation of the snow! Both a blessing and a curse as it is an indicator of how ridiculously dory the air is. Love the vids and glad to see you back uploading.

[@flatgrindrides]

Thanks!

[@Scootphoria]

I remember when I used to ride in T-shirt @50°F. I remember when it changed to being cold a few years ago. Slickery Sand!!!!! Enjoy the views on your rides. Merry Christmas friend. I didn't get the wobble until I started keeping more stuff in my top case. If I sit more forward or put more weight on the front rack, it reduces it. Or what indeed!!!!!

[@flatgrindrides]

Merry Christmas!

[@AltitudeRider]

Great advice for winter riding in Colorado! You sure have some nice foothill rides! Merry Christmas!

[@flatgrindrides]

Thanks, you too!

[@peterhobbs7609]

Lovely ride through glorious scenery, merry Christmas to you and your family and happy riding into 2024 from not so sunny South of England

[@flatgrindrides]

Thank you. Merry Christmas!

[@erikryde7879]

You are such a nice guy!!😜

[@karelmarx8899]

showing your skin on hands in cold weather is good for later years reumathysm and pains. no hard feelings greetings

[@frankiepavinato]

Man, I really love these videos. Beautiful places ,beautiful scenery and a lovely orange Vespa. Unfortunately at this moment it’s too cold here in northern Italy so all my bikes are resting…hope spring comes soon. Take care my friend and keep riding while you can!

[@flatgrindrides]

Thank you and Merry Christmas! 😉

[@frankiepavinato]

@@flatgrindrides merry Christmas to you too!

[@user-mn6lx4mc8k]

Every time I watch one of your rides it makes me go jump on my green Kymco Agility 125 a go for a 20 mile ride. Scooters are super fun and relaxing !!! The more I ride the more I want to ride. Do you have the same reaction to riding your Vespa ??

[@flatgrindrides]

Absolutely!

[@teaganbuckson8463]

I am currently 14 and you have gotten me very interested in Vespas. I still need to wait 1 year before I can get a learners permit but you make riding look like a absolute blast and I cant wait till I can get one.

[@flatgrindrides]

Awesome! If you are in the USA I would recommend taking an MSF course. My daughter did it when she got her learners permit. msf-usa.org/ You’ll have a blast.

[@teaganbuckson8463]

@@flatgrindrides Thanks for the recommendation my parents main worry was the safety and I could show them this so they can learn more about it, and they would be more comfortable with me having experience with bikes while using one

[@flatgrindrides]

@@teaganbuckson8463 Safety is a real concern. No doubt about it. I think it’s important to realize that your safety is a function of your behavior. The choices you make and your actions determine the outcome. There is a very good driver training program for bicyclists called cyclingsavvy. I would recommend it as well as it will help you learn how to understand traffic patterns, common traps, and the behavior of other drivers. You want your actions to be predictable by other drivers and likewise, you want to be able to predict what other drivers are likely to do. Motorcycles and bicycles are different, but they are both two wheeled, balance vehicles with many things in common. If you do start riding, have fun and be smart about it.

[@teaganbuckson8463]

Thanks, I will definitely keep safety things like that in mind and always be smart. Although I have taken bike safety courses before I don't think my parents would mind if I took another one to be extra safe. Happy Ridding

[@tanja5867]

Thanks for the ride along! The weather has been very unseasonal indeed. It’s been said yet at 10*C I’d been in heated gear already at highway speeds! I envy your resistance to cold. Merry Christmas 🎄

[@iggyzorro2406]

I bought this mudflap for the front fender from scooterwest - robot has an installation vid. very simple. right now it's $30. protects the front of the metal body from salt, sand, pebbles - FRONT FENDER MUD FLAP VESPA GT GTS 250 300 SUPER HPE 2005-2022 - (part mf16) - have you seen this guy from seattle who does funny vespa vids? name is Bug - pretty nutty. merry x-mas, happy new year to you and your family. thanks for the rides.

[@flatgrindrides]

Thank you. Haven’t seen Bug…I’ll search for him. Merry Christmas!

[@OTKUR]

50f is freezing cold 🥶

[@erikparkhurst7433]

Just curious to know why you chose a 300 over the 150 Vespa, would love to pick your brain and get your opinions

[@flatgrindrides]

To be honest, I didn’t give it a whole lot of thought. Saw the 300 and immediately liked it. I am a big guy and most of my riding is at elevations 5,000 feet and above. I figured it’s better to have power and not need it than need power and not have it. I never really looked at the 150s. It was really between the Vespa 300 and some of the other maxi scooters.

[@buzzmartin8607]

Here’s a guy who puts a video out and talks in his comments about safety, doesn’t wear a jacket with long sleeves or a proper riding jacket on a 50° day with salt and sand all over the roads. Just saying, tennis shoes and jeans also a proper safety protocol. I saw your comment you made to the 14-year-old kid wanted to get a scooter and you made safety comments to him. nice!

[@flatgrindrides]

We all make our choices and assume the consequences. You might also note that my advice to him was not about safety equipment, but was rather about skills development. Crash avoidance beats crash protection gear every time. That’s not to say that protective gear is not important, in fact, it is an important part to a multi layered safety strategy. But the behavioral component trumps the gear component every time. The outcome is always better if one doesn’t crash. I got my first motorcycle in 1979. I’m under no illusions. I make choices that involve compromises, and which I am quite comfortable with. But thank you for trying to police the world. Please enlighten us on the correct safety protocol in this instance.

[@flatgrindrides]

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