Winter Riding on a Vespa Scooter

[@MrAdal206]

I love to watch your videos riding. You made me want to buy a Vespa. Thank you.

[@ScooterintheSticks]

I'm glad you found some value in the things I present. The Vespa has been a wonderful riding companion for me. I hope you find the same satisfaction from one.

[@twloughlin]

Fun video. A nice companion piece to today's blog entry. The little winter riding I have done has been OK, but I have to admit that whenever I found myself out winter riding, I worried too much about road conditions to truly enjoy myself. The need to have to pay attention to the road negates for me that sense of being able to freely take in my surroundings. I'm also not interested in spending the loot it takes to be properly geared up. This past Sunday I took a ride in my cage, bought a nice mixed berry pie and some unusually creative peanut butter mixtures (Irish Cream and Espresso Buzz). The sun was shining, and it was good to get out and see the scenery. Spring will be here soon enough!

[@ScooterintheSticks]

I understand the concern about the road conditions. For some reason, I embraced it as a puzzle to solve. It does distract from looking at the scenery but I still managed some views when I stopped to take pictures. The right gear does cost some money but I've managed to not spend too much. Spring can't get here soon enough. I've started to feel really isolated and confined due to COVID and the weather. Today it was in the mid-40s. A wonderful day.

[@garbinator09]

@@ScooterintheSticks - OH? Steve you’er speaking my exact lingo!

[@ScooterintheSticks]

@@garbinator09 It's nice to know we're not too far in the weeds when it comes to our thought processes!

[@kandybar2921]

I appreciate your video, thank you!

[@ScooterintheSticks]

Glad it was helpful!

[@barrettwbenton]

Pretty good video (in spite of your misgivings), Steve…and the description of your one-and-only lowside almost exactly describes my own sole get-off a few years back, and just a few blocks from home, just to rub things in. Glad you managed *this* ride uneventfully.

[@ScooterintheSticks]

Thanks for the kind words. I'm hoping there will be no repeats of that first ride in the snow! It was a fine ride. Every time I get on the Vespa I'm reminded of how luxurious a ride it provides.

[@volhv1973]

Thank you, planning for an upgrade from my 50cc scooter. Wondered if I can ride midsize scooter on a sunny winter days in Colorado and you just answered all of my questions 😊

[@ScooterintheSticks]

Yes you can! At least with the proper preparation and skills there is a lot of winter that can be handled with a scooter. Just make sure your riding approach changes to sufficiently handle all the new challenges. And don't hesitate to leave the scooter at home when necessary. I stubbornly ventured out on days I should not have ridden.

[@garbinator09]

You motivate me to get in my truck, go to Sherman Oaks, California. And buy me a new Vespa 300. I’m a worry wort regarding oncoming traffic and stop sign controlled intersection because of five two wheeler incidents long ago. I am 66. Regarding video. IPhone produced video has me becoming frustrated to no end as the few I have on my KZbin were done on iMovie. Overtime, KZbin changed coding, leaving me unable to post newer and this is after I purchased the full version of iMovie. Oh how I long for the days I loved/enjoyed 8mm handy cams! Sony Baby! Then of course the Sony Mini DV tape! Still have a bunch I’ve never had converted.

[@ScooterintheSticks]

A Vespa 300 might be a fine tonic for a 66-year-old. I'm a couple years ahead of you and I know it would be for me. Not sure how long my 2006 GTS will last but I hope to get another when the time comes. I realize though that my traffic challenges are far different than yours. I have shot a few videos on the iPhone. And some on a little point and shoot cameras. And until the last two videos, I had been using iMovie as well. Final Cut Pro X is makes editing much faster and easier once I figured out how to use it. Once you get that new Vespa I hope you find your way with video as well. It's kind of nice to witness what we do on two wheels!

[@jonathansmith7552]

Great video! Gave me some inspiration to keep using a scooter when it's cold season. First time scooter rider here, got it a couple months ago, Wolf Rugby 2 150cc, supposed to be an enduro scooter. I've used a car in winter, I've used a bicycle in winter, but this will be my first Midwest US motorbike winter. Any tips you can give me? Battery tender of course, any battery upgrades? Adjustments to tuning? Preference on tires (do all terrain tires work well on salty roads or potentially slushy or wet roads?) Just looking for any tips you or anyone else can give to make winter riding easier here in a few months!

[@ScooterintheSticks]

Aside from keeping the battery in good condition and perhaps winter tires all my tips would relate to how you ride and the gear you wear. For me, I have to be warm. That meant good winter riding gear and muffs on the handlebars. No glove, not even electric ones, could keep my hands warm when the temperature dropped below 25F. You'll need to experiment to determine what works best for you. And then there's how you ride. Slow and steady in winter. Especially if the roads are slippery. Easy on the throttle, find less hectic routes, etc. Good luck and be careful.

[@aliyawilson9652]

Hey steve I heard you're riding in central PA, whereabouts? Im originally from the same area and its rare that I meet anyone who is from Happy Valley

[@ScooterintheSticks]

My riding takes place from the Maryland border northward toward the New York border. It ranges West to East from Punxsutawny to Bloomsburg. Lots of great riding there including in Happy Valley!

[@aliyawilson9652]

@@ScooterintheSticks wonderful to hear! Happy riding Steve, thanks for all you do sir

[@garbinator09]

Our California gas prices have gone up yet again! As everything else to living as also. I have really reduced my pickup use psychologically I believe, its not that I can NOT use it because of affordability, its doing the quick math in my head to wanting to grab a $4 ice cream 🍦 realizing for the time, fuel will be $6 to $8 to get there and back.

[@ScooterintheSticks]

Ah, our old pal inflation. I remember getting a mortgage on a house for 11%. And I thought that was a deal. I trust the market will sort itself out eventually and I'll still have some cash in my pocket. But I can relate to thinking the price of something is awful steep when the cost of transportation and fuel is factored into it. Being retired and now having a fixed income has me looking at things differently. The price of things hasn't really affected me, but I'm sure psychologically something has changed.

[@SonoranSunriders]

You did an excellent job of narrating on the fly! I avoid it live the plague in my videos. I agree that GoPros are a bit of a pain to make sure they are on/recording. Many a time, I thought it was recording wonderful footage, only to discover none captured.

[@ScooterintheSticks]

I avoided narrating on the fly for a long time. Voice over, text only, I tried a lot things to not narrate while riding but it just sort of left the videos flat. So on the persistent advice of a friend, I just decided to try it for a while. It's still uncomfortable because it feels out of control. There's hardly any planning. I appreciate your kind words. They'll help as I hold my nose and keep practicing. As far as the GoPro cameras ago. They continue to be a pain. Even fastening them to the helmet is miserable.

[@garbinator09]

I have an old GoPro 3! Never could feel the love. I think the designer only built it to make me go insane… 😵‍💫

[@ScooterintheSticks]

@@garbinator09 I think I had one of those -- the GoPro 3 Silver. It was a difficult tool. The Hero 8 is much better but still has a learning curve that I've not mastered yet.

[@esengersma5391]

Nice voice, good story!

[@ScooterintheSticks]

Thanks for listening!

[@micklessard9964]

Excellent video. Excellent scenery. So relaxing to watch. Please keep on making these videos. Your thoughts are my thought. We have so much in common. I'm driving 400 kilometers to the city of Saskatoon Saskatchewan Canada tomorrow. I'm picking up new Michelin Raggae tires for my Yamaha BWS 50 cc scooter. My Piaggio Beverly touring scooter is way too heavy and awkward to ride safely in the winter. I'm selling the Piaggio. A Honda Grom is easier to pick up dropped. 150 mpg is nice also nice. I will look into purchasing armoured riding gear. I usually wear my Canada Goose snowsuit. I've made the mistake of not keeping my feet off the floorboards when driving on my snow packed private mile of road. Broke my collar bone on April 14th 2020. No doctor visit. No painkillers. Us Boomers are tough.

[@ScooterintheSticks]

Us Boomers are tough! I like that though I must confess some days where I feel anything but tough. The Vespa GTS is as heavy as I feel comfortable managing in snow. Certainly not my BMW K75 or the Himalayan. Besides, I'm beginning to think riding in the snow is for the moto-insane. I'm going to return my membership card. The Honda Grom looks really neat. I can see myself with one. And definitely easier to pick up. I hope you are doing well with no more unfortunate injuries. Boomers may be tough but we're rapidly moving from tough to something else!

[@micklessard9964]

Hello Steve. My 500 mile round trip to Saskatoon was successful. I dropped off my new Michelin Raggae tires at my mechanics business. Mitch asked if I was going to haul the Yamaha BW's on my truck next week? The best kept secret around here is that we are blessed by having the best safety concerned drivers in the North part of Saskatchewan. I've been bicycling the north highway since 1982. I got back on a scooter in 2006. Drivers often signal around me. I get friendly waves. Slow is the new fast. I like your term moto-insane.

[@ScooterintheSticks]

@@micklessard9964 Sounds like you're having plenty of adventure despite winter in Saskatchewan. Those Raggae tires look like the sort of tread on a scooter tire I've often looked for to run on my Vespa. Sadly, they only make them in the 10 inch size. Now that I have the Himalayan I'm less concerned about having more aggressive tires on the scoot. I'll take the bike on the dirt and gravel now.

[@ranman1959]

Lots of good tips in your video. Do you do anything special to your Vespa to protect it from salt damage?

[@ScooterintheSticks]

I have nothing but bad habits when it comes to salt protection and the Vespa. I would go an entire winter without washing it off. That said, the only damage has been cosmetic. When I was commuting every day it would have been too much work to clean it every day but I should have at least done it once a week. I just returned from a ride on my brand new Himalayan. It's covered with salt. Once the bike cools I'll wash it down with soap and water. I don't want to be the same careless man with salt on this machine.

[@oakriley]

How do you handle ice and snow when in a snow storm and you have to get to work?

[@ScooterintheSticks]

That's a great question. I've certainly made bad decisions commuting to work where I come outside at the end of the day to find the scooter covered with snow along with the roads. Or suddenly while riding a snow squall appears. Here is one such story on my blog: scooterinthesticks.com/2017/03/vespa-riding-in-a-snow-squall/ My approach to snow on the road is careful and measured. I will assess whether I have the skill to continue, how bad the road is, how much traffic there is, and what options I have to find a less trafficked route. I'm fortunate to live in an area where the traffic is "light" and the drivers pretty calm and considerate. But mainly, I do as much as I can to look at weather forecasts and leave the scooter at home if it is supposed to snow. Sadly, the forecasts aren't always right though. If I didn't have a car as an option I would be on the bus or calling Uber.

[@safiyyali9442]

What about changing your tires too snow tires

[@ScooterintheSticks]

I ran Heidenau Snow Tex winter tires for years. They definitely have more traction on cold pavement, are great in loose snow and slush, but don't make much difference on hard pack snow or ice. As I've gotten older I don't ride in snow as much. I've gotten smarter!

[@AKRichardM]

Nice video!

[@ScooterintheSticks]

Thanks Richard. It's not Alaska though.

[@davideakin7434]

Excellent video companion to your photo blog! One recommendation - if your T-shirt is just cotton, change it to either merino wool or (if you really cannot do wool) silk. Either will be a much better base layer than cotton but not promote the "stink" often experienced with synthetic thermal material.

[@ScooterintheSticks]

Thanks David. I'm still trying to imagine a rhythm between the blog and a KZbin channel. I have a variety of synthetic thermals but usually, only wear them when it's really cold. The cotton t-shirt is mainly to keep the wool sweater away from my tender skin! I don't plan to ride anymore in those really cold days of single digits and below zero weather.

[@OneFabFisher]

Do you use studded tires?

[@ScooterintheSticks]

No. I ran Heidenau SnoTex winter tires. I bought an expensive set of studs for them but never did an installation. I came to my senses and stopped going out intentionally into snow and ice storms. 😎

[@scrambler69-xk3kv]

For what they cost, I would never ride a vespa in winter salt and have it rust away.

[@ScooterintheSticks]

I understand your concern. The GTS is an expensive machine and salt definitely affects the finish. My scooter is coming up on its 23rd winter and it has not rusted away. I had the bottom side repainted about 10 years ago because the paint was beginning to show some exposed metal and I wanted to ward off any rust. The stock muffler shows the most impact of salt and I have to pull it off usually once a year and repaint it with black grill paint. But if you want a pristine scooter you can't ride in the snow and slush of winter. But step a few feet away from my scooter after it has been washed and waxed and it's still a beauty.