Long trip

On July 25 I made my first unaccompanied really long trip on my scooter. I rode from Tacoma Washington to Beaverton Oregon. I was unsure what to expect, so I spoke with several motorcycle riders that I know, and all recommended that I take a tire repair kit, and a tool kit, I all ready have those.

The Saturday before my trip I changed my engine oil and final drive oil, checked all bolts and threaded fasteners and lights. Every thing was in order.

I used Mapsource for my gps unit and planed my route. Because my scoot is a 125cc I knew that I needed to avoid all freeway. That is one of the custom route planning tools in Mapsource.

Mapsource said it would take right at 3 hours, I was thinking 5. I was planning on maintaining 40 mph average. With wrong turns turns that I made the trip down was 4 hours 44 minutes and 177 miles my moving average speed was 36.8 miles per hour.

On the return trip north my time was 4 hours 14 minutes and 168 miles with a moving average of 40 miles per hour .

In town on my daily commute I average 81 miles per gallon, but on my trip I got 82.6 miles per gallon, with my throttle pined wide open.

I did stop for fuel more often than I would normally because I was not sure where the gas stations were, and my fuel tank only holds 1.2 gallons, thats not room for error.

I want and would do it again if the opportunity presents itself again, it was a blast.

Vespadition, route change

Vespadition has had a change forced onto it. The dealer supplying the Vespa for the trip doesn’t want to ship to Philly.

You know I would have thought they would have considered where they are in regards to where Matua is, I mean nobody there understood that he is on the east coast and they are on the west coast. Maps people, Check the map.

This from the Vespadition web site... Exactly two (2) weeks from today Vespadition begins. As some of you know, there has been a change in the route. I will now be starting and ending in Thousand Oaks, California at Vespa Thousand Oaks. Other than that, the route is unchanged. For some of you that means I’ll get to you sooner. For others, I’ll arrive later.

So it sound like even though there is a fly in the ointment this is still really going to happen, and I look forward to seeing him when he arrives in my neck of the woods.

He still needs our support to make it easier so here is the link to Vespadition. http://vespadition.com/

Vespadition

Can one person make a difference and have a good time doing it? I believe so and so does Peter also known as {Matua}. This is what he is planning, Vespadition, a 30,000+ mile scooter journey through the United States and Canada to promote kindness, compassion and volunteerism.

This is a sight seeing trip and an example for all of us. He will begin April the first in New York City. He will be volunteering his time through out this great journey.

From his web site, Since Vespadition came to bear; I have been reluctant to make myself more visible than the journey itself. Vespadition and the reasons for it aren’t about me. They’re about the people it touches. I want Vespadition to be “the ride to promote kindness, compassion and volunteerism.” I don’t want Vespadition to be, “this guy who is riding around North America.”
People who hear about Vespadition should relate it to kindness, compassion and volunteerism.
Genuinely, I’m undertaking this journey to promote kindness, compassion and volunteerism. I’m doing it to show as many people as possible that anyone can be kind, anyone can be compassionate, anyone can volunteer. And they needn’t leave their hometown to do it, either.
I want to inspire people to reach-out to their neighbors. Not the neighbors they know, but the ones they don’t know. I want to inspire people to stop by ‘that soup kitchen‘they’re always passing by. I want to inspire people to do ‘that thing‘they’ve ‘always wished they could do.’
Moreover, I’m doing Vespadition because I’m personally tired of talking-the-talk without walking-the-walk. I’m fed up with watching things happen and complaining about them without doing anything meaningful to change it. I’m doing it because I’m tired of being sad at the sight of some of the things I see going on in this world. I’m doing it because I’ve decided simply that I must.

I hope things work out and I am able to meet up with Peter when he comes through.

To make this trip a success Matua needs our support if you go to Vespadition you will see the link to chip in, all donations of ten dollars or more will be entered into a drawing for some very cool prizes the drawing closes on March 24, 2008.

Here is the link to his site http://vespadition.com/.

Toys for Tots run.

November 24 was the Legacy Vet's M.C. Toys for tots run in Tacoma Washington, there were about 250 bikes with over 300 riders and passengers. All told just under 2600 dollars and a truck full of toys was raised for Mary Bridge Children's Hospital. I was told the largest bike was 125 cubic inches and I had the smallest at 125 cc, I was also the only scooter there.

Can you find my little piggy there in with the hogs. Photo on right.

The photo on the left shows some of the riders at Mary Bridge at the end of the the ride, I was going to go up on the parking structure and get a better one but my batteries died and i only had one set, live and learn.

It was a fun day with live music, a bar-b-que, and a raffle.

I would like to say Thank You to Destination Harley and all the riders for their support for Mary Bridge.

TOYS FOR TOTS, TACOMA

November 24 is the Mary Bridge Children's Hospital Toys for Tots run.
They start a Destination Harley-Davidson in Fife WA. 10 dollar donation, new toys welcome, [no stuffed animals please], BBQ AT NOON. Reg at 11am ride leaves at noon.
Info: Sgt. Bilko 253 208 7791 or 253 278 9535
Won't my VINO 125 and myself look out of place at a Harley dealer, I will take pictures.
I have personal experance with Mary Bridge with my son, please come if you can.