real tags

Went in to MotoStrada today (Hi Mark!) to pick up my real tags, so it's officially not a "new" scoot anymore. Can't wait to trade 'em in for a custom plate touting the amazing gas mileage I get - just to make the other drivers jealous. Check out this great MotoStrada ad that Jen snapped on delivery day.

First Report on the New Scoot

odometer: 591 miles

I admit it. I don’t miss Pete Lee even one bit.

It’s been nearly a week since I’ve had the Vespa GTS 250 and I’ve already put nearly 100 miles on it – 20 percent of the mileage that I put on the 50 cc scooter in an entire year of ownership. I mean, there’s not anywhere that I can’t go on this thing! As of the first fill-up, my gas mileage is 62.8 MPG. Try finding that in a car!

Since we’re both new riders and it was a long, unfamiliar ride in the waning daylight, Jen and I tag-teamed the 39-mile ride home from Motostrada. The Vespa handles like a breeze. It’s zippy, comfortable, and the controls are easily within reach. Other than the fact that the bike is much heavier (350 lbs. versus the 175 lb. Honda Metropolitan), there was virtually no learning curve at all.

I’ve enjoyed riding on all sorts of roads I wouldn’t have dared with Pete Lee, including Route 108 and MD-175 (speed limit: 55) through Columbia. The trade up is really to an all-purpose vehicle. If I can get in some riding time on the highway, I may even be ready to take it to work this week.

The Vespa doesn’t have a name yet, but she feels like a girl to me. I guess I have to spent a little more time with her to decide what suits her best. Any suggestions?

the next phase

tomorrow, tomorrow is the day that I pick up my new scoot at Motostrada. It’s a Vespa GTS 250, just like this one. I could have gone with new, but this one is a 2008 with just 494 miles on it – apparently, the original owner decided that scooting just wasn’t for him. Too bad, but his loss is my gain! Saved over $1500 on the thing, and it’s all tricked out with a trunk and a windshield. All I need to do is get on it and go!

Since I am moving up from a 50 cc scoot, I am investigating ways to get from Timonium to Columbia without having to ride on the highway. This new scoot can go practically anywhere, but my riding skills aren’t quite ready for the fast lane yet. Any recommendations?

Trading Up: A Fond Farewell to Pete Lee

Long time, no blog. Sorry guys. It’s been a hectic spring for me, what with getting my master’s degree and getting married and all. But the weather’s fine and the scooters are in season, so I am looking forward to getting back to posting.

This week, I left the pack of casual scooterists behind and became the proud owner of a Vespa GTS 250. I haven’t had a chance to pick it up from MotoStrada yet, but I hope to be racing the cagers back and forth to work in Annapolis by August. I am super excited about my new ride and looking forward to being able to see some new scenery. My 50cc Honda Metropolitan was an excellent starter scoot, but I’ve learned that I like scootering enough to make the step up to a bigger size.

Before I get started blogging about my new adventure, I think that it’s necessary to pay homage to my starter scooter: a 2008 Honda Metropolitan named Pete Lee. Pete was in my life almost a year to the day, and he and I spent a good 423 miles together. That may not seem like much to those of you with bigger engines, but 400 miles is a lot of running around town. Pete left me on Sunday for his new home with a lovely local gal named Sherry. Or Shelly. Or Shelby. Whatever, I can’t remember, but that’s not important. What is important is that Pete Lee was a fabulous learning scooter, and he will be missed.

RIP, Pete Lee.

July 30, 2008 – July 19, 2009