Fishy goings on

When I was a kid, I dreaded fishy Fridays. It's been an eon since I had a fishy Friday.

Last Sunday in Vancouver turned out to be fishy, but in a good way.

First we had breakfast.  You can't have much fun on an empty stomach, un-fueled by a cup or two of Joe.

Well prepared for adventure, we rolled out of the Marina Grill. If you didn't know this place existed, there's no way you could find it. There is however a clue. There's a sign for the restaurant hanging off a crane on the Vancouver-bound side of the second narrows bridge. By the time you see that sign it's way too late. As the farmers are famous for saying, "you can't get there from here".

Bob is secretive, because he loves surprises. Yvonne wasn't about to tip me to his game.

We set out in Yvonne's Subaru SUV.  Bob would only provide cryptic clues on where we were going.

It turned out that the first stop after breakfast was Deep Cove.  It's a charming little town perched on the rocky shore of Burrard Inlet, where the road ends, literally.  It would be too hard to describe this wonderful corner of the world.  Posting pictures will save me thousands of words.

Deep Cove is across the inlet from Burnaby Mountain, Ioco, and Belcarra.  The last time I was in those places I was in the company of Bob, Sonja, Roland, and Dave.

We then headed in the direction of Capilano with Bob teaching me the ins and outs of North Shore geography. It's all about canyons, ravines, streams and cuts. I'm not sure I retained more than the most obvious parts of the lessons.

We headed up a road I do know, the one that leads up to Grouse Mountain, somewhere on the far side of the Lion's Gate bridge.  Following a little bit of U-turn trial and error, we shot down a rabbit-hole of a side-street and followed its twisty route.  At the end of that road (truly a day of dead-end roads) we came upon the Capilano salmon hatchery.

It's quite something to see the salmon leaping up the ladder of small pools, against the torrent of water spilling downstream.

Regrettably I was unable to catch one in the act.

The old growth forest reminded me of Muir Woods just north of San Francisco.  The trees are not as tall, but the feeling is familiar, strolling among the towering trees, with the river rushing its way through the canyon.

The Lumix LF1 camera that I bought on Bob's recommendation seems to live up to Bob's assessment in spades.  It has an astonishingly good optical zoom, an excellent aperture that lets lots of light in, and a very large image sensor that allows you to capture some very attractive shots.

The rather unique thing is that there is a Panasonic app for the iPhone that lets you control the camera over the WiFi connection.  You can frame, zoom and shoot with a touch of the icon on the app.  The downside is that you end up with a goofy look of concentration on your face as you try to operate the app while looking nonchalant and debonaire.  Fail.

l used a slow shutter speed to lend more drama to this waterfall.

I thought we might be done for the day, but Bob had one more local pearl to share with me.

We headed towards Horseshoe Bay.  I recognized the winding road that hugs the shoreline.  Bob took a left turn down a street that looked more like a private driveway than a real street.  No tourist would have gone this way.

The street lead to a small point jutting into the water.

I'm not sure what the 'Pilot House' might be.  I was in a quiet contemplative place, and reading the plaque was the furthest thing from my mind.

This is a truly peaceful place.  It's a good place to come to sit and think.  There are a few benches for thinkers who prefer not to sit on the rock.

The city is visible, but barely intrudes on the serenity of this place.

It is a good place to think.

A very big thank you to Bob and Yvonne for devoting their Sunday to show me more sights.  The weather was dismal, but the company more than made up for it.

I had a great time.

Breakfast with Bob

I had to pick this title because it's whimsical.  It's not misleading, but it is inadequate.  A better title would be "A weekend with the Skoots".

Not too long ago I posted "Lunch with Bob".  Once more I'm sharing a meal with Bob, but it's not that Bob, it's this Bob.  If you're confused, it's all Bob's fault.

Last Saturday morning I was patiently waiting for Bob (see my previous post) so that I could have some breakfast.  We had decided the night before (I can't remember if it was before or after the excellent dinner I enjoyed in the company of Bob and Yvonne at Phnom Penh) that our Saturday morning breakfast venue would be the Tomahawk.  Vancouver is a foodie city.  At the risk of offending, I'll say that Vancouver and Montreal are neck-and-neck as the foodie capital of Canada.  It should come as no surprise that Vancouver attracted Guy Fiori and his Camaro.  Among the diners, drive-ins, and dives he showcased are those two fabulous eateries.

Suffice to say that we didn't come away hungry.

After breakfast, Bob and I set off to see the sights.

Lynn Creek is not a name that does justice to the rain forest valley that is barely a twenty minute drive from downtown Vancouver.

Simply stunning.  Those are just the right words.  Towering moss-covered trees, and a crystal clear stream babbling its way along the valley floor around smooth river-worn rocks as it leaves a shrouded grotto nestled at the end of the park.  Therapeutic is another good word.

Actually, you only get the therapy if you don't have a fear of heights or suspended bridges that bounce and sway.

The day was capped off by... more food.  This time all you can eat sushi in Richmond in the company of the Vancouver chapter of the British Columbia Corvette Club.

Bob gave me this pin.

The pin ceremony was brief ("here's a little something...") but not entirely devoid of decorum. I think I may have to buy a Corvette.  Yikes!

Once we were incapable of eating more food, there was endless chatter.  The words C2, C7, header, oil, and Bowling Green Kentucky, came up, a lot.  Next summer there is a massive Corvette rally in the states, and many members of the club are making the trip, including Bob and Yvonne.

Again I find myself privileged to meet truly exceptional people.  Jenny and Loren drove a Ford Model A Phaeton from Peking to Paris this past summer.  Two nicer people you'll never meet.  After the restaurant everyone headed over to Gordon and Sue's place for coffee and more conversation. This was an evening I truly enjoyed.

Not too shabby for a weekend on the wet coast.  And stay tuned, there's another instalment coming.

Westward, the wet coast beckons

I'm a little homesick.  I'm also a little hungry.  Where's Bob?

Just sitting here in Vancouver, waiting for Bob.

Where is he? Hi Sonja!  What are you and Roland up to?

The blog as real-time communication.  Fascinating.

Stop!

That's right, stop!

How often do you do that? Stop the serious stuff you're up to? Like commuting?

I never used to. What stops me?

McDonalds stops lots of folks. So does Starbucks. Traffic stops most of us, likewise subway and train issues, bus delays, fuel stops. None of those count. Only voluntary stops and pauses count.

What stops me? More than any other thing, the sky stops me. First it arrests my eyes, then blows my mind, and that shifts my focus. I am drawn, I have to stop. The sky dictates the place, and my Vespa is my enabler.

Momentarily, I am distracted by necessity. Kickstand, helmet, gloves, iPhone, exposure, focus, composing, fussing, snapping. Knowing the picture doesn't have a prayer of translating what my eyes plainly see. Yet saving the moment, sharing the moment, in spite of the obvious imperfection, is a must.

So there it is. Wasted effort? Time wasted? Time well wasted. Effort well spent.

This is so much more important than... many other things.

Lunch with Bob

I finally got to meet Bob Lush last week.

Bob suggested Mount Royal, in the area near the Smith House, across from the police riding stable.

It was a beautiful setting, on a gorgeous sun-drenched fall day.  Bob spoiled me.  He had stopped by Schwartz's on the way to the rendez-vous and picked up some smoked meat sandwiches and kosher dill pickles.  He flatly refused my attempt to pay.

We spent almost two hours chatting.

Oddly, we spent more time talking about sailing, than riding.

Bob is a fascinating guy, a retired sailing magazine publisher, and an expert sailor.  And I don't mean that he's a talented weekend fair-weather Lac St-Louis sailor.  I mean serious ocean sailing.  He spent twenty-odd years sailing his 37 foot sailboat in the Caribbean, from his home base in the Virgin Islands where he lived on his boat.  He's a skipper's skipper.  He taught himself celestial navigation, and then taught others the skills he learned.  Give Bob a decent sailboat, a sextant and some half decent charts, and there is nowhere on this planet he couldn't roam.

I am not a sailor, but I have known more than a few sailors.  Some with decent sailing skills, some who sailed by the seat of their pants, and others who made up for gaps in skills with large amounts of money.  Bob strikes me as a guy who knows more about bridging money gaps with mad skills than most other people I have been privileged to meet.

Oh... and Bob took up riding at 70, that's his ticket to freedom, and this is his ride.

I should add that I only know three riders who use throttle locks. There's Bob, there's me, and then there's Bob.

There's a Maniac Laughing at me

Guest Post by bobskoot:

Let me say that when you are traveling on unfamiliar roads, following your GPS doesn't give you the real story. You follow that purple line and it tells you to go straight, or make a turn. It doesn't necessarily tell you which lane you should be in. And so it was that I had to go straight but was caught in the left turn lane. I did ask the lady in the car next to me to let me in, but since I was in the Lead I also had to take care of those following behind, which was David (scootcommute) and Karen (Vstar*Lady)
 
We were nearing our destination and my GPS said to go straight for about half a block and then turn right.  I mean, how did I know not to be in the right lane where all traffic was supposed to turn right.   I had no alternative but to go where my gut told me but David was right behind me and he could see the predicament I was in and turned his GoPro on to record the whole thing.   I could hear him laughing at me all the way through my Sena helment communicator.

We were about to get another scolding from No Nonsense Karen.    I was having problems with my GoPro freezing due to a mistake I made performing the software upgrade so I missed recording the part where David (scootcommute) did a lane splitting maneuver somewhere near Old Orchard beach when he passed on the right to get past some slow moving cars.    It was the curb lane where normally there would be parked cars, except no cars were parked so he used that as an acceleration lane.   I somehow knew he was going to "gun it" when the light changed green but I think Karen thought we were going to make a right turn.

Needless to say we both got a scolding later in the day.   We both quickly learned that the teacher is always right

I am finding more time to edit and post my video and when I saw this clip that David recorded I just had to share it with you

bob skoot
Riding the Wet Coast, Vancouver, BC

Rider profile: Danielle Bartholomew (formerly Vallée)

Name: Danielle Bartholomew (formerly Vallée)
Find me on Earth: In a cafe somewhere in Montreal, Quebec. Or look for me in Tokyo!
Find me Online: http://idv8.com
Interview Date: Thursday, August 1, 2013
Interview Location: At home in St-Lazare, Quebec

Scootcommute: When did you start riding, how old were you?

Danielle: Ha ha, I started less than 2 months ago and I'm 48! Is this my mid-life crisis? (I intend to thrive 'til I'm at least 96!).

Scootcommute: How many motorbikes have you owned?

Danielle: Only the scooter I have now. I've always been attracted to classic motorcycles and Vespas but I have a fear of falling (even from a bicycle!), which led me to become an excellent hiker and a respectable weightlifter.

Scootcommute: What is your current bike, and is the current bike your favorite?

Danielle: I bought a brand new 2013 Honda Giorno 50cc scooter in Azuki brown, which I love. In the U.S. Honda calls it a Metropolitan. I'd actually planned to get a Vespa LX50 and the salesman took one look at my 5'4" frame and said there was no way I could sit on it with flat feet. So that steered me towards my Honda or the Yamaha Vino. I've since been reading about shaving down the foam in a Vespa seat to make it lower and narrower for shorter riders, so that could be a project for down the road. But in the meantime my Honda Giorno is a beautiful, well-built scooter and thank god, it doesn't sound like a mosquito.

Scootcommute: Talk to me about the most challenging riding skill you learned.

Danielle: There are so many challenges on a scooter that I've never had to think about driving a car for 32 years. Like the wind pushing me around, or bugs smacking me in the face, or my body absorbing every dip and bump in the road, or the need for a strong core to stay alert, balanced and steady. Stuff like the crazy focus required on a scooter compared to a car where you can slouch and multi-task. The strange fact that when I take a turn I have to look way ahead to where I'm going rather than at the road just in front of me. I'd say counter-steering and cornering are still a bit tricky - it's still scary to go from riding at full throttle to slowing to take a sharp turn without a stop sign or traffic light to alert the drivers behind me.

Scootcommute: Are you a moto-commuter, a tourer, or a fair weather rider?

Danielle: Yes. :-) For now I'm sticking to fair weather. I can see that I'm going to want to ride deep into Fall but I want to be careful about biting off more than I can chew. And since I can't control other drivers, only my awareness of them, I never forget that. Once a week in the summer I finish work early so I've started commuting the 2+ hours in each direction on those days, between home and the heart of downtown Montreal. That is TIRING! But it's SO exhilarating! It's a beautiful ride along the lakeshore and the challenge of doing something a little crazy but basically safe definitely appeals to me. That commute is so long it feels like a tour!

Scootcommute: Are you a solitary rider? How about riding in a group?

Danielle: Since I'm so new to it I'm a solitary rider and to be honest, I like the silence and break from my iPhone, computer, TV, radio and all the "stuff" that makes my life better and yet not. Besides, none of my friends rides a scooter - god bless 'em, they're all out on their bicycles!

Scootcommute: I dare you to share an awkward or embarassing riding moment.

Danielle: Turning a corner in rural St-Lazare and going so wide I almost landed in the ditch! I still didn't have the feel of the throttle yet - you know, that ability to micro-adjust it so the scooter doesn't leap forward? Trying to get the handlebars to turn back onto the street I felt like I was wrestling a crocodile! I was in the middle of nowhere laughing out loud, thinking "YIKES! I haven't got a clue!!!" And I still don't; but I'm working on it. :-)

Scootcommute: What is the best place your bike has taken you?

Danielle: Home! In the Spring I'm moving into a loft on the Lachine Canal near downtown and I'll use my scooter to get around. But in the meantime I still live in St-Lazare and this area is a paradise for riding with long, winding, hilly roads passing farms, carving through forests, and following the lake. I'm SO grateful to have started my riding here and I know after I move I'll be so happy to ride "home" to visit my sister and her family here. Also, my weekly commute along Lac St-Louis into Montreal and back is impossibly gorgeous and surreal. That long ride tests me in a lot of ways and rewards me in more than I can count.

Scootcommute: Tell me why you ride.

Danielle: I didn't intend to ride. But in May my co-worker Martin took me out for a spin on his motorcycle to help me let off some steam and - something inside me shifted. My fear of falling from a bike was replaced by the sudden, visceral need to feel that free again; within 2 weeks I'd bought a scooter having never ridden one. I tell people that there's something about the vulnerability, the speed, the smells, sounds, tastes - everything you feel, everything that riding asks of you and gives you back - that's exactly what I need in my life at this time to forget about my worries and just appreciate what is.

Scootcommute: If I could grant you one riding wish, what would it be?

Danielle: I'd love to have my motorcycle license so I could ride a more powerful scooter like the Vespa GTS 300ie! And oh yeah, it would have to fit. ;-

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You can find other rider profiles on the Rider Profiles page

Sunset

Days are growing shorter; the 2013 riding season is gradually drawing to a close.

Without heated grips on the GTS, cold hands will soon be the bane of my commute.

This weekend is fully booked, and there is no time to install the tall windscreen and the Tucano Urbano apron. I can only hope that next week the weather will be kind-ish.

The consolation? Delightful sunsets, and the comforting glow of home at the end of the ride.

Kindness and generosity

'What goes around, comes around', 'pay it forward', 'do unto others...', 'random acts of kindness' are all phrases that encourage us to be generous and kind.

When you see people going places on two wheels, kindness and generosity are not the first sentiments that come to mind.

More often than not, the rider we see is solitary, the glimpse we get is fleeting.  There's not much time to form any impression.  If I think about this, trying to put myself back into the shoes I wore before I started riding, the impression that comes to mind more than any other is solitude.  The solitary rider.  Other impressions I imagine as I think about it some more, are somewhat unfavourable, often associated with loud pipes, sport bikers bent on breaking a land speed record, or even outlaw motorcycle gangs.

Because non-riders outnumber riders by a huge, huge proportion, I imagine that kindness and generosity are the furthest things from most people's minds when it comes to riding, and riders.

From my relatively new vantage point as a rider, the strongest impressions I have of riders are of generosity and kindness.

I won't name names, because no one is looking for praise or recognition, far from it.  But I can cite incredible acts of kindness and generosity I have witnessed, and personally benefited from.  I will admit to having performed some of those acts myself.  The truth is that it would be very difficult for me to balance the account by giving as much as I have received.  As some of you know, I have tried.  But it seems an impossible task.

So I do the best I can, with my modest means.  I did a nice turn recently for a rider I've never met, who lives in a far-off place.  I hope some day to visit, and to connect the face, the voice and the presence needed to complete our acquaintance, and our mutual acts of kindness and generosity.

This is just one of the ways riding has brought me happiness.

Me ka ha`aha`a,

d.

Rider profile: Bob Lush

Name: Bob Lush

Find me on Earth:  Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Find me Online: E-mail only, and that's personal.

Interview Date: Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Interview Location:  Mount Royal

Scootcommute: When did you start riding, how old were you?

Bob: I moved to Montreal 6 years ago and bought my first scooter about 6 months later. I was 70.

Scootcommute: How many motorbikes have you owned?

Bob: My new 2011 Kymco Super 8 is my second. My first bike was an '02 Yamaha and was a super unit except it was not up to my weight and the Montreal potholes. I abused it terribly. The Kymco is robust but dangerously slow and I am currently in the midst of spending a fortune giving it some balls. (Not because I want to be fast, but because I want to be safe.) The Yamaha was by far my favorite.

Scootcommute: What is your current bike, and is the current bike your favorite?

Bob: 2011 Kymco Super 8 is my second.

Scootcommute: Talk to me about the most challenging riding skill you learned.

Bob: I find Montreal drivers terribly anti-scooter, particularly women, but my biggest challenge is parking. It looks and sounds easy but I've received a few crippling tickets.

Scootcommute: Are you a moto-commuter, a tourer, or a fair weather rider?

Bob: I'm retired so can schedule my outings but have been caught in the rain a few times which scares the hell out of me. I figure at my age I've only got one fall left in me and do not look forward to it. I do not ride like a granny though.

Scootcommute: Are you a solitary rider? How about riding in a group?

Bob: I might be interested in group outings but so far language is a barrier, because I don't speak French.

Scootcommute: I dare you to share an awkward or embarassing riding moment.

Bob: A few years ago I suffered a loss of balance, and I almost stopped, which was embarrassing but painless. May they remain so.

Scootcommute: What is the best place your bike has taken you?

Bob: Riding is my prime method of getting around and my most-fun times are when I get lost, which happens often, and end up exploring and finding new places and things.

Scootcommute: Tell me why you ride.

Bob: Riding is my prime method of getting around and my most-fun times are when I get lost, which happens often, and end up exploring and finding new places and things.

Scootcommute: If I could grant you one riding wish, what would it be?

Bob: Riding 12 months a year, rather than 9, would be better but I don't live in the tropics anymore.

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You can find other rider profiles on the Rider Profiles page

Late September Sunday Magic

It's late September, and unaccountably, we got blessed, truly blessed, with a summer weekend.

It was just too beautiful for words.

Alternative secure helmet storage

My topcase can't hold my helmet today because I am hauling other stuff home.

I thought I'd try the topcase rack as a place for the helmet during the day while the bike is parked at the office.  There is a cable lock and padlock that you can't see making sure the helmet doesn't walk away.

By the way, the bike on the right is a very nice Beemer, I think it's a R1200R, but there is no marking on it.  I do know that it has a very nice custom Corbin seat.  Black Beemer, black Vespa.  Nice parking companions.

On an irrelevant side note, Montreal is largely bedrock.  There are condos going up all around the office.  Lots and lots of dynamite (or whatever they use these days to blow stuff up) is being used.  There was a blast while I was stowing stuff on the bike.  Yikes!  Quite a different experience when you're underground across the street from the blast than being 19 floors above ground.  It sounded and felt like the Jurassic Park T-Rex was right around the corner stomping on an SUV.

Tips on refueling a Vespa GTS

Refueling Vespas can be tricky.  Unless you don't mind splashing gasoline everywhere with liberal doses over whatever you might have in the pet carrier.  Then it's easy.

Refueling the Vespa GTS is even trickier than refueling the Vespa LX.  You see, the design of the fuel filler and surrounding area on the GTS is particularly good for getting unwanted fuel in the pet carrier.

For the uninitiated, the 'pet carrier' is the unofficial name of the underseat bin, so called because the manufacturer puts a sticker there that says "no pets".  Go figure.

Overfilling the gas tank can also contaminate the fuel evaporation control system and cause some form of engine failure.

The correct way to fill the tank is to point the pump handle to the rear of the bike.  Fill slowly until the automatic shutoff kicks in, then resist the temptation to add more fuel.

While that recipe will generally prevent fuel spills, there could still be a splash-back from the hose.  To keep fuel out of the pet carrier, here's the trick.  Lift the pet carrier and prop it up with the gas cap.  This gives you a good place for the gas cap and prevents gas from entering the pet carrier and contaminating your gloves, hoody, or lunch.  Win-win.

Easy-peasy.

What do you think?

This has nothing to do with commuting on two wheels, but it made me chuckle.

We were visiting the amazing Chihuly exhibit at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, and came upon this in an exhibition space.

I immediately thought of a band of native people getting even with an ATV careening across their land, or Custer's last stand, which was the second thought that crossed my mind.

It's an art installation currently displayed at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.

What do you think?

Rider profile: Dave Dixon

Name: Dave Dixon
Find me on Earth: Maple Ridge, BC
Find me Online: lx50Vespa.blogspot.com (Big Guy Small Scooter)
Interview Date: July 12, 2013
Interview Location: In the ether near Maple Ridge, BC

Scootcommute: When did you start riding, how old were you?

Dave: I first rode when I was backpacking in Europe. When I got to Greece, with people I was travelling with, we would rent either mopeds or Vespas and spend the day cruising around the Greek Islands. Back then I had long hair and we'd ride, helmet-less, on windy roads, exploring what we came across. We must have done that for about three weeks before moving on to the next part of the trip. I recall having some sort of button that had to slide to change gears but this was 1983 so I'm not sure how accurate my memory is. From that moment on, I loved Vespas and dreamed about having one.

Fast forward to 2006, 23 years later. Our union negotiated a $4000 signing bonus with the government for our contract. Instead of that money going down the endless hole of debt or to some other worthy cause, I thought this time, I'd realize my dream of having a Vespa.

Scootcommute: How many motorbikes have you owned?

Dave: Two. My first Vespa was a black LX50 which I bought near new (250km) and put 15, 000km on it over 5 years. It took me as faraway south as Seattle and north to Powell River. I loved that scooter but after 5 years, it was time to move on.

Scootcommute: What is your current bike, and is the current bike your favorite?

Dave: My current bike is a Vespa 250 GTS. It has quite the history. The guy I bought it from picked it up in the US and rebuilt a fair bit of it. I bought it from him for $2500 (which was an amazing price) and then had Vespa Vancouver work on it which cost me another $1000. It is my favourite bike because it can go anywhere on any road and just eats up the miles. It feels more solid than the LX50 and has that extra oomph that makes riding a joy.

Scootcommute: Talk to me about the most challenging riding skill you learned.

Dave: The most challenging riding skill would have to be riding twisties and curves at higher speed. I learned, and now I know, that you have to look at where you want the scoot to go. However, I do, from time to time, get distracted by the natural beauty in this part of the world and will, on occasion, get the funny feeling of instability for a split second until I focus on the road ahead again. I'm much better at it but still find it to be a feeling I dread.

Scootcommute: Are you a moto-commuter, a tourer, or a fair weather rider?

Dave: I live quite close to work so I walk most days but usually moto-commute twice a week. I ride in all types of weather and have gear that will keep me warm. I do love warm weather but I go a little crazy - if it's a local trip and it's quite hot out, I will often go in a t-shirt and jeans. I really do depend on my scooter as a mode of transportation - we gave our second car to my daughter in Prince George last fall and so my Vespa is my main vehicle now.

Scootcommute: Are you a solitary rider? How about riding in a group?

Dave: I usually ride solo but have ridden with other riders on a couple of occasions - which is extremely enjoyable. I want to ride more with groups.

Scootcommute: I dare you to share an awkward or embarassing riding moment.

Dave: I'll share this excerpt from my blog.

On the day of my motorcycle license test, It was raining hard so before taking off to practice, I put on a pair of gortex cycling overbooties so that my hiking boots would stay nice and dry. They attach with velcro and have served me well on many a cycling trip. I then headed off on the Suzuki Marauder 250 to practice.

After practicing my turns, my U-turns and everything else I could think of, I sped over to the testing centre, parked, turned off the bike and promptly fell over!

What had happened was the flap on the bottom of the gortex overbooty caught on the peg on the left side. When I tried to get off, my leg wouldn't go and I was thrown off balance. I fell down and the bike fell over as well.

Sometimes, Buddha or Lady Luck smiles at me after having a good laugh. I practically bounced off the ground and picked up the bike (lucky it was only a 250) and then looked around. Nobody saw me! Two minutes later and a crowd of people were in the lot but at that time I was completely alone amongst the other vehicles!

Sporting a slight limp from my scraped knee and no longer wearing the aforementioned vortex overbooties, I first hobbled, then walked into the testing centre. Surprisingly, after that horrible start, I manage to pass my test with flying colours!

Scootcommute: What is the best place your bike has taken you?

Dave: Going over big bridges on my Vespa has always given me an awesome thrill. I still remember crossing the Lions Gate Bridge in Vancouver on my LX50 and feeling that I truly was on top of the world. The bridge in Washington state over Deception Pass is another awesome bridge. Approaching that bridge from the north is an amazing experience. But the best place I've been to always seems to be the destination of my most recent long tour - and that was Mount St. Helen's in Washington State. I rode from clouds and mist up to brilliant sunshine and had literally majestic views of the mountain.

Scootcommute: Tell me why you ride.

Dave: Because it's environmental, it's efficient, I like waving at other motorcyclists (at least the ones that wave back), I like being one of the few Vespa owners in Maple Ridge, I like screaming down the straightaway at 110 kmh (when it's safe, of course), and because riding my Vespa truly makes the journey more interesting than the destination.

Scootcommute: If I could grant you one riding wish, what would it be?

Dave: Heck, let's go for another group ride! Oh, and it would be nice if smokers in cars stopped flicking their damned cigarettes out the window when I'm behind them!

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You can find other rider profiles on the Rider Profiles page