If you want to dance...

 

... you have to pay the fiddler.

Those words were spoken to me by an Iowa Highway Patrol officer when I was 17... and he was writing out a speeding ticket for me.  For full disclosure: I was not dancing, and if there was a fiddler around, I didn't see or hear him.  Perhaps it was a simile?  Regardless, that phrase has stayed with me 5 decades later.

Out for some scooter time today.  Joan asked where I wanted to ride... "How 'bout across the causeway, up and down the island, then out for some 'Ainta Mountain Road' time?  Joan would rather avoid the island on weekends.  She said, "How about the road where the dogs always chase us?"  Not my idea of fun; one of these days, they're gonna catch us.

 I asked about riding by the Turning Basin - something sizeable got towed in this morning while I was out on a bicycle ride.  It's a start.

 

From there, it was out to "Ainta Mountain Road" - our local ride instead of "Iron Mountain Road" in the Black Hills.  No hills, nothing resembling a good curve... but, the road surface is smooth; not an easy thing to find on a Farm to Market Road around here.  So, we ride it.

Along the way, we stopped in Laguna Vista for a photo op...

You can really see the differences when the scoots are parked like that: the Xmax has bigger wheels than the Vespa.  A longer wheelbase, too.  The Vespa has a "step through," the Xmax has a "step over" frame.  The fairing/windshield on the Xmax sits further forward; it has a motorcycle fork, where the front suspension on the Vespa is a single attachment, more like an airplane landing gear.

I got in there for some size perspective...

That is the Laguna Madre (bay) in the background.  A beautiful clear day here, the temp was in the low 70s while we were riding.  Well, I have to assume that's where the temperature was... Vespa doesn't have an outside air temperature readout on their late model GTS bikes.  Yes, my previous Vespa had a thermometer; it wasn't the most accurate: 2 to 5º warmer than the readout on Joan's bike.  I miss having that, though.

"So, what about this dancing and fiddler stuff," you ask?  Thanks for asking.  No, I didn't get a speeding ticket with the new Vespa.  On our way home today, we stopped to fuel up the scoots.  Joan got 88mpg on her Xmax; I got 70mpg with the Vespa.  That's down 5mpg from the first tank.  It seems that someone did some "roll-on racing" with these scoots.  Probably not the best way to get good mileage.  ;-)  But, it was fun.  I think the worst I got on the other Vespa was 72mpg... which improved when I put more miles on it.  And, really improved when we took the scoots to the Black Hills where they could get non-ethanol fuel.

I'll probably go a bit easier with this next tank.  ;-)  So, "the fiddler" may be playing a slower tempo.

Tropical Tip Glamour Shots...

No, you're not going to see me in a bikini.  Well, not in this post.

When I put the scoots back in their trailer yesterday, there was one small drip of oil on the ramp.  On the Vespa side.  I wanted to let the scoot set for a while, then check on the trailer floor and run a fresh paper towel along the underside of it to see if something was leaking.  Nope; clean as a whistle.  As long as I have the Vespa out, I may as well ride it a bit.

It's another cool, breezy day here; low humidity.  A crisp blue sky.  I decided to take a few "glamour shots" of the Vespa...

What's a glamour shot without a bit of undressing - here's that lovely Italian without her top case...

 

When telling about the roll-on competition yesterday on my favorite scooter forum, I ended the post with "This new Vespa makes me smile."  One comment was: "that last sentence is the one that counts."

Yeah.  They get me.  ;-)

Halloween costume...

 

Day two of taking the testosterone inhibitor.  I don't feel any different.

On an unrelated subject: for Halloween, I think I'll go as a sexy schoolgirl.

 

(Yeah, it's OK to laugh.)

The Great Scooter Competition...

 

Joan's Xmax easily walked away from my previous Vespa GTS.  This newest version of the GTS, the HPE (High Performance Engine) pulls stronger - today, we have the chance for some roll-on competitions...

We took the scoots out of town, where we'd have no traffic and smooth road.  The wind was blowing above 22mph, so that may be a factor.  We'll try this again sometime on a calm day... calm days are rare here in the Tropical Tip.

It was in the low-70s during our ride; comfortable in our mesh jackets.

If you don't want to watch the video, here are the results:

Race 1: The Xmax pulled ahead.

Race 2: We swapped bikes; the Vespa pulled ahead.  Joan thinks it is the rider... it may be someone jumping the gun.

Races 3, 4, and 5: Swap back and reasonably close.

In the end, the Xmax still out-pulls this new GTS.  For now.  The Vespa will "open up" as it gets more miles on it; it may get closer.  ;-)

 

 

Good news, bad news...

 

It's the start of plenty of jokes, not something you want to hear in a doctor's office.

This blog has been a bit of a diary for me.  I write about what we're doing, generally avoiding politics and other divisive topic... I keep those thoughts to myself.  Oh, there have been times when I've been accused of over-sharing; generally with some humor.

I will be dealing with some medical stuff, but don't intend to turn this into a medical accounting.  The short story: I have been diagnosed with prostate cancer.  That was the "bad news" in the title.  I waited for the "good news," but finally had to ask, "So, where's the good news?"

The "good news": I'm young (tell that to my achy bones) and in "good shape" (tell that to my mirror).

This started with an elevated PSA number and my doctor telling me I needed to see a urologist.  I knew that wasn't a good sign.  The urologist suggested a biopsy, and I had that done a couple weeks ago.  Basically, they shove something up your ass (well, my ass) that looked a bit like a demented cattle prod, and then take "snips" from different areas in your prostate.  "You may feel this..."  Yep.

A week later, the results: 12 samples, 9 clear, 1 suspect, 1 level one, 1 level five.  His recommendation: you need to do something about this now (the level five).  I get that.  After a few minutes of shock, it was time to put together a plan.  There are options and I had to weigh what I feel is best for me.

After the hip surgery, I had said, "No more cutting."  Probably not a good idea to be adamant about that.  I discussed it with my internist, read what I could find, and determined that robotic surgery is my choice.  That can't happen until swelling from the biopsy goes down.  Also recommended that I have a bone scan done to determine if there has been any spread.  That happens next week.

So, I will be occupied with medical appointments and a surgery date at the end of November.

In the meantime, I plan to live my life, doing what I enjoy... riding the scoots, making some music, taking Rufus for walks, and spending time with my Honey.  Joan and I support each other, and she has been right there with me, and foremost in my decision making process.

The visits with the urologist were somber.  I don't envy his job, because no one goes to him for "good reasons."  He set me up with his partner, also a urologist, who does the robotic surgery.  She had more of a sense of humor.  While I'm waiting to get the surgery done, she prescribed something that will decrease my testosterone production temporarily (not a cure, but may help slow the spread while waiting).  I asked, "Will this make me want to wear my wife's clothes?"

She said, "You may feel the need to watch Oprah each day."  Yep, a sense of humor.  One other good trait: small hands.  She did another "exam" and it was apparent that her hands are smaller than her partner's.  That aside, I was comfortable with her explanations and recommendations.

Yesterday, I had two doctor appointments, several hours apart.  The storage unit where we keep the motorhome is near Harlingen, where all this will be going down (about 45 minutes from where we live).  It was a nice break to go to the motorhome between those appointments... a place to sit, visit, watch some TV, and cocoon.  Having the motorhome there will give us a closer base, as needed.

We have kept Steph in the loop since the diagnosis.  Yesterday, she asked, "Was Mom in the room during this discussion and exam?"

"Yes.  She has another job description: manager of medical appointments."

"Did she watch during the exam?"

I had to relay that question to Joan - she said, "Yes, he has a nice butt."  Probably not what your daughter wants to hear.  I appreciated it, though.

It was a cold, dark, drizzly start to the morning yesterday; we had to leave the house early to get to that 8:00 appointment.  48º when we left.  We turned on the heated seats in the car; they don't get used often.  Long pants and jackets.  In October.  By early afternoon, the sun was back out and it eventually warmed to the mid-60s.  Nice enough for some time with Rufus on the deck.  Certainly cooler than the 80s we've had since returning home.

Living normal.  I took that first testosterone inhibitor this morning.  Another cooler day today; I was thinking I might get a scooter ride in, but it is supposed to be windy this afternoon... maybe I'll just stay inside and do my nails.  ;-)

Been a while...

 

... since I made a "Staying at Home" video.  Well, partly because we weren't staying at home the last three months, but mostly because I didn't try to find a quiet place to record while out in the motorhome.  Oh, there were the two music video productions Mark and I did, which are more extensive.  With the "Staying at Home" videos, I have made it a point to make it more like playing live for a couple friends.

This time around, I shot the video with my iPhone 11 and the Shure MV88+ mic as usual, then added a few clips shot at the same time with the Insta360 One R camera.  A bit of video editing makes it look less static compared to one camera with no movement.  Not fancy, but along with some supplemental lighting, I hope this looks less amateur.

I have to thank my Honey - she asked if I'd play some music while she brushed Rufus this morning.  I have been focused on other things and haven't been playing guitar as much as usual.  It is good for the soul.  With Rufus full brushed, I set up some equipment to do this video while Joan worked on another (very cool) quilting project.

She got me a ring light to use with the phone.  A couple small tripods to hold stuff, test the Shure mic (haven't used that since June), and I was ready to go...

It was a nice change of pace.  The end result...

I had fun making it - hope you enjoy it!

Money for nothing...

 

... and chicks for free.

If you said, "Dire Straits, 1985," you get 50 bonus points; only 10 points if you didn't have the year.

We got a check in the mail today, from our bank.  I won't mention the name, but it rhymes with Dells Snargo.  It was for a very small amount.  The letter with it said it was for interest on an automatic final payment that was not deducted by the Snargo folks.  And, to compensate us "for the time that our funds were not available" on this tiny amount.

Now, we all know that a bank with a name quite similar to Dells Snargo pulled some underhanded stuff with customer accounts over the years and were fined by the Feds.  I'm guessing this was part of the settlement, requiring them to refund ill-gotten gains.  Talk about adding insult to injury... for them, not for me.

"What about the 'chicks for free' part," you ask?  Thanks for asking.  The check would cover a Chick-fil-A sandwich (Original, not Deluxe) and small waffle fries.  No soda.  It had to cost them more to generate the paperwork and postage for this check than the amount of the check.

To add to their costs, I called them to talk to a banker.  This whole thing sounded scammy (I just made up that word) to me.  I am obviously not the first to have called, based on the big sigh from her when I asked about the check.  She said, "Yes, it is to take care of a 'previous situation' - just cash the check."

"What about my pain and suffering from 15 years ago, as a result of being unaware of Dells Snargo being sneaky?"  She had no answer.  "That's OK, you have a great day," I said.

Now I can't get that song out of my head.

-----------

Our for our evening walk.  Rufus and me.  He walked good and was done before I was.  Up on the landing to the front door, he did the sweet face...

"We should go inside and get me a treat, huh?"

"Yes, Ruf, that's a good idea."  :-)

Out for a ride...

 

Taking the new scoot out for a ride in the Tropical Tip...

I topped off the fuel tank for the first time: 75mpg.  Not bad, considering it isn't broken in, yet.  Generally with these Vespas, it takes a couple thousand miles for things to "open up," giving better fuel mileage and faster performance.  Yeah, I'm working on it.

Seat of the pants...

 

Or: where you put the seat of your pants.

More Vespa content.  The original seat that came on my previous Vespa wasn't the most comfortable or best looking.  I replaced that with a leather Corbin seat.  When I traded that scoot in on this new one, I put the original seat back on it.

Decision: on this new Vespa - original or the Corbin?  It is a relatively easy swap out.  How it looks now...

 The Corbin seat resting on top of the other, for comparison...

Looking over the top at it...

The original seat on this one is very comfortable.  It actually gives me a bit more room than the Corbin to slide back on the seat, since the "bucket" on the Corbin is more pronounced.  I will run with the stock seat for now.

-----

When I took the scoot down to our mailbox, golf carts were lining up for another Trump Golf Cart Parade...

When they came by our house, honking and waving, there were about 40 carts filled with Trump supporters.  Well, assuming supporters - it's another good excuse for a social gathering where people can be distanced.  

Judging by the turnout in the golf parades here, Trump is ahead of Biden.

A sexy little Italian pickup...

 

What?  A sexy Italian woman?  Come on, you know me better than that - my Honey is of German descent, and that is just right for me.

I was heading out for a ride on the new scoot today, and Joan asked if I'd stop and get mail.  She said there should be a pink slip in our box to pickup something at the Post Office.  Turns out, there were two things waiting for us at the Post Office.  The Vespa can handle it...

 

I strapped the two boxes to the seat and grab-rail.  The underseat storage area had a bunch of mail from our mail box.  I went back to the house to drop all that off before going for a ride.

Going across the causeway, the water of the Laguna Madre was an absolutely gorgeous mix of turquoise and blue.  I was wishing I had put the 360 camera on the bike, but my phone was all I had with me... and no way will I try to use that while riding... especially on the causeway... at 55mph.  ;-)

I did stop at the end of a couple streets on the bayside, with a view of the Laguna.  Glamour shots...

A view of the bike and the water, but not the same as from the height of the causeway.  Maybe another day.

You can't go home...

 

We've all heard that saying - it is supposed to mean that things change and the "home" you remember may not be the way it is now.  I'm here to tell you that you can go home again.  Especially if you just left home 3 days ago.   ;-)

We have to go home - Rufus said, "I miss my big chair!"

We were up and on the road just before 8:00.  It was a gray start to the day; looking at weather radar, Joan said, "We're going to get wet at some point today."

Yep...

We drove in and out of a half dozen downpours as we rolled south.  Other than the rain, it was a non-eventful trip.

Rufus was a good traveler...

Check out those legs... um, Rufus's not Joan's.  Joan's a much nicer, but I am, once again, digressing.  Besides, you can't see them because she has a blanket on her lap (keeps from getting knifed by those big claws).  OK, about the gams on the furry boy: when walking, his legs look short sometimes, because of all the fur from his chest and belly.  But, laying across Joan's lap, you can see that he does have normal size cat legs.  Not that that is important.

As always, nice to travel in the motorhome - I really appreciate having amenities like the fridge and potty.  And Rufus the cat on your lap.  With just the cargo trailer behind the coach, we fit in most parking lots... like when I had a hankering for McDonald's for lunch today.  Yeah, that doesn't happen often.  And, the fries weren't particularly hot.  But, Joan got us an apple pie each, 'cuz she knows what I like.  :-)

We stopped to top off the fuel tank about 20 miles from our storage unit; I like to put the coach away with a reasonably full tank... just in case we need to make some miles.

At the storage unit, we pulled the car out, unhooked the cargo trailer from the motorhome, and put the coach inside.  Out of the heat from the sun.  Joan put bins and bags by the door and I took them out to the car.  It went fast and easy.  Hooked the trailer behind the CR-V and headed for home.

Rufus would rather ride in the motorhome (where he has food, water, his private potty, and several comfortable places to lay) than the car, but he did fine with it.  Well, occasionally going from lap to lap, and looking out the window.  As we came across the bridge into our island, he could tell we were almost home.  How do I know that?  He said, "Look - we're almost home!"

Before parking the trailer in the driveway, we took Rufus into the house... "My chair!  I really really missed my chair!"

We unstrapped the scoots in the trailer, and while I took out chocks and repositioned the scoots, Joan got the refrigerated stuff put away.  I heard the Xmax tell the new Vespa: "Yeah, this is your new home - you'll like it.  They take good care of us."

Stuff is put away, the hurricane shutters we put down have been rolled up, the sun screens on the deck are rolled down, Rufus is napping in his big chair, I have high-speed internet, and Joan made us both an adult beverage.

It's good to be home.

Oh, that Mother Nature...

 

I checked weather this morning: 0% chance of precip until mid-afternoon, then a 5% chance.  High 88º.

Yes, I was wanting to take the new scoot out with all the "stuff" set up on it.  We geared up, with a plan to go east(ish) to the town of Bastrop, because... "Bastrop is the most historic small town in Texas."  Really, it is just a place to ride to.  The roads looked mostly straight and highway(ish), but... just wanting to ride.

We geared up and headed out...

Um, seems to be getting grayer ahead...

Yep, rain...

Neither of us are a fan of riding in the rain, but it wasn't too heavy; one of those "Let's ride it out and see if it improves."  It did.  Spotted up my pretty, clean bike, though.  And, the road had plenty of traffic...

We weren't looking to get off and walk around, mostly just wanting to ride.  Then, we saw the billboard... "Wanna go there?"  "Sure do."

Some bakery sweets to take back to the coach, and a brisket sandwich to split.  While enjoying this light lunch, we looked up some other roads to loop back around.  Less traffic and not having to do 65 - 70 mph.  The new Vespa is great!  It feels more solid on the highway, with a better ride.  We did a few kinda roll-on challenges... the Vespa did better than I thought in mostly keeping up with the Xmax... but Joan said she wasn't trying "all out."  When we get home and can get on some back roads with no traffic, we'll run 'em again.  With no "I wasn't really trying" excuses.  ;-)

Back at the RV park, we discussed dropping off coats and going back out again, but it hot and humid.  I'm satisfied that all is good with this new scoot.  I shot a 360 video of the scoot at our site, then we strapped them down, ready to roll for home in the morning.

Is this camera turned on?

Yep.

I'm calling this day a success, even though we didn't find any great riding roads, and Mother Nature rained down on us.  My pretty new Italian scoot shook off most of the rain and performed great.  I wasn't sure about putting the top case from the black Vespa on there, but this combination of rack/case/seat sits lower than it did on the black Vespa.  I'm good with it.

We took turns being the point person, and when riding behind me, Joan said, "The tail light and brake light are a lot brighter on this new one - that's nice!"  I had to check it out for myself when we got back.

We took a few minutes to strap the bikes down and make sure the cargo trailer is ready to roll in the morning.  Tonight, Rufus will get a walk here in the park, and we'll be RVers for one more night.

NBD... New Bike Day!

 

More specifically: New Vespa Day! 

We had a 1:00 appointment to do the deal; AF1 is going sales by appointment only and that works for us.  Before making that 16 mile drive, we looked on the Maps app to see if we could find a way to get there besides I-35...

Yes, Rufus likes to help.  When Joan got to the 15th turn we'd need to make, I said, "Let's take our chances with the Interstate."  Yes, traffic will get slow around the downtown area, and we have to go through that area to get to AF1 (like the park where we are staying, also on a service road right alongside I-35).

We geared up and hit the road.  It is a hot day here in Austin, with the high around 90º and about 80% humidity.  We both wore our mesh armored jackets.  We got slowed down to about 20mph a time or two, but it was uneventful... we pulled up in front of AF1 25 minutes early.  We took our time getting our gear off and I gave Sean a call.  "I'll be right out to bring you in," he said.  He was, and took the old bike to service so they could get the windshield off that and onto the new one.  I had called him earlier and had them put on a rear rack they have in stock - "They have your new rack on."  Nice.

We had a moment to look around (without touching anything) - some of AF1's stock...

Yes, they have other bikes, but I enjoy checking out the Vespas.  We sat down at Sean's desk and did the paperwork.  He went to check on the windshield situation... they were having an issue getting some of the hardware off the old bike, so it took a bit longer than anticipated.  Joan said it would take an hour and a half for the whole transacion, I said an hour.  It was closer to her guess.

Sean went to the service department to check again, and we saw him ride that pretty new Vespa around to their parking lot.  We met him half way and went out to look at that lovely new scoot, complete with a familiar windshield.  He gave me "the walk around," but it is pretty similar to what I just traded in.  An "air handshake" and we were done.

We did the ride back to the coach on I-35.  Traffic was even heavier.  I was able to really feel the difference between the two Vespas, riding them one after the other - this new one is definitely stronger pulling, and it isn't "broken in," yet.  I like it!  A lot!  I have no photos of riding it through traffic, because I needed to get back to the coach and get all my stuff (like a phone mount and camera mount) mounted... and the fact that this is "Texas traffic" and I was a bit rusty on my NASCAR moves.  We bailed to the service road when we could see that traffic ahead was at a standstill due to an accident.

Back at the coach...

No, the Vespa isn't that much smaller than the Xmax (above), it was just parked further back.

I went to work on it.  Got the phone and camera mounts attached; heavier bar-end weights; I pulled the cover off to see about attaching the knee pad that has the USB plugs built in.  In the old bike, the wiring was exposed once you took the cover off; with this new bike, there is a plastic housing covering that area - I will need to cut that open, but not today.  There is already a USB plug in the glovebox.

The last task: get the mounting plate on the rear rack so I can have the top case on there...

That took a while... mostly because I dropped a nut and had to spend a stupid amount of time looking for it.  It is amazing how far a nut can hop when dropped on gravel.  By this point, I was ready for an adult beverage and the test ride with all the stuff mounted will have to wait until tomorrow.  I carefully put the scoots back into the trailer for the night...

Yeah, now they size up pretty good together.  I'll be looking forward to seeing how this new Vespa does vs the Xmax.

:-)

The story...

 

On my favorite scooter forum, I mentioned that I put down a deposit on this new Vespa.  I won't consider it mine until I ride it away.  One participant implied that I might be holding out info.  That discussion...

cdwise said: ↑

So Captn I caught that sneaky little reference you made to putting a deposit down on a GTS HPE in another thread. So tell us about it.

Sneaky? Moi? The story: I mentioned we stopped at AF1 Racing on the way home a couple weeks ago. I wanted a new rear tire for my Vespa and wanted to look at the BV 350 they have in stock. I had been very happy with my 2009 GTS, but after riding Joan's Xmax a few times during our summer in the Black Hills, I appreciated a bit more power. I like everything about that Xmax, except for the fit for me. My GTS is pretty much the polar opposite, with the fit feeling "like home." I don't mean opposite in a bad way: The scoot does just what you expect it to do, but the technology feels a decade old. Joan has been lobbying for me to get something new, now that the hip replacement is a proven improvement. The only issue with that is: this Vespa suits me.

The BV 350 seemed like a smart alternative - plenty of power, good ergonomics for me. The windshield on it sucked, driving all that wind-flow right to my helmet. I know there are alternatives for that, after you buy it. I had also looked over AF1's Vespa inventory on-line... in spite of what Vespa considers "different models," the GTS 300 HPE line is all the same scoot... add a rack, put on a stripe, or in the case of the Super Tech: add a display screen. Same motor and suspension; same classy styling. So for me, it really comes down to... color. I was thinking Dragon Red or a nice clean white. The dark blue I saw wasn't on my radar... interesting, though.

After I rode the BV, Sean (salesman at AF1) rolled that blue Vespa out for me to take for a ride. I'll be damned if it didn't just exude class when I saw it in the daylight. Much peppier than my current GTS, and almost as strong as the BV. And again, that flickable short wheelbase and riding position was immediately comfortable. I liked it better for me than the BV, even though the BV seemed to be the Italian comparison to the Xmax. The decisions between what my head says and what my heart says. I was prepared to buy something that day, if the BV called to me. I wasn't prepared for the GTS HPE to have such a strong pull.

We had some things to do at home, so I told Sean I'd think about it. I didn't tell Sean that I don't do test rides for the fun of it, unless we are at a rally and a manufacturer is offering demo rides. Both of those bikes had a few demo miles on them, so they were OK with letting me ride them. I thought about it. A lot. At different times, I was convinced either way. Then, Joan said, "You are a Vespa guy, but you should go with what makes you happy." Well, I'd like to say that was a pivotal moment, but... no shit, Shakespeare - that's what I'm struggling with. I had also convinced myself to just keep what I have. Knowing the mindset here, I would expect a chorus of "Keep what you have and buy the other two!" comments. There is room in my riding style and the cargo trailer for one scoot each. We tried keeping the PCX and the Vespa/Xmax, but there just wasn't room. One each.

That pretty blue Vespa won out.

If it was just me, I'd ride the old one up and ride the new one back. But, the Blonde, Rufus the cat, and the thinning cushion of my ass along with achy bones means we'll take the motorhome. Up to Austin in a day. Do the swap out the next day. Ride the new one around for a day to be sure there are no issues. Load it in the trailer, bring it home, and start putting stuff on it to make it an even better fit for me.

Here's what the blue one looked like when Sean rolled it out of the showroom for that test ride...



I spent yesterday putting my current GTS back to original(ish)...



I will miss some of the dash features on that bike that the new one doesn't have: outside air temp, a line-bar tach, a temperature gauge. Progress? I never liked the look of that cream-colored seat, but I'm thinking the Corbin I had on there will look sharp on that new blue one. Sean offered to switch out my windshield, which I do like a lot. The flip-down rack is back ordered, so Joan will get to carry my top case on her bike (has the same mounting plate) for a while... and she really doesn't like the look of a top case. She suggested some kind of leather bag on this new one instead of a top case... hey, if there was room under the seat for my helmet (and there is NOT) I wouldn't put a top case on it. I'm not ready to go the leather-bag route. OK, maybe one with some dark blue fringe. Not. Yesterday, Joan brought out a blue messenger bag (looked like a purse to me) and said, "This will go nice with that new bike." Maybe I'll get some skinny jeans and wear loafers with no socks, too? Or not.

That's the story.

It has been 7 1/2 years since we made the switch to scooters. (Joan's idea.) Those PCXes were a ball and we just avoided highways where we'd need to do more than 65mph to survive. That kept me riding while my hip deteriorated and I put off surgery. The 250 GTS was better for my hip and had more power and top end... and was the carrot on the stick that made me work hard on the physical therapy. I have a real attachment to that scoot. Joan went for the Xmax when it was clear that the new hip made me more mobile. We have appreciated the extra speed and performance, but if those PCXes hadn't been so easy and fun, I would have probably given up riding. Each was the right scoot at the right time. When Joan said, "Just get it - this will probably be the last bike you'll own," I had to wonder if she knew something I didn't?

TMI?

 ---------

We are on our way to Austin.  Traveling light, we left the CR-V behind and just have the cargo trailer behind the motorhome...

 

This is easy.  I can back the rig, if necessary.  Very little drag from the trailer since it is in the slipstream of the motorhome - yes, we get about 20% better fuel mileage traveling like this. 

A pretty uneventful driving day, other than getting up before the butt-crack of dawn.  That wasn't the plan - I was just awake.  And when I get up, Rufus gets very vocal about getting his breakfast, even though it was about 2 hours earlier than usual.  Joan was up shortly after that, so we cleaned up, did our last minute packing, shut down the house, and hauled the cargo trailer out to our storage unit.  Schlepped a few things from the car to the motorhome, motorhome out, car in, hook up the trailer, and we are on the road.

I was feeling the early morning a couple hours into the drive.  I wasn't the only one...

The highlight of the drive: a stop at Buc-ee's, where gas was 40¢ per gallon less than the stations on I-37.  While I gassed up, Joan went inside and got us some BBQ for lunch... a picnic in the parking lot, in the motorhome...

Joan told me to call the RV park where we are staying to find out what the check-in procedure is.  After going through their "for reservations, press 1; for everything else, press 2"... yes, really.  Just answer your damn phone if you only have two options anyway!  I spoke with a lady whose name I won't mention, but it was Pam.  I told her who I was, that we booked and paid for it online, and I just wanted to know the check-in procedure (some RV parks don't want you to come into the office).  She said, "I sent you a text this morning - it has all that information in it."

"Never got a text from you."

She said, "You must have been out of range.  I'll send you another right now."

I asked, "Can you just tell me what the check-in procedure is?"

"Did you get the text?" she asked.

"No.  Can you just tell me the check-in procedure?"

"You didn't get that text?  It must be a problem on your end.  I bet you don't have a good connection."

I said, "I am talking to you on that phone right now, with a great signal."

She started giving me directions on how to get there.  The wrong directions, because she didn't listen to anything I said.  Frustrated, I gave the phone to Joan.  Gave the woman Joan's number and didn't get a text on that number either.  Then, she started giving Joan the (wrong) directions on how to get there.  Joan said, "We know how to get there - we just want to know your check-in procedure."

The woman said, "Pull up to the gate and I'll send someone out to escort you to your site."

When we got there, I pulled up to the gate.  I pressed the "Talk" button.  Nothing.  I pressed it again.  Nothing.  Then, a screechy voice from the door at the office: "Are you checking in?  You have to come into the office to check in."  Yes, it was Pam.  No, I am not shitting you.

I went in, picked up the info packet and asked, "Say, don't you offer Good Sam or Passport America discounts?  We booked and paid for this online and there was no way to enter that discount."

Pam said, "Yeah, that online booking is kind of a mess.  You already paid for it, so I can't do anything about a discount now.  I'll ask the manager when he gets back.  He's the one who is supposed to escort you to your site, but he won't be back for 20 minutes."

I said, "Pam, we are perfectly capable of finding our way to the site."  I wanted to tell her that this was the worst park check-in I've ever seen, but I wasn't into my site, yet, and I had already paid for it.  What a shit-show. 

The site is adequate.  Nothing special, but it is close to AF1.  Well, kinda close; about 12 miles.  We've tried two other RV parks here this year.  I guess good help is hard to find in Austin these days.

On the bright side, we're here, I've got my big furry boy by my side, and I'm going to pick up a new Vespa tomorrow.  We're here for a couple nights... sure hope Pam doesn't read the review I left on RVParkReviews until after we leave here.  Oh well, I've been kicked out of nicer places than this!

For the record, we used to stay here on our way between South Dakota and south Texas.  The last time was about 20 years ago... I may try this place again... in another 20 years or so.

[QUOTE="cdwise, post: 41060578, member: 184027"]So Captn I caught that sneaky little reference you made to putting a deposit down on a GTS HPE in another thread. So tell us about it.[/QUOTE]

Sneaky?  Moi?  The story: I mentioned we stopped at AF1 Racing on the way home a couple weeks ago.  I wanted a new rear tire for my Vespa and wanted to look at the BV 350 they have in stock.  I had been very happy with my 2009 GTS, but after riding Joan's Xmax a few times during our summer in the Black Hills, I appreciated a bit more power.  I like everything about that Xmax, except for the fit for me.  My GTS is pretty much the polar opposite, with the fit feeling "like home."  I don't mean opposite in a bad way:  The scoot does just what you expect it to do, but the technology feels a decade old.  Joan has been lobbying for me to get something new, now that the hip replacement is a proven improvement.  The only issue with that is: this Vespa suits me.

The BV 350 seemed like a smart alternative - plenty of power, good ergonomics for me.  The windshield on it sucked, driving all that wind-flow right to my helmet.  I know there are alternatives for that, after you buy it.  I had also looked over AF1's Vespa inventory on-line... in spite of what Vespa considers "different models," the GTS 300 HPE line is all the same scoot... add a rack, put on a stripe, or in the case of the Super Tech: add a display screen.  Same motor and suspension.  So for me, it really comes down to... color.  I was thinking Dragon Red or a nice clean white.  The dark blue I saw wasn't on my radar... interesting, though.

After I rode the BV, Sean (salesman at AF1) rolled that blue Vespa out for me to take for a ride.  I'll be damned if it didn't just exude class when I saw it in the daylight.  Much peppier than my current GTS, and almost as strong as the BV.  And again, that flickable short wheelbase and riding position was immediately comfortable.  I liked it better for me than the BV, even though the BV seemed to be the Italian comparison to the Xmax.  The decisions between what my head says and what my heart says.  I was prepared to buy something that day, if the BV called to me.  I wasn't prepared for the GTS HPE to have such a strong pull.

We had some things to do at home, so I told Sean I'd think about it.  I didn't tell Sean that I don't do test rides for the fun of it, unless we are at a rally and a manufacturer is offering demo rides.  Both of those bikes had a few demo miles on them, so they were OK with letting me ride them.  I thought about it.  A lot.  At different times, I was convinced either way.  Then, Joan said, "You are a Vespa guy, but you should go with what makes you happy."  Well, I'd like to say that was a pivotal moment, but... no shit, Shakespeare - that's what I'm struggling with.  I had also convinced myself to just keep what I have.  Knowing the mindset here, I would expect a chorus of "Keep what you have and buy the other two!" comments.  There is room in my riding style and the cargo trailer for one scoot each.  We tried keeping the PCX and the Vespa/Xmax, but there just wasn't room.  One each.

That pretty blue Vespa won out.

If it was just me, I'd ride the old one up and ride the new one back.  But, the Blonde, Rufus the cat, and the thinning cushion of my ass along with achy bones means we'll take the motorhome.  Up to Austin in a day.  Do the swap out the next day.  Ride the new one around for a day to be sure there are no issues.  Load it in the trailer, bring it home, and start putting stuff on it to make it an even better fit for me.

Here's what the blue one looked like when Sean rolled it out of the showroom for that test ride...

I spent yesterday putting my current GTS back to original(ish)...

 

I will miss some of the dash features on that bike that the new one doesn't have: outside air temp, a line-bar tach, a temperature gauge.  Progress?  I never liked the look of that cream-colored seat, but I'm thinking the Corbin I had on there will look sharp on that new blue one.  Sean offered to switch out my windshield, which I do like a lot.  The flip-down rack is back ordered, so Joan will get to carry my top case on her bike (has the same mounting plate) for a while... and she really doesn't like the look of a top case.  She suggested some kind of leather bag on this new one instead of a top case... hey, if there was room under the seat for my helmet (and there is NOT) I wouldn't put a top case on it.  I'm not ready to go the leather-bag route.  OK, maybe one with some dark blue fringe.  Not.  Yesterday, Joan brought out a blue messenger bag (looked like a purse to me) and said, "This will go nice with that new bike."  Maybe I'll get some skinny jeans and wear loafers with no socks, too?  Or not.

That's the story.

It has been 7 1/2 years since we made the switch to scooters.  (Joan's idea.)  Those PCXes were a ball and we just avoided highways where we'd need to do more than 65mph to survive.  That kept me riding while my hip deteriorated and I put off surgery.  The 250 GTS was better for my hip and had more power and top end... and was the carrot on the stick that made me work hard on the physical therapy.  I have a real attachment to that scoot.  Joan went for the Xmax when it was clear that the new hip made me more mobile.  We have appreciated the extra speed and performance, but if those PCXes hadn't been so easy and fun, I would have probably given up riding.  Each was the right scoot at the right time.  When Joan said, "Just get it - this will probably be the last bike you'll own," I had to wonder if she knew something I didn't?

The Right to Assemble...

 

Or, in this case: disassemble.

There is a plan in motion.  For some motion.  Since we stopped at AF1 Racing in Austin a couple weeks ago, I have been thinking about that Vespa and the Piaggio BV 350 I rode.  Well, more like agonizing about it.  And, the winner is: the blue Vespa GTS 300 HPE.  Joan thought it was a foregone conclusion: "You are a Vespa guy."  There is a good argument to be made for the BV, especially considering it would be a stronger performer than her Xmax.  But, in the end, the style and fit of the Vespa was compelling.

Here's what that one looks like (previously posted image)...

Yes, it looks a bit naked compared to what I've done with my current GTS.  Today, I spent a couple hours taking stuff off my current bike; now, it looks naked...

No, that's not how it will get traded in.  Flames and "Vesparado" off, seat off, USB attachment off, phone holder off, top case and mounting plate off.  Original parts reinstalled...

Yep, that's pretty much how it looked when I bought it.  All that stuff to "make it mine" will go on the new one.  It's a pretty clean example of that era GTS.  With a couple grocery size bags of stuff removed.  It has been a good bike for me - kept me riding when my hip got bad and was incentive after the hip replacement to do the physical therapy so I could ride again.

And, with that new hip and more mobility, I can once again swing a leg over a motorcycle.  There was some discussion about it, but I really like the Vespa.  It suits me.  It is coming up on 8 years since we switched from motorcycles to scooters... and, we're still enjoying the ride.  I am a scooterist.

This new Vespa will have more power and torque.  Will it keep up with Joan's Xmax?  Probably not, but it will be closer.  It will also have ABS brakes and Traction Control, two significant safety items.  LED lights.  That classy deep blue paint.  The rear rack I want for it is back ordered, so it may be a while before I can mount the top case.  In the meantime, Joan's bike has the same mounting plate, so she will get to carry my top case.  She is not a fan of that look.  Her bike already looks a lot bigger than the Vespa (because it is), but even more so with that top case on it...

Next week sometime.

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There is no place in the cargo trailer to put the magnetic flames I took off the Vespa... the cargo trailer is all aluminum construction, wood on the interior walls... nothing for the magnetic stuff to stick to.  While getting things set up in the trailer, Joan asked where I wanted those flames - I jokingly said, "Stick it on the Honda"...

Some things just don't belong together.  ;-)