Scooter in the Sticks https://scooterinthesticks.com/ Exploring life on a Vespa, Royal Enfield Himalayan, Honda Trail 125, and a Kawasaki W650 Fri, 05 Jun 2026 04:06:59 +0000 en-US hourly 1 71084491 My Stubborn Brain https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/06/my-stubborn-brain/ https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/06/my-stubborn-brain/#comments Mon, 08 Jun 2026 10:00:00 +0000 https://scooterinthesticks.com/?p=11639 Why I Hate This Road (And Can’t See Clearly) Often I can’t quite see the truth. My stubborn brain clouding the view and leading me to make hasty, irrational decisions. There are myriad examples of stubbornness in my life ranging from the food I’ll eat to the roads I’ll ride. My stubborn brain is impervious […]

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]]> https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/06/my-stubborn-brain/feed/ 5 11639 Embracing the Risk of Riding a Motorcycle or Scooter https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/06/embracing-the-risk-of-riding-a-motorcycle-or-scooter/ https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/06/embracing-the-risk-of-riding-a-motorcycle-or-scooter/#comments Fri, 05 Jun 2026 10:00:00 +0000 https://scooterinthesticks.com/?p=11580 Morning Fall — An Cinematic Reminder of Risk I’ve posted this video many times over the years. In part to remind readers of the risk of riding. But mostly as attempt to keep myself honest about it. Especially as I get older. It’s easy to slip into complacency and pretend the risk isn’t really there. […]

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]]> https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/06/embracing-the-risk-of-riding-a-motorcycle-or-scooter/feed/ 11 11580 Friends That Ride Motorcycles and Scooters https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/06/friends-that-ride-motorcycles-and-scooters/ https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/06/friends-that-ride-motorcycles-and-scooters/#comments Mon, 01 Jun 2026 10:00:00 +0000 https://scooterinthesticks.com/?p=11614 Haunted by Ghosts Without this post becoming a treatise on psychological therapy, I should point out there are broken aspects of my character that having friends that ride helps cure. For years I thought no one liked me. It’s origins likely dwell in very early romantic rejections. Combine it with the isolation and solitude that […]

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]]> https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/06/friends-that-ride-motorcycles-and-scooters/feed/ 21 11614 Riding in Pennsylvania’s Magnificent Forests https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/05/riding-in-pennsylvanias-magnificent-forests/ https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/05/riding-in-pennsylvanias-magnificent-forests/#comments Fri, 29 May 2026 10:00:00 +0000 https://scooterinthesticks.com/?p=11563 Surrounded by Trees Every rider finds themselves blessed (or cursed) by where they live. Long ago I knew living in the middle of the vast forest lands of central Pennsylvania was a gift. In 1681, when King Charles II gave a nearly 29-million-acre expanse of old-growth trees to William Penn, clearing a Royal debt and […]

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]]> https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/05/riding-in-pennsylvanias-magnificent-forests/feed/ 12 11563 Tiny Rides https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/05/tiny-rides/ https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/05/tiny-rides/#comments Mon, 25 May 2026 10:00:00 +0000 https://scooterinthesticks.com/?p=11552 What is a Tiny Ride? It would be nice if every ride could be a grand adventure. Days or weeks exploring, unfettered by the weight of duty and the responsibility of maintaining a life. But ask yourself, how many of your rides fit into that specific category of two-wheeled activity? A lucid look in the […]

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]]> https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/05/tiny-rides/feed/ 12 11552 Embracing the Honda Trail 125 Adventure Machine https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/05/embracing-the-honda-trail-125-adventure-machine/ https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/05/embracing-the-honda-trail-125-adventure-machine/#comments Fri, 22 May 2026 10:00:00 +0000 https://scooterinthesticks.com/?p=11527 Unexpectedly Sexy Not sure sexy is the correct term. But unlike almost any other motorcycle or scooter on the road the Honda Trail 125 gets first, second, and often third looks and comments. Often seen as cute it doesn’t seem to intimidate or trigger indifferent reactions that bigger, louder, and frankly gaudier motorcycles can do. […]

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]]> https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/05/embracing-the-honda-trail-125-adventure-machine/feed/ 14 11527 When Riding Alone Isn’t Enough https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/05/when-riding-alone-isnt-enough/ https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/05/when-riding-alone-isnt-enough/#comments Mon, 18 May 2026 10:00:00 +0000 https://scooterinthesticks.com/?p=11497 Ungracious Awakenings By temperament, I prefer to ride alone. Free to embrace the road at whatever pace I desire. Stopping to look or make photographs without concern for the tempo of others. No need to keep checking the mirrors or adjusting speed. Just the freedom to ride with my tumbling thoughts. And still I ride […]

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]]> https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/05/when-riding-alone-isnt-enough/feed/ 14 11497 Little Juniata Machine and Cycle https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/05/little-juniata-machine-and-cycle/ https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/05/little-juniata-machine-and-cycle/#comments Fri, 15 May 2026 15:38:19 +0000 https://scooterinthesticks.com/?p=11521 Service Completed I dropped the bike off on Saturday. The service was complete of Monday. I was thrilled to get the message. Being able to have the Himalayan worked on locally was something I wished for but firmly believed I only had three choices — haul the bike to the dealer a hundred miles away, […]

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]]> https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/05/little-juniata-machine-and-cycle/feed/ 14 11521 Is It Time to Surrender the Royal Enfield Himalayan? https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/05/is-it-time-to-surrender-the-royal-enfield-himalayan/ https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/05/is-it-time-to-surrender-the-royal-enfield-himalayan/#comments Tue, 12 May 2026 10:00:00 +0000 https://scooterinthesticks.com/?p=11482 A Workhorse Make no mistake, the 411 version of the Himalayan is a unique motorcycle. It looks different, sounds different, and acts differently than any other motorcycle I have ever ridden. Even with a meager 24 horsepower it far exceeds most of my riding abilities. And for the kind of rides I make it’s a […]

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]]> https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/05/is-it-time-to-surrender-the-royal-enfield-himalayan/feed/ 20 11482 Sticker Shock and Other Puzzlements https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/05/sticker-shock-and-other-puzzlements/ https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/05/sticker-shock-and-other-puzzlements/#comments Sun, 10 May 2026 13:38:21 +0000 https://scooterinthesticks.com/?p=11453 Puzzling Economic Thoughts Having a head full of 1980s prices leads to endless shocks when paying for things. Doesn’t matter if it’s a ribeye steak at the grocery store or a new pair of jeans from L.L. Bean. Thankfully I seem to be insulated and unconcerned about the price of gas at the pump. No […]

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