That's me, second one in on the left on the green ET4 155cc. Pic by JF
I love to ride. I was thinking about it on the way home yesterday. The ride is often the best part of my day. I get to cruise around and carve around sharp corners. I get to listen to Haruki Murakami audiobooks or the wind or nothing at all. I get to clear my mind. I get to feel the air, see the sights, smell people cooking their food. I get to feel the road and be a part of Honolulu as I pass through it. I love living in the city! Not only do I get to live in the city, but I really get the best of both worlds because I live in a rain forest jungle on on mountain above the city. That is my life on a daily basis: jungle, windy mountain road, cityscape...all from the vantage point of the comfy Italian leather seat of my special edition scooter, affectionately known as The Locust. Sometimes riding the Vespa just makes me feel so good that I can't help zipping around with a dopey grin on my face. I've gotten so accustomed to riding that thing that when I have to drive my car it seems so clumsy, cumbersome, and inconveniently over sized that I'd rather be on my little scoot-scoot.
Riding through Waipahu. Pic by AL.
So, I've become a part of an outlaw scooter club (it's a scooter, you bastards, not a moped; it does NOT have pedals!). You know, it's funny how things work out. I'm kind of shy and keep to myself, but sometimes good connections just fall into my lap without any work on my part. I got into this whole thing while riding off to the store one day. I saw Laura on the bike path walking her little one in the stroller so I stopped to say hello. We just so happened to be across the street from Judy's house who saw us and came rushing over to say hello as she knew Laura and wanted to meet me because she's a Vespa enthusiast. From Judy I met all of these other nice people who have been great to get together with. We go on the occasional ride and have mechanic workshops where we work on each others rides. This has been great for me as I've learned how to do some basic and some semi-advanced work on my Vespa which has saved me a ton of money. I'm not sure that I'd want to do a lot of it on my own, but I could do some of it. Either way, it's great to have some knowledgeable helpers to guide me through issues and service. For instance, Dan is totally the man for having us over at his place on numerous occasions. He has boat loads of tools and really knows what he's doing. Because of him I know how to take apart my carburetor and clean it, how to do an oil change, how to take off my exhaust system, how to change my oil, and how to change my tires (though tires are tricky and it's good to have help with such). My back tire was super bald and it was to the point where my life was probably in peril so I have to give big ups and many mahalos to Dan for a special one-on-one session where we changed out my tires.
The ride basically started in Manoa and went all the way over through Pearl City, Waipahu, up Kunia Road and down to Waialua via Snake Road, past my old house and out to Kaena Point, stopped for lunch at Cholo's in Haleiwa and then through the North Shore with a stop off at the heiau in Pupukea, through the netherlands of Kahuku, stopped off at Laie Point and then down the Windward Coast, did some crazy back roads and then through Waimanalo, up past Koko Head, through Aina Haina and Hawaii Kai and then busted through Kahala and onto Waialae Avenue through Kaimuki, cut over through Manoa and the back to my jungle home in the mountains. It was a long, great day and I even got to drive on some roads that I've never been on before which was super cool.
The sixth one in from the right is mine.
My Vespa was totally the best $1500 I've ever spent in my life.
A bunch of pictures (not mine) are posted here: http://modernvespa.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1302221#1302221.
Stop staring at Locust's ass!
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