We have been RVing now for about two years. One of the challenges with a motorhome is driving around after you have set up camp. You most likely want to go hiking or to a restaurant or sightseeing. Then it comes down to unhooking everything and breaking camp. There is then the decision whether you want to leave your electric hookup, chairs and table at the campsite when you leave or repack everything. Once you get back out on the road, you may have trouble finding adequate parking. Ever try to parallel park a 25-ft motorhome in a small town? Actually, I’ve done it many times and it’s quite challenging, especially when the streets are narrow and the traffic is backing up behind you.
All this brings us to another question. What about a companion vehicle—something smaller that can be brought along and is easier to find parking? Many people do this. They tow a vehicle behind their RV. I’ve seen several who have a very expensive motorcycle rack on the back of their RV—electric remote that raises and lowers the bike into place. There are many options, but I was just not sold on the idea of towing our car or buying a motorcycle. Then one day we were camping near Plymouth, MA and our neighbor had an RV almost like ours—same length and chassis, different brand. He and his wife had a retro scooter. He said that he and his wife ride it to restaurants and hiking sites. Gets about 80 miles to the gallon. Looks cool and is not as powerful as a full-grown motorcycle. This may be our solution.
After a winter of talking to Chris about it, I finally convinced her that this was a good idea. But having never ridden a motorcycle or a scooter—we were always into horses—I wanted to learn about them. We visited a dealership and asked a bunch of questions. Then when we were driving home, we saw another little place that had scooters. The guy showed us his fleet and drove one around the lot. I asked if I could take it for a spin and he reluctantly agreed. Well, I buzzed down the lot and went to turn around and the scooter got away from me and headed out the drive right for the busy street traffic. I was a split second away from getting T-boned when I remembered the hand brake and miraculously stopped at the edge of the street. Me thinks the owner’s life flashed before his eyes. He said that was the reason they never offer test drives. The Good Book says that the Lord watches over the foolish. When I was helpless, He saved me! Yep!
After a lot of research, We bought one of those cute retro Vespa clones from a dealer online. ‘Came shipped from the factory in a crate, 98% assembled. Well, like anything that 2% can be a killer. I told the guy I wasn’t mechanically inclined. He said he had confidence I could put on the handle bars, mirrors, headlight, battery, trunk, and front wheel. After several hours in the unforgiving heat and some skinned-up knuckles, I had everything done but the front wheel. My good neighbor Gordon, a motorcycle enthusiast, helped me assembled the wheel and we fired her up. Chris and I have matching helmets and we are going to give this a try. Our first test drive, and Chris was already a pro. But she’s making me practice a lot, though, where there is no traffic. To be continued…
