Polly Scoots

365 Days of Scooters: Day 107

2010-05-31T21:03:00.005-04:00

With just three days until the CORSette, we had a busy weekend checking things off the race preparation list. It's really quite amazing how much I've deemed necessary for just a two-day scooter adventure! By this afternoon, the challenge was to see what I'd actually be carrying on the bike and how I would make it fit. Honestly, I probably carry more stuff on my daily commute, but then on the daily commute I've also got a rear rack and only a 12 mile ride.

With temperatures in the 90s plus humidity today, the other challenge was thinking through what I'd be wearing as the weather looks to be pretty similar later this week. Alas, I've come to terms with the fact that I won't be wearing my GoGo Gear Trench (the old armour and mesh is robot-like but cooler) and the new gloves I picked up Saturday were just too warm on this afternoon's shake down ride.

All good exercises though and I'm feeling pretty good about my stuff and gear. Now I'm down to the last item--but undoubtedly most important--one on the list: learning the route!

365 Days of Scooters: Day 106

2010-05-23T21:53:00.002-04:00

11 days and counting until the CORSette. Rode 150 miles by scooter this weekend--77 of that on the Smallframe today. In addition to making sure me and the bike are road-worthy, we've also started stocking up on "essentials" for the trip.

365 Days of Scooters: Day 105

2010-05-21T22:42:00.004-04:00

Life is definitely what happens when you're busy making other plans. I fell off the "post a scooter a day" wagon more than a month ago. Since then travel plans for not one, but two scooter rallies also fallen by the wayside.

And now, it's all about the CORSette. "Be a Girl. Run a Smallframe," indeed.

To qualify for the race, I'll be borrowing my husbands bike for this adventure. While I've driven my own scoots plenty, I might have driven this little Vespa twice before. I started borrowing it for weekend jaunts on sunny days and we've been gradually buying, making and installing bits and bobs to help make it more comfortable for the anticipated 300-400 mile jaunt.

And last Sunday I set off on my first solo smallframe adventure. I charted my own garden tour which spanned about 70 miles and included stops at the U.S. Botanic Garden and the National Arboretum. A nice outing on a beautiful spring day.

Just 13 days to go!

365 Days of Scooters: Day 104

2010-04-14T21:54:00.002-04:00

Road trip. I'm definetly ready for a road trip.

365 Days of Scooters: Day 103

2010-04-13T22:38:00.002-04:00

So the nuclear summit has been in town this week. makes me think the roads are a little more frogger-like than usual.

365 Days of Scooters: Day 102

2010-04-12T21:58:00.003-04:00

Please sir, we just want to go for a ride.

Spotted behind lock and key at the local impound lot...

365 Days of Scooters: Day 101

2010-04-11T23:11:00.003-04:00

Who said a scooter wasn't fun and useful. Grocery shopping by scooter. 12 pack, laundry detergent, cereal and much more...no problem!

Spotted: husband Ryan on his 1977 Vespa P200. Spring 2010.

365 Days of Scooters: Day 100

2010-04-10T23:04:00.000-04:00

365 Days of Scooters: Day 99

2010-04-09T23:01:00.000-04:00

365 Days of Scooters: Day 98

2010-04-08T22:03:00.000-04:00

Make it your own.

Spotted at 2008 Smallstate Rally.

365 Days of Scooters: Day 97

2010-04-07T22:00:00.003-04:00

Make it your own.

Spotted at 2008 Smallstate Rally.

365 Days of Scooters: Day 96

2010-04-06T22:29:00.002-04:00

Scooter Rally season isn't far away...if you haven't been to a rally before, here's a sneak peek at the kind of adventure you might have at one!

365 Days of Scooters: Day 95

2010-04-05T21:26:00.000-04:00

beep, beep!

365 Days of Scooters: Day 94

2010-04-04T21:22:00.002-04:00

peeps!

happy easter!

365 Days of Scooters: Day 93

2010-04-03T20:20:00.000-04:00

peeps!

365 Days of Scooters: Day 92

2010-04-02T18:13:00.001-04:00

not exactly two-stroke smoke, but kinda.

365 Days of Scooters: Day 91

2010-04-01T23:05:00.001-04:00

Snow day!

april fools.

365 Days of Scooters: Day 90

2010-03-31T23:02:00.001-04:00

Bubbles are good.

365 Days of Scooters: Day 89

2010-03-30T22:59:00.001-04:00

Spring cleaning time.

365 Days of Scooters: Day 88

2010-03-29T22:30:00.003-04:00

Pick up a copy of Scoot! Magazine--or better yet Scootering--and you'll be assured that there are endless ways to make a scooter "your own." From paint to engine modifications, there are countless ways to help you and your scooter stand out from the pack. Not yet ready to go to the extreme? No worries, there are some simple ways to give your scoot a touch of personalization.

If you've got a scooter with some metal bits, throw a magnet (or several) on there!

365 Days of Scooters: Day 87

2010-03-28T20:53:00.003-04:00

It's officially spring and last weekend was warm, so I took the lap blanket off the Stella. Alas, that may have been a bit too soon because this weekend was on the nippy side. Oh well, rumor has it we might reach 80 next weekend...

365 Days of Scooters: Day 86

2010-03-27T22:48:00.002-04:00

This one definitely wins best scooter shop slogan.

365 Days of Scooters: Day 85

2010-03-26T22:02:00.001-04:00

Make it your own.

Spotted on a NOS Scooter Club Ride. Annapolis, Md. 2009.

365 Days of Scooters: day 84

2010-03-25T22:34:00.002-04:00

Make it your own.

Spotted at Not Summit Point Scooter Rally. Gettysburg, Pa. 2009

365 Days of Scooters: Day 83

2010-03-24T22:59:00.001-04:00

Make it your own.

365 Days of Scooters: Day 82

2010-03-23T21:56:00.002-04:00

In case you think scooters aren't useful or can't really haul as much as you see in some of those crazy pictures....

...lunch complete with fountain soda survived a trip in the Stella's glovebox.

365 Days of Scooters: Day 81

2010-03-22T22:04:00.002-04:00

365 Days of Scooters: Day 80

2010-03-21T22:08:00.003-04:00

If you're looking for a bit of nature in the midst of the nation's capital, pack a picnic lunch, your walking shoes and head to the National Arboretum to explore the national herb garden, bonsai museum, fern valley and so much more! (free!)

365 Days of Scooters: Day 79

2010-03-20T22:30:00.004-04:00

Spring is in the air! The sun was shining bright and temperatures made it into the 70s today. The lap blanket came off the Stella and we set off for a first visit to a motorcycle shop we've passed many times but not yet had the pleasure of visiting.
Another motorcycle shop and 75 miles later, we were home.

Since this just might have been the first good riding day of the year, the motorcycles were out in force. Saw a few not so smart moves along the way--please remember that speed is not always your friend. Be safe out there!

365 Days of Scooters: Day 78

2010-03-19T22:28:00.001-04:00

Road trips are better with friends.

Spotted at Charm City Scooter Rally. Baltimore, Md. 2008

365 Days of Scooters: Day 77

2010-03-18T22:32:00.003-04:00

Make it your own.

Spotted at ID7 Scooter Rally. Philadelphia, Pa.

365 Days of Scooters: Day 76

2010-03-17T21:37:00.006-04:00

Alas, we did not ride in Baltimore's St. Patrick's Day Parade this year (although I was up in Hampden Sunday for Girls' Garage Day and saw some nattily dressed lads in kilts pre- and post-parade).

This year, I settled for looking back through pics of the 2007 parade with the Baltimore Bombshells in full parade gear. There's nothing quite like dressing up your scoot and riding it through the streets of Charm City on parade day...

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

365 Days of Scooters: Day 75

2010-03-16T21:40:00.003-04:00

More good gear!

So these gloves were much bluer when I got them originally. I didn't feel compelled to dig up the receipt, but I'm going to guess they are at least three years old. They've got some great cushion happening on the palm, leather on the palm and bottom side of the fingers, and breathable material up top. A great, protective glove for spring, fall and hot summer days.

Sadly, the cush on the bottom is finally starting to wear down on these, so I'll need to go glove shopping this year before the Corsette (Be a Girl, Ride a Smallframe). But, I just checked the Web site and the "Supervent Glove" looks to still be in production. Awesome. Hope they have a blue pair in my size!

365 Days of Scooters: Day 74

2010-03-15T22:06:00.005-04:00

Okay, I'll keep rolling with the gear theme and give a shout out to my trusty riding boots. I prefer boots over other types of shoes because they provide both ankle support and protection. I've been know to have balance issues while standing still and not otherwise impaired, so I like a good flat shoe as well :)

I've been sporting some awesome blue Timberlands for several years now. I'm on my third pair of this exact same shoe and don't know what I'll do when this last set wears out.

Why am I so enamored with them? Well, aside from being a truly awesome and stupendous shade of blue, they're water proof and comfortable and I got them dirt cheap.

I ran across these shoes at one of those little sneaker outlet kind of stores that seems to get all the rejects--who knew there wasn't a market for blue men's boots in small sizes? $20 later, I had a spare pair. Wore out the first pair and was on to the second. Passed by the outlet yet again and saw the last pair of blue ones in my size and just couldn't resist bringing them home. Pair two started to deteriorate and I finally had to break out pair number three this fall.

Since I now have a scooter to match my boots, I really don't know what I'll do when pair number three has had its last ride...

365 Days of Scooters: Day 73

2010-03-14T21:48:00.005-04:00

Speaking of gear, I'm a fan of the full face helmet. Sure, it can do some weird things to your hair and can be kind of hot in the summer, but it does have its advantages. I'll spare you the safety litany and head straight to the gross factor--have you ever taken a look at all the gunk that is stuck to the outside of your helmet after a long ride? Bug gusts, road gunk and other mysterious matter. Who wants that stuck to your face? Thank you full face.

Three Rivers Park, Pittsburgh, Pa.

365 Days of Scooters: Day 72

2010-03-13T22:15:00.010-05:00

Time for a little scooter gear love.

I got my first real riding jacket just about five years ago (March 19, 2005 to be exact...yes, I actually found the receipt). It's an Olympia that has served me fairly well in all seasons. The zip out liner means it's wearable during some of the colder months and mesh/ventilation makes it doable in summer as well (although black probably wasn't the best of choices for sunny, humid days). Aside from a recent zipper malfunction, it has held up fairly well through more than 12,000 miles on the road.

Armor at the shoulders and elbow and back protection helped me feel safer on the roads, but the linebacker-like styling left something to be desired...and stowing it away for work meetings that require a suit required some creative scooter packing.

Needless to say, I was excited to hear last fall about a new line of ladies riding jackets in the works that was both fashionable and protective. And even more excited to see GoGo Gear in person today at Modern Classics. I couldn't resist bringing home "the trench."

According to the GoGo Gear Web site, it's waterproof, armored and abrasion resistant. It's also got some super-duper reflectiveness happening around the edges, on the lapels, wrist and (reversible) belt.

Periods of torrential rain kept me off the road today, but I couldn't resist wearing my new jacket to lunch and on the around town errands. Even though this jacket includes armor at the back, shoulder and elbows, you can't tell by looking at it! Sooooo nice to not feel like a bulky robot while walking around the library!

I'm definitely looking forward to my first GoGo Gear ride!

365 Days of Scooters: Day 71

2010-03-12T21:27:00.002-05:00

Lambretta Love!

Spotted at Not Summit Point 18. Gettysburg, Pa. 2009

365 Days of Scooters: Day 70

2010-03-11T21:25:00.001-05:00

Week of Lambretta Love!

Spotted at Not Summit Point 18. Gettysburg, Pa. 2009

365 Days of Scooters: Day 69

2010-03-10T21:21:00.003-05:00

Okay, I'm digging the Lambretta love, so let's just roll with it. I dub this the Week of Lambretta Love :)

Spotted at Not Summit Point 18. Gettysburg, Pa. 2009

365 Days of Scooters: Day 68

2010-03-09T22:02:00.003-05:00

More Lambretta love...

Spotted at PVSC City Rally. Pittsburgh, Pa. 2009

365 Days of Scooters: Day 67

2010-03-09T21:58:00.002-05:00

Lambretta love...

365 Days of Scooters: Day 66

2010-03-07T21:07:00.003-05:00

Okay, I've been listing pieces of scooters for the past few days...we'll go back to the bigger picture.

Spotted at Scootergate. Washington, D.C. 2006

365 Days of Scooters: Day 65

2010-03-06T22:33:00.002-05:00

Spotted at ID7 Scooter Rally. Philadelphia, Pa. 2007

365 Days of Scooters: Day 64

2010-03-05T20:25:00.001-05:00

Spotted at 2008 Charm City Scooter Rally. Baltimore, Md.

365 Days of Scooters: Day 63

2010-03-04T22:05:00.001-05:00

Spotted at ID7 Scooter Rally. Philadelphia, Pa. 2007

365 Days of Scooters: Day 62

2010-03-03T22:03:00.001-05:00

Spotted at ID7 Scooter Rally. Philadelphia, Pa. 2007

365 Days of Scooters: Day 61

2010-03-02T22:14:00.002-05:00

365 Days of Scooters: Day 60

2010-03-01T21:53:00.001-05:00

365 Days of Scooters: Day 59

2010-02-28T21:28:00.001-05:00

365 Days of Scooters: Day 58

2010-02-28T21:27:00.002-05:00

365 Days of Scooters: Day 57

2010-02-26T20:51:00.003-05:00

365 Days of Scooters: Day 56

2010-02-26T20:41:00.004-05:00

Yesterday got away from me. After a very long day, I just didn't make it back to a computer by the end of it. So forgive me for posting day 56 a day late!

Roadtrips have been on our minds a lot lately...where might we go...if we'll take a scooter...or two...

365 Days of Scooters: Day 55

2010-02-24T22:01:00.004-05:00

Directions. I don't need no stinking directions.

Spotted at Scootergate 2. Washington, D.C., 2007.

365 Days of Scooters: Day 54

2010-02-23T20:42:00.003-05:00

Scooter swag! This is one of my favorite quirky ones--the Pink Panther and pink neon--what's not to love!

365 Days of Scooters: Day 53

2010-02-22T21:15:00.000-05:00

Make it your own.

Spotted at ID7 Scooter Rally. Philadelphia, Pa.

365 Days of Scooters: Day 52

2010-02-21T20:54:00.003-05:00

You don't see one of those everyday: Lambretta Cento 100

Spotted at Indian Summer 3 Scooter Rally. Richmond, Va. 2008

365 Days of Scooters: Day 51

2010-02-20T22:11:00.002-05:00

365 Days of Scooters: Day 50

2010-02-19T21:41:00.004-05:00

Finally, the snow is receding. Kind of makes me want to find a warm fuzzy scarf and go for a ride...

365 Days of Scooters: Day 49

2010-02-18T20:44:00.004-05:00

I have a thing for badges. Here's one you don't see everyday.

Spotted at 2008 British & European Classic Motorcycle Day.

365 Days of Scooters: Day 48

2010-02-17T22:13:00.005-05:00

I don't know about you, but I am so ready for a road trip. If you're planning one anytime soon and happen to be the Pittsburgh area, I'm happy to recommend Isaly's (in West View).

365 Days of Scooters: Day 47

2010-02-16T21:48:00.004-05:00

After more than a week battling snow, and a long day battling its aftermath on the commute to and from work, I'm feeling ready for spring. It will be here one of these days...

Pictured: a spring day scooting through the National Arboretum in Washington, D.C. 2008.

365 Days of Scooters: Day 46

2010-02-15T22:35:00.003-05:00

So I'm thinking I probably should have posted something red yesterday (in honor of Valentine's Day and all), but I didn't. So I'll post something sexy and red today instead!

Spotted at ID7 Scooter Rally. Philadelphia, Pa. 2007.

365 Days of Scooters: Day 45

2010-02-14T21:51:00.003-05:00

Ode to the smallframe!

I'm planning to ride this little blue wonder in the Corsette come June. It runs pretty well (knock on wood), so cosmetics and accessories are what we're tinkering with. We picked up a mirror, spare tire, seat and spare tire holder at the Scoot Richmond Garage Sale last month and Ryan took some time today to get the spare tire operational. Woo hoo!

365 Days of Scooters: Day 44

2010-02-13T22:41:00.003-05:00

Make it your own.

Spotted on NOS Scooter Club ride to Annapolis, Md. 2009

365 Days of Scooters: Day 43

2010-02-12T22:35:00.002-05:00

In honor of the Olympics, kicking off today in Canada, here's a pic from Motoretta (aka Vespa Toronto).

Spotted summer 2007.

365 Days of Scooters: Day 42

2010-02-11T21:05:00.002-05:00

The snow has finally stopped! Half of the Stella is dug out; half to go!

365 Days of Scooters: Day 41

2010-02-10T22:38:00.004-05:00

I haven't seen our scooters in days--they're buried behind (or under) at least three feet of snow. Rumor has it they look something like this...

365 Days of Scooters: Day 40

2010-02-09T22:28:00.000-05:00

Scooter swag time! Sometimes birthday cards just say it best...

365 Days of Scooters: Day 39

2010-02-08T21:02:00.002-05:00

We continue to be buried in snow and rumor has it more is on the way tomorrow. Time to look back to warmer days and summer road trips...

During the summer of 2006, Ryan and I set out to have our pictures taken with all 50 University of Maryland turtle statues. Located across Maryland (with one in D.C.), we visited them ALL over six days, traveling 665 miles by car or scooter (using three different scooters actually).

Here Ryan is pictured with his Vespa P200, my Stella and a Maryland Day themed turtle on the campus of the University of Maryland in College Park.

365 Days of Scooters: Day 38

2010-02-07T13:03:00.002-05:00

The snow has stopped, but it (and our scooters) is not going anywhere anytime soon...

365 Days of Scooters: Day 37

2010-02-06T14:13:00.003-05:00

We've measured 30" in some places and the snow is still coming down. This scoot is not going anywhere anytime soon!

365 Days of Scooters: Day 36

2010-02-06T08:53:00.005-05:00

Drat! I completely forgot to post yesterday. I blame the media. They'd been telling us a blizzard was coming, so I got distracted. Alas, they were right...it's a sea of white outside my door, so here's a bit of green.

Spotted at ID7 Scooter Rally. Philadelphia, Pa. 2007.

365 Days of Scooters: Day 35

2010-02-04T20:36:00.003-05:00

Make it your own.

Allstate, spotted in Minneapolis. Summer 2009.

365 Days of Scooters: Day 34

2010-02-03T21:33:00.003-05:00

Make it your own.

Vespa P200. Spotted at Indian Summer 3 Scooter Rally, Richmond, Va. 2008

365 Days of Scooters: Day 33

2010-02-02T22:21:00.001-05:00

It's snowing again! Go cover your scoot!

365 Days of Scooters: Day 32

2010-02-01T21:33:00.004-05:00

Today's ode is to my trusty (sometimes) Stella. A 2005 with more than 12,000 on the odometer, it has definitely taken me places. It has its quirks (electrical and otherwise), but at 80 mpg and speeds up to 60 mph, it's a pretty good all around scoot.

p.s. from here on out, I can't tell what day it is along the "365 days of scooters" journey from the date alone...so please bear with me.

365 Days of Scooters: Day 31

2010-01-31T21:33:00.003-05:00

The only thing better than a a two-wheeled scooter...

is one with three!

Lambro, spotted at Not Summit Point 18 Scooter Rally. 2009.

365 Days of Scooters: Day 30

2010-01-30T20:54:00.002-05:00

Snow Day!

365 Days of Scooters: Day 29

2010-01-29T19:17:00.003-05:00

You might be a scooterist...if you've got a patch jacket.

(A beautiful vintage Lambretta doesn't hurt either!)

Spotted at ID8 Scooter Rally, Philadelphia, Pa. July 2008.

365 Days of Scooters: Day 28

2010-01-28T21:41:00.000-05:00

Make it your own.

Spotted at ID7 Scooter Rally. Philadelphia, Pa. 2007.

365 Days of Scooters: Day 27

2010-01-27T21:27:00.002-05:00

New School: 00s style.

The new Honda Elite.

I'll admit, last year a made fun of Honda 'cause the Elite looked the same as it did forever ago. But, I think I preferred that to the new look...which looks the same as 90% of the other modern scooters out there...

Spotted at the 2010 International Motorcycle Show. Washington, D.C.

365 Days of Scooters: Day 26

2010-01-26T21:17:00.001-05:00

Old School: 80s style.

Honda Elite 250. Spotted outside Scoot Richmond, January 2010.

365 Days of Scooters: Day 25

2010-01-25T19:59:00.000-05:00

Oh, let's go, for a ride.

2008 Charm City Scooter Rally. Baltimore, Md.

365 Days of Scooters: Day 24

2010-01-24T11:01:00.000-05:00

In case you're wondering what a scooter sounds like...

On the "course," are a 1977 Vespa P200E and a 2005 Stella by Genuine Scooters.

365 Days of Scooters: Day 23

2010-01-23T21:02:00.000-05:00

An ode to the bits and bobs that help to make a scooter grand.

Today we took a quick road trip to Scoot Richmond for the garage sale of all garage sales. We brought home this little pile of treasures for the P200, Lambretta and smallframe. Score!

365 Days of Scooters: Day 22

2010-01-22T23:08:00.000-05:00

Guess what?

Scooter butt!

Spotted at 2008 Charm City Scooter Rally. Baltimore, Md.

365 Days of Scooters: Day 21

2010-01-21T22:00:00.000-05:00

There is metal under all that plastic!

A Torpedo 4T by Italjet.

365 Days of Scooters: Day 20

2010-01-20T21:23:00.001-05:00

The beginning of the new year started us on a bit of a cleaning/organizing/furniture rearranging binge. The bedroom is one of the places we have plans to do a bit of updating to, and it didn't escape the whirlwind of de-cluttering.

As a result, I could not find a spare scrap of paper in there as I searched in vain for something to write our pizza order down on. However, I did rediscover a set of nifty note cards by French Kitty. Fear not, I did not write our pizza order down on this gem: instead I took a picture of it!

Rediscovering a bit of scooter swag is almost as fun as finding it for the first time!

365 Days of Scooters: Day 19

2010-01-19T20:09:00.000-05:00

This end up?

Spotted at Scootergate 4. Washington, D.C. 2009

365 Days of Scooters: Day 18

2010-01-18T20:51:00.000-05:00

Bus or Scooter? You decide!

Spotted at Vespa Markham (outside Toronto). Summer 2007.

365 Days of Scooters: Day 17

2010-01-17T23:17:00.000-05:00

It's the bits and pieces that help make a bike special.

Spotted at Not Summit Point 18. Gettysburg, Pa. 2009.

365 Days of Scooters: Day 16

2010-01-16T21:56:00.000-05:00

Red Hot.

Spotted at ID8. Philadelphia, Pa. (2008)

365 Days of Scooters: Day 15

2010-01-15T21:51:00.001-05:00

We'll leave this one a little shrouded in mystery.

What is it? And is it really a scooter? You be the judge.

Spotted at the 2010 Cycle World International Motorcycle Show.

Washington, D.C.

365 Days of Scooters: Day 14

2010-01-14T22:16:00.000-05:00

Going old school for this one. Sign said:

"1960 Allstate Sears Roebuck Styer-Daimler-Puch 50cc"

Spotted at the 2009 Timonium (Md.) Motorcycle Show.

365 Days of Scooters: Day 13

2010-01-13T21:01:00.000-05:00

Ah, lucky 13.

The new Vespa S is one of those bikes that I want because it's just so darn sexy looking, but know I just don't need. It would look silly and rather un-sexy with a back rack (essential for hauling crap on a daily commute or long road trip) and comes as either a 50 or 150 cc (both of which I have already). But that doesn't stop me from stopping to stare every time I pass one by. The one pictured above was spotted at the 2008 Motorcycle Show (headed to DC again this weekend.)

365 Days of Scooters: Day 12

2010-01-12T21:33:00.000-05:00

Directions are good. Finding a way to affix them to your scooter is even better.

These directions were affixed to a scooter ridden by one of riders of the 2008 Cannonball while traveling through Washington, D.C. What's the Cannonball you might ask? A coast to coast race across the United States--on scooters! Click here to learn more.

365 Days of Scooters: Day 11

2010-01-12T21:20:00.000-05:00

Okay, day 10 is coming a day late. D'oh.

I'll share a pic of an outdoor scultpure that seems fitting and an inside shot of a row of shiny new Buddy 125s from Scooter World in Kansas City.

365 Days of Scooters: Day Ten

2010-01-10T21:06:00.000-05:00

Mod. 'Nough said.

ID8 Scooter Rally. Philadelphia, Pa. 2008.

365 Days of Scooters: Day Nine

2010-01-09T20:29:00.000-05:00

Yo!

Bring me one of those!

Honda's Big Ruckus, some mojo and a good ride followed by an egg custard snowball.

Good times.

Charm City Scooter Rally (Baltimore) 2007.

365 Days of Scooters: Day Eight

2010-01-08T21:52:00.000-05:00

Today's ode is to the venerable Vespa P200:

a workhorse who can go the distance.

Pictured is Ryan's 1977 P200 outside the Allegheny Observatory in Pittsburgh, Pa.