Insanity and its derivatives

Yesterday I went outside before it was time to leave for work. The weather was crisp, but above freezing, so I decided to take the Sabre since it hadn't been run in more than a week and I wanted to clear the pipes a bit.

Riding a motorcycle without a windscreen in cold weather is insane. It was just at the point of being bearable, but I think I will pursue more balmy weather for riding that particular vehicle. The Sabre is fantastic for pure power and an exhilerating ride, but cold weather riding isn't terribly comfortable on it. It's also a machine that I will not ride in rain or snow, simply due to the weight. The scoot I will ride if I have to since it's so light I can muscle it around. Of course, it snowed last night after I arrived at work and there was about a half-inch on the ground by the time I was ready to leave for home. So, I parked the bike in the garage at the group home and called my wife for a ride in her SUV.

The scoot's been out quite a bit lately and I've actually seen several other intrepid cold weather scootsters out as well. This afternoon, I saw someone on a black Vespa right in my neighborhood. There's also a rider with a Flyscooters La Vie whom I see on a regular basis along the same route I use for work.

I'm not sure if this is due to the current gas prices, or some other reason, but I can't remember seeing as many scooters on my commute last winter. It's nice to see, simply because the more of us there are, the more visible we become, but just the same, with the recent bitter weather, it's somewhat of a surprize.