 source: scootrs.com It was always a dream of mine to ride my own Vespa. However, it was a friend/neighbor who made me realize that actually owning a Vespa in the city of Montreal is possible. In seeing him ride his real vintage charcoal/grey vespa from the 60s, which had a distinct benzina smell and a rattling old engine, I fell in love with my dream again. I had primarily asked him for a ride because I HAD to experience this in Canada! Sooner than later though during that summer of 2010, I was continuously begging for rides all the time and he was kind enough to always indulge my requests (Thanks Dom!). It was during that winter that I had decided to finally purchase my own two- wheel vehicle. I remember being overwhelmed by the size of a newer 2009 LX50 Vespa. My friend's older model was much smaller and the passenger was more comfortable riding while hanging on to the driver (Ah, how romantic). In newer models, there is a hand rail on the side and back of the relatively big banana seat which allows the passenger to hang on. I tried multiple times for my friends to hang on to me but we would either: a) knock our helmets together all the time or b) the extra weight would shift too close to me which made me lose balance...riiiiight...Well that was out of the question! So back to the hand rail it is for my guests. I do find, having been a guest rider myself, that this way of hanging on is not the most comfortable and does not allow for a fully relaxing ride. That being said, I have begun to explore getting a backrest for the passengers. Nothing huge, but a simple railing that can put me and my passenger at ease while riding in the city! Let's see what I can dig out!  As a Montrealer living downtown, I am often caught in the rush hour rat race we know all too well: the commute. While extremely practical and convenient (and warm in the winter I might add), taking public transportation can also be annoying, crowded and frustrating. People walking slow force me to miss my metros (one of my biggest pet peaves since I am a fast-walker), individuals selfishly leaning their entire body on the hand rail preventing others from hanging on, iPhone thieves, being jammed packed in a wagon thus being way too close for comfort to a perfect stranger and last but not least, the metro lines being down. This is exactly what happened yesterday afternoon...all systems stopped and metros were paralyzed for some time. While this is no huge problem of mine since I live fairly close to work and had no appointments to get to anyway, I could very well have walked home. However, I had another fabulous option waiting for me: my little white Vepsa (whom I baptized as Navi) was patiently awaiting my arrival at the corner of the street where I had parked it the same morning.
There is nothing more freeing than snapping that helmet on, igniting the engine and taking off. I have to admit that in the morning, I wasn't so "free" and "content" as it was raining as I drove to work. Still...I calculated that the efforts of riding through the rain would pay off since in the afternoon, the rain would have stopped, which it did, and I dressed accordingly (rain coat, gloves, leggings and hid my hair under my coat keeping it dry). So I toughed the rain since it wasn't what I consider to be whipping rain and it was well worth having it for the ride back home. Granted, because of the rain, the Vespa was a little dirty but, no problem because I always have a rag to clean it with in my trunk...That's right, I take my own advice! Cheers! Tinybumblebee x  Hello!
Today, I launch my new web site - blog! It will be my pleasure to share this information with you and make sure you are up to date with the latest in the scooter world! In this part of the blog I intend to share anecdotes and any interesting news with regards to scooters or any other pertinent topic! I am open to your suggestions and feedback! |
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AuthorMy name is Ivana. I love photography and meeting people. I hold a Master's in counselling psychology and work as a career consultant. Music is my fuel and an important source of energy in my life. I drive my vespa around the city and I love what I do! :) About this blog: me on my artistic soap box! My first novel!
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