It’s all about the scooter
Sometimes its too easy to get caught up in the tinkering and modification of your scooter, and to forget the actual pleasure of riding it. Paul Green reflects.
Sometimes it’s hard not to get caught up in day-to-day life. There’s always something to think about, something to do, things to worry about – whether its work, money, garden, house or family and kids. There’s always something to buy, always something demanding your attention, your cash and your time.
And then there’s your scooter. It may (at times) come further down the list of things demanding your attention than you would like, because many of the things ahead of it are important and essential in life. Scooters are not necessarily essential (no protest letters please) but they are very easy to get sucked into: one little job becomes two or three little jobs, one new part can become a new engine, the quick wipe over becomes a full on polish, and so on. Like women and family in your life, the scooter can be very demanding of your attention.
It’s very easy to place too much emphasis on the specification, gadgets and tuning parts, paintwork and shiny accessories. Should you have fitted the 17 tooth or 18 tooth sprocket, should you increase the tyre pressure now you have fitted those sporty tyres and tubeless rims, should you try that different oil? Maybe you should get a dyno test done? It’s an endless list.
All of these things can sometimes get in the way of the true and essential pleasure of actually riding your scooter. If you’re constantly thinking about the jetting, the gearing, the spec, the odd noise here and there… then are you missing the pleasure of living in the moment and the enjoyment
of taking the long way home on a scooter ride and missing out on the great views from the top of the hill? Or even just the pleasure of a ride out in the country, whether it’s on your own or meeting friends for a coffee or drink at the pub, talking nonsense about scooters or life and taking in the scenery.
Enjoying actually riding your scooter is easily missed when ‘real life’ gets in the wayw – but don’t compound that by spendings too much time polishing or tinkeringt and adjusting – just get out and ride the thing. The pleasures of ridingr could just be that ride out into thet country, down those quiet countryc roads, not going fast, not takingt chances, just riding and enjoyinge the two-stroke sound and smell.s Or it could be the ride into to own or the city and filtering easily t hrough the traffic enjoying a smug g rin as you do so, imagining the fr rustrations of those sitting in the tin b oxes in the traffic queues.
It’s also too easy to get sucked into do oing the same predictable things th hat the others do. Another weekend ra ally drinking beer and waking with a ha angover and a motorway cruise back. A weekend adding more accessories to m eet a style or fashion set down by ot hers. Another weekend stripping the en gine yet again to tinker and fit some newne tuning part or expensive gadget. Maybe you should just go to the petrol station and get some fuel, some oil and go for a ride. Somewhere. Anywhere. Just because you can. Why not do it now?
I’ve spent years tuning scooters, racing them, making them faster and faster, harder to ride, noisier and less comfortable and making them spit fuel on my clothes. But a couple of years ago a totally standard scooter came into my garage and for a few weeks I ran around on it. It was so slow. But it was also so smooth, so quiet and so easy to ride. The neighbours loved it as I left quietly. But I didn’t ride it enough. I didn’t take it out to the picnic area, or ride it to the country pub for a shandy. I think I missed out really. I missed out on the simplest pleasure, the purest pleasure of actually just riding the scooter.
Because really… it’s all about the scooters. Paul Green
Enjoying riding your scooter is easily missed when ‘real life’ gets in the way – but don’t compound that by spending too much time polishing or tinkering and adjusting – just get out and ride the thing.