Born in the early 1970′s in the Kalamazoo, MI area, I was brought up with motorcycles and classic hotrods due to my two uncles. One of the first bikes I had was an Indian mini bike that I had to start with a drill, as the kickstart was broken. I do not remember what happened to this bike. From there the two wheels progressed into a white Yamaha 100 Enduro. And in the late 1980′s was a red Honda Spree. Both bikes were sold. I bought uncle’s 1987 Honda 750 Nighthawk in the mid 1990′s and the passion for scooters was in my blood. At the same time, I also bought a 1986 Honda 250 Elite with a Kenwood stereo system. In the early 2000, I got my hands on a 1979 Vespa P200E. And being a fan of scooters, I kept buying and selling them. My scooter ‘collection’ has been quite extensive. I’ve only kept the ones that I really like.
In the spring of 2008 I bought a 2007 BMW F650GS and rode 6,300 miles from Nashville, TN to Los Angeles, CA via Gulf Shores, AL. That trip lasted 28 days. I also rode the BMW from Nashville, TN to Key West, FL via Birmingham, AL for Spring Break 2010. That was 3,000 miles in one week. I obtained the Iron Butt Certification on the same BMW riding 1,059 miles in 19 hours from Nashville, TN to Sioux Falls, SD. The longest trip on a scooter was on my 1979 Vespa P200E from Nashville, TN to Tampa, FL in May 2011. That covered 989 miles in four days.
My present bike collection consists of a 1979 Vespa P200E and a Bajaj Ape. The Bajaj Ape registered as a 1994, but built from the same platform of the 1960′s Vespa Ape.
19?? Indian Minibike
1960s Bajaj 150CC Ape Model C (registered as a 1994)
1982 Yamaha 100 Enduro
1987 Honda 750 Nighthawk
1986 Honda 250 Elite
1979 Vespa P200E (maroon & white)
1965 Vespa 150 VBB (red)
1979 Lambretta Serveta SX200 (yellow)
1979 Vespa P200E (black & white) – still own
1979 Vespa P150 (yellow)
1997 Ducati 750 Dark
2007 BMW F650GS
1979 Lambretta Servata 150 Runabout (green)
1979 Vespa P125 (blue)
1979 Vespa P200E (grey)
1979 Vespa P200E (blue)
My dream bikes are:
- late 1960′s BMW R50
- early 1970′s Honda CB 350 turned into a café racer
- Vespa Rally 200
- Vespa Ape or Lambretta Lambro