I Changed My Mind

I didn't sell Razzo.

I had seller's remorse before the buyer came to pick up Razzo.

I sent him a message asking if it would be OK if we didn't go ahead with the sale and I keep the beautiful machine.

The thing that prompted the change of heart was that I rode it around the neighborhood today and wondered why I would sell such a perfect machine.

I know that it is much better for me than a Super Cub or a Spade.

When I got back his answer it almost made me cry.

Bill

P.S.  I posted about this on Modern Vespa.  My food friend 😉 BD found offense with me backing out of the sale and let me have it.  Totally understandable knowing our sour relationship.  Two more joined in showing their disapproval.  I get it, but it was a different type of sale agreement and I still offered it to Kevin if he really wanted it.  He was fine with the change of heart.

Cub Style Motorcycle

I have a history with the Cub style bike.

Twenty nine years ago I moved to Bermuda, where I worked for three years.

The first week there I bought a Suzuki FB100, Suzuki's version of the Cub.

At 100 cc, it was the maximum engine displacement allowed on the Island.

The purchase price was $800. I sold it three years later for $450, so it was a great value.

I rode it to work every day, only a mile each way.

Golf clubs were carried on it on the weekends (golf has given way to scooting on weekends these days)

This shot is my wife's 88 year old grandmother riding with me during a visit in 1992.

I think I would really like to have a Super Cub.

Bill

Me and Freda on my Suzuki FB100

Selling Razzo

Back to scooting: I have been thinking that I might have more scooters than I really need, not that need has much to do with owning these things.

The only GT that has any value to anyone except me is Razzo, the perfect 2005 model.

The paint and details all look new, even at 14 years old and 28,500 miles.

It has a windshield, top case and the controversial floor mat.

I fixed the wobble recently by installing a new front tire so it is truly a good one.

A good friend (and client) asked to borrow it yesterday to ride around the neighborhood to see the houses on the annual Home Tour.

I offered it to him casually a few weeks ago and since riding, I think he likes it.

I would feel much better about selling if Vanessa was working or the Zuma licensed, but even without these I will still have two that run great.

And with the proceeds after selling Razzo and the Lambretta, I could buy something new, leaning towards a Honda Super Cub or Kymco Spade.

Bill

My Other Job

 Besides riding scooters whenever I can, I am still working as an architect in Jacksonville.

I design houses.

This month, for the first time in my 45 years of doing this, I had one of my projects published in Southern Living Magazine. Eight pages.

The interior designer and I called it the River House in posting on Facebook while it was under construction, but it is the home of Michael Pajcic, his wife Katy DeBriere and their young daughter Ruth Ann.

It is the fifth big project for the Pajcic family, the first of these began when Michael was around five years old.

They give me great properties to build on. I am forever thankful that they continue to trust me to provide design services for their projects.

The project was among my all time favorites with great owners, the best interior designer I know, my favorite contractor and a fresh approach by the landscape designer.

To see it published is quite fun for me.

Bill

The front door and a shot on the porch. There is water on three sides of the house.

The front of the house and the kitchen. This is the first photograph I have seen anyone else take of the front. All of the rest of them are of the back of the house, facing the river.

Two interior shots, the dining area and sitting room. Both looking over the St. Johns River.

The cover of the May 2019 issue of Southern Living. I am a little disappointed that we didn't make the cover.

April Oyster Tour

Lostboater planned another oyster tour for a couple of weekends ago.

We liked the Ed Ball Wakulla Springs Lodge so much that we thought we would try it again. This time would be for canoeing.L

I determined that I would leave home on Sunday afternoon to meet up with Ken, Dave and Larry at the Lodge. I had hoped to go racing in the morning, then leave in the afternoon, but a huge storm was approaching from the west. The Weather Channel had it arriving at Wakulla in the early afternoon, so I skipped the Autocross and headed west at 9:30.

To beat the storm, I took the fastest possible route, that being I-10 the 135 miles to just east of Tallahassee.

Rocket was the chosen steed and it maintained sufficient speed to stay clear of traffic along the way, averaging over 70 mph on that stretch.

I arrived an hour before the rain, so I could have taken my favorite route, but chickened out. I hate riding in the rain.

At dinner it was decided that, after the front came in, the temperatures were to be too low for comfortable canoeing, so we decided to ride to St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge instead. The lighthouse there is cool and the ride to it through the estuaries of the Gulf of Mexico outstanding. Well worth the trip.

That was followed by the worst oysters ever at a terrible restaurant is the tiny town of St. Marks.

Ken and I rode to Cedar Key hoping to keep the oysters down and succeeded. We had a nice ride with timely stops and settled into a hotel on Dock Street.

We had drinks nearby and a light dinner at Tony's before calling it a night early.

In the morning we wanted to have breakfast at our favorite place, The Daily Grind, but had seen the night before that the owners were on vacation.

So we went to Annie's instead. Neither of us knew where it was so we were riding down D Street. I looked at a restaurant to the right then straight ahead to find Ken almost stopped 20 feet in front of me beginning to turn into Annie's. I slammed on the brakes and just missed him. We were lucky.

Breakfast was good and we headed home.

Always fun riding with Lostboater.

Bill

Ken riding towards St. Marks Lighthouse

Sunset in Cedar Key

Common Grounds closed.  Disappointment.

But Annie's was just fine.

Million Dollar Scooter

My friend Ken, Lostboater to most of you, bought his first scooter many years ago.

It is a red Vespa 150LX.

He has ridden it across the country and on many shorter rides. He loves it.

A few years ago a group of young riders rode Vespa 150s across the country. They were coming from Los Angeles, Sherman Oaks Vespa in particular.

The group included a few famous young men, the most famous of them was Armie Hammer, star of the big screen in numerous films.

Also in the group was an artist named Tyler Ramsey.

One rule they had was that they couldn't stay in hotels, only camping or at homes when invited.

Ken invited them to stay at his house in St. Petersburg. I invited them to stay with me in Jacksonville, but it wasn't on their way to Key West.

While there, Ken admired a Vespa that Tyler had painted and Tyler offered to paint Ken's scooter.

Tyler's painting technique is that he throws paint onto the surfaces. These can be canvas, scooters or even a Ferrari (see attached)

If Tyler ever reaches the level of "Darling of the critics", Ken's scooter could easily fetch over one million dollars.

He doesn't care. He still rides it whenever he feels like it, even on a 500 mile ride recently to Wakulla Springs and Cedar Key with me.

I would have been upset if Tyler had painted one of mine, but I am not nearly as smart or adventurous as Ken.

https://www.ramseyart.com/

90,000 miles

After another Oyster Tour with Lostboater this weekend, Rocket rolled home with 89,960 miles.

Then I had to ride around town for work, leaving it at 89,980

It tempted me too much, so I left work early, rode ten miles out I-10, then returned to my office where it rolled over.

My review of owning a scooter 13+ years and 90,000 miles.

Piaggio makes a very good scooter.

Bill

PS. It is on engine number two, so it isn't exactly fair. The first engine ran great to 40,000 miles, then had issues until I replaced it at 76,000 miles. I still have it and could repair it if I chose, but the new engine is sweet.