PIaggio MP3 400ie – The Weekend.

This is the third installment in a series of what it’s like to live with Piaggio’s revolutionary three-wheeled maxi-scooter.

Part 1, initial impressions, is here.

Part 2, erramds amd running around, is here.

Saturday arrives and it’s my daughter’s tenth birthday.  It is absolutely beautiful outside as I get up bright and early.  Sheila and I had spent the evening getting all the presents wrapped and ensuring that everything was in place for Kira’s 10 girlfriends to have a pool party and get a deep sugar infusion with ice cream, cake and pizza in our back yard.

Kira models the comfortable riding position an Big Smile that the Piaggio delivers

Daughter walks into the room, and the first thing she asks is if I’ll take her on the scooter to the Panera bread around the corner for a cookie and some lemonade.  I’m feeling coffee, so this is definitely a good thing. 

Piaggio MP3 400ie – Day Two and Three

Airports and Errands

daughter models on my scoot...

I had to take a trip out of town midday Wednesday with a return on Thursday night, limiting my time with this Piaggio,

Getting back into Motorcycling: Embracing your Mid-Life Crisis — Part 1

So I’m 46 years old. I’ve been on hiatus from my “mechanical hobby”; restoring cars, for nearly three years. I’ve been doing this since I was 18, and sold off my last Citroen DS21, on January 18, 2005. On a self-enforced hiatus for two years, it’s been another year because the Ideal Ride that lurked in my head just never materialized.

Enter “Test Pilot Bill” in Phoenix. I’ve known him for years through my wife, Sheila. He is possibly one of the most interesting people you’ll ever meet.

Last year by happenstance he showed me his newly acquired 2004 Triumph Bonneville that is absolutely perfect, low miles, and an H.G.-Welles-Time-Machine moment (I orginially attributed it to Orwell – forgive me!) with all the wonderful things about British bikes and none of their vices.

As I threw my leg over the Bonnie, something funny hit me. Kind of a “yeah… nice”. It fit not only my butt – it fit into my thoughts. Something deep inside me began eating away two of the four wheels that my Ideal Ride had always possessed. From that moment, I began to think of a motorcycle as The Thing to replace the Car Habit I had nurtured for more than 30 years.

I didn’t know if my search would result in a Triumph like Bill’s, but I knew that I would start on a journey of self-discovery and, as I write this, I couldn’t be more excited about anything I have ever undertaken.