First Contour Camera Ride

My first ride with my new Contour GPS camera. A brief video along one of my favorite early morning rides, Mill Creek Road near Wynnewood. I used the rotating flat surface camera mount stuck to the side of my front fairing.

If you want to see exactly where I rode, look at the Contour Stories site showing the GPS map, speed and elevation at http://contour.com/stories/288280.

My new Screaming Banshee Horn is Installed!

I discovered the Banshee Horn project on Kickstarter and thought the inventor had a great idea*. The stock horn on my Piaggio is quite weak - beep beep. It made sense that I could still use my stock horn to gently warn a pedestrian in a cross walk without making him/her jump out of their skin by blasting an air horn that sounds like a Mack Truck!

But... just hold in the normal horn button for 1/2 second and you get the full pulsing air horn blast and flashing high beams!

Here's what the install looks like on my Piaggio. Note that I drilled a hole in part of the bike frame to solidly mount the horn - part of the frame used to attach the fairing. I didn't really trust the bracket approach specified in the Banshee instructions since it resulted in two possible connections that could vibrate loose over time.

Fairing removed showing placement of Control and Horn

Horn bolted to fairing frame

Control Box attached using heavy-duty velcro

Stay tuned for my first test video of the new Banshee Horn! You can buy your horn at the new Screaming Banshee website.

*I pledged $75 back in January to get one of their first production units (they exceed their funding goal of $12k and received over $30k!). I got my horn at the end of March, but wanted to wait to receive electronics for my next bike mod before I dissembled my Piaggio. Finally was able to finish both projects in May.

Serious Bike Riding in London & Paris

Just enjoyed our 25th wedding anniversary by celebrating in London and Paris. Traffic was incredible in both cities and with the cost of petrol at over $8 per gallon in London, it is not surprising that motorcycles and scooters were everywhere. There wasn't a corner in London or Paris that didn't have scores of parked bikes. Not only small Vespas and Chinese scooters but sport bikes and Harleys. It seemed that almost 1 in 5 were Piaggio MP3s but I never once saw my particular model, the MP3 500 (in Europe it's called the Gilera Fuoco 500ie).

Click Photo to Enlarge

I like riding my bike, but the traffic there was crazy! I'll wait to get back to my quiet country rides.

Horse Country Near Valley Forge

What a beautiful day. Who'd believe that we're still in March! I rode about 40 miles solo on some of my favorite roads in Delaware and Chester Counties: Darby, Sproul, Conestoga, and North Valley Forge. I wandered around and through Valley Forge National Park and then further west on Yellow Springs Road where I discovered this wonderful horse ranch.

Not bad for an iPhone video

Chester County Rideabout

EZ Riders Scooter Club sponsored a scenic ride through some nice wooded parts of Chester County. We met at Valley Forge Park at 10:30. The temp was in the low 40's but my hands were toasty warm thanks to my new electric gloves.

We met at Valley Forge Historial Park

Hammy led the group of six along some twisty roads near creeks and Ridley Park, but nothing particularly hard. First time I rode into Delaware. We had lunch at Pure Bread Deli. All sandwiches named after dog breeds - get it? I split off solo on the ride home rather than detour out of my way back to Valley Forge. Fun ride, about 80 miles in all.

Click to enlarge image.

View Map of 80 mile Ride

Bucks County Ride - Tabora Farm Orchard & Bakery

TomN from EZ Riders Scooter Club hosted this ride. I was the only one besides Tom who showed, but that was just fine. We met at Danielle's Espresso Cafe in Ambler where I treated myself to a latte. Tom then led me on a great ride through Bucks County where we stopped at Tabora Farm Orchard & Bakery. Great bakery. Had lunch outside in the balmy 50 degree weather.

Lunch with Tom at Tabora Farms (Click Image to Enlarge)

As expected, during the ride, my fingers were the only cold part of my body. Tom suggested stopping at Montgomeryville Cycle Center and checking out a new pair of warm gloves. What a selection and some heated gloves were on sale -- sold! Thanks, Tom, for leading the ride and steering me to MCC.

Bought my electric gloves at Montgomeryville Cycle Center

I clocked over 75 miles on this ride (forgot to turn on my iPhone Cycle Meter app though).

Just call me Darth!

No, it's not really me, but it IS my Piaggio. Enjoy...