Tom's Vespa adventures

[Tom Westendorp]

Well, that was some adventure to start with.

I bought the Vespa in the north of Holland in Assen, home of the world famous TT Circuit. By car on the highway, it is a distance of 140 kilometers by scooter however it is only 60 miles or 100 kilometers.

That is, if you can drive straight from point A to point B. Motoport Assen was a joy to deal with. The scoot stood there all serviced, waxed and with a full tank of gas. I just had to get some insurance and I could go on my way.

Vespa pick up by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

The first part of the route took me through the backcountry of the Drenthe province, I've never been there but it was absolutely mesmerizingly beautiful and with greatly paved bike lanes too!

Vespa pick up by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

Because of the lack of GPS I had to stop often to check my phone if I was still on the preferred route. Therefore progress was slow but it didn't matter because I was having a blast. Then came Germany. In Germany you can not use the bike lanes but have to stick to the streets where other traffic goes by with 100 kilometers an hour. That was kind a scary at first but you get used to it really quickly.

There was a road closure and I had to take a small detour. The only thing was that it wasn't a small detour and I got proper lost. All in all, I drove for 30 kilometers through the streets between fields in rural Germany. When I finally found the route again I was home within the hour.

I had hoped to be back home in 2.5 hours. It took me 3.5 hours but I had a blast. What a great adventure. I haven't had this much fun in a car in a long time. I think my Vespa and I are going to have a lot more adventures in the near future.

Vespa pick up by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

[JuP !]

Nice, butt waai do you speak Inglish suddenly ?

[Tom Westendorp]

Crosspost van een Engels forum in het Engelse hoekje van het forum. Leek me leuk om ook hier te delen.

[Autheo]

Has your Vespa a 2 or 4 stroke motor?

[Touchwood]

Op naar Italie met de Vespa!

[Tom Westendorp]

Had a small adventure this morning. I got a message this morning asking if I was visiting the classic car meet in Bad Bentheim. It was only 30 kilometers away so it would be rude not to take the Vespa wouldn't it?

But before I could get to my bike I had to get past it's little gatekeeper.
Classic car meet Bad Bentheim by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

Dogs love Vespa's by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

IMG_4298 by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

But I got on the way eventually and because I know the roads very well it gave me a good opportunity to work out how fast I can travel on this bike. The trip was only about 30 kilometers and it took me only 30 minutes so an average speed of 50 kilometers an hour for longer trips is a good estimate I think. To do so I will need a GPS device so I'm not constantly looking for directions.

The classic car meet was awesome, verry nice cars in attendance and afterwards I took the long way home.

Classic car meet Bad Bentheim by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

Classic car meet Bad Bentheim by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

Classic car meet Bad Bentheim by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

Classic car meet Bad Bentheim by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

Now I'm off to the inlaws and again, I'm taking the long way. Should be good. I will post some more pictures when I get home tonight.

[Tom Westendorp]

This was the greatest afternoon of riding I've ever done. I have to say I haven't done much riding to this point so it's easy to get impress.

Yesterday I decided I wanted to get a few more kilometers under my belt to get better used to the Vespa and investigate how many kilometers I can drive in a given timeframe. All this research will come in handy later when I go on my big trip.

So the goal of yesterdays ride was to get to my inlaws in Rijssen but first visit one of the most beautifull national parks in the Netherlands. Nationaal park de Sallandse Heuvelrug. It is truely mesmerizing. And it got some elevation so I could see how the little 4 stroke engine will cope with that.

To get there I had to travel from all kind of small villages to the start of the park in Holten. The roads where great but suddenly they ended. Well, I got one bike to do it all so let's unleash all that Italian Fury on this dirt.

IMG_4381 by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

After another 45 minutes of riding I got to my destination.

IMG_4384 by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

Let's get going. I was here before in my car and it was just frustating. All the other cars where keeping me up from getting a spirited drive in. On the Vespa however that was of no concern. It top's out at 60 kilometers an hour where the CDI rev-limiter keeps it bouncing. Great! The road trough the park is great and about 9 kilometers long. When I got to the other side my tank was almost empty so I went looking for a petrol station in Nijverdal. I quickly found one and filled my Vespa up. I learned it uses a lot more fuel when you drive it WOT constantly. Still 1 liter of fuel to travel 30 kilometers isn't bad for a engine with a shot glass size piston.

IMG_4386 by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

I had some more time so I ended up driving the park for another time front to back. The 10% incline had my little Vespa struggling. The speed dropped from 60 kmh to 25 kmh. But it soldiered on like nothing would stop it.

IMG_4389 by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

IMG_4388 by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

So I got in time at the inlaws and had a great meal. Also got the chance to see the womans national team win the European Championship final ( YES! ) so spirits where high when the time came to go home.

Riding a 50cc bike in Holland is great. The ANWB, the royal dutch touring club has put out signs everywhere you go. From mushroom shaped signs on the ground to little posts with signs, just like the highways only smaller. It's great. Because I know the area I didn't need a GPS for even once. The backroad even got me into more dirt! Great!

IMG_4392 by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

Look at that view!

IMG_4391 by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

The great thing is I have seen a lot of beatifull scenery this weekend just outside my doorstep. Because I'm traveling at a much slower pace than people on big bikes I got al the time to soak it in. It is fascinating to see how little you actually know of the beauty that is just outside your doorstep. I will continue to get more kilometers under my belt to prepare for the big ride in June of 2018.

Thanks for reading!

[Tom Westendorp]

@Autheo: it's a 4 stroke with 4 valves.
@Touchwood: watch this space.

[henri]

Dat oldtimertreffen in Bad Bentheim ziet er leuk uit. Ik zie dat het maandelijks is. Is daar een beetje een leuke opkomst? Honderd, tweehonderd, driehonderd klassiekers?

Normaal gesproken ga ik nog wel eens naar Zeche Ewald in Herten: Youngtimer Show, Youngtimer Vestival en Oldtimertreff Ruhr.

[Touchwood]

Is idd een prachtig gebied en een heerlijk weggetje daar op de Holterberg. Mag ik ook graag zo af en toe eens bekijken en rijden.

Ik hou deze space in de gaten. -;)

[damianw26]

Vet, een vespa! EN een luxe ook nog eens zeg in gave kleur! Had (en heb m nog steeds ) een vespa lx50 met (jaja) stokoude 25 cc 2takt motor . Helemaal naar mijn wens gemaakt, audi diep nacht blauw laten spuiten, knalrode velgen en een rood gestikt zadel en rondom het originele chroom vergelijkbaar met de jouwe. Wat een lol met t ding gehad ondanks zijn top van 40km/u afhankelijk van de weg
Vespa by Damian Willemsen, on Flickr

[Tom Westendorp]

Ik weet niet beter dan dat de lx25 gewoon een 50cc motor heeft.

[damianw26]

Ik weet niet beter dan dat de lx25 gewoon een 50cc motor heeft.

Ook dat zou kunnen Uit 2007 met 1,7pk

[Tom Westendorp]

My new helmet finally came in so I just had to get a small ride in. I didn't have much time but I still got to visit some stunning roads and perfect my new countersteer techniques. Long life the internet!

Enjoy the pictures!

Small ride on the Vespa Sprint 50 by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

Small ride on the Vespa Sprint 50 by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

Small ride on the Vespa Sprint 50 by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

[Tom Westendorp]

Yes! Friday night, the weekend is here. What better way to start the weekend than riding around in the rain?

Tonight I got another hour or so for a ride and decided I would visit the little town of Ahaus. Again a small German Town just across the border from Holland. It was a little bit bigger ride then the last ride to Ochtrup but I had a bit more time so it wasn't a problem

It's just mesmerizing to think that only after ten minutes you're completely outside of the world you know as your own and are already expolring and seeing new things.

After twenty five minutes of riding I got to Ahaus and decided to check out the city center. I've driven my car maybe a thousand times threw Ahaus but never visited the city center. Hell! I didn't even know they had such fine architecture.

Vespa Sprint 50 to Ahaus by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

Vespa Sprint 50 to Ahaus by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

Vespa Sprint 50 to Ahaus by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

After checking out the premises it was time to get some gas again. I already knew I wanted to fill up my Vespa with the Aral Competition 102. A premium gas with 102 octane. I have to say it seems to run just a little bit better but it doesn't make the big differences some people are claiming to experience with a 50cc engine.

But first some more riding in the rain.
Vespa Sprint 50 to Ahaus by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

Goodbye beatifull castle.
Vespa Sprint 50 to Ahaus by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

There it is. The good stuff!
Vespa Sprint 50 to Ahaus by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

But wait a minute. That colour.... It matches my scooter perfectly!
Vespa Sprint 50 to Ahaus by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

Lol! It looked like they where made for eaht other.
Now let's head home! It's getting dark and it's cold. I didn't feel like exploring more towns and decided I would take the same way home to get there as quickly as possible.

Still had to stop to take a picture of this awesome renewable energy pig farm.

Vespa Sprint 50 to Ahaus by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

Thanks for reading!

[Tom Westendorp]

Yesterday (Sunday) it was time for another ride. But first: MotoGP, what an amazing race it was. I really enjoyed it although my hero didn't deliver yesterday. While I was watching the race I was contemplating a name for my Vespa. When suddenly all the pieces of the puzzle fell in to place. Here I was watching my hero on his cool blue bike, see the resemblance there? But Valentino isn't an appropriate name for a bike because we all know they are female. Valentino.... wait a minute! I just call her Valentina from now on. Eureka!

With the name for my bike out of the way, it was time to fill up the tank of my Sprint again so off to the petrol station we went. Valentina really enjoyed the 102 competition I put in her so I decided it was time for some more of the good stuff. Luckily we have a Aral in the adjacent town of Gronau. Sadly they didn't have 102 but only 98 octane petrol. It just has to do. Next time we go to Shell.

Vespa Sprint 50 by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

I went back home and that was that. No more riding today. Except, last night I still needed a little adventure. So off I went. I took a couple of wrong turns and ended up in the woods.

Vespa Sprint 50 by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

Hmm not ideal, especially since I had washed her just hours before. Well onwards and upwards! Let's take some more photos.

Vespa Sprint 50 by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

Vespa Sprint 50 by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

Vespa Sprint 50 by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

Time to go home. But first I had to drive some more because my odometer was telling me I almost rode 800 kilometers on the Vespa in just over one week. I just had to click over the 800-kilometer mark.

thus concludes another great weekend on the bike!

Now it's time to get ready for work and use her for daily driver duties. I start to love the thing a bit more every day.

[Tom Westendorp]

Trip to Munster by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

Well, last Sunday it was time for my first proper ride. I had set my sights on Munster in Germany since the day I decided I would buy a bike. The funny thing is I wasn't sure how to get there and that meant I had to drive through little villages I had never been before. Because I got the whole afternoon I could take my time and there was no need to rush it.

When I drove off I passed Gronau - Ochtrup and after that Steinfurt, but that was the farthest I had been up to that point and I wasn't sure what road to follow. After some driving in the wrong direction and almost getting lost completely I found the correct road.

But first I had to get some water in Steinfurt:
Trip to Munster by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

After that it was off to the quiet little sleepy town of Altenberge and boy did it not disappoint! I'm a huge petrolhead and get weak at the knees if I see some proper cars and the Nissan dealer had some really good stock. It is not very common to see a Nissan GT-R where I live but to see this many all packed in one parking lot and showroom was truly a discovery. It was awesome and upon riding past I knew I had to return to take a proper look at the cars.

Trip to Munster by Tom westendorp, on Flickr
Vespa making friends

Trip to Munster by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

After that, I was off to the next small town before I would arrive in Munster. It was Nienberge and where Altenberge had a nice surprise in the form of the GT-R collection Nienberge would completely blow my socks off. You see, when I was growing up my grandfather always had BMW's and always had them serviced at the same dealership. On a good day, I visited the dealership alone after my grandfather had passed and I talked to the owner who would show me his new toy. The Wiesmann MF3 Roadster. It has the engine from a BMW E46 M3 and all the BMW underpinnings so you can get it serviced at every BMW dealership and not worry about some fancy or delicate exotic electronics. I adored the brand and when they came out with the MF5 I almost lost it. The MF5 had the engine of the E60 M5 and sounded like nothing else I've ever heard. Wiesmann really holds a special place in my heart and I thought it was really sad when they went bankrupt.

Imagine my surprise to stumble upon the company that almost bought everything after the bankruptcy was declared. For a small second, I was in heaven.

Trip to Munster by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

Trip to Munster by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

Some cool vintage cars in stock as well!
Trip to Munster by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

Trip to Munster by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

Trip to Munster by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

Trip to Munster by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

But at some point, I had to go. Sadly leaving the Wiesmann's behind. It was now less than 10 kilometers to Munster and I knew where I wanted to take a picture.

The "Schloss"

Trip to Munster by Tom westendorp, on Flickr

What a majestic building. But as it was now way past four o'clock and I had a long way to get home it was time to push it. I made no pictures on the way back as I was determined to "race" home (LOL) in the fastest possible manner. I am proud to say that 1 hour and 20 minutes later I was at home not taking a single wrong turn. What a great afternoon!

[blastaway]

Kewl!
Ik heb precies dezelfde als daily driver naar mijn werk!