Looks like fall weather looking out of the french windows onto Bryant street at eight o'clock in the morning. My Dainese motorcycle jacket is made of a perforated leather for hot summer days. But I want to ride. So it will have to do. The fall weather was an illusion. The sun is up on the Embarcadero shinig brightly on pedestrians heading downtown. Commuters are spilling out of the Caltrain terminus. The twin cylinders of the Guzzi throb rhythmically with a restrained cadence at the stop lights. Once on the freeway the traffic moves at a steady 75 mph. Robo-Commuters drinking coffee, talking on cell phones, listening to angry talk show hosts. The engine sounds soothing and musical. Palo Alto arrives without a fuss. No bikes in the parking lot today. Two dollars extra for the steak with mango salad. It must be about 80 degrees in the parking lot. A quick ride south on the interstate brings me to the foothills of the Santa Cruz mountains. I ride past downtown Saratoga in second gear. Once out on highway nine the Guzzi settles into a third gear rhythm... linked rear brake into the turn, lean, point at the exit and roll on the throttle. Follow a Mercedes S550 with a bald guy in it. Beyond Skyline there is no traffic. Fourth gear in the wider turns , slipping back into third when the road tightens....It is warm and sunny. The Santa Cruz mountains are a dramatic back drop. Past the turn off to Big Basin the road tightens up further. Past the 15 mph hairpin, and soon we are on the approaches to Boulder Creek. From here on past Brookdale, Ben Lomond and finally to Felton it is a 25 mph ride. Very pleasant though...Even in these mountain towns so near silly valley, the air feels different, the people more relaxed, the pace a little easier. Well perhaps the grass is just greener... Stop at a coffee shop next to the chinese reatsaurant named ChopStyx in Felton. Iced Americano and a raisin scone. Looking around while waiting I see hats, used compact discs and books. Sadly all the books are new age self improvement books...Thank you very much...Outside on the side walk the coffee tastes ambrosial. A car pulls up and a young man and two young women get out and walk into the coffee shop The young man's T-Shirt says "Get Stoned". The women are wearing some kind of cotton shifts. The ride back to Saratoga is just as enjoyable...Pull in at the Starbucks, get an iced Americano and sit outside in the sun shine. An Aston-Martin V8 Vantage pulls in and a bald guy gets out. I like Aston-Martins....

Update on Kushitani riding pants

I have been regularly wearing the kushitani leather jeans on my commute to work...Easily the best riding gear investment i have made...The protection of leather and the looks of denim...people simply cannot tell you are wearing leather pants...Highly recommended....

Becoming a scooterist: Part III: Shoes

Shoes are even harder than riding pants. For quick runs to the store i wear tennis shoes...i know, i know...
For the 20 mile free way commute I use Timberland ankle length boots

For longer rides I use frey daytona roadstar boots, very very expensive but the most comfortable protective boots i could find...and i tried riding boots at almost motor riding gear shop in the bay area. I got the daytonas at helimot in San Jose...

Becoming a scooterist: Part II

ATGATT! All the gear all the time...Very sound advice, but a little hard to follow consistently...
Helmets are of course mandatory in California. I chose a full face helmet...I would like protect my jaw as well as my cranium...Try out helmets for comfort and fit at a shop...I went to Road Rider in San Jose..Settled on a Shoei RF 1000 in white

Now for the jacket...Corrazo (corrazo web site) is very popular with scooterists...Another popular brand is Rev-it. I wanted leather though and an italian make for an italian scooter + italian clothing , even safety clothing is sexier than any other kind . I bought a new dianese (dainese web site) perforated leather jacket with a goretex liner from ebay and am quite happy with it. Perhaps a little too much for short trips to the store for example...
Riding pants is where ATGATT breaks down for me..I wear regular jeans...but on longer rides feel vulnerable. Much searching later I found Kushitani country jeans...Leather jeans which Kushitani claims look and feel like ordinary jeans...I called them and asked for swatches to be sent to make sure. They are expensive at $400 a pair...(kushitani web site)

Becoming a scooterist

Global warming, $4 gas, a performance car (fun but a little guilt inducing), and a secret wish to be cool-:) were the motivators...

OK, which one to buy?

The coolest ones are Vespas....seductive, rolling art...the Vespa GTS i.e. in dragon red or shiny black ..tasty...but one must be rational...
Requirements: 15 mile highway commute on 280, reasonable storage capacity, > 60 mpg. The vespa does all of this well...the one issue is the wheel size, 12 inch wheels means being very sensitive to freeway rain grooves and that nasty wobbly feeling....but i could just look at a vespa and feel happy....but alas, it was not to be...at Scuderia in sf i spotted a left over 2006 scarabeo 500, 16 inch wheels, top and side cases, 120 mph top speed , 55 mpg for $5200 (the vespa was 6k without the extras and almost 7k with luggage and windshield)...so parsimony won...I got the scarabeo...

The medication and exercise regime over the past three months has done nothing for my cholesterol, hdl and ldl...need to also go on a serious diet..sigh..

Road the carrea to work on skyline to get over the mood brought on by the test results....

Cin-Cin

Dinner at cin-cin in los gatos with Dushyant. Friendly service, good wine, good food...priced ok for the area...highly recommended...

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