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flatgrind rides
Registrace 2. 05. 2021
Tail of the Dragon - Full Run on Vespa
I've had a couple requests to post video of the full run I did on the Tail of the Dragon early in the morning with no traffic, so here it is. This was my first time to ride the Dragon.
This video is the full run with no edits
(other than a few still photos inserted).
Hope you enjoy it!
Bike is a Vespa GTS300 HPE
This video is the full run with no edits
(other than a few still photos inserted).
Hope you enjoy it!
Bike is a Vespa GTS300 HPE
zhlédnutí: 2 600
Video
Tail of the Dragon - on a Vespa?!
zhlédnutí 37KPřed 2 měsíci
The Tail of the Dragon is a mountain road on the border of Tennessee and North Carolina with 318 curves in 11 miles. One of the most popular roads in the USA for motorcyclists and sports car enthusiasts, it is also billed as one of the most dangerous. Join me as I ride my Vespa GTS 300 on the Tail of the Dragon. 0:00 Intro 4:56 Early morning run with no traffic 5:17 Deal's Gap 6:18 South to Nor...
Happy T-Dub New Year!
zhlédnutí 597Před 6 měsíci
Wishing you all a happy 2024! Took the TW200 out for a New Year's Eve ride after a suspension upgrade. Suspension upgrade included a Bradley Performance HD rear shock, 3/4" fork spacers for added preload, and increase in the fork oil level from 145mm (stock) to 130mm. Ride is in NE Oklahoma. Cherokee County, not far from the Arkansas border.
Indian Summer - A Vespa Ride on a Warm Winter Day
zhlédnutí 1,2KPřed 6 měsíci
A motovlog style Vespa ride and chat. Bike is a 2022 Vespa GTS300 HPE. #scooter #motorcycle #vespa #colorado
Death by Sand - New Mexico Day 4
zhlédnutí 526Před 7 měsíci
Chapters 02:15 Into the sand 03:15 First drop 05:25 Second drop 11:21 Lay it over and drag 15:36 Strategizing to get out Solo ride on part of the New Mexico Backcountry Discovery Route (BDR). Bike is a 2012 Yamaha Super Tenere 1200. First week of November, 2023. I'm riding North to South. Didn't have time to put on dirt tires before the trip, so I modify the route to skip the sandier sections a...
New Mexico Trip - Day Three
zhlédnutí 765Před 7 měsíci
Solo ride on part of the New Mexico Backcountry Discovery Route (BDR). Bike is a 2012 Yamaha Super Tenere 1200. First week of November, 2023. I'm riding North to South. First video in a series. Didn't have time to put on dirt tires before the trip, so I modify the route to skip the sandier sections and to fit my schedule. I'm planning a second trip to complete the full BDR. ridebdr.com/nmbdr/ #...
Lost in the Desert & Chaco Canyon - NM Day Two
zhlédnutí 382Před 7 měsíci
Side trip from the New Mexico Backcountry Discovery Route (BDR). Bike is a 2102 Yamaha Super Tenere 1200. Filmed in the first week of November, 2023. Didn't have time to do a tire swap before I started the trip, so I am running Continental Trail Attack 3 tires, which is why I am nervous in the sand. They are OK on hardpack, rocky hardpack, and light gravel. They get squirrely on anything soft a...
New Mexico BDR Trip - Day One
zhlédnutí 1,6KPřed 7 měsíci
Solo ride on part of the New Mexico Backcountry Discovery Route (BDR). Bike is a 2012 Yamaha Super Tenere 1200. First week of November, 2023. I'm riding North to South, so this is Section 8. First video in a series. Didn't have time to put on dirt tires before the trip, so I modify the route to skip the sandier sections and to fit my schedule. I'm planning a second trip to complete the full BDR...
100 Seconds of the Wyoming BDR
zhlédnutí 382Před 8 měsíci
Last year I snuck away for a couple days solo on the Wyoming BDR. Here's 100 seconds of that trip! Motorcycle is a 2012 Yamaha Super Tenere 1200. For more information about the Wyoming Backcountry Discovery Route (BDR) visit www.rideBDR.com. @RideBDR
Dammit Joe, Get a Vespa!
zhlédnutí 3,1KPřed 9 měsíci
Responding to a viewer's comment. Joe, we're looking forward to seeing your new Vespa!
Vespa Campout II
zhlédnutí 8KPřed 9 měsíci
My second time taking the Vespa GTS moto-camping. I opt for a S24O (sub-24 hour overnighter) minimalist campout, with all of my camping gear stashed under the seat, and one shopping bag of extra goodies. The campground is Ansel Watrous Campground on Colorado 14 and the Cache la Poudre river, in the Arapaho National Forest area, 30 miles from Fort Collins.
Vespa on Highest Road in North America
zhlédnutí 26KPřed 11 měsíci
Vespa on Highest Road in North America
First Ride of Spring (Vespa chases Harley Davidson)
zhlédnutí 2,2KPřed rokem
First Ride of Spring (Vespa chases Harley Davidson)
Vespa Oil Change & First Service (GTS 300 HPE)
zhlédnutí 46KPřed rokem
Vespa Oil Change & First Service (GTS 300 HPE)
scenery looks just like Pike's peak but with a more beat up road
you dont use windshield? lol
Nope. Prefer it without.
I went thru that route 2020 coming back from Yellowstone<almost ran out of gas
😂 Not a great place to run out of gas. Actually, on second thought, maybe not too bad. Lots of fellow travelers who might be willing to help a guy out. 😉
I am a scooter rider in the UK and really enjoyed your video and commentary. A great road to ride on. In the UK there are so many bends which are great fun to ride on.
Thank you!
Seems like early morning is the best time to ride. Makes me wonder if the other riders are … ah, sleeping in from the previous Saturday ‘night’ activities? Yeah, pretty odd with the VW observation. Great looking ride.
Yep. Sometimes the early morning rides are the best. 👍
@@flatgrindrides I find the morning hours are those times in the day where you have more quiet and solitude.
@@ScooterwolfsMotovlog Agreed. Sunrises are pretty too.
@@flatgrindrides very much. I’d worry about deer, but some times it’s worth the risk.
Myself and some friends were just at the Back of the Dragon in Virginia, in mid-June. We opted not to do the Tail ride as it was a bit farther for some of us (me, coming from New Jersey), and the potential of high traffic congestion (being the middle of June) on the road. How was the ride safety while on the Tail? Great twisty footage on your South to North run. When I was on the Back of the Dragon, some riders noted that I sometimes took turns without my brake lights on, (my engine compression was lowering my speed as I picked my lines), while they talked about trail-braking. Without a clutch the skill doesn’t seem to translate to bikes with CVT drives. Did you have a way for taking the turns? Wow, no small share of morons and idiots on the road when they overtook those in front of them. Great pics at the end. Thanks for posting.
Thanks! My Super Tenere has pretty heavy engine breaking when you come off the throttle, so sometimes I will grab a little brake just so my brake lights are on for the driver behind me. With the Vespa on the Tail I wasn’t doing anything special, just trying to be smooth and occasionally trail braking or using some front brake to keep weight on the front end. The Vespa is so light I find that it is much more forgiving in terms of technique. Hope you had a good trip!
@@flatgrindrides thanks. I’m just starting to edit my footage. Sounds like we do the same thing. My bike is a maxi-scooter so I generally use both brakes to reduce speed, but I know what you mean by signaling the rider/driver behind you that you’re slowing down.
Leaving beautiful Colorado? Sorry to see you go! At least now I’ll be the only orange Vespa in NOCO! Safe travels!
Yes, I must move on for now. Kind of bittersweet. I really liked it there. Perhaps I’ll be back one day. For now, a new adventure in Texas. I’ll still be doing Vespa rides in Colorado vicariously through your videos😉💪
@@flatgrindrides I’ll have to get up and around Horsetooth for you! Enjoy Texas! 👍🏻
Be safe and have a good move 😉
The tuff Harley guys dont need helmets. 😂
As a sidenote, I would not recommend loading a motorcycle into a truck like this. It’s a dangerous way to do it. Originally, I had a motorcycle trailer rented, but U-Haul canceled my reservation the night before (twice over the past two weeks!!!). Anyway, do as I say, not as I do. 😂
Hi friends. I’m moving. No videos for a while. The GoPro is lost, packed away in some box and the Vespa is in storage for the moment. Have a good summer. I’ll see you on the other side.😉
I was just on this pass a few days ago with my car. They renamed it to mount Blue Sky now.
the trip was great. the motorbike is so cute. me everything in your video
Thanks for your well done video and thorough mind-set. Much appreciated.
Hey Flatgrind! Great to see you back on the Vespa. Been missing your scooter content. You inspired me to pick up my 2023 GTS 300 and I’ve been loving every second of it. Just did my 1000km service and used your video as a reference. Keep scooting my friend!
Thanks! Glad to hear it! Wishing you lots of fun and many safe miles. 👍
My 2006 GT 200, wabbles a lot. Dangerous or not, it's super annoying. no issues with others I've had
Planning to get a Vespa. Hopefully this year. I love this kind of videos. Very relaxing. No crappyy background music. New subscriber! Ride safe always.
Simply great! Greetings from Germany.
Thanks!
Beautiful scenery and a beautiful scooter 🛵 🤗 Thank you for the ride along. 😎👍
Your riding mindset is spot on, you nailed it with the comment "I’m going to remove myself from this situation" 👍🏻👍🏻
If you want to mount your phone, I use quadlock universal mounts on both of my scooters. It just mounts with VHB tape. The setup's not cheap initially but very worth it if you have some crazy setup, especially with scooters that have no where to mount stuff. On this one, it might actually look good right above the speedo before the headlight is almost a TFT display.
There is no way I'd be riding like you....without a Garmin! I clearly need to learn how to live on the edge a little more!
😂 I didn’t really have a route mapped or identified. That was more of a “ it’s over there and this road seems to go in that direction” kind of adventure. 😉
@@flatgrindrides that's the best kind of adventure!!!
Great video.....and new Subscriber! I've ridden half of Section 7, from Cuba to Abiquiu.....and I'm doing that same portion again on Sunday....but still haven't done the last half from Abiquiu to the Colorado state line!! Will have to do that soon!!!
Thanks! Have fun. Beautiful state.
I saw you were going through boulder
tittle : 1. GTS day & night 2. vespa through time
Perhaps you have answered this before but I wonder what horsepower loss you appreciated that high-altitude? One reason you'd certainly never to ride a 150cc Vespa to the end of that road
I have no idea how to quantify it. I live at about 5000 feet and the difference was noticeable, but it’s hard for me to estimate it as a percentage or as a measure of actual horsepower. The bike was noticeably less powerful, but not to the point of being an issue.
@@flatgrindrides That is a perfect reply and I really appreciate it. I'm glad that it didn't make the bike unrideable that that altitude
I just did this ride on my GTS 300! Was super fun. I'm a new rider & have stuck to typical flat roads to date around Denver before this ride. Now I'm hooked!
Hard to beat the beautiful twisties up in the hills. Especially when there’s not much traffic.
Wow! Awesome stuff.
Do you use counter steering?
Yes
Lucky, if that's rush hour
What riding gear are you wearing? I like it..particularly the pants. That stuff is crazy expensive
Yup. They are crazy expensive. I’m wearing Klim Baja S4 jacket and pants. I had a hard time finding jackets that fit me and ended up with these. I’ve been pretty happy with them. They’ve held up well with a few years of use.
The burgman 200 is sufficient and very cheap used. The 400 is a great improvement and cheap used. The 650 is just a slow motor cycle. Twist and go is just better. Do we shame people for having automatic transmissions? The whole clutch thing and the front brake lever and all the thinking and shifting, no thanks.
Beautiful campsite! Great video!
Great video! So I just ordered an action camera and was wondering how you connected your audio? Is it a wired or bluetooth connection? Thanks!
👍 wired: czcams.com/video/p3JW9ecJ13c/video.htmlsi=2_9NyX2Hta3LSIfu
@@flatgrindrides Ahhh... perfect, thanks!
Nice video, encouraging! I just turned 82 years of age and I bought a 2023 Vespa 300 GTS Super (red) a few weeks ago. Having fun! Seven years ago I sold my Burgman 650 Executive (blue), which I rode for about 12 years. Loved that bike/scooter but it was too heavy for me to handle safely. I put about 56000 kms on it . When I was younger I rode a 650 AJS (British bike) for a few years. I don't think age should be a barrier as long a s a little common sense is used. We only go around this life once. Why not enjoy it? Always loved Vespas from afar, and my wife's recent trip to Italy was a trigger. I finally got one!
Thank you. I hope you enjoy it and find it easy to handle. I’m guessing you will!
I ride a SYM 300 scooter and the only thing I find is the lack of exhaust note that you get with a motorcycle. Mine sounds more like a 125 but it's just a practical machine.
Nice campsite - pity about the weather but nice video anyway
Thank you
Joe, I have over 400,000 miles on two weeks. In my late 60s, I am now down to the 150 Vespa Primavera, an HD Electriglide. The difference is mostly the same between any large bike and a small one, handling. The feeling of pushing it with lower speeds. When it's 100 degrees outside, the HD motor bakes your nuggets. The Vespa doesn't. My last year of working, I got the Vespa winter rider cover, and as long as it was 20 degrees, a ride across town was comfortable. I leisurely toured on the Vespa last summer and took the HD when I needed to move on the interstate. There is more maintenance with the Vespa because of drive setup, but much like the HD, the dealers love to see them roll in. Full service routine maintenance for the Vespa (Including valve adjustment) is $180 while HD runs $375 locally. I do it myself, different but not any more difficult. When I wear this HD out, I will probably get a 300 for the only ride. As far as what other people think, it ends in ....... 'em if they can't take a joke.
I ridden the Tail of the Dragon. I prefer many of the backroads around the Lake of the Ozarks....the wonders of marketing.
😂👍
75 km ore mill?
Mph. (I’m riding at 5,000ft (1,525m) elevation)
300cc ? 150??
300
A small vespa chasing the sports cars... this looks so silly. Looks in back mirror: "WHHHAT THEEEE....?" 😂😂😂
Did this on my harley ultra. Now i wanna do it on my 300 gts
It’s fun. 👍
What book are you reading
mitpressbookstore.mit.edu/book/9780812968255 The Gregory Hayes translation of Meditations.
Thank you
Great video as always Sir. Greetings from Poland
Thank you very much!
Have a 2017 GTV300(Sei Giorni) with Akrapovic exhaust, Bitubo suspension and Pirelli Diablo Rosso tyres and love ripping through twisties like that. Awesome ride.
I rode Harleys from my 20-s into my 60's. Now all I have is a Vespa (300 GTS) and I am still enjoying the road. Its all about being on two wheels and enjoying the outdoors.
👍
Bro do you live in a heaven?❤❤❤
Yeah, pretty close. 😉
That's my home town 😊 that's horsetooth reservoir in Ft Collins co
After owning several big sports bikes I now ride a Honda ADV 350,I know it’s not a Vespa but it’s still a scooter and it’s so much fun to ride,it’s all the bike I need and cheap to run