When you injure yourself such as breaking a bone or two, the healing process may be long but you’re almost guaranteed to be as good as before. But my healing process has been quite different since they actually removed three major bones for my wrist that results in the restructuring of a complex joint into a simple hinge. Additionally, I have had some difficulties with my fingers and thumb because of an overly tight cast and also perhaps my body’s reaction to the surgery.

When you can’t use your fingers or bend your wrist and you are in constant pain it somehow reduces your hope or vision of the recovery process and the end result. Especially since this happened at the beginning of a beautiful summer when my wife just purchased the Vespa and our plan was to ride together.

Not being able to ride combined with the Vespa 300 having a seat height about 2 inches higher than it should be for my wife, started us to thinking that perhaps Vespa’s were not for us. So we started considering other options such as selling these bikes and getting a Honda Forza 300 for my wife and perhaps later on for me if I can ride. The Honda Forza has a 28 inch seat height. It also boasts many modern technologies such as ABS brakes, keyless ignition, better suspension and a top speed of 90 mph. So we sort of convinced ourselves that riding two Honda Forza 300s would be cool and far better on the highway while providing more stability for my wife when parking the bike.

However, after spending all day and sixty dollars in posting fees, I had posted the two bikes for sale on many different sites including modern Vespa, used Ottawa, Kijiji, my blog, Facebook and more.

Last night I removed the covers on the bikes and I was going to start to clean them up in case anybody called and wanted to take a look at them. After I uncovered them I just stared at the two Vespa’s as in the video below:

 

As I stared at the two Vespa’s that I’ve collected, performed all the maintenance and put in better than new condition, I suddenly realize that my wife and I never really got to ride together as we had planned. I sat on the GTV 300 and started it up. She sprung to life, all my LEDs lit up and she purred like a kitten. I then suddenly realize that I was revving the gas and I was able to reach over with my fingers and pull on the brakes. In fact, because the GTV 300 has a much larger diameter throttle (large like a Honda Gold Wing) I was able to throttle it to maximum even though my wrist had only 10 to 15% movement. I do not think I could have done this last week. so improvement after my surgery is coming ever so slowly.

I stared at my brown espresso GTV with all the beautiful chrome that I have added including the custom WASP on the front and realize that I am this bike and this bike is me! I couldn’t see myself on a bright shiny red Honda since it would just be another Honda pulling into a roadside pit stop parking in between all the other motorcycles. I know the old saying is that “you meet the nicest people on a Honda” but I have always found that I meet far more people with my espresso brown Vespa since they all come to me with their questions about what type of bike this is, where is it made, how fast does it go and so on.

So this morning it took me only fifteen minutes to erase all of those advertisements, posts and other entries putting those bikes for sale. I then ordered two chrome cramp busters for my GTV and one for my wife’s GTS 300. We’ve decided to get the scratches on the GTS 300 painted next week and order a front LED kits for the turn signals so that she has running lights in the front as well. I will also order the LED kit for the top box on my GTV from ScooterWest. The last parts will be from England where I will order the handlebar covers for the GTS 300 sport because there is a small crack in the ones we have.

My next appointment with the doctor is at the end of August at which point I am hoping I will be able to get the go-ahead to ride. After last night I feel that I could take the bike around the block and I may even try that today.

Why did we make this decision? I guess the better question is why did we make the decision to go towards the Forza in the first place? One of the major factors was the seat height for my wife and the ease at cruising at highway speeds on interstates. We then began to think about the reason we wanted the Vespa’s in the first place was to cruise along windy country roads and not interstates in the first place. Chantal can learn to handle the Vespa at slow speeds and parking with a bit more practice. We’ve also come to realize that we can have the seat modified and lowered by removing the plastic cover that holds the seat cover and some of the padding. Apparently this will lower the seat by 3 inches.

Finally I would like to thank many of the people who have sent me direct emails or have made entries on my blog expressing their disappointment that I may not be riding a Vespa anymore and expressing how much they had enjoyed reading my blog. I am happy to say that with all the things that I’ve ordered today, I should have some more blog entries in the very near future. Hopefully, one will include my first ride after surgery…