About

Here's a little about me, my scooter history, and how we got here.

I've been a two-wheel-only guy since November, 2006. Two days after the U.S. midterm elections in 2006, on a very pleasant November day in Nashville, I was walking around my neighborhood when I happened upon a yard sale. In the yard sale was a cheap-ass Chinese scooter -- a Ymoto Vortec 150. I bought it, and it just so happens it was a complete  piece of crap. What did I know about scooters, back then?  Not a damned thang. I had no business buying this piece of crap, I will admit. When it broke down for the 29th time in February, 2007, I left it where it was, and it was stolen, overnight. A blessing in disguise.

A complete piece of Chinese crap. Please do not consider riding one of these. Ever. In fact, if you're EVER considering a scooter whose brand name you have never heard of, talk to me first, please.

So, at the time, I had just secured employment after a long dry spell. I was working at Vanderbilt University's Peabody College. A friend of mine, Barbara Jean, or "BJ," as she prefers, was also working at Vanderbilt, and carried me to and from work for months so that I could save up the cash to buy another scooter.

This next scooter was a 2004 Yamaha Vino 50 -- a 2-stroke, 50cc scooter that was pretty slow, but still faster than the city buses.  :)  I paid $1000 cash for it, and sold it a couple of years later with a LOT of miles put on it for exactly $1000.

She was a good bike. Slow, nearly stolen one night, but never a hiccup.

A few months later in June, 2007 (the Vandy gig paid pretty well), I had saved up a little more, and decided to look for something that was a little  faster than the Vino. What I found was a 2007 Kymco Agility 125, and I bought it new from East Side Scooters (my first NEW scooter!), which was the start of several beautiful friendships that endure to this day. I am incredibly blessed to know the entire ESS crew, and especially James and Josephine Duer.

The two silver belles. I liked having a backup.

The next scooter in my life was a 2007 Kymco People 250, initially named Big Red Ugly, 'cause I thought that radiator grille looked like a 1950s electric space heater. That name soon changed to Bad Penny, due to its penchant to blow head gaskets about every 14 months, on average. If not for James and Josephine Duer, Bad Penny would have been in the scooter boneyard long  ago. I'd still be riding her now, if not for the fact that the Rutherford County Sheriff's Department decided I needed to have it stolen from me* for not calling them to let them know I had another blown head gasket. So, a word of advice to all two-wheel riders: If you plan to ride through Rutherford County, Tennessee, be sure to store 615-898-7770 in your cell phone, call them BEFORE walking away from your bike for ANY reason, and pray for signal... forearmed is forewarned.

Bad Penny. You're part of the reason I decided "No more Kymco."

So, here we are, all Honda'd up!  Again, BJ (mentioned above) played a pivotal role in my keeping yet another  job, this time by financing this incredible PCX, and I will not let her down. I have a good many friends in this life that I surely do not deserve (and a few that I probably do).

I don't have a photo of BJ with the PCX, but I will remedy that. Here is Ivy, holding a pygmy goat named Buster... on the PCX. Obviously. Ivy also rewls, btw.

At last!  My awesome pal BJ, Wanda and Jeffraham, all in the same frame! Photo by her equally-awesome husband (and seasoned financial professional... who also rides a Honda -- a Gold Wing!), Leland. Thank you, my friends!

Texas Sideshow

I was temporarily in Texas. Not a happy time. But I did scrape up enough to get a 2002 Honda Reflex 250 that I dubbed "Goldie Hawnda." She was an able beast, but heavy and not very nimble. Good for the big roads that go for a long way in Texas.

Then, Ohio

And now in 2018, the Rocinante, a 2013 Honda PCX150. Very similar to Wanda, the 2011 Honda PCX125, but with no weakness to the oil pan where the centerstand mount fits, and with the ESP reduced-friction engine.

Why Scooters?

Dang, you have to ASK?!  They're loads  more fun than motorcycles, especially for local riding. No shifting of gears, they're light and nimble... and they feature storage space beyond a document carrier.

I have a story I like to tell to the Harley riders when they ask when I'm gonna get a hog. I say, "Well, I went into [local Harley dealer] last year, and decided to finance a [Harley model, typically theirs]. I filled out the credit app, waited patiently for two hours making smalltalk with the beautiful, young "accessories women" (which all Harley dealers have, btw), and finally, the salesperson approached with a serious look. 'We're sorry, Mr. Prestonian. Your credit is fine, but HDUSA has determined that your penis is too big  to finance a Harley-Davidson.'" Believe it or not, the most negative reaction to that mostly-fictitious story has been a gruff grunt and a curse word or two, with a walk-away... but it has  gotten me more than a couple of free beers.  :)

Seriously, every scooter rider has their own reasons for riding a scooter. I respect all of them, but I like the idea of getting where I need to go without paying Big Oil and Big Insurance an arm and a leg to get there. Scooters are awesome in this regard. If I get in a hurry and need to travel a long distance, or need to carry a lot of stuff at once, there are plenty of places to rent a car or truck. Also, I've recently started working for a company that has "environmental services" in its name. Seeing how serious they  are about safeguarding our natural resources makes me proud to be doing the best I can to do the same in my personal life. I'm trying to be the change I want to see.

So... hang on tight, fasten the chinstrap, and let's go for a ride!

* UPDATE, 8/1/2012: I have a friend who is an attorney, and he and I discussed this situation back in late June/early July. He said he'd happily look into the case law, and draft a letter to the county attorney, explaining the circumstances, detailing why we thought the sheriff's department erred in having Bad Penny towed, and what courses of action I, as his client, had available to me. It took a while (obviously!), but as of today, it seems the county attorney agrees, and Bad Penny is mine, again. How crazy is THAT?
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