Inspiration - it's where you find it

Two Hounds and a Sidecar

Before getting to inspiration, let’s first talk about motivation. The motivation fueling the Vespa/Cozy build was to have a dinghy vehicle for our toy hauler. Driving the tow vehicle (F-350 Crew Cab 4x4 diesel) around small beach towns, or just about anywhere off an interstate highway, was too much effort. So I researched several different possibilities, finally settling on the sidecar outfit. Considering that I had only tried piloting a sidecar rig once before (BMW/Steib outfit) – almost 40 years before – narrowly escaping disaster with a telephone pole, this was somewhat of a strange choice. But, I was committed and spent 6 months researching the attachment of a sidecar to a modern Vespa scooter, finding the scooter, ordering the sidecar, and building the scooter-side mounts. You can follow the build under the -sidecars menu link.

Once underway in the new rig, both my wife and I really enjoyed the ride. We rode it around town to restaurants and stores, on the North Carolina Outer Banks and other NC beaches, in the Appalachian Mountains and on the Blue Ridge Parkway. We especially liked taking ferry rides in it, but we needed a little more horsepower than the tiny 200cc four-stroke motor could muster going down the road. So, I traded my Ducati 999 Superbike for a Burgman 650 scooter (I’m sure psychiatrists would enjoy that analysis) and ordered the Kenna Single. Before the Kenna arrived, I started dreaming bigger about possible trips. Doing so lead me on a search for motorcycle adventure stories, and I found Hubert Kriegel’s website, thetimelessride.com

Now, I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting Hubert (U-Bear), but from his gentle, congenial style and the casual flow of his website, I’m positive that I would really enjoy meeting him. Finding his website changed my life; or, at least my attitude towards life. Of course, I’d known about adventure riders, round the world trekkers (One Man Caravan) and such, but there is something different about Hubert. He’s, well, normal! Not a grizzly outdoorsman. Not an adrenaline junky. Just a regular guy who loves to experience life and all that mother Earth and her children have to offer. . . on a sidecar. And, his story detailing how he arrived at his current station in life is priceless. Plus, I am now exactly the age that he was when he began his journeys, which provided a common kinship.

Anyway, I’ll never come close to the adventures Hubert has enjoyed. Compared to his, mine will always be nothing more than tiny-ventures! But thanks to Hubert’s inspiration, I do hope to ride the Burgman/Kenna with my wife and our two Dachshund children the 1000+ miles to Key West, and then ultimately build a Moto Guzzi Stelvio/Hannigan Dual Sport rig to take some trips into eastern Canada and Nova Scotia, along with a trek around the USA. Stay tuned!