The Little Vespa That Almost Could - Vol 2. - Issue 3

SLOW 003 A KI DS & COBRAS MAGA Z I N E

RI DE FAST DRI N K SLOW COFFEE & GOODS FOR BACKROAD PEOPLE

KIDSandCOBRAS.com @kidsandcobras

Volume 0 0 2

CHASING

THE RIDE

Adventure is the name of the game.

Go find your secret retreat.

Friendly tip: If you primarily ride solo you may not be aware that you need “guest passenger” insurance to cover a friend when riding 2-up. If you don’t have it, never agree to giving someone else a ride on your bike. Not for a minute. Not ever. Give us a call for more details about properly protecting a riding companion.

As well, check your insurance now and make sure you have uninsured/underinsured coverage on your bike. We don’t sell it – but we will help you make sure you have the right coverage. We want to help all riders be safer on the road.

In this case, safety means getting the right insurance so if an accident happens – you’re not left in the dust.

If the worst happens on the road, call Rider Justice. @MotorcycleRiderJustice Motorcycle Lawyers Standing up for Bikers

Call or text: 303-388-5304 RiderJustice.com

VOLU M E 0 02

IS S U E 0 03

Collecting Stories about People who love motorcycles & Coffee.

Slow Mag is our unique way of inviting you to slow down and enjoy that brew. With a heavy emphasis on photography, each issue captures the sexuality, danger, rebellion, freedom, and adventure that motorcycles bring to our lives.

So pause.

Sip some coffee.

Photographers: Scott Bradley Kids & Cobras Go Fast Don’t Die

COntributors: @gofastdontdie @motorcycleriderjustice @kidsandcobras @samwake_ @brockjunak @maggie_gulasey @scottbraapleyphoto @samuelatullis @life.of.briley @kindred__studios

KAPERNicus the chemex

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the little vespa that almost could

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DEVILSTONE RUN

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FROM THE FOUNDER: As we embark upon a new month, we want to remind you that there is MORE COURAGE IN YOUR TANK THAN DANGER AHEAD OF YOU. “A man who has no imagination is a man without wings.” - Muhammad Ali Years ago, I was captivated by the power of imagination. It’s the human ability to imagine a world that doesn’t currently exist that makes us so unique in the order of all living things. Our imaginations give us the power to perceive what has not yet come to be.

As kids, we didn’t have to try to use our imaginations. We could create entire worlds in our heads without thinking too much about it. (Ha! See what I did there?) Sticks became swords, bicycles became motorcycles, and trees became palaces that enhanced our make-believe worlds of epic proportions. Imagining something great was as easy as breathing. It came naturally to us.

But then, as we grew old and got busy doing adult things somewhere along the way, many of us gave up on our imaginations. We become products of our work, and ordinary life remains ordinary. We lost that life force inside our hearts and minds that reminds us we were made for more. We gave in to the lies of cultural propaganda and prostituted our souls as victims of the system. Instead of being the hero in our story on a mission to live a meaningful life, we become the villain.

Heros are imperfect characters in a story who experience pain but somehow, with the help of a guide, figure out how to use it for good. Villains are the opposite. They let the pain of life lead them to a self-righteous sense of justification and gather minions around them to do their bidding. They aren’t really interested in making the world better. Their imaginations are waning, and their only source of retribution is tearing other people down to get ahead.

Slow Mag is a unique publication because it is our small reminder that we were made for more. And we hope you, walk away from reading this issue with a renewed sense of purpose. May this issue help you dust off your imagination and become aware of the extraordinary in these seemingly mundane, ordinary moments.

Cheers Friends, Sam Pause.

Sip Some Coffee. & Enjoy!

TH E ch e mex: BEST BREW M ETHOD I N TH E WORL D . . . ACCORDI NG TO MAGG I E

Magg i e Gu las ey

PICTURES: Scott Bradley @scottbraaplyphoto Words: Maggie Gulasey @MAGGIE_GULASEY

I AM JUST GOING TO SAY IT: The chemex is the best brew method.

Ever. Now before you try to fight me on this, I know there are ample delightful and delicious ways to brew your coffee and I do appreciate most all of them for their own unique flavor profiles and overall results they elicit. I am certainly not poo-pooing any of them. However, I know I am not alone in my pro-chemex sentiment, and therefore will do my best to make a solid case here as to why it is my ride or die. Even if I don’t convince you otherwise, maybe, just maybe, I will at the very least inspire some of you chemex virgins to give it a try. But before my chemex cajoling, let’s fist talk about how this magical coffee-making vessel came to be.

I wish I could go back in time and give the world’s most epic hug to Peter Schlumbohm for giving me a reason to get out of bed every single morning with great fervor. In 1941 this eccentric chemist invented the brew method that sets my soul and tastebuds on fire: the chemex. After spending a decade working in the specialty coffee industry, I learned how inseparable science and coffee are. Therefore, it makes sense that a chemist would inherently grasp that the perfectly brewed cup of coffee comes to life via precisely executed extraction and mindful filtration.

Schlumbohm not only wanted to create a method for evoking a flawless cup of coffee, but he also wanted it to be as simple and beautiful as possible.

Inspired by his lab’s glass funnel and Erlenmeyer flask, Schlumbohm created the distinct chemex figure. A flawless match between form and function, the shape of my favorite brew method lends itself to an optimal water flow, enhancing the extraction of the coffee grinds. Additionally, its bulbous bottom accommodates a coffee fiend’s ideal volume of liquid crack. Basically, this is one sexy receptacle. In fact, the Illinois Institute of Technology felt the same way about this handsome brew method and selected it as one of the 100 best designed products of modern times. Admittedly, the designer in me revels in this tidbit.

The other essential component to this illustrious vessel is its unique filter.

Nearly 30 percent thicker than your average coffee filter, this is an important factor dictating the chemex’s distinct

flavor. Schlumbohm’s filter is triple folded on the spout side and is more tightly woven than most. All of this results in a controlled flow of water which creates a more developed flavor that’s free of oils, sediment, and bitterness, leaving only a crisp, clean, and wickedly delicious cup of coffee. Oh Schlumbohm, how I heart you.

I adore a good science lesson and am always enamored with understanding how things function. But at the end of the day, this emo girl is all about feelings and it truly boils down to the emotions it calls forth. Yes, my morning coffee ritual with my chemex makes me feel things. Though my preference is the chemex, this is all about what makes YOU the happiest when consuming your coffee. And I love that for you, even if it doesn’t involve a chemex.

There is something inherently romantic about the process of brewing your coffee and lingering in those fleeting moments before the chaos of the day comes knocking. In order to start my day out proper, it is crucial that I take the time to slow down and sincerely appreciate the most delicious beverage in the world. The bean that produced my cup-o-sunshine came to be thanks to a team of hardworking individuals who grew, processed, bought, and roasted it. The least I can do in their honor is brew it right and take a pause to be grateful for the steaming magic that is now swirling about in my mug. And also caffeine.

I find it oddly satisfying knowing I was the conclusion in this global chain of coffee enthusiasts, and I don’t take this bond lightly. I wish I could bottle up the wave of euphoria that washes over me after my first few sips of chemex coffee and share it with the people who helped it come to its liquid form. Analogous to the way my motorcycle makes me feel, coffee has become something more than its physical form alone. It is my reward for rolling my booty out of bed at 5am. It is my science experiment that my inner nerd can really lean into. It is something I can share with and connect to people I care about. And ultimately, it brings me a ridiculous amount of joy.

Maggie Gulasey

Art•Apparel•Photography•Film Shelton, Connecticut

@dirtculture_usa

Denver, Colorado

DIRTCULTURE.COM

The Little Vespa

That Almost Could

TH E L ITTL E VES PA THAT AL MOST COU L D

BRE TT RI LEY

PICTURES: go fast don’t die @Gofastdontdie WORDS: brett riley @life.of.briley

Brett Riley

What was the motivation to enter a Vespa into a desert race?

Well, I missed out on the first Biltwell 100. Not being someone who typically finds themselves on dirt and someone who is overly competitive, I opted out in 2021.

After seeing how much fun everyone had, I just couldn’t stay out of it. My competitive nature forced the question, “how can I feel like I won the Biltwell 100 without having to win the Biltwell 100?” I’ve gotta do it on the most ridiculous bike. Something cool, but not meant for the Mojave...and cheap. How much cash am I willing to burn in the name of fun. I decided $1000 was my limit, and I scoured Facebook Marketplace for weeks after entering Biltwell’s Misfit Class. After some trouble finding the right bike, I finally heard from a friend that they were selling their 1974 Vespa Primavera 125. A little two-stroke ripper that just needed a little bit of love and some knobby tires.

How did you acquire the Vespa? What is the story behind this hot rod? Give us some specs!

I decided $1000 was my limit, and I scoured Facebook Marketplace for weeks after entering Biltwell’s Misfit Class. After some trouble finding the right bike, I finally heard from a friend that they were selling their 1974 Vespa Primavera 125. A little two-stroke ripper that just needed a little bit of love and some knobby tires.

Does the Vespa have a name?

The Shredspa.

Has Vespa reached out with a sponsorship offer yet?

Not quite, but we did get some likes on our Instagram story, so we’re hopeful.

What was it like racing a Vespa in the desert?

Well, we got it running just a couple days before the race and I took it out back behind our shop where we have a short pit bike track to test everything out, and she ran great on the hard pack dirt, but it wasn’t until we got out to Ridgecrest when I learned what it would be like to ride it in the sand.

First off, those skinny ten-inch tires and the over-spirited but underpowered motor just didn’t quite have the floatiness or torque to effortlessly make it through the sandy spots. Instead, it would pretty immediately cut like a pizza cutter into the sand and fishtail, and I just had to let it do it’s thing, until we got out of the sandy sections. I also put on the knobby tires the day before we left for California and hadn’t had a chance to test them out. On my first practice ride, I noticed that the knobbies were rubbing against the swing arm and causing trouble for the motor.

After about 20 or 30 minutes though, most of the knobbies on the edge of the tire had rubbed off, allowing the wheel to spin freely. Once I had gotten all of the immediately apparent kinks out of the bike, I was pretty confident it was ready to race.

It seems that people really enjoyed racing against the Vespa. Tell us about the unexpected respect you garnered from other competitors?

It was an instant hit! Riding it around the pit area, tons of people were asking about it and curious if I was actually going to race it.

The stoke was high. I even had one guy tell me that a Vespa very similar to the one I was riding was similar to the first bike he had as a kid. He said it never steered him wrong or left him stranded, and he was pretty confident that it would make it the full race, which was encouraging to hear because I had my doubts. During the race, there were several racers hooting and hollering as they went by, yelling encouragement whether I was pinned in 2nd gear, trying to fix the exhaust that had jammed into the tire, or letting my little desert monster cool down after overheating.

How much of the race did you complete? What went wrong?

I completed somewhere around 20 out of the 25 miles in the race (we all learned after the race was over that one loop was actually closer to 27 miles, so i’m not sure exactly how far I went).

Honestly, a lot went wrong. I wrecked at about mile 3 after a big sandy patch trying to stave off a small pack of Coleman mini bikes. I quickly got the bike started again, only to hit a volleyball-sized boulder coming down a steep hill, jamming my exhaust into my rear tire. I had to use my caveman tools, a.k.a another rock, to smash the exhaust back

into its proper place. After taking a few minutes of trying to kick the Vespa over again while it cooled down, I had it running again and was back to the race. The front fender came loose and got jammed at some point, causing another wreck, sending me over the handlebars. I dusted myself off, kicked her over again, and went on. The main problem came with the engine continuously overheating. Five miles, three miles, a mile, a couple hundred yards, and then no more than one hundred feet. Sweaty, tired, and sunburned, I was greeted by one of the side-by-sides towing broken bikes and picking up pieces of twisted metal who offered to throw the Vespa on the roof and bring me in.

Did you have any snacks with you?

My adoring wife packed me a couple protein bars and Liquid IV, but the real heroes were at mile 18 with a nice cold Bud Light. Just kidding honey, I love you.

What were some of the lessons you learned while tearing through the back country?

Just keep that throttle on, and no matter what, embrace the suck. Because even though you’re tired, frustrated, and have many miles ahead of you and many doubts that you may reach the finish line, these are the memories you’ll cherish most and the stories you’ll tell your family and your kids for years.

Are you planning to race the Vespa in the Biltwell 100 next year? Why or Why Not? ABSOLUTELY. I was actually really impressed by this little beast and just know that it can make it the full 25 with a few modifications. Shoot, maybe it could even make it 50. Every time it stopped from overheating, it would always kick over again, giving me hope that it would make it to the finish. I’m excited to dig further into this simple machine and improve it to where it is race-worthy in 2023. I also really hope to see some more other ridiculous bikes out there.

Do you expect to see more Vespas race in future desert races? Have you planted a seed for a new movement?

I don’t know if we’ll see any Vespas because, honestly. There are a lot of purists out there who don’t want to destroy a vintage classic, but I do think we’ll see some new scoots. Zumas, Honda Elites, Honda Trail 90s, etc. would be rad to see out there.

If someone was thinking about racing in the Biltwell next year what advice would you give them?

Do it. Just do it.

The best thing about this event is that there is no ego. Literally, if you make it on the podium you just get roasted by Otto. As the tagline says, it’s about “good times, not lap times.” For so many people this was thier first race ever, as it was mine, and it’s a great testing ground to do something new. It’s a bit challenging and a lot of fun with the best of friends.

The Little Vespa

That Almost Could.

a wild quest through the wild west

e

M Sca n

KIDSandCOBRAS.com @kidsandcobras