No Age Limit - Piaggio MP3

"Clutch out at 8 AM", said Bob. Only trouble is the MP3 doesn’t have a clutch.  Old habits die hard. Nevertheless, "clutch out" it was (we’re past the age of change) and we were on our way to reconnecting with the original Lincoln Highway. The Coloradoloop of the highway was an afterthought lobbied for by Fort Collins and Denver. I suspect the majority of drivers were not seduced by Colorado PR and stayed north, heading directly from WY to NE.

We made our way to Sidney, NE on Rt 113 (19 in NE) and stopped for breakfast in a lonely little diner on this remote road. As usual Bob tried to disassociate himself from me when it was my turn to order. I thought I’d have the same "Cowboy Omelet" as Bob, only without the cheese and sausage, hold the butter on the toast, substitute egg whites and some tomato instead of fries. Bob stares into space during this ritual. "No problem" said the waitress, she smiled and ten minutes later brought out two identical Cowboy Omelets. Bob cringed, thinking I might try again, but to demonstrate my capacity to adapt, I accepted ten additional cholesterol points. This is not the land of veggies & low fat. Mayo rules.

Riding on Route 30 out of Sidney calls for a Lincoln Highway search within each of the towns. In Sidney, Lodgepole, Chappell and Brule you can find dirt portions that, when found, feel like you’ve hit the jackpot. The MP3 proves to be an ideal vehicle for hunting Lincoln Highway signs on trees, telephone poles and sides of buildings.

Cattle were everywhere, in feedlots and grazing in endless pastures. Growing up in the Bronx, there were times when the family would take a Sunday ride to the country (fifty miles north of NYC was the country to us) and if a cow was seen there were cheers and wows. Today we saw 4,325 cattle and I cheered them all.

Moreso than the previous motorcycles I’ve ridden, the MP3 makes it easy to completely focus on your surroundings. Its stability and automatic transmission allow you to be less preoccupied with the bike and more observant. We’re taking more photos and stopping at more places of interest than on previous tours. Jumping on and off the MP3 is effortless: no kick stand and an easy step through. Especially when riding in 100 degree temperatures it really makes a difference.

Some towns on the Lincoln Highway are clearly in trouble and seem unsalvageable. Merino, CO is an example. A functioning Main Street movie theatre is a solid sign of health as you can see in Ogallala, NE. Lodgepole seems to fall somewhere in the middle. A once-thriving farming and railroad community, it’s caught between two county seats and having problems. Debi Hendrickson — who turned Fincke’s Drug & Sundry store into an antique shop — says, " It’s not all that bad. There’s still three of the five churches along with two bars, making it quite livable". Howdy Doody sits in the front window of the shop.

We fllled up the MP3s at Pump & Pantry in Paxton, NE. The pump has no credit card slot. The attendant said," Go ahead and start pumping. Out here in the rural area if you pump and ride away without paying we just come after you and shoot you." In small towns and big towns we are invariably asked how we’re doing on gas. Across the country people are hurting. The fact that we’re getting close to 60 mpg makes the MP3 all the more admired. Its 3.2 gallon tank gives it a range close to the my former 5-gallon, 1150 CC bike. 

We ended our day in North Platte by visiting the Lincoln County Historical Museum, home of the "famous World War II canteen" that greeted troops as they came through North Platte. It was every bit as interesting as the "Match Museum" I stopped at on a previous tour.

Tomorrow we begin by further exploring the home of the world’s largest railyard and then head for Kearney, NE.

Buddy out 

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