Fast Facts About Brook:
- Exclusively riding scooters for 13 years
- Completed 2 Scooter Cannonball Runs
- Hasn't owned a car in 6 years
How long have you been riding?
I have been riding my whole life. There were always minibikes, dirt bikes, 3-wheel atvs, and snowmobiles to fool around with. In college a friend had a Puch moped that I rode often. I was a BMX kid and that led me to become an avid bicyclist until my 40’s and I decided that my knees couldn’t handle pedaling anymore. That’s when I got turned on to Vespa scooters, They are the perfect urban commuter. I have been exclusively riding scooters for 13 years and haven’t owned a car for the last 6 years.
What bike(s) do you currently ride/own?
1962 Vespa GS160 (Darth Vespa) which spends most of it’s time in my living room because it is terrifying to ride in Silicon Valley traffic, 2007 Vespa GTS 250 (Rolf), 2013 Vespa GTV300 (Butter), 2020 Vespa GTS300 hpe (Pesto)
Tell us about your experience with the Scooter Cannonball Run Day. (This is so cool!)
I have done a number of scooter adventures. In 2016 I rode the Karakoram Highway through Pakistan to the Khunjerab Pass on the border of China. This was on a Vintage Vespa and was documented in the short film “Scootistan - A Vespa Tour of Pakistan” (available here on YouTube). I’ve also ridden scooters in the Cross Egypt Challenge and the Cross India Challenge. This year I completed my second Scooter Cannonball Run. The 2021 Scooter Cannonball Run ran 4500 miles from Bar Harbor, Maine to Eureka, California in ten days. 500 mile days on a 278cc, Scooter is one of the most grueling rides I have ever done. Along the way we encountered wild animals (I hit a deer in New York), torrential rain storms, lightning storms, downed trees and power lines. Of the 88 riders/scooters that started only 37 made it all the way to the finish. This year’s edition of the Scooter Cannonball was featured in a USA Today article. All on a tiny scooter that’s meant for Italian ladies to take shopping. I really enjoy the challenge or riding a bike that is deemed inappropriate for the trip at hand. It would be too easy on a big adventure bike, where is the adventure in that?
What makes you most excited about getting out for a ride?
I ride every day as a “Scooter Commuter” but my favorite rides are the ones where I get completely lost and see things that I have never seen before. Riding a small CC scooter keeps me off the interstate and on interesting back roads. I love visiting small towns and going slow enough to take in all that my travels have to offer.
What is the best motorcycle advice or tip you’ve received?
Every motorcycle (scooter) is an adventure motorcycle, if you go on adventures with it.
Favorite Aerostich gear?
I really love my Yellow R3 Tactical. My girlfriend calls it “The Astronaut Banana Super Suit” Being unlined it is much more versatile than my older Roadcrafter jacket and pants. I can layer fleece under it on cold days, but most days I just wear a T-shirt and shorts underneath. I recently bought a pair of Elk skin Roper gloves… I think that they are superior to any motorcycle glove I have ever worn.
Aerostich-related or Aerostich-specific stories?
My yellow Aerostich Suit gets worn every day for urban commuting, weekend trips, off road riding, and longer adventures, so it is often filthy. I’m often asked don’t you ever clean that thing? I just reply, “The point is not to keep the suit clean, the point is that the suit keeps me clean.”
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