The
Variator

I’m William Roberson, Club President. Our Vice President is Virginia Cherry. 

A little about myself and then some bits about the club. I’m a Portland native and started out my motorized two-wheel riding career in 1984 on a 50cc Honda scooter. I wanted a regular motorcycle but my parents would not allow it, however they were OK with me having a scooter, because it’s slower and of course to many people, that means “safer.” That’s BS but it allowed me to get on a scooter so I didn’t argue. 

Once on my own, I quickly graduated to motorcycles of all types, but I never lost my love for scooters, and owned several, including a Vespa P200E in college and a Yamaha Riva 180 as well. Today I ride a 2007 Vespa GTS250ie in Excalibur Silver. It’s a fine machine. I also own a somewhat rare and stock 2007 Yamaha Morphous, along with a few motorcycles.

I didn’t start Vespa Club Portland, but shortly after it formed up in 2022, the original president had life events intervene as it were and offered me the post. I’ll do the best I can with the cooperation of the amazing Viginia Cherry, who seems to have boundless energy and creative talents far beyond my own. We hope to schedule numerous rides this year and into the future, and while we are a “Vespa” riders club, I want to invite scooter riders on any brand and of any stripe to our rides and events. Many scooter riders are members of several Portland clubs (self included), and Portland isn’t so big that we need to say “just Vespa.” Please join us. It’s really just about having fun riding our scooters to fun and interesting places and making new friends. 

Our rides will vary in type and length, including urban-only rides that will welcome riders on 50cc machines. Other outings will take advantage of larger displacement scooters, including rides to distant locations in Oregon and the Northwest. Some rides will be part of larger “patch ride” challenges that can earn riders cool patches designed by Virginia Cherry. So far, ideas include riding to Oregon’s covered bridges, ferries, lighthouses, Portland-area dive bars, ghost towns, “Secret Portland,” McMenamins locations and more. We welcome your ride ideas.

It’s snowing pretty hard as I write this, and the Silver Fox is snug in the garage next to Morphie, waiting for the weather and roads to clear. But March is just days away and we’ll be at Portland Vespa for the Spring Opener event on March 25th. Come by, join the club, support Portland Vespa, buy some VCP swag and then go for a fun ride. It’s certain to be sunny and 70 by then.