Description:

One Man’s Humble Quest to learn fear. Traveling at the lowest end of the scale, on the outskirts of modern traffic. A trip on a scooter tricycle Ape 50 provides for intensive social contacts, the world is huge, and at the end of the ride is waiting for a cannon ball.


Lea is eight years old. One girl even without weakness for heavy fire chairs. But when the sweet, blue Ape stands before her, she wants to ride spontaneously. This happened to everyone, we make the move. In Kassel, Zierenberg, Wolf-Hagen, Bad Arolsen and Diemelstadt they accumulate, if the Ape stops. Want to talk come out, as fans of motorcycles, cars, trucks, tractors, locomotives, airplanes. The 50-cubic-Ape unites them with a charm, on the other mobility and transport concepts can be jealous. Because, it creates so much with so little. Shortage is here to value. Pure experience, not luxury, but by reduction. When did you last cheeks ignited with enthusiasm?

Do not worry, no waiver is now preaching, but a story from the life. We want to know how it feels to be traveling in a vehicle, which comes from the border land scape of the motorcycle world. A vehicle without power, luxury, safety. A mobile, the millions of Italian and Asian suppliers, farmers and artisans had to live and is a necessary tool.

The three-wheeled Piaggio Ape is the world’s most successful attempt, efficiency and payload of a motor scooter to a maximum increase, and therefore belongs to the motorcycle universe that justifies their existence in MOTORCYCLE. Since 1948 is the new rage Enrico Piaggio, an aircraft engineer Corradino dAscanio the Ape in its various versions backbone of the Italian economic boom and up to this day the traffic image. Even over large areas of the Asian continent, it has spread; large contingents are now produced in India. Even in Germany, developed the small “bee” in different capacity classes became a cult vehicle.

Where it emerges, it touches the heart. Of the novel, for example. The 60th Birthday has been granted the lifelong motorcyclist on a Harley Softail. We meet him at other bikers in Bad Arolsen in the ice cream parlor.

The owners of heavy machinery are envious of the maneuverability of the Ape, which is loaded in their country of origin must meander through narrow alleyways. Then comes to the 15-year-old Eleni. She is accustomed to handling nimble, restless with their fingers on the keypad of their iPhones and a chauffeured 50 Kymco scooters. For a few minutes on the handlebars Ape she will even their Apple-fetish out of hand. That no one else creates. Manual are no longer used the automatic spoiled kids who are shifting the difficult student. Claudia also, early 40s does not easily. For a long time considering the hobby gardener, to buy a Ape for advanced gardening.

But the Piaggio three-wheeler loads transported not only material but also the desires. Lea pants for an ice cream, so we have to get to conquer the village Kulte coming, the mountain Arolsen. Feels Like 20 percent slope. Above we are in first gear and have 10 km / h on the speedometer. Still faster than a donkey. Lea is one of the cars in the rearview mirror. No one gets upset, everyone smiles when overtaking. The Ape enchanted. Makes communication introverted limousine drivers wonder, tame lambs from reckless racers.Oncoming riders greet. If that’s not proof that the Ape is one of their world.

On the way back to the small two-stroke engine sings at high speed a very healthy sounding song. Mountain Down moves the speedometer needle in regions beyond imagination. We have the feeling to cry fliegen. Lea me the speed, as excited as a football reporter shortly before the gate falls. 45, 50, 55, 57 km / h.

A great feeling of freedom. Now a clean line is needed, steering commands should be granted very sparingly.

In this murderous pace’s intuition and psychic abilities required. Stark can not stop the Ape with their small drums.

Back in Kulte allows us to transport farm Wagner, the feed for his cows out of the silo to the barn. Like the bee hardly accelerates uphill loaded yet, every dune is faster. Now, the second gear. Clutch and rotate the left wrist with the selector knob to bottom, the neutral must be overcome. Coupling can occur, gas meter to ignore tendonitis. Millions of Vespa riders know the procedure. To sense the anachronistic and mechanics to operate smoothly makes malicious joy.

Hardly in fourth gear on the agricultural road, diving forward to the stables. So once again full use of lever and pedal. We must reverse maneuver to approach the trough. Clutch and a black metal rod pull back, which rises from the rough cabin floor. Now engaged “la marcia indietro”, and the Ape has four reverse gears. After four days with the Blue, we enjoy the jolt of acceleration after gear changes, which measured on the Mini wheelbase and small wheels not so uncomfortable running gear that few thought possible speed in curves and especially the extreme readiness to changes in direction. My Ape-experienced colleague Schroeder said that a kart is slow, however. He also said to know the real reason for the consistently loud conversations of Italian families: in the cabin because it rattles and rumbles of the Ape Sun. He must know it is finally married to a Sicilian.

Everything is relative. Also, volume and speed. From Herbsen Kulte after we deliver a cargo of wine. We’re not deaf, lacking nothing in the cockpit completely barren. The speedometer is great entertainment, our bees are getting faster, and we feel as full-fledged road users. Especially, as we approach the 50 kilometers of Kulte back to Kassel. Of course, do little more fun ways, but here it must be even wider roads. We make very small, stay on the right. Even the police turned a blind eye. Through the thin sheet can feel the wind blow the 40-ton truck, sometimes jumps in curves on the door? Then it rains, the wipers will not really know so Lea stretched her arm out of the vent windows and manually operated it. One suspects, why the Ape has become a myth. We imagine how neat Italian mom and this little cabin Capofamiglia have shared and suddenly feel the immense space behind the handle bars.

We will miss you, Ape. And must recognize: It is good to ground you from time to time, straighten out standards and frameworks. When I get to the Ape to be “only” 50 hp Honda, I can not believe my senses. It’s the ride on a cannonball!