An Amusing Feature on the Vespa GTS

I've been trying to rotate through the various motorcycles in my stable to keep them healthy and happy.

Yesterday I rode the Triumph in. The weather was darn cold, and I was happy to have the 600cc heater keeping my legs warm. Today I took the Vespa GTS.

I noticed something on the dashboard display that I had never really paid attention to before: an outdoor temperature thermometer. I mean, I've seen that there's a temperature display, I just never took the time to really check it out and contemplate it's value to the rider.

Today, it was 51 degrees Fahrenheit on my ride in, with a couple fluctuations. Neat.

But then I got to thinking about this thermometer on the Vespa. How silly is a thermometer telling me it is cold outside? Or hot, in the summer? I already know that! I am, in fact, experiencing the current temperature first hand.

OK, OK, I kind of see the value of it. For example, instead of telling my co-workers "Man, it was chilly out there!" I can say "It was 43 degrees out this morning. With windchill that's, uh... [pause to count on fingers] 20 below zero! Good thing for coffee, eh?"

These are the kinds of things I think about when I'm not dodging traffic...