A Widow's Ride

With the Scooter Cannonball Run 2025 drawing closer, the prep work is shifting from the mechanical to the decidedly more aesthetic! While ensuring my scooter is a finely tuned machine is paramount, adding those personal touches and crafting a unique identity has been a blast. It’s all about making sure she looks as good as she runs, and that I’m ready to trade some sweet swag with my fellow competitors.

The Cosmetic Glow-Up: More Than Just a Pretty Face

Let’s be honest, while speed and reliability are crucial, a little flair never hurt anyone! I’ve been spending some quality time giving my scooter a proper glow-up. It’s more than just looking good; these additions often serve a practical purpose or reflect a bit of my personality on the road.

Since my scooter sports a sleek all-black finish, I decided to take a different approach than the full vinyl wraps I’ve done on my previous TW200 motorcycles. This time, I opted for pops of color with personal meaning. Being known as “Purple” on various motorcycle forums, incorporating that hue was a must. I added purple vinyl stripes to the front of the scooter, a simple yet effective way to inject my online persona into my ride.

Adding another layer of personal significance, I wanted to honor my late husband, whose nickname was “Lizrdbrth.” To represent him, I incorporated olive drab green vinyl stripes alongside the purple, creating a visual tribute to both of our identities. These stripes, easily sourced online, were a straightforward way to add a meaningful touch without a complete overhaul.

Of course, a Cannonball Run scooter needs a number plate. For this, I enlisted the creative talents of my son’s partner, Megan, who specializes in vinyl artwork. I envisioned a design that blended my “Purple” identity with a nod to “Lizrdbrth.” The result was fantastic: a purple flower with a lizard wrapping around the number plate. Megan’s artistry truly brought this vision to life, creating a unique and eye-catching element for the scooter.

The personalization didn’t stop there. During a shakedown overnight ride to an event hosted by my friends David and Emy, I had a stroke of luck. They had a pin striping artist on hand! I jumped at the opportunity to add even more personal touches. I had the artist delicately pin stripe my “Purple” nickname and “Lizrdbrth” onto the scooter, further weaving our stories into the fabric of the machine.

Every addition has been carefully considered, ensuring it not only looks good but also carries personal significance and stands up to the rigors of cross-country travel.

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Designing My CannonBall Calling Card: The Sticker Swap!

One of the coolest traditions of the Cannonball Run is the sticker swap. It’s a fantastic way to meet other riders, share stories, and collect unique mementos from the journey. Naturally, I needed a killer logo for my own stickers!

Initially, I thought about simply mimicking the design of my custom number plate for the stickers. However, getting a good quality photo of it and then translating that into a print-ready sticker proved to be quite a challenge. Plus, I wanted to be a bit frugal and avoid the cost of hiring a graphic artist just for a sticker design.

Luckily, a solution presented itself! I’ve used Sticker Mule several times in the past for ordering stickers, and while exploring their website, I stumbled upon their fantastic design center. This was a game-changer. It allowed me to take an existing sticker layout they offered and easily swap out the colors to match my purple and olive drab theme. Even better, it let me impose images onto the design. Conveniently, they had both a flower and a lizard icon available in their image library! This meant I could perfectly capture the essence of my “Purple” and “Lizrdbrth” tributes without needing to upload complex files or hire a designer. For the stickers themselves, I’m going with a durable, weatherproof vinyl that will stand up to the elements and look sharp on any surface.

I’m really excited to see my stickers out in the wild and to collect some amazing ones from other riders. It’s a small detail, but it adds to the camaraderie and memories of the event.

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The bike is looking sharp, and my stickers are ready to go. With the cosmetic touches complete and my brand identity solidified for the swap, it truly feels like the final pieces of the puzzle are falling into place for the Scooter Cannonball Run 2025. Now, it’s just counting down the days and dreaming of the open road!

What kind of unique touches have you added to your ride, or if you’ve done a long-distance rally, what’s your favorite sticker you’ve collected?