Anyone see Ghost Rider yet?

Moped From Hell
Originally uploaded by wally glenn.

I like to check out bike movies every now and again, but I've had a bad feeling about this one... mostly 'cause I'm not a big Nick Cage fan. Rotten Tomatoes didn't really dig it with a 28% rating allowing it to be JUST edged out by a character of similar plot... SPAWN... you know, character is indebted to the devil, comes back to kick peoples ass with crazy chains of doom.

One reviewer said:
"For years scientists have theorized that one day Nicolas Cage would overact so badly that his head would burst into flames. Now, with Ghost Rider, the phenomenon has finally come to pass."

I need to go rent "The World's Fastest Indian" instead. I heard it's great for the tuning crowd.

Scooter in the drink

Moped in Grand Union Canal near Victoria Park
Originally uploaded by markhassize11feet.

Scooter in Grand Union Canal near Victoria Park. How does this kinda stuff keep happening?

Bad prank? Bad riding?

Nausea

Nausea
Originally uploaded by tashenka.

This little work of art is from tashenka. I don't know how, but this photograph makes me wanna yack.

If you hurl on your keyboard, I'm sorry.

Glug!

Under water scooter in Rotterdam, Netherlands
Originally uploaded by Koos Fernhout.

Under water scooter in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Thanks to Koos Fernhout for sharing!

Makes me sad, but at least I don't wanna barf. There's actually a sort of calming serenity to this image.

Anyone seen this Yamaha before?

P2241163a
Originally uploaded by Totsukawa Keibu.

Rummaging through Totsukawa Keibu's flickr collection I ran across THIS little number. Wasn't registering in the mental database. Interesting look though.

In Japan the Maxam (Morphous) get's the Royal treatment

(Eh... hold on... no waaait... I... think it's starting to grow on me.)

You remember the Yamaha Morph, right? Quite a unique style from the Yamaha camp in itself. Well, Wise Gear couldn't leave good enuf alone. Presenting the ROYAL MAXAM.

BigScooter.com scooped us on this latest offering. Why don't you go check out Y's Gear's press release on this baby if you dig this sorta thing. Production starts now and will be churned out to the paltry tune of 10 per month for 1 year. That's ONLY 120 units people! Get tah ordering!

So far I've heard "looks like an expensive set of toenail clippers" and "it's a champaign colored paint scraper". What do YOU think?

She DOES have a lot of junk in the trunk boat load of stowage!

Vespa to pour-on the coals in India with new 2 and 4 wheeled Vespas

(Ewww... Like a fine cheese, this scoop isn't very fresh, but it's deLISH!)

This scoop comes to us by way of 2StrokeBuzz. It seems Portland's own Dave McCabe discovered it in a 2006 copy of Bike India. He then sent the news to Illnoise back in January who promptly threw it in his dirty sock pile until it started stinkin' up the place... now, here it stands... in all it's green glory. According to the article, reprinted at 2sb for your reading enjoyment, Vespa is launching a wham-bam campaign to get India to crank out a slew of new 2-wheelers and 4-wheelers.

I like how the article ends with

"Given Colaninno’s success in making Piaggio and its other subsidiaries most rock solid as also Ravi Chopra’s proven acumen in India, the stage is set for one of the most respected names in the two-wheeler world to return back to India in a manner befitting its previous stature. A 12-month gestation period is expected and the countdown to that has just begun. All Vespa fans, stay tuned."

It's like a good old Hardy Boys mystery. Now to see if 1) it actually happens and 2) they will actually import said products to the USA. Hallelujah, holla BACK! (eeks... I've been watchin' WAAY too much "White Rapper Show".)

Honda impresses the Italians with their SH300i

(whoa! Check out the lean on that big wheel!)

About a month ago Motoblog.it gave the new big wheel from Honda a stern look-over. In the end it appears to be all bouquets for the Japanese. The only detraction was in the SH300i's limited storage space; of course it's nothing a little accessorizing can't take care of.

Overall they felt the new SH was well refined, powerful and responsive.
Other European press agencies agree.

Personally, I've never been a big fan of the big wheel from an aesthetics standpoint, but I have to say the SH300i is kinda sexy. Now, if you click on the title link to see the translated article, you'll see a few love/hate comments at the bottom. Some agree with me on the looks and others think it was smashed by an ugly-tree and awaiting to be totaled by the insurance adjuster.

Still no definite word as to whether or not we'll see this baby on American shores.

Sammy Hagar knows what time it is

Back in the day a band named Montrose appeared on the "Old Gray Whistle Test" show and rocked out with their song "Bad Motor Scooter". Anyone recognize a baby Sammy Hagar as the lead singer? You should put this song on yer ipod so you can listen to it while you're riding to the rallys. Thanks again to Houston Scooter Battalion for letting us know this video existed on You Tube... There was no King Crimson - Frame by Frame though. :(

Central Texas Rally update - Sandblast Rally in Galviston March 3rd & 4th

I'm all registered and ready to go to this gathering down at the beach. From what I gather Austin is splitting 50/50 between this rally and the Rockers v. Mods gathering. If you're interested in attending you've only got a week till both of them start. Click on the title link to see the official rally page.

Central Texas Rally update - Rockers Vs. Mods in Dallas March 3rd & 4th

I was checking in on the Scooter Battalion in Houston who had mentioned this Rally coming up in Dallas. Here's what a d r had to say about it:

Turns out that, the same weekend (March 3-4) as the Sandblast Rally in Galveston, there is a vintage Euro bike and scooter rally in Dallas. Though there aren't much details on the event's MySpace page, what is clear is this event is not intended for plastic shell (and presumably more modern metal) scoots. Truth be told, I can't even figure out how much this costs, what that includes, where the meetup is, or what activities take place during the weekend.

Apparently since that message was posted (1/19/07) there have been some updates. I saw the ride itinerary, lodging info (ooOOoo the Belmont!)... actually if you want additional info you should check out the Get Bent SC site. The cost is FREE! But, bring $15 or so to buy a shirt. Should be a BLAST! (now would be a good time to clone myself so I can attend both rallys). Mods AND Rockers welcomed.

Off topic: Dead catch phrase of the month

(sorry Mr.Zombie... you can take that one to the grave with you)

Joe Keller, who blogs for TVSquad wouldn't appreciate my colloquial (read: BAD) writing style and I can disagree with that, but one thing we CAN agree on is that the phrase "Not so much" is DEAD... I'm talking 3rd stage decomposition dead. I know this has nothing to do with scooters, but it's a platform that attracts a decent number of readers... I'm just trying to help out as many people as I can.

Here's what Joe has to say about this expired adage:

"The phrase "not so much." (is dead) The only person who's allowed to say it is Jon Stewart. I used to think it was funny. Now? Not so much. (See how unfunny it is now?)""

Mike Schramm think's another phrase should die:

"I also don't want to hear anyone talk about getting their drink on."

Man, I'm sorry Mike... that's an old usage there... this one is spreading on to other verbs. Today you can get ANYTHING "on" and there's no sign of illness going on with this catchphrase. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go get my scoot on! (sorry if I made you "throw up in your mouth a little bit").

Helmet's I DIDN'T see at the Indi Dealer Expo

(caution: fabricated stories and low brow humor approaching)
During my five day stay in Indianapolis covering the Indi Dealer Expo I noticed THREE common elements.

One was that the "off road" industry must be ON FIRE! There were more quadrunners and dirtbikes than you could shake a slim-jim at... one of those long ones too, not those little short ones that come in the can.

Two was that the generic Chinese scooter hasn't gone anywhere. They still showed up in full force... You'll get the idea when you watch the video.

The third common element was HELMETS! Enough to cover you and your momma while riding two up on one of each of the dirtbikes, quadrunners and chinese scooters on the floor. LOTS!

Here's two helmets I did NOT see represented there... Maybe they'll bring them out for EICMA at the end of the year.


First we have this little number from FLAMECO (better known for their BBQ grills). Guaranteed to grab the attention of even the most oblivious cell-phone conversing driver on the road.
PLUSES: Pretty stylish. Goes well with a flame job paint scheme. Attention grabbing. Great for winter rides.
MINUSES: Makes you look like a Snork from hell. Requires LP Gas refill every 15 miles. Hot as F*@K in the summer!


And now here's something steaming hot and fresh from Unchi Helmet Inc. They've just dropped this number on us for 2007. It's called the "熱いカール" which translates roughly into "The Carl which is Hot". It sure makes Carl (seen here) look hot! I'll take a number two!
PLUSES: A real hit with your Japanese colleagues. Quite a conversation piece. A big brown loaf of laughter.
MINUSES: Not DOT, EURO, EPA, EEC or CARB compliant. Offers about as much protection as your standard issue brain bucket. The appeal may be lost on your American or European colleagues. Doesn't offer "wicking action", pads not washable, tends to smell. May lead to unsavory activity at the end of the night while rally camping with your 'friends'.

Bo knows scooters!

Back in 1959 Bo Diddley released THIS darling of an album called "Have Guitar Will Travel". Not only did he carry the traditional (weird) rectangular guitar, and a HUGE business card, but he also putted the avenues on his custom "Bo Diddley Scoot". Very surrealistic. The make and model of the scooter is escaping me right now. Ideas?

Thanks to James Hands for the scoop!

Ducati Cruiser - The sweet little scooter that never was

Wow! Thanks to Dudel in Seattle for filling us in on this little known fact. Ducati had at one time created a SWEEET scooter called the Cruiser. Looks great, burns clean and even pushed along at 12 HP! Imagine what could have been if they went into full production with her. The only improvement I could see is a flat floorboard. NOT to say that I'd kick her outta my garage or anything. I wonder if someone actually owns one of these rarities since they did actually make 1,000 of them. Here's the sad, short story from the Ducati site.

In the 1950s, Ducati entered the market of scooters with a technically innovative project: the Ducati Cruiser. The scooter was first released at the Milan Show in January 1952.

The Cruiser had a lot of firsts: it was the first Italian four-stroke scooter, the first scooter in Italy with an automatic transmission and the first scooter produced by Ducati. Initially the Cruiser was designed to have 12 horsepower but the engine was later reduced to 7.5 hp because of a governmental regulation limiting the scooters speed limit to 50 km/h.

This model was Ducati’s response to the ever-increasing invasion of scooters in the motorcycle market. The Cruiser was an elegant luxury scooter, superior to the standards of the time and made for a mid-to high portion of the market. Ducati spared no expenses in the development of the Cruiser: Giovanni Fiorio was responsible for the development of the engine and the style was designed in cooperation with Ghia, a company famous for designing luxury cars. The resulting style was unmistakable.

Without a reputation in the market for scooters, the Cruiser was unable to compete with already successful models such as the Vespa or the Lambretta. After only 2 years and approximately a thousand Cruisers made, production was put to a stop.

Slightly off topic: Carry your lunch in a Mr. Bento.

Sure, it's not directly a scooter related accessory... but if you find yourself brown bagging it to work on your scooter you might want to investigate the Zojirushi Mr. Bento.

My rice cooker is a Zojirushi and it's lasted me the last decade, so I imagine this baby is pretty good. Better still, why rely on my imagination? Why don't you read the four and five-star reviews from some 70+ Mr. Bento owners at Amazon.com.

And, if you think THAT'S not enough to convince you, you can always shift through the photos from the legions of Mr. Bento fanatics at Flickr. Over 1,800 photos from rabid Mr. Bento Boys/Girls! I have a distinct feeling I'll be joining the Mr. Bento Brigade before long.

OH! And to answer the "WHERE THE F#*K HAVE YOU BEEN!?" question... I have to apologize for not filling everybody in, but I took a trip out to Indi gather some footage for "The Scooter Scoop's Best of the Indi Dealer Expo 2007". It was 4 days of motorsport madness and mayhem and involved me walking about 21 hours without a break so that we could give you the entire Indi Expo experience. (and the whole time I didn't have internet connectivity. I don't know how I survived!)

It was a lot of work, but it was well worth it and we hope to have the episodes edited and posted in the not too distance future for your viewing enjoyment.

Thanks to Trish for the scoop on the Mr. Bento!

Car Smashes Jim Carrey & Jenny McCarthy's Scooter While They Make Out - Starpulse News Blog

Car Smashes Jim Carrey & Jenny McCarthy's Scooter While They Make Out - Starpulse News Blog: "Hollywood lovebirds Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy were reportedly so busy kissing at a South Beach, Florida restaurant on Tuesday, they failed to notice a car smash into their scooter. The actor and his glamorous squeeze where shocked when they left Prime 112 after dining on steak and truffles to find their scooter badly damaged - and the offending vehicle nowhere in sight.

A source tells PageSix.com, 'They started making out all over each other. They were so into each other that they didn't see their scooter, which was parked out front, get hit by a car. It was damaged and dented. The car sped away.'"

What? Jim! Jenny! Get yer priorities straight! Someone smashes your scooter, get out there and take care of business! hehe just kidding... I love scooters and all, but I'm sure I would have done the same thing if I were in their position... well... substitute "breakfast taco" for "steak and truffles".

American unknowns Brad and Angelina scoot through Ho Chi Minh

brad and angelina, they're just like us
Originally uploaded by allysonk.

US Weekly had a snap of this cute little couple casually riding (WITHOUT HELMETS!) to the Temple Club in Ho Chi Minh City.

I don't know who they are, but they seem pretty clean cut. You'd think they could afford a helmet, eh?

Red Hot Chili Pepper on a cool blue Vespa.

Anthony Kiedis
Originally uploaded by °•ი кιτ≈кåτн ი•°.

Check out well known California Resident Anthony Kiedis! He's not too good for a helmet... granting it's a brain bucket, but it's better than nuthin'. Ride strong my man!

Here's a quote from red hot chili fan Katherine María Ruiz Rodriguez.
"Red Hot Chilli Pepper front man Anthony Kiedis leaves the coffee bean on his moped. The singer sat at the coffee house for sometime and spent several minutes texting on his blackberry" (maybe he was catching up on TheScooterScoop!)
Picture by Jan Knapik.

Thanks Jan and Kat!

***UPDATE***
Eh, poop. I hate nuked flickr images. Oh well, check out this video instead:

Time to cast your votes!

(Awww, sorry Napoleon but TSS didn't make the cut this year.)

Alrighty! The nominations are in and the Motorcycle Bloggers International group is ready to tally your votes. Click HERE to go cast a vote for your favorites from 2006.

One more thing... in staying with the theme, here's a little Nappy Dyno soundboard... Don't use it to prank call scooterists though.

Cute snuggle photo or nasty insurance claim?

Jan 11: Whoops
Originally uploaded by Grim....

D'oh!

Here's what "Grim..." had to say about this photo:
It's pretty windy today, and it looks like this guys moped has been blown onto this other guys Porsche. Still - at least it saved some damage to the moped.

Eh... you and I'd call it a scooter, but it's just semantics. All I know is Vespa and Porsche are two great tastes that DON'T taste great together.

An even scarier horn for your scooter?

Back in June we were touting a tiny monster horn from Wolo called the Bad Boy. ONE hundred and eighteen dB's of bliss-breaking noise... and life was good.

Today I saw a post from Dudel in Seattle mentioning the 12v Stebel Nautilus Compact Dual-Tone Air Horn which generates a whopping 139 dB's of tire-screeching, heart-attack inspiring, pedestrian pants soiling, audio waves for your defensive driving enjoyment. She appears to be a very popular option for the 2-wheeled crowd and would definitely get someone's attention.

Steve Morris over at the ModernVespa forums was kind enough to document the step-by-step installation process as it pertains to his Vespa LX150. Looks like a pretty painless job. You can even go to Steve's site and listen to a wave of the Stebel Nautilus in all its teeth shattering glory.

TwistedThrottle has 'em for about $36 if yer interested and on their site they say:

These horns are really freakin' LOUD....

...Keep this in mind: sound energy doubles for every 3 points you go up in the decibel scale. It means that the Stebel Nautilus horn, which produces 139 dB of sound, puts out 800% of the sound energy of the more expensive FIAMM Freeway Blaster, which only produces 130 dB of sound energy.

You will not be dissapointed - just make sure you wire the included relay properly, as replacement horns used without a relay don't get enough electrical current to be fully effective.

Fun for the whole family!

This scooter sucks...

Street Hoover
Originally uploaded by jaqian.

No! Really! This photo of the "Street Hoover" taken by jaqian is made for keeping the streets clean. I couldn't find any more info on it though. I can almost make out the manufacturer's name at the top, but not enough to located their home page to get some details. Oh well, maybe you'll have better luck.

First Looks - The 2007 Yamaha C³ (C-cubed or C3)

(Here's our first look at the fresh baby Yammy. Henceforth I dub ye, "The Close Campus Cruiser")


Yesterday my Scooter Senses were tingling. Something was telling me to call Bill Kasson and ask him about the New C3. It had been months since I had first started bugging them about estimated arrival dates and I wanted the scoop. Well, I got his son (and co-owner) Will on the line and he told me they had actually JUST taken them off the truck and would have one available for me to look in the morning; to which I responded "REALLY? You JUST got them in? Weird. Well, I'll see ya then!"

This morning I packed up my gear and hit SOCO (South Congress) to see what she was all about. Now, I'm not going to get too deep here because it's just a First Look. I didn't get a chance to really put her through her paces. What we do know so far is this:

-The C3 has an all new, 49cc, liquid-cooled (with fan assist), SOHC, 3-valve, fuel injected 4-stroke which means shes not gonna win a drag race anytime soon. But still, she was peppy. The speedo read 40mph and she could do it... down hill. The C3 tops out at around 35 on a straightaway in it's stock-state.

-The fuel injection is supposed to allow this baby 117 MPG! Really? I'd like to research that some more... If so, I'm impressed! Let's see... 1.2 gallon tank gives us... 140+ MILES PER FILL UP! (translation... more beer money)

-The cylinder features a ceramic composite coating to insure uniform heat dissipation, reduced friction and an extended service life. (Translation... Less shop time)

-The C3 has 110mm drum brakes front and back. I'd say that's all you need to keep the reigns on a 50cc 4t.

-She's got some pretty impressive storage under the seat. Nine gallons worth to be exact! That's enough for 16 cold ones and a few packages of beef jerky (see the photos to really get the picture). One thing to note is that a sticker inside the trunk indicates an 11 lbs load limit. If you're using this to haul your biology books you could easily bust that limit. I'm not sure what the "actual limit before it gets dangerous" is. I'm sure someone will report on that in the future. I'm also sure that SOMEONE is going to use it to store a subwoofer... and someone else is going to figure out how to retrofit a 12v fridge in there. It's only a matter of time.

So... My opinions? First off this new offering has been issued an unfortunate name. It's not that I don't like the name "The Yamaha C³", but if your searching the web for it, what do you type? "C3"? "C Cubed?", "C (Alt NumPad 0179)"? Or any variation of the above with assorted dashes or spaces in it? Maybe you're better off calling it the Yamaha XF50. I think it has been showing up in Google under "Yamaha C3" pretty well though.

So, liquid cooled? How did they manage the narrow, grill-less front end? Well, the radiator is positioned longitudinally in the frame next to the engine. Nice and stylish.

It's quiet and environmentally friendly. A nice set of features if you're trying to make a difference... or sneak out of the girl's dorm stairwell at 2am.

As for tires, she comes with a set of big-fatties. The wide, "aggressive" 120/90X10 tubeless tires add to the cush ride and masculine appearance. She's easily customizable. You could add a side stand or tack on a new set of handle bars if you'd like. I think ape hangers would be a good look for her!

BUT, if you're thinking about customization... I'd be careful when it comes to tuning the performance. I'm not so sure how well she would stand for upgrades without some serious retooling of the coolant system, some upgrades to the suspension and maybe the addition of a front disc... all that on top of the big bore kit, carb upgrade and exhaust swap. If you're using it as a campus cruiser, you should be fine as-is.

She's comfortable... Low and wide. The seat is just 29 inches off the ground, so you're not gonna have to tiptoe at a stop sign. One bad thing about the seat is it's really a single passenger setup. There's no hauling your hunny on this baby. : (

CONCLUSION:
Definitely fun, affordable, practical and, in my humble opinion, good looking! You heard me mention "masculine" earlier. If you're a big guy looking for a class-hopper, you might find the style and stature of some other competing scooters to be a mismatch. I couldn't imagine myself, a 6'2" guy, comfortably cruising on a Honda Metropolitan or Yamaha Vino.

And how does it stand up to its closest competitor, the Honda Ruckus??? At $1999 the MSRP beats the Ruckus with $50 savings. It doesn't have the same "Billy Badass" look as the Ruckus, but C3 is much more practical... just from a storage standpoint. A quick glance at the Scooter Diva 2007 shoppers guide shows the C3's tank is a tenth of a gallon smaller and the dry weight is higher by 6 lbs. Not a huge difference there. Weighing the differences from a high level, one would have to be a big fan of the Ruckuses raw, pipe-frame design to choose it over the C3. I think Yamaha has a real competitor here.

If you're in the market for a practical, slow and low, grocery grabber or yard romper you should really pay attention to the XF50. The first looks didn't give us much to complain about... better yet, it gave us much to smile about. The price is nice, the style is sweet. Great job Yamaha!

Check out the other 37 photos HERE. Get more deets directly from the Yamaha site HERE.

This just in... Vespa LXS arrival dates!

Well! This could be a pretty exciting scoop for many of you. The recently announced and exceedingly hot Vespa LXS that was originally scheduled for an "everyone but American's" release, may ACTUALLY be landing here after all! Trusted sources at Vespa Seattle say to expect to see her in showrooms Q4 of THIS YEAR!

That's right! As early as October you could be setting your little hiney on a sweeet cosa seat and polishing her cool trap headlight. What's MORE is that Vespa will actually be 'kickin' it up a notch' to deliver us a 150cc version instead of the original 125cc version.

No word on MSRP as of right now. We'll keep ya posted though.
*Oh boy! I can't wait!*

The bastard child of a sportbike, quadrunner and riding lawnmower?

I'm not going to waste too much of your time here because it's not a scooter. What you're looking at is the Triazuma by Ludovic Lazareth. I just wanted to give you the eye-candy part of this story... It's like a racing MP3 sittin' on 22's. Most of all it's confusing. If you want an english description of what we have going on check out The Kneeslider.

I love baseball!

Translation... It's fun to watch girls on scooters. At least that's what I got outta it. Thanks Moto22!

***(embarrassing) UPDATE***
Well... I'm known for a low-key facetious joke every now and again... saying something proud and out loud that we know isn't true... just 'cause I think it's funny.

WELL, I was cold busted by the 2strokebuzz today. Hehe. Illnoise thought I was joking this time but in actuality when I listened to the audio at a very low level last night I could have sworn she was saying "me gusta el béisbol". Not like I had a clue with 8 VESPAS in the video and all. Whadda numskull.

I'd change the title of the post... but I'll just live up to it instead. It's still fun to watch girls on scooters. ; )

Off topic video: Reno Balloon Race 2006

It was just too cool to not share even though there are no scooters visible.

Great MP3 review from 5th Gear

"It's no gimmick!"

Thanks for the scoop Bill!

If IKEA made a scooter...

(Now this is from 2005, but I couldn't remember if I had posted it before (old-timer's disease))

Michael Tseng, Industrial Interaction Designer, makes more than just pretty icons and interfaces. That's right, he has also designed an... um... interesting scooter. Being 60% "Mr. Practicality", I have a real tough fight with my 40% "Mr. Unique" side. It's unique, I'll give it that. But, eight inch wheels on a locker-room bench isn't going to comfortably get me and my laptop across town on a daily basis.

One interesting twist that that this scooter actually doubles as one of the largest iPod accessories as well. The built in dock uses your iPod unique ID as a key and the built in speakers allow you to shower the nearby masses with your superior musical tastes.

Here's what Michael has to say about it:

The Mopah was created in response to a visiting professional who scrutinized the amount of "blue sky" design amongst students. As David Sedaris pointed out in "Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim," the danger in viewing romance movies is that we can all relate to falling in love. The experience is universal and the viewer is lead to a number of unhealthy comparisons, ultimately raising the question "Why can't our lives be like that?" The Mopah is an attempt to design an experience "like that." A reminder that industrial design can be about more than a tangible product, It can be about infusing our lives with something entirely personal: my journey, my music, my moment at the end of the movie when I drive away into the sunset with the perfect song playing in the background. Of course, in order to really prove this point, I needed to create a working prototype. The photos online display the functioning prototype and human reaction.

The typical scooter is designed for efficient transportation. The Mopah is about taking the scenic route. I wanted to alter the interaction of travel, with a soundtrack life isn't so mundane. I chose the Apple Ipod as the soul of Mopah, because of what the device stands for. Apple is turning product interactions upside down, making small improvements on existing devices that create massive change. The Ipod has become a cultural artifact... an expression of personality and ease of use, the flagship for interaction design as product innovator.

An interesting discussion I had with a fellow designer, prior to the Mopah project, was on how to prove that an interaction is a successful one. When building a sketch model or just creating a beautiful rendering the aesthetic feel is conveyed but not the interaction. I believe that until a design is created in vivid detail, the way we think a user will react to its use is purely speculation. The only way to experience Mopah is to hop onboard and take her for a spin. For this reason I decided to make a fully working prototype. My senior thesis was right around the corner so I made plans to go from ideation to final prototype in just 10 weeks (the length of the course). I knew I had to focus on specific parts if I were to get finished so I decided to push the aesthetics off to the side and make the interaction as real as possible.Mopah isn't about creating a beauty queen, it's more of a personal exploration in what it takes to make an idea real. That's not to say that I feel the aesthetics are lacking. I went with a much more personal simplistic style. I was influenced heavily by the furniture designers at my school, I always admired their use of detail as a source of style, the placement of a screw can make all the world's difference. Material selection was very important to me, which is why I went with bamboo and aluminum, two materials that may be considered luxurious in the grand scheme of mass production. The built in speakers and the boxy back pay homage to the beautiful wood speaker boxes of the 90's.

The essence of the scooter is that it's not just a motorized bike with speakers, instead its a mobile boom-box. It's an outlet to freedom beyond mere transportation, a way of unlocking the limitless possibilities we have in life. And in conclusion it's a scooter powered by an Ipod, a detail which enhances the playfulness of the design.

Mopah doesn't like being taken seriously.

Click here what the unofficial apple weblog commenters had to say about it. Generally speaking, they didn't take it seriously.

Europe's greatest hits!: VW Bug with a matching rally trailer... Hauling a Lammy.

(No... not THAT Europe's greatest hits.)

It's not unusual for a V-Dub fan to be a scooter fanatic as well, right Dan? Well, what if you can't make up your mind? You wanna drive your Bug to the scooter rally, but you wanna ride your scooter when you get there. Well, this guy in Brazil has the answer. Use your Bug to tow your scooter! This two-up rally hauler was made from the sacrificed rear end of a classic Bug and nicely matches the Lammy's paint scheme. Overall a pretty classy package.

This post made it here through Motor22 from Diariomotor who got it from MotorPasion and eventually trickled down and landed on the scoop. Now hurry and lick it off before it drips!

Hrm... I wonder...

How many Elmo hides did it take to cover this scooter. *tsk tsk* All the senseless Elmo killing...

You know, it's enough for me to WASH my scooter once every Spring... I don't think I want a scooter that I have to GROOM.
*shopping*
Hrm... Let's see... Shampoo... conditioner... brush... blow dryer... scissors AND wax kit, for those unsightly areas around the tail pipe.

Thanks to Mike Werner over at motorbiker.org for digging up this shaggy scooter!

(Oh and Elmos make great wallets and ski boots (not shown))

Yamaha hasn't buried the Hydrogen scooter yet!

Peter scoops us on some news from Yamaha Canada's "RedLine" newsletter. It appears the FC-AQEL "twin hydrogen fuel cell" powered scooter is still making the runways, showing up at a hybrid industry trade show in Pacifico Yokohama.

It says that "Yamaha has announced plans to continue developing both the Yamaha Hydrogen Fuel Cell System and the Yamaha Direct Methanol Fuel Cell System as part of our commitment to the environment and advanced alternative power technologies".

I think the funniest thing is that it starts out with:
"Yamaha Announces a Hydrogen Powered Motorcycle
. . . and just when the die-hard 2-stroke fans are accepting the 4-strokes!"

I think a fuel cell scooter would be cool if battery technology isn't already scheduled to blow it out of the water. I mean, who wants to fiddle with hydrogen & methanol if you could just plug in and get the same performance. Perhaps some day. Oh, and THANKS Pete!

PS> Yeah Bryce, I love the All is Full of Love video. It's been an inspiration for a custom idea I've been mulling around for a while now. I dig the look! Glad it didn't look like it came from the Rubber Johnny video.

Is your PX to plain? Pimp it! With a new decal set.

Spring is upon us and it's time to polish up the cowels and top off the tank... and what are you going to do about that vanilla paint scheme you got going on now? Gonna stick with it and just sorta blend in or do you want your PX to say "TAH DOW!"?

You can take your PX from plain to eye-popping and it doesn't have to be permanent. Consider a set of funky-fresh decals from PimpMyScoota.com. This isn't the run of the mill stuff you find at AutoZone... NO! PimpMyScoota (PMS for short?) has gone through the trouble of tracking down artists from around the globe to give your scoot a look that stands out from the crowd... unless everyone in your club has 'em.

A variety of styles from pop, to graph to just "out there" there's over a dozen designs to choose from a variety of artists hailing from such far away places as Africa, Canada, Australia, The Netherlands, Italy, France and Orlando; and each person has their own "info" section that tells you where they came from and where they're comin' from with their design style.

They are designed to last at least 5 years when applied correctly and can be removed if you get tired of them before then. You might even be able to get 'em fitted on your Stella or Chetak. Click on the title link to check out the selection.

Mystery scoot of the week

Krakow Nov 2006 119
Originally uploaded by Andrew Orange.

Hrm... Shot in Krakow... You can click on the photo and zoom WAY in... I saw a green logo with a lion (?) in it... But this one isn't registering. Is this ringing a bell with you?

Looks cool except for that funked up gas tank.

Being privileged has its... privileges.

We all hate scooter thieves and we don't have it HALF as bad as they have it in France. According to Charles Bremner at the UK Times "Small scooters account for three quarters of the 85,000 motorcycles stolen annually in France. Only 8 per cent of the thefts are solved." What?! Over 63 THOUSAND scooters are stolen in France EVERY YEAR?! And only 5100 are recovered? According to LoJack, just over 70,000 Motorcycles were stolen in the USA for 2005... and the entire USA is a liiiiitle bit bigger than France, right?

(update: Crashtest clarifies that Texas is a liiiitle bit bigger than France. Europe is kinda cute when you think of it that way.)

Well, even better than LoJack in France is making sure your dad is Nicolas Sarkozy, the Interior Minister and chief law enforcer. Seems when his 19 year old son's Piaggio (?) 50cc was swiped they sicked a team of detectives on the case who even busted out the DNA testing to recover it and bust the two 17 year olds responsible for the theft.

Of course this didn't go over well with the common man as you would imagine and is detailed in this snippet from the article. Click the title link to read the whole bloody story.

The operation, thought to have cost thousands of euros, drew mockery from the Federation of Angry Motorcyclists. “This is quite funny, but it has nothing to do with the ordinary motor-cyclist,” said Frédéric Brodziak, the chief motard en colère (angry motorcyclist). “When we go to the police, they always tell us that we have not the slightest chance of finding our two-wheeler. Sometimes we know the thief, but the police say it is impossible to go into estates like that to retrieve our property.”

Army Cushman with a steering wheel

Pope0047
Originally uploaded by Cobby17.

Check out this old Army scooter from Cobby17's collection. Click on the photo to see an assortment of old American scooters from the Barber Motorcycle Museum down in Birmingham, AL.
http://wapurl.co.uk/?5ONUQ80