Cap10k Noisemaker Ride 2008

(Disregarding the traffic laws never felt so GOOD! Oops! I may have spoken too soon.)

Another great year for Austin's own Capitol 10k Run. For the Austin scooterists it started out at around 6:30am. Riding into town with all the new construction, the smell of pine and gypsum was lingering in the humid air. We met up at IHOP (like we always do), we donned out volunteer shirts and headed for the starting line. This is our 6th (maybe 7th?) year of helping with the event. Basically, before the race starts we have total control of 10,000 kilometers (meters Danny METERS) of downtown streets so we can pass out noise makers, t-shirts and the like. We got rained on a bit, but it only rained on us, it could never rain on our parade. Thanks again to Mikey for doing such a great job keeping this tradition rolling after all these years!


A buncha Hooligans - Mikey, Steve and Danny loitering directly in front of the State Capitol.
Click on the title link to visit The Austin Hooligan's website and check out more photos from the event! Also you can see the people's photos here.

Yamaha Taiwan confuses and bewilders with new Vino

It starts off innocent enough with the stamp "Chihuahua THE DOG, Kids Artist Collection."
This is a Yamaha of Taiwan Vino that has gotten its styling cues from a tiny Mexican dog. We don't have them here in the US, but in Taiwan they think this things are cute.

I thought so too until I read the Google Translation.
The most disturbing part of the translation is:
"Kyrgyzstan Beibi Papazou love with your mouth."

I don't know exactly what that means but Kyrgyzstan is right there beside China, just south of Kazakhstan... Beibi can be anther way to say "baby" in the "attractive woman" sense. "Papazou" is similar to "Popozau", as made popular by the amazing rapper K-Fed (*bwarf*), means "big ass" from what I understand... and, "love with your mouth" pretty much means... Love with your mouth. The innocence of a tiny-puppy scooter is lost on some big assed, attractive Kazakhstani mouth luvin'.

This poor Velo

IMG_4722
Originally uploaded by Ville.fi

Oh my! This poor little Velocifero must have taken a wrong turn down an Italian back ally. It looks shocked and desperate. "Save me PLEEEASE! I need your help!"

Thanks to Ville.fi for the share!

Because, Mods vs. Rockers is so "yesterday"

(It's so true and sad that it makes me wanna cry.)

Today the class wars continue just south of the border in the "Emos vs. Rockabillies" war. Casey sent me this link and I thought it was from The Onion at first, but this stuff is REALLY going on. Click on the title link to read the story. They do reference Mods vs. Rockers.

Off Topic - Easily the most profound video I've seen in years

John Watson shares media links with me every once in a while. Most links are quick, little bits of interest. They pop up, I go "hrm..." or "haha!" or "I need to share this with the readers!". Well THIS definitely falls into the last category.

I don't know why this video had such a huge impact on me this morning. Was it because I had finished listening to James O'Donnell's recording of the Westminster Cathedral Choir singing Allegri's "Miserere Mei, Deus" a half a dozen times with the volume set to 11 with my office windows open? Was it because I spent a half hour reviewing images from Sony's "Shadow of the Colossus" and rolling them around in my imagination, creating a sort of mental movie trailer? Was it because my coffee was too strong? I don't really know, but as I watch this video I found myself on the verge of tears. It's like Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor had filled in a handful of missing puzzle pieces in my understanding of how my brain works. This one is going to take some time for me to completely assimilate, but I'll probably watch this again before I go to bed tonight so my mind can chew away it at overnight.

She speaks fast, so if you're interested in the brain and have 19 minutes to spare, make sure you watch this video with complete focus (so not at the office). Thank you John!

Ralph Wild wants to see you on a wild new Vespa S

If you're the kind of guy/gal who likes smells, and WHO ISN'T!? You might wanna point your nose in Ralph Lauren's direction because he's giving away a Hawt new Vespa S (in Red). I was going to keep this to myself to increase my chances of scoring the big prize... but I couldn't do that to YOU. I luv you too much!

Navigate your way though the title link to enter. No purchase necessary to win... but you DO have to have a facebook account. Sorry. You know how those Facebook apps like to get ALL UP in yer privacy. If you're ok with that you'd better hurry. There's only 3 days left to enter and it looks like less than 3000 peeps have signed up so far.

Hangin' with the homies

Smart car
Originally uploaded by l'oeil de cat

Here a smart car is seen socializing with the scooters. See how it just fits in? Thanks to l'oeil de cat for sharing!

The Dragster Story: Everything I know

With about 30 images, this post may end up breaking your browser. I apologize in advance if it does.

I was hoping I wouldn't have to reveal the man behind the curtain just yet. I really wanted to hold out until we pulled the rabbit out of the proverbial hat (did they mention anything about a hat in proverbs? Well, never mind that).

I know that sometimes, saying nothing speaks more than just saying the little that you DO know. Saying nothing-at-all may really tell people that NOTHING is happening. So, I will tell you what I do know in hopes it will put some of you at ease. BUT... before I do, let's go way back to where it all started:

January 2008. This is when I climbed aboard the USS LS Motorsports. As captain of the Italjet USA ship I knew there was a LOT of work to do. No, I don't think you understand... There was a LOT of work to do. First was damage control. A fouled-up 2007 really put a damper on people's spirits. Dealers had become skeptical and consumers had become cynical. Italjet hadn't delivered the goods and no one believed that they would come back from the dead. Even I had my moments of doubt early on. What turned me around was the insight I gathered during communications between LS Motorsports' President Mathu Solo and Italjet's President Massimo Tartarini. I found that both of these men were committed to making this thing happen. Both teams knew that when it comes to resurrecting the Dragster, they could take no short cuts... but it wasn't as easy as turning the plant back on and shoehorning in a Piaggio Quasar 250 under the seat. It was almost like starting over. Italjet no longer owned all the tooling to make a Dragster. Kinetic in India had the tooling but hadn't committed to building it for their own distribution. There is a long story about how Kinetic got it, but let's save that for another day. Italjet knew that if they wanted to build the Dragster, they would have to work closely with Kinetic to get some of the major components produced (frame, body panels, etc.) This part has already begun. Well then, how did we get a Dragster 250 for the Indi Dealer Expo last month? Let me take you on a journey.

LS Motorsports Headquarters

February 14th, 2008. I left Austin Texas at 11am and arrived in Houston around 2pm, just a day and a half before the Dealer Expo opened for business (ok, they opened on the 15th but the dealers wouldn't really start funneling in until Saturday, the 16th). Why was I driving to Houston on the 14th instead of flying to Indianapolis on the 15th like I was originally scheduled? I know it's hard to believe, but we didn't have any Italjet scooters on the truck headed to Indi; that is to say, we didn't have any NEW Italjet scooters on the truck. We did have an extra 2007 Italjet Torpedo on the truck, but no Roller Craft and no Dragster 250. Why? Because, well... lets just say, our partners waited a bit late to send them over from Italy. After they arrived and finally cleared customs (at 6pm on 2/14/08) I had about 24 hours to transport them to the show. "Why bother? You've got flyers. People know what the Dragster looks like. It's Italjet! Just hop on your plane, order a drink and get to the show!", right? NO WAY!

I played the scene over and over in my head. I was there in 2007 to grill LS Motosports in my coverage for The Scooter Scoop. "Where's the Roller Craft? Where the Dragster 250?"
I didn't want that to happen to me (Bryan), so I said "by any means necessary these scooters are getting to the show!"

I pulled my pickup truck into the warehouse (seen below) so it would be safe, and grabbed the keys to my Tour Bus. A Budget Rent-A-Truck.


As I was preparing to leave, Lanson brought forth a challenge. Who could eat 1 of every flavor of Bertie Bott's Nasty Beans (24 in our box), simultaneously, without tossing their cookies. IT'S ON!


On your marks, get set... Gulp!


With flavours (these are from the UK, right?) like Vomit, Booger, Rotten Egg, Soap and Bacon we kept a can close by. Surprisingly, we both survived; though this was NOT a good way to start out a 24 hour journey.


I change into something more comfortable and make my way to KLM Air Cargo in Houston. I wanted to get out of town by 8pm. I went over my route.


More than 1,000 miles (16+ hours) to get from Houston to Indi and I had already been on the road 3 hours from Austin.


If you are in Europe, the total journey was something like a trip from Napoli to London. Just without all the good food and old world scenery.


And THIS was the vehicle that was going to get me there. An old, dirty, Budget Rent-A-Truck. Every surface had a fine coat of sticky cola residue on it and it smelled like your garbage can just after the sanitation workers empty it.


Inside of KLM Cargo in Houston.


Lots of cool Italian toys are shipped via KLM... like this Ferrari for instance.


I got to watch the delicate dance of how a Ferrari gets on to a flatbed.


There were more where that came from.


I waited and waited for them to get around to pulling my boxes out of the warehouse.


Finally, about 7:50pm they start pulling my crates.


The Roller Craft crate was in one piece. The Dragster 250 crate didn't fare as well. I had to do some fancy strap work to make sure this baby wouldn't take a spill before my thousand mile journey was through.


I'm happy with that. It's just after 8pm. Time to hit the road!


I made it to somewhere around Arkansas before I had to stop. It was 3am and I needed some sleep.


Friday, February 15th, 7am. Four hours later I felt like a new man. I needed to make it to the Indi Expo center before they shut the doors at 8pm that same day. Could it happen?


Before I left, had to check the truck to make sure my cargo was still there. Check!


From Arkadelphia, 200 miles later I was around Memphis. Time to get a little grub.


I grabbed some Nanner Puddin' as a tribute to The King.


...and kept one eye on the truck at all times. I made it this far. I'm not loosing those scooters now!


That was it. No more photos, no more stops. Just drive like a bat-outta-hell until I finally made it to Indi at 8pm. Literally! There were times as I passed though Illinois that I reached speeds of 90+ MPH! Where were the cops? Thank goodness I didn't find out. At the Expo Center the LS Motorsports crew helped me offload, mount and polish. Mission accomplished. Even though these were just pre-production units, they were a million times better than showing up empty handed.


Some nice girl passed by the booth and asked to have her picture taken on the bikes.


She really thought the Dragster was "Hot" and would definitely give her phone number to any man who was riding one. Ok, I'm lying about the phone number part.


The new Roller Craft was a big hit with the ladies and with crews of "developers" looking for some inspiration. Here's a set of 3 taking extensive notes and photographs. They did the same routine with the Dragster; shooting photos of the suspension and steering set-up. Good luck with THAT one fellas!


Now... What do I know about the developing Dragster 250? I've got some photos that I cannot show you, but this one isn't too incriminating. I think it'll be ok (Remember, you didn't get it from me.) This is a shot of a 3rd generation preproduction Dragster 250. What you saw at the Indi show was a 1st generation and they are on to the 4th or 5th generation by now.


I didn't want to show you the front end of the above scooter because I'm not sure the Italians are ready to show you the new headlight configuration on it... BUT, the shot below was captured at an EICMA show and I think it gives you a hint of what's to come in the near future.


BRAIN DUMP:
So, here's the few facts that I do know about the 2008 Italjet line up.
In 2008 there will be 5 models and they are:
The 50.it scheduled for a Spring arrival (MSRP $2495)
The Torpedo 150 also scheduled for Spring (MSRP $3195)
The Roller Craft, that will be here this Summer (MSRP $2995)
and finally we are expecting the Dragster 50 and 250 to begin rolling off the assembly lines this Fall (MSRP $3495 and $5795 respectively)

All models will have Italian VINs, they will all come with a 1 year parts & labor warranty, they will each be available in at least 3 or 4 different colors, we will stock parts for all the new models and plan on eventually stocking old Italjet parts as available, we are currently signing up dealers across the nation with an attempt to have 1 Italjet dealer in each state (with a couple of exceptions like CA, TX, NY). If you have a dealer near you that you'd like to see carry the Italjet line, send their info to info@italjetusa.com. We plan on having our 50cc scooters licensed as a "limited use motorcycle class-B" for our friends in NYC. We are expecting our CARB certs about the same time that our first '08's arrive for our friends in Cali. The first 2008 allocations are expected to begin shipping from Houston in 2 to 3 weeks. I've got dibs on the first Dragster 250 we get in which will promptly be pimped into a show scooter that I will take to all the rallies.

And finally, congratulations to my friend and fellow member of the Austin Hooligans, Chris D. and his wife Sarah on the arrival of their lovely and sweet baby girl!

Thank ya, thank ya verrr much. Elvis has left the building.

DIY of the day - The Blinker Jacket

Designed more for bicyclists, Leah Buechley's "Signal Jacket" is her answer for, hopefully, getting noticed by motorists. I spend maybe a few hours a month meditating on the "how to make scooterists MORE visible". I don't know if this is necessarily the answer, but I do tip my hat to Leah for taking the initiative. I've got another friend who has attempted to increase his visual footprint by mounting a bevy of LEDs all over his Piaggio. I'll have to get a recent photo. Last I saw it, it looked like an extra from the Close Encounters of the Third Kind mountain-pass scene. Unfortunately, LEDs are more of a night time assist. We need a way to stop on coming cars from making a left turn in front of you. That's the leading cause of car/2-wheeler wrecks. Ideas? (sorry, we cannot accept "Rocket Launcher" as a suggestion)

Sorry about holding up the comments.

(rhyme rarry)
Ooops! I just realized that I still had comment moderation turned on after I locked out that spambot. I came back today and saw 16 comments waiting for approval. Sorry for the delay. Give me a sec to read them all and I'll come back with some... hopefully witty or at least marginally insightful responses.

Good thing I don't run this other blog. If they have a story with less than 500 comments attached to it, it's a bad day.

In Kazakhstan we have also the Big Ruckus

Avid researcher, Fritz, brings us this specimen that looks like the great, great, great grandfather to the Honda Ruckus. This is, as the image shows, a 1927 Cechie Bohmerland. Check out it's cool, nekkid frame and the long, low look. Not bad for 1927. Sure it looks like the results of an over indulgent night with an erector set, but I'm not mad at it. Judging by the head placement, it also does a good job of keeping your huevos warm in the winter.

As I found on the Classic Bikes site, this baby was equipped with a 600cc engine, an amazing double cradle tubular frame, room for 3 or 4 passengers, two fuel tanks, two gearboxes sometimes (one operated by a passenger) cast aluminium disc wheels, friction shock absorbed front fork and bright paint jobs. The durable Bohmerland became an instant classic. There's a bit more info here.

You can see hear (eventually) one of these babies in action in this video:

Off Topic - This sport will take your breath away

I guess it's not completely off topic. If you rode your scooter off a cliff it would be a bit like this... just not as freakin' awesome.
Thanks to John W. for the link! ;)

Awareness test

This has already made it's rounds across the net... but in case you missed it, it applies to scooterists too.

Marty's "Dual Scoot" Trip Through Mexico

(One of these things is not like the other. Come on, can you tell which one? Click on the image to make it bigger... it helps.)

Meet Marty, a mild-mannered, 2-wheel enthusiast who co-owns Go Moto, a scooter shop in Minnesota (title link). In February Marty normally likes to get out of the cold for some nice riding down in Mexico... but, he doesn't do a leisurely scooter ride in Cancun. No, Marty likes to ride his dual sport motorcycle through the treacheries of Tarahumara.

This year he figured he'd throw himself a curve ball. Marty left behind his desert-ready duel sport and hopped on his Diamo Torino 150. Is he nuts? Um, yes... he is. But, that didn't prevent him from surviving enjoying the ordeal adventure. Let's look a a couple of pages from his riders diary [my comments will be in square brackets, like this]:

SCOOTER vs SIERRA TARAHUMARA

It was a sunny day in early February, around 70 degrees, as I got ready to enter Mexico for my dual sport trip through Copper Canyon, to the Sea of Cortez, riding, are you ready for this? A scooter [friggin' sweet!]. After an hour of easy paper work I started across the desert on a new Diamo 150 Torino, a 150cc liquid cooled scooter manufactured by CF Moto in China [Diamo is distributed by LS Motorsports who also distributes Italjet, who is my employer... so I hope this goes well]. I added an electrical outlet to run accessories, different weights in the variator, and trimmed some body work to make gearing changes easier. Otherwise everything is stock.

I crossed a couple of small mountain passes, then went through straight desert for 150 miles to Chihuahua City [which has got to be scary by itself. I used to make a yearly caving pilgrimage to Bustamante and the crappy roads + trucks = near death experience]. The weather remained nice all day and the bike ran great, 65mph on the down hills 45mph on the up hills. I got a hotel room mid afternoon not far from the city center and decided to go sightseeing. In the evening I found a bar full of New York Giants fans watching the Super Bowl. Happy Happy Giants fans. [What? A bar full of NY Giants fans... in Mexico? Totally twilight zone.]

Monday morning, the sun was out and the winds were calm. Yep, looks like another great day to ride. I went west out of town on hwy 16, a four lane freeway for 30 miles then headed northwest on the free road towards Cuauhtemoc. The wind was picking up and at this altitude, about 5500 feet I was in the low 50 MPH range. Still a nice day, and I was in no hurry. By the time I got to Cuauhtemoc it was a 40 mph wind and I was riding along at maybe 40 mph [does that sorta cancel things out? Like you were throttling to just stand still? Curious]. I found a wall to block the wind and changed the variator settings hoping to increase my speed, however it didn’t seem to make much difference.

It was another 40 miles south to Carichic, where I left the pavement for 45 miles of dirt road fun! Being in the forest, the wind was not so much of a problem. On these roads on a scooter, 10 to 30 mph proved to be the normal speed. The dirt roads in this area vary from bad gravel roads to ATV like trails. Easy on a dirt bike, not so easy on a scooter with a couple inches of suspension travel. The Torino has good forks but like most scooters, pretend rear shocks.

I headed to Bocoyna, and south to Creel, totaling about 175 miles for the day. The hardware for the trunk mount wasn’t up to the pounding from the rough roads. I dealt with that the next day. I got a hotel and called it a day.

Tuesday I woke to snow, blowing snow, and temps in the low 20s. [so much for getting out of cold Minnesota, eh?]


I found a shop to install some self tapping screws between the trunk mount and the aluminum luggage rack. I didn’t experience any more problems with this for the rest of the trip. The weather was still cold so I decided to spend another day in Creel.

Wednesday morning the weather looked better. I headed south around 10 am, a little ice and frost still in the shadows but it wasn’t a problem. The road south of Creel is a great cycle road. Good pavement, light traffic, and never ending curves. Throw in amazing mountain scenery for a great way to start the day. 60 miles later and it was time to play on another dirt road! I went about 15 miles along a ridge before I came to Batopilas canyon. The road drops sharply, about 5000 feet in ONLY 12 miles!


Here is the view from this spot over the edge (and yes, my trusty Dual Scoot brought me there!): [wholly guacamole! Glad I'm not afraid of heights. It's still breathtaking.]


The street tires slipped around a bit in the sand and large loose rocks, but I was able to not pitch it over a cliff. At La Bufa I stopped where some teens were working on there decrepit old truck. The oldest asked if I have any gas so I gave them my extra gallon. [what a good sport! Bravo Marty!] He poured it into the gas tank which was on the ground a few feet behind the truck. I said “Adios” and got to Batopilas after another 15 miles along the lower edges of the canyon. The Torino was doing everything asked of it without complaint. [ok, I'm feeling pretty good about this now.]

Batopilas is a small remote town of about 2000 people at the bottom of the canyon. While they are having winter in Creel, Batopilas is always having summer. For hundreds of years this was a silver mining town, the mines are mostly closed now. Evidence of another enterprise greets me as I entered town - a bullet riddled suburban and house front on the main street. Seems two nights ago there was a shoot out. The stories vary but I think it was the Federalies and the exporters. [is it too late to turn around now? I'm a bit of a bulletophobic.]

I spent another day here being a tourist and eating great Mexican food.
Friday I headed down the canyon early, over mountains and through canyons. I stopped in the small town of Rodeo and got something to eat at the store. At most, a hundred people live here. 75 miles of mountain trail to the nearest paved road – makes this little village very remote. Rarely do the people of this town hear a motor vehicle so when I showed up the whole town seemed to stop and take notice. They came out of their homes and businesses. The children and teacher ran out of the school to see the big event of a visitor. Most of the children were quite shy and hid behind someone or something.

After another hour and a half down the road I reached my biggest obstacle, the Urique river. It’s only knee deep, 100 feet across, and not moving real fast, so with help I could get across. I carried my luggage across. I would need to plug the intake and exhaust, and I would need help pushing it across the river because many of the rocks on the river bottom are as big as your head. Just as I was getting ready to plug the intake/exhaust a four wheel drive pickup came down the hill. This was the first moving vehicle I had seen since leaving Batopilas 40 miles and 4 hours ago. 50 pesos later I was across the river loading my gear back on the Torino. [whew, looks like your good joss is paying off].

The next 5 miles into the town of Tubares were the worst miles of the trip with many step rocky rutted grades. [ugh-lee!]





[wow! pretty!]

Refreshments in Tubares:


I continued down a rough gravel road for around 70 miles to the city of Choix where I got back on the pavement.

On the way to Choix:


After an easy 25 miles down the pavement I got to the city of El Fuerte where I got a room at the motel Guerrero. The people at this hotel are very accommodating. They allowed me work on my bike in the courtyard so I changed the oil and changed the transmission back to highway specs in the courtyard of the motel. Then it was time for some of the best tacos in Mexico: at a street corner taco stand. [seriously, Marty is telling the truth. I've not been disappointed by street corner tacos in Mexico.]

Saturday morning I rode two hours to Topolobampo on the sea of Cortez to reach my furthest destination. I don’t know if it’s true, but for now I will claim to be the first to ride through Copper Canyon to the coast on a scooter. [you rock Marty! Very impressive!]




The Torino seemed to be happy about this also and didn’t miss a beat. It was getting 85mpg on the paved roads and 65 on the dirt roads. The 1.8 gallon tank gives reasonable range considering the excellent fuel economy. I decided to stay in El Fuerte for another night. The owner caught some bass that day, and fixed great fish dinners for the hotel guests. Lots of fresh Bass and rice made for the best dinner of the trip.

Sunday I went north on hwy 15 for 150 miles to Ciudad Obregon. I wasn’t sure if there would be hotels in the mountains so I stopped here for the night. Highway 15 runs parallel to the coast, 10 to 30 miles inland - not much to see through here just a travel day, but Its Sunny and 80 degrees.

I got up early on Monday knowing I had a 350 mile ride through the mountains to Cuauhtemoc. North from Obregon I turned right in Esperanza. The two lane road had a different highway number than any of the three maps I had. I couldn’t find any other roads so I took this one, hoping it would get me to my destination. I traveled 100 miles through the lower mountains to the town of San Nicholas where I was searched at an army checkpoint. This is normal in Mexico and isn’t a problem for travelers. I turned right on Hwy 16 and started to climb the mountains. Soon there was snow beside the road, but luckily this didn’t pose any problems. Just before Yecora I stopped for breakfast at a small place in the country. They served eggs, ham, a pot full of steaming beans, and a bowl of light cheese. It all appeared to be local, never having touched packaging, and giving off the aroma of a barnyard. It was worth the trip just for this meal.

I got back on the road and in the 350 miles I rode that day, it felt like I was in a 35 mph corner for 200 miles. It was a long day, but of some of the best riding of the trip. Good pavement, light traffic and tall mountains. I arrived in Cuauhtemoc just before dark and searched out a bargain hotel.

I got up the next day and knowing I was only going to Chihuahua I decided to take a longer route north through the Mennonite communities. They don’t have regular names - only numbers like Campo 20 or Campo 70.


At Campo 72 I was a little cold so I stopped at a road side café to get warm. Inside I was surprised by a staff that speaks far better English than many areas of Minneapolis, even though they say they were born here. The women wore typical Mennonite long pale print dresses and sounded like they were from Des Moines. [twilight zone again?]

I continued on, over some small mountains and after a quick search by the army, I headed south into Chihuahua. I spent another day in Chihuahua being a tourist, Pancho Via museum, Governors palace, etc.

It was only 150 miles back to the border. It was a cool ride in the early morning and I was a glad to have the electric vest. I checked out of the country before noon and the ride was over. 1800 miles and the Torino worked better then I had hoped - quite a bargain at $2400. It ran and started better as the miles accumulated. I only added a couple scratches to the body work.

Torino 1, Sierra Tarahumara 0.

Thanks To LS Motorsports, Diamo, Go Moto MN, and Repsol for the support.


Wow! Hell of a ride Marty. You've got some cajones, my friend. Maybe it's time to organize a scooter rally through Mexico. I imagine it helps to make this ride with a big-wheel scooter, eh? Don't think my T5 would have faired quite as well. Thanks for sending over this report! I hope it inspires other scooterists to make some exciting rides this spring. Send us your story and we'll put it up for the world to see.

DIY of the day - the eSnake electirc 3-wheeler

(Watch the e-Snake, e-Slither around the e... *sign*, "e-" is dead... but the scooter is cool!)

Hats off to Prof. Vittore Cossalter & Prof. Giuseppe Buja's fine team of students who knocked out this prototype for a three-wheeled, tilting, electric.

The goal was short distance, low consumption, low emission, in a small package that could be used to travel the inner cities.

The e-Snake is powered by dual electric motors mounted in the hubs of the rear wheels. Looks like it was a success because, from what I can read, they took home the award for acceleration and speed at the Formula Electric and Hybird Italy 2007 student competition.

Though the thing appears to be made of bent aluminum pipe it still weighs in at 357 lbs. With that heft, this electric scoot is capable of reaching 31 mph and covering a distance of 62 miles on a charge (from what I can understand).



For more info you can click on the title link which will take you to the CyberScooter post where I found this OR you can just zip directly to the University of Padova's student website HERE.

(Here's a video presentation in English)

Aprilia's new promotion

In Italy, Aprilia is suggesting that you buy a scooter and drive off a short pier. Just kidding. Actually, if you buy a Scarabeo Atlantic or Sportcity before July 31st, Aprilia will hook you up with a free vacation for a week! Yep, they will shack you and 3 other up in Italy for a week or offer you 500 euros worth of credit for use when traveling abroad. On top of all that, they are giving 24 months of zero interest financing. Pretty sweet, eh? Snorkel helmet NOT included.

Off Topic - Best Funyuns ever? Discontinued

I called today to confirm. Sho'nuf, the super good Funyuns with the cool packaging and Wasabi hotness are no more. Only you can save them by calling:

1-800-352-4477
Monday - Friday
9:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. Central Standard Time

Until then I'll be hunting down a bag of Tandoori Doritos.

Once in a while you probably have to tour the roads in a cage (car). When you do, what kind of snacks do you usually snag at the gas station? Mine? Beef Jerky, Salt & Vinegar Chips or Funyuns... and a Coke Zer0. Speaking of gas stations... can you believe that just 4 years ago gas was as low as a buck 75?! Yep, it's true.

April fooling a scooterist? That's not nice.

Man... that's just wrong... and it's a couple weeks too early.

Tokyo scooter scene captured on video

WOW! You've seen the photos, now you can see it in action! Unfortunately the video is in French and my French is not good at all. The only thing I could understand was, "Scooters look like Space Invaders." and "Yuki is hot." Um, ok... I didn't hear that last part, but I understood it.

I do know one thing, when it comes to customs the Japanese do NOT know subtlety. Which makes them good Mods too.


Anyone want to send me to Tokyo to cover all this in English?

Scoots ride by with the boomin' systems

Here's a series of videos that take "Scooter Tuning" to a whole different level. If you've got a twist & go with some under seat storage then you've got room for a stereo system... no place to store your helmet, but it's give and take. I realize this isn't gonna impress everybody, but I think it's kinda cool and you might get some messaging action from the vibrations. Here's a challenge for the MAKE crew. Build an engine synthesizer that can be triggered to generate engine noise to match the throttle position. Now hook that up to a tiny scooter and have your stereo blasting some crazy engine sounds like a big-twin or Dodge Viper engine. That would be kinda fun. Anyway, on to the videos! (PS> I've been trying to upgrade the YouTube videos to "HD" format here at The Scoop. Sometimes it works pretty good... all thanks to the &fmt=18 hack. Doesn't work everywhere, but it does help some.

WTF?! Moped of the year!?

Originally uploaded by Taaplari

Wowzers! Taaplari stumbled across some $#!+ right there! Part moped, part mud bog racer. Looks like something I might have drawn back in 1982 and that being the case makes this beast TOTALLY awesome. Thanks for sharing the luv Taaplari!

I think as a kid he rode this thing:

(Thanks to Vaughan P. for this image)

Home-brew Schwinn Stingray chopper moped

Home-brew Schwinn Stingray chopper moped
Originally uploaded by jiminyshiznit

Found terrorizing the streets of Portland. This is one wicked ped!
Thanks to jiminyshiznit for sharing! Click the image to check out some more closeup shots. I hear "Born to be Wild" in my head every time I look at this thing.

Two, Two, Two cylinders are better than one

I could have SWORN that this scooter was posted here once before, but I couldn't find it. It wasn't a shot from this angle mind you, but the same twin 50cc (75cc?) Vespa. Check out that KUR-AZY flywheel setup. It's entirely nuts. I applaud you crazy-nuts man. Click on the title link to see more custom madness from the "Mille e Una Vespa" site.

Gasoline prices hit new high, seen jumping more

This was hot off the press (when I intended to post it 2 days ago). They are saying just what everyone expected... Gas will break some records this year, and not in a good way like, "Lowest gas prices ever." No, according to this Reuters article, you're gonna love riding your scooter even more this Summer. I really do feel bad for workers who have to fill up the 40 gallon tank on their trucks. That's gotta hurt! On to the article:

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. average retail gasoline prices have reached a new high of almost $3.20 per gallon and will likely jump another 20 to 30 cents in the next month, worsening the pain of consumers struggling to make ends meet in an economic downturn.

Gasoline prices are rising sharply as refiners, who have kept prices down in order to compete for sales, become more willing to pass on their higher costs of crude oil, according to an industry analyst on Sunday.

The national average for self-serve regular unleaded gas was nearly $3.20 a gallon on March 7, up about 9.44 cents per gallon in the past two weeks, according to the nationwide Lundberg survey of about 7,000 gas stations. The price has risen 64 cents per gallon in the past 12 months.

"The price increase was entirely due to the higher costs of crude oil," said survey editor Trilby Lundberg.

Although the latest price represents a nominal all-time high, when adjusted for inflation it is a smidgen below the record of $3.18 per gallon reached on May 18, 2007, Lundberg said.

Lundberg said things will likely get worse, with prices at the pump rising 20 to 30 cents per gallon in the next month as refiners begin passing on to customers more of their higher costs for crude oil.

"Should prices indeed rise 20 to 30 cents, they would vastly exceed previous prices on an inflation-adjusted basis," Lundberg said.

Refiners since last spring have deliberately refrained from passing on their higher costs for crude oil, in order to compete for sales, she said.

"But refiner profit margins have become so slim that they will now raise prices to recover their lost margins," said Lundberg.

Hold on tight, this year is gonna be a rocky one. Will Americans even notice? Prices will likely hit $4 a gallon this summer and then when they drop to $3.50 a gallon in the Fall we'll say "Whew, I'm glad gas has gotten cheap again." As of today, the highest price for a gallon of gas in the USA is on the west coast with prices just under that $3.50 mark in Portland and Seattle and actually hitting $3.60 in California, $3.65 in Hawaii and $3.76 in Alaska. Click on the title link to read the whole story.

PS> I don't know who Wyoming and New Jersey are sleeping with, but they've still got sub $3/gal gas over there.

Seattle Scooterists take it to the City Council

(SEATTLE! THIS IS TIMELY INFO! If you ride a scooter, be there TOMORROW!)

This from Seattle's own Viktor "The Vaudeville Villain" Voris. Check it!

Attention all seattle locals. Please try to attend this meeting. a good turn out and a lot of scooters parked around city hall would make a BIG statement. Pass this info on to anyone who is in the area and rides!

Vic...

www.vespaeastside.com

Seattle City Council
Councilmember Jan Drago
Councilmember Sally J. Clark

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 6, 2008

CONTACTS: Jodie Vice, Drago Office, (206) 684-5325; David Yeaworth, Clark Office, (206) 684-8802; George Howland, Jr., Council Communications (206) 684-8159

Councilmembers Host Forum on Motor Scooters

SEATTLE - Councilmembers Jan Drago and Sally J. Clark are hosting a forum to generate ideas on how Seattle can become a better environment for motor scooters. Councilmember Drago , chair of the Transportation Committee, said, I am looking forward to a productive conversation with the scooter community to see how we can work to better accommodate them in our city as a viable transportation option. Councilmember Clark , vice-chair of the Transportation Committee, said, Motor scooters are an exciting mode of alternative transportation. Councilmembers need to hear from scooter riders, the Seattle Department of Transportation, the Seattle Police Department, and the general public about how motor scooters fit into Seattles transportation system.

What: Forum on Motor Scooters
Who: Councilmembers Jan Drago and Sally J. Clark, Representatives from the Vespa Club of Seattle, the Mosquito Fleet, Seattle Department of Transportation, Seattle Police Department, Urban Mobility Group, and others.
Where: Seattle City Hall, Bertha Knight Landes Room, 600 Fourth Avenue, First Floor
When: Tuesday, March 11, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

All members of the public are invited to attend. There is no admission cost and no need to RSVP.

-30-
Visit the Seattle City Council website at www.seattle.gov/council where you can view Council meetings in progress and access previous meetings. All members of the public may receive Council news releases by contacting George Howland Jr., Council Communications, 206-684-8159, george.howland@seattle.gov

George Howland, Jr.
Communication Specialist
Seattle City Council
phone (206) 684-8159
fax (206) 386-4628
george.howland@seattle.gov


BRAVO! I hope other cities are taking notes (errHRM, AUSTIN!) to make something like this happen in your own hometown.

***UPDATE 3/15/08***
For the play by play and outcome analysis, be sure to check out the Scootin' Old Skool blog from Seattle's man-about-town, Orin O'Neill.

Dream Scooter Survey - Results are in!

Alright! We had some great participation in our "Dream Scooter Survey". The purpose was to discover the ingredients for the "perfect scooter", and all-in-all we had over 600 participants offer their opinions.

So, are you ready to see the results? Let's start with question one. For the first question we asked for you to rate nine different qualities in order of importance. The question wasn't designed very well and a few people wrote that they were frustrated to find they could only check one box per column. Sorry about the confusion. Overall we had 638 people answer this question... what qualities came out on top? (click the image to see a bigger version)

So, out of Price, Performance, Handling, Comfort, Appearance, Build Quality, Brand Reputation, Reliability and Storage capabilities, "Reliability" came out on top, followed closely by "Build Quality", then "Handling" and "Performance (speed)". Most found Storage and Brand Reputation to be of least importance.

So, what does that mean? It means that people want a solid product. Something that is tight and right... something that they can rely on. Was that a surprise? It was to me! Observing the market (what gets imported and sold) over the last few years, I would have guessed the top three to be "Price", "Performance" and "Storage". Price actually tuned out to be middle-of-the-road as for as importance goes. I'd say that with the results we've been given, this is pretty promising. Maybe we are ready to move away from the disposable scooter? Only demand will dictate... money talks and its a language that manufacturers hear and respond to. If you buy more mail order scooters, you will get more mail order scooters... Supply meets demand.

Now, on to question number two. What design style turns you on? It's no surprise that the "Classic Italian" look took top honors. Americans especially love the look of the old Vespa, and that's why we see so many "classic" (As Bryan B. says, "Retro" is probably a better choice of words here) designs on the showroom floors here like the Honda Metropolitan, the Yamaha Vino, etc. Strange as it may seem, this design style is not nearly as popular in Europe. Nope, most other nations consider this look to be tired.

19.7% of the 628 votes for this question went with "Modern Japanese" as the style of choice. Yep, nearly 20% experienced shortness of breath and increased pulse over the swoopy lines of the scooters like Burgman and Silverwing. Ringing in at #3 was the "Modern Italian" look with 16.4% of the vote. Poor little "Moped" came in with just 1.1% of the vote. Maybe 'ped riders don't visit The Scooter Scoop. The results may have been different if we were The Moped Scoop, eh?

Well, on to question #3... This was pretty easy, the preferred wheel size was "Medium (13-15 inch)" garnering nearly 40% of the vote... So what is this survey saying? The Honda Silverwing is the perfect scooter? Strange, lets read some more.


Question #4 asked for your prefered engine size or displacement. Answers ranged from the petite little 50cc all the way up to the monstrous 400+cc class. Looking at the answers it was a pretty close call with "Large (200-300cc) just edging out "Medium (150-180cc)" at second place and "Extra Large (400cc+)" taking third. Again, if you want a closer look, just click on the image. 50cc came in last with just 4.8% of the vote.


Here's another easy one... For preferred seat height, more than half of the population said "Medium (29'-30') was the way to go. Scooters in that category were the Zuma, Vino, C3, Ruckus and Silverwing. I'm watching you Silverwing!


Here's another surprising one. Price point! We had nearly a three-way tie here with "Medium ($2800-$3200)" coming in first with 26.8% of the vote, followed by "Luxury ($5000-$9999)" at 2nd place with 25.4% of the vote and "High ($3400 - $4999)". Really? Strange... and only 2.4% expected to pay rock-bottom pricing on their next scooter.


All of that leads us to question number 7 in the survey dealing with fuel. As you can see, most people thought that good fuel economy was "Damed important!". Alternative fuel raised a few eyebrows, as did Electric Hybrid. Full Electrics register almost no impact with 55% of the interviewed population finding them rather useless.


Still tallying up the remaining answers. Stay tuned for the results in the morning.

Last day for the "Dream Scooter" survey

(Better answer the survey before it gets all old and moldy.)

Last chance to get in on the survey. We want to get it closed out at midnight tonight so we can get the results posted before the weekend. If you haven't already, please take a few minutes to complete our itsy bitsy survey. If you're sober it should only take you 6 minutes to complete and will be greatly appreciated.

Click Here to take survey

Thanks,
Steve

Micromoto racing looks like it belongs on cuteoverload.com

Six year olds + 39cc minimoto race bikes + giant helmetheads = Awwwww CUTE!


(Bradley "Stunt boy" Ray in some kneedraggin' action from Josh Daley's site)

That's a lot of darned scooters!

You know, I was just reading something about India's motorcycle and scooter market. It's a Bloomberg story that reports an 8 percent drop in motorcycle and scooter sales for the span of April 2007 and January 2008, down to, get THIS, 6.1 million units (and they are the SECOND-largest market for 2-wheeled vehicles). Let's put that in perspective, shall we? India is about 1/3rd the size of the USA. Oh kaaay? In 2005, according to the MIC, the USA had experienced a growth in motorcycle and scooter sales reaching 1.1 million units. Even the zenith of annual motorcycle & scooter sales back in 1973 numbered only 1.5 million bikes. It sorta explains why major manufacturers have historically considered the USA a minor market.

So, the next time you ask "Why don't we have a Honda SH300i or a Super Cub", you kinda get it... and by "you" I mostly mean "me"... and Lorenzo... and all the others who've had a bone to pick with Honda. If China is the #1 consumer of scooters and India is #2, I wonder where the USA ranks. Any ideas?

Scoot Magazine's Josh Rogers in the Hospital

Clay E. just sent us the scoop that Josh Rogers, seen here between Jim and Patrick, was involved in a terrible scooter vs. Lexus accident while on the monthly Los Gato's ride yesterday. Curt Fargo had been updating memebers of the Modern Vespa forum with th news:

Just talked to someone who was on the ride and he described the accident as a young early 20's kid driving an Lexus SC300 50-55mph around a 25mph turn loosing control, locking his brakes up and skidding into the on coming lane hitting Josh head on. Josh was on his Green Laser (not leading but in the middle of the pack) which was thrown some 100 yards backwards and down into a ravine. Both car and scooter are totaled.

Josh was airlifted to:
Regional Medical Center of San Jose
225 N Jackson Ave
San Jose, CA 95116
(408) 259-5000

I don't know how long he will be there or where they will transfer him too at the direction of his medical insurance company.

Yes there are photos of the scene but I'm to that they are too horrific to post here.

This hits very close to home for me as this is the same hills where I had my bad accident but it sounds like I got off a lot better then Josh did.

Lets do keep Josh and his family in our thoughts and prayers.

Please do! I haven't ridden with Josh, but in most of the photos I've seen of him riding, he's got on a helmet. I believe that's the case here too because his head and neck are in good shape. His legs didn't fair as well though and it could take 3 to 6 months for him to walk normally again.

We hope you'll be able to offer Josh some mental and/or financial support to help him get though this. Get all the updates and details directly form the Scoot! blog HERE or in the title link.

We'll be thinking about you Josh and look forward to seeing you in a tank-top again this summer!


Did you know that the emergency airlift ALONE can cost around $5000 - $8000 dollars or MORE?

***UPDATE 3/4/08 10am CST***
Talked to Josh in his room this morning. It was a relief to hear that he sounded just like he normally sounds. The drugs must really be doing their job. Again, a testament to the power of wearing your gear. How sad would it be to call a friend or relative in this situation and hear slurred, incoherent speech or WORSE, never be able to hear from them again? PLEASE, wear your gear. Thanks.

Coming up!

GS-1807
Originally uploaded by m_w_scott

Alrighty then! We've got some things planned for later this week... We'll finally have our Indi Dealer Expo coverage posted. The difference from our coverage versus the 2StrokeBuzz coverage, is that ours will be from a booth-keepers standpoint. Last year TheScooterScoop was covering the show from a press standpoint. Which was more fun? You'll have to tune in to find out (you've probably already guessed).

I will also be posting the results to our Market Survey of "The Perfect Scooter". We've had over 300 respondents already, and you may be surprised by the results (no, REALLY!).

I'm hoping to have 500 respondents before I let the cat out of the bag. Be sure to tell your scootmates to give it a shot before we close it out! See ya then!

***UPDATE 3/5/08***
A BIG thanks to photographer Mike Scoot, er Scott for taking the excellent photo seen here. Another case where should have asked for permission instead of forgiveness. Thank you for sharing Scott!