Raffle shot on live video in 24hours

(Casey and the Flying Jackhammer when they were both in perfect working order)

Just wanted to let you know that tomorrow at 5pm CST is the cutoff time to enter for the Raffle drawing. If you'd still like to contribute after then, we will happily accept, but if you want in on the goods, I'd do it now.

We will be shooting the drawing LIVE on video and posting (later that night I hope) it right here on TheScooterScoop.com. Tune-in to see if YOUR ticket was the winner. You will also get a chance to hear from the man himself and see what sort of damage he and his scooter took on the 80 yard slide. Click on the title link to read the original post and find the donation link.

Thanks again for the all of the support for Casey. He really appreciates it.

Only 3 days left before the raffle drawing!

(I hope Casey's sister doesn't mind I swiped this off her myspace page)

If you'd still like to show your support for Austin's best custom scooter builder after his scary wreck AND have a chance at winning lots of cool scooter schwag, YOU CAN!

Anyone who donates $5+ will receive an official TheScooterScoop Jacket patch (while supplies last).

On top of that, for every donation of $20+ (a $40 donation get 2 tickets, a $100 donation gets 5 tickets) you will receive a virtual raffle ticket for the drawing to win a TheScooterScoop gift basket with lots of little goodies:

• 2 stroke oil, scented fuel additive, Liquid Horsepower ($20 value) from Manhattan Oil
• A TSS Shirt of YOUR choice, a TSS Bumper Sticker, 5 new TSS posts in your honor, a MONTH of banner space to display whatever you want (within reason) on TheScooterScoop.com ($crazy value)
  
• A new-in-box Alliance SS Battlecry Helmet (Large/Blue) ($279 value) from ICON
  
• A fabulous Scooter Seat Cover ($65 value) from Crystal at ScooterSeatCovers.com

Click here for more info on what happened. You can paypal a charitable contribution to TheScooterScoop@gmail.com or use the button below. Casey is grateful for your support and compassion.

Words from the readers - What safety gear?

We got an email the other day that said:

Could you do a post about what gear you should get for a starter like myself?
Thanks!
Tony

SURE Tony! I'm glad you asked. New riders are smart to budget some safety gear into their "big purchase". Many times, if you finance your scooter, you can add your gear into the total and just finance the whole shootin' match.

So what should you get? Maybe start out with a lower priced helmet and jacket since you're just getting started? I wouldn't. If you ever needed top notch protection, it's when you're just starting out. I personally recommend a full-face as a first helmet especially for new riders. If you don't have experience with impacting the concrete you could easily mess your face up and even if you DO come from a skater/freestyle bike background it's hard to beat the protection of a full face helmet to keep your face pretty in case of a t-bone. My first helmet was an Icon. I know this post will end up looking like an Icon advertisement, but they really are my favorite for comfort, quality, style and value. Mine was an Icon Mainframe in Yellow... I believe that bright helmets save lives. OH! And another good thing about full face helmets is protection from the elements. Just drop the visor and you are pretty safe from dust, bees, birds, bugs, chilly air, rain, cigarette butts. It's not just the bees that sting... All those things sting at 50 mph.

Today I'm using a Momo Mini in "bright-ass orange". You can't miss it. Benefits? It looks cool, it is easier to be a social rider (people can read your lips) and you boost your protein intake (making reference to the bugs again). I can't say open face helmets are the wisest choice, but if you really want to go with it, I'd stick with a 3/4 helmet and get a good pair of googles or even some cheap weedwacker eye protection to keep your eyes safe. Here is a GREAT resource on helmet types.

Your local shop can help you choose a lid. Make sure it fits snug. You know, maybe you should watch this Video on fitting a helmet. Also remember - NEVER let your helmet hit the ground. Even a small drop can cause fractures that can compromise the helmets ability to perform in an accident. If you set your helmet on a wall, 5ft off the ground and it falls? Go buy a new one.

NEXT UP? Your arms, chest, back, spine, shoulders... in other words, you need a jacket. Most good brands will make a multi-season jacket with zip-open vents for the summer and a zip-out liner that you can put in place to keep the cold out. I use an Icon Super Duty jacket and I love it. Great styling and enough options to keep me comfortable through out Austin's hot summers and (relatively) cold winters. Most good jackets will have some sort of armor at the major impact points. My jacket is canvas, but has leather sleeves to help protect from road rash. Scooter riders may want to be cautious about coordinating your gear though; it's not like matching a tie to your shirt and jacket. Work too hard at matching and you'll end up looking like a Power Ranger. It seems to work ok for crotch rocket riders, but it's just not right on scooters.

Now what? Gloves. Please get used to riding with gloves. You use your hands more than anything else on your body. You don't wanna be eating hot wings, or putting soap on your hands, or typing on a keyboard or massaging your hunny with Tabasco sauce (what?) with shredded hands and your fingernails all fudged up. You can probably guess who makes my gloves. In cold areas, some riders will wear a second pair of gloves on top of their riding gloves to keep their hands from freezing solid. Not a problem here in Texas.

That's it.. that's the basics. If you're gonna be riding distances at 50+ mph you should definitely consider a pair of riding pants or armor to go under your pants and some boots to keep your ankles safe. But, having them on at slower speeds wouldn't hurt either.

Whew. I may come back and edit this later (it's 3:13am and I have to wake up at 6am), but I wanted to get it out before you went shopping this weekend. Ride safe!

Cheers!
steve

Mystery scooter - Do you want to take a guess?

Seems inspired by a cut down Vepsa small frame, eh?


Italian? Spanish? Japanese? What could it beeeeee?
I'll give you a couple of guesses before I let the proverbial "cat out of the bag".

If I had to have a motorcycle in my garage...

I know it's been less than a year since I was last sweating over this bike but a friend of mine in Japan snapped some recent shots of the rare and wonderful Suzuki SW-1. When it came out in 1992 it was VERY unpopular. Today they are highly sought after and will usually sell for $8,000 - $9,000 or so. A perfect example of "ahead of its time".

The Suzuki SW-1 was first shown as a prototype back in 1989 (below) and kinda looked like a 1957 Tohatsu with a body kit.

Available in Japan for only 2 years, she had a short lifespan like one of my other favorite oddities, the BMW C1.

Check the brochure here and a little more info here.

Grand Opening Event - Seattle, WA

(click to see a bigger map.)

Big People Scooters is a BIG contributor to the Seattle scooter scene and tomorrow they'll be even BIGGER! The man behind all the bigness is Vic V., and he has some big fun planned for you if you're gonna be in the area.

Saturday, March 26th - The Grand Opening of the new Woodinville Shop!
Be there at 1pm (tomorrow) to get in on the celebration.
The Vespa Club of Seattle is going to meet up at Cafe Racer and leave for the shop at 11am.

They are gonna have wine, beer (w00t!), pop (or soda or "coke" if you're in the south) and ALL types of animals and plants flippin' around on the grill. They are also hosting a local ride as well as a tech session. BRING THE KIDS! It'll be a real barn burner!

The address of the new shop is:
15815 Woodinville-Redmond Rd.
Woodinville, WA 98072
206-284-7634

There is a cool race car shop next door with nice vintage race cars, but if you see Vic ask him when the "Voris Scooter Museum" will be opening.

I'm still uncertain if this is the "BIG" grill they will be using. We'll have to wait for the photo gallery to post.

RE: Gas prices - Say "uncle", SAY "UNCLE"!

Oil rallies to record near $120 on supply worries | Business | Reuters

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil surged to records near $120 a barrel on Tuesday on the weaker dollar, export disruptions from Nigerian rebel attacks and concerns a Scottish refinery strike could hit North Sea production.

Further support came from data showing demand in China, the world's No. 2 consumer, leaped 8 percent in March from a year ago, the fastest rate in 19 months as refiners boosted imports ahead of the Olympics.

U.S. crude settled up $1.89 at $119.37 a barrel after hitting an all-time peak of $119.90 earlier. London Brent crude gained $1.52 to settle at $115.95 a barrel, after rising to a record peak of $116.75.

Oil's fresh highs extended a rally that has seen prices climb more than five-fold since 2002, as booming demand from emerging markets such as China has coincided with long-term supply constraints.

The slumping U.S. greenback, which tumbled to fresh lows against the euro on Tuesday, has also helped boost dollar-denominated commodities like oil and attracted speculative inflows from hedge funds.

President George W. Bush on Tuesday said he was concerned about record-high crude oil and gasoline prices, and said the United States needs to tap an Alaskan wildlife refuge to boost supply.

Why, that's a BRILLIANT idea, Dubya! The cure to all of our problems is to drill an Alaskan wildlife refuge. (soapbox: The cure is Americans making a concerted effort to reduce their oil consumption by 50% in the next 5 years and by 90% in the next 8. I'm serious! You've gotta get MAD at it. Does expensive gas put money in YOUR pocket? Then fight it! Tell OPEC to f@*k OFF! Exxon too! Fill up your car, truck, SUV and only drive it when you HAVE to. Consider a second, smaller car, hybrid, scooter or motorcycle if you can. Even a bicycle or skateboard! Are you ticked off yet? You will be.). Uhhrm.... *straightens out his stack of paper and pushes his glasses back up* Just so you know, oil is at an all time high right now and it's expected to move from $120 a barrel (today) up to $300 a barrel in the next five years. SUV drivers, it's time to bone up on your scooter riding skills. I'm not being cruel here, I'm just sayin' that when 2013 comes you'll be a seasoned rider who can dodge all the newbie riders on the roads. You'll thank me for it later. ;)

Thanks to GasBuddy for the bad news and Wikipedia for the bad future.

Casey from TSS in a bad wreck last night (RAFFLE)

(Casey seen with his homebuilt scooter, The Flying Jackhammer, at Sandblast 2007)

It's an eerie feeling to watch a close friend hit the pavement right in front of your eyes. As it's happening you become overwhelmed wondering how this is going to turn out and wishing for the best. Why do I know this? Because it happened last night 4/20/08.

Sunday at around 11pm was a calm night lit by a full moon. Six guys on scooters, the Austin Hooligans Scooter Club, were riding back from our gymkhana planning meet-up in preparation for Austin's forthcoming River Rally. Nothing out of the ordinary was going on. We were on our normal route and reached the straight-away on Stassney where it speeds up a bit. I'd say we were doing 50, maybe to 55mph when suddenly we notice something from a rider in the lead, Casey Cook. His front end began to wiggle. At first I thought he was clowning around, but then it got worse. "What is he doing? If he doesn't straighten up he's gonna wreck", I thought... the wiggle turned into an incontrollable fight and then it happened. The scooter spilled over, tumbling and flipping with the rider tumbling behind. It was horrific! Afterward I paced it off... It took Casey 80 yards to reach a stop. WHAT HAPPENED? He had gotten a case of the "speed wobbles" or more specifically, as it states in the wiki, the "Death Wobbles" (example). Sometimes referred to as a tank-slapper. From what we could gather, the front end on his DIY scooter, the Flying Jackhammer (seen above) had gotten a bit sloppy. Just the little bit of play plus the fact that there was no dampener built into the project and the fact that he was riding toward the back of his scooter leaving the front end light are all suspect.

The worst part about the whole thing was that Casey wasn't expecting to ride that night so he left all his gear (helmet, jacket, gloves) at home (the scooter is kept at the house of another Hooligan who lives closer to town). Casey ALWAYS gears up. At least Chris "The Dude" had a half helmet to lend him. This leads to the original title of this post, "Occasionally, even a tempted fate will cut you a break." As Casey tumbled down the pavement with his scooter sparking ahead of him I feared the worst. An open face half-helmet leaves your face, teeth and chin open to damage. Riding gloveless can leave the skin on your hands peeled back like a banana. Riding jacketless can leave some major road rash, not to mention an assortment of bone fractures at the major contact points (back, shoulders, arms, elbows, chest). Riding without reinforced jeans can lead to more road rash and maybe bone damage and wearing Vans instead of boots leaves your ankles open to even greater damage. Casey was given a break. Sure he received some nasty road-rash along the shoulder, arm hands and legs, a separated shoulder (at least 2-3 weeks in a sling) from his initial impact with the blacktop and a pretty bad sprained ankle, it really could have been SO much worse.

I couldn't think of anything poetic or profound, all I could say to Casey was "great job". Seriously, I know he was thinking the scenario over as it was happening and he managed to recall some of his old skateboard crashing techniques to reduce road rash.

We are all glad that Casey was let off relatively easy (especially his wife and 2 kids). Of course there is healing time, and assorted costs associated with mending himself and his scooter, not to mention time off from work. If you've met Casey before you know he's a great guy. Casey is knowledgeable, sharp as a tack and also a big contributor to the scooter scene. Very few have taken DIY scooter building to the degree that Casey has. The Flying Jackhammer is just one example.

If you'd like to help Casey get back on his feet he could use it. Anything helps.
I've added a relief fund for Casey to this post. We all wish him a speedy recovery.

***UPDATE 4/22/08***
Anyone who donates $5+ will receive an official TheScooterScoop Jacket patch (while supplies last).

On top of that, for every donation of $20+ (a $40 donation get 2 tickets, a $100 donation gets 5 tickets) you will receive a virtual raffle ticket for the drawing to win a TheScooterScoop gift basket with lots of little goodies:

• 2 stroke oil, scented fuel additive, Liquid Horsepower ($20 value) from Manhattan Oil
• A TSS Shirt of YOUR choice, a TSS Bumper Sticker, 5 new TSS posts in your honor, a MONTH of banner space to display whatever you want (within reason) on TheScooterScoop.com ($crazy value)
  
• A new-in-box Alliance SS Battlecry Helmet (Large/Blue) ($279 value) from ICON
  
• A fabulous Scooter Seat Cover ($65 value) from Crystal at ScooterSeatCovers.com
  

and MORE being added as contributions come in. So, come on out and show Casey a little love! Drawing to be held the week after we've reached our goal of just $500 measly bucks. That can be done with just 100 contributors. We get THAT many unique visitors by 5am! If you want in on the ever-growing gift basket, you better do it QUICK!

Note: A TSS Banner is a great way to promote your Scooter Club! How about your website, shop or product? Show off your cute puppy! Make fun of Steve! Promote your presidential candidate! Show how Baddass you are! NOTE: IF the "chip in" tool below is broken, please send your charitable gift via paypal to TheScooterScoop@gmail.com and put "Casey" somewhere in the description. Thank you. You know... better yet. Use this button:

(Phil compassionately offered a $200 contribution, so add that to the above total.)
A warm and sincere "Thank You" to all who have come to Casey's aid.
If you want to be included in the Raffle, you've still got a few days to enter.

WTF?! of the week - The Evil Honda Helix

Usually when you think "Honda Scooters" it might conjure up thoughts of cuteness (Metro) or oddness (most everything else)... but when you've seen what I've seen lurking around craigslist, it might change your mind. Check out THIS Honda Helix of DOOOOM! It was an '86 like my own Uhura back in the day. I think it has potential. It's screaming for a set of duel headlamps though. Click on the title link to see the original post (if it's still there).

Love confessions

It's one thing to have a little toy scooter on your work desk or stare out of your window longingly while ignoring your TPS reports, but to make a 4 minute slide show professing your scooter desire takes another level of fanaticism. Cougargrad did just that and posted it for the would to see on YouTube. She has lots of support, with 74 comments and 16,000+ views.

I had to post it here to help her get the word out. Thanks to vmoto1955HD for the scoop. Scooters are great to ride to work and are definitely better than driving an ugly car everyday.

When a scooter IS a moped

(finding a good image of a Vespa V5A with the pedals attached is about as hard as finding a photo of Sasquatch with his hair combed.)

I remember seeing this in a book once. It was a GREAT photo of what is definitely one of the oddest Vespas ever made. Apparently this rare bird was created for the French market back in the mid 60's. From what I understand, the only way you scoot "unlicensed" was if the scooter had pedals (in other words, was a moped). This is the work around.

If you own one now and someone calls it a "moped", you can't frown. Sorry.
More googling reveals a thread on Modern Vespa where scooterists ponder its oddsmanship.

A beautiful V5A sold on ebay recently for the paltry sum of $1,825. Pedals NOT included.

Super Street (car) Magazine covers the RUCKUS?!

(I had to rub my eyes in disbelief! Scooters in SUPER STREET MAGAZINE!?)

First of all, thanks to my fellow Hooligan, Casey, who brought this to my attention. After a failed attempt to find this magazine (April 2008) in my local book store, I resorted to Google. It didn't take look before I found it, where else? None other than the Ruckus Central (thanks RuckRider1!). You can click on the title link to go right to a scan of the whole story... and it's not like one of those tiny mentions. NO! This was like a FIVE page story! That's BIG! Reading it will make you want a custom scoot magazine in the US. Even if it were only semi-annual.

Anyway, you've gotta see it for yourself. It features at least 4 customized and tuned Rucks with Engine Swaps (I don't know what they got in there, but it's no Honda 49cc. Something cooked up by MRP), and all kinds of aftermarket goodies.

First, Super Street, then what? Biker? Easy Riders? RebelRodz? Actually, that last one would be pretty cool! They already did a Rat Beemer:


***UPDATE 4/11/08***
You wanna see how they perform? Check out Joel's visit to KillerScooter!


Oh, hehe. And Joel, the man behind MRP, caught wind of this story and submitted a photo of himself chillin' with the bruthas of Killer Scooters. Nice shop name by the way. Thanks Joel!

What?! It's been three YEARS?

(This is not the position you normally like to see your scooter in, but it's ok 'cause this is actual CAKE!)

Wholly SMOKES! Where has the time gone? Yep, shur'nuf... April 9th marks our three year anniversary. The Scooter Scoop has been working to deliver "the scoop" for longer than the lifespan of the front-right shock absorber on your TNG Baja 150. Sorry, I guess that one was a bit obscure. Anyway...

What's left? What can Steve do now that he's actually working for Italjet? You know, we're still working that out, but since some of my scooter manufacturer/distributer contacts will, understandably, no longer give me "the scoop" it's a bit tough. I mean, sometimes I'd hear things that I couldn't actually "print"... Off-the-record sorta stuff that would at least give me a good mental picture of where things are going (not Honda though. Jon is like a stone cold machine.)

Now then, what you CAN expect in the coming year is:
-At least ONE more TheScooterScoop.tv episode. I'd like to do more and I might, but I make no promises. On an economic level, they don't make sense at this juncture (did I just bust-out a Bush senior-ism? Damn). Perhaps when an ad structure is worked out with people like YouTube it will generate enough revenue to cover the cost of making the darned things. Yes, they are fun to make, but now I've brought on professional audio, cameras and editing. I can only barter so many scooter rides around the block. The last video we did was the Smart Car test ride and it has almost 30,000 views (no, the pros didn't work on that one, but you'll see their effect on this next video).

-More scooter lifestyle coverage. We'll look at customs, tuning, upgrades, DIY projects. We'll talk about events and oddities. We really wanna highlight individuals and groups who are making an impact on the scooter world and taking things above the ordinary. Not a WHOLE lot of difference, maybe less of my personal opinion on scooter models available in the US market (...must...resist... temp..tation!)

-And, as it comes, more Scoops. I may have to rely on you more for that now.

-Even MORE "celebration of wheeled oddities".

-Some surprises. I can't say what right now, but when it's done you WILL know.

So, thanks for coming back to pay us a visit! I've got some stories on the burner now that I hope to serve-up tonight in between tucking the kids in and ukulele practice. I will tell you this though. My prediction is that in 2008 you will hear MORE rumblings about scooters than you've EVER heard before in the USA. Will scooter companies who once ignored the US be able to react quickly enough? Bryan over at 2SB actually predicts the opposite! A scooter market crash? Interesting... Let's see how this plays out shall we?

A TOAST! TO YOU, THE SCOOTER ENTHUSIAST *clink*

***UPDATE 4.9.08***
Thanks to Bryan for clarifying his prediction in the comments.

Scootershops experiencing "grudge purchases"

(SUVs are hiking up their tires at the price hike)

Here's a little story in the Austin-American Statesman that seems to be following an interesting phenomena that I'm hearing at some dealerships. Consumers come to the scooter shop just after they've filled their car at the service station to buy a scooter because they are just sick of dropping $60+ on a tank of gas for their car... a sort of "grudge purchase".

Gas prices send commuters to motorcycles and scooters

About two months ago, Coy Wells began leaving his truck at home and riding a new Honda 919 motorcycle to work.

The economic downturn and rising fuel costs pushed him to buy the black motorcycle for about $5,000, said Wells, a Whole Foods employee who commutes 54 miles round-trip each day from his home in Cedar Park.

He still drives his Ford F250 diesel truck in bad weather and when he's with his family but said he generally saves about $92 each week by using the motorcycle he bought at Woods Fun Center as his primary vehicle.

"They're predicting gas to be at over $4 by mid-year," Wells said. "If you don't make a decision to purchase a motorcycle in advance to combat the ongoing price increase, then the cost and demand of motorcycles within itself is going to go up."

Wells is not alone. As gas prices continue to rise, an increasing number of Austin-area residents have been making the shift from four wheels to two. Austin-area gas prices held steady at $3.17 a gallon this week, according to AAA Texas. Michael Marks, executive director of the Texas Motorcycle Dealers Association, said high gas prices have boosted sales at Texas motorcycle dealerships.

Click on the title link to read the whole story from the Statesman or visit your local scooter shop to make a grudge purchase of your own. (Don't forget the helmet!)

New track sport - Synchronized Highsiding

Synchronizing something usually makes it better... Synchronized swimming for instance. The only thing really good about this video is that both riders recovered nicely.

I'd ride that!

(I don't know where it is, but it looks like heaven)

I've been making my rounds today; calling a bunch of dealers and I'm finding that all across the lower half of the US the weather is shaping up to be Ab Fab! I, myself, am looking out of my window with longing eyes. Cut me loose from this headset! I'm ready to RIDE!

Speaking of which we've got some AWESOME and SWEET rallies and rides coming up in Texas this month. First is:

Had a... um... "blast" last year. SERIOUSLY! It's really hard to beat a rally with cute monkeys and cold Bloody Marys. I wish I could make SANDBLAST II. Yes, TheScooterScoop is a sponsor but we ran into a major schedule conflict. SOOO SAAAD! Please go and have fun without me. *Snif snif* I know some of my Hooligans will be there as will the lovely riders from Houston Scooter Battalion, The Filthy Few SC, The Sunday Punchers as well as good ol' Piston Broke, SC Golden Triangle, The Royal Bastard SC, Alamo Scoots, The Ne'er Do-Wells... did I miss anybody?

I WILL, however, be able to make San Antonio's 7th Annual Spring Fling on April 27th. See ya there!

Tricks to DOUBLE your fuel efficiency?!

There's a video over HERE that you might want to take a look at. In it the guy shows you how he got his car from 17mpg to 34mpg in just a few easy steps. I think I'm gonna try it on the wifey's CRV. The real cool thing is that he's NOT trying to sell you a nutty gadget... unless he works for an acetone company. Thanks Maniac World video guy!

***Update 4/4/08***
Looks like this post should have made the April 1st deadline. All excitement about said "fuel economy" is quickly squelched by Mythbusters and an ASE Master Tech. Thanks for the feedback. Though... If it were 100% untrue, then lots of time must have been wasted attempting to prove the contrary. That still doesn't stop it from being banned by the government as a fuel additive in Vietnam.

Show brief - 2008 Tokyo Motorcycle Show

Howdy folks! Just a few days ago the Tokyo Motorcycle Show adjourned and our good friend Aki H. was there to cover it. The show is rather small. The whole thing fits into a room about the size of two football fields (8,800 sq meters). Usually the Japanese Big 4 (Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, and Kawasaki) take up half the space and assorted parts distributors and smaller shops take the the rest.

From a scooter standpoint there wasn't a WHOLE lot of coolness.

Aki did send this photo of a traditional street marching-band that Japanese shops use for advertising. This time the band was at the show instead of wondering the streets.


The Royal Maxam (Morphous) was in the house. You remember that one, right?


Here we see a standard-issue Suzuki Skywave SS. You remember that one, right?


The most exciting item I saw was THIS. In Japan the C3 is called the Vox, which also happens to be the name of a very popular guitar amplifier manufacturer. Put them both together and it's like chocolate and peanut butter... except louder and faster with less calories.

That flat black with white walls ALONE kicks arse. The rear and front amps just kick it over the top. See another photo here. You know you like it, don't act like you don't.

Aki also sent a link to some other points of interest, like this old school riding armor, which would look cool going down the street... and this:

A custom SYM RV250? Come on now!? How often do you see a pimped out SYM?! Fresh.
Arigato Aki! Thank you again for the great coverage. It may not be the biggest show in Tokyo, but there is still some gems in there. Just remember though... If you ever go to Japan, avoid the Monster Burger.

Buddy meets Playmobile

Love your Genuine Buddy (Bubu)? Then you might want to hunt down this Playmobile looking BuBu toy scooter. I don't know much about it, but it's kinda cute. Click on the title link to see more photos on the original link at the BubuBiBi blog.

Smart cars selling strong, distributor could do with 15,000 more this year

s
The smart limited two, unveiled in Geneva.

(Reprint from AutoBlogGreen)
It's a good time to be selling Smarts in the U.S. The North American distributor, Roger Penske, told Automotive News that he thinks that, on top of the 25,000 Smarts he's getting from Europe this year, he could "easily" sell 15,000 more. The trouble is that the Smart factory simply can't produce more than they currently are, so those 15,000 extra sales will either be delayed or lost to other brands. Penske said he's waiting to hear from Mercedes about possibly making more Smarts for the U.S.

Since the refundable deposit for ordering a Smart online is/was only $99, Smart USA said that as many as 25 percent of pre-orders are being canceled in some markets. Still, Smart USA's president told AN that the overall number of cancellations is "low," and the cars that were once destined for a particular buyer are not sitting on the lots because of high demand.

In the grand scheme of of the American car market, 25,000 Smarts - or even 40,000 - is not a lot. Still, if anyone was curious whether Americans could embrace a truly small vehicle or not, I think we have the answer.

Go to the title link to see more photos of the Geneva 2008 Smart Limited Two and the reader comments.

Renntech Puts the "ART" in SMART

(The craftsmen at Renntech have pulled out all the stops in this baby!)

LAKE PARK, FL – 01 April, 2008 – RENNTECH 7.22 Takes Smart Performance to New Levels

RENNTECH's 722 tuning package for the Mercedes SLR McLaren supercar has been generating a lot of attention recently, as has RENNTECH's appointment as the American agent for the Mercedes-Benz McLaren 722GT club racer and SLR.Club Trophy USA series.

Building on these runaway successes, RENNTECH has released details of an exciting new project called the 7.22. Based on the new Smart ForTwo, the7.22 is powered by two (2) 1000cc, 3 cyl. Smart engines, each mated to its own 5-speed, automated transmission.

“One engine drives the front wheels, the other drives the rears,”

explains Hartmut Feyhl, RENNTECH's president and ex-technical director of AMG North America. “One of my employees, Jo Borras, previously worked with Mosler to build their dual-engined Cadillac TwinStar, and made the magazine rounds a few years later with his own twin-engined Hyundai Tiburon. It seemed like a good idea to try on the Smart, so we went with it.”

Each of the Smart's drive units exists in its own subframe, complete with its own ECU and electronics, making the process fairly straightforward. Feyhl explained that once the steering mechanism was integrated into the engine's cradle, the resulting subframe mounted directly to the existing safety cell, using the same mounting points as the original. Feyhl admits “the hardest part was getting the 7.22's new plastic bodywork 'right'.”

Interestingly, since each engine and transmission assembly is completely isolated, there is no need to synchronize the two. Feyhl informed us that “each engine and ECU finds its job suddenly easier, and simply acts as if it were going downhill or carrying a lighter load.”

Never ones to leave well enough alone, however, the crew at RENNTECH set to work on their pint-sized terror ... but even putting out a string of 750 hp SLR McLarens and 900 lb-ft bi-turbo AMG cars didn't prepare them for what happeed next.

The boys at RENNTECH were surprised (“shocked” might be a better word) by what happened when the software engineers cracked the Smart's Bosch electronics and removed the engine's rev limiters. “It revved like a liter-bike,” says Feyhl, “and none of us expected anything quite like that!”

Using the Triumph Speed Triple motorcycle's torque curve as a guide, RENNTECH's software engineers began massaging the Smart's fuel maps until they achieved a totally unbelievable result: 91 raucous, twitchy horsepower at a stratospheric 11,800 rpm.

That's right, kiddies. Ninety-one peak horsepower at eleven-thousand, eight-hundred rpm from each of the two Smart 3 cylinders ... and the new, RENNTECH-imposed rpm limit? An absolutely SCREAMING 13,200 rpm.

The end result is a twin-engined, 182 hp AWD street machine that zips from zero to sixty in an astonishing (and terrifying!) 5.1 seconds, on its way to a top speed of 138 mph.

Getting all of the RENNTECH Smart 7.22's newfound power to the ground are a set of specially-designed 17” RENNTECH forged Monolite wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot sport tires. Hard, fade-free stops are made possible by RENNTECH's 14” 2-piece rotors and Smart-specific 4 piston calipers, while RENNTECH's new “Go-eco” exhaust system makes use of futuristic technology to ensure that the 7.22's only emissions are a blend of pure oxygen and a potpourri of fresh lilacs and honeyuckle.

The RENNTECH Smart 7.22 is available today for $39,990. Contact RENNTECH for more (please check today's date before ordering).
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WOW! It's almost UNBELIEVABLE!