Italjet 2008 Status / Slice of delicious chocolate cake for the naysayers

(This image pretty much sums it up for me... except maybe without the "Scamper" tierra... depends on how much I've had to drink.)

Where's the RollerCraft? Where's the Dragster? You wanna know? Let's start with this press release:

HOUSTON, Texas – May 27, 2008 – LS MotorSports today announced that Sales and Marketing Manager for the Italjet USA brand, Steve Guzman, has decided to leave the company on May 30, 2008.

“Steve has done a tremendous job growing the Italjet dealer network in the United States. Unfortunately, manufacturing issues have caused a delay in delivering the 2008 product line forcing us to re-evaluate our requirements for the current season,” said LS Motorsports President Mathu Solo. “LS Motorsports is committed to leveraging the momentum established with the Italjet brand to achieve a strong and successful launch once the new products have landed on our shores.”

“I’m proud to have had the opportunity to promote such an iconic brand as Italjet to the US market,” Mr. Guzman said. “The Tartarini family is responsible for so many groundbreaking designs over the last 49 years. I trust Massimo’s passion for delivering a quality motor scooter and welcome their return when they’ve received his seal of approval. “

Terry Nesbitt, LS MotorSports VP of Sales and Marketing will be managing all Italjet USA accounts going forward. For additional information on the Italjet USA product line, please contact him at 281-690-5471.

Surprised? Disappointed? Yeah, me too. It turns out that Italjet SpA is in a predicament very similar to the historical "Predicament of 2007". What's wrong? Well, let me start with a little background on the financial environment there in Italy today. To put it bluntly, Italy's economy sucks. Banks aren't lending money, the ports are on strike... The picture is not "Bello" by any means. What does that have to to with Italjet? Let's continue.

Italjet is a design house; it's what they excel in. You remember the Dragster, right? And that was from way back in 1996! Since then they've come up with other great designs. Even recently the Amarcord has attracted LOTS of attention. Well, the game has changed a LOT since Leopaldo handed the reigns down to his son Massimo. It's not as easy as it used to be, "Hey Morini! I need this!" or "Motorini! Send me that!". Now everything is done in Asia. Ducati might still have some components made in Italy, but for the most part all other Italian manufacturers get their pieces come from places like India, China, Taiwan, Vietnam... Final assembly might be in Italy, but not much else.

This manufacturing model can yield pleasing results IF you can afford the right partnerships. BUT, if you are struggling to raise capital, you'll find yourself working with suppliers who are less.... um... disciplined. Italjet has spent the last couple of years learning that the hard way. The preproduction units haven't come near satisfying Massimo's quest for quality. The RollerCraft is a great example (the one I brought to the Dealer Expo this year). I'm not sure what generation that preproduction unit was (I'd be willing to guess it was like 5th or 6th), but if you got up close to it, you'd see it wasn't passable as traditional Italian fit & finish.

Massimo is feeling the pressure and disappointment more than anyone. He knows the great responsibility he holds as torchbearer for such a legendary name. He could have just signed off on the last preproduction sample and said "Good enough!", but he's not willing to throw in the towel.

(I've camped out at Austin Java for too long. Let me continue this story back at the lab.)
***TO BE CONTINUTED***

***UPDATE 6/10/08***
Alrighty then, we're back. Let's see, what were we talking about last time? Ah yes! Throwing in the towel. So, now that we gone our separate ways, what's Steve going do with himself? Go back to his soul-rotting IT career? Try to find another powersports industry job? Well, I'll tell you one thing I'm NOT gonna do. Abandon TheScooterScoop! She's been here providing an exciting outlet for me over the last 3+ years and to tell you the truth, the "conflict of interest" I'd been fighting as a brand rep was killin' me! I think I'm actually going to give-it-a-go at serving scoops for a living. I know! Crazy, right?!

Stay tuned, by Dealer Expo 2009 I'll either have succeeded or have been kicked to the curb by my loving family, supportive friends and mentoring industry folks. It's like a reality show "got busy" with a blog and out popped TheScooterScoop June 2008 edition. Now if I could get Flava Flav to do some scooter reviews for us we'll be on the road to success!

Any questions? For real. Is there anything you wanted to know about the whole adventure? I'd be happy to entertain your curiosities. *Steve looks around the room*

Crude Oil Declines 0.7% to $130.15 a Barrel in New York - Scooter surge officially over

CNN Money reports oil prices fell over $4 today. This marks the official end of the scooter surge for Americans who are relieved but now forced to find ways to re-purpose their hasty purchase.


Lesley Banks, seen here tilling her garden, is happy to see oil on a recovery. "I was unsure what to do with this old scooter I bought. I was certain that the $4 a gallon mark spelled the end of 4-wheels for me. I'm just glad that MRP sold a tiller attachment for this thing."


Carl Lateef says, "many Americans don't realize that old, metal bodied scooters make GREAT smokers! Under this cowl I've got two turkey breasts and a ham that should be ready in time for the Hummer meet-up this evening."

Other Americans are not so lucky. The Craigslist servers have been down most of the day today as administrators attempt to balance the traffic load from all the scooters being posted. Fred Watkins, an owner of 3 scooters, says he will probably just put them in the back of his garage and only take them out for the yearly "Roman Holiday" reenactment that he and his wife had planned on attending this August.

Many Americans are taking advantage of GM's "Family Fleet" promotion to celebrate the occasion. Consumers who buy a Hummer A1 or H2 by May 31st will receive matching Hummers for the kids. Piaggio plans to respond with a new 1200cc Vespa megascooter available only for the North American market called the FU1200 that runs on baby seal carcasses.

Shout outs to TheOnion. I read the latest issue today at lunch and it inspired this story.

A big shout out to a couple of ladies who know NO limitations

(Steve, P.E.A.C.E. Scooter Alix and Heather together again)

It's been a week now and I'm finally getting around to this post. It was GREAT to have Alix back in town for some BBQ & Beers for peace. It seems like it was yesterday that Alix, Heather and I were riding up to Crawford, TX to deliver Alix's message of peace to the commander in chief.

As for the title of this post... Alix, hats off to you my dear. You are making history and I'm proud to be a tiny part of it. Heather, some of the most hardcore riders I know are women and that includes you. Thanks for being the only one with the cojones to join me for that ride to Crawford and back. I'd love to join you for the Cannonball, but frankly... it scares me.
Here's to the both of you!

Click the title link to read about Alix's trip through Austin.

Scooters are cute and fun... but know their limitations

(click the image to zoom in)
Thanks Tim! What a hoot!

And I thought free parking was nice. Scooters in Spain get the pole position!

My homeboy from Normandy, Mike Werner, reports that in Spain the authorities have begun marking special areas in front of traffic lights just for motor bikers. In other words, when the light turns red you would get to scoot around the other cars and roll right up to the front of the line because motorbikes often accelerate faster than their 4 wheeled friends... Unless you're on a stock Honda Ruckus. :P~ I'm teasing

Thanks for that bit of Info Mike! Click the title link to check out some more photos!

Poll - Do you think Daelim should throw us a B-Bone?

French site Motor-Infos.com brings this video of Daelim's (from Korea) B-Bone in action. Even if you don't understand French, you'll get the idea.

It's been almost exactly 1 year since we mentioned this baby... So, now I present the question.

***UPDATE 5/29/08 2pm***
Hrm... Only 34 votes?! Out of 2,000 visitors since the poll was posted?! Where's the love people? Are you indifferent? That's bad news for scooter distributors looking into bringing a new product to market. Strive to be loved by many or hated by many, because nothing is more painful than being ignored by many.

Tokyo-Parts makes the most evil C3 (Vox) ever

The Max★Vox. If Yamaha had a partnership with Warner Bros. to produce a Bat Scooter inspired Vox (C3), this is probably what it would look like. I'd love to have better photos and specs, but I don't have a copy of the June issue of "MotoChanpu". You can click the title link to hop over to the Tokyoparts Blog and/or you can enjoy this little slide show in the meantime:


If you want a little more background on how it was made, you could always scour through the TokyoParts site looking for the VOX keyword.

Dear Honda - Please don't make a faster Ruckus

They say necessity is the mother of invention. Well, I don't know who "they" were, but I do know that they were spot-on! It seems nothing has been more inventively inspirational than the slow, slow engine of the Honda Ruckus. I mean, who doesn't love the Honda Ruckus?! Who doesn't think it could use a light kick-in-the-pants? And so we have...NECESSITY!

Owners have tested their grease-monkey skills by installing racing cams, pulley springs, clutch springs, CDI boxes, custom pipes, upgraded variator & weights, air filters, bigger carbs, better plugs, only to touch a speed ceiling of 45, maybe 50 mph.... After that all you've got left is your ingenuity.

You could test your skills by bolting on an engine upgrade like sticking a 125cc Yamaha Cygnus or other Honda clone engine in there. Very respectable, but for some it's still not enough. You might push THAT even farther with the mad scientist inspired NPS600 (a Ruckus with a Silverwing engine crammed under the seat... which, makes me feel... funny... down there) and for some even THAT isn't enough.

At this point you'd be reaching deep into the dark recesses of your creative tool box to come up with a solution... let's see, what do we got here? Sling shot? Electric hub assist engines? Ion Drive? Ah HAH! I GOT IT! Jet engine! Nothing commands respect like a scooter spouting a 5 foot flame and screaming away at 18,000 RPMS. Go ahead, search your feelings. If you've got a drop of testosterone in your blood and were around in the 70's, you know what sort of impact the classic Bat Mobile had on your mailable little brain.... and SO, we present the jet powered ruckus





So Honda, do us a favor and don't squash this inspirational masterpiece you've created. I'm hoping we will see that ion drive Ruckus any day now.

Fusion Love

FusionStyle
Originally uploaded by squeezyrider

Ahhh, the Helix (Honda Fuson) gets so much love in Japan. I had to share this one for the crazy front end configuration. "Cheers!" to squeezyrider for sharing this great shot!

Extremist's writings are just that. Extreme.

(This sharp group of cadets have just been read a copy of Rant #446)

That's right "Extreme", or better yet, "X-TREME!" In otherwords, played out, old... starting to sound like my grandmother-in-law. In his recent Rant #446 (title link), Peter De Lorenzo presents "Scooterlicious?" Not so much (as soon as I read the retired phrase "Not so much", I knew).

In Peter's SUV of a tale, he conjures up extreme examples of why scooters are dumb. He starts with the "Americans are a bunch of fad riders" notion. Come on, this isn't the America of the 80's with people clobbering each other to get their hands on a Cabbage Patch Kid or a Furby. I'd say we've gotten a bit more sensible with our fad purchases. Today our frenzied buying sprees are more akin to Japan's trend of wanting to ride that bleeding edge (iPhone 2.0). We know something important is approaching and we want to do what we can to not be bowled over by it. Really, think about it. Things are moving so fast in today's world, if you fell into a 6 year coma today, you would be LOST when you snapped out of it; and, when you eventually find your keys you'll wonder how you're going to afford to fill up that old Ford Exorbitant of yours.

Pete seems fairly certain that the bump at the pump is responsible for turning Americans into mindless, fuel efficient, zombies. Instead Pete, what we've got going on today is a sort of "perfect storm" paradigm shift. Take the standard pendulum trend theory (long to short, high to low, jock to geek, big to small), combine it with the Green Movement (which has moved from a simmer to a roaring boil in the last decade), add a dash of globalism (macho Americans becoming comfortable with a more European mindset), sprinkle some "we're tired of the oil war" and top it all off with a heaping glob of "damn our economy sucks and gas is too high" and you get the NeoAmerican period 2008 - 20xx).

Well, the eye-rolling rant doesn't stop with reminiscing the America of 20 something years ago. Nope, Pete reaches way back to another tired idea, "Americans are hopping on scooters to reenact scenes from the 1950's movie, Roman Holiday." You know what? I've never watched Roman Holiday. I'd be willing to bet most new scooter buyers haven't either. Sure, I'd like to ride to the local bakery for a nice piece of buttered, old-world bread and a latte, but it's a case of of art imitating life and not lives imitating art. If someone is indeed buying a scooter to portray the romantic scooter lifestyles from the 50's and 60's they are probably approaching 50 or 60 years old themselves (not the largest scooter buying demographic) and they probably looking at something more along the lines of a Honda Silverwing or Suzuki Burgman, not a tiny Vespa.

Peter DOES manage to stumble over some logic in his rant by stating that "scooters aren't cute little toys" and following up with the fact that scooting around the populated streets safely is no casual endeavor. Bravo my man! Riding a scooter CAN be fun and is definitely a much more sensual experience than driving a car, but you'd be a nut case to ride the streets with anything less than 100% of your wits about you.

Diving back into the pool of the preposterous, Pete warns of the perils awaiting us on the streets. "Horrible, crumbling roads" are out to get us. Pete, if you want to see horrible, crumbling roads, you should visit Asia and they LIVE on scooters out there! Ok, I'm being extreme, but they manage to traverse the countryside on their "cute" little scooters quite nicely.

Next, we are on to this classic which has traditionally been a good ol' American catch-22. "Large vehicles are out to get you! The world drives hum-vees and every one of them is piloted by a dunce on a cellphone". While this is correct to some degree (even a broken clock is right twice a day), it's a dumb reason to stay with your 4-wheeled behemoth. Let's go back to what I meant by "good ol' American catch-22"?

Well, way back when, I remember hearing the old folk talk about how "scooters and small cars ain't safe". They'd say, "Hell, I'd never ride no small vehicle. You'll get killed! The bigger, the better. If you wreck in wunna them SMART cars, they can just bury the whole damn thing right in the ground." UGH! You want to know what bigger means? Bigger means more surface space to hit (bigger targets). Bigger means greater momentum (harder to stop). Small means nimble, light and much more forgiving on impact. I say ride small. If you will, someone else will and they might inspire someone else down the line. Eventually, major accidents that were once massive piles of carnage and twisted heaps of steel become a virtual Benny Hill bumper car scene (can you hear "Yakety Sax" playing in the background?) Oops, I'm being extreme again.

To wrap up his rant, Pete gives us a quote straight from the books of Americans past. To the NeoAmerican it almost reads like the writings of a Neanderthal when he says:

Just remember to double-check that sideview mirror, because there might be a stray “Marcello” or “Sophia” hanging off your rear bumper...

Ahhh, those were the days. Do you remember when Americans were just a bunch of big cavemen riding around on their big dinosaurs without a clue about what was going on around them? It wasn't so long ago. If you ever want to see the exhibit, just swing by the AutoExtremist... but don't feed the animals.

In summary, I'm just saying that these arguments against Americans moving to small vehicles are old and tired. They don't need to be handed down to the next generation. They were the excuses we've always been fed for why we should stay the course. Sometimes you've just got to make up your own mind and leave behind those ancient, hardheaded beliefs. It may not always make sense (financial or otherwise) today, but your kids might look back through the family photo albums of you with an SUV and later you with a SMART or on a scooter and see that YOU were there for the evolution.

(sorry, one good rant deserves another... No disrespect is meant to you Mr. De Lorenzo. This is just a rowdy debate so I thought I'd hop in. I will say that I do agree, buying a scooter to replace your 2006 Tahoe is probably not the most financially feasible idea... but sticking with it for another 5 years probably isn't either.)

Back in Black

SDIM1295.JPG
Originally uploaded by andi808

This photo caught my eye. A glossy, blacked out Vespa in Berlin. Cheers to andi808 for sharing!

The LA Times - Scooter sales trump motorcycle sales

(Nice video with one tiny correction, Kymco People is Taiwan not Korea.)

Besides some interesting stats on scooter sales this piece from the LAT compares what is probably the most popular class in the USA right now, the 125-150cc displacement. It's not so much a shoot-out between the Vespa S, the Kymco People 150 and the Yamaha Vino 125 as it is a "best in sub-category". Susan Carpenter gives us her opinion on "best style", "best city handling", and "most economic". The web article actually takes it one step further by comparing 3 maxi-scoots (Majesty, Silverwing, Burgman). Thanks to Mike D for the scoop!

Wallstreet Journal - Preaches to choir

(This video is only partially related to the story by J.Welsh, but it's a nice view)

Bravo to Jonathan Welsh at the WJS for kicking out a pretty all-encompassing scooter article today. It's one of those pieces that, if you were just beginning your scooter research, you'd could read it and hold an intelligent conversation with others at your local scooter meet-up. He not only touches on the whole fuel aspect, but also talks with some experienced shop owners and riders to get their opinion on the situation.

I'd say it's worth a read and I'm glad he went the extra distance and constructed an easy to follow graph of fuel savings. Click the title link to read the whole story. Thanks to FM for the scoop!

Texas United River Rally - A Splashing Success!

(Don't believe me? Watch the video!)

Austin's PistonBrokeSC managed to pull off one heck of a Rally this past weekend. After watching the video I really wish I could have made it. :(

***UPDATE 5/22/08***
More photos here.

Leia featured in a model shoot

Here you see my girlfriend... and a nice, young girl named Kristina. Isn't she beautiful?! I should have given her a bath before the shoot, though I must say her paint came out pretty nice here in the finished product. For more photos of Kristina go to www.ArtsImage.com.

What would Genghis Khan wear?

In celebration of the new movie Mongol, opening June 6th, I thought I should dig this back up from 2007. Borsalino has a selection of pretty "schwank" lookin' lids. If you aren't feeling the Mongolian look you should click on the title link to see the other helmets they make. Not sure where to get them in the USA though.

Notes from the UnderBerry - BBQ CRASH BOY SPORTIQUE

(looks like we might be having technical difficulties with image comments)
File under BlackBerry Photos that I've been meaning to share and finally got around to downloading. Nothing too exciting... kinda like a moblog.

Geek Squad finally stops buggin' and gets SMART

Tim Bush shares this photo of the new Geek Squad mobile. Looks like the VW Bug just wasn't geeky enough. It's cute, and it couldn't possibly get any cuter or small errrr...

hrm.
.
.
Well...


ok... so it can get cuter and smaller (um kid, you left your gas cap open)

Lane-splitting in a car? Looks like it's possible.

Egoboss shares this photo of the skinniest car I've ever seen. The hood looks like a waste basket. I don't know who makes it, but truly I believe it's just a mobility scooter with a body kit. I'd love to see it in motion though. Looks like it would be good for a few laughs, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Stop me if you've heard this one...

High gas prices are driving scooter sales up - Autos- msnbc.com

(M.Spencer Green/AP - Johnny Scheff of Motoworks in Chicago helps a customer try out a scooter. Business is good, he says: ‘April was a terrible weather month in Chicago, and the things were just flying out the door.’)

The 51-year-old restaurant owner bought a candy-apple red Honda last week as worries about the price of gas overrode any trepidation about learning to drive it. With the average price of gas closing in on $4 a gallon, many cash-strapped motorists are turning to fuel-stingy motor scooters and smaller motorcycles.

Dealers across the nation report brisk sales this spring, particularly for those that get from 75-120 miles per gallon."Ninety-five percent of those who come in mention high gas prices" said Lonnie Trujillo, sales manager for Vespa of California at Sherman Oaks, Calif. "Even though we're in southern California and have ear-round riding weather, April sales were phenomenal," he added.

Sales of name-brand scooters such as Honda, Yamaha, Vespa and Suzuki rose 24 percent in the first quarter of the year, said Mike Mount, spokesman for the Motorcycle Industry Council trade group — noting that it's not exactly a hot sales period because of cool weather in much of the nation.

Off Topic - Ducati vs Puma

Puma has done some pretty cool partnerships in the past and so has Ducati. Did you know in 2007 they came together to create the Puma Ducati Panigale (about $110.00)! There is supposed to be a new 2008 run also. They also make a cool boot. Now we wait to see if Ducati creates a new scooter... Even a Puma scooter would be cool! Maybe if I wait around long enough, I'll get to ride one.

Click the title link to see the colors.

Celebrity scooterists caught in the act

Sure celebrities may lead a life of luxury, but deep down they are regular scooterists like you and I... and just like us, they gotta "get their RIDE ON!"

Not all of these images are new, just not see here on TheScooterScoop before... in case you're collecting. Enjoy!


Owen Wilson on his Vespa in Malibu (NiqueHappy.com)


Brad & Angie on an unknown in Ho Chi Minh (NinjaDude.com)


Jay Kay of Jamiroquai on his Vespa GT-60 (Autobytel.com)


Ellen Page on her Ped (GlitteratiGossip.com)


Tiny image of musician Robbie Williams on his Aprilia Mojito (MSN UK)


Naomi Watts & Liev Schreiber on a Vespa (Celebrity-Gossip.net)
This was taken 'post-baby'.... These are not:


Naomi Watts & Liev Schreiber & Baby (CelebWarship.com)


Naomi Watts & Liev Schreiber & Baby (celebrity-babies.com)


James Gandolfini of The Sopranos on his Vespa (USMagazine.com)


Matthew Lesko on his Scarabeo (88slide.com)

Couldn't find any photos of Jason Segel on his Vespa, but you can pick a couple more photos out of this mess.

The Vespanomics video that didn't make the cut

(What they lack in quality they make up for in cute)
Thanks Tim for bringing this one up. It brightened up my day a bit.

Speaking of Suzuki... WOW! The SD-01 and SD-02 (Now with alien technology)

(breathe, breathe... deep slow breaths... think of something less exciting the 2008 Honda lineup)

Here's one that surprisingly slipped past the scoop-o-scope last month. Thankfully, Dudel's was working. At the 29th Annual Bangkok International Auto Show (March 26 - April 6, 2008), Suzuki Thailand showed of two jaw-dropping concepts... The SD-01 Cyber Motorcycle and the SD-02 Pure Motorcycle.

The only thing I can make from the press release is... "Adjustable honeycomb styled seat", "LED lighting" and lots of words like "aerodynamic", "exciting", "rapid", "alive" and "downed alien aircraft". Just kidding about the last part, but they do say "advanced technologies". Hrm? see what I'm saying?

They look like they'd have to be electric (unless they use fusion powered repulsor drives). Unfortunately my Thai is even worser than my English, so if you've got Thai skills maybe you could fill us in. SD-01 SD-02. You can also click on the title link to see a few more photos from Krashkraft. Eh? Alien? Krash? Kraft? I think I'm on to something... or ON something, one of the two. I can tell you this; the technology is definitely from the year 2551!

Stay tuned for some sort of video here in a little bit.
You can also go here to see how they pimp their scooters in Thailand. Much different that what they do in Japan.

***UPDATE***

(OMG! I wasn't ready for that. The still photos do nothing when you watch the video... especially the ending. I'm on the edge of my seat now!)

Who made the "worst bike ever"?

(A poorly built bike is one thing, but a bike that's out to KEEEL you is a whole 'nother ballgame!)

I was popping around SuperHunky (for some reason) and saw this post called "Worst bikes of all time". I've always been interested in extremes. "What's the best" is good to know, but "what's the worst" is just as important.

Well it turns out that the "worst bike ever" came from our good friends in Japan, Suzuki! Sure, Christine was a red-and-white 1958 Plymouth Fury, BUT if she was a motorcycle she'd have been a 1971 Suzuki TM-400R Cyclone. Off-road.com also poses the question. Was it the most dangerous bike of all time? Anyone wanna test drive one and let us know? I'm kidding. Please don't.

Can you buy a new Honda Reflex for $1950 shipped?

Today I was asked about a brand called "Viva". What did I think about it. Well, frankly, I'd never heard of it so I decided to do some digging and found THIS. The Viva Roadster Moped 250cc Water Cooled or the MP250RO... Catchy. I couldn't find the pedals on this moped, but that's beside the point. The question is can you buy a NEW Honda Reflex for $1950 shipped? Look at this thing. Looks like a fully loaded Honda Reflex (discontinued as of 2008), but without the $6000 price tag AND it comes with extra storage AND a radio!

The answer is YES! You can! At least that's the way it will seem for the first couple of hundred miles. THEN you reach the breakdown threshold... the 300 mile mark and all $#!+ breaks loose. If you want to see the buyers remorse in action, check out this post over at our good friend ScootDawg's site.

Poor Mickster AJ buys one online and is happy as a clam! It's quick, good storage, looks nice. Life is grand. Others chime in, "Hey! Looks great! Keep us posted!", THEN *splat*. The poop hits the fan and at 300 miles... Observe:

1. The fuel gauge sending unit is evidently coming from China. I offered to repair it if the dealer took it out, but he needs to return it for credit (broken), so I just need to wait.
2. The engine idle speed is erratic and can not be adjusted to function properly when engine is cold and hot. Sometimes idles over 2000 RPM and some times stalls. Dealer says he will put a new Japanese carb on it, but is waiting for the fuel gauge sending unit to do the whole job at once.
3. Apparent fuel starvation at highway speeds after 5 miles of driving. It appears to run out of fuel and I must reduce speed to about 35 to 40 MPH and close and open the throttle repeatedly to keep it running. I suspect the fuel pump is the problem here.
4. Battery went dead. Recharged the battery and then determined the charging system was not functioning. Dealer says it was just a loose wire.
5. Suffered various electrical failures and found the plug-together connectors under the front cowl had multiple loose connections. Tweaked those I could to tighten them and replaced a few of the (Chinese junk) OEM connectors.
6. Can not find any matching paint for touch up.
7. Wife wants me to "get my money back" due to so many on-going problems.

This is just the day in the life of a clone my friend. Not sure if you've heard this quote or not... and I'm not sure from whom it originates, but it's an ancient Latin phrase that goes like this: "Illa nanscisceris cui expendas" which, roughly translated, means "You get what you pay for." A $1950 Honda Reflex clone is 1/3rd the price but not 1/3rd the quality. A real Honda Reflex wouldn't have met these issues at 900 miles... maybe not even at 9,000 miles.

So the answer ends up being "Yes" if mileage <=299 miles. IF mileage >= 300 miles the answer is "No". I'm not sure if that's the same story for the other 10+ Reflex clones on the market, but I'm not going to run a study to find out.

***UPDATE 5/15/08***
To be fair, I've tried to look at this purchase from the standpoint of a buyer and I can see where this purchase might make sense. I've posted it in the comments below.

Canadians get hit with a guerilla ad campaign courtesy of Vespa

Our good friend Pedro sent us this from the pages of Glossy Inc (see title link).
Seems that all of Canada (Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary & Vancouver) has just been plastered by Vespa S Headed persons loitering on walls, buildings, trucks and garbage cans. I don't know what to think. They are effective at attracting attention, but at the same time they are giving me the gibblies (as Strong Bad would say). Click that title link to see the hordes of headlight headed heathens.

Dude, your Lammys on fire. No seriously.

Originally uploaded by fabbio

Good gracious! I'm not sure how Fabbio captured this, but it's well done (so to speak). This is a nice looking Lambretta with a serious carburetor issue. Thanks for sharing Fabbio!

Watch out, this scoop is still smokin'! - Yamaha to announce T-Max for US Market in 2009!

(Image is of a 2008, but it'll probably look just like this)

Dudel still loves us! So much so that he dropped a jewel on us tonight! I don't think I want to reveal his sources just yet, but lets just say it is VERY reliable. That's right! (Sorry for the spoiler Yamaha) Sometime later in the year (maybe September) you can expect to hear the official channels bringing you news on her eminent arrival.

This announcement is GIGANTIC for the US market. It shows that Yamaha still has some love to give (grumble HONDA). Believe me, I'm as surprised to hear about the T-Max today as I was when the news broke about the Morphous coming to town in 2006.

"Now, what's so special about the T-Max?" you may ask. Damn near everything. This little 500cc monster is a highway eating machine. Even if you aren't in love with the look, you will be head-over-heels with it's performance. I really love how Australia's Two Wheels Scooter Magazine starts off their story on the new T-Max:

The young punk on the R6 keeps checking his rear vision mirror, wondering what’s going on. You know the type.

Riding in shorts, sneakers, no gloves and a singlet. He can’t seem to grasp the fact that there’s an annoying but urprisingly large scooter following him round every bend and not disappearing into his rear vision mirror every time he gets on the gas. In fact, the big Yamaha actually seems to be gaining on him.

You can click on the title link to read their whole, drool drenched story. They make it sound very exciting. Below is a 360 view of the 2008 edition of the T-Max. Again, I have a feeling our version will be very similar.

***UPDATE 5.14.08***
Illnoise over at 2SB has been throwing some numbers together to approximate the eventual MSRP for the US Market. I'd put the numbers here, but to leave him some room for recalculation I'll just post a link. It will have the latest updates down in the comments. (Don't let Bryan's artistic sensibilities fool you, he's a real math whiz, or at least he appears to be when compared to myself.)

Story linked on the NYTimes Wheels Blog.

Vespa GTS gets SUPERsized now nearly 300cc

Sure this news is on the "Dollar dozen donut" table by now, but I couldn't let it just sit there. So, grab some coffee and a napkin 'cause Vespa has gone and done it again. It wasn't too long ago that Vespa introduced their biggest engined Wasp ever, the 250cc GT. I never occurred to me that Vespa, who liked to keep their displacements at 200cc or less, would begin gobbling up the pie reserved for scooters like the Honda Helix (may she rest n piece). This week they announced they were moving on to someone else's pie with a water cooled, 4-valved Quasar 278cc engine crammed into their GTS.

I can't fully understand the Italian press release, but according to them it's supposed to have "hella torque".

Initial test rides at the Milan presentation reveal the GTS 300 Super to be not only "beautiful" but also "very agile". They said "it only took a moment to reach 77mph, but don't tell anyone."

Once I get some real specs, I'll drop them here. For now I know it's coming in Gloss Black and Monte Blanc White (or Snow cap white or something like that). She's still got the steel chassis. Her tank holds 2.4 gallons of gas. She's still got 12" tires and should have a host of accessories available soon like the large barrel bag, wind screens, racks, alarm system, etc. Expect the GTS300 Super to show up on the floor with a $7000+ price tag though.

Big shout out to Motoblog.it (title link) for the details and a boatload of photos. Be sure to check out that ginormous (it's a word) gage cluster.

Not to beat a dead horse, but *BLAM!*

(By Justin Sullivan, Getty Images)
NEW YORK (AP) — The government on Tuesday again raised its short-term price forecasts for crude oil and gasoline — trends that are expected to tamp down demand — as oil futures blasted to a record near $123 a barrel.

The Energy Department predicts average monthly gasoline prices should peak at $3.73 a gallon in June, an increase of 13 cents from last month's estimate. Regular-grade gasoline is expected to average $3.52 a gallon in 2008, 71 cents above last year's average.

Diesel fuel prices are projected to average $3.94 a gallon this year, up from $2.88 a gallon in 2007.

At the pump, meanwhile, the national average price of a gallon of regular gas slipped 0.1 cents overnight to $3.611, according to AAA and the Oil Price Information Service. Analysts are split over how high gas will go; while prices have slipped since May 1, leading some analysts to say gas is close to peaking, others predict the fuel will follow oil's upward surge.

"You're going to see new highs for gas prices, probably for the weekend," said James Cordier, president of Tampa, trading firms Liberty Trading Group and OptionSellers.com, who predicts an average price of $4 a gallon in the coming weeks.

Best of Indi 2008 - Rescue Tape

Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to roam the halls too much at the Indi Dealer Expo this year, but my band of Hooligans (Casey & The Dude) did, and one of the things that stood out to them the most (besides booth babes), was a booth babe who offered to wrap up their fingers in this crazy stuff called Rescue Tape.

Now, The Dude is no small guy. At 6'5" and 200-sumthin' pounds he makes short work of loading his Vespa into the back of his pickup truck, by himself. Still, when this girl wrapped him up, he couldn't pull the tape off. He was starting to get claustrophobic until she busted out the scissors to cut him loose.

This video is from Latitudes and Attitudes. The pirate on the right is Bob Bitchin, and the sales guy in the video, Ron Cordas, is doing a nice job at selling something as boring as tape. Click on the title link to go directly to the Rescue Tape site. This stuff would be great if you needed to repair a broken fuel line, a leaky exhaust, an electrical connect prone to getting water logged or if you needed a temporary replacement throttle grip. They say it'll even work as an emergency fan belt or tourniquet in the event of a bloody gash. No word on whether or not it can be used as an emergency prophylactic.

Gasoline prices push scooter sales

by Paul Wyche | The Saginaw News
Monday May 05, 2008, 7:46 AM
RELATED STORIES:
• Experts: Abandon hopes of cheaper fuel

•Consumer behaviors change to meet gasoline price increases

Don't blame that buzzing you hear this summer on the mosquitoes.

As fuel prices increase, more people are looking at motorcycles, scooters and mopeds to get them where they need to go.

After 14 consecutive years of increases, total motorcycle sales in the U.S. declined slightly in 2007, said Mike Mount, a spokesman for the Irvine, Calif.-based Motorcycle Industry Council, a nonprofit trade organization, which reported 1.1 million units sold nationally.

"However, 2007 was still at least the third-best year for motorcycle sales in the past 30 years, and sales of scooters and dual-purpose bikes were at their highest levels in the past 20 years, showing strong interest in affordable, fuel-efficient bikes," Mount said.

Wohlfeil's Hardware, 5818 State in Saginaw Township, has watched buyers zip off the lot on dozens of its 30-mph scooters as workers with short commutes, parents buying for their teens and others decide to shell out about $2,000 to get 118 mpg.

"That's our best-selling model, but we have some that cost $5,799 and are faster. They're getting hard to get," said Herb Schmidt, a sales associate at the store. "The roads could get crowded with them this summer."

Wheels a'turnin'

Just last week, General Motors Corp. said the nation's economic problems forced it to slash production of full-size pickups and SUVs by 143,000 vehicles. (too bad they didn't see this coming a couple of years ago.)

Drivers are looking for more fuel-efficient ways to get around.

The GM cuts will take place at four plants, including two in Michigan. For the automaker and its workers, the reductions add pain to a string of bad news. A spokesman said GM does not reveal the projected number of total autos that will roll off assembly lines.

Since February, GM has had to either stop or cut production at more than two dozen plants, partly because of a supplier strike and because customers are gravitating to smaller cars in the face of spiking gasoline prices.

"With rising fuel prices, a softening economy, and a downward trend on current and future market demand for full-size trucks, a significant adjustment was needed to align our production with market realities," said Troy Clarke, president of GM North America operations.

Small cars are now the largest portion of the U.S. auto market, accounting for 18 percent of new car sales.

Last year, U.S. consumers bought a record 2.8 million of them, and with sales already up 4 percent in the first quarter this year, the record appears likely to fall.

AAA Michigan spokesman Jim Rink sees no end to high fuel prices.

"There are no new refineries being built, and global demand is rising," he pointed out. "There are no short-term solutions. We just have to deal with it."

Once seen as status symbols, SUVs are losing their appeal among consumers worried about their wallets, said Ed Heinz, a salesman for Garber Nissan Hyundai, 5450 Bay in Kochville Township.

"We have a lot of people who are trading them in for mid-size cars with better mileage," he said.

Buyers even are giving two-seater electric cars a look. Though it may resemble a golf cart, the Chinese-built Flybo has generated significant interest at Great Lakes Auto Sales, 2205 N. Michigan in Saginaw.

"I must get 50 e-mails a day asking about it," said Dave LaTarte Sr., the dealership's owner, adding the 2008 models have several upgrades, including longer run times and heat, meaning motorists can drive them in cold months.

"People are wanting to see them."

The $13,000 vehicles travel up to 150 miles before needing a recharge. They plug into any ordinary household electrical outlet for two to three hours, and then can take to the roads cruising along at 40 mph.

Scooter Sales Soar Along With Gas Prices

By CHAD TUCKER
FOX8 News

GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) -- These aren't your father's motor scooters.

For drivers looking for relief from gas prices at $3.50 per gallon, today's scooters offer high miles per gallon and highway speeds. As a result, scooter sales are at an all-time high -- having tripled in the past year.

Most scooters get between 65 and 90 miles per gallon, which trumps even the most fuel-efficient hybrid cars.

"They're thinking these hybrid cars were great, getting up to 30 miles to the gallon," said Josh Alleman, who sells scooters for Scooter Vita of the Triad.

Alleman said he was commuting from Mebane to Greensboro every day and spending about $80 per week to put gas in his Honda Civic.

"Now, I'm spending $16 a week in the scooter," he said.

Scooters can cost from $1,500 and up, depending on the make and model, and if a scooter has a 50cc or larger engine or goes over 30 miles per hour, it needs to have motorcycle license plates.

Alleman said he expects the upward sales trend to continue.

"Holland, Italy, Germany ... all these places you see scooters are incredibly popular. Well, our gas prices are nothing compared to what they are over there," he said.

Behind the scenes of the NPS600 SuperRuckus

The most sinister of scooters, the NPS600, was first mentioned on the Scoop back in 2007 with a tiny little video. This Kansas City contraption is the masterpiece of a madman called "PomeRuck" over on the TotalRuckus.com site (see title link).

After the video we wanted more. How was it done? What sort of work went into shoving the power plant of a Honda Silverwing into the backside of a Honda Ruckus (the little one mind you, not the Big Ruckus, may she rest in peace). This monster was even featured (twice) in MotorChanpu (motorchamp) magazine. Well, Dean has decided to let us behind the scenes. Click on the title link to read the step-by-step. Who knows, it might inspire YOU to do some scooter voodoo of your own.

Oh, and you can get a subscription to MotorChamp magazine for between $105 and $150/year depending if you want it delivered by boat or by jet.

***UPDATE 5/13/08***

"What it's like to ride the NPS600" or "What it's like to be Superman".

Friggin' sweet custom airbrushed helmets

(The Spawn lid? NICE! Who's gonna be the first to get an Ironman helmet?)

I just ran into this the other day. Air Asylum Kustom Airbrush Graphics (or A.A.K.A.G.?), where the artist paints helmets, welders masks, bikes, cars, guitars and more. Look around the web and you'll find other cool examples.

If you're wondering about the painted visor, it's covered in a perforated vinyl. From inside the helmet it just looks tinted, kind of like those buses you see wrapped in graphics.

Oh, and speaking of Ironman. I gave it an 8. Would have been a 9 had I never seen/memorized the trailers. I have hopes for The Incredible Hulk, but I have a feeling it's gonna be like a MadLibs plot. Basically take the same story line and substitute a bulky green guy for the hero and a few of other people for the bad guy, love interest and comic relief. I'm pretty sure Hellboy II will rock though and my fingers are crossed for Indi IV.

Scooters featured in Rod & Kulture Magazine

(Here's a scan of just 1 page from the 4 page article. Looks like fun! Except for the whole "makin' out with the pavement" part.)

If you get Traditional Rod & Kulture Illustrated magazine in your neck-of-the-woods, then you'll probably find lucky issue #13 on your shelfs by now (Spring 2008). Rod & Kulture is a sweet rag that holds 100 pages of Hotrod, Kustom, Pin-Up, Bike, Art & Music coverage of in between the leafs of of its glossy grandeur.

The magazine is normally pretty jam packed with sleds, rods, drag racers and an occasional bobber or chopper; so, imagine my surprise when on pages 76 - 79 I found SCOOTERS! Well, back in the 50's and 60's they called 'em Mini Bikes. Ok, "YES" there is a difference, but they're close enough.

The thing that really attracted me is the celebration of DIY bikemanship. Here's a bunch of guys (gals too? I think I saw one or two in there) with a few bucks and/or parts laying around who are exercising a skill us Americans used to be proud of... something we were respected for world wide, "mechanical ingenuity". In today's world of virtual living, most of us have more battle scars from our computer keyboards than from our socket sets. We just pay other people in other countries to build things for us (generally speaking). Will the day come, in 50 years, where our hands are too soft to turn a wrench? Will our kids find mechanic work as foreign as farming? I'm no exception. I'm just glad I can change my own oil. BUT, I want to do more. I want that sense of pride and accomplishment from building my own... WHATEVER. My dad used to wrench on the car, I'm sure your's did too and if you're mechanically inclined, GREAT! Why not bring back that tradition of DIY? It applies to more than painting your walls or installing a new toilet. DIY mechanic work is to create, innovate, and inspire others to do the better so THEY can return the inspiration.

(This post has been written in honor of our raffle winner, Chris "CoffeeDrink". Four more to go my man! Again, thanks to you and ALL of the generous supporters who helped Casey, our OWN DIY guy, get back in the saddle.)


(And their OFF! Thanks for the video link Tim!)

Italjet Velocifero ignition wiring diagram

I got a call the other day from someone with a Velocifero. It was given to the guy and it only had 100 miles on odometer but the key was broken off in the ignition. He removed the ignition module and removed the key... BUT forgot to label which wires went to which poles. D'oh!

Even with a blackbelt in Google-fu, neither I nor Illnoise from 2StrokeBuzz could locate the elusive wiring diagram (thanks for the help by the way Bryan).

Luckily Scuderia West has some kickass mechanics with this sort of knowledge buried in their archives. The above image SHOULD be the correct ignition wiring schematic for the Italjet Velocifero. No guarantee is written nor implied. If you blow up your bike... sorry.

If you find an error in the diagram, please let us know. We just want to help people get the right information so they can get back on the road. Thanks.

And the winner is...

Casey Cook! Well, he's feeling like a winner, thanks to you.
But who won the raffle? Watch and see: