Review: 2008 Yamaha Majesty

We're still servin' 'em up! Here's the latest in our short, little review series. You can click on the title link to read the write up at Motorcycle.com.

You may have noticed the brevity of these reviews. They are meant more to convey the essence of the scooter than offer an all out dissection of it. It's not really a substitute for doing your own research to gather the long-term owner satisfaction data... more of an attempt to give you the bike's first impressions. After you read/watch the review you should have a pretty good idea if this scooter is going to make your "short list" or not.

Anyway, hope you're enjoying the weather in your area. It's been cookin' here in Austin. I took my scoot out (at 4pm) two days ago and I felt the hot breeze blow over me as the heat rose up from the black pavement and rained down on me from the above. I have been testing a new jacket (report to come) and I can see the value in mesh jackets. I haven't used one personally, so I'll have to do some research to see what other mesh jacket owners have to say about them. Do you have one? What's your opinion on them?

PS> There's a funny little typo on the motorcycle.com review right now. I said I like my scooters to look "scooterly", meaning small, like you'd expect to see when someone says "scooter". For some reason it came out "cooterly" on their site... which... um.. would be an interesting look for a scooter, I suppose. They should have the typo fixed by tomorrow afternoon.

The bird and the wasp in NYC

(Julia Allison, and her DOT certified tiara, sit atop this cute little Vespa ET)

If you read Wired magazine, then you may recognize the little princess who is perched on this Vespa in NYC. It's none other than Julia Allison from NonSociety. She submitted this photo because she knows what scooter geeks we are (and she loves some geeks).

She didn't send any details on the scooter, but I'd be willing to bet it's a 50cc ET2 with a lovely matching top case. The 50cc scooter is such a hit in New York because of the LMB (Limited use Motorcycle, Class B) classification, meaning you don't need a title or to have it inspected.

We're not sure where Jules is right now but fortunately she was part of our tag and release program. We have attached a tiny JPS (Julia Positioning System) to her tiara, so if you are in the area and want to say "Hi!", these were her last coordinates.

Thanks for the scoop Julia!

Review: Aprilia Scarabeo 200

The latest review for motorcycle.com of the 2008 Aprilia Scarabeo 200. Please click the title link if you prefer to read the review (if you're a "book IS better than the movie" kinda person).

Review: Vespa GTV 250ie

Alrighty folks, we've got our next Motorcycle.com review up. You can watch the video here and read the details on their site HERE. Sorry to send you somewhere else, but I'm trying to help 'em get a little bit of traffic over there. ;)

DN-01 captured in the wild

Our Korean compadres, Furange custom factory, have captured a shot of the Honda DN-01 in the wild. I hear it's been available for 4 months now, but I haven't seen a whole lot of photos of one on the streets. If you've ever wondered what a DN-01 would look like with extra storage, check out this custom job Furange is doing for someone. It's ok, but something about it is not quite right.

In case you wanted to know what they sound like, watch this:

Though this DN-01 aftermarket pipe sounds even better.

***UPDATE 7/30/08***
Hell for Leather says Honda has recently been dipping their DN-01 "toe" in the American market "waters" to see what we think. Click here to read their scoop.

Moreped

From the Villa.Fi flickr collection (see title link) comes this shot of a moped, the likes of which I've never seen. Three wheels, full front fairing, windshield with wiper, roof. Looks like it could have actually been a production model. Here's another shot (-) it's blurrier (+) but you can see more detail.

Oh... and I can't really see any pedals, so it may not be an actual moPED... more of a cub I suppose.

Moped says: Go ahead punk... Try ta ride me

King Jude shares this photo of one MEAN moped. Check out this custom Tomos. You don't even want to hit a curb on this baby. Click the title link to see more of this pool side beastie.

Can you ride a scooter year-round in Alaska?

(I sure hope so, because their gas prices SUCK! Image Source)

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - Think you're feeling pain at the gas pump? Consider the residents of Lime Village, Alaska, an isolated Denaina Athabascan Indian community where gasoline prices have hit $8.55 a gallon.

The price is severely curtailing movement around the interior Alaska village, where four-wheelers are sitting idle, said Ursula Graham, administrator for the Lime Village Traditional Council.

"Nobody's going on joy rides, that's for sure," Graham said.

Click the title link to read the whole report.

Boston struggles with scooter parking solution

(Little Suzy Phillips, age 6, offers a proposal to solve Boston's parking issue. flickr/DanCox)

“We understand the green issue, and we don’t want to prohibit that. But want to make sure it’s done in a safe way,” says BTD spokesman Jim Mansfield. He may not have a solution, but he knows one thing, "they do not belong on the sidewalk."

*Behind the scenes at a Boston Transportation Department conference*
Wow! How to solve this dilemma!? Let's see here... Less people are driving cars, um kay. City congestion is down a bit, all right. Scooter riders are looking for easy access parking, I see. Didn't Piaggio Vespa have a little thing they were doing with scooter parking? Was that successful? (yes). Hrm, I have NO idea.

Come on Boston! You got a bunch of bright guys/gals there in the city. Isn't Boston where schools like MIT, Cambridge and Harvard are located? You've got The Boston Theological Institute, why don't you ask for some divine intervention here!?

Of course, I'm not there in the thick of it, so I'm not sure what sort of "act of congress" it would take to get some regular car parking spots converted into scooter spots, but I hope they figure it out soon. Big cities all across the nation are going to have to figure out a way to cope with this in the next couple of years (unless GM invents they flying, solar powered SUV first).

Thanks to Tim for the scoop! Click the title link to read the whole story.

(I know a consultant that can offer Boston some proven brainstorming techniques!)

Review: The Aprilia SportCity 250ie

Well, the first of our scooter reviews for Motorcycle.com is up. The video is just a summary. If you'd like to read the whole enchilada click on the title link or just click here.
Note: For some reason when YouTube encoded it my audio got kinda messed up (breathy and plosive). Oh well... now I'm gonna try this Veoh version of the video.

New HAY powered car! Exhaust is still a problem

Now if there were some way to get more than 1 horse power out of her. Anyone have some tuning ideas for this baby? Would you believe it's from Dubai? Click on the title link to see MUCH more of this contraption.

Bush lifts oil drilling ban. Hummers happy, baby seals sad.

(w00t! Hummers are happy to be back out on the road! Flickr/Sam Felder)

In a brave last minute move to temporarily save us oil addicts from "the shakes" before he has to roll, G-Dub has lifted his Dad's 1990 ban on offshore drilling. All he needs now is the US Congress to "get off their lazy asses and lift the Congressional ban on drilling" (paraphrased of course). "The Prez" went on to declare that "now Americans are paying at the pump".

The only bad thing, according to White House officials, is that the drilling would "have no immediate impact on prices at the pump". It would take years for production to start and who KNOWS what kind of effect it would have of the cute and fuzzy critters of Alaska.

Ahhhhh, it's just so EASY to just stay with the program. Just drill and serve! But, I suppose if you're into finding newer, better, cleaner energy sources (a lot of work if you ask me), then you could go through the trouble of clicking on the "Write Your Representative" site and sweat over your keyboard, writing a letter to your Congressperson. Ugh... who wants to do all THAT?


(Cute, fuzzy, baby seals are sad... Are there baby seals near the Outer Continental Shelf? I dunno. Maybe they're sad because they can't get 3G iPhone service out that way. Image Source)

This cute little Choi Nori

Here's an image from the Clipper Monsoon flickr collection of a girl in Kyoto, Japan on her Suzuki Choi Nori. According to this site, Choi Nori basically translates into "A little trip"... something like that. Click the link to read more than you've ever wanted to know about the little Choi Nori or click on the title link to see Clipper Monsoon's photo collection.

Scooter buyers clamoring for the last of the available models

("Dude! Did they say they have any Buddy's left?" - "No! They just sold out of Keeways and they are down to Tank or Rocketta, I can't tell which.")

Well, this is something that nearly no one could have predicted just a few months ago. Can you believe that there were distributors with HUNDREDS of 2007 models left over in their warehouses back in April? Today, some of these distributors have to wait until September or October before their 2009's start rolling in. "It's madness" I say! Here's what NBC11 in San Jose had to say about it:

Biafore said the bikes are so popular, some people are willing to take whatever is available. He remembers one weekend last month he called a "feeding frenzy." Half a dozen people were on the showroom floor asking for bikes.

"It was to a point where it didn’t matter what the bike was, the size or what the capability was,” he said. "They knew they wanted a scooter. They knew it was hot. They knew if they didn’t buy it right then it would go away."

Biafore said the manufacturer Piaggio has done a good job supplying Vespas during the recent spike in demand, but that it is still a struggle to get bikes. The dealership started slapping signs on its Vespas that said "available" or "sold."

“I feel like I’m so lucky,” Anna says of buying her Vespa when she did. “Not only did I get the color I wanted, the seat I wanted, I got the style I wanted. And I would imagine that prices might go up.”

Hertz Scooter Rental?

(No word if it will be the "Compressor" version of the Satelis that's available in Paris Image Source: FasterandFaster.net)
Hertz Scooters are now available to rent in London, England; Paris, France; and over 15 locations in the south of France. The Hertz scooter collection offers adults an exhilarating way to travel around the capital cities of the two nations, as well as in the trendy haunts of the French Riviera. Not only are the two-wheelers an exciting way to experience the destination cities, but also they are fuel-efficient, easy to park and, in London, exempt from the congestion charge.

Michel Taride, Vice President, Hertz Europe and Executive Vice President, Hertz, comments: “Hertz is constantly innovating and expanding our service offering to ensure that we cater for every type of traveller. Scooters provide a fun, convenient, and easy mode of transport for the adventurous and young at heart.”

The Scooter Collection in London includes: the Piaggio 50 and 100cc, Yamaha Neos 50cc and Honda Dylan 125cc. In Paris and the Riviera the fleet includes the Peugeot Satelis 125 cc.

Hertz scooter rentals are available for a minimum of three days and are available to renters from 18 years old in the UK and 21 years old in France.

And they join together to form a ROBOT!

Ok, just joking about the "robot" part. I just wanted to show you that the Japanese weren't alone with their love of sweeet scooter customs. Furange of Korea does a nice job of creating some eye-popping customs (as seen here). If you'd like to see more of their pimpmanship, click on the title link.

They've done a loony custom Morphous too... check it HERE>
I personally prefer the ORANGE one.

"Noodle Guy" and "Crazy Mask Lady" get some competition!

Crazy Biker On Cellphone Lying Down - Watch more free videos
Now we just need someone going down the highway... taking a nap on his side... on his Honda Cub. Any takers? I kid, of course.
Thanks 2 Tim for the nutty scoop.

Suzuki Gemma 250 is a "GO!" or rather an "IKU!" for the Japanese market

(Long, Low, Luscious and unLikely to ever make it to the USA. Image Source)

Back in October 2007 we reported that Suzuki was showing off their new Gemma concept at the Tokyo Motor Show. Today, the Gemma is no longer a concept. Suzuki is going into full production with this low rider for the Japanese market in 2009 now.

The Gemma will be equipped with a 250cc Burgman motor except it will be 15 lbs lighter and about 4 inches longer than the Burgman.

Sure, I'd love to see Suzuki expand their line up in the USA, but I am NOT holding my breath. Do you think American consumers are ready for something so... Japanese? Expect to pay the equivalent of about $6600 US for this baby.

Thanks to Rick Russell for the scoop! And here's some video:


***UPDATE 7/7/08***
Read the comments for my take on "why these strange Japanese bikes haven't caught on in the US".

***UPDATE 7/8/08***
Oh, and wait 'til you see the color assortment that Suzuki has in store!

Arigato to Kuroneko for the scoop! Check this link for even MORE! Kuroneko is even considering a trade over from his current Yamaha Morphous! I will say this. I LOVE THAT PIPE!

New Fiat 500 might arrive here courtesy of Ford?

(The Italian Automobile Factory of Turin might team up with Ford to bring us the 500!? flickr/van.brussel)

Fiat S.p.A., founded in 1899, had formed a partner ship with Ford after their agreement with GM dissolved back in 2005. With their new found friendship rumors have been spreading that Fiat is considering the usage of Ford's distribution network to bring the new Fiat 500 (European Car of the Year 2008) stateside for 2010!

The 500 is available with four different trim levels: Naked, Pop, Lounge and Sport. Customers can also choose between 15 interior trims, 9 wheel options, 19 decals and 12 body colors. There are over 500,000 different personalized combinations of the 500 that can be made by mixing and matching the various accessories, decals, interior and exterior colors and trims (wikipedia).

Not sure how they will be received here in the USA, but within three weeks of the 500's launch the entire year's production of 58,000 units had been completely sold out. Fiat is expecting to break 350,000 units sold by the end of 2010. To that I say "BRING 'EM ON!"

Thanks to William Lincoln for the scoop!

***UPDATE 7/8/08***
Check out this video of the ADDX custom Fiat 500. Lot's of luv went into that kit.

Thanks to AgentZero for the scoop!

Gizmag: Toyota's iQ Microcar to be issued as a 2009 model

(Look out SMART, the iQ is coming! flickr/A.Schwenke)
Here's something I just caught on Gizmag (title link). It's good news for Microcar lovers, uncertain news for American Microcar lovers, and could possibly be bad news for SMART... or not. Here's a snippet of the story:

July 6, 2008 Toyota showed its iQ Concept at last year’s motorshows, creating a new class of premium ultra-compact vehicle, capable of carrying three adults plus a child in comfort. Now, in a move that foretells a coming era of much smaller cars, the iQ is set for production in 2008 and availability in 2009. The iQ was a sensation, proving emphatically that small does not mean basic, and drawing huge crowds – the message sunk in quickly, and now the production version (pictured) offers a completely new proposition for urban motoring that is stylish, sophisticated, technically advanced and kinder to the environment.

The iQ was a sensation, proving emphatically that small does not mean basic, and drawing huge crowds – the message sunk in quickly, and now the production version (pictured) offers a completely new proposition for urban motoring that is stylish, sophisticated, technically advanced and kinder to the environment.

iQ is less than three metres long, but wider and with a longer cabin than a Toyota Yaris. It achieves a breakthrough in small car packaging to deliver unprecedented interior space, thanks to a series of interlinked engineering innovations (I call it origami!).

I'm not sure what to expect just yet as far as fuel efficency goes (I hear it's on par with the Prius), but I do know they are calling this a 3+1 seating configuration, meaning room for 3 adults and 1 child... or luggage, whatever you wanna call 'em. Now the real question will be "is this a 2009 for the USA?". We'll keep ya posted; in the meantime, here's some spy photos.

If anyone needs you to show 'em some love right now it's Steve Sellers

On Sunday, June 22nd, P-Town Scooters' mechanic Steve Sellers was admitted to a local hospital where things went from bad to worse. I never had the fortune of meeting Steve in person, but I've heard much about him and I do know he was one of the few to test drive the Sasquatch of the scooter world (the CMSI L-Series "Lambretta"). Let's turn to his support site for more details on his condition:

Steve Sellers has been an integral part of the Portland Scooter Community for over a decade. He has touched our hearts and much as he’s touched our scooters. Recently, after what seemed to be a very bad and endless cold, he was finally diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure and Cardiomyopathy. Since the heart was in this condition for quite a while, he has blood clots which are detaching and have caused him one major and one minor stroke. The long-term effects of all these factors are yet to be determined, but we know the long-term costs will be extensive. Please consider donating to his fund via the widget to the below or at Scooter-Relief.org.

I know! It's heartbreaking... and before you bust out with the "two strokes?" jokes, I would recommend reading the FAQ file first. No, for real, the answer is actually kinda funny and might save you from investing in a Shiner Savings Bond to be paid in full upon Steve's recovery.

So, people... if you got it to spare, please help ol' Steve out. He's at $2800 right now and without insurance he's gonna need ALL the help we can muster.

How to: Trigger a traffic signal

(these tips will NOT help you with this light - flickr/Squirmelia)

A good friend, neighbor and professor of percussion, John T., found this useful bit on wikihow.com (title link). Nearly 20 authors have gone through the trouble of revealing the magic behind traffic signals (I hope the traffic signal magician's guild doesn't come after them!)

If you've ever been dissed by a traffic light because you're rollin' on two, this wiki will show you a variety of methods for tripping the lights fantastic. There are suggestions for triggering three different inductive-loop detectors and other methods that range from using magnets to simply pressing the crosswalk button. It's a worthy read to be sure!

Mod Rod makes his tattoo debut!

Chris says:

Well Steve I finally got it done! The MOD ROD Tattoo that is!!! One of my Co-workers opened up a tattoo/bike garage/BYOB Bar here in San Antonio called Alamo City's Ink Spot and attracted some good talent. SO I decided to get it done today with a guy who had a portfolio that blew me away. Anyway it took about 2-2 1/2 hours but i think it was worth it. What do you think? I will be going back after it heals for some more detail work and to add more depth to the color. Here is the Link to my Flikr album feel free to use any of the images if ya want to.

http://flickr.com/photos/coffedrink/sets/72157605980897446/

Chris Sander

Coffedrink

Wow! Well, Mod Rod is honored and speaks of getting a Coffedrink tattoo himself (at least that what it sounds like he's sayin'... One can never be too sure with Rod... maybe he said he "would have given you the tattoo himself". Either way, he seems pleased).

For those of you reading this thinking "where have I heard that name before", Coffedrink is a real cool cat from San Antonio who rides a modern Vespa. Besides that he was also the winner of the "Give Casey a Hand" raffle we held recently. Karma is with you my friend!

Add "www.TheScooterScoop.com" to it and the next coffee's on me Chris! ;)
-steve

Engine size - When IS enough actually ENOUGH?

(Would a 750 cc Vespa be a welcomed addition to the American market?)

Today I was trolling the Motoblog.it and saw a couple of things that caught my attention. One was Rossi having fun on his boat (NSFW!) and the other was not nearly as nice... it was horrible actually; a video of a sport bike rider in a fatal collision with a huge truck.

I'm not the kind of guy who finds great entertainment in that sort of thing, but curiosity got the best of me and what I saw was basically a rider unable to handle his crotch rocket at 100mph in a hard right turn. He drifted into the oncoming lane and in a last ditch effort to save himself, attempted to overshoot the lane and hit the brushy overgrowth on the other side. He didn't make it.

That led to this question that is especially important for American riders: How much power is adequate? Do you need a bike that can get you to the speed limit? Maybe 10-15mph over the speed limit? Do you need to reach 100mph? Faster?

It seems to me, one of the biggest death-dealers on a sport bike is their speed capability. Generally Americans have had the bigger-is-better approach to... well... EVERYTHING. So when it comes to bikes, is 1200cc enough? How about 250cc? I can say this, I took on SoCal's 405, 710 and the 605 with a Yamaha Majesty (400cc) and it had NO problems at all... even doing 95mph on highway 710... um, not that I would do anything like that... but, erhm, I imagine it to be completely possible.

So what do YOU think? Should a new rider get a scooter now or wait until the Gilera GP800 (800cc) scooter is released? How much power does one need?

Kymco introduces the People S 300i for the Euro market

Just caught this on the Motoblog.it. Looks like Kymco wants to play in Honda's kiddie pool with a new 300cc fuel injected fun factory. Just in case you didn't bring your notes to class, Honda has been dominating the Italian market for months now... ever since they released their SH300i (maybe longer).

Looks pretty close to the People S 250 with the angular Italian design and triple disc braking action, riding on 16's. What will really set this apart is not just an added 50cc's (well, it's really an added 20cc's for a total of 270cc... Kymco has the tendency to exaggerate) but the added Keihin fuel injection system helps it gain its 24.4 hp (about 5 horses more than the 250). They've also updated the instrument panel (which according the the description, "Three circular elements", sounds a lot like the old instrument panel), the gas cap (which has been moved to the back of the windshield? that's what they say) and a blue tinted windscreen tells people, "NO! This isn't some weak 250! I spent the extra dough for the 300!" (um, it's actually a 270) "Who cares! It's FUEL INJECTED!" (oh... right) "and the windscreen is Gotdamn BLUE!" (I see.)

This weekend touring scooter includes bells and whistles like an integrated windshield, double halogen headlight, LED rear lights and blackberry charger so you can be sure to get all of your emails when you're supposed to be enjoying the beach. Look for the People S 300i to be available for Italians in a Businessy Blue, Cloudy-Day Gray, Cold-lifeless-cubical Metal and Loan-officer Heart Black (no, they didn't come up with those color names. I'm just sayin' that they don't come in any "fun" colors like that deep fire engine red they had on the 250.)

For more info you can click on the title link (they've got pretty piiiictures) or go to the Kymco.it homepage.