HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I have a feeling 2009 will be a real game changer.  Why?  Too many reason to list, really.  Let's just hope we see some positive change... movement to things that promote the greater good and not just the greater greed.  This millenium seems to have started off on the wrong foot, but we've got 991 more years to get it straight... starting today.

Here's to a completely brand-spankin' new year!  Stay sharp, ride safe and try, if you can, to appreciate the good things you have in your life today.  Two Thousand Nine isn't about keepin' up with the Joneses.  No, this year is about streamlining, cutting the fat, tightening the belt, hitting the reset button, taking a deep breath and spittin' into your hands, rollin' up your sleeves then yelling out "Bring it on 2009!"  

I welcome this year as an opportunity to snap out of the haze and take this bull by the horns.  Politicians?  Lobbiests?  Shady executives?  Greedy multi-national corporations?  I'm on to you and I've had enough of this shameless and blameless crap.  I wanna see some responsibility!

Alright, I'm hopin' off my soapbox to grab a Shiner before it hit's midnight here in Austin, TX.  Goodnight 2008.  I can't wait to unwrap my brand new 2009 and get a big wiff of that new year smell.  Then, I'll stick 2008 in the compost pile and cover it with leaves. 

Autoblog - Japanese sales plunge as young people abandon cars

(And, "No" it doesn't have anything to do with how kooky their car designs are becoming.)

Jeremy from Autoblog finds this report from the Detroit News, that basically says auto dealers in Japan are in for a rough 2009.  They are predicting a 30 year low for auto sales this year because more of the youth are using public transportation and spending their hard earned dough on gadgets.

Unfortunately for Americans, with our wide open expanses, don't have a lot of public transportation options in most of our cities and public officials are slow to push anything more than buses.  What do you think will be the choice for young Americans looking for transportation in these recessional times?  Bikes?  Buses?  Used cars?  Smaller, less expensive cars?  Motorbikes (motorcycles, scooters)?

The Reese's effect: Vespa + Adidas = LOVE

Looks like the Germans and the Italians are mixing up "two great things that taste great together" with a new line of Vespa related Adidas gear.  Stange bedfellows?  Maybe not, I know quite a few Adidas wearing Vespa riders.  

Some of the products are available now and can be seen by clicking on the title link.  No word on a pair of Vespa Campus, Samba or Superstars.  If not, we'll just have to buy a pair of Adidas Scoops in our official colors, Black/Slim/Rave.

***UPDATE***
Actually, it looks like there are shoes coming too!

Here's some video of the two together - 

Merry Holidays to All!

This holiday season has been a whirlwind.  I hope to get you all caught up on the shenanigans after the new year.  I wish you all the best!

Scooter shuns rider for being "weak". Goes it alone!

Disappointed with its rider's interest in competing in the local scooter rally gymkhana, this scooter has decided to train to go it alone.

Thanks to our friend Ilya Vinarsky for the scoop on this auto piloted scooter. The video is sorta long and geeky, but still interesting... to me.

Black is the new reflective

This material isn't new, but this use could be.  Someone has taken the 3M Scotchlite Reflective Tape (black) and covered their bike top to bottom.  The results?  A spooky flat black bike in the day and a ghostly white bike at night (when hit with a bright light source).  

My question is... who will be the first to cover their scooter top to bottom in Scotchlite?  You can shop for it here .  

Thanks to Gizmodo (title link) for digging this up.  Here's a video of the work involved to cover the bike.

Bright Bike from Michael Mandiberg on Vimeo.

Keepin' it oldschool

How did motorists rock-out before the invention of the 8-track player? With the Highway Hi-Fi Phonograph! This image been hiding on my hard drive for years. Thought you'd get a kick outta it.

***UPDATE 6/26/09***
Oh! Lookie here. Found some more info on these things HERE>

Imagine if you will, the sidecar for a Sachs MadAss

Is that what you imagined?  Yeah, me either... but it fits perfectly and looks just as uncomfortable.  ;)  This shot is from a sidecar display they had at the Intermot some years ago.

Well executed!  Thanks to Mr. Rico Suave for sharing on ADVRider and to Tim for his uncanny ability to dig up sweet oddities.

TheScooterReview - Best midsized scooter battle

Our Kiwi cousins over at TheScooterReview have put together a great little shootout between 7 different scoots in the 100cc - 180cc range. I was a box of budgies after watching it... OH! I love NZ slang!  

Good on ya, mates!  Can't wait to to gawk more sweet-as vids!  (wait, I think I've over done it on the slang... sorry)

NPR - Gas Prices Down, SUV Sales Up

(And fast-food peddling clowns are back in fashion!  Make mine SUPERSIZED!)

Say it ain't so!  I havn't had a chance to actually listen to this report... and I've just finished eating, so I'm gonna wait until tomorrow to see what NPR has to say about this.  Here's the teaser:

SUV sales seemed doomed by high gas prices. But as prices at the pump drop, customers are returning to the big vehicles that — just a few months ago — they wouldn't look at.

And now that American car companies have taken their focus off of big SUVs, VW can finally show that card they had up their sleeve!

The 2009 Volks Wagon Monolith!!!!!   (the exclaimation points are part of the name)

and their tag line is "That vich does not kill you vill only make you more bad-ass!"

In Italy they take their drag racing seriously

Just ran into this video.  I figured that if you like drag racing you'd like to see how they do it in Italy.

Scooter employment idea #5 - Mobile bonzai shop

This idea seems somewhat successful in Japan.  Perhaps it can be retooled for the American market.  I bet if that thing was refrigerated that you could sell a load of sushi in the business district, assuming everyone hasn't already started brown bagging.   Maybe a mobile espresso shop?  Wait... too expensive.  Mobile donuts?

Thanks to P F C 2 for sharing this on his Flickr Account (title link) and describes it as:

"A vendor selling from the back of this Honda 'Gyro Canopy' scooter you could buy bonsai & Ukiyo-e prints in Ginza, Tokyo."

He also has a great shot of a Yamaha Gear at work as a delivery wagon.

If you are having a hard time finding a job in the current economy, you should look to the East for inspiration.  They have some great books  on the subject not to mention other important bits of advice.

The shortsigted consumer: Gas high? Buy scooter. Gas Low? Sell scooter, buy SUV - Repeat ad nauseam

(caution... rant in t-minus 4 seconds and counting)

Oh it pangs me so, this cycle of madness. What I had perceived as a paradigm shifting "perfect storm" (Ref) just seven months ago looks to be another example of American gas pains.

There are 22 new scooter listings in the Austin Craigslist this week alone.
"Brand new scooter - less than 200 miles on it. GREAT X-mas gift!", is not uncommon.

Now, I'm not sure if people are really selling these things and buying SUVs (we've got other issues at work today... oil at a 5 year low, good for SUV sales, and a bad case of the "R" word, which is bad, spreading across the news wire), but it's just sad that American consumers can be led around like a bull with a nose ring focused on buying whatever oil prices tell them to buy. Yeah, I know some people will have good excuses like "I'm scared", "I broke my arm and can't ride", "I really need the money", "I'm preggers", but I thought the rest of you were in it for the long haul. Even if it was only for fair weather riding.

Even the professionals are suggesting that consumers not get too comfortable with the cheap gas:

Andrew Leach, an assistant professor of business at the University of Alberta, who specializes in energy economics, doesn't think prices will sink much lower. "It's getting pretty close to a floor in gas prices," he said.

Mr. Leach expects prices to remain relatively low for the next year, with possible fluctuations due to the cost of refined oil.

He warned that consumers shouldn't take low prices for granted and said that in any market where consumers need a product, they are at the mercy of the retailer. With the current low prices, he said now is the time to start thinking about public transport and smaller cars, so that when gas prices do rise again, people won't be dependent on fuel they can't afford.

While it is unAmerican to say you were happy that gas prices were so high, you have to admit it did fuel interest in alternatives. Is that so bad? Is it better to be reactive and only push for change when it's too late or to be proactive and say, "Hey! You know what? I'm gonna keep using oil until we finally get this new alternative worked out in the next few years, then no more."

Success breeds emulation - even outside of China

The SYMBA seems to have created quite an excitement in more ways than one. One issue that I've seen brought up on a few occasions (not just here at TheScoop was the moral implications of a company creating a scooter so similar to immensely successful Super Cub (no not the airplane ). Well, I'm sure you've heard the old saying, "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery". That goes for scooters too.
Let me give you a couple of examples:

This is the Suzuki FB50, also known as The Birdie

This is the Yamaha CY80, also known as the Mate (Thanks Kuroneko!).

This is the SYM Wowow.

See the relationship? I haven't even dragged any of the other Chinese Cub clones into the picture, nor have we touched the similarities between brands in the "new cub" arena... the more sporty, less retro looking one. You'll find these sorts of similarities all around Japan. As a matter of fact, if you look at the Suzuki lineup for 1991, as an example, you'll find some uncanny similarities to the bikes of their close rivals, Honda .

Does that make it right? It's a matter of opinion, a designer might say "Heck NO!" and a businessman might say "Heck YES!". I'm not sure about the design similarities, but the "Cub" name has definitely fought and lost the battle-to-not-become-a-generic struggle perpetually being fought by Jell-o, Kleenex, Band-Aid and i-Pod.

News Flash! The SYM version of the Cub is OFFICIALLY headed our way!

(It's coming in Monza RED? Just like the good ol' days!)

Ladies and gents, hang on to yer hats. A very reliable source tells us that the SYM's Wowow is officially coming to the USA and they've provided us images of the forthcoming colors as well as the official name, SYMBA! Get it? SYMba? Tiger cub, how cute is that (and better than Pup or Dash)?

It seems that SYM really does listen to their fans. Back in August of 2007 is when the buzz started and today we find out that the SYMBA is expected to begin hitting shops this Spring.

We don't have price or specs right now, but we hope to get the details soon.

I'm sure it won't be long before the details begin to appear on some of our favorite cub sites:
SuperCubBlog
NJSuperCub
CycleChaos
and the Velodrome which is overflowing with cool resources.

I'm excited to see the USA finally getting a new Cub after decades of being left in the cold. SYM built them for Honda for 40 years so I have a feeling they know what they're doing... and 60 million riders can't be wrong! Be sure to tell your local dealer to save ya one.

(Oh! And classic angel blue? Hope I can find color matched saddlebags for her!)

(and black, a color not seen in the Passport but available on the 50th anniversary edition of the Honda Cub)

Darned kitties! (forced me to write off topic)

This is waaaaay off task, but I couldn't resist. Too bad a scooter company couldn't afford to make a commercial as sweet as this one from Toyota.

Oil expected to rocket back over $100/barrel unless YOU keep down demand

(Here's a good way to lower oil prices.  Toss yer car in the recycle bin!)

A pair of recent Reuters stories mention a deferment in oil production cuts originally planned for this month but they are torn over how we might react to these cuts.  Today oil has dropped to $49 a barrel down from $147 a barrel in July.

Here is the seeb zamini (Iranian for "meat and potatoes"?) of the story from Gulfnews.com:

Caught off-guard by a severe decline in energy consumption in the West, Opec is wary of being seen to panic after two previous rounds of cuts failed to shore up prices.

Ministers arriving for today's meeting said they were likely to defer a decision on new cuts until they meet again in Algeria, when they can better judge if all members have met previous commitments.

"It's a consultative meeting. We will prepare some more information and make a final decision maybe in Algeria," said Iranian Oil Minister Ghulam Hussain Nozari.

Prior to the meeting Venezuela, Iran and Iraq were calling for more aggressive restraints but by yesterday only Iraq wanted an immediate cut.

"We support a production cut ... we support a reduction now," said Iraqi Oil Minister Shiite Hussein Ibrahim Saleh al-Shahristani.

UAE Energy Minister Mohammad Bin Dha'en Al Hamili said he believed the oil market was oversupplied, but declined to give any comment on whether Opec might agree to cut production.

Powerless so far to prop up prices, delegates say Opec is worried that another quick cut could undermine its credibility among traders focused on the spread of the financial crisis into the real economy and its impact on oil demand and inventories.

Look for the planned supply cut to be announced around the end of Janurary when Opec hopes to jack prices back up to "normal".

Maybe if we keep demand down we'll see Opec oil drop like US Crude did in1998 when it hit a rock bottom price of $10.35 a barrel!  That would be GREAT, right?  But really, who wants their economy to be built on the cornerstone of all that political unrest?  It really is time to divorce oil... they're already talking about divorcing the Dollar.

Oh and where did I get the "expected to rocket back over $100 a barrel"?  A recent poll on GasBuddy shows that of the 20,000+ respondents, 51% expect oil to once again run amuck in the next 6-12 months and a combined 73% believe it will happen sometime in the next 6-24 months. Well, what do they know?!  If you believe in the cognition of collective intelligence, then there might be some truth to their expectations. 

A gas hike seems inevitable, especially if Americans continue to consume at our traditional levels.  Qatari Oil Minister Abdullah al-Attiyah seems pretty confident that we will step back into our old habits when he said

"In our industry sometimes we can be sick but will never die.  We've seen it for the last 20 years, up and down, it's normal in this business, it's a cycle and we have to live with it. But we will come back as usual." (Reuters)

If we continue our relationship with oil, we will prove him right.


(Do you want YOUR economy married to oil?)