The Tokyo Motorcycle show is not traditionally a very large show, but when there's a surprise to be revealed from Yamaha, Suzuki, or Honda Tokyo is the place for it to happen. Our man about Tokyo does have word that Suzuki will show a new color for the Gemma (sadly still unlikely to ever arrive here). I'm sure we'll hear more about the show from Kuroneko and Aki if there is something eye catching there.
Maybe someone will post some video of the Shirobai Queen Stars show for us? We'll keep ya posted. Thanks to our good friends in Nippon! We look forward to your opinion on the show.
***UPDATE 3/27/09***
This just in from Kuroneko:
The show? Quiet in a word... Not nearly as much glitz, girls, lights or new scooters. A good size presence from Kymco & Sym, but the Japanese machines were very low key. Some nice stuff, but nowhere near as impressive as in previous years.
Go here to check out some shots taken today from the show floor. The Side-Bike is kinda "out there".
Thursday, March 26, 2009
36th Annual Tokyo Motorcycle Show - Press day starts tomorrow!
New toys from Japan - Skit Scooter
If you're a fan of Kei Toume, the 38 year old manga artist from Japan AND you're a fan of ornate, retro looking scooters then you might wanna break out your wallet for the Skit Scooter 1/9 scale figure and vehicle from the ROBOT anthology.
Less than 6 inches tall and made from high quality PVC she'd make a great decoration for your cubical... a little something to whisk you away from the monotony with images of riding the coast with the wind in your hair and the sun on your shoulders. *sigh*
Arigato to Akisan who sent a link to Amazon Japan. I found some great photos here too. I also saw it here for $140. YIKES! Proof again that if you want quality, you have to pay.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Tata Nano - First looks
Autocar has gotten their hands on the cheapest car on this here planet, the Tata Nano. Advertised as the $2,000 car, it would likey be more like $8,000 if it ever landed on North American soil.
Here are some details of the 4-door car, available in standard and deluxe versions:
* Length: 10.17 feet
* Height: 5.25 feet
* Width: 4.92 feet
* Engine: Rear-wheel drive, 2-cylinder, 623 cc, multi-point fuel-injection petrol engine, rear mounted. Tata said it is the first time a 2-cylinder gasoline engine is used in a car with single balancer shaft.
* Safety: Has an all sheet-metal body, with crumple zones, intrusion-resistant doors, seat-belts, and rear tailgate glass bonded to the body. Tires are tubeless.
* Environment: Tailpipe emission performance beats current regulatory requirements, and the Nano has a lower overall pollution level than two-wheelers made in India, Tata has said. A high fuel efficiency (47 mpg) ensures low carbon dioxide emissions.
* The Team: In 2003, a four-member team at Tata's Engineering Research Center in Pune city started work on a "very low cost transportation with four wheels" and a price of 100,000 rupees. Helped by the Institute of Development in Automotive Engineering in Italy, the team grew to 500, headed by Girish Wagh.
* Nano Europa: Will launch in some European markets by 2011:
Length: 3.29 meters; Width: 1.58 meters; Wheelbase: 2.28 meters. Engine: 3-cylinder, all-aluminum MPFI engine with 5-speed automatic transmission and electric power steering. Plus, advanced restraint systems, ABS, ESP and airbags.
Check out Tata's website for more info on the car that costs as much as an expensive scooter.
Rockers vs Mods Rally a smoking success!
The Dallas Observer posted a 33 image slide show of the recent Mods/Rockers Rally. How's THAT for respect? Can't we get some coverage over here Austin Chronicle? Austin Statesman? Thanks to @warholreject for the scoop via Twitter.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Presto change-o - A man's shirt into a cute little Vespa dress
AllTheNumbers has a cute little number in her Etsy shop. She describes like so:
This cute dress had a former life as a man's button-up, but is much happier now in its newer incarnation. Instead of spending the day at the office, this dress can now go to school, climb a tree, go rollerskating - much more fun!She's got three in stock and she can make them in a variety of colors... just $42 + $3S&H
The shirt retains its buttons on the front and has pleats in the front and back. There is a linen scooetr from the fabric designer Echino appliqued on the bottom with cream thread, over a colorful patch of linen. Color of patch may vary. Specify if you are trying to match something. Lined on top in the front and back.
Quick Robin! To the BatHelix!
Whoa! I'm not sure who this belongs to (actually, now I do), but they are either Batman fans or got a GREAT deal on a Honda Helix with side car. I could see dressing my kids up as Robin and Batgirl to hit the next local rally with this scooter. I'd probably need to get a helmet too.
Thanks to Fred Brown for the scoop. I think I burned my lip on my Irish coffee when I saw it. It's ok though, the alcohol should disinfect any blistering.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
New winner for scariest scooter
Dealer Expo 2009 - Joel Martin speaks on Taiwanese products
Watch as we talk about the latest news, sales events, and industry happenings at the Dealer Expo. Guest speaker Joel Martin from MRP.
We do more than just sell parts our company is dedicated to helping stores stay in business.
From our articles, to TV appearances, to our advice we help stores. For over 8 years MRP has been dedicated to helping store owners learn, educate, and help consumers.
There is more to it than just selling bikes and thats where MRP comes in. Call it a lifestyle or selling the passion that brought you to motorcycling or scooters.
When it comes to Parts and MRP, we are the only WHOLESALE only parts company in the USA
-Thats right everyone else owns a store and competes with the dealers on Ebay or online, MRP is dedicated to making sure stores make money in the store and online. Our catalog is dealer only and our advice for stores is only for stores to stay in business and make money.
To find out more about MRP and how we can help your dealer meetings visit us at www.mrp-speed.com
Cows come home, hell freezes over, fat lady sings, Honda brings SH to USA.
With mouth agape, we read this news from Honda. The SH150i is coming to the USA as a 2010 model in just about 3 months. No, it's not the SH300i that is completely dominating the Italian scooter world, but it's better than say... nothing or worse, removing their three only remaining scooters.
Here's some of the highlights:
- Liquid cooled 153cc PGM-FI (Programmed Fuel Injection)
- Air injection system, exhaust catalyzer and advanced digital mapping to reduce emissions.
- CBS Combined Braking System front disc / rear drum.
- 16 inch 100/80 front 120/80 rear tire.
- Flat floorboard
- Dual rear shocks
- 30.9 inch seat height
- 2 gallon fuel tank
- 1 year warranty
- Optional windscreen, trunk and backrest pad for trunk
Look for the 2010 Honda SH150i to retail for $4,499 in two colors, Metallic Red and Metallic Black.
Thanks a ton to Garrett Johnson and to Joe Alegre for the scoopage! A tad bit pricey, but still the best news I heard all day.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
What's better for the environment, a scooter or a car?
Cecil from TheStraightDope.com takes on this common conundrum with a level-headed look at the facts. I could spoil it for you, but I think the whole story makes for fine reading. You might be surprised by his answer, I was pretty comfortable with it and I think he finally puts this argument to bed, at least for now.
Thanks to Thomas Humphrey for the scoop!
Monday, March 16, 2009
Japan gets a newer, handier Vino - The Molte Vino
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Is that a helmet on your head or a Smart Car?
This image titled "Skull Bucket" if from An Photo's flickr account. It grabbed my attention, figured it would get yours too. :)
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
And the winner of the 3/6/9 Gas Prediction Contest is...
Robin Gile in New Mexico! I know for this contest I didn't say "no professional psychics allowed"... so YOU, my friend, are the winner of a pair of 2009 Icon Motorsports Arc gloves (Brown - Large). I hope they fit... I also hope you don't mind that these were worn ONCE for a photo shoot. I washed my hands, I promise!
ARC gloves are the evolution of the lightweight street-performance riding glove. The foundation begins with a goatskin chassis, which offers the ideal blend of abrasion resistance and dexterity. Gel pads have been inserted into the palm to increase comfort and to decrease white knuckle tingles. The padded knuckle panel expands, allowing for an unhindered grip.* Abrasion resistant premium goatskin * All leather breathable finger gussets * Padded knuckles * Gel palm inserts.
A $70 retail value is YOURS for predicting the price of gasoline on 3/6/9 to within 4.9 cents ($1.940 / gal) back on November 6th of 2008. Congratulations!
Emily Strange... you were beat out by 1.1 ¢. I feel so bad about that. I'm going to give you a bottle of Manhattan Oil synthetic Power Plus 2-Stroke Oil as a consolation prize. I know you could use it.
Power Plus is a revolutionary 100% Synthetic 2 Cycle Oil developed by Manhattan Oil for the high stress demands of Race Karts (and scooters). Its superior capabilities of reducing friction gives the ultimate in performance and protection. The clean characteristics of Power Plus 100% Synthetic are unmatched eliminating plug fouling and dirty deposits. For maximum performance and reliability Power Plus is "The Unfair Advantage".
Thanks for playing kids! Try our next contest for more chances to win great prizes!
The Rise and Fall of Scooters in India
India used to be one of the worlds largest producers and consumers of motorscooters. Americans remember the Bajaj Chetak, Auto Rickshaw, and various other Apé incarnations. Today all we've got left is the Genuine Stella and access to a bunch of bad resto parts (cables, etc). How could the India scooter market wither away to a small handful of products in just a couple of decades? "PROGRESS!" my friend. Their explosive economic growth has afforded them transportation options more akin to what Americans are driving... cars and masculine motorcycles.
If you want some more details on this transformation, straight from the source, you should check out Sameer Kumar's (twitter: battleaxe1973) blog motorcycleistforlife. Sameer gives his impressions on the scooters available in India today. I'd like to find out if India's attitude towards scooters will end up changing with this global, economic "highside" we're experiencing.
For more on an Indian's perspective of the rise and fall of the Bajaj brand, check out Rani M. Das' site Admadzz. (the source of the leading image)
Monday, March 09, 2009
Scooting for Peace - the Minimentuary
Scooting for Peace from Alix Bryan on Vimeo.
I will call this a minimentary. Too short to be a documentary, too long for most people to watch.
The video covers most everything about the 22,000 mile trip; the concept, interviews, scenery, scooter community, elements of nature, mishaps and the godawful process of packing/unpacking everyday.
I sorted through 15 hours of footage and worked on it for 3 days.
It is my first endeavor at sitting down to make a good video. I learned a lot this round and hope that I can integrate that knowledge into some future projects. I used iMovie and had to shuffle clips between computer and external hard drive. Before compression it was 28 Gigs.
*My apologies that the sound and audio DON'T line up in the beginning. Extracting audio and moving it up didn't help either. Hmm.
Ok, Cheers to all.
Alix
------------
I'm still blown away by your achievement Alix! Thanks for letting us be a part of it.
Peace,
Steve
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Two out of the four species of "scooter" covered
Scooter targeted by overly aggressive passive aggressive note
(Scooterists probably would have to put up with as much crap if our rides looked like this.)
Here's a tiny piece from CapitolHillSeattle.com:
The passive aggressive note left on your vehicle to inform you of the crime against humanity you have committed is a rite of urban passage. In small towns, they bake you cookies, knock on your door and ask you nicely to move your International Harvester off their lawn. On Capitol Hill, they leave a mean note. Sometime this works for tagging, also.
But in this incident culled from the Seattle Police Department's East Precinct reports from last week, one such note went far beyond mean.
Victim came to the East Precinct on 2-24-09 at 0930 to report that an unknown person left a threatening note pinned to the seat of his XXXX Vespa Gran Tourismo scooter. Victim had parked his scooter on the street, in the XXX block of XXXX on 2-23-09 at approx. 2100 hrs, when he returned to it on 2-24-09 at 0900, he found the note which said "You greener-than-thou sanctimonious retard: Take up an entire car-sized parking space with this scooter again and you'll be shopping for a new tire ... " Victim said that this is the second similar note he has found on his scooter. Victim retained original note.
Parking on many parts of the Hill is surely a drag but be nice, neighbors, and keep your passive aggressive noting passive, please.
Details, location redacted to protect the innocent. Thanks to the CHSFeed for the scoop!
1963 Dr. Pepper give away featured the Honda Cub
To remind consumers that Dr. Pepper is "the unusual soft drink", they held a magazine give-away that featured unusual things like an actual carved-from-stone, square wheel (B.C. comic strip inspired) as well as a grand prize with your choice of a Corvette Sting Ray Sport Coupe -or- a Chevy Impala Station Wagon. I'm not sure if they are insinuating that some of the prizes are "square", as in uncool, but they had ONE prize that was really cool in my book... six Honda "50", 2-wheeled vehicles (Honda Passport / Cub) advertised as "the new, fun way of getting around." They go on to say they are, "unusually styled, practical and get 225 miles per gallon." (source www.gono.com) Thanks to Casey for the scoop!
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Darn it! You didn't buy gas, NOW look what you've done!
(A combo of images created on October 12, 2008, shows an Emirati investor reacting to the movement of share prices on the Dubai Financial Market in Dubai on October 12, 2008. Stock markets in the energy-rich Gulf states opened the week's trading Sunday sharply down with the Dubai Financial Market shedding six percent. Getty Images)
The above images sort of sum up a recent story from Daijiworld.com news. It says here:
Local police have found at least 3,000 automobiles -- sedans, SUVs, regulars -- abandoned outside Dubai International Airport in the last four months. Police say most of the vehicles had keys in the ignition, a clear sign they were left behind by owners in a hurry to take flight.So, if you are in the gold plated private jet industry, you'd better start lookin'. With oil prices tanking, so to speak, it may be a while before Dubai get's back to owning you. NOW GET BACK OUT THERE AND FILL UP YER HUMMERS!
The global economic crisis has brought Dubai's economic progress, mirrored by its soaring towers and luxurious resorts, to a stuttering halt. Several people have been laid off in the past months after the realty boom started unraveling.
On the night of December 31, 2008 alone more than 80 vehicles were found at the airport. "Sixty cars were seized on the first day of this year," director general of Airport Security, Mohammed Bin Thani, told DNA over the phone. On the same day, deputy director of traffic, colonel Saif Mohair Al Mazroui, said they seized 22 cars abandoned at a prohibited area in the airport.
Faced with a cash crunch and a bleak future ahead, there were no goodbyes for the migrants -- overwhelmingly South Asians, mostly Indians - just a quiet abandoning of the family car at the airport and other places.
While 2,500 vehicles have been found dumped in the past four months outside Terminal III, which caters to all global airlines, Terminal II, which is only used by Emirates Airlines, had 160 cars during the same period.
Remember when MV Agusta made a scooter?
I always have fun looking back on names we consider "motorcycle brands", only to find a cute little scooter hiding out in their family tree. Here we see a tasty little treat from MV Agusta. It's a 1953 Ovunque Scooter. I understand "Ovunque" to mean "Everywhere". I'd love to own one of these 125cc beauts.
Wanna search for more? Go visit The World of Motorcycles!
Scooter testing - Sumo vs. Simu
SolidWorks is promoting their latest and greatest version, 2009, by touting their revolutionary simulation system. Where you may have normally considered having your DIY scooter project tested by a certified Sumo wrestler like everyone else, SolidWorks is trying to convince you to use their new fangled Simulation Advisor application. I admit that it looks nice, but what about the tactile feedback one gets from doing things the old fashioned way? I'm really gonna miss vacuuming up all the salt at the end of a hard day's testing.
Their promo site is good for a little laugh. Check it out yerself by clicking HERE>
Monday, March 02, 2009
Ahh, to be young and fast again...
Sweet Freedom. Lawrence Peregrine-Trousers shares this image from his Flickr account.
It comes from and old German school book titled "Wir Lesen und Schreiben 5". I could see wanting to learn how to write with the promise of speeding around on my scooter with a girl riding cupcake.
New Money-saving site says - Get a scooter
(Pizza delivery in the UK has been saving money for years! image source)
Found a very short article on a blog (gettingcheap) dedicated to helping you save money during our depression. In summary the story says, "Get a scooter!" Nothing ground breaking, just another point of view from outside the scooter blog world.
Here's how the writer, Doug, got the idea:
If one lives in an area prone to frequent rain, a 150CC scooter or motorcycle can still save you loads by using it to supplement your car. After getting suckered into it by a friend, I rarely use my main vehicle now, and lowered the insurance to liability. The mileage is simply unbeatable, and it's a fun hobby. Did I mention parking isn't hard?
The Tank Sports 250 scooter gets a review
Found this review floating about Twitter. Thanks to mscootermama for the scoop. Thought it might be useful to someone out there. Read the short piece over at motor scooters guide.
Oh, and here's a funny one. Javier compares a Tank Touring 250 to the Kymco Bet and Win 250 and says, "Acceleration, braking, comfort and ride on both scooters is very similar." I know a few rabid B&W 250 fans that would barf on your shoes for that statement. At least he didn't say it was better than the Majesty that it is trying to copy.
Sunday, March 01, 2009
Ooops! Technical glitch fixed
(click to enlarge)