Scooters on Day to Day

I heard that Mike, owner of Noho Scooters was interviewed for a news piece on Day to Day, on NPR radio show. It is supposed to air today at the end of the show. If you can't get it you can also listen online, as they post content after 1PM ET.

Upcoming Event: High Roller's Weekend

My housemate made our hotel reservations for the Las Vegas High Roller's Weekend which take place March 19th-23rd. It is the event's 10th anniversary. I have attended, four of those rallies and enjoy them immensely. The attendees come from all over the US and even other countries, mostly from the UK. There are some far flung scooterists that I see only at this event.

If you get a chance to attend, I highly recommend it. The itinerary is packed with fun stuff and the city is such that if you aren't interested in an item on the itinerary, you can do one of the millions of things that Vegas has to offer.

A new event this year is the "Put Up or Shut Up" scooter build-off in which people entered last fall and will show up with a bike that they have built over the winter. I'm excited to see what shows.

I'll be tweeting from the event, so if you can't make it you can spy on my doings. To follow me on Twitter, add Scootmagapril.

Mike Zorn in American Motorcyclist

I'm still buried in the next issue, but came up for air to let you know that our own Mike is a guest columnist for the AMA's American Motorcyclist magazine this month (issue March 2009). While the magazine is only available for AMA Members, you can download a copy of his column via PDF at the site.
Cheers, Mike!

Sorry for laspe in posts...

I'm knee-deep in our next issue which is not only an 80-page regular issue, it is also our Buyer's Guide, so I've really got my work cut out for me!

I hope to resurface this weekend with some updates.

In the meanwhile, I was putting together our calendar and realized that the weekends of April 17th, May 1st, and June 5th are packed with scooter events all over the country. I can't wait!

Porky Pig: Scooterist

Much thanks to Amid and Jerry from Cartoon Brew for finding a clip of Porky’s Picnic, a Looney Tunes cartoon in which Porky Pig takes his girlfriend Petunia and little Pinky on a picnic via a scooter with a sidecar. I’m guessing the scooter is a Salisbury. Any other suggestions?



UPDATE: It appears that this has been removed. Too bad!

New Vespa Branded Bags

Vespa Shopping has released some new airline-styled retro bags. Now that the Euro has gone down a bit, perhaps you can part with 30 of 'em for one of these cool carriers? Bg specs: Eco-leather bag with upper zipper and frontal pocket. Adjustable and detachable shoulder strap. Size: 26 cm x 33 cm x 9 cm

ISO: 1959 restored scooter

Scoot! is looking to profile a scooter that either debuted in 1959 or a scooter that was made in 1959 but looks cherry. The Triumph Tigress has been suggested. If you have one that you think might make a good Reader's Ride, contact April.
Happy scooting!
-april

april AT scootmagazine DOTCOM

Consumer Reports Scooter Testing Results

A while ago I posted about Consumer Reports starting testing on motorscooters. The results of that testing appears in this month's issue, on sale today. I haven't seen it yet, but according to a press release issued this week:

Consumer Reports tested a total of eight fuel sipping, small-displacement models: three 50cc scooters, three scooters in the 125cc to 150cc range, and two 250cc entry-level motorcycles, all priced between about $1,000 to $4,400 and delivering as much as 60 to 100 mpg fuel economy, at a steady cruise. Among the scooters, models from Italy’s Vespa and Taiwan’s Kymco achieved the highest overall ratings, with the Vespa LX 50 leading the 50cc category, and the Vespa LX 150 and Kymco People 150 sharing best overall ratings in the bigger engine class. Among the motorcycles, the Kawasaki Ninja 250, an entry-level sports bike, achieved a higher score than the Honda Rebel.

With their 35 to 40 mph top speed, 50cc scooters may suffice for short trips in suburban and city riding. Of the three models tested, the Vespa LX 50’s smooth four-stroke engine, good ergonomics, controlled ride quality, and solid fit and finish made it the favorite choice, but it is very slow. Testers found that “you get what you pay for,” with the inexpensive $995 Motorino Allegra getting the worst marks for vibration, harsh ride, and subpar fit.

In the 125cc to 150 cc category, the tested models’ top speed range of 55 mph to 57 mph made them much better suited for keeping up with traffic but still not recommended for freeway or interstate use. The 150cc Kymco People and Vespa LX both proved well-rounded, easy-to-ride machines, with responsive handling and easy maneuverability. With its big 16-inch wheels, the Kymco offered superior stability and off-the-line acceleration while the Vespa excelled in ride quality, roominess, under-seat storage, and build quality. The third model tested, the Yamaha Vino 125 could not match the other two models’ ride experience. While offering the lowest price point at $2,899, the Yamaha’s harsh ride and sluggish engine detracted from its cost benefit.

This will be a great shot in the arm for scooters as Consumer Reports has over 7 million readers.