Cute Scoot-n-Pooch Calendar..now 25% off!

I'm in love with this Boogie on a Scooter calendar by Lili Chin. It is her art of her Boston Terrier on a a variety of scooters. Readers of my blog may recall that one of my wishes is to have my own dog who rides on my scooter, so you know I am totally into this calendar. Chin uses a variety of vintage scooters like a Fuji Rabbit, Maicomobile, Salsbury and more. This would make a great holiday gift for the vintage scooterist on your list!

Get it from Zazzle for 25% off now.

Tips for Riding in the Rain

Some tips from Scoot! Magazine's Josh Rogers:

The rainy season is upon us and I know that some people are hesitant to ride in the rain or when the ground is wet. So I decided to list some tips on riding in adverse weather conditions. The bottom line really is, make sure your actions are smooth. Don't brake too fast don't accelerate too fast and you will be fine. There are very few differences between wet and dry but you do need to exercise extra caution.

1. Stay out of the middle of the lane. The middle of the lane is where cars drip all their oil and stuff making it very slippery. Especially important during the first few rains.
2. As much fun as it is, try not to drive through puddles. It reduces your ability to brake and makes everything more slippery. Besides you never know how deep a hole may be under the puddle.
3. Show extra caution when turning.
4. Be extremely careful when riding over metal grates/plates, manhole covers and painted lines they become very slippery. If you can avoid them, do so. Whatever you do don't slam on the brakes while you are going over one.
5. Make sure you have the proper tire pressure.
6. Get a riding suit even if its one of those plastic rain-slick things. The worst part about riding in the rain is getting wet.
7. Do not put your hands/gloves in plastic bags or the like: you may slip off the bars.
8. Make sure all of your lights work, especially your taillight and brake light. Rain means that people have reduced visibility.
9. A full-face helmet will keep you drier than a 3/4 or 1/2 helmet.
10. If you have a full-face helmet, use an anti fog treatment or liner in the visor to keep good visibility.
11. Stay warmer and drier with a scooter skirt.  

I hope this helps everyone I have been riding for a while and have done my fair share of riding in the rain. Remember that riding in the rain is easier than you think. Once you have done it a couple of times you will have built your confidence and become a better rider, wet or dry.

Appropriate blog entry soundtrack:

Photos from France

I uploaded some of my photos from my France trip to Flikr. Feel free to browse through them. Story to come in the Decmber issue of Scoot! Magazine.

April on PRI's Marketplace radio show

A few weeks ago I taped a segment for PRI's Marketplace show. I listen to it each night on my journey home from work. I never thought that I would find a business radio show interesting, but for the past few years I have found it to be both entertaining and engaging, and the interstitial music is pretty good, too. :-)

So when I heard a spot called Road Warriors, which gives a peek at what type of music folks listen to while traveling for business, I thought I'd submit my own suggestion. I had two choices, first something from the Smiths, but I ultimately chose a song that is, in my mind,  totally connected to scooter rallies: Twenty Five Miles by Edwin Starr. The song is a popular mainstay on the playlists at rallies and all-nighters, and it has a great marching beat. It is about a man who has been walking for "three long days and two lonely nights" to see his woman. Once he gets to 25-miles away he's rejuvenated and bursts into the song.

Listen/See the transcript here

I've driven fairly far to get to some scooter rallies, and I've ridden in lots of rally events where that 25-mile road marker comes up and it brings this song to mind. I actually sing it to myself a lot when I'm riding. Luckily, I wear a full-face helmet! The song is irresistible! A few years ago, Harold Ray Live in Concert did a great cover of it. 

It was fun to hear the segment and the editor cut-in the song nicely. Made me want to hear it all over again!

Another cool Road Warriors segment is Joshua Smith's submission. Listen to it here.
Blog entry soundtrack (of course!):

About to leave Grasse

We are just about to head to the bus which will return us from Grasse to Nice. It has been a great week here in the French Riviera. Lots of great riding. We logged about 650km over 5 riding days. I took over 400 photos and some video. We went the beach, to the mountains, saw huge canyons carved by a river, rode through rain, fog, and lots of sun. It has been a fantastic time, for sure!
We go back to Nice today and then fly home tomorrow at 7:30am. Looking forward to writing a a about the trip & sharing it with Scoot! readers.

-- Post from my iPhone, out-n-about...

Wish You Were Here!

Some snaps from my trip. Still two days to go!



















-- Post from my iPhone, out-n-about...

Day 1 Begins

Today is our first day of riding in the South of France. From our hotel high above a hill we can see out to the sea, except that there is a lot of fog and likely rain. We didn't bring rain gear but I am willing to risk it.
There are only 6 Americans on our trip (3 couples) and our guide. Jens from Germany. It is a small group so we can be flexible.

-- Post from my iPhone, out-n-about...

Paul Frank Scooter Swag

If you read the print version of Scoot! you may recall seeing an ad for Paul Frank stationery items. I interviewed the actual Paul Frank (before his namesake company dismissed him) waaay back in Scoot! issue # 19 (we're on 58, now!) and he was pleasant and charming. He said that while he had never owned a scooter, he admired the SoCal kids that rode them and he used the motif in his artwork. Paul Frank Industries continues to periodically use scooters. Here are some current offerings.

CLOTHING
Sheriff Julius T-Shirt (Toddler)

Julius is a cool motocop on his P series-style scooter. Thanks to Gretchen & Desmond for alerting me to this cool shirt they got at Target. Just $8.99. You can buy two for that price, so when your kids stains it, you have another.

Julius Scooters Knit Boxer Brief

While some guys may prefer crisp, broadcloth boxers, these soft knit Y-front style boxers may change their minds when they see the cool Julius scooter on them. $18 at the Official Paul Frank store, alas they only have Small. 

Scooter Love Women's T-Shirt
Available at the Official Paul Frank Store for $22 in sizes XS-L.

Blog entry soundtrack:

Goin' on Scooter Vacation!

I'm going to be offline for a while as I'll be on vacation. And this isn't just a long weekend driving to a far away scooter rally. I'm heading to France for a scooter tour organized by Edelweiss Travel. While the company has been leading motorcycle tours for abut 30 years, it just began offering tours by scooter. I'll be taking their Cote d'Azur by Scooter tour.

The 7-day trip itinerary:

5 Day Riding Route
DAY 1 Arrival in Grasse
DAY 2 Principality of Monaco
DAY 3 Grand Canyon du Verdon
DAY 4 Beaches of St. Tropez
DAY 5 Fragrances of Provence
DAY 6 The rich and beautiful of Cannes
DAY 7 Departure from Grasse 

We have opted for 250cc bikes. Not sure of the make. Perhaps we'll get a Peugeot! The total riding distance is about 470 miles with our daily rides--50-130 miles. We'll have a guide but can go at ou own pace. The other 8 people on the trip are also Americans, so there won't be a language barrier there.

I took 4 years of French in high school, but that was 20+ years quite some time ago! Since we'll be in the south of France we won't be able to attend the Paris auto show, where the new Mini and Smart scooters will be on  display. So close!

I'll try to update Twitter and post to the blog whenever possible, but I'm wary of using the iPhone too much. I'll be taking lots of notes...my trip will make a great article in the next issue!

I'm excited!

I'll be curious to see what my garden looks like when I return. My housemate will water it while I am gone, but I'm sure my carrots and broccoli will be much bigger when I next see them. 

See you in mid-October!