Nice note

Got a nice note of thanks from SF Scooter gals got donating to their toy run. Yay.




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

Online Scooter Deals?

This press release just came through the wire:

Portland Based Group Buying Site to Offer Historic Group Buy
First Group Buying Site in United States to Sell Vespas

PORTLAND, Ore., Jan. 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Portland based Group Buying site www.suchthedeal.com is making history by offering what is believed to be the first ever Scooter/Vespa "Group Buy" in the United States

Starting Monday, January 24, 2011 www.suchthedeal.com in conjunction with Vespa Milwaukie (Oregon) will offer five LX 150cc Piaggio Vespas for sale at 40% off the regular price. The deal will last for two weeks or until all the Vespas are sold.

"We're thrilled with this opportunity," says www.suchthedeal.com founder Ron Pivo. "Oregonians are very creative by nature and I think they will be proud knowing that an Oregon-based company is the first to do something like this."

Vespa Milwaukie opened in 2008 and is one of the west coast's leading retailers for Piaggio Vespas.

"We couldn't think of a better way to make people aware of our store and our product than doing a Group Buy with www.suchthedeal.com. When you combine the fact that gas prices are climbing and sunny weather is on the horizon we feel this is the perfect time to do something like this," said Vespa Milwaukie owner Bill Place. "We had no idea this has never been done in the U.S. until Ron told us. When we heard that we jumped at the chance to make a little business history."

The bikes are offered at $3,581 versus  a supposed retail of $5,969 (includes freight, taxes & PDI). Vespa USA lists the base price of that model at $4,599 (sans freight, PDI, taxes). This seems to be a reflection of two things going on in the marketplace: 1) the sluggish sales of scooters 2) the growing popularity of "Deal" web properties like Groupon, LivingSocial, and GiltGroup which offer limited-time deep discount sales.

As I recall, this isn't the first time that scooters have been offered through such a group. In December, GILT Group offered 2009 Vespa GTV 250s at $5,520 versus a $7,236 retail price, and 2010 LX 150 at $3,740 versus $4,736.

Would you consider buying a scooter through a deals site?

Brighton Rock trailer

The film is based on the book by Graham Greene, and was originally made into a film in 1947 with a young, dangerous Richard Attenborough.  Early reviews trash it, but I'll see it bacause it is now set in 1964 with Mods & Rockers clashing it up.The film debuts in the UK on Feb. 2.






Still from the film. Read the "pre-review" from a very passionate Simon Heffer at the Telegraph.

More France trip photos uploaded to Flikr

Now that the December issue is out and people have been able to read about our riding trip to France, I'm uploading my pics to my Flikr set. I took over 300 photos that week and some video, which will come later. You can see what I have uploaded thus far, and check back later in the week for more.

Hope you enjoy the photos!


 

The December 2010 is now available. This issue contains:

• Parlez-Vous Le Scoot?: a scooterist's dream holiday in France
• Test Ride: Honda PCX 125
• Finding Parts for Chinese Scooters
• Cannonball Run 2010: a 50cc perspective of the cross-country rally
• Fun with Dynamometers: Buddy 125 vs Buddy 150
• Product Reviews: clothing, safety gear, helmets, music
• Rally Reviews: Salt Lake City, Detroit, Rochester NY, San Diego, Denver, Albuquerque
• Reader's Rides: '72 Lambretta GP200; '07 Yamaha Vino, '80 Vespa P200
• Regular features: Scooter Collector, rally calendar, classified, Show Us Your Scoots, and the Unlovables comic strip

"Big Wet One" Itinerary

The San Francisco rally, The Big Wet One, is a unique rally in that it is hosted by multiple clubs/scooterists rather than one club; it is planned with very little lead time, perhaps a couple of weeks; and it is planned to coincide with a cold, rainy time for the city (thus the name). It seems that it is tailored to fail, incorporating what would seem to be counter-intuitive plans.

But it works. And while I don't attend every year, I have yet to be rained on, so the name is typically a false promise.

If you are in San Francisco next week, try to make some of the events.
Here is the schedule (subject to change):

Thursday 01/6/11
9pm: Ride to Cafe DuNord (2170 Market St.) where local DJ Dr. Scott and Band the
Titan Ups will get your feet moving.

Friday 01/7/11
8pm: Meet at Lucky 13 (2140 Market St.) for a city lights ride led by SSSC, to
the DNA club where we will celebrate BWO founder Mole's birthday with the ska
sounds of Monkey and DJs Dion and Mickey Angry.

Saturday 01/8/11
10am: Meet at SF Scooter Centre (127 10th St.) for two options:

1. 11am, Patrick and Oz want to take you on an adventure ride. Make sure your scooter is fast and reliable cause you never know how far these guys willl go in a day!
2. 11:30am, The Lone Wolf Drunken Texan SC Wants to challenge you to their version of an alley cat ride. You scooter can be less reliable for this one but make sure your brain is tuned up!

Saturday night
8pm: Dress up proper and ride your classic, then meet at the Orbit Room (1900
Market St.). At 9pm well head out to explore the city on our way to the the
Crescent Hotel (417 Stockton St.) for some late night mod fun in the Burritt
Room.

Sunday 01/9/11
Noon: Meet at Cafe Greco (423 Columbus Ave.) in North Beach for a group led
"Mural Ride". We'll wind up at Bender's (806 South Van Ness Ave.) for beer and
burgers.

Get Scoot! Covered!- photo contest announced!

An ad for this contest is in the December issue, but just in case you didn't see it...

Attention Photographers...
Want to see your scooter photography on the cover of Scoot! Magazine? Enter our photography contest and your work may end up on the cover!

It takes a special photo to make the cover of Scoot!. We want to see your photos that show how fun, smart and cool scootering can be. See if you've got what it takes to:
Get Scoot! Covered!

Deadline:
Photos must be received by February 28, 2011. Scoot! Magazine is not responsible for lost, misdirected or delayed packages.

How to submit:
Digital files only. Please send a disc or drive with up to three different images to: Get Scoot! Covered, Scoot! Magazine, PO Box 9605, San Jose, CA 95157. Please include your full name, mailing address, email and phone number. Incomplete submissions will not be considered.

File Requirements:
Jpg or Tif images only. Minimum size requirement is 9.25 inches wide by 11.50 inches tall (or 2775 pixels wide by 3450 pixels tall). Both must be 300 pixels/inch resolution. Either RGB or CMYK mode will work. Please make sure there is room for the Scoot! Masthead in upper left as well as no critical areas in lower left corner where Barcode places.

Prizes:
First place: $100 a Scoot! t-shirt and your photo on the cover of a future issue of Scoot! Magazine

Second place: a Scoot! t-shirt and your photo on the cover of a future issue of Scoot! Magazine

Winners will be chosen by the Scoot! staff. Questions can be directed to april(AT)scootmagazine(.)com.