While I was in Vegas...

I really was working, really! I sold subscriptions and shirts and answered questions and stuff. I also got away from the Scoot! booth long enough to actually talk scooter with scooter people. One of whom was the very nice and generous-with-his time Hank Norush who took the Build-Off credo to heart with his amazing custom Vespa. He took some time from his windy, Saturday and shared how his bike came together.

Sorry for the wind noise, but it became quite blustery out there just as some rain drops began to fall...

Scooter sidecar dining

Came across this story by John Foley about a scooter food cart in the Examiner:

It was developed in Sonoma, California. Wine country. And the ingenuity that pops out of the cork laden region is exceptional. It could be the constant sampling of wine and bubbly that spurns such magnificent invention, or it could be the idle time that so many winemakers have to think in the late afternoon.

But for Terry Grimm and his partner, Nick Grimm, the cart is a product of their own invention. The duo operates Sorento Imports in a beautifully remodeled service station in downtown Sonoma.

The cart, pictured here comes with a customized sidecar that can be filled with gelato or other refrigerated products. The family Grimm is also in development on a Panini Scooter and possibly a Crepe Scooter- the French would eat this up.

A great publicity vehicle, perfect for sampling menu items, or delivering lunches or dinners, the scooter is listing out for around $10.000.00. A reasonable amount for a cart that can not only promote your business but possibly produce a profit.

A good portion of the cost must be the vintage scooter and sidecar. I never thought of using a sidecar as a food service option. Mostly, one thinks of a three wheel Ape or Lambro, but you can probably go faster on the Vespa with a sidecar.

Fred Perry Limited Edition Vespa

Fred Perry is celebrating its 100th year with a blowout campaign that includes a limited edition Vespa LXV 150. The run is limited to 100 scooters for sale in the UK, USA, Japan and France starting in August. Th stock LXV sells for about $5,200. I haven't inquired about the Fred Perry price, but I can imagine it is much higher. The only changes seem to be the decorative striping and the Fred Perry laurels. If you are a Fred Perry fan who must have one of these scooters, contact Fred Perry Customer Service

The company is also releasing several commemorative products such as polos, sweaters and shoes with a "100" logo on them. Check out the festivities at Fred Perry- 100 Years.

For Sale: Josh's Chopper

In the area where I live, my friend Josh's Vespa chopper is legend. Josh took and old trashed scooter and turned it into a showpiece. As a machinist he created all sorts of custom parts, and added the right touches to make it a mini-chopper; cool not campy.

The era of this scooter in our midst has come to an end. Josh has put it up for sale on eBay.
I'm sad to see it go, but all things must come to an end. The bike has appeared in both Scoot! and Scootering magazines. It's a super fast bike. I hope that whomever buys it takes good care of it and rides it often. It is a true showpiece that has performance, too.
A fond farewell to Josh's Chopper!

Etch-a-Scoot

Jade from Ithaca, NY emailed me about Etchstar a company that does custom etching on electronics such as iPods, iPhones and laptops. She found 2 scooter graphics that you could have etched on your own device. I've heard of monogramming and having one's one name on an item, but Etchstar's illustrations are pretty impressive.

Make Your Own Scooter Wallpaper

Years ago, I lived with a scooterist friend who has a large poster made of a very famous black & white photo of a man racing a Vespa around a track. It looked like a huge photocopy, with the grainy pixels noticeable. While I don't recall he exact dimensions, it was two long sheets of paper that when put together were something like 3 x 5 ft. It was impressive and gave us a cool scooter house advantage.

Now, with technology making custom printing more accessible, the dream of having a cool, but well-done custom wall treatment is simple. Check out Wall Collection, a Danish company that can create custom wallpaper for you using your own artwork.

Checkout some examples of what they have done:


and



While prices aren't listed on their site, they do charge $60 for shipping to the US. May be a cool ay to turn your basement or spare bedroom into a scooter shrine.