Lambretta SightingL AT&T Ad

Saw this ad on CNN.com. A Lambretta makes a quick appearance in this ad for AT&T U-verse.

Either I am detail oriented or obsessed with scooters. Don't answer that.

Brighton Beach Premiere Brings out Scoots

Helen Mirren attends the European Premiere of Brighton Rock in London, England.

from Tom & Lorenzo/ Project Rungay Thanks to Lara for pointing this out.

How to make a scooter "Deathproof"

If you have seen the most recent issue of Scoot!, you likely were impressed by the cool Deathproof Lambretta by Rudy Perez. He recently posted a slideshow on YouTube which shows its journey from pile of tired parts to award-winning bike. Check it, boyeee!

Red Lambretta Shirt

Like Lambrettas? Like Red Lambrettas? Like red Lambrettas on a green shirt? SCORE!

You can get this one for $24 at GeekMorris.

Bell Sports Helmets Lambretta Animation

I was looking up some info on Bell Helmets and noticed that they have an animation of a guy riding a Lambretta. Cool! There are several Flash animations, of which this is one.

My Fave Scooter-Riding Sleuth

If you haven't caught Hetty Wainthrop Investigates on PBS' Mystery! series, you are missing out. Not only does actress Patricia Routledge do an excellent job inhabiting the spunky and no-nonsense female detective "of a certain age" but she also does so sometimes from the back of a Lambretta.

The series has Hetty starting her own investigation agency at the age of 60, when she determines hat she has a knack for ferreting the truth.  She is assisted by her sidekick Geoffrey, played by Dominc Monaghan (from Lord of the Rings films and Lost), pilots the scooter and helps Hetty with her investigations. Not every episode has a scooter, but you'll find it interesting nonetheless if you enjoy the sort of programming that Mystery! brings.

You can get the first season at Amazon for a discount, but it looks like some independent sellers have it at a nice discount.  Go Hetty!

EICMA: New Lambretta?

We've heard the "new Lambretta" story a million times, but look at this prototype revealed at Milan's EICMA show. I've had my heart broken several times before, but...is it too late to dream again?
Images from motoblog.it, thanks to Alex for sending the link!

Old Scooter Bits

Came across this Flikr collection of old scooter accessories. Many are quite desirable. Fun to browse through. Harby Harby's "Old Scooter Bits."

Blog Watch: Soft Film/Vintage Chinese Cinema

Found via Google Alert. This post from the Soft Film: Vintage Chinese Cinema blog has some great photos and a profile of Chinese actress Mai Ling. She looks tiny next to that bike! I love the coy poses and the outfit. I can't read the linked scanned article, but the photos tell their own stories, don't they?

Blog entry soundtrack: "Planet Rock" by Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force
"Rock, rock, planet rock. Don't Stop!"

Bought at Renegade Craft Fair

I got this Lammy tote from this nice man from vitalindustries.com at the Renegade Craft Fair in San Francisco last weekend.


-- Post From My iPhone

New Film: We Are the Mods

Independent filmmaker E.E. Cassidy's new film We Are the Mods is on the festival circuit, appearing next week at Outfest in Los Angeles on July 18th. For more info on the director and the film read this indieWire interview.

Watch the trailer.

Can't Strip My Lambretta in the Kitchen...

I saw this video from The Animal Jack Band (who are Scoot! MySpace friends). Reminds me of when Jon refurbished my VBB in my dining room. My landlord came in to check something one day and I had to explain that it was all new & there was not gas or oil in it. Somehow, she didn't kick me out.

I can't strip my Lambretta down in the kitchen 'ska' blues from curious ostrich on Vimeo.

Scoot! Issue # 50 shipped

Issue #50 is en route to subscribers, stores and scooter shops. Retailers should expect to receive their copies by June 8th with subscribers receiving their copies soon after.

If you have already received it, leave a comment of where you are located so we can get an idea of how fast they get around the country.

This issue is our 50th, and this golden "issue-versary" features:

* San Francisco Scooter Centre owner Barry Gwin's rare Lambretta D racer
* Kung-Fu master and scooter fan Alan Dollar shares his pedal scooter toys
* 150cc Shoot-Out: we test 5 popular scooter models
* Retrovespa: take a spin on a new old Vespa
* Scads of product reviews
* Lots of rally reports
* and of course 50 Reasons to Scoot!

Blog entry soundtrack: "Even in the Quietest Moments" by Supertramp

News from ScootRS

Just got this email from Randall at ScootRS. Disc brake fans, rejoice!

In major Lambretta news, ScootRS have released their very nice high-pressure
die cast inboard disc brake. Every piece - apart from bearings and seals -
is made inhouse at ScootRS and it is the only one in the world made like the
Innocenti original (others are rough sand cast versions), except it comes
with a better vented disc. In white or silver.
£160/$239 (Individual parts are available too.)

A tidy hydraulic caliper to go with it, which requires no back plate
modification, is £46/$69.

On a related note, ScootRS are now including for free with all their Vespa
and Lambretta hydraulic disc brake kits a nice braided stainless steel hose,
a great upgrade. (Also available separately.) At the same time, the latest
version of their popular Lambretta hydraulic disc brake kit is nicely
restyled at both the caliper plate and the thottle support.

New machine-stamped Lambretta SX200 and LIS/TV panels are available at a
reasonable price now as well!
£46.95/$69.95

Finally, ScootRS have continued their series of high-end seat covers made
just like original, but half the price of Italian repros. The seat covers
feature thick rubber backing in joined sections, foam inserts, stainless
rivets, matching straps (dual seats only) and original style rear badges.
Unlike Italian repros, they also include a padded foam insert to keep you
comfy. Recent additions include:

Vespa GS150 VS5 dual seat cover
Vespa GS150 VS1-4 dual seat cover
£46/$69 (Also available in leather.)

Lambretta flag dual seat cover
Lambretta striped dual seat cover
Lambretta centre stripe dual seat cover
Lambretta sport dual seat cover
£39/$59 (Some also available in leather.)

For more info, go to ScootRS

LALO today in San Francisco

Today is the San Francisco Loose Association of Lambretta Owners ride. Since I don't own a lammy, I won't be riding, but I will meet up with the crew at the end of the ride. House mate Lori & my BF Jon rode up there this morning while I went to the nursery to get some tomatoes and pole beans. Yum!

Monkeys ride space scooters

Video from YouTube...Nice looking future-lammy & vespa. Animator must be a fan.

Success! Lesney Matchbox Lambretta with sidecar!

Jon and I went to a comics/records/collectibles show this weekend in San Jose, hoping we'd find some scooter swag. It wasn't until the very last row that Jon found one of the things on his must-have list: a Lesney Matchbox Lambretta with a Sidecar. Thay aren't terribly rare, you can find them on eBay, but this one is unblemished with a box in very good shape. He was over the moon! We had seen some in England, but the nearly 2:1 exchange rate kept us from buying.
Here is the photo I Twittered. My iPhone didn' snap the best pic, though.

Merry Christmas from the UK

Mau at Classic Scooterist Scene and Twist & Go sent us this fab e-card. Enjoy!

Jimmy's Quadrophenia Lammy for sale

Josh found this post on the uber-cool blog Retro To Go about the bike used as Jimmy's bike in the Who's film Quadrophenia.

A piece of movie history is going through Bonham's auction room later this month - the scooter rode by Jimmy Cooper in the cult mod flick Quadrophenia, complete with its original KRU 251F number plate.

It's a Lambretta Li 150 Series 3 scooter, originally dating from 1967 and being sold by current owners Allstyles in Portsmouth. The bike is on its third owner since the movie finished, but has been overhauled to a high standard fairly recently - although this does mean some of the original parts have been replaced by modern spares. Its recent used has been mainly confined to shows and press events of late - a possible money spinner should you want to invest in it.

And it might need to earn its keep, with a hefty estimate being quoted by Bonham's, between £20,000 and £25,000. Check over the page for a picture of the bike in the movie or check out the Bonham's site for more on the bike. The auction is being hosted at the Knightsbridge branch on 25th November 2008.

Place your bid now...

Got it!: The Lammy ornament from Sur la Table

I previously posted about this new Lambretta scooter ornament from Sur la Table. Today, I went to one of their retail locations and bought one. $24 is steep. Perhaps it may go on sale after Christmas, but I didn't want to chance it.

It's a nice quality ornament. A couple things to look out for if you plan to buy one:
1) It is made of 2 separate pieces that are glued together, so look for one with minimal bond marks.
2) The retail locations have them in a bin, so examine the one you purchase to make sure it isn't scratched, chipped or faded. The earlier you go in the more you'll have to choose from.

All in all, it is a nice ornament and a rarity as it is a Lammy versus a Vespa.

Blog entry soundtrack: stream from Radio Paradise.