Scooter Collector: Blue Mambo CD

This is going to be one of my holiday picks in the next issue. It was sent to me by Joel Gion, scooterist and member of The Brian Jonestown Massacre and the Dilettantes. Note to self: We should feature him in an upcoming issue...

You can get the CD on Amazon for $19.99. According to the description:

Hey, cool cats and kittens! Are you feelin' it? And I mean REALLY feelin' it? If you don't know what I'm talking about, then it's time to get hip to the jive with this crazy collection of coolness called Blue Mambo. It's a groovy UK-only collection of tuneage from the Blue Note roster that will add meaning to your mambo. 18 tracks including dope cuts from Stanley Turrentine, George Shearing, Tito Puente Jr., Peggy Lee, Jimmy Smith, Stan Kenton and many others. It's a cure for the unhip and a meal for the hip. Now, I'll ask you again...are you feelin' it? EMI. 2000.

That is one cool cat! I suspect someone has tattooed that one his/herself. ;)

Levi Stubbs gone, too

According to this story on Yahoo! the frontman for The Four Tops is dead.

His unmistakable voice was heard on songs such as: "Reach Out (I'll Be There)" and and "Baby I Need Your Loving," some of the greatest songs of the Motown era.

My Favorite Four Tops Songs (in order):
1. Reach Out (I'll Be There)
2. Baby I Need Your Loving
3. Bernadette "BERNADETTE!!!"
4. Standing in the Shadows of Love
5. Ain't No Woman (Like the One I've Got)
6. It's the Same Old Song
7. Shake Me, Wake Me (When It's Over)
8. I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)

One of the things I enjoy about "traditional" scooter rallies is the soul music that is played at shows. I love to cut the rug to some old-fashioned soul.

Totally NSR, but funny

If you can't find humor in serious art then, pfffth!

Baby on Board

Here's a news photo of Liev Schreiber and Naomi Watts riding a Vespa. But there's actually three people on board as Watts is seven months pregnant. She doesn't look very comfortable. I've been stuck in NYC traffic, so even preggers, I would probably take the scooter, too. Ah, but I wouldn't wear flats and a dress. Not even in my baren-ness would I do that.

Uploaded to Scoot! Flickr pool

DSCN3055
Originally uploaded by miss_pistol

This was uploaded to the Scoot! Flickr pool. Nice peek at a collection.


Add your on collectibles and scooter photos to the pool!

"Love is my message!" Michael Jackson scooter commercial

Check out this Japanese Suzuki commercial Michael Jackson did way back in the Off the Wall era. I LOVE that album!

So long, Alton Ellis...

Alton Ellis, King of Rocksteady, has died at the age of 70. The story as run in the UK' Guardian:

By David Katz, The Guardian,
Tuesday October 14 2008

Hailed as the king of rock steady, Alton Ellis, who has died aged 70 of cancer, was the first singer to popularise the style that formed the bridge between ska and reggae, and one of Jamaica's best-loved vocalists. Blessed with a distinctive voice whose emotive tones were particularly expressive, he was a constant presence in the island's charts for much of the 1960s and early 1970s. Although he never reached the pop charts in Britain, he maintained a strong fanbase here, not only among the Jamaican immigrant community that thronged to his concerts, but also among the wider population of British reggae fans, many of whom were drawn to his music following the "two tone" ska revival of the 1980s.

Born in downtown Kingston in 1940, he was raised in the heart of Trench Town, the west Kingston ghetto district that would later be home to Bob Marley and the Wailers and countless other Jamaican vocalists. At Boys' Town school, Ellis excelled at sports and music, and often broke into the school in the evening to teach himself to play the piano, sometimes spending entire nights at the instrument.

Many of his peers were reaching the stage through the weekly talent contests held by the journalist Vere Johns, but Ellis was too frightened by the competition to appear on his own, so in 1959 he formed a duo with a friend called Eddie Perkins. While Ellis worked by day on a construction site in Stony Hill, the duo made their first recording, a slow love ballad called Muriel. Produced by Clement "Sir Coxsone" Dodd, founder of Studio One, the song was an immediate success that topped the Jamaican charts.

After recording a couple of follow-ups for Coxsone and My Love Divine for Vincent "Randy" Chin, the duo was forced to disband when Perkins travelled to the US, where he appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show. Ellis worked as a printer for the next year and a half, forming a short-lived new duo with John Holt, cutting Rum Bumpers in 1965. He then continued recording for Coxsone, notably duetting with his younger sister, Hortense.

Moving to the Treasure Isle stable of Coxsone's arch-rival, Duke Reid, Ellis then assembled a backing harmony group called the Flames, scoring one of the biggest hits of 1966 with Dance Crasher, a song decrying the "rude boys" who were wreaking havoc in Jamaica's dance halls. Soon after, still backed by the Flames, Ellis cut Girl I've Got a Date, named by many as the first rock steady recording, and later Rock Steady, the first to refer to the genre by name. Other notable tunes cut for Reid in this period included an original called Breaking Up and brilliant cover versions of Johnnie Taylor's Ain't That Loving You, Chuck Jackson's Willow Tree and the Delfonics' La La (Means I Love You), all of which are confirmed classics frequently covered by others in the decades that followed.

In 1967, Coxsone poached Ellis back from Reid, sending him to the UK to tour with Ken Boothe and the Soul Vendors. Further gems followed, such as A Fool, one of many songs inspired by the tempestuous relationship with his first wife, Pearl, as well as the album Sings Rock and Soul.

After spending several months in the US, Ellis then moved to Canada, where he was largely based for the next three years, working the nightclub circuit as a soul singer. Back in Jamaica in 1970, he scored big with his rendition of You've Made Me So Very Happy, made famous by Blood Sweat and Tears, as featured on the Coxsone-produced 1970 album Sunday Coming, and the following year, the spiritually eloquent and politically relevant Deliver Us, recorded for Lloyd "Matador" Daley; Big Bad Boy, another anti-rude boy song recorded for the producer Keith Hudson (and apparently inspired by him), was another big hit.

In 1973, Ellis moved to the UK, where he continued to record, issuing the excellent self-produced Still in Love in 1977. Although based in the UK since then, he made notable recordings in Jamaica for Sonia Pottinger during the late 1970s and the album Many Moods of Alton Ellis, released by Earl Morgan of the Heptones in 1980. Sporadic recordings continued for UK-based concerns such as Fashion Records and Jamaican producers such as King Jammy, while the series of annual Rock Steady Revues he presented in London were always eagerly anticipated, as were his live appearances in general. In recent years, despite health concerns, Ellis headlined several festivals in the US and Europe.

In 1994, Ellis received the Order of Distinction from the Jamaican government in recognition of his vital contribution to the island's popular culture, and he is to be given a state funeral. He is survived by numerous children from different relationships and many grandchildren.

• Alton Nehemiah Ellis, singer, songwriter, producer and concert promoter, born September 1 1938; died October 11 2008

Listen to a podcast at Heartbeat Records featuring, Feeling Inside. And another featuring I'm still in Love with You.

Genuine Scooter Co. on TheStreet

The Street.Com profiled Genuine Scooter Co. and head honcho Phil McCaleb, today.
Read the article here.

Follow my blog!

I had installed a section where you could sign-up to follow the blog, but it was all the way at the bottom where no one would find it. You can now find the sign-up in the right nav bar. Sign up and get updates as they are posted. You can also follow me on Twitter (which is sometimes kinda random) and also keep up with Scoot! on Facebook and MySpace. So many outlets!

Global Rights to Lambretta Bikes?

In my opinion, the Lambretta name isn't what it used to be. I suppose that is an understatement as you can get all sorts of tacky products from deodorant and body spray to clothing, watches and sunglasses. We have "Lambretta" scooters here in the US and apparently, there is now a global push on reviving the name as a scooter brand.

Check out this press release on Bike Biz which announces new "accessories" and a 26" wheel bike, by which I think that means bicycle. Hmmmmmh... I bet it will be exactly what Lambretta fans have been craving. :P

"Legendary Italian scooter brand Lambretta had been lying dormant for over 30 years until UK-based brand entrepreneurs Fine White Line Ltd secured the worldwide rights to the Lambretta brand."

So these are the people tanking this brand name!

I'm not sure who benefits from the use of the Lambretta name. From where I stand you either recognized the name and love the brand, thus new, cheap and totally divorced designs and products will ring false. OR you don't know the brand which seems to make the implied cache irrelevant. The only way to win is to find:
1) people that are so "brand-conscious" that they will take anything with the Lambretta name on it regardless of its relation to the actual appropriateness of the products or
2) people to "educate" about the brand's cache and relevance.

If ther are any UK readers out there, I'd love to hear your opinion on what you feel has beeen done with the Lambretta name. It seems that the license-holder will slap the name on anything. How does that go over in the UK? To me it feels like buying a "Gucci" bag on the streets of New York for $20. Empty.


Blog entry soundtrack: "I Used to Love Him" Lauryn Hill

South African Art Vespa Competition Announced

In the past I posted on the winning scooters from Vespa South Africa and it looks like they are continuing the contest this year.

The annual Art Vespa Competition is open for entries. The design competition does not have a theme and it allows you to dress the two-wheeler according to your idea of style.

Three Vespa LX150 scooters will be wrapped in the best designs and displayed at the Design Indaba Expo in Cape Town from February 27 to March 1, 2009. The winner will also be announced during the expo.

Go to www.vespa.co.za for more information or send submissions to artvespa@vespa.co.za before November 31, 2008.

Check out Art Vespa 2009

Urban Outfiters Scooter Tie

Not sure where it came from or where it went, but they are no longer selling this tie. Maybe it can be found at a discounter?

NSR: Ben Sherman Trip Contest

It may not be scooter-related, but if you win this trip you can visit all the cool scooter shops in London. Don't forget about the one that is built into an arch of a train trestle!
Ben Sherman Great British Getaway

Scoot! #47 shipping now!

Scoot! Magazine #47 goes Lammy!

Our new issue in en route to subscribers and shops. We decided to do a Lambretta Tribute issue, of sorts. We didn't set out to do a complete history (it has been done and probably better than we could have), we didn't set out to do a repair manual (it's been done). Rather, we wanted to celebrate what we like about Lambrettas. So, you'll find the story of a cool model, info on models rarely seen in the USA, info on the Lambretta Club USA, and examples of custom Lambrettas that ride our streets.
Highlights from this issue:

An excerpt from The Lambretta Bible; a Lambretta history timeline; Lambretta Club USA Spotlight; 3 unusual Lammy Reader's Rides; Modscooters GP200 review; Lammys of the German-Speaking world; Lammy "Show Us Your Scoots" section.

Reviews:"A Tale of 250s" pits the Aprilia SportCity 250 against the SYM RV250; Coveralls Scooter Cover.

Rallies including Motogiro America.

Regular Features: Josh's Tattoo Corner, Scooter Collector, Rally Calendar, Classified section, and more!

As I mentioned, issues are currently in the mail. If you don't have a subscription or can't find it for sale near you, order it from our store.


Blog entry soundtrack: Jefferson Airplane---Today

How to liven-up scooter rallies?

IMG_0993
Originally uploaded by markusmichael

After attending scooter rallies for over a dozen years, the route schedules and activities are getting kind of boring.

Rally Events that I Find Boring
* Never-ending slow races
* Gymkhanas so easy that a newbie twist-n-go scooterists can do them
* Hours spent standing around
* Long speeches

Rally Events that I Would Like to See:
* Tough gymkhanas that take real skill
* Drag racing (see photo above by markusmichael in Germany)
* Skill competitions such as engine assembly, trivia
* Classes on how to fix or customize a scooter
* Team competitions like scavenger hunts or stage racing
* Lots of interesting, well-run rides

The photo (shown above) that I saw on Flikr reminded me of my pet peeves. Sorry for venting... : )

Vespa Rentals coming to LA, SF, Vegas & Orlando.

This in the news:

EagleRider to include Vespa scooters in rental line-up.
from Powersports Business:


EagleRider added Piaggio and Vespa scooters to its motorcycle rental line-up that already includes Harley-Davidson, Honda and BMW motorcycles, reported EagleRider.

Beginning Oct. 11, EagleRider will start renting Piaggio and Vespa scooters at its Los Angeles, Las Vegas and San Francisco locations. Beginning Oct. 15, EagleRider’s Orlando location will carry the scooters.

“Strong Vespa Scooters sales growth in 2008 coupled with increasing gas prices makes the addition of the Vespa line-up a necessary choice,” Chris McIntyre, president of EagleRider, said in the release. “Vespa is a world famous lifestyle brand that will be a great complement to our prestigious rental fleet of Harley-Davidson, Honda and BMW motorcycles.”

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!

rotofugi the collectors

This is a funny spoof video that anyone who collects things will get a kick out of. I think I saw myself in the video and not on the shelf!

Upcoming Event: All Girl Scooter Rally

In 2006 my housemate and I attended the AGSR in Palm Springs, CA and had a blast. It was the best organized, fun-packed rally I have been to. Lots of fun activities, camaraderie and great swag/raffle prizes. My housemate won the scooter raffle prize!

This year, AGSR returns to Florida. If you are a scootin' gal in the area, plan to attend. Even if you go alone, you'll meet lots of fun ladies.

Date: Oct. 18th-20th,2008
Sixth Annual All Girls Scooter Rally

* St. Augustine, Florida
The Sixth Annual All Girls Scooter Rally

The All Girls Scooter Rally wishes to invite women riders to enjoy a
weekend of scenic group rides, beach fun, and margaritas. Sunny St.
Augustine, Florida, October 18-20, 2008. If you want to come early or
stay late, you"re welcome to do so.

Agenda:
Friday night - 80"s night at British Pub
Saturday night - Pajama party my hotel room

Make your own hotel reservation at Holiday Inn Anastasia Island,
904-471-2555. Address is 860 A1A Beach Blvd. St. Augustine, FL 32080.
Ask for second floor rear of building near back stairs--fastest way to
beach access. Flying into Jacksonville is the closest airport.
for info contact: christine.wysocki at gmail dot com

Blog entry soundtrack: Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter-- The Dreaming Dead

Upcoming Event: Side Car Rally 10/19/08

I haven't had a chance to make it to this event, yet, but I thought I'd put a shout-out about the upcoming Griffith Park Side Car Rally sponsored by Sidestrider Side Cars and the Sidecar Industry Council (who knew there was one?) Info:

Sunday, Oct. 19, 9am-3pm
Crystal Springs picnic area
Griffith Park Los Angeles

"Spectators free!! Learn about sidecars and see some of all the best and most unusual sidecars in the world. Call: Doug Bingham 818-780-5542"

Vectrix Reports Triple Digit Growth

According to a newsrelease that went out today, Vectrix is starting to catch on with more than just Leonardo DiCaprio:

Middletown, RI-based Vectrix Corporation just released its first year results with triple-digit growth. It has sold more than 1,000 of its two-wheel vehicles. It’s expanding its product line in 2009 and has the largest dealer network in the U.S. of any electric vehicle maker.

**The market is ready for electric vehicles, as most of Vectrix’s growth occurred in the second half of its financial year – April 1-September 30, 2009 – growth of 380% over the first half of the year.

**Vectrix has 160 dealer points worldwide, about half in the U.S., growing from just a handful earlier in the year.

**Vectrix is the first highway legal all-electric two-wheel vehicle. It travels 62 MPH, 0-50 in 6.8 seconds and is large enough to carry two people comfortably. It was designed for urban commuting and sales success shows people want them – it gets the equivalent of 357 MPG.

**High gas prices, eco consciousness and rise in the two-wheel industry (66% increase in scooter sales) have paved the road for Vectrix’s success.

Americans are ready for more fuel-efficient ways to get around. So I think that even an expensive scooter like the Vectrix will have its buyers. Eventually the price will come down and this type of scooter will be more widely available. An electric scooter could have 100% clean energy if its power were derived by wind energy, for example.

Upcoming Event: Worshiping the Beast 10/17

It has been a few years since I attended a Worshiping the Beast rally, but it's nice to see that the river boat is back. If you are within driving distance to Sacramento, CA hangout with the wonderfully fun Burgundy Topz scooter club. Those boys are great!

Worshipping The Beast 22 The Boat is Back!
Date: Oct. 17th-19th,2008
* Sacramento , California

Burgundy Topz presents Worshiping the Beast 22! Scooter show, scenic rides and a helluva party on the River City Queen charter boat!

RSVP your $40 ticket at paypal.com for your boat rally pack before it"s too late.
Details at www.burgundytopz.com

AmeriVespa 2009- San Jose, CA

Just attended a planning meeting for AmeriVespa 2009 which is in my town. Vespa Club Los Gatos is the hosting club and the local scooterists are excited to help out. Not sure if the July 4th date helps or hinders attendance, but it should be lots of fun, especially with all the great riding available around us.

Ben Sherman Kids Color-In Shirt

Dunno how I missed this cute shirt. What a fun idea! Mustn't have sold that great if it is now on Zappos, but get one while you can. Sizes 2/3 to 7/8 for $33 comes with 3 felt-tipped markers for customization.

UPDATE
So, I found this on the Ben Sherman site. Doh! Only $29. get it from the source!

Scoot! Facebook Page

I started a Scoot! Facebook page onto which this blog feeds. So, if you become a fan you can also get updates there. Log on to Facebook and search under Scoot! Magazine.

Buy a Condo, Get a Scooter

Scooters are known for being a part of the urban lifestyle. Now in Cleveland, you can have that urban lifestyle in one step. From the Cleveland Plain Dealer's website:

Another urban developer has jumped on the low-mileage-vehicle-giveaway bandwagon.

Vintage Development Group announced this week that it will be giving a free Vespa scooter to those who buy a home at one of two Cleveland developments: Battery Park in Detroit Shoreway or Chester 82 near University Circle.

If a customer doesn't want the scooter, they can opt for $5000 worth of upgrades to their new home, Vintage said.
Plain Dealer file photoThose who buy a loft at Bluestone in Cleveland Heights are eligible for a free Smart Car -- or cash knocked off the purchase price.

At Battery Park, prices range from $169,900 and $314,900 for condos and single-family homes.

Vote like Julius the Monkey

I love Paul Frank stuff, especially that cheeky monkey, Julius! Now the company has put out a cute "Voting is Easy" poster which has Julius riding his scooter to vote. Does PFI have a direct connection to my brain? Scooters, Julius and voting? Sweet!
According to this post from Chronicle Books' blog:

Through October 20th, Paul Frank Stores and HeadCount are going to make signing up easier than ever by registering voters on-site. In addition, HeadCount staff will be on hand to discuss the voting process. (As a special bonus: Everyone who signs up gets 20% off most items in the store and 10% of the stores proceeds will go back to HeadCount, a non-partisan group. All college students with a valid ID get 30% off. Spend $50 or more and receive a special, limited edition T-shirt celebrating the 2008 election and voter participation.)

Download the poster here and place it in your workspace and let people know that voting is super important!

DIY: Re-use those old scooter tires

From Retro-To-Go (a great vintage lifestyle blog)

Someone has re-purposed old scooter tires into seats. Might be a fun project. Wonder if you could fit them to bar stools? Do the still smell like rubber and get your pants blackened?

Have you ever tried to recycle old scooter parts? I tried to turn bunk pistons into planters for cacti, but the notches on the sides made it hard to old enough soil. Probably would work with a larger piston.

Spotted on Flikr...

I set-up a slideshow that displays items on Flikr that have scooter-ish tags. Sometimes really cool images come through and I try to highlight them.
This image was in the photo collection of aisaider2008 who has all sorts of old European photos. I just love this one with the decor on the scooter, the excited kids, their old style shoes and clothes, and the loving matriarch in the back. Wish I had one of these photos in my family collection!

When in Birstall, get your hair cut

Saw this story on line about a scooter-loving mod who has opened up a mod/scooter themed hair salon. According to the salon owner, "My inspiration came from being one of the founding members of the Spen Valley Saints, which has given me the reputation of being a mod hair specialist."

So if you find yourself in Birstall, in the Leicestershire area of England, pop in for a mod do.

Did you know.....?

From this week's "Did You Know" corner....mo-pedding is against the rules for NBA players. Well, I think that also extends to scooters as evidenced by the recent hullabaloo with Monta Ellis, who recently became the highest paid player on the Golden States Warriors NBA team.

He soon after injured his ankle in a "mo-ped" accident and tried to cover it up since riding is a strictly prohibited activity in NBA contracts. Who wouldda thunk that riding was so dangerous as to be strictly prohibited.

Us scooter & moped riders are f*ing insane....livin' on the edge!

Maybe we should send Ellis one of our cool Scoot buttons?

TODAY: Lambrettaworks Grand Opening Party

Unfortunately, I will be in the midst of a 4-day video production class and will miss most of this event. My class gets out at 6pm, so maybe I can drop by.

If you are in SF, stop by the new Lambrettaworks location and wish them the best.
According to their invite:

Please come by between 2-6 PM to welcome us to the City, gawk over our collection of scooter paraphernalia, and mingle with other scooterists.

We will be having a ride led by a member of Secret Society Scooter Club that will leave the shop at 4PM to tour the City. Then back at the shop, the local 60’s Garage band ‘The Parties’ will play at 9pm.

View Larger Map

Cafe Scooter

I saw this little scoot parked at the restaurant where I had lunch.
Reminds me of when a dog waits patiently outside for its master. : )

GoGo13 Scooter shirt

Parker Jacobs who was a past designer for Paul Frank Industries, works on the current show Yo Gabba Gabba and is part of the ska band GoGo13 sent me a link to a cool shirt they have on the band's merch site. The caption reads "save gas" but it should also say "be cool" as everyone at your next scooter rally will want to know where you got the shirt.

Incidentally, GoGo13 is the band that did the uber-cool ska song "pick it up" for an episode of Yo Gabba Gabba where ska is used to teach kids to clean their room:

PICK IT UP


A great way to start my morning, "pick it up, pick it up, pick it up..." I've got a terrible cold, so seeing this video "picks up" my spirits!

Sew News has scooter on cover

The hobbyist magazine Sew News has a woman riding a scooter with a fun scarf blowing in the wind. Looks like the super-cute Buddy scores another mag cover!

Follow me on Twitter!

I have 4 people following me on Twitter, so you can imagine I'd like to bring along a lot more. If you wanna get the scoop on what's going on with the magazine, scooter gossip, or my yen for cold drinks, then check me out on Twitter! I've been using Twitterrific from the Iconfactory on my iPhone.

And if you have a cool scooter-related Twitter feed, let me know.

Cannonball Update....

Looking for an update to the Cannonball Run? You can see the results thus far here. According to Mike Bobadilla (Vespa Club Los Gatos), Sunday was brutal:

Bad day on CBR...Jess crashed. Rich crashed. Marcocet crashed.
Biohazard crashed. Jim T crashed. Jim T broke ribs and collarbone.
40 miles of bad road on gravel and dirt. Jim T was the only serious
injury, but this CBR is racking them up.

For more view from the road, check out these blogs:
Rocket & Roy's Scooter Cannonball Adventure 2008
Jess from Modern Vespa
Coast to Coast on a Vespa with Joe Hamilton
Bagel's Scooter blog Lots of info!
David's Scooter Cannonball Run Blog Lots of pics!
The Long Way Around with Rich
Pete's Cannonball 2008 blog

Scooter Ride in Giant Robot magazine

I met some folks from Giant Robot at Comic Con. They told me that they have an article about a guy riding cross-country on a Honda Ruckus. I haven't had a chance to pick it up, but you can get it at bookstores or from Giant Robot here.

Bagel's Cannonball Blog

I must know a lot of people who love long rides and weeks of torture! Tom D. aka Bagel is participating in the Cannonball Run (again!) this time on his shiny new-painted GT. You can follow him and his adventures here: http://bagelsscooterblog.blogspot.com/.
Best of luck to Bagel as he and the other riders take off from San Francisco on the 11th!

More Scooter Stuff from Sur la Table

I communicated with Sur la Table about the upcoming Lambretta ornament and was told that there is also a placemat and coaster set with a "Cat-n-Rat" theme which is a cool cat riding a Vespa with a scarf-wearing rat on his shoulder. Leave it to a Vespa to bring old enemies together. I'm sure the French cheese in the picnic basket doesn't hurt, either.

Got to Sur la Table to get the placemat set for $40 and the coasters for $15.

Misadventures in Buying a Vespa- LAist

I found this interesting piece at LAist, a community website for Los Angeles-area folks. It highlights the usefulness of comparison shopping for scooters. This summer, most scooter were in high demand with not enough supply to fulfill orders. I heard reports of many dealers adding on premium charges, which may be the case here, but I haven't followed up with the shops to see. Many dealers that I work with on a regular basis charge anywhere from $150-$250 for PDI which is the assembly and testing that they do when it arrives.

Even if you are buying a scooter from the only dealership in town, you should still call some other dealers to get prices and see if they compare. Additionally, I agree with the writer's suggestion to only buy from a scooter dealer, which I have said numerous times before.

Sur la Table Scooter Ornament

Thanks to Andy H. for alerting me to this super-desirable Scooter Ornament from Sur la Table. It says that it is not available until later in the month, so order now to ensure you get one. The caption makes me wonder who is working at SLT? They used the term "scooterist" so they must be in the know. =wink-wink,nudge-nudge=

It is clearly a Lambretta, so Lammy Lovers can rejoice to get something that isn't a Vespa. Now, whee are the Fuji Rabbit and NSU ornaments?!?

Scoot! to Sponsor Rider in the Cannonball Run

Our long-time friends, Pete, will be riding in the Cannonball Run this month on Scoot!'s SYM HD200. I've known Pete since I got involved in scooting in the mid 90s and he is a talented rider, great photographer and really embodies the spirit of scooting. He has written several articles for scoot and contributed lots of photos. When I first met him, he had a red P200, similar to mine, and he wore a helmet with a mounting bracket for his video camera.

Pete will be documenting his trip on his blog. The race begins on Sept. 11, so check back after then for more updates. For now, he and Scoot! are trying to secure him more sponsors for necessary things he'll need.

This should end up being another great article for an upcoming issue of Scoot! so keep an eye out for it.

Good Luck Pete!

Don't forget about our Scoot! flikr pool

Earlier this month I started a Scoot! Magazine specific pool where you can link your Flikr photos. If you want to share your rally pics or even upload photos of you bikes for submission to the Show Us Your Scoots section, it should be a fun, useful way to share your scooter pics.

I uploaded a few to start, but will go through my iPhoto for more.

Yeah, us scooterists live life dangerously!

Checkout this article from the UK's Mirror newspaper.

Apparently, the Vespa PX is so dangerous that the BBC banned one of its reporters from riding it. It was a laugh as she has been to war zones to report with no problems. Perhaps this is a comment on UK drivers? But likely just an odd fear of lawsuits.

Scooter Collector items

Thanks to Gretchen for tipping me of to these cute scooter items!
The first is some bright fabric with scooters on it.


The fabric is for sale at Repro Depot, a great place to find unusual and retro-inspired fabric. At this moment it is temporarily sold out, but retails fro $9.95/ half yard. I'm not sure what I would make of it, ut it might be a fun fabric to line a coat or purse.

The second item comes from Gwen Stefani's Harajuku Lovers clothing line.



It is one of many items that are in the Ready Steady theme which have cartoon girls riding scooters. There are several styles of shirts as well as children's clothing items. See the various items here. Browse the site for mini-purses and baby gear with the theme, too.






Gretchen is entered into the current contest! If you are interested in entering,send me pics of some cool collectibles that you have found. But, do it by Sept. 1st as that is the deadline.

Oh and BTW, if you are interested in learning more about the Harajuku area f Japan where Stefani takes her cues, read Style Deficit Disorder by Tiffany Godoy. I found it very interesting!

Missourian article on scooters

I was quoted in an article on scooters for the Missourian newspaper. Check it out here.

I always sound so dumb in interviews. Where is the creative brilliance, witty repartee or flashes of sincere wisdom? Apparently from someone else. None of that here. :)

Poll is Closed

Well, my first poll wasn't a HUGE success, but it did yield some interesting results. Of course Quadrophenia won out as favorite film. I love it but didn't vote for it since it is too obvious and I have seen it a million times.

It was a dead heat between Repo Man, Saved!, and Roman Holiday. All great movies and all with memorable scooter scenes.

Slightly behind were American Pie and American Graffiti. Interesting since both have dorky guys who have problems getting their Vespas to run. I was thinking that both of them wore plaid shirts, but now that I think of it, I think Ron Howard wore the plaid in Graffiti, and Finch in Pie was wearing a jacket,so maybe my theory was false. Oh, another commonality: the scooter-riding character in Graffiti was nicknamed The Toad, but I think he told Candy Clark that is name was Tiger. Am I right on that one?

Well, anyways if you want to see a good list of films that have scooters in them, check out this page from the Santa Monica Scooter Club. It is quite comprehensive, but I noticed that The Legend of Billie Jean was missing. My poll overlooked The Talented Mister Ripley. For shame!

Post-It Notes Contest: Win a Vespa

Thanks to Tim L. for emailing me about a back-to-school contest from Post-It where winners can receive a new Vespa. The Million Uses and Counting contest asks Post-It fans to upload videos of how they use their Post-Its.

If you are interested, enter soon as he deadline is September 1st!
From the Post-It YouTube site:

What's your idea? Upload your own video now. Remember, creativity and true brilliance will get you noticed. To enter, upload a short video to YouTube and submit it to the contest page between now and September 1, 2008. Don't forget (use a note to remind yourself) Post-it® Brand wants to see you use as many DIFFERENT notes as you can. At the very least, you need to show at least three (3) different sizes, colors, shapes or styles of Post-it® Notes in your video submission. And include the message "Post-it(r) Notes - There's a note for that!" in your video. All video submissions will receive a FREE trial of Post-it® Digital Notes - which will be available via download on the submission Thanks/Confirmation page.

Prizes:
Grand Prize: $10,000 cash! Plus, the winning video may be featured as "America's #1 Choice" on the Post-it®.com website and on the Post-it® Notes YouTube channel for three (3) months.
Second Prize: $2,500 cash.
Third Prize: $1,500 cash.

Ten finalists will be chosen by 3M from all of the video submissions. All 10 finalists will win a laptop computer. During the second phase of the contest, those finalists will be turned over to you, the viewers, to pick the top three (3) prize winners.

The PX is Dead...Long Live the PX!!!

UK's the Telegraph ran an article about how Piaggio will now only make automatic scooters. It is also covered by Sportique's Cassandra Schoon here.

Oh PX, we'll miss you dearly!

When I first got a chance to ride an automatic scooter, I felt like a cat riding a boat; out of my element. It was a ET2 and I hated it. I would never own an automatic car, so why would I consider an automatic scooter? But now, after riding dozens of them I have come to appreciate them (especially on a steep San Francisco hill...), but never will my love for a shifting scooter wane. They have taken away my pleasant two-stroke exhaust and now my shifting?

I'll stop shifting when they pry my P200 and VBB out of my cold dead hands...

Traffic Calming Can be Fun!

I found this post about a new traffic calming installation which looks like a drag for cars, but might be fun for scooterists! Read about it in English atWeird Asia News.
If you've got translation, check it out here.

Got a scooter logo tattoo?

I came across this query by a book author who is looking to profile folks who sport brand tattoos. I'm sure there will be lots of Mac apples, and I'm sure a bunch of NASCAR tatts out there, but I know that some of you have Lambretta or Vespa emblazoned on your arms, legs,...whatever. I personally know a few, even someone with the Fuji Rabbit logo. And I'd bet money on a few Fred Perry logos out there.

If you want to participate and let your scoot love be known read below.
+++++++++++++++++
From: Tate Linden
Email: tattooATstokefireDOTcom
Deadline: 12:00 PM EASTERN - September 1

"We're looking for people willing to share their story about any major-brand tattoos that they have. Do you have the Macintosh Apple logo on your bicep? How about the Nike Swoosh or the Coca-Cola stripe? If you've got the logo or name of a corporation permanently imprinted on your bod and are willing to talk with us about it (and perhaps share a picture or three) for potential inclusion in a book (planned release late 2009) we'd love to hear from you.

To start with please DO NOT send photographs or call us. Just provide us with a description of your tattoo - what brand, where it is located, and a one sentence description of why you got it. Email us at tattoo@stokefire.com and we'll get back to you by early September with our response and potentially additional requests, such as a phone interview, photos, or other steps.

Deadline time is just so we can begin to process the responses in a reasonable amount of time. Compelling stories will be accepted later if needed - and additional calls may go out for specific brands.

Scoot! Magazine Flikr Pool

I have a fFlikr slideshow going on this blog, but I thought I would start a Scoot! Magazine specific pool where you can link your Flikr photos. If you want to share your rally pics or even upload photos of you bikes for submission to the Show Us Your Scoots section, it should be a fun, useful way to share your scooter pics.

I uploaded a few to start, but will go through my iPhoto for more.

Scooter Thefts!

It was bound to happen, with scooters being in high demand and easy to pilfer, it's no wonder that they are getting stolen.
According to this news report from the News-Leader in Springfield, MO 20 scooters have been stolen in the lat 2 months! I would guess that several of them were not securely locked, but even with a chain it is possible. And if people have modern, plastic scooters and use those plastic body parts for securing the bike, it's not to hard to break it and go.

In Scoot!#31 from Spring '05 we ran an article on ways to properly lock your bike. This situation makes me thing that we need to run another article on it.

I say use a big lock, or two; make it hard to roll such as by locking the wheel or disc brake. In especially dodgy places, I have locked my helmet to by front wheel and removed my spark plug. Easier on a vintage bike. On newer bikes, an alarm isn't that hard to install.

Anyone out there had their scooter stolen recently? What were the circumstances?

Rattle My Bones rally makes the news

Rattle My Bones in Minneapolis made the local news. Looks like great weather and turnout.

Of Helmets and the Ill-Informed

Well, I think I'm being generous when I say Ill-informed. Many people that don't wear helmets where they are required are just ignorant or just don't care. I came across this news item in the Gloucester Times:

Police have made good on their promise to more strictly enforce laws governing motorized scooters.

On Thursday evening, officers pulled over a man who was wearing a hockey helmet instead of the required motorcycle helmet while riding a scooter on Washington Street. And when they found he had a suspended driver's license, they arrested him.

Antonino Lafata Jr., 25, of 68 Centennial Ave., Gloucester, was arrested at 5:16 p.m. by Patrolman Kevin Mackey.

Earlier this week, police announced that they would be cracking down on people driving the motorized scooters illegally. To drive one, a person must have a valid license or a learner's permit. They must also wear the same type of helmets required by motorcycle riders.

A hockey mask? Maybe street hockey is a problem with high flying errant pucks in the street. Maybe he just thought he'd sneak by any cops.

A couple of years ago, I saw something that got my blood boiling. A guy and girl were riding two-up on a 50cc Honda Metropolitan (or some clone). The Girl was sitting in front of the man. between the man's legs. He was driving. She was drinking a fountain soda with a straw. They were both wearing bicycle helmets, shorts, t-shirts and sandals. OMG! Can you image what could happen if a squirrel darted in front of them, or a car pulled into their lane? I can imagine him grabbing the brakes, she trying to grab the handlebars to steady herself (one-handed no less!) and maybe even that straw poking her in an unprotected eye.

Maybe I'm becoming an old lady, because my first thought was, "Where are the cops?". I was at an opposing signal light & couldn't get near them to give them some advice (other than, "Are you two idiots?")so they rode off in their bliss as new scooter riders...


I recently had dinner with a friend of a relative. She has a fancy Vespa that she bought a few years ago and was asking me where she could find the matching helmet for the bike. I asked her if it was the 3/4 helmet that Vespa sold. That was exactly what she was looking for. I told her that other than the dealer I had no idea since her bike was as limited edition color. But I also added that I would never wear one of those helmets as I only wear full-face. I mentioned that my accident would have been much worse i I had not been wearing a full-face.
"You've been in an accident?" she looked worried.
I told her about my accident and how falling at 25mph can really screw up your day (and month!). Later in our general conversation when she asked about the magazine in general I mentioned that we had some tough times after Josh's accident. "Accident?" she said, "I dunno if I want to ride my scooter anymore..." she laughed uneasily.

The point is that hearing of two accidents made her reconsider riding. My question is, "You've never heard of people getting into scooter accidents?"To try and calm her, I said that in 13 years of riding I had only had one accident (I didn't mention the few that Josh had been in) and in that same time had 3 minor car accidents. She didn't seem comforted.

Even in states with no motorcycle law, I wear a full face helmet. It is my preference. Not that I don't wish I could take it off when it is 100-degrees. But I am now using a Nolan flip-up helmet that I can open at stop lights to get some relief.

Have you seen any crazy helmet substitutes out there? I almost forgot that I have seen horse-riding heats/helmets and jet fighter pilot helmets. Anyone else wearing a football helmet (like Jack Nicholson in Easy Rider), maybe a wrestling helmet?

Lambretta Bible by Veloce Publishing

UK publisher Veloce Publisher has just released The Lambretta Bible, a survey of "All Lambretta Models Built in Italy: 1947-1971."

I've had a great time reading through it, learning about Lambrettas. I own vintage Vespas, but never bought a Lammy, so I'm not familiar with their finer points. The book is informative and entertaining. I can tell that author Paul Davies really loves this marque.

In our next issue, we'll excerpt a chapter for readers to take for a spin. Our next issue is Lambretta-focused, so we've got Reader's Rides and Show Us Your Scoots that are Lammy-only. Some cool, unusual scooters and some historical info. We didn't try to present comprehensive coverage. Many books have done a better job than we could in one small magazine issue, but we did want to celebrate our love of this fantastic scooter.

Are you a proud Lambrettisti? There is still time to slip in a photo of you with your Lammy for the Show Us Your Scoots section. Send your high-res jpg. or tiff to me and we might be able to fit it in. Don't forget to include your full name, where you are from and a description of your bike.

Vote in my poll...

I just installed a polling add-on to this blog and decided I'd ask people what their fave scooter film was. Unfortunately, it doesn't allow you to type in your own. So I came up with an odd list. Give it a vote and if I missed your fave, leave it in the comments section of this post.

I heard a rumor....

They say you've got a broken heart! oh, whoops, I got too into finishing that line.

I actually heard a rumor that Vespa's assemblers accidentally badged some of the American GTs as "300" instead of 250. So, the company has asked dealers to remove the badges and replace with the correct one.

Maybe if you have a sweet dealer connection you can ask them to leave yours on. =wink wink= =nudge nudge=

Custom Vespa Auction - Sept. 6th

News from our friends at Revolution Moto in Santa Rosa, CA. They donated a scooter to a local art auction. According to their newsletter:

We donated a 1974 vintage Vespa 90 to the Art Start program and Omega DiStefano completely customized it with images from the Sistine Chapel. You have to see it to believe it. The bike will be auctioned at Art Start's fifth annual "Party for Art" auction on September 6th.

The event is sure to be a blast, with entertainment by the Safaris and Dick Dale's Deltones. Tickets are only $25 and are available at RevMoto.

The Vespa is currently on display at RevMoto, in the front window. Come in, check it out, and buy a ticket for "Party for Art."

Special thanks to Mario Uribe and the tremendous team at Art Start.

Find out more about ARTSTART’S PARTY FOR ART.

Win a signed copy of Stalefish and a pair of etnies shoes

As you may recall I interviewed Lance Mountain for my article on skaters who also were scooterists. In May I attended a book signing at Skatelab (co-owned by Todd of Westside SC) for the book Stalefish that is about what it was like to be at the forefront of skating. The photo above is from that signing.

Now, etnies is doing a contest for folks to win a signed coy of the book along with a pair of shoes. It's a pretty sweet contest. All you have to do is tell why you like to read. Simple! Go here to enter now.

Cannonball Run 2008: Starts 9/11/08

This year's Cannonball Run starts on Sept. 11 at San Francisco's Ocean Beach and ends up at Ocean City, Maryland. There are nearly 30 people competing this year. I was glad to see it is not all twist-n-gos this year. I was worried that the manual shifts would give way.

We're in the midst of finalizing our sponsorship plan for the event. I'll post what we're doing when it is ready. I wish I could drive a support vehicle on the event, but my schedule once again won't capacitate it.

You can get more info on the event here.

We'll have a reporter in the field, so look for an article in an upcoming issue.

Don't forget....Scooter Collectible Contest!

Win this!
I'm in the midst of a contest where you could win a cool Espe scooter wallet or the book Rebound Rituals. Just send in a photo or link to a cool scooter collectible and you're entered. It's easy. Checkout our entries so far...

Admittedly, the prizes are on the girlie side of the spectrum, but they would look good in your display cabinet.


Tonight's blog soundtrack: "I Feel It All" by Feist.

Starbucks Mug

I saw this mug in my local Starbucks and the same day got an email about it from Nikki (one of my fave scooter collectors in the field...).
The old-style Vespa scooter is cute. I'm not so keen on the mushy sentiment, but it would make a good pen holder for my desk. I can't recall the price, but I think it is less than $10 (don't quote me!).

Twitter me this...twitter me that...

So, I finally got on board and joined Twitter.

Is this a mistake?

I'm going to try it out. I have the iPhone which makes all this communication so simple, but I have the el cheapo plan, so I must limit my SMS. As I said, I'm just getting started, but if you wanna follow me, check me out. And if you Twitter, let me know so I can check out your feed.

Radio Flyer Scooter/Trike

I found this cool scooter from Radio Flyer. A sweet gift for kids that have scooter-envy and want to ride mom's or dad's scooter. The scooter comes in red or pink and is made for kids ages 2-5 years old.

I have seen it at some online stores for over $100,but decided to send an email to Radio Flyer to see if I can get a MSRP and high-res image for the magazine. Will keep you updated on what I hear. I've seen it for $79 on Amazon but I like to buy from local, independent toy stores.

Ciao, Scott!

Scoot! Magazine bids a fond farewell to our most recent intern, Scott who is off into the big, scary world of online automotive blogging. Hey, wait a minute... He gets paid to blog about automobiles and stuff while drinking fancy coffees and probably playing fantasy football on the side? Well, I made up the football part. I dunno if he even watches football, but he is going onto bigger things. The Scoot! team wishes him well. Scott wrote the NYPD scooter article in our current issue.

More scooterists needs your help...

If you have received the recent issue, you have seen our article on Josh's accident and the immense financial hardship it has caused. Josh was so moved by the generosity of the scootering community that he wrote a piece on the importance of Scooter Relief.org.

Two new scooterists have joined the ranks of those who need help. Dan Hittenmark of the Rovers RC in Detroit was the victim of a hit and run accident. According to Scooter Relief:

He was taken up to St. Johns hospital over on Moross, with 7 broken ribs, his arm broken in 3 places, the wrist of his other hand broken, broken clavicle, and broken pelvis. He's already undergone a surgery or two to install metal rods in his arm to aid healing.

In spite of all of this, he's in good spirits ... clubmates have been making trips over to see him at the hospital and he's one gigantic bruise from the neck down.

[Dan is self employed] making custom engraved pieces to sell on eBay, which he can't do if he's completely disabled.

Portland scooterist Steve Sellers is a mechanic at P-Town Scooters and a heck of a fun guy. I first met him when he lived in my home town of Santa Cruz. Steve is experiencing some serious medial issues that are hard to address without insurance. Scooter Relief's entry for him says:

Our friend, Steve Sellers, went into the hospital on Saturday June 28, 2008 with congestive heart failure. While in the hospital he has suffered two strokes, one minor and one major. He was left paralyzed on his right side and unable to speak.
Although his situation is improving every day, his financial situation is only getting worse.

A couple of weeks ago, Josh told me he donated directly to Steve's fund, which says a lot since Josh is still recovering from his situation and isn't bringing in any money. I'll be sending in my contribution this week and encourage anyone who can spare some funds to help out these scooterists in their time of need.

Scooter print boxers from The Gap

Do you remember when The Gap was indistinguishable from Miler's Outpost? Things have changed since the years when you could hear the "Fall...into...the...gap..." theme song. Nowadays The Gap is more upscale but not above a little preciousness. Check out these cool boxers which Nikki tipped me off about. I've only seen the web image, but will go out today and try to track them down. Looks like a Vespa, but the front fender seems a little Lambretta-y. Anyone got a pair and want to let us know?

NYC-only Vespa

Looks like Vespa is once again trying to convert New Yorkers into scoooterists. Story from Animalnewyork.com.

Is money the only reason to ride a scooter?

I came upon an opinion piece keepMEcurrent.com about whether or not to buy a scooter. It started out bad,

I never imagined myself capable of riding a scooter. I eschewed scooters not because I was centripetally challenged but because I had trouble understanding how any self-respecting male could ride something pastel-colored or with a name like Vespa.

But eventually, I bypassed his ignorance and got to the meat of his piece, which was that the cost of purchase + the cost of operation of a new scooter would not save him money over just driving his used car. That's true. It would take him several years to be in the black on that purchase. But, this brings the question, "Is money the only reason to ride a scooter?" I emphatically say, "Heck, no!" [well, I actually didn't say "heck" but...]

While the author did factor in scooter insurance, he didn't mention anything about contacting his auto insurance company and requesting a reduction in annual mileage on the car. If you drive over 15,000 miles a year now and then earnestly get a scooter to ride often, it may benefit you to reduce the amount of miles you report for your car. 12,000 miles used to be the average. I drove about 25K annually when I commuted from San Jose to Foster City each day for 5 years. So if I could report a marked reduction in miles it may have impacted my insurance.

That being said, he totally ignored all the other positive things that come along with scootering: reducing traffic & parking congestion, reducing the overall fuel one consumes, and just having *fun*! I've said it before and will probably say it again. Americans should look at scooters as a new mindset, a new way to approach transportation, not just some short turn way to save money. Long-term lifestyle changes are what we need in our society on many fronts, and scooters can provide some welcome positive change for the US. Perhpas looking at it as, "what am I doing for the world?" instead of "What am I doing short-term for my pocketbook?"

Sneak peek!

Well, this may be one hard to decipher sneak peek, but I just returned from an interview with a super-cool, famous celebrity scooterist. I don't want to spoil the surprise, but thought I'd give my readers a few clues to see if they can guess who it it. This interview will appear in the October issue, but here are your clues for guessing, now:
1) he won the San Francisco Comedy Competition in the early 90s
2) he has a TV show, which was also made into a movie
3) in that show he wears a fake moustache

Leave your answers in the comment section, and we'll see who figures it out! :)

Siphoning?

I was wondering if any of the blog readers have encountered siphoning from their gas tanks? With gas prices rising, a helpless scooter parked on the side of the road may not have a change. It happened a few years ago t my boyfriend and I. Someone siphoned gas from our P200s. I'm guessing with today's scooters this won't be a problem, but let me know if it has happened to you...