In New York

I've been in New York since Wednesday. Had a little time to hang out with local scooterists. I met up with some folks at the Brass Monkey which is in the meat packing district. In the photo to the left, there's Scott from Vespa Soho, Alan, me and Vinny. Alan had a spare helmet so he gave me a ride around the city. He took me to a restaurant called Lucha Libre where I had a flavorful, juicy taco and a roasted corn on the cob with cheese & spices. There were so many people hanging out at this place, which had probably been a street-corner diner in the past. I took a photo of Alan eating one of the cobs. We then rode around the city a bit and then went to the punk-rock bar The Double Down where we had some Ass Juice, their signature drink. Hopefully no asses were injured or compromised in the making of the drink.

We ended up driving around during the wee hours and it was fun to be riding around with only taxis circling looking for drunk fares.

The next night, I met up with Marty who used to live in San Francisco, but now lives in Brooklyn.

In the time that I've been here, I've seen many more scooters on the streets than the last 2 times that I came (which was about 6-7 years ago). I spoke to some scooter folks that I saw on the streets. I gather that lane splitting isn't legal, but widely practiced. I'd be splitting lanes if I had to be in this type of traffic! I took a cab somewhere because I was running late & didn't have time to figure out the subway. It took about 20 minutes to go about 2 miles. I haven't seen any mass moto parking anywhere, like in San Francisco, but I have seen scooters parked on some sidewalks and curbed.

Duffy's "Mercy" get's all Northern Soul

Duffy's new Mercy video will inspire a resurgence in Northern Soul style dancing...

Ride to Work--- July 16

With gas prices going through the roof, this year's Ride to Work is of even more importance. Many ride to work for pleasure, for ease of commute, for better parking. This year, we're seeing more and more people riding for fuel economy. Welcome them into the fold of two-wheels. ;)

While I take the train to work, I will be riding to the train station. More and more folks are taking public transportation which puts a strain on the parking lots for trains, light rails and such. I can park my scooter in small nooks in the lot and arrive later than I would if I had to drive. Overall, I'll be doing my part to reduce congestion, pollution while increasing the pleasure of the commute. Join me!

If you've never ridden to work before, take July 16th as a chance to try it for yourself. And if you want to enlist others to join you, go to the Ride to Work site and get more info on how to make it more of an event in your area.

Subway + Get Smart Contest

Another movie/scooter tie-in:
Secret agents in search of fresh fare and the ideal getaway
ride can receive a free $5 SUBWAY(R) card with a test drive or product
demonstration at all Vespa dealers. Participants in SUBWAY(R) restaurant's
Get Smart Eat Fresh Instant Win Game and Sweepstakes will receive a message
to take advantage of a special offer to receive a free Vespa Soft-Touch
helmet, a $300-value, with the purchase of a new Vespa scooter. The online,
print and in-store promotions run June 2 through August 10, 2008 at all
Vespa dealers and more than 21,500 SUBWAY(R) restaurants in the U.S.

In
addition to potentially winning a Vespa GTS or LX 50 scooter via SUBWAY(R)
restaurant's Get Smart, Eat Fresh Instant Win Game and Sweepstakes, amateur
agents are also invited to follow the links to print out a coupon good for
one of the latest Vespa Soft Touch or Piaggio Copter helmets, available www.subwayfreshbuzz.com free
of charge with the purchase of a new Vespa scooter. SUBWAY(R) restaurant's
Instant Win Game and Sweepstakes details are a click away at
, via a special movie-themed microsite. Even if you
don't play the Instant Win Game, all consumers over the age of 18 are
invited to visit a Vespa dealer to receive a free $5 SUBWAY(R) card,
available with a Vespa test ride or product demonstration. Consumers can
learn more about the free $5 SUBWAY(R) card offer at www.VespaUSA.com.

$4 a gallon is waking up America

I've been riding scooters for about 12 years. Before that I owned cars that got excellent gas mileage, my current car gets 36mpg on the highway. I looked many models but scoffed at the 20 or 25mpg that they offered. I've been fuel-conscious for some time. But it doesn't surprise me that Americans are starting to feel the pinch of gas prices. We've had it too good for too long. When I was in England in 2004 it was about 80p per litre, which I figured was over $5 a gallon when the conversion was factored in. So, to them our $4/gallon is nothing. However,when we told some of our English acquaintances that we drove 800 miles in one week they were shocked at the distance. So, I guess their gas prices keep them from driving very far, which is what is happening here. Unfortunately, since America is one huge country we often don't blink an eye at driving an hour or so to work each day.

So.. my point is that scooters are now a hot topic for people who are looking for any way to save money on gas. But what many people (especially the media) overlook is the total ownership benefits that scooters provide:

1) Soaring gas prices: Scooters get between 40-100 mpg depending upon the model.
2) Low Operation Costs: purchase price, fuel, insurance, and maintenance are all considerably lower. Personally, I have 2 scooters insured for $120 per year.
3) Better parking and mobility: Scooters are more nimble on crowded city streets and can park in spots that cars could never fit. Moreover, many cities are encouraging scooter traffic by creating free or discount scooter parking. I have several examples of cities that have done so.
4) Lower-emissions: Today’s scooters are much more environmentally friendly than cars. Some models are even Zero Emision Vehicles, powered by electricity.
5) Fun!: Scooters are a blast to ride. Folks find them less intimidating, less expensive and more versatile than motorcycles. They are more fun to drive than most cars and commuting on a scooter makes the trip more pleasant.

There are lots of articles in magazines, on TV and online, but most overlook the total picture. When you are approached by people asking about the fuel-efficiency of scooters, don't forget to tell them of the other benefits.

NYC here I come!

I'll be in New York city Wednesday-Saturday afternoon. Any scooterists in the area that might want to get together in Manhattan, email me. My nights will be free so let's get together and talk scoots!

In LA last week testing Aprilia Sport City 250

Last week I was in Los Angeles for a trade show, but also took the opportunity to test the new, zippy Aprilia Sport City 250. I spent 3 days riding it, and found it to be fun, exactly what I'd expect from an Aprilia. One evening I went to a book signing for a new book on the band, R.E.M., called R.E.M.: HELLO. The scooter was perfect for the West Hollywood area which is tough on parking. I got to park right in back of the store right next to Michael Stipe's car. That's a new meaning for the "rock star parking" that us scooterists are always talking about.

A few days later, I rode the Aprilia from downtown Los Angeles out to Simi Valley. About 40 miles on the freeway, by my calculations. It handled well. I felt comfortable and was able to keep between 60-70mph even on some of the hills outside of Simi Valley. I went to Skatelab a skatepark owned in part by Todd Huber of the Westside Scooter Club. I finally got to meet Todd and see his phenomenal collection of skate decks. Well, I probably didn't see all of them as he has a lot, but the whole place is decorated with them. There was a book signing for the new skateboard culture book, Stalefish. I was able to get a copy of the book signed by a bunch of classic skaters including Lance Mountain, who you may recall I interviewed for the skateboarding article in issue #44 (which is now sold out!). I was even given a Geoff Rowley skateboard deck with a scooter on it! AWESOME! It totally made my day! Thanks to Sean Mortimer who is a cool author to work with, and who knew the perfect gift for me!

Later that night, after riding 40 mile back to my hotel, taking a quick shower and downing some room service food, I met up with Hilliard Guess from the Reflections Society. He did an article n the Untouchables in issue # 42 and just submitted an article on the Aggrolites for our next issue. We had emailed & chatted on the phone, but it was my first meeting with him in person. We rode scooters to his favorite cafe and had a drink on the patio while watching the Saturday night revelers. It was cool to get to know him better and put a face to a name.

I was only in LA for 5 days, with lots of time spent at the convention, but it ws fun to ride around the city at night. It reminded me of the trip I took with Josh to Miami. Not that the cities are similar, but in Miami Josh and I remarked that it looked just like Grand Theft Auto Vice City, and during my ride through LA, I saw some disturbingly familiar place. I was ready for some of those guys in purple to come out and get me. :P In Miami, Josh and I kept telling Joel Martin to floor it before we got attacked by Haitians with machetes! Ha-ha! He plays GTA too, so he didn't think we were too weird. Or maybe he just humored us, because Josh and I are weird.

Share your scooter travel story....

Budget Travel magazine is asking folks to submit photos and info on their motorcycle/scooter travels. See below:
Do you have an amusing story about renting a motorbike on vacation, or advice on how to ride a motorbike safely? If we like your submission, we may run it alongside a story we're planning for the September issue on how to rent a motorbike overseas. We're also looking for photos of people riding motorbikes (or scooters) on vacation, so if you've got a good one, e-mail that to us, too. Please send all submissions to Letters@BudgetTravel.com by June 15.

May be great for those who have scooted in other countries. Send in your info...time's a-wastin'

Win a Vespa

ThisNext is an online service where people can share online finds with each other. The company is holding a mixer for their fans on June 6 and giving away a Vespa to celebrate. You can enter by joining ThisNext and recommending your own finds.

Scoot! Quiz....

Here's a quick quiz. Post your answer in the comments section, and the first 2 correct respondents will win a small prize. No new S models, sorry! Make sure to actually sign in; "anonymous" posts won't count. Here's the question:

How many different scooter models has Vespa produced?

Submit your answer by comment, now!

New Vespa GTS 300 Super

It's been quite a while since the word "Super" was used to self-describe a Vespa. Noe Piaggio has released the GTS 300, just in time to induce GTS250 owners to slap them selves on the head. I know people that bought the GT, then offloaded it for the GTS, and now I wonder how many of them will be pining for the 300?

The GTS 300 Super is the largest displacement Vespa ever produced. Vespa has seen that the consumers want updated styles that hearken back to the classic designs of the pa The Super has been redesigned and includes touches like the fender crest and new side grills on the side panels. They have also played with the color scheme on the front suspension cover (now red) and the analog instrument panels (black with white lettering) and some other touches. Gone is the "parking light" which was where the classic horn cover was. It is now an air intake.

The underseat storage holds 2 3/4 helmets and still can carry 9 liters (about 2.4 gallons)of fuel. Impressive.

The engine has also been redesigned:

The new GTS 300 Super is different from the GTS 250 because the new engine has a higher level of torque (22.3 Nm as opposed to 20.1) along with fewer revolutions per minute (5,000 rpm as opposed to 6,500 on the 250). On the road, these numbers translate into flexibility and pick-up from low speeds that are unequaled in this displacement category.

Pretty fancy, eh?

Piaggio USA PR says that it is NOT coming to the US. But that just seems stupid....

Spottd on Flikr

I have a Flikr slideshow feed that runs in the top right of this blog. It runs photos that are tagged on Flikr for scooters. It's fun to see what photos come up and the one below struck my fancy.



Looking at it, I can almost smell the two-stroke, hear the ratt-tatt-tatt of the engines and feel the excitement of riding in a big group of scooterists. There have been many times when I was in the midst of a ride and wished I could dig out my camera and take a shot from inside the group so that I could remember what it was like.

This photo:


I took at a rally in San Francisco maybe 4 or 5 years ago. I was trying to get a photo of everyone climbing a hill, something that the city is famous for. Can you imagine a horse pulling a cart up there? But it was hard to pull over at the right time and fumble with my camera. It came out OK but doesn't quite capture my awe.

Got any cool rally photos to submit? Send 'em in. High-res versions may make it into the magazine.

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.

Friday Funny- Slightly SR

This is a funny commercial AND there is a scooter in it, so I don't feel guilty posting it.

"Ride, monkey ride upon your mystery dog
Be amazed at the tacos you delivered on your trip!
Ride monkey ride upon your mystery dog
On your way to a food that homebodies might have missed!"

Oh, that was just horrible!

San Francisco Scooter Sightings

Scooters I saw near a park.

Board for a cafe on Rich Street near the train station and a few blocks from the ballpark. Owned by a Lambrettisti, of course. Who else would call it "Cento"?

Pixar Trip

The past few weeks have been very busy. One cool thing that I got to do (sandwiched between all the boring stuff) was to visit Pixar's offices in Emeryville, CA. And while Pixar may not be scooter-related, I did spot a Messerschmidt in their lobby which is a nod to their film Cars. I snapped a photo, but didn't even try to get in the little car. I also snapped a few others.


The Pixar Lamp is BIG!


A cool bench idea for the upcoming WALL*E film!

May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month

After my recent post about how to make cars more aware of two-wheeled vehicles, it's fitting that May should be Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. The href="http://www.msf-usa.org/">Motorcycle Safety Foundation sent out a press release with suggestions on how riders can work to improve their riding abilities and make riding safer. It also had a couple of suggestions on how to impress upon car drivers the importance of being aware of motorcycles.

One suggestion that I thought was novel was to actually give someone a first ride on the back of a motorcycle/scooter. This gives them the perspective of what it is like to be a rider on the road. Of course, I first thought it was preaching to the converted, but then I thought better of that assumption. While my family & friends are aware of my scootering experiences and hear my stories of being a rider, those that have never ridden may not appreciate the inherent danger of being a two-wheel rider in a four-wheel world. I think I'll give it a try this month!

Another god suggestion would be to create an event where you screen a safety video and invite motorists to attend. The MSF has videos that you can buy. Perhaps have an event at a local restaurant or coffee house where your scooter club invites motorists to see the video, discuss safety and have some refreshments. It would be a perfect club activity to promote road safety.
Check out this video clip from the MSF's "For Car Drivers" site.

How do we make car drivers aware?

I'm not one to get all uppity and self-righteous about cars vs. scooter as modes of transport. I often hear scooterists speaking with disdain about "cagers" as if driving a car was some sort of a crime. I own a car. I love my car, but I also love my scooters. So, for me it's not an either or, it's a case of what is appropriate for the situation and my mood.

This post comes from someone who drives both a scooter and car. When I drive and I see a motorcycle coming up behind me to split lanes, I move over in my lane to give the bike more room. When I see a group of scooters/motorcycles, I let them pass so that they can go on their way and I can go on mine. Also, when I ride my scooter, I do what I can to be mindful of the cars around me. I do whatever I can to make sure that they see me. I try to anticipate what they will do in order to avoid being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

So, it really upsets me to read so many news items of scooterists being seriously injured or killed by accidents with cars. When Josh had his accident in March, there was no chance against the car that came head-on into his lane. Any scooterists that has been scooting for an extended period of time knows the typical accidents:
* a car going in the opposite direction turning left in front of you especially at an intersection or when pulling into a driveway
* a car next to you changing lanes into your lane
* a car pulling out of a driveway

So my question is, how do we make cars more aware of scooters and motorcycles? How do we as regular folks make car drivers look for two-wheeled vehicles when they drive? I can't do that much with Scoot! as I'm preaching to the choir in the magazine. I have a few suggestions, but would love to hear what you think:

1) write letters to local newspaper editors about the need for cars to be aware of two-wheeled vehicles

2) Ask local news outlets (TV, radio, print) to cover motorcycle visibility, especially when a local rider is injured. News outlets focus on timely news, so such a local angle would make it a more compelling story.

3) Grassroots local efforts. If you belong to a scooter club, perhaps you can create a local campaign to increase awareness. Hook up with a local motorcycle club and have an event where you encourage car driver to be aware. Maybe appear in a parade and hand out fliers to increase awareness.

4) Put motorcycle awareness bumper stickers on your car to get folks in that element.

Got any other ideas on what we can do to increase awareness?

Scooter Rosa & CMI

This weekend is a great one for riding. There are 2 big events in my area: Classico Moto Italia and Scooter Rosa. Well, Scooter Rosa is a couple of hours north of me, but it is still do-able for the weekend.
Classico Moto Italia is put on by Vespa Club Los Gatos (I'm a past member) and is a celebration of the timeless Vespa. This event has been going on for years, and brings out some beautiful scooters. Last night was a party at a tiki bar in downtown San Jose, just 4 blocks away from where The Sharks fought to stay in the NHL playoffs. Today is a ride & a show-n-shine followed by another ride, bowling and a party. Get your scoot on!


Scooter Rosa is a weekend fest thrown by the super-cool folks at Revolution Moto in Santa Rosa, CA. Josh went last year and had a blast. They make it a community-wide event where all of Santa Rosa can participate. They have a drive-in movie, street fest and more. The local paper made a video to promote the fest:
Check it out

International Female Ride Day- TODAY

International Female Ride Day is in its second year. It's fairly simple, juts like other Ride to Work Days, all the organizers ask is for women to ride their motorcycles/scooters. I can get behind that! I have to go to San Francisco, and riding the pocked, grooved freeways for 50 miles isn't my idea of a relaxing ride. However, I will be riding to the train station, and ' rally Classico Moto Italia starts tonight, so I'll be doing a lot more raiding afterwards.

From the site....

International Female Ride Day a synchronized day worldwide where women motorcycle riders "JUST RIDE" -- demonstrating their enjoyment and in most cases, passion for motorcycle riding. The campaign was created with the aim of highlighting the number of women who ride and building female rider awareness -- encouraging other women to take up the activity. The event places a spotlight on the female rider and celebrates the countless numbers who do--riders new to the activity or those who have had the pleasure all their lives!

Introduced last year, FEMALE RIDE DAYS' first step was as a National event with the intention to build globally. The success in 2007 made it easy in 2008 to move on to making it International!

And it was the women who participated that made this an easy transition--female riders and clubs throughout North America and Europe spontaneously joined in upon news of the campaign. As each year goes by FEMALE RIDE DAY will without a doubt continue to expand; enjoyed by more and more women worldwide as they claim the day and become involved in one of the greatest pleasures in life—motorcycling.
FEMALE RIDE DAY is for women who ride motorcycles no matter what form, or style--no matter the age, or experience. Motorcycles of all makes and capacities–scooters, sport bikes, dirt bikes or ATV’s.

The campaign’s slogan of "JUST RIDE" is a simple request of women riders and is by this method female rider awareness is created and enjoyed. It's concept is not attached to a charity, nor is it a fundraiser or for that fact, a controlled event--riders are free to make the day entirely as they so wish. Women are invited to join in, enjoy the camaraderie Internationally and be on their motorcycle on the first Friday each May -- Friday 2 May 2008.