10 % off Personalized Scooter Stationery

My friends at Rock Scissor Paperare in the final day of their personalized stationery sale. Last time they had this sale, I ordered some of their scooter stationery for myself. It would make a great gift for a fellow scooterist and may encourage them to take up the long lost art of letter-writing. I am also pleased to see their other styles which bring to mind gifts for a lot of other non-scooterists who are on my list.

The Sale Ends Today (11/27) so buy now! Don't forget to use COUPON code: thanks07 to save 10%.

Vectrix Superbike? 125mph!

I'm not sure how they are doing it, but Vectrix unveiled an electric "superbike" in Milan this month. While the bike won't be racing any modern four-strokes on the track, it does exceed the expectations of electric vehicles by leaps. Checkout the report by Gizmag who said that Vectrix's three-wheel scooter went almost unnoticed when placed next to the superbike.

Where's my magazine?

I'm wondering the same thing myself!

We've been having printing issues which have not made the staff happy. Due to some confusion with our printer, the current issue which was supposed to be in stores on Nov 15, is now on its way to the Scoot! offices. It's safe to say it is over 3 weeks late. We switched printers 3 issues ago and it seems that with each subsequent issue, a new miscommunication or misunderstanding has cropped up.

At this point I can only say, please be patient. We aim to have these printing issues ironed out by the next issue and will be back on our regular schedule. I am currently working on getting the April issue edited and ready for printing. There's no problems with Scoot!, we're not going out of business or anything like that. We're just learning how to manage a new vendor relationship. Ahem.

Scooterists in Need

You may have read abut Scooter-Relief.org in past issues of Scoot!, but I wanted to let you know about the organization and encourage you to do whatever you can to help. According to the website:

In September of 2005, as the sheer magnitude of the Hurricane Katrina disaster became apparent to the world, the Jedi Knights Scooter Club and other scooterists realized we had to do something to help our friends in from New Orleans.

We quickly formed Scooter-Relief.org to coordinate relief donations for scooterists from New Orleans and the rest of the Gulf Coast.

Since September of 2005 we raised thousands of dollars with the help of the national scooter community, clubs, individuals and shops. We have distributed these funds in an equitable fashion to all Katrina survivors who have applied for funds.

Scooter-Relief has also responded to the needs of other scooterists--victims of accidents and some facing serious illness.

The group has helped out several scooterists, some who have experienced terrible accidents, others who are facing serious diseases, while others have been the victims of natural disasters. Whatever the case, it's hard to ask for help, but sometimes it is often unavoidable. Scooter-Relief.org harnesses the global nature of our community and allows scooterists to help other scooterists.

I just personally donated some of my money for the two needy scooterists for which the website is raising funds. I hope you will consider doing so, also. On the site, you can find a description of the situation of the scooterists in need and imagine how you'd cope with a similar situation.

Gap & Vespa Release Joint Scooter

Vespa USA and clothing chain, The Gap, have announced a new special edition scooter. The "Crazy Stripe" scooter will be available for the holiday season. According to the press release:

This 2007 Limited Edition Vespa LX 50 in the "Crazy Stripe" (which looks more like "Pride Parade" to me) design represents a new spin on the classic Vespa scooter and continues to incorporate the core values of Vespa -- eco-friendly engineering, passion, individualism, and integrity -- in a stylish mode of transportation.

Beginning November 8, details on how to purchase this unique gift will be available exclusively online at The Gap. The 2007 Limited Edition Vespa LX 50 retails for $5,999 and will be available while supplies last or by special order until December 23, 2007.

Holiday shoppers in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Las Vegas will have the opportunity to check out the 2007 Limited Edition Vespa LX 50 on display in select Gap stores from November 15 to December 3, 2007. Customers interested in purchasing this special Vespa LX 50 can visit http://www.gap.com/vespa for purchasing details. To find a local Vespa USA dealer and for complete Vespa LX 50 information, visit http://www.vespausa.com/.

Hallmark Santa Ornament

Each year as we enter November, I begin a little game. Luckily, my boyfriend Jon nd housemate Lori love to play, too. It's "find the scooter ornament." Some years, our prospects are lean, while others are brimming with finds. We're usually tipped off by rumors and chat from other scooterists, but we often have a plan of stores to scour, websites to check out and catalogs to flip through.

This year, Lori heard from another scooterist that Walmart had a Santa ornament. I had already hit Walmart and thought it seemed doubtful. After some web searches, Lori discovered that it was actually "Hallmark" not "Walmart" and off she went to buy out the last 2 "Santa's Scooter" ornaments left in the local store. Score one for Lori. Note: The Halmark site is a bear and you won't find the ornament on the site, so check your local stores for it. I also haven't been able to confirm of 3rd party retailers such as Long's Drugs have this ornament. I'll be checking that out, too.

The ornament has a pull-string at the back of the scooter which plays a version of "Here Comes Santa Claus" with scooter engine sound effects. Cute! Santa's hand waves while the song plays. Double-cute!The ornament retails for $20.

Although I should really be working on my feature article for the next issue, I am going to go out and hit the stores looking for something Lori or Jon haven't found. If you've got any tips to share with me or the blog readers, post a comment!

Tough Luck for Mickey Rourke

As we've all heard, Mickey Rourke was arrested for DUI this week while making an illegal U-turn on his Vespa. While drunk driving is a serious issue, I am more intrigued by some of the headlines and tones taken by the journalists that are covering the story. Apparently a DUI is not surprising, but the fact that a "tough guy" like Rourke rides a scooter is! Check out what Josh Hart from The National Ledger had to say about it:

How easy is it to make fun of Mickey Rourke now? While DUIs are no laughing matter it is hard to fathom getting one on a blue Vespa scooter in Florida but somehow the tough guy actor did just that. Is this the same brute from the film "Sin City?" Is this the rugged guy that couldn't handle a gun from Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man?" Ah - so removed from Hollywood.

Isn't there a joke - "What do fat chicks and a moped have in common?" (Punch line - They are both fun to ride but you wouldn't want your friends to see you on one). Here come the e-mails - hey I didn't write it, some guy that is now on strike likely did

It's just another indication of some American's shallow minds to tie someone's virility and "toughness" to their vehicle. I am a fan of Rourke's work. I know nothing about his personal life, so I can't say anything about him as a person. But i can say that he must not think that his Vespa speaks badly of his manliness. It's probably a smart vehicle for him to have, especially on Miami Beach where the traffic *sucks* and scooters are a much better form of transport. And....you can't beat the weather!

Maybe we should embark on a campaign to debunk this myth....

Just Gottta Scoot Interview

This past Friday, I was interviewed by David Harrington of Just Gotta Scoot, an audio podcast that you can get for free from iTunes. We chatted about Scoot! and its history as well as some topic close to my heart such as scooter safety, classic versus vintage and more. If you have a 1/2 hour to listen, download it at: Just Gotta Scoot

New Charuca Desktop

Charuca, the Spanish artist who appeared in our Scooter Art issue and contributed an illustration for a Scoot! T-shirt, has a new desktop that you can download from Pixel Girl Presents. While it doesn't have a scooter, it does have a couple of mini-cars, which always seem to find a following in the scooter world.

You can find out more about Charuca's retro-inspired artwork at her site, Mondo Trendy. I also recommend that you periodically check out Pixel Girl Presents for fun icons (Mac or PC) and more engaging desktop wallpapers. She even has a section for iPhone wallpapers.

You can also own a piece of Charuca's art when you buy the t-shirt at the
Scoot!Magazine web store.

Alloy Scooter Sweats

Thanks to Jon who told me about a pair of cool sweatpants offered by teen clothing catalog, Alloy.

The Reversible Sweatpant (item#163923) is white with a repeating black line drawing of a girl with a Series III Lambretta. It reverses to a plain background with a singe large image of the girl & scooter. The sweats range in sizes (S-XXXL)and price ($26.50 - $29.50).

Ladies, be sure to bookmark Alloy.com and check it periodically for scooter stuff.Every once in a while, they offer scooter products or use scooters in their catalogs.

Vespa Patches

Sourpuss Clothing carries a few cool Vespa ad-themed patches. This one with three sexy ladies on scooters is a rendition of the famous poster which had the infamous tag line, "The Gay Companions."


This lucky couple is happy to be riding scooters sand helmets but with well-coiffed hair.

You may recognize this cheery Vespa family from ads, too.



Sourpuss has these UK-made patches for just $5. Get them quick before they sell out.

Piaggio to Open Vietnamese Plant

According to reports all over the Internet, Piaggio is set to build a manufacturing plant near Hanoi. The $25-30M investment is a strategic move in order to avoid the costs of transport, duty and other fees on imported scooters. According to the Thanh Nien News Vespas cost around four times that of most motorcycles.

The factory will have a capacity of producing 100,000 models a year, but is said to have a goal of 50,000 annually by its fifth year. With numbers such as that, I wonder how much of Piaggio's manufacturing may be transferred there? According to a press release in 2006, Piaggio reported production numbers for their plant in Pontadera, "production volumes in 2004 were just over 50,000, approximately 87,000 in 2005, and more than 100,000 in 2006." With numbers such as that, the Vietnamese plant could produce enough for multiple countries. The Vietnamese scooters will likely be distributed throughout surrounding Asian countries, but the nagging question remains: Is Italian production of Piaggio doomed?

Girlie ET Stationery

Well, it isn't the cheapest stationery around, but if you want some personalized notecards with a pink/purple Vespa ET on it, then you are in luck. FineStationery.com has this watercolor-style card that seems to be on hearty stock. You can get it as a two different styles of folding card (50 for $130) or a gift enclosure (50 for $105).

Toys'R'Us Picks Scooter As Top Toy

Toys'R'Us has come out with their Hot List of toys for the holiday season. The complete list has 36 products, but they also have a "Fabulous 15" which is their most recommended toys. The Daisy Pocket Mod kid scooter from Razor made that list. According to the press release description:

"Pretty in pink, this fashionably fun Razor Pocket Mod is sure to be the talk of the town. This Toys"R"Us exclusive will get kids in gear with the latest and greatest in scooter technology. The trendy "Daisy" model boasts pink and pearl details, 12" tires and over 10 miles of smooth cruising capability at speeds up to 15 mph on a single charge. Riders can even store their gear in a special compartment under the seat. 2 rechargeable "12V Lead Acid" batteries required (included). Ages 12 and up."

While I wonder about letting a kid on a battery-powered vehicle that can go up to 15mph, I am still pleased to see that scooter toys are still being made for the kids. I would have relentlessly bugged by parents about this had it been available when I was a youngster.

While Razor has been producing these type of scooters for a couple of years, but this specific model is a TRU exclusive. The list is just a marketing ploy to generate interest in items you can only get at TRU. This model does sell on the Toys 'R'Us website for $199 while the original Razor scooter sells for $229.

Shout Out Louds Scooter Video

Sweden's Shout Out Louds have a recent video which has lead singer, Adam Olenius, riding a beat-up old Vespa. If you follow indie music, you may recall "The Comeback" from the Shout Out's first album. I hear it frequently on Indie Pop Rocks. The new song, off their album Our Ill Wills is called "Impossible." I'm researching to see if there is a deeper connection between scooters and the Shout Out Louds. But for now, enjoy the video!

Missing your magazine?

Well, you're not the only one. As of this morning, we were missing all of our current issue magazines. Due to some issues with our printers, the magazine that we sent to print during the first few days of September still hadn't arrived at our warehouse. This puts us seriously behind as the magazines are supposed to be in the stores on Sept 15. You do the math and imagine how the delay exponentially increases my pissed-offness by the day.

So, if you are looking into your mailbox and wondering where the October issue is, rest assured that you are not alone. We should get it this week and send it right out. We're also looking to work on correcting whatever communication errors are happening with our new printer. I am not pleased to have delays and want to do whatever it takes to rectify it.

Lemax "Red Moped"

Lemax makes inexpensive holiday resin/plastic items. Its Halloween and Christmas village items are available at Michael's craft stores. Nikki & Susan told me about a "Red Moped" figurine which is stocked in the Christmas area. It is approximately 2.5-inches high and 2 inches long. Michaels has it for $3.99. Each year I rummage through the Lemax items and I'm finally glad to find a scooter in them! Thanks Nikki & Susan for the heads up!

It's not a moped, but a cute Vespa copy.It must be a special GS as it has 2 cowl doors and the ultra-rare body box which is behind the seat. Score! Just another lesson for collectors..don't be afraid to search under the term "moped" as you might find a cool collectible names by a clueless person. :)

The photo is from the "Lemax Fan Pages" which catalogs all the Lemax products out there. A good resource to bookmark for future searching.

PEACE Scooter rolls into town

On Thursday, I met up with Alix of the P.E.A.C.E.Scooter Ride. She has been on the road since July, bringing her examination of peace to the US. Alix has a great attitude (and would have to, in order to do this ride)as she has her own ideas, but is very respectful of others. Sure she is idealistic and very ambitious with her project, but she is trying to wake up and make up for those of us who are lulled into complacency by the government, the media and our own mundane lives.

We chatted over dinner for about 2-3 hours and she talked of how she was motivated to take on this trip. She actually took out a loan for it, so if you've got some spare dollars to send her, you can do so at her site through PayPal. Her Buddy scooter was generously donated by Genuine Scooters, and she has received great service and assistance from shops all along the way. Wherever she goes, people open up to her and talk about what peace means to them. I admire her ability to give up her home comforts for a road trip with a mission. Check out The PEACE Scooter site for her upcoming itinerary and read her adventures. Perhaps you can ride-out with her if she comes through your town. She's ending up at Crawford, Texas. We'll see what happens....


Alix in Santa Cruz.

News from Piaggio Dealer Meeting...

The Vespa LXS in Action.

Piaggio USA just had their dealer meeting and here are some highlights:

The LXS is finally on its way. It will have an MSRP of $4,099, it will be available in black, white or red. Unfortunately, the US version will not have a "touring" seat rather than the unusual and cool solo seat on European models. Luckily, the solo seat will be an accessory option.

The MP3 will now be available in 400- and the 500cc version (which is a rebadged Gilera Fuoco 500). Preliminary pricing places them at $8,200 and $8,600, respectively. The most obvious difference between the 400 and the original 250 (besides the engine) is the reduced storage under the seat. The concession is that the 400 now gets an accessory plug. Our sources that test rode both bikes say, "the 400 is marginally faster off the line with just a tad more power towards the top of the throttle. The 500 is significantly faster and stronger."

As for Aprilia, they are releasing a Scarabeo 200. Its MSRP will be around $3,800 and it has an appealing, re-designed headset. Otherwise, the bike retains its unique Scarabeo shape. It is reportedly, "a really nice ride."

The more rugged, rear end of the MP3 (a rebadged Fuoco)

R. Nichols Scooter Shirt

You may recall the R. Nichols scooter stationery that I included in a past installment of the Scooter Collector. He makes cute little paper cut-out-style illustrations which have a few scooters in them. Now, he has a t-shirt that features one of those illustrations. It is obviously girlie-girl, but totally cute. I expect to see some of these out on the rally circuit! You can buy it for $20.

Browse his site out for stationery items such as this scooter card. Look under the "Teeny Tinies" and "Riviera' categories.