China already has a big population of electric vehicles. Scooters are the best way to make trips around town affordable. More scooters = more scooter love!
Source: This startup wants to make China’s electric scooters as desirable as iPhones | TechCrunch
Put cameras and data loggers on 100 motorcycles, follow the riders for 366,667 miles, and here’s what you learn about crashing. Fascinating and educational.
Source: What Virginia Tech learned about how and why we crash our motorcycles – RevZilla
While this is motorcycle focused, it’s a good list to have when building up a toolbox. I’d add a compressor, magnetic tray and a soldering pencil to that list. Tools are a great compliment to your scooter.
Source: The Basic and Necessary Tools for Motorcyclists | Motorcycle Cruiser
“According to Tumblr, where I nicked this image from erm, found this… this is a picture of Carnaby Street, London, 4th April 1966. It was a Photoshoot for opening of new Tomcat Shop.”
Winter is a confusing time here in Utah. For some, this season is the joy of Christmas, a replenishment of our water supply, the snow capped beauty of our mountains or a welcome transition. For a skier, it’s a long awaited return for the most wonderful time of the year.
For others, the winter is a destitute and despicable season with its short days, dangerous roads and endless shoveling. It’s a wet blanket in between the beautiful seasons of autumn and spring. For a scooter rider, it’s a state of limbo where frequent visits to the garage are the only way to placate an overwhelming sadness.
I love to ski. I spend no less than 20 days a year on the beautiful slopes of Utah and 2017 is turning out to be epic. We have had record snowfall and it’s made the skiing and snowboarding wonderful. I can’t recall the last time I’ve had so many powder days. It’s truly the best winter in recent memory.
I love to ride. This endless white abyss has consumed our roads. I normally ride in the all season long. Since January 1st, I’ve scooted two days. The snow just keeps piling up and when it hasn’t been snowing, temperatures have been dropping to well below freezing keeping everything icy and dangerous. It’s truly the worst winter in recent memory.
This is an endless bi-polar emotional state.
When we finally start to thaw and the warmth overtakes the cold, I will begin to tire of driving up to the resort for wet sloppy conditions and Spring crowds. Skiing will begin to lose its luster. The prospect of scootering will overtake my joy of skiing. Rallies, rides and seeing all my Two Bit friends will stoke the desire to be on my Vespa more than ever.
I will savor these moments on my scooter but once the autumn returns and that first ski magazine shows up in the mail, my mind will start to remember the joys of this winter. Still, I’ll also keep riding. Perhaps I have come to a tipping point. Maybe my love of skiing is being overtaken by my love of scootering?
For now, I will saver both my time on skis and look forward to the time on my scoot.
Right from the beginning Piaggio built race Vespas designed to be competitive in race circuits. The purpose was to bring the Vespa to the general public.
Source: Vespa – Three early models designed and built specifically for the race circuits – iVespa
This is the picture of elegance.
It’s great to see someone with a scooter passion turning that into a business. A restaurant in Nelson, New Zealand keeps their scooter passion alive through a Lambretta themed restaurant.
Source: Long-serving Nelson institution Lambretta’s still riding high | Stuff.co.nz
I think it’s great that electrics will help propel the scooter back into consideration for riders. It’s a way to not only get some excitement into the industry, it’s also going to open up a lot of people to the joy of riding.
Source: An electric scooter is the perfect vehicle for quick jaunts
Engaging in slow travel on a Vespa scooter allows a rider to see and experience far more than you would at higher speeds. Try it!
A scooter for all us tech nerds out there….
Source: Kymco’s smart scooter combines alerts with a customizable design
It’s collector-vehicle auction time in Arizona, and once again Bonhams Scottsdale had a vintage Lambretta on offer.
Interview with a Vespa Scooter Personality who saw most of Europe on his beloved GTS 300 Touring.
Source: Interview Winter Extreme Scooter Traveler „JAF“ from Pamplona Spain
Off I went into Ho Chi Minh’s busy streets.
Source: Why to go on a moped tour in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam | Metro News
Has weaving a sweater for your Vespa ever entered your thoughts? It crossed the psyche of Magda Sayeg, the ‘yarn bombing’ queen. Yarn Bombing or graffiti knitting is a type of street art that employs colourful displays of knitted or crocheted yarn rather than paint or chalk.
It has been more than 60 years since Jill and Philip Armes first felt the wind whip through their hair as they rode a Vespa.
Source: Norwich couple’s journey through life passes diamond milestone – News – Eastern Daily Press
Surely you’ve heard President-elect Donald Trump say he wants to slap YUGE tariffs on goods imported from China and Mexico. Well, there’s a distinct possibility of such a tariff being placed on Vespas….
“That 50 cc Aprilia was just the gateway drug.”
This article talks about how many people start on a scooter and move to a motorcycle. I actually know a lot more who do the reverse. Once you have a motorcycle, a scooter is such a joy to ride.
Source: How I went from reluctant scooterist to passionate, lifelong motorcyclist – RevZilla
There is a new proposed tariff being considered to be levied against meat products coming from Europe to help level the playing field for American producers. However, when you look at the list, you will note a strange addition at the end…motorcycles….under 500cc. Basically, they are attacking Piaggio.
STAND UP FOR PIAGGIO
Vespa dealers already struggle in this country and this will be an effective nail in the coffin. Don’t let your Vespa dealer get nailed. Here is the link to make a comment.
https://www.regulations.gov/comment?D=USTR-2016-0025-0001
These are the comments I left…please feel free to use them….
“While I understand the intent of the “Request to Reinstate Action Taken in Connection with European Union’s Measures Concerning Meat and Meat products” is to create a level playing field for American products, this particular proposal includes motorcycles. Seriously? How is a motorcycle an agricultural product?
I am vehemently opposed to the inclusion of any motorcycle product included in this proposed tariff because trade disputes residing within the boundaries of the agricultural industry should not be solved with blackmailing other European manufacturers through trade sanctions levied against non-agricultural products. Furthermore, this punishment would not impact the manufacturers of these products. However, it would severely punish many American small businesses.
Retailers of motorcycles and scooters are typically locally owned and operated and aren’t part of huge corporations. This tariff would likely result in many European manufacturers pulling out of the US market or raising prices so substantially that few small business owner could afford to sell their products. Even worse, it would give a strong foothold to Japanese, Chinese and Southeast Asian manufacturers who often produce inferior products.
In fact, the entire list consists of traditional food items and animal by-products. A motorcycle doesn’t even make sense on this list unless you are specifically targeting this industry. In fact, if you have to target the motorcycle segment, wouldn’t it make sense to tariff those in direct competition with American manufacturers (those ABOVE 500 CC). It seems like these companies are being specifically tagged to attack an industry unrelated to agriculture because of some lobbying effort by some other manufacturer. It’s extremely suspicious.
As a rider and owner of two Vespa scooters, I depend on the local businesses who provide services and parts for these products. Your proposed tariff will put these small businesses out of business. I am willing to pay more for French cheeses or hams or purchase locally if this means helping American meat/food producers get an equitable playing field. However, there are NO equitable American producers of scooters and low CC motorcycles. In other words, your efforts will destroy an existing market without one to take it’s place.
Please remove these products from this list and let this agricultural trade war, remain agricultural.”
Two Bit Scooter Club 