Radioactive Rat Bike

Now here we have a rat-bike of another color.I had been thinking lately about the mainstreaming of the rat-bike aesthetic. The Bonneville Black is one of Triumph's best selling bikes (the 2009 blacks are already sold out in the US), Harley's Nightster is getting quasi-favorable reviews even in the usually rabidly anti-cruiser motorcycle press, and matte black helmets are on every powersport

Coast to Coast on MP3 500s

Jess, of Modern Vespa fame, is reporting that two retirees in their 70s are about to tour from San Francisco to the Big Apple on MP3 500s:Rosenbaum and riding partner Chase met on a motorcycle trip in the late 1990s and have since tamed blistering deserts and the world’s tallest mountains in 40 countries. Buddy, a retired clinical psychologist and academic and Bob, a semi-retired industrial

Now This is What I Call a Retirement

It had been awhile since I'd checked in on Sci-Fi author Will Shetterly's blog.Recently he posted something about his dad, who seems to have an enviable attitude towards aging and his golden years:Dad left La Paz, Baja California, Mexico, on May 15, 1998, sailed once around the world in a small sailboat, the Vaya, then decided to do it again "now that I know how." He returned to La Paz on his

Vespa Expedition to Promote Kindness, Compassion, and Volunteerism

Chef Peter Ramstine is my kind of maniac. On April 1st (seriously) he began a journey through all of the state capitals and 8 Canadian Provinces on his yellow Vespa GTS. Along the way he will be volunteering where-ever he can. Look at this route!You can view the route and schedule in more detail here.Peter was originally inspired to start this journey after his experiences volunteering with

Scooter Rumors

2Stroke Buzz is also reporting that LML, the former Vespa licensee and manufacturer of Genuine's Stella, is going to be producing a four-stroke, manual-shift, P-series clone. Even better the scoot will be available in displacements up to 250cc!No word yet, if Genuine will be importing them stateside.I've also heard some rumors that Piaggio is at work on a similar project. I don't recall a link

Some REAL Adventure Riding

This has got to be the ultimate in adventure riding, and in motorcycle films. Gaurav Jani's Film Riding Solo To The Top Of The World, documents his trip on a 350cc Royal Enfield from Delhi to the Changthang Plateau in Ladakh, bordering China.As a one-man film unit, he astonishes you, filming the landscape he passes by and the people he interacts with, capturing moments of beauty, pain, love,

Some MP3/Fuoco Updates

OR: The Day Late and a Dollar Short Scooter ReportOver several months, I've let scooter news items slide with the rationalization that Brian over at 2StrokeBuzz, Steve at The Scooter Scoop, and Dave at Scooter Cast, were covering this type of stuff earlier and better than I. Plus I get a lot of my scoops from the scooter forums, and feel a bit the leech if I repost stuff from there too often.But

Scootercast Update

So, since moving I've been playing catch up on a lot of aspects of my life, in particular, my online life. One of my most shameful procrastinations has been the pile up of Scootercasts in my podcast subscriptions.I have been trying to catch up for sometime, but quite honestly, it felt like a never ending battle. Dave is so diligent with his podcasting duties, that listening to a couple a month,

Flying Car (ver)

Long time readers know I've got a soft-spot for the Carver and it's green Yank cousin the Venture One.While we are still waiting to see these fantastic toys.... er, uh, I mean engineering marvels stateside, another Dutch company has taken the basic Carver design, and well...The only way I can think to explain it, is the designers were in an Amsterdam "coffee" house and they took the Venture

Biker Charities and Causes

Among the booths at the NYC Int. MC Show were several with humanitarian goals.Now if you've never known personally a stereotypical "Outlaw" biker, or any motorcyclists for that matter, this might surprise you. On the other hand, perhaps you've seen an annual parade of leather, chrome, tattoos, and baby dolls, otherwise known as a toy-ride and wondered at the surreality of the vision. Having spent

NYC International Motorcycle Show

So last Sunday, Jes and I got to go the International MC Show in NYC. I got free tickets through work, though I had to work the Piaggio/Vespa/Moto Guzzi booth for a while.The Piaggio booth was right in front of the main entrance, so the first bike I saw upon arrival was the one I'd come to see. That's right the Gilera Fuoco 500ie... er ah, the Piaggio MP3 500...Dang that's hot! Fuoco is the

Crossing the US on a Ruckus

Y'all surely know by now that the Dragon is a sucker for any tale of cross-country wandering. When such feats are accomplished on two wheels, it's even cooler, and the smaller the bike... well the more props are due. Well, the intrepid Wan from Seoul, South Korea saved money he'd earned from working in a restaurant for a year to live his dream of touring the US on a 49cc Honda Ruckus.That, my

ScootStars Finish Coast-to-Coast Trip

In dealing with my own coast-to-coast trip, I'd almost forgotten the ScootStars and their transcontinental voyage on 50cc scoots. This here is their last vid, but if you haven't already, I'd recommend watching the whole gnarly saga. At the very least to warn you away from $800 Chinese scoots. A tip of the Stetson to Pete (who finished the last leg of the trip solo) and Josh. Congratulations boys!

Scooterists for Peace

Steve Guzman, impresario of the Scooter Scoop asked me to spread the word about a group ride to support Alix Bryan's Peace Ride. Here's what Steve has to say:Saturday "Peace Ride" to Crawford, TX Hey! Got my 3CR3 Rally photos posted here if you wanna see 'em. So, what's next? What's your stance on Peace? Like to see more of it? This isn't a political bashfest, it's just a simple show

Trailers for Lammys and P-Series

Maxi-Trailers makes uni-wheeled scooter trailers out of old scoots. They also make a PAV replica. They open from the top and feature locks for security. In what I think is a genius touch, they utilize center stands to keep them upright when not attached to your bike.Plus, they are right purty!The prices are on par with what you'd pay for a restored or good condition PAV, i.e. around $1200.via the

More AmeriVespa Wrap Up

The jaw-droppingly glorious scooter above is a 1954 Hoffman Vespa "Koenigin"or "Queen". This was a fantastic piece of scooter-history that was totally new to me. Henrik Harms won "Best Widebody Vespa" for this stunning scoot. You can find a little history about the German branch of Vespa genealogy here. With old-school widebodies, bike-style handlebars, and headlights on the fender and headset,

AmeriVespa 2007: More Concours and Random Pics

Here's the winner for "Best Custom Modern Manual Vespa", "La Lone Sirena Vaquera"or the Cowgirl Mermaid Diva Scooter. Hmmm... Cattle wranglers and mythological creatures and scooters... and brass even... the universe is definitely strange.Ooooh, Pretty!and a closer look at that cowl art. Congratulations, Dawn Brocks, that is definitely one beaut of a scoot!While there were a few scooters that are

AmeriVespa 2007: Concours d'Elegance Pics and More

These pictures and comments are really in no particular order.There is some slightly more organized coverage available at The Scooter ScoopOne of several severely performance modded Lambrettas. While there were all sorts of crazy modded scoots, it seemed like the Lambretta is really into this kind of thing. There were many really impressive Lammys, a lot of them hailing from just North of border.

Quell's Maiden Voyage: AmeriVespa At Last!

Are you familiar with the classic Chuck Berry tune, "Promised Land"?Swing low sweet chariot, come down easyTaxi to the terminal zone;Cut your engines, cool your wings,And let me make it to the telephone.Los Angeles give me Norfolk Virginia,Tidewater four ten O nineTell the folks back home this is the promised land callin'And the poor boy's on the line.Well folks, the particulars are all wrong,

Quell's Maiden Voyage: Day 3

or Getting to AmeriVespa.I woke up early Saturday, picked up a #6 hose clamp at an auto parts store near Mage and Gretchens' and hopped a bus downtown. The bus ride was a restless, anxious experience, as the closer we came to downtown Seattle, the more pretty scoots I saw...Finally, I hopped off the bus about a block away from where I'd left Quell, near Pioneer Square. I immediately popped off