August 27, 2007
Can Scooters Save New York City?
On the corner of a slightly run-down street in the Meatpacking District of New York, a row of 30 shiny, colourful scooters stands out like a coloured umbrella on a rainy day.
Every Wednesday, at about 1900, these Vespas, Stellas or Lambrettas show up and are parked in front of the Brass Monkey bar, the meeting point for the New York Scooter Club.
With a drink in hand, two-wheel aficionados discuss their latest acquisitions, look out for vintage models or try out their friends' scooters.
Scooter riders say the small but sometimes noisy vehicles are the best answer to a dreary subway commute or, even better, to the traffic congestion that chokes New York streets.
"I commute every day from Queens. It can be scary, it takes a little bit of getting used to [driving in between big four-wheel-drive cars]," says one rider.
"But it's fun, I'm outside, it's great and quicker than being stuck in a traffic jam."
Jonathan Perkel, one of the club's founders, says he believes scooters would take off as a transportation mode if they were exempt from the congestion charge that New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is trying to impose on cars driving into the centre of town.
London Mayor Ken Livingstone introduced congestion charging in 2003. Singapore also charges a similar tax.
Think of the money I'm saving by riding this - to fill it up costs $5 and it lasts for a month
Scooter rider Graham Fowler
But Mr Bloomberg is fighting stiff resistance to his plan, including in the state capital, Albany, where opposition from lawmakers last month meant that New York state failed to get a $500m (£248m) federal grant to implement the plan as a pilot project.
The US Department of Transportation did award the city $345m to fund part of the plan, but this will mostly be used to improve public transportation.
Outside the Brass Monkey, the scooter club's conversation turns to congestion pricing.
"I'll still be happy to pay the tax if scooters are not exempt," says Graham Fowler, originally from the UK.
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August 26, 2007
Conn. DOT to offer scooter training
Higher gasoline prices have driven so many Connecticut residents to fuel-efficient motorized scooters that the state Department of Transportation has decided to buy 35 of them for rider-training purposes.
The training will be similar to the one the DOT offers for motorcyclists.
Kevin Nursick, a DOT spokesman, said Thursday the department owns a small fleet of motorcycles to allow state residents a chance to learn to ride and it wants to do the same thing for scooter riders. Next month, the agency will open bids from scooter sellers to create a new training fleet. "With the gas prices, there has been a lot of interest in scooters this summer," said Kate Gazerro, co-owner of Bones Kart Shop in Stratford. Despite the street being torn up for a new power line, the shop at 725 Barnum Ave. Cutoff has continued to hear from buyers. Gazerro did not have specific sales numbers for the summer, but the shop has been open in Stratford for more than three years and the couple has more than 17 years of experience in the business.
In Bridgeport, Seni Akinlade, owner of OYM Motors, opened his shop at 2075 Fairfield Ave. and sold more than 20 scooters in less than a month. He reported sales have been strong.
The high price of gas, which has hovered around $3 a gallon for most of the summer, has driven more people to buy motor scooters that can sometimes get more than 100 miles per gallon. The vehicles are also relatively inexpensive, ranging in price from less than $900 to more than $3,000. Some motor scooters require a motorcycle license and some only require a valid driver's license. It depends on the engine size.
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Cop Segway called waste of cash
Shoppers have branded efforts to bring security into the high-tech age a "ridiculous waste of money".
The Lancashire Evening Post reported this week a £3,000 Segway PT has been imported from America for trials at the Fishergate Shopping Centre in the city centre.
Guards are undergoing training on the device and there is the promise of more Segways if they prove popular with the public.
But the vehicle is limited to a top speed of just 5mph, and shoppers have accused the centre of wasting money on a machine which travels no faster than an average walker.
One said: "He'd be better off with a good pair of Nike trainers."
The centre has claimed the machine will make security guards more visible and will allow security guards to tend to shoppers in need of assistance more quickly.
But the public, it seems, disagree. Brian Pitts, 40, who lives off Fishergate Hill, Preston, said: "I don't really understand the need to spend thousands on a device which allows you to travel at about the same speed as you can walk.
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August 25, 2007
Piaggio readies hybrid scooters for market
Italian manufacturer Piaggio, the maker of Vespa, is set to become the first company to release a hybrid drive scooter following an announcement that it is developing hybrid versions of its Vespa LX, Piaggio X8 and Vespa MP3 (the carving three-wheeler) models.
The new hybrid system, which has a working title of HyS (Hybrid Scooter), can operate in full electric mode with a range of around 20 kilometres as well as hybrid mode - whenever the rider needs to accelerate more aggressively, the electric motor kicks in, providing about 85 per cent extra performance.
Piaggio’s HyS system is a parallel hybrid in which a combustion engine and an electric motor incorporated into the gearbox casing are mechanically and electronically linked and simultaneously supply power to the rear wheel.
The system uses drive-by-wire and the in-built electronic management combines the two engines to offer not only better acceleration but also a significant reduction in fuel consumption (up to 170 mpg or 1.67 liters/100 km) and in CO2 emissions, only 40 g/km (using 65% the hybrid modes and 35% the electric one). Perhaps the most exciting prospect is the hybrid MP3 which enjoyed such success as a 250cc it has since been developed as a 400cc version and was recently shown as a stylish 500cc Gilera – a sportier hybrid version of the 500 would enjoy exceptional performance.
In this dual drive-by-wire type system, a sophisticated electronic management system interprets the rider’s request for more power, and selects the level of assistance based on the current level of battery charge. The HyS uses a regenerative braking system to capture much of the energy usually lost under braking and the scooter’s range can be further optimised in the garage by charging the battery from an electricity source using the 220V battery charger.
The automatic gearbox, electric ignition and automatic start provide the usual zip and ease of use in town as well as out-of-town trips. The gas engine offers sparkling performance in standard running, charging the electric motor all the while.
The Piaggio HyS uses very innovative, avant-garde technical solutions but remains incredibly easy and intuitive to use.
The rider uses all the normal controls (accelerator, brakes and additional handlebar commands) as well as a specific switch to choose one of the different operating modes: three hybrid, one electric-only and the reverse.
In the first three modes the HyS manages power output from the two engines, thermal and electric, using a drive-by-wire type system: the electronic management system (SGE) interprets the rider’s request for more torque and selects the assist ratio based on the state of the system (e.g. the level of battery charge). During deceleration and braking, the control system recovers and accumulates power that is lost on normal vehicles in the battery.
The three hybrid modes are conceived to optimize performances, consumption and battery charge.
The rider simply turns a handlebar switch to shut down the combustion engine and turn the Piaggio HyS into a silent zero-emissions vehicle that can go into areas closed to internal combustion engined traffic. Another turn of the switch and the petrol engine turns itself on and goes back to being the main engine, charging the battery as it travels through areas open to normal traffic.
Drive-by-wire technology not only allows the control system to optimally manage the combined power output of the two engines but also ‘forces’ the thermal engine to work when it can be most efficient, thereby reducing specific consumption, with obvious advantages in terms of lower consumption and emissions.
All this technology is neatly tucked away. The three Piaggio HyS versions look like any standard Vespa LX, Piaggio X8 or MP3. On X8 and MP3 versions the traction batteries are hidden in the under-seat storage space, which is sufficiently large to also hold a helmet. The Vespa LX hybrid prototype comes with a top case to hold the helmet.
There is a battery charge indicator on the dashboard. The battery can be recharged from an electricity source by inserting a normal cable into the plug provided for this purpose. Charging time is roughly three hours.
Two 12V 26Ah batteries are located under the LX 50 HyS seat, with an additional top box replacing lost storage space. The X8 uses three 12V 26Ah batteries while still offering sufficient under-seat space for a helmet. Piaggio is based in the Tuscan countryside between Florence and Pisa, and invented the scooter in 1946 when it produced the first-ever Vespa. Vespa remains the iconic scooter brand with its unique metal-bodied design, though the company also produce scooters under the sporty Gilera brand and the contemporary Piaggio brand.
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Honda Vietnam Starts Building $65 Million Scooter Factory
Honda Vietnam on Saturday officially started work on a US$65 million factory, its second in Vietnam that will mainly manufacture scooters.
The new plant is adjacent to Honda’s existing motorcycle facility near Hanoian suburbs in the northern Vinh Phuc province.
By the second half of next year, the new plant is expected to be operating with an annual production capacity of 500,000 units, according to Koji Onishi, general director of Honda Vietnam Company.
With the new plant, Honda's annual motorcycle production capacity in Vietnam will be expanded to 1.5 million units alongside ongoing demand surges in the country.
State-of-the-art technology will be applied to create the best quality products for Vietnamese customers.
The company reported its 2007 first-half sales at 500,000 units, a year-on-year rise of 27 percent.
Last year it recorded sales of 851,000 units, up 27 percent over the previous year.
Established in 1996, Honda Vietnam has been manufacturing and exporting vehicles and spare parts since 2002.
It has fetched $147 million from shipping Wave Alpha motorbikes, engine sets, IKD (incomplete knock down) sets and components to date.
Supported by the country's strong economy, motorcycle demand in Vietnam is likely to rise 13.6 percent this year to more than 2.5 million units, according to Vietnam's Association of Bicycles and Motorbikes.
Sales were likely to rise on an easing of motorbike registration regulations and on an increase in farm income, motorbikes remain the primary form of transport throughout Vietnam, and there were more than 20 million motorbikes in the country of 84 million.
The association forecast that the number of motorbikes in the country would hit 33 million by 2020 – one motorbike for every three people.
In big cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, the ratio is already 1 motorbike for every 2 people.
The expanding market will also be fueled by Italian scooter maker Piaggio, which plans to invest €15 million ($20.4 million) in a 30,000 square meter plant in Vietnam over the 2009-2010 period. The factory would construct Vespas for the local market.
The investment comes as part of Piaggio’s three year Asian expansion plan, said Piaggio CEO Roberto Colaninno in March.
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Lancaster, PA. offers free scooter parking
LANCASTER, Pa - Lancaster Mayor Rick Gray quietly rolled his little black motor scooter into a spot in the city's Prince Street Parking Garage on Wednesday, removed his helmet and was on his way to the office.
Well, almost. First, Gray had to stop and have his photo taken.
The mayor is hoping that other people will follow his example and ride scooters to work in the city.
As part of his strategic plan to encourage alternative forms of transportation, the mayor and the Lancaster Parking Authority quietly unveiled 15 free parking spaces dedicated to scooters in the downtown parking garage.
The small spaces are on two sides of the garage's curving exit ramp. The area had not previously been used.
Gray is promoting the use of scooters as a means of saving fuel, reducing air pollution and traffic congestion and easing tight parking.
"It's the future, and we see more and more scooters in town," said Gray. "I see no negatives and all positives."
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Women leading scooter sales surge
When Isabelle Goetz was getting married last November, the Washington hair stylist decided on a unique gift registry — a Vespa.
“When you get married, you look for the really necessary gifts,” said Goetz, who wasn’t interested in kitchen gadgets. “My husband and I really liked two wheels, and it was something I use every day.”
The midnight blue Vespa LX 150 with a chrome package was eagerly purchased by family and friends this spring, and now Goetz commutes by scooter between downtown and her Arlington, Va., home in 10 minutes — “seven when there’s no traffic.”
All over America, riding a scooter is suddenly chic, not to mention economical. Scooter sales are skyrocketing, say manufacturers, with women making up nearly half the buyers in many cities.
Dealers say that every time gas prices rise, the phones start ringing.
While the concentration of riders is mostly urban, in cities such as Miami, Seattle and New York, there are emerging pockets of new scooteristas in such spots as Texas and the Carolinas.
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August 21, 2007
NY sends out scooter patrol for potholes
New York City's mayor is sending out 15 staffers in golf cart-like vehicles to cover 480 kilometres of New York City streets each day to look for sidewalk litter, damaged roads and other common sources of complaints.
"It's government's responsibility to find the problems and fix them, not to sit there and say 'Duh, we didn't know.' That's not what good government is all about, that's not what customer service is all about," Michael Bloomberg said.
The Street Condition Observation Unit, or SCOUT, will not have the power to write tickets or issue violations.
But it will hunt down everyday problems like graffiti, fallen trees, clogged storm sewers, damaged bus shelters, newspaper boxes in disarray and malfunctioning traffic signs and signals.
Each inspector will carry a BlackBerry equipped with global positioning software that is connected to the city's management centre for its 311 telephone system.
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New electric scooter is good to go on freeways
As far as new products go, it doesn't have the buzz of the iPhone or the latest PlayStation. As far as motorcycles go, it's not quite as cool-looking as those high-performance crotch rockets preferred by Camp Pendleton Marines.
Dan Wolfson of University City says he's "saving the planet one gallon at a time" with his new freeway-legal Vectrix Maxi-Scooter.
But environmentalists and other proponents of electric power say the Vectrix Maxi-Scooter is one of the more exciting inventions in years: a battery-powered motorcycle that can reach upward of 60 mph. To watch a Vectrix peel out on the highway is, perhaps, to glimpse the future.
The future arrived in San Diego yesterday when a University City man became the first person in California, and one of the first in the country, to receive delivery of the freeway-legal scooter.
“I'm saving the planet one gallon at a time,” Dan Wolfson, 62, a widowed telemarketing executive, said in his condo yesterday, waiting for the delivery truck.
The Vectrix – which makes virtually no noise, has no emissions and can travel up to 70 miles without recharging, according to its manufacturer – debuts at a time of rising concern about global warming and high gas prices.
And the bike is receiving generally positive reviews in the press. The San Francisco Chronicle called it “a first of sorts,” adding that the bike will likely “appeal to the same high-income people who have ordered the $100,000 all-electric Tesla sports car.” The newspaper's only complaint was the $11,000 price, two or three times the cost of most gas-powered scooters.
The Los Angeles Times called the Vectrix “worthy of applause.”
“Where it's truly unparalleled, however, is acceleration,” the Times reviewer wrote. “The Vectrix is faster off the line than any scooter I've ridden and experiences almost no power loss under load. Riding it up and over San Francisco's multitudinous roller-coaster hills, it didn't strain.”
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Scooters rev up in popularity
WASHINGTON—When Isabelle Goetz was getting married last November, the Washington hair stylist decided on a unique gift registry—a Vespa.
“When you get married you look for the really necessary gifts,” said Goetz, who wasn’t interested in kitchen gadgets. “My husband and I really liked two wheels, and it was something I use every day.”
The midnight blue Vespa LX 150 with a chrome package was eagerly purchased by family and friends this spring, and now Goetz commutes by scooter between downtown and her Arlington, Va., home in 10 minutes—“seven when there’s no traffic.”
All over America, riding a scooter is suddenly chic, not to mention economical. Scooter sales are skyrocketing, say manufacturers, with women making up nearly half of the buyers in many cities. Every time gas prices rise, say dealers, the phones start ringing. While the concentration of riders is mostly urban, in cities such as Miami, Seattle and New York, there are emerging pockets of new scooteristas in such unlikely spots as Texas and the Carolinas.
In the last 10 years, scooter sales have increased tenfold, from 12,000 in 1997 to about 120,000 in 2006, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council, the two-wheel industry trade association.
In 2007, sales continued to grow as drivers turned to the cycles, which can get as much as 100 mpg. Honda, Yamaha and Vespa—which re-entered the United States in 2000 after a hiatus—are among the largest manufacturers, and importers carry lesser-known foreign brands. Prices range from $1,800 for the 50cc scooters to as much as $8,000 for larger models.
The retro styling, automatic transmission and step-through design of the scooter appeal to women, who can drive them wearing skirts and heels.
Audrey Hepburn created an iconic image for the Italian-made Vespa in “Roman Holiday,” and female riders today say that being on the scooter inevitably makes a fashion statement.
Goetz, 36, who also rides on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle on the highway, said she finds that it’s the scooter that turns heads.
“It’s a more feminine ride, and people seem to appreciate it,” said Goetz, who is the stylist for Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y. Almost daily, passers-by will give her the thumbs-up sign.
In Miami, law student Emily Goodman was looking for a vehicle she could park easily after moving from Boston.
“It looks like scooters are more integrated into the culture here,” she said. After only a week on her blue Yamaha Vino, 49cc, Goodman loves her one-mile commute.
“It’s so cute. I’m definitely getting some interesting looks,” she said. “I feel like I’m powerful and in control.”
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August 18, 2007
Former Ford employee opens Toledo Vespa dealership
It's not uncommon to find motorized scooters in Europe, or even in major US cities, but Toledoan Mike Kookoothee foresees a market for them in Lucas county.
Kookoothee, a retired Ford Motor Company employee, invested $90,000 in his new Vespa dealership, Vespa of Toledo, at 17th and Jefferson Street, he said. His hopes are that with high gas prices and a growing amount of entertainment Downtown, the demand for motorized scooters will increase.
“We want to make Downtown happenin',” he said. “We want people to come back and go to a Mud Hens game or Tony Packo's, come down and re-discover Toledo on a Vespa.”
Comparing his product to big-name environmentally friendly vehicles is one way to emphasize the advantages of purchasing a Vespa. Amanda Kookoothee works with her father and said she believes that in most cases, purchasing a Vespa will save more money than purchasing a Toyota Camry or Toyota Prius.
A Vespa gets 72 miles per gallon of gas, while the Camry gets 30 and the Prius 50, she said. If each vehicle were driven 12,000 miles, on average a person would spend $936 in gas for the Camry, $511 for the Prius, and only $390 for the Vespa, she said.
“It's half of what you'd spend on a Prius and two-thirds of what you'd spend on a Camry,” Kookoothee said. “It's a retro vehicle that's been redesigned; it's modern and it's comfortable.”
via Car Buyer's Notebook.
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August 17, 2007
Once the star of silver screen, Vespa rolls back into limelight
IN 1953, Audrey Hepburn went tootling through Rome on the back of Gregory Peck's motor scooter, and a star was born.
Not the doe-eyed actress - she'd made her Broadway debut 2 years earlier - but the scooter. With the release of the romantic comedy, "Roman Holiday," sales of the Italian-made scooter spiked from 60,000 to 100,000, and soon all who knew their dolce vita from al dente were riding a Vespa.
In Hollywood, such manly men as Marlon Brando, Charlton Heston and John Wayne favored the diminutive scooters for commuting between sound stages. It was stylish and easy to drive, and you could cruise all week for the price of a pepperoni pizza. Like the Volkswagen bug, its contemporary, the Vespa was a masterpiece of design. In contrast to the big, raucous American motorcycles, which were built to be straddled, the floor pan of the Vespa's monocoque steel body protected riders from the mud and dust of the road beneath and the oil and gas within its engine housing. Alas, the Italian-made, two-stroke engines couldn't meet this country's increasingly stringent emissions standards and in 1984, Vespa withdrew from the American market.
Today, as any savvy moviegoer can tell you, Vespa is back where it all started - on the silver screen. Scooter chase scenes highlight such first-run action thrillers as "Transformers" and "The Bourne Ultimatum" and the animated feature, "Ratatouille." No less important, now that the Italian scooter maker has switched to more environmentally friendly, four-stroke engines (a two-cycle, 50cc model will be phased out in 2008, but it, too, is emissions-compliant), it's back in American showrooms and on the road.
"We came back to the United States in 2000, but we didn't start selling Vespas until 2002," says Kevin Andrews, brand manager for Piaggio Vespa, the scooter maker's U.S. subsidiary. Since then, says Andrews, growth has been remarkable.
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Scooters are inexpensive fun
Today scooters are seen as a nuisance but the near future looks promising.
Some people think motor scooters are a menace. A survey by AAMI Insurance came up with that result, but it's obviously the view of people who are not looking to the future.
There will soon be more scooters in Australian cities, and not only in Queensland, where car-licence holders can ride a 50cc two-wheeler.
Scooters are going to become more popular as urban infill reaches its peak, petrol prices continue to rise and more people realise an easy-going two-wheeler meets their real transport needs.
A short commute, ducking down to the shops or dashing to a coffee shop is easy on a scooter. I know because I've been riding a Vespa for a few weeks to see what the latest generation of baby bikes is like.
The answer, at least for the 250cc four-stroke Vespa, is comfy and convenient. And it looks good, too, with a great retro style.
A Vespa is not cheap. My GTS250ie costs more than $9500, but that is for a steel chassis, a classy engine, good brakes, a digital dash and even a handy hook for holding takeaway bags.
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NYC Mayor Bloomberg sends out scooter patrol for trash, potholes
New York City's mayor is sending out 15 staffers in golf cart-like vehicles to cover 300 miles (482.7 kilometers) of New York City streets each day to look for sidewalk litter, damaged roads and other common sources of complaints.
"It's government's responsibility to find the problems and fix them, not to sit there and say 'Duh, we didn't know.' That's not what good government is all about, that's not what customer service is all about," Michael Bloomberg said Thursday.
The Street Condition Observation Unit, or SCOUT, will not have the power to write tickets or issue violations.
But it will hunt down everyday problems like graffiti, fallen trees, clogged storm sewers, damaged bus shelters, newspaper boxes in disarray and malfunctioning traffic signs and signals.
Each inspector will carry a BlackBerry equipped with global positioning software that is connected to the city's management center for its 311 telephone system. The hotline is a resource for residents to get information and report various problems, fielding some 40,000 calls each day.
The relevant city agency is then notified to address the problem. The scooter team is an effort to make the system more efficient.
"If you want to call 311, we still want to encourage you to do it, but too many times I drive down the street and go bouncing over a pothole, call 311 and nobody called it in," Bloomberg said.
The mayor expects the SCOUT team will report 1,000 to 3,000 problems per day and will be able to cover all 6,000 miles (9655.6 kilometers) of city streets each month when it is up and running by September.
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August 15, 2007
New electric scooter zips along nicely for pennies per mile
Bay Area zero-emission advocates got their first test ride Thursday on a zippy new all-electric motor scooter that can take two commuters on a silent freeway ride that will cost them just pennies in electrical power.
The plug-in hybrid automobile crowd, in the news these days because of advances in the technology of fuel-efficient hybrids, gathered at San Francisco's Presidio to see the latest wrinkle in emission-free transportation - an electric motor scooter called the Vectrix that can whiz along at 60 miles an hour.
At $11,000, the Vectrix may be a bit pricey, but it is a first of sorts and it will probably appeal to the same high-income people who have ordered the $100,000 all-electric Tesla sports car. "We want to get to the right consumer demographics," said Jeff Morrill, Vectrix's managing director for marketing. "It's for urban commuting, and it targets environmentalists, active (electric power) enthusiasts."
One of those was Marc Geller, a San Francisco photographer who owns a rare all-electric Toyota RAV4. He said of the Vectrix: "I've ridden it and it's fantastic. It's all about the (electric) plug and environmental concerns, petroleum concerns. I think it's totally cool, compared to that noisy piece of crap."
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Piaggio Developing Plug-In Hybrid-electric Vespa
Italian manufacturer Piaggio, the maker of Vespa, has launched an environmentally friendly hybrid scooter by mechanically and electronically linking a traditional combustion engine with an electric motor.
The new design, which has a working title of HyS (Hybrid Scooter), allows the petrol engine to work as ‘normal’, but whenever the rider needs to accelerate more aggressively, the electric motor kicks in, providing about 85 per cent extra performance. The grouping of petrol and electric provides significant reductions in fuel consumption and C02 emissions.
In this dual drive-by-wire type system, a sophisticated electronic management system interprets the rider’s request for more power, and selects the level of assistance based on the current level of battery charge. During deceleration, the battery is then recharged, which can also be achieved via a regular electricity source, taking about three hours.
As well as the hybrid set up, riders can also toggle between two other modes on a HyS scooter: electric and petrol. In electric, the combustion engine is completely shut down, and allows a range of up to 20km.
“Scooters already enjoy a low environmental impact and soon owners will be able to further reduce their footprint on the earth,” said Piaggio’s Brand Manager Simon Gloyne. “Our studies have revealed that potential owners want to do the right thing, but are reluctant about electric-only scooters due to their limited range and inability to take on fresh energy at the drop of a hat. The HyS models will enable owners to have their environmental cake and eat it too.”
Piaggio has already produced prototypes of the HyS, based on the Vespa LX and Piaggio X8 and three-wheeled MP3 scooter families. The HyS versions are visually identical to the standard scooters, with the batteries housed in the underseat storage space. There is a battery charge indicator on the respective dashboards.
Piaggio Australia is planning to introduce these new models, although a release date for the revolutionary HyS scooter is yet to be determined.
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Police segue to T3 scooter
ANDOVER - Police Sgt. John Pathiakis popped a wheelie over the curb behind the Public Safety Center and just like that his T3 training was complete.
"I've now graduated," said Pathiakis, one of three members of the Andover Police Department qualified to ride the three-wheeled electric scooter, which looks like a Segway Personal Transporter on steroids.
"We call it Chariot 1," said Pathiakis. "It was either that or calling it Big Wheel."
Earlier this year the town bought a white and black T3 for about $8,000 for police use. After debuting on a downtown patrol June 1, the vehicle has since been used three or four times a week in the area, said police Chief Brian Pattullo.
"We were seeing other police departments that had been using them, so we decided to give it a try," said Pattullo. "It allows for good operation in confined places like the downtown."
Patrolmen Gregory Scott and Edward Guy also have completed the T3 training, which consists of zig-zagging through road cones and hopping a street curb.
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Hill On Wheels 2 Scooter Rally Starts Friday
Hill City United Scooter Club is hosting Hill on Wheels 2 this year, its second annual weekend Chattanooga scooter gathering for Vespas and other scooter brands. Almost 150 scooterists are expected to attend the Aug. 17-19 event.
“Scooter rallies are a way for a bunch of friends to gather and ride,” says Stan Obal, mechanic at Scenic City Scooters on Hixson Pike. “All your friends are together, doing something we all love. It’s like a high school reunion, if you liked everyone you went to school with and they all rode fantastic bikes.”
The event kicks off Friday at The Local on Cherokee with last-minute registration and an evening social from 5-9 p.m. Following the social is the Friday night downtown ride. Visitors will get an up-close view of downtown and Ross’ Landing and enjoy the improvements made in the Southside.
Saturday morning features a breakfast catered by Caffeine at Scenic City Scooters followed by a long ride over Signal Mountain to a farm near Powell’s Cross Roads. There, rally-goers will test their mettle with a scooter gymkhana, slow ride, various scooter games and a scooter concours judging. An old-fashioned Southern barbecue is also provided at the farm.
A ride back into town over Suck Creek Mountain will take the scooterists to North Chattanooga where everyone can cool off with Clumpies Ice Cream and take in the sights and shopping the North Chat area has to offer.
At 9 p.m., scooterists are set to board the Fat Cat Ferry for a night on the Tennessee River full of awards, karaoke and a raffle. Hair of the Dog on Market is hosting the crowd Sunday morning for a brunch before heading off to Missionary Ridge for a final city view.
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LML plans comeback with Vespa
NEW DELHI: Tempted by the recent revival of the scooter segment in the country, the beleaguered LML (Lohia Machines) has re-entered the domestic market after a hiatus of 14 months with its Vespa brand of geared scooters.
The Kanpur-based company launched its 150cc Vespa brands — NV SPL and Select II — this week with an on-road price of Rs 35,000 in New Delhi, traditionally its biggest market. The company used to sell around 1,000 units a month in New Delhi before it went out of production in February 2006.
LML has started operations with two dealers in New Delhi and is targeting sales of 500 units in the next few months. The lone player in the geared scooter segment, LML is keen to grab its old market, with scooter sales showing growth in the past few months. Scooter sales rose 17% during April-July 2007 to 3,44,006 units.
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Motorized scooter fad runs out of gas
The motorized-scooter fad appears to have fizzled, to the delight of annoyed neighbors and Valley city officials who fielded public calls for regulation.
Kids old enough to test their independence but too young to drive loved the devices from about 2002 to 2005, said Dave Carlson, an employee of Sidewalk Surfer in Scottsdale. The store used to sell plenty of scooters but no longer keeps them in stock.
"The fad peaked four years ago and faded," he said. "First people got discouraged because the quality of imported scooters wasn't very good. Then cities jumped in" and banned or restricted them, he said.
As the scooter numbers grew during their heyday, so did noisy motor modifications, accidents and complaints. By 2006, most Valley cities passed restrictive laws; Phoenix and Fountain Hills banned scooters. It's rare to see one on the street today.
Chandler resident Larry Iseli is banking on a comeback, but he recently closed his Tempe scooter distributorship and fills mail orders from his home.
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Monterey Vespa Club brings motor-scooter enthusiasts together
Believe it or not, Vespa riders get plenty of love from Harley-Davidson riders.
Just ask Roger Vandevert, president of the Vespa Club of Monterey, who recently went on a ride with fellow Vespa and scooter owners to the Fourth of July bike rally in Hollister.
"There's a fun kind of attraction between Harley guys and Vespas," said Vandevert, noting that whenever he shows up to a bike rally on his Vespa, he is usually besieged by one or two Harley riders. "Sports-bike guys, not so much."
The Italian-made motor scooters were originally built after World War II, when the Piaggio warplane factories were bombed out.
A strong need existed for transportation and for the country to get back on its feet — and on the road. The Vespa engine was the original airplane starter motor and the small wheels were aircraft landing gear.
Vespas range in price from $3,199 for the LX 50 model to as much as $7,299 for the limited edition GT 60. Locals can purchase the bikes at Vespa Monterey in the Seaside Auto Mall.
On the Peninsula, Vespa club riders can be seen cruising to Diva Dulce near Fisherman's Wharf, or parked outside the Starbucks at Stone Creek Center off Highway 68, sipping lattes rather than pounding a few cold ones.
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August 3, 2007
BMW sells 100,000th BMW R 1200 GS
Munich -- On 27.07.07, the BMW R 1200 GS, together with the model variant Adventure, celebrated an impressive record: In Berlin, the 100,000th 1200 GS rolled off the conveyor belt.
84,373 units of these were allotted to the classical GS, and 15,627 units were allotted to the model Adventure. No other BMW motorcycle has ever been built so often within such as short space of time. Hence, the BMW R 1200 GS is the most successful BMW motorcycle of all times.
The predecessor has held first place of the registration statistics for years; the 1200 GS already managed to achieve this right from the start. It has continued extending its lead to this day. In 2006, 31,138 units were delivered to customers worldwide.
From 1999 until 2003, the predecessor model R 1150 GS was built a total of 58,023 times. In addition to this, 17,828 units of the model variant Adventure (until 2005) were produced. Since 1994 to this day, a total of 219,468 GS models of the boxer engine generation with four valves per cylinder have been built. A figure that proves the popularity, supremacy and unique universality of the GS concept.
via Car Buyer's Notebook.
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Video: Vespa History
This video history of the Vespa is from an early 1990's episode of Discovery channel's show, "Invention".
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Video: Vespa Wheelie King
Vespa riders, safety lovers: do not try this at home!
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Video: Showdown in Madrid for world's best FMX riders
On July 27th 2007, the Red Bull X-Fighters tour reached its thrilling competition climax at the legendary Las Ventas bullring in Madrid. This historic venue provided a stunning backdrop for the tour finale, when 23,000 spectators gathered in the arena to watch the world's best freestyle motocross riders battle it out to become 2007 champion.
In place of the traditional corrida spectacle, onlookers witnessed the death-defying 'motoreros' being propelled high into the night sky over Madrid courtesy of a huge quarterpipe and a variety of other trick ramps. As the standard rises year on year, so the participants are forced to push the limits of their extraordinary sport, constantly experimenting with new and more dangerous stunts than ever before.
With the competition entering its final stages, 20 year-old Sevillian young gun Dany Torres led the pack, with US veteran Travis Pastrana hot on his heels after an emphatic victory in Ireland.
Japanese master Eigo Sato, Swiss Mat Rebeaud and crowd-pleaser Ronnie Renner (USA) were all in contention, while fellow American Nate Adams, Norway's André Villa, French challenger Charles Pagès, plucky Australian Matt Schubring and Libor Podmol of the Czech Republic completed the line-up.
News and updates on each event can be found online at www.redbullxfighters.com
via Car Buyer's Notebook.
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August 2, 2007
Vmoto scooters top category sales Down Under
Australia's only listed scooter group has once again outpaced its competitors with one of its models being anointed the #1 selling scooter in Australia during the first half of 2007, according to the latest official figures.
In its first full six month foray as a listed scooter manufacturer, marketer and distributor, Perth-based Vmoto Limited's (ASX code: VMT) Monza JP 50cc model became the biggest selling scooter in the country for the six months to June 30 this year. This is in conjunction with Vmoto's Monaco topping sales of the 125cc scooter category during the same period.
The Vmoto sales performance was detailed under just released figures by the Federal Department of Transport in Canberra, for scooter sales for the first half of calendar 2007.
Vmoto's Managing Director, Mr Patrick Davin, said the Company was delighted by the results of its sales drive which had produced an excellent foundation for future Australian scooter growth after a period of restructuring, acquisition and consolidation of the group's activities - endorsed by shareholders in April this year - to focus entirely on scooters.
"To have two Vmoto models featuring amongst the Top 5 Australian sellers in this opening period as a pure ASX-listed scooter group is a remarkable achievement, even more so given that the Company has only been marketing five models to date," Mr Davin said.
"Later this year, Vmoto will add three new models to our Australian range of what is increasingly a popular and energy efficient form of local commuting," he said.
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Four motor scooter riders announce 600-mile ride to Vermont from Maryland
FINKSBURG, MARYLAND - On August 20, four motor scooter riders are leaving from Central Maryland to undertake a 600-mile back-road journey to Central Vermont.
The destination is Randolph, Vermont to ride in the 140-mile Last Mile Ride that starts and ends there on August 25. The Last Mile Ride benefits and is sponsored by Gifford Memorial Hospital in Randolph.
"Both my boyfriend Dwayne and I grew up in Vermont, and I'm riding in honor of his father Charles 'Shod' McCullough, who died in February in the Garden Room of Gifford Memorial Hospital," says Crystal Waters, one of the organizers of the ride. "The Last Mile Ride is to benefit Gifford's end-of-life care, including the Garden Room, and it means the world to me to be able to ride in Shod's memory and raise money for this cause."
So far, Waters has raised more than $3,000 for the hospital, and will be riding her 150cc 2004 Vespa ET4 motor scooter to Vermont and in the Last Mile Ride.
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Scooter trend may be bad news for Bulldogs
Call it mo-ped mania maybe, or a surge in scooter scofflaws - but two University of Georgia football players now have been busted in less than two weeks for committing traffic violations while operating the popular miniature motor vehicles.
The latest player to run afoul of the law was NaDerris Rakeem Ward, who wound up handcuffed and jailed after being pulled over by a UGA officer about 2:30 p.m. Friday. Police called a tow truck to haul away the 180-pound Yamaha scooter.
The 6-foot-5-inch, 255-pound Ward was riding a 49 cc Yamaha Zuma that weighs about 70 pounds less than the 19-year-old does. The football player was passing vehicles on the right side of the road - which is the wrong side of the road to pass anyone on two-lane streets - as Ward traveled along Carlton Street at East Campus Road, according to a UGA police incident report.
Ward's final stop was at the UGA Parking Services Building off River Road, according to the report. It was not exactly a high-speed pursuit. The little scooter has a top speed of no more than about 40 mph.
Posted by Frank at 10:39 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Hayabusa! 2008 Suzuki Bikes Create a Second Selling Season
SALEM, Ohio -- Giant Motorsports is one of the largest Suzuki dealerships in America. Giant is looking forward to the fall season because Suzuki is going to provide North American Dealerships with more new and exciting products that are expected to boost sales during a traditionally slower period.
'We've been lucky so far this year, in that we've managed to keep sales a little closer to flat than the rest of the industry, which was down about 9% overall for its first quarter sales this year", said Giant COO Greg Haehn, "with the upcoming release of 14 new and updated Suzuki products, we anticipate stronger than normal 3rd and 4th quarters. Hayabusas are hot; it's the fastest mass-produced bike in the world and people have been anxiously awaiting its release. So we're excited."
Led by its flagship sport bike, the Hayabusa, Suzuki is looking to increase its already large following with the new models. The redesign of the Hayabusa comes after years of dominance in its class. Suzuki introduced 2 brand new models as well; the much-anticipated B-King muscle bike, and the entry level GSF650X. The ever popular GSX600R and GSX750R are being updated as well.
Source: Giant Motorsports, Inc.
via Car Buyer's Notebook
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