Month: November 2004

Not much to report on the midwest racing front lately (criiiiiiiick-et) but Team 2SB has been secretly training for a 2005 season, if there is one.

The Discovery Channel show “Monster Nation” Episode 6 features a segment on the Orange Crush rally. Looks like we missed it but keep an eye out for the rerun. Thanks for the tip, Lalo!

Bryan M writes:

it’s a themed rollercoaster – like you’re riding a mini sportbike. not
quite a scooter but still, pretty cool…

It’s the
Motorcycle coaster at Attractiepark Toverland in Holland. No doubt, Bryan, that looks way fun. Maybe Six Flags will get one? Fingers crossed.

The Boston Globe delves deep into the ladies’ scooter scene. A decent story, but there’s a chug or two in there, and we all know there are far more than two stereotypes of female scooterists.

The Seattle Times, who apparently have several reporters covering vintage Italian vehicles full-time, reports that two Italian Senators are fighting to prevent a ban on cars like the Fiat 500 (aka the “cinquecento”) that they feel are part of Italy’s heritage. Such uncatalyzed, seat-belt-less cars are banned in most cities.

Bill Husted’s column in the Denver Post:

Most men wore pink ties to the Susan G. Komen Pink Tie gala Saturday night. Jay Leno played auctioneer and when the white Vespa went on the block, he said, “If you think your pink bow-ties look gay, here you go!”

Whatever, Jay, I know for a fact you have a few of them yourself parked next to your jet bikes, choppers, and Harleys, I’d be happy to take them off your hands if you’re embarrassed.

Speaking of Pride Of Cleveland Scooters, they have two Apes now: the Piaggio Ape, and The Ape Formerly Known as Chris Winters.

Western Michigan University’s student paper published a pointless, ridiculous column by 90s-goateed sportswriter Peter Schinkai yesterday, and the Moped Army is up in arms. They suggest calling the writer and paper to complain, but:

1. I worked on the student paper all four years I was at Ohio University, and I know a hack student journalist Bob-Greene-stylee troll when I see it, I wrote a few myself (being Graphics Editor didn’t stop me from trying to write then, or now.) The guy is obligated to write two or three columns a week and he ran out of ideas three weeks into freshman year, so any attention he gets will just give him something to write about for weeks. Mark my words, he’ll relish the attention more than Chad in drag at a biker bar.
2. I’ve seen those Moped Army guys ride, and God love ’em, but some of them really could use a few pointers on the laws of the road. And physics. (not that scooterists are that much better).

But yeah, Simon, that column is lame, agreed. Thanks to Ryetronics for hepping us to the controversy.

A look at the “Big Ruckus” from POCPhil at Pride Of Cleveland Scooters:

It has been officially introduced in Cycle World magazine, and I’ve just
gotten a pre-dealer expo look at one.

I had really high hopes for this bike, but now I’m feeling kinda let down.

It’s big…way too big to go anywhere near dirt.

The Reflex 250 is 60.3″ long….The Ruckus is 57″ long only 3 inches
shorter.

The Reflex weighs 375…or so it says in the spec. sheet (our scale put the
Reflex at 420 with an empty tank)…according to Honda the “Big Ruckus”
weighs 363 lbs. I’ll go out on a limb here and suggest the Ruckus weighs at
least 400 lbs.

The price….$5299…wait, that’s the same price as the Reflex.

The Ruckus doesn’t have the rear disk brake found on the Reflex. Just a
cheapo drum.

The Reflex gets a 13″ front wheel, The Ruckus gets a 12″.

The suspension travel on the Reflex and Ruckus is damn near identical
too…anyone else seeing a trend here? Reflex, Reflex Sport, Ruckus
250….all $5299. All variants of the same base machine.

The Ruckus has very little storage room, just whatever you can strap to the
rear deck, and then only if the backrest (Ironing board) is folded up.
About that backrest, when it’s in the “up” position it becomes a true farm
implement. This thing has the exact same ergonomics as a John Deere.

Floorboards…we don’t need no stinkin’ floorboards. The saving grace of
vintage scooters was what they lacked in actual enclosed storage, they made
up for with “just put it on the floorboards and hold it with your feet. For
what little storage space it has it has absolutely no floor, just 2 Harley
style foot boards. I hope you like where Honda decided you should put your
feet, because that’s your only option.

I still have my hopes up for the TnG Baja 150, obviously it won’t be as fast
or powerful, which is a shame, but if your goal is a battle scooter, or good
field scooter, the “Big Ruckus” isn’t going to do it.

My recommendation is to find an old Elite 250 and strip it down, install a
set of Reggae tires and call it done. Your total investment should be under
$2K and they’re quick as the devil.

Phil Waters – Pride Of Cleveland Scooters

[Editor’s Note: In the interest of disclosure, Phil is a scooter dealer who sells TnG scooters (among other brands) and not Hondas, but we here at 2sb consider him an honest, experienced, and unbiased evaluator of all things 2-wheeled.]

For reference: the “Big Ruckus” on Honda’s US site. In Japan, it’s called the Hirojoku Mass Delight Motor Goober. Just kidding, it’s the PS250.

Frazer Marr, an illustrator who likes to draw scooters. Nifty work!

Scoot Free Or Die came back from the dead today (where were you, Brian?) to report that TGB is sending three delivery scooters across the country to prove their reliability.

Two sites from the early days of internet scootering: Max’s page of Scooter Quotations & Poetry and Mr. Mark’s Motor Scooter Home Page, which was pretty much the only site around when I started 2strokeBuzz in 1996. Mark used to write product reviews for 2strokeBuzz, which reminds me I still have four copies of 2SB#3 left, free for the next four people who order a T-Shirt.

On the heels of the success of the GB-edition Stella, Genuine is now working on an Atomic Fireball Stella, with Chicago candy manufacturer Ferrara Pan. It sounded like a strange idea until I saw the drawing, but it looks great, I guess it was just an excuse for PJ to draw some pretty sweet looking retro flames. Stella also donated an orange Stella signed by the Chicago Bears to charity, though the Bears are a charity case in themselves.

If sitting through Quadrophenia isn’t torturous enough for you, now you can take the Walking Tour. Found this site when Cy and I were debating whether Leslie Ash or Toyah Willcox is more frightening these days.

I’ve bit my tongue on the election so far, because this is not a political site, but if you’re still for some reason undecided, and looking to a motorscooter blog for answers, PLEASE vote George Bush out of office tomorrow. If you live in Illinois, check out the IVI-IPO reccommendations, and do some research on judge retentions.