More Chicago Vespa dealer rumors

We continue to hear rumors that Old Town Motocycle Shoppe on Wells Street will soon become Chicago’s official Vespa/Piaggio dealer. Old Towne and their Cicero-based parent MotoplexUSA currently sell Aprilia motorcycles and scooters, another brand owned by Piaggio.

It’s unclear what happened when Sam Tomaino sold West Suburban Auto Group, but it appears a dispute between Tomaino and Old Towne may be holding up an official announcement. While the VespaUSA site lists no shops in the Chicago area, Tomaino has apparently opened a new shop in Roselle (with the same phone number once listed for the Maywood dealership) and vespachicago.com lists only the Diversey Ave. Vespa “boutique.” Ex-Vespa of Chicago sales manager Dan Kay is rumored to be involved in the MotoplexUSA operation. We suspect Tomaino is (quite reasonably) attempting to retain WSAG’s past customers and sell what’s left of the WSAG stock. In any case, this holdup can’t be helping PiaggioUSA’s sales during this busy sales season.

Vespanomics

VespaUSA finally shifts into second gear and comes above the surface with their “Vespas are ecological” PR campaign thats been such a success in getting them press: Vespanomics. There is certainly some economy, and maybe ecology, in scooter-riding, but they’re glossing over an awful lot of math, science, and common sense to hype it to this level. Still, it’s nice to see them actually selling some scooters. More later.

Piaggio releases IPO prospectus

Vespa manufacturer Piaggio & C. SpA released a prospectus today outlining their initial public offering. Since we can’t read Italian OR “legalese,” we’ll accept Bloomberg’s synopsis that they plan to sell up to 158 million shares, at €2.3 to €3 each, to raise as much as €474 million (US$599 million). Piaggio Chairman Roberto Colannino’s IMMSI SpA holding company, who now holds 40% of the company, plans to increase their share to 49%. The IPO values Piaggio at about €1.16 billion.

Fire’s new stadium: “What a beauty”

Fire Fans (Ana Reinert)
Photo: Ana Reinert

2strokebuzz were big Chicago Fire fans before the team even had a name, but we admit we’ve sort of lost track of the team ever since Peter Novak left and Milena was born and Soldier Field was renovated. We caught one match in the renovated Soldier Field and decided we hated it even more than the old Soldier Field. So we’ve been looking forward to the Fire’s new stadium in Bridgeview, IL, and apparently, so has the team. After starting the season with 9 straight matches on the road, they’re at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. But there’s hope: A good home crowd can spark the Fire to action more than any team in any sport I’ve ever witnessed, and an upcoming string of nine home games in the newest and best soccer stadium in America should turn their luck straight around. Tickets are available for their home opener next week against New York, though it appears only season ticketholders can score tickets for the MLS All-Star game (vs Chelsea!) in August.

Our friends Bob and Ana, Chicago ex-pats now living in Kansas City, scored tickets to the “Unofficial Home Opener” on June 11 (a 3-3 tie to New England). Bob says, “Oh baby, what a beauty of a stadium! Perfect to get the crowd riled up. Section 8 seating was loud enough to get the whole place jumping. We’re really jealous now.” and sent us some of Ana’s fantastic photos.

This World Cup thing is going on too… more on that later.

Mods vs. Rockers recap

2sb didn’t represent at Mods vs. Rockers but these two posts on CHIscooterList probably sum it up pretty well:

Patrick:

MvsR Chicago kicked ass. How many friggin bikes were there? Iit looked like 300 at least.

Ryan:

While we were on LSD I rode upto this guy on an ’80s BMW who everybody was following. I said to the guy “Where are we going?” and he said “Im just driving home from work,” and he looks back to see 100 bikes behind him.

Mods vs. Rockers Gallery at scoot.net

Profit, lightning, and IPO approval:
a busy week for Piaggio

After reporting a first-quarter profit for the first time in years, and a lightning strike at their Pontedera factory last week. Piaggio’s IPO prospectus was approved by the Italian regulatory agency Consob today. Piaggio is expected to publish the prospectus in the next few days. The Australian has a good story outlining Piaggio’s recent history and return to profitability.

Rahul Bajaj elected to Rajya Sabha

Patriarch of the Bajaj family and former Bajaj Auto president, Rahul Bajaj was elected to the Rajya Sabha (Indian Congress) today, taking a seat left empty when Bharatiya Janata Party leader Pramod Mahajan was killed in a family dispute (Bajaj’s own recent family disputes were settled only slightly more discreetly). He had the support of several parties and won with 195 of 288 votes (with three abstaining). Bajaj is well-known as opposing “reservations,” an Indian-government plan to expand hiring and education admission quotas to include more lower-caste Indian citizens. Students and middle-class workers have taken to the streets recently to protest the quotas in recent weeks.

Mods vs. Rockers

Mods vs. RockersSorry, I thought I’d posted this earlier, but I hadn’t: This Saturday (June 17 2006) is the Ton-Up Club’s annual Mods vs. Rockers motorcycle and scooter show and ride at Delilah’s. They’ve ramped it up a notch this year and added a dinner at Delilahs and an “afterparty” at Liar’s Club at 10pm, along with a DJ, a band and more. If you didn’t get a chance to throw any deckchairs at the ModChicago party two weeks ago, now’s your chance. Now to decide: should you take the Triumph or the Lambretta?