Author: illnoise

Meet a Motorcyclist

In honor of Motorcycle Awareness Month (May), Ducati Riders of Illinois (DRILL) is sponsoring a “Meet a Motorcyclist” event at noon this Saturday (5-13-06) in the parking lot of Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg, IL. They’re encouraging well-mannered two-wheelers to come out and show the public we’re not ALL the scourge of the earth (i.e. stockbrokers with new Harleys). Thanks for the tip, Janaki. (Event cancelled on 5/11/06)

Sachs’ China deal

The line between Chinese and European scooters is further blurred as 120-year-old Sachs signs a deal with a Chinese manufacturer. Perhaps it’s the same manufacturer that’s already knocking off their Madass for Xkeleton. Even as SachsUK brags about the arrangement, they continue to warn buyers about “other” Chinese scooters. Why are all these companies feeding the hand that bites them? China is an attractive manufacturing center and an attractive market, but scooter makers seem too excited to invest there considering the ethics and quality issues involved. Thanks to Scootersnoop for the story.

Piaggio museum:
“the great plan of a great architect”

Fuksas' model of the new Vespa Museum

At the recent Vespa 60th Anniversary celebration, Piaggio president Roberto Colaninno and Italian architect Massimiliano Fuksas unveiled a model for an exciting new Piaggio Museum. Colaninno called the new museum “the great plan of a great architect,” a 60th-anniversary “gift” for the Vespa.

Fuksas is famous for his painterly approach to architecture and his skill in using existing structures to compliment his designs. The new museum is a perfect example, two layers of red polymer clouds will hover within Piaggio’s expansive Pontedera factory, containing the museum, archives, and a coffee lounge, giving visitors a panoramic view of the assembly lines below. The swooping bubbles of the museum emulate the curvy design of the Vespa (is that an ET4 headlight above?) and hopefully the museum’s function will equal its form, like the vehicle it celebrates.

Fuksas is also famous for keeping a reasonable budget and tight schedule, and again, this project fits the profile– announced on April 27, the museum is expected to be completed in 2007. His other recent high-profile projects include Ferarri’s headquarters in Maranello and the EUR-district Congress Center in Rome.

More photos in the 2sb Gallery (photos courtesy Piaggio)

X2 to be unveiled May 11

Once again, we’ve been looked over when the invites were sent out. Motoblog.it has confirmed that the Piaggio X2 scooter will be unveiled to the press on May 11. The X2 is Piaggio’s much-hyped two-front-wheeled scooter that has been seen only in video clips for the past few months. Broooke will rant about its similarity to the Italjet Scooop but the X2 is a great deal more scooter-like, and, more importantly, not a styrofoam model.

SCooTS gives wheels to rural british students

Herts24 reports that an organization called “Scooter and Cycle Transport Solutions” (SCooTS), with the help of the North Hertfordshire District Council and Hertfordshire County Council, is loaning 50cc scooters to rural 16 to 25-year-olds where there are no other transportation options, allowing them to travel to school or work. Training and safety checks are also included in the program.