Author: illnoise

GRO’s Electroscoot

Electric scooters, usually a heavy battery and a rubber belt jammed into a Chinese faux-Vino frame, don’t generally wow us here at 2sb, but GRO Design’s Electroscoot is an amazing design, even if it is just a concept and its specs don’t really set it apart from other electric bikes. But one can dream. (link courtesy Motoblog, where you can see photos without waiting for Flash.)

Schwinn & TNG links linked?

We’re still getting a lot of hits from Schwinn’s link, and we just noticed that they’ve borrowed more than design cues from TNG:
Schwinn Scooters’ “Extras” Page
TNG Motor Scooters’ “Extras” page
Which got us thinking “maybe they’re actually related somehow” but Whois records and Google searches provide no indication that CMSI (TNG’s parent company in Washington state) is involved in Schwinn Scooters (a division of Pacific Cycle who own Schwinn, Mongoose and GT, based near the Pacific in Madison, WI). I’ve emailed TNG to hopefully find out more.
(UPDATE: 4-18-06: It turns out there’s much more to the story.)

Revealed: Excerpt from Quadrophenia the Musical

Jimmy:What the bloody hell you doin’?

Postman:We could’ve killed you!

Jimmy: (Singing) Ah, fuckin’ heellllll!
Look what you’ve doooone!
You cuuuunts!

Postman: (chanting) Why didn’t you stop? Why didn’t you stop!

Jimmy: (Singing) You’ve killed me scooter!
Look what you’ve doooone!
Fuck off! Leave it alone!
Get off it! Why don’t you kiiiiilll me?
All of ya! Fuck off! (jazz hands)
(etc.)

Bajaj stops production of geared scooters, ArgoUSA future uncertain

Maharashtra Scooters, the factory that produces the Bajaj Chetak, has stopped production of manual-transmission scooters. 2,450 Chetaks remain on the factory floor, and it appears ArgoUSA (formerly Bajaj) isn’t expecting any more: (From their site)

“We are working to solidify relationships with other scooter manufacturers that can provide us with the quality and reliability that is expected by the American scooter rider.”

BajajUSA’s sales message of economy and practicality was ahead of its time in the US, when other importers were pitching scooters as luxury toys to internet millionaires, and $3/gal. gas was unthinkable. A serious blow was dealt by the introuduction of the similar, but trendier—and not-much-more-expensive—Genuine Stella about a year later. The Bajaj featured a more modern and fuel-efficient 4-stroke engine, and owners and dealers gave the Chetak and Legend high marks, but the Stella’s arrival, and a seeming lack of interest in the US market from Bajaj HQ, loomed over BajajUSA for the last couple years. (Another Maharashtra Scooters story)

Piaggio/Agip deal signed

Piaggio Group has agreed on a worldwide four-year “technical, commercial, sport, and communication cooperation agreement a technical, commercial, sport and communication co-operation deal with ENI, manufacturers of Agip oils. In short, Agip products will be recommended and sold by Piaggio (and Aprilia, Gilera, Derbi, and Moto Guzzi) dealers worldwide, and and Agip will supply specialty fuels and lubricants for Aprilia, Gilera and Derbi race teams. Thanks to Ryetronics for the story.

Schwinn Motor Scooters

While we’d like to thank Schwinn Motor Scooters for linking to 2strokebuzz, we’d also like to make it clear that 2strokebuzz in no way endorses Schwinn motorscooters. I don’t think i’ve ever mentioned them before, simply because they appear to be Chinese Yamaha knockoffs with a big Schwinn sticker on the front. Maybe they’re allright, try it out and let us know what you think, but in the meantime, we’d spend the extra few hundred bucks for a real Yamaha Vino. (UPDATE: 4-18-06: It turns out there’s much more to the story.)

TomTom scooter GPS

If you’ve got a $900 tax refund coming and hate getting lost, the TomTom Rider motorcycle/scooter navigation system looks pretty fantastic. Alwaysblog seemed to really like it, from what i can make out (“Rider” in italian is “to laugh,” ha.) It’d be especially fun to use on a old Vespa, where you need four hands as it is for throttling, braking, shifting, signalling, and holding your 30-pack of Old Style in place.

Progressive publishes motorcycle accident/theft stats

Last month, Progressive Insurance published a list of collision and theft statistics for 89 metropolitan areas. Chicago surprisingly placed slightly below the national average on both charts, 64th (of 89) “most likely” for collision, and 52nd (of 89) for theft. Just don’t let your bike out of your site in Honolulu, where theft is 4.28 times more likely than the national average. Thanks for the tip, Vespaway.

Win a Vespa signed by Corey Hart!

CTV (with the technological help of ABC, because Canadian TV is apparently broadcast in black and white) is giving away a Vespa PX150 as part of their Juno awards shenanigans. If you think it’s worth sitting through any music awards show, let alone one with performances by The Guess Who and 54/40, to win a Vespa, go for it. Note: Events Halifax, one of the sponsors, has an awesome logo.