Author: illnoise

TGB to USA

I’m not sure how long this notice has appeared on TGB’s Taiwan website, but it’s been up for the last few days at least:

[Cobra] Powersports is no longer the exclusive distributor for TGB products in the US. We will be manufacturing some of their scooters brand[ed] as Peirspeed. Please look for TGB to bring in new products under the TGB brand to the US in late March!

Over the past week or so, I’ve heard from several parties related to both TGB and Cobra, including George Lin, the President of TGB. I feel that especially considering what I’ve learned since my apology, it’s absolutely fair to say that my original interpretation of the facts was correct. What Cobra’s rep at the show told me was technically true, and Cobra maybe didn’t see it coming, but as of last week, TGB gave Cobra notice that they’ll be breaking their contract, and will be importing TGB bikes themselves. I’ve offered Cobra and TGB a chance to fully clarify the situation, more to come.

Scooter Jump Goes Wrong

Next time someone questions 2SB’s “journalism skillz,” refer them to “Website of the Year” Sky News, with important “news” stories like “GIANT CHOCOLATE BIG BEN” and “SCOOTER JUMP GOES WORNG” [sic]. With just a tiny fraction of Rupert Murdoch’s money behind 2SB, we could probably at least double our level of journalistic standards. Help us out, Rupe.

Polini Cup LIVE Saturday and Sunday

Probably the U.S.’s most exciting scooter race in years, the Polini Cup is happening tomorrow and Sunday in Tom Dash Speedway in Atwater,CA. This exciting event will feature vintage scooters, modern scooters, mopeds, mini-moto and go-peds and almost slipped past 2sb’s attention until Joshua Griffith from Seattle Mopeds let us know that MopedTV and the 1977 Mopeds Blog will feature live coverage all weekend (with emphasis on Mopeds, of course.) Sounds awesome, sorry to not publish this earlier but aaaaarrrrgggh DSL! and now we’re in Cincinnati for WKRP and I should be drinking right now goodbye. But definitely check it out.

When it rains, it pours

Illnoise,
We’re serious to imform you below:

Illnoise at 2strokebuzz.com is being abusing Yuota company and Its Binqi Logo. Which has been badly damaged Yuota company, BINQI Logo and its market, which brings a big risk to Yuota company.

By phone discussion of Yuota lawyer and Yuota distributor USA, we decide to accuse Illnoise at 2strokebuzz.com and 2strokebuzz web PROVIDER on 2nd April, 2009.

Yuota Lawyer has saved 2strokebuzz contents is to post China Council for the promotion of international Trade (CCPIT) and THE SURPEME PEOPLE’S COURT OF THE PEOPLE REPUBLIC OF CHINA
Yuota Distributor USA is to accuse Illnoise at 2strokebuzz.com and 2strokebuzz web PROVIDER in USA without delay.

Claims for the loss of BINQI brand and Yuota company.

Claims 2strokebuzz web PROVIDER to close 2strokebuzz.com without delay.
Accusation will be in action w/o delay on 2nd April, 2009.

Illnoise at 2strokebuzz.com must delete this Links:2strokebuzz.com/?p=5012 before Accusation time.
Illnoise at 2strokebuzz.com must recover reputation of YUOTA company and BINQI logo on home page of 2strokebuzz.com for lasting 90days..

Daniel Chan at Yuota group

Funny thing is, I just posted a rant on Modern Buddy this morning about how we should all be more understanding about China.

TGB & Cobra: A clarification and apology

In my 2009 Dealer Expo new scooter roundup, and again in my rant about SYM and Steve Guzmán, I reported that TGB had apparently ended their relationship with U.S. importer Cobra Powersports. As it turns out, this is not true at all. In short, Cobra is only one year into a five-year contract with TGB and their relationship is solid. I’d like to apologize for not clarifying the situation sooner, and (at great length) try to explain what happened.
Continue reading “TGB & Cobra: A clarification and apology”

Worse than Worst

Binqi scooters
We always hear about low-quality Chinese scooters, and how the Chinese scooter industry has little regard for intellectual property. POCphil sent us this email from Binqi, and we’d actually received the same email recently, but ignored it. Dealers and anyone with a scooter website get emails like this several times a week. This one deserves a good look, though, because it’s the perfect storm of absurdity:
Continue reading “Worse than Worst”

Honda: SH150i to U.S. for 2010

It’s not the 300i, but it’s still one of the most popular and in-demand scooters in Europe: Honda has announced their SH150i will be available in the U.S. for 2010. Maybe too little too late to really capitalize on whatever’s left of the scooter boom but still great news for medium-displacement big-wheel fans. (Scooped once again by Guzmán at the ‘Scoop.)

Buddy 1:12

buddy1121
Genuine’s new line of 1:12-scale die-cast Buddies was just unveiled, and those ingrate MB’ers are already finding reasons to nitpick, heh. I saw the samples, and they look great. Not as great as a 1:12 Blur would, mind you, but great. Scooterworks lists them as “backordered” but it’s more like “preordered,” they’re due in very soon. Only a company with a well-organized, enthusiastic community of customers could order a containerload of toys and know damn well they’ll sell like hotcakes. (If Vespa did something like this, they’d be made by Lladro or Limoges, there’d be a huge PR blitz, they’d cost $1200 each, and never end up at dealers anyway… kind of like those Adidas tracksuits).

222,000

The Motorcycle Industry Council estimates a record-setting 222,000 scooters were sold in the United States in 2008. For the sixth year running, over a million motorcycles and scooters were sold in 2008 (slightly fewer than 2007), but nearly a quarter of those were scooters. The last string of five million-selling years was in the early 70s. In 1992, only 278,000 motorcycles and scooters total were sold. These estimates appear to only include MIC-reporting companies, so Genuine and Kymco and several other popular scooter manufacturers’ sales may not even be included in that figure, let alone the thousands of Chinese imports sold. Either way, those numbers are staggering. Especially because next year 90% of these scooters will be on Craigslist with gummed up carbs and 150 miles on the odo.