Category: 2sb Archives

From some guy that works with Ryan, so you know it’s good: Make your own Gasoline Octane Boosters. The disclaimer at the bottom applies for 2sb, too. When you blow up your engine, sell it to me cheap.

With 2003 Illinois motorcycle fatalities up 47% since 2002 (now the sixth-highest number (143) of deaths in the nation), and several well-publicized motorcycle accidents (1, 2, 3, for example, not to mention the “205 MPH” asshat and Indian Larry) in the last week or so, Alderman Edward Burke has proposed a city-wide helmet law. Mayor Daley has already come out in support of the law, and suggests extending it to bicycles and inline skaters. (Skateboarders and roller disco skaters are apparently exempt.) Stories appeared today in the Tribune (reg. req, so screw them), the Sun-Times, and
WLS, as well as a special report on Channel 5 Monday night called “Night Riders.” While 2sb would never be caught without a helmet, and can’t believe anyone would, we nevertheless thank all you asshole showoffs and shitty drivers for likely making it mandatory. A helmet law is no solution, it’s like putting pillows along the side of the road, the real solution is mandatory rider instruction, stricter licensing, and insanely high fines for anyone caught riding illegally.

Why does South Africa get PX200s* and we only get 150s!? I thought they no longer made the 200s! And are they two-strokes or four? Come on, make the announcement already. *Thanks, Republique du Tchad

Our Zombie correspondent found this History of Liverpool Mods and Rockers. Nicely done, other than blaming the Irish and using an apostrophe in just about every word ending with “s.”

Perhaps when that article yesterday said “500cc ET2”, it really meant the Piaggio M500. I dig it. Maybe I can order one in Mexico. In other old Piaggio LTV news, 45 Piaggio Porters and 60 Ape TM703s comprised the cleaning fleet for the Athens Olympics. Maybe those will turn up on ebay.

From Vina: Minnesota motorcyclist gets nabbed for 205 in a 65 MPH zone. Without a motorcycle endorsement. And with Bill Janklow only a state away.

The official Cannonball Run site has a travelogue of the event, and a promise of more details in the new Scoot! Quarterly. Bajaj’s site has some notes from J.D. Merryweather, who came in second on a Bajaj Legend 150. The overall winner was the organizer (Take that Brock Yates), Mike Heytens on a Vespa P200.

Fanatic Scooters is now offering a guide to Indian Lambrettas, with sections such as “the SIL fiasco” and “the Lambretta Spare Parts Mountain.” Sounds like a must for all owners of SIL GPs and Lamby Polos. The site also features a good bit of information for those unwilling to part with £4.50.

CMSI recently announced they’ve arranged a financing plan for their products, including TN’G Scooters and the new Lambretta. The release states “a new line of scooters carrying that
prestigious [Lambretta] badge will be available in showrooms in early 2005. We’ll see.

AutoWeek, unlike 2strokeBuzz, was invited to Piaggio’s recent conference on the scooter’s role in easing traffic congestion in American cities. Their reporter, after conceding “that’s like the fox holding a conference on free-range chickens” agrees that they might have a point. I can’t find anything else about the conference, but it sounded more like an X9 press party to me.

Stuff.co.nz reports that Piaggio/Aprilia owner Roberto Colaninno has denied rumors he’s looking to buy Fiat. Which can only mean he’s looking to buy Fiat. Fiat used to own Piaggio, by the way. Seriously, someone make me a flow chart of who owns what in Italy.

Matthew “Pierce” Wysocki sent this link to The Philip C. Vincent Collection. The article is from April, so I don’t know if it sold yet, but I hope whoever buys/bought it catalogues it on the web. I wonder if Corazino D’Ascanio kept similar records. I do, but I doubt ebay is ready for two file drawers of 2sb crap. That reminds me, I have more old letters to 2sb to post!

As a result of the Bic Pen crisis, Kryptonite is replacing the following locks free of charge to owners who registered their locks in the past two years: Evolution lock, KryptoLok lock, New York Chain, New York Noose, Evolution Disc Lock, KryptoDisco or DFS Disc Lock. Full details will be available at kryptonite.com tomorrow afternoon.

In totally unrelated news, Piaggio has announced they’re making their Indian facility the hub for their three-wheeler manufacturing.

Exciting news, from a newsletter sent to Piaggio dealers September 17, 2004:

Vespa PX150 “SERIE AMERICA” (Limited Edition): Yes, you read correctly—it’s finally on its
way! Twelve months of work from our engineering team has paid off and the PX 150 has now passed U.S. homologation. After a 20 year absence, the PX is back, practically unchanged (few aesthetics and
a disk brake) with its timeless design and unique riding feel. This is sure to be a winner.

To celebrate this historic event, we will be numbering the first 500 units of the “American”
production run. No orders will be taken for this vehicle until after our formal announcement
expected around late October. Availability will be extremely limited and supply will be subject to
allocation, however, 2 units from the first production run will be guaranteed to all dealerships. Expect deliveries to start in late November. Availability of the “standard” version will commence first quarter 2005. Full details will follow the day after the production start in October.

The newsletter also announces the Piaggio Typhoon 50 will arrive in late October, replacing the LT50 and LT150 in the lineup.