Here’s the 2sb holiday staff portrait, Season’s Greetings to all 2sb readers!
Category: 2sb News
Portanje’s Nostalgia Collection
Kees Portanje’s famous Vespa museum has expanded their website since we last checked in (it’s been a few years!). The site now features hundreds of photos of Portanje’s scooters, album covers, posters, toys, and more. Good to know that the first three issues of 2strokebuzz are tucked away in a folder in a cabinet somewhere on the premises, waiting for a wave of mid-90s scooter-scene nostalgia.
Piaggio shareholders sell 6.1%
Does anyone with financial background care to analyze this? I’m guessing that’s Rocco and some of the IPO underwriters unloading their shares, right?
Make the Vesp Choice
Here’s an interesting advert featuring a Kylie Minogue looky like, King Kong, and a scooter.
The Silly Party has taken Luton
U.S. Readers: Don’t forget to vote tomorrow.
Why customize?
This may be a no-brainer for most folks, but I’ve always wondered why scooter and motorcycle people have always had the compulsion to add accessories and/or custom paint jobs to their vehicles. I’ve always gone along with it because I’m a creative-minded person and it appealed to me, but that didn’t answer why it was so commonly done in the first place. The current scooter boom, and my first new scooter, have answered the question for me. Ten years ago, it was nearly impossible to find two similar bikes at a rally. Perhaps there would be three silver P200s, but their states of repair and accessories would generally set them apart. These days, there’s an ever-increasing number of similar scooters at any rally, there were maybe a dozen or more orange Stellas at Amerivespa, for instance. Minneapolis was three-quarters comprised of more-or-less stock Stellas. When you show up to a rally or ride on a new scooter, there are very good odds someone else will be there on the EXACT SAME scooter in the SAME color. And that pretty much explains it all. Obvious to anyone thats ever bought a new vehicle, but funny that in ten years of riding vintage bikes, I’d never figured that out.
Track Day Season Wrap-Up
Last Saturday, 2 Stroke Buzz racing team stalwart Matt DeVries took to the track for the final track day of the season at Iowa International Raceway in Marshalltown Iowa. The Squadra Corse/Crafty Planet/Brookspeed pilot enjoyed the first outing using modern slick tire technology The experienced scooter racer also took the opportunity to try out the Genuine Scooter Company Buddy 125 provided by Bob at Scooterville Minnesota. Even in standard off the showroom floor form, the Buddy performed admirably after some acclimation to some reduced transmission side clearance.Â
Happy Halloween
We haven’t dragged out Sean Stevens’ scooter pumpkin for a few years, so here it is. Sean carved this baby in 2000, back when 2sb was new to the web.
Yamaha R1 v Porsche v Jet
Ok, so it’s Russian and the parameters are sketchy, but it is kind of cool to see which is fastest: a Yamaha R1, a Porsche, or what is purported to be an F-16.
“Wheely-Man”
Bad techno music, shirtless rider, shaky camera work… all the hallmarks of the Gilera Runner wheelie video genre. It’s sort of like porn: no plot, but plenty of hot wheelie action. (Via Moto-Blog.)
2sb Photo Gallery
I finally figured out how to prevent personal photos from appearing in the menu bar, so now you’ll see only randomly chosen marginally-scooter-related photos there. If you actually enjoy perusing pictures of my relatives and vacations, you can always visit the Gallery directly, they’re still there (in fact, I just uploaded many new family photos and sorted everything a little better). (Above: Indianapolis Motor Speedway, photo by Vina Vroom)
News briefs
- Yamaha will present the FC-Aqel hydrogen fuel-cell scooter at the International Electric Automobile show in Yokohama.
- The 22-year old daughter of the Coldstone Creamery founders has been indicted for manslaughter after killing a scooterist in a Mesa, AZ drunk-driving accident this spring. Savannah Sutherland’s blood-alcohol content was .19% when tested by police. She faces up to 21 years in prison.
- This editorial from the Lawrence (KS) Journal-World just might be the most pointless and unresearched scooter story ever. The headline (“Born to be Mild,” yet again!) is just the tip of the iceberg.
- PiaggioUSA has landed the same rehashed press release in at least six newspapers this week, hitting all the “Vespanomics” talking points. Funny that the story was originally appeared in Philadelphia, where the Vespa dealer is closed and allegedly under investigation for fraud. If only the rest of PiaggioUSA was as efficient as their PR team.
- An Australian industry group reports Australian scooter sales are up 54.3% in the first 9 months of 2006 (vs. 2005).
- The University of Iowa joined the list of schools where a “park a scooter anywhere” mentality has become a problem. The Iowa City Council is considering adding more spaces for scooters and mopeds with designated parking permits, which cost $46 for nine months.
Scooter tent!
Again, sorry we’ve been kinda slow here, it’s been a nutty couple of weeks. I’m taking the Blur camping this weekend, and while I’m not nearly as stylin’ as these two fine ladies and their Series I Lambretta tent (so simple even a woman can assemble it!), I’m looking forward to a nice long ride on the Blur. I’m really enjoying the Blur, and I have a lot to say about it, when I get time to organize my thoughts. (Thanks to Aimee for the link, the video is from the amazing British Pathe Archive.)
Piaggio first half 2006: €64.4 million
Piaggio reported higher sales in the first half of 2006 (over the first half of 2005), and once again named North America as an important growth market for the future.
živeli!
How many things are wrong (read: freaking sweet) in this picture? It’s from the Oldtimer-Grand Prix, held at the Vrsac airport in Serbia.