Category: 2sb News

Durso tipped us off that tonight, Howl At The Moon (26 w. Hubbard) is giving away a Tn’g Venice. There’s no cover with scooter keys or helmet (Durso: “as opposed to a m/c helmet”). Forget the scooter, how often do you get to hang out with Durso and Markley at a tourist chain dueling piano bar?

Nordstrom’s even upitty-er boutique Fa?onnable is giving away two new Vespas of unspecified vintage and displacement, while E! Online is giving away a Vespa GT with a paint job trying to aproximate Jude Law’s Vespa SS from the current “reimagining” of ’60s Michael Caine classic Alfie. Why can’t they just make NEW movies? Michael Caine’s still alive, why not put HIM in a movie? Or just rerelease the old Alfie in theatres! How cheap would that be? Reissue the old, and make the new “new,” not “fake old.” The same advice goes for you, Vespa.

Also from Bill, and also from India: The worlds widest press release from Bajaj, something about Hoodibabaa. Make sense of it if you can. All I can figure out is that it costs about 4 crone rupees. Or is that .4 crone?

From Bill, some more Indian scooters and motorcycles to peruse, this time from Kinetic. Don’t miss the Zing Rockin’ Series. What’s that guy doing? Jo jee chaahe!

The VespaOnline (italian) “Raid of the Desert” is underway. Follow the trip with realtime GPS and Webcam updates. Also, here’s more detailed information about Luca Barzelogna’s “Vespa-puter.”

Bill found these fun LML TV ads. Be glad Genuine Scooter Co. based the Stella on the LML Star rather than the LML Trendy.

Marketing trade magazine Brand Republic reports that Vespa was awarded second place in the “Cool Motors” division of Superbrand’s annual “Cool Brandleaders” list. Audi topped the list. “Cool Brandleader” appears to be marketing code for “overhyped, overpriced, overrated trendy stuff,” because the list also includes David and Posh Beckham, Usher, Stella Artois, Keira Knightly, Diesel, and Puma. In fact, David Beckham’s on the list twice. In other news, the Honda Ruckus was not included in the 2004 Superbrand Cool Brandleader poll.

So you love the Ruckus styling, but 50cc is too small, and that new PS250 is too big and expensive? TN’G has a surprise for you. (see bottom of the page). Thanks James!

From Patrick: Tire Balls! They’re for tubeless tires and currently only used for MX and ATV racing, but I just like saying Tire Balls!

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.