Category: 2sb News

Ryetronics’ Cold Weather Challenge has been underway for a few weeks, and Duane Hillebrand of Chicago is in the lead with a 10°/15 mile ride on his 2003 Stella. It’s getting colder, get out there, 2SB readers, and beat that!

Cha-Cha‘s Los Corazones Negros Christmas party is tonight (Friday) at 3140 W. Lyndale, at 9pm. Waxon Seven is still playing as far as I know, though maybe without drums… it should be a hoot for those of you that aren’t having a baby this weekend.

The chicago JKSC annual Christmas party is at Club Foot this Sunday(the 21st): $2 domestics. All are welcome. Club Foot is at 1824 W Augusta.

Oh, and as long as we’re congratulating people, cheers to 2SB reader Dr. Brooke “Your Mom” Gordon George Kelley, who passed his dissertation yesterday to become a PhD in Pharmacology. He’ll be that much more fun at parties now. His mom, Beth, must be very proud.

Patrick from Baron Von Scooter sent us this interesting story about

the fall of scooter popularity in India, generally considered to be one of the hottest scooter markets. The decline in sales has even put LML’s ET4 knockoff on hold. Analysts are hoping for an upturn on the heels of the Honda Eterno and several new Bajaj models. Maybe what they really need is the timely-named Sauron. Middle-Earth evil, available now at BVS.

Bill from scoot.net sent this link to Yamaha Papercraft, with downloadable templates to build paper models of Yamaha motorycles (including the T-Max scooter) and (inexplicably) seasons and animals. Check out the “accessory kit” that comes with the YZF-R1. Something else to do over the holiday break, as if we don’t already have enough.

The Chicago Blackhawk’s greatest defenseman, Keith Magnuson, was killed in a car crash outside Toronto. Magnuson was very active in the NHL Alumni and Blackhawks Alumni and did loads of charity work, and he’ll be missed by hockey fans everywhere. especially when they visit the Hockey Hall of Fame. How many great players will we lose (Tim Horton, Herb Brooks, Dan Snyder, and almost Vladimir Konstantinov) before we learn that hockey players should travel only by rail?

Frequent and beloved 2SB contributor David Lucash, who has been walking around with a diamond in his pocket for a year, waiting for the “right time,” has finally asked Jennifer Sieve for her hand in marriage. As everyone but Dave expected, she said “yes.” No date or further plans have been set. Go Dave!

There’s something eerily familiar about the Belladonna RV 150. I can’t put my finger on it, but it seems like I’ve seen it somewhere before. From (who else?) M5.

Robert Volz posted a conversation with “new lambretta” designer Jeffrey Smith on the International Scooterist BBS. Smith didn’t give much away, but it’s a start. Meanwhile, across the scootering world, the rumors and innuendo fly regarding the distributor and the manufacturer.

It’s “Italy: Back from the Grave Week.” Today, AGI Online reports Moto Morini has been brought back to life by the Morini and Berti families. No word yet on products. (Thanks Lucash.)

LambrettaUSA announced today that Lambretta scooters will return to the USA in 2004. I haven’t seen anything at all for a couple years about the Lambretta comeback, apparently the Khurana family of Seattle owns the name. “Lambretta.com” and “LambrettaInternational.com” are both “under construction.” The US distributor will be CMSI, who also markets Ural Motorcycles and TN’G scooters. Many thanks to M5 for the news.

Piaggio’s rumored 850cc scooter is still under wraps, but the new Gilera Ferro 850 is an automatic motorcycle based on the same engine. Automatic motorcycles have generally been disappointing, but this one seems pretty hot. Thanks to M5 for the link.

Apple.com features a profile of Vespa Soho in their “Macs in Business” section. It’s a big PR wank, but nevertheless a worthwhile read, especially Zach and Wen Schieffelin’s insightful comparison of Apple computers and Vespa scooters.