Check out these groovy new helmet graphics from Shark’s “SK” line. Helmet graphics are (generally) embarrassingly dated and lame (Can you believe Troy Lee is still popular in this day and age?), so it’s nice to see someone applying a trendier look. These two casques are reminiscent of skateboard graphics, which is definitely an improvement over the usual “look” of helmets. Obviously, the market for such helmets has grown with the scooter explosion, where riders tend to be a good bit trendier than the sportbike/harley crowd, but it’d be nice to see this design trend escape from the super-expensive ‘designer’ half-helmet world onto some affordable full-face helmets. There’s so much competition in the market, any of the several well-known-but-indistinguishable mid-range helmet makers could easily set themselves apart by stealing a couple designers from the skateboard/snowboard industry and ditching the ridiculous practice of charging an extra $150 for a helmet with graphics.
Category: Stuff to Buy
Scooterville MN Cabin Fever
Speaking of shops, one of our favorites, Scooterville MN, has just moved to a new location, and they’re having an Open House tomorrow and Saturday. I love how Bob is so painfully honest that he’s actually up-front about his motives and inspiration for the event. Classic.
SPD Lambretta parts clearance sale
Via Orin: Scooter Parts Direct is clearing out their entire Lambretta parts inventory. Looks like some good deals.
“Tour du monde en Vespa” board game
Brian Holm of Vespa Obsession fame is selling an amazingly cool-looking Vintage Vespa Board Game on eBay. I’m hoping he won’t mind me using his photo if this post drives the bidding higher, ha. (Thanks for the link, Matt.)
Hoodie-baba!
I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned Honky Tonk Dragonbefore, it’s a pretty sweet sorta-steampunk-ish blog with occasional scooter content. Anyway, they’re offering a pretty sweet Vespa hoodie on Spreadshirt. (If you’re looking to buy me a belated Christmas gift, I’m an XXL.)
…young lady soaps up more than just her Vespa!
Also via Rover Eric, via the XYLs: Vespa Service Hiroshima, your one stop shop for Vespa Accessories, machine-translated Engrish, and photo books and videos of naked Japanese girls with vintage scooters. NSFW!
Moped menorah and more
Well, that’s technically a scooter, not a moped, but happy hanukkah anyway. If that and Hallmark’s electronic scooter Santa ornament aren’t proof that it was a big year for scooters, I don’t know what is. If you need scooter-related gift ideas for the holidays, Scooter Swag is the place to look. (For your-non-scootering friends, check out “Gifted” at the Coudal Partners Swap Meat.)
Child seat
I know what Milena’s getting for Christmas. I wish I could bring myself to think that barreling through city traffic with a four-year-old strapped to my scooter might somehow be OK, but I’m just clearly not European enough. (Via Mike Maddox.)
Lamponi Scooter Lamps (new site)
Those scooter-headset lamps that we posted about last year have been turning up on other scooter and gadget sites ever since. Designer Maurizio Lamponi Leopardi has a new well-designed site with more photos. The site is written in English and includes information about ordering the lamps, though they’re surely pretty expensive, and chances are, if you’re a 2SB reader, you a) can’t afford one, and b) have everything you need in your garage to build your own. Also keep in mind that scooter headsets make great wall sconces.
Asian rip off scooter t-shirts
Some dude is knocking off those West Coast Scooters, AC/DC Vespa and Harley Vespa t-shirts. I’m not sure who printed them originally, a Google search for “West Coast Scooters” brings up ten Chinese-scooter-drop-shippers with that name and a CafePress shop that’s also knocking them off. Anyway, it looks like “RetroJungle” was selling them on eBay but there are no current auctions listed. A few months ago, someone was even selling knockoff Shepard Fairey Amerivespa 2005 T-shirts (redesigned to say “2007,” so I guess it’s a trend and we’ll be seeing poorly-made knockoff Merciless Tigers/2strokebuzz soccer jerseys any day now. While we’re on the subject, a guy in Kansas City is doing some “Skoot and Destroy” stuff, he didn’t know we’d already done it, or that Thrasher made us throw away most of the patches we made. I told him I didn’t care, as long as he made it clear it wasn’t coming from 2strokebuzz.
Ringway to Wintec
Metzeler unveils their new Feelfree Wintec scooter tires for scooters with a press junket, including a test ride starting in Copenhagen, over the Malmo bridge, and through through the countryside to the Knutstorp race track. I’ve been writing about scooters for over ten years. Would it kill manufacturers to just once invite me to Copenhagen, or fly me to India or give me an Fuoco for a month, or something? Other than (an awful lot of) free booze from Corazzo, and some books from Veloce Publishing, I’m just not feeling the love here.
Eau d’Exhaust
If Ipone Strawberry-scented 2-stroke oil is tempting, but you just don’t like strawberry, check these out. Frightening and awesome, but still, sadly, no bacon-scent.
Pork, Cheese, and a Nice Rack
Three great events this weekend, two in the outskirts of Chicago and another that’s definitely worth a road trip:
Saturday, check out the Hunnert Car Pileup at the Grundy County Fairgrounds near Morris, IL. It’s one of the greatest car shows in America, with strict rules allowing only pre-64 “traditional” hot-rods. Vintage scooters are also welcome, but even if you can’t exhibit, it’s always something to see with 1000 custom hot-rods, burnout contests, rockabilly bands, and great vendors including Grace and her Galewood Cookshack, serving up incredible pork chili (green or red.)
Also on a Saturday but last Saturday (I’m a moron), so you’ll need a time machine to go, was Pride of Cleveland Scooters’ legendary “Nice Rack” swap meet. To wit:
Look at all that. You want(ed) that. And that'(wa)s just the beginning. Look at the other photos on the link above, and consider that many other collectors and vendors will be (were) there, and there will be (was) a ride through Cleveland’s awesome Metroparks, and… well, drooool. Too bad I didn’t tell you about it in time.
On Sunday, the Magnificent Seven, Chicago’s newest club, is doing another epic ride, this time they’re riding 225 miles through rural Wisconsin to earn the Rustic Trails award. Their grammar and punctuation ain’t so good and they tend to run on, so I’ll just (click-click) link to the ride info. There. I think the departure time changed to 7:30am, so check the next few posts to see if there are any changes. They sent me something about it, but I have more email accounts and Yahoogroup memberships than I know what to do with, and they keep changing it, so they can let us know what’s going on in the comments.
Who?
Lambretta Clothing has unveiled their line of The Who-inspired mod garb, which amounts to knockoffs of everything the Who ever wore (well, until Pete started wearing white fringy jumpsuits), including the Union Jack-et, and the parka on the cover of Quadrophenia with “THE WHO” pre-stenciled on the back. I don’t get it, really, but on the other hand, I really want one of these.
Get bobbly on a scooter
Another reason I’m kicking myself for not checking ScooterSwag more often: Your own personalized bobblehead riding a scooter. It’s totally worth $130 to have your head sculpted in minature by an Asian child, and it’ll keep them busy so they don’t try to restore any scooters. Cassie describes it as “creepy,” but I really don’t think it holds a candle to a bobblehead of you sitting on the toilet clenching your fists with two giant poops on the floor next to you. Geez, when did Jeff Koons start making bobbleheads?