Say what you will about ScootRS (please don’t, actually, I’ve heard it all), Randall’s always been kind to me (though, to be honest, I wouldn’t buy a scooter from anyone without seeing it in person first). They’ve recently expanded their facility in Ho Chi Minh City (a funny story in that post, though “Where do some people get their hatred of Asia from?” is an easy question to answer). But the real point of this post is that ScootRS now has an “item of the day” RSS feed and whether you’re down with the eastern hemisphere or not, it’s a neat way to familiarize yourself with random vintage scooter parts, I look forward to playing “Identify that Part” every morning.
Category: Stuff to Buy
Combat Mod Squad Septimius
Being a semi-respectable adult with too many expensive hobbies as it is (scooters, children), I’ve been avoiding the comics/anime/collectable action figure scenes for many years, but Combat Mod Squad Septimius and Pandji (which like all vinyl figures are less-than-utilitarian, surely expensive, and sold out anyway) are just the kind of knickknacks that make me wonder if there’s more to this world than financial security, unquestioning love, and home ownership. (Thanks for taunting me, YoFatTim.)
Vespashopping.com
Almost slipping past our notice at the bottom of the Vespa S press release, Piaggio has announced a new international online store, vespashopping.com. At a glance, items that are hard/impossible to find in the U.S., (their “Club” jacket, and most of their helmets, for instance) aren’t available online, either. The “accessories” listed are accessories for you, not your scooter, but there is a decent selection of gifts we’ve not seen anywhere else (the cute but expensive handlebar-grip LED flashlight?). Surely this endeavor was a tightrope walk to avoid cutting into boutique sales at dealers, but even dealers have a hard time procuring some items, it’d be nice to see more available online.
POC is still POC, but bigger
Speaking of ScILFs who run scooter shops, POC Phil has opened a new Pride of Cleveland Scooters showroom and service facility in a neato (and huge) former ski shop in Lakewood, OH. The spacious first floor is already full of scooters, and the second floor will soon become a “scooter museum” featuring Phil’s collection of scooters and emphemera. POC’s Ohio City shop will remain open (for the time being, at least). Here are a few photos of the shop before the move, and a recent Lakewood Observer story (click to download PDF) about the new shop. Congrats, Phil and Merritt, you’ll be running a national chain of scooter shops before you’re finished.
SCOMO is Scoot Richmond
If something has been around the scooter scene as long as 2strokebuzz, it’s fair to call it a Venerable Institution, right? Well, Chelsea of the Venerable Institution formerly known as SCOMO has asked us to let the world know some re-jiggying has taken place, and her new-and-improved operation will heretofore be known as Scoot Richmond. Best wishes to Scoot Richmond and all who sail with them; in tribute, here’s a link to 2SB’s famous topless photo of Chelsea.
Chicago rides: Scooterworks and weiners
Isn’t today the first day of summer? That’s not stopping Scooterworks, whose Spring Ride starts at the shop at 9:30 on Saturday. Their new catalog is in the mail, and I’ve heard good and bad things, hopefully I’ll get it today.
Also on Saturday if you’re into cased meats, The Hell’s Fairies are hosting their June Weiner Ride. It starts at 4pm, not far from where the Scooterworks ride ends, so you could pretty easily do both. 2sb can’t make either ride, but if we had to choose one, I think we all know which we’d choose.
ET4 Transformer
Following up on the Vespa “Transformers” Open House link he sent yesterday, Dave McCabe found photos of a Japanese Vespa ET4 robot toy on the BBS (though it doesn’t appear to be officially-sanctioned by Transformersâ„¢ or Vespaâ„¢).
Orange helmets!
If you read Girlbike, you know that Crystal Waters posts about every pink helmet, jacket, and pair of armored chaps she can find. After I threatened to become the “Crystal Waters of Orange” in Girlbike’s comments the other day, she beat me to the punch (line) and sent 2sb a slew of helmets to match the Blur.
- under $100
- HJC FX-30 Skull Helmet
- AFX FX-30 Helmet
- Z1R Stance Maxim Helmet
- Scorpion EXO-400 Sting Helmet
- Suomy Spec 1R Biaggi 05 Replica Helmet
- Shoei TZ-R Solid Helmet
- Icon Mainframe Legion Helmet
- Nolan X-801 Replica Helmet
- Shoei RF-1000 Picotte 3 Helmet
- Shark RSR 2 Replica Helmet
- Suomy Extreme Capirossi Helmet
$100 to $250
$250 to $400
Almost as much as a scooter:
Thanks very much, Crystal! Unfortunately, I’m back where I started: The Shoei TZ-R is the only helmet in that bunch I would consider. Orange or not, I’m always mystified that people actually pay extra for helmets that look like Dokken album covers. Shoei helmets fit me well, but I’m not sure that the TZ-R orange will match the bike perfectly. (I’m actually more concerned that I care about my helmet matching my bike.)
Asian restoration spotters’ guide
Eric from The Rovers SC has posted a handy visual guide to identifying substandard Southeast Asian restorations. Randall from ScootRS also chimes in with some great insight, explaining how (and why) the Asian shops cut corners. A must-read, especially if you’re vintage-Vespa shopping.
Piaggio: thinking without the box
Two recent examples of Piaggio’s dedication to customer service have surfaced on ModernVespa.com: First, customers who bought Vespa and Piaggio scooters last year are just now getting their “roadside assistance” cards, some with mere weeks left in their plan. Sure, the plan was active all along, but if you promise a card, send the card, quickly, it’s good business. (Visitors to VespaUSA.com have reported months-long delays in getting brochures, you’d think it’d be in Piaggio’s interest to respond to sales inquiries quickly!
Far worse, some GT60 buyers (who paid $1500 extra for the limited edition) have been waiting over four months for the box of gifts that was promised with the scooter. Dealers claim the boxes weren’t sent with the scooters, or that Piaggio sent the wrong quantity of boxes. Some customers that did get their box complain that their box number doesn’t match their scooter number (a valid complaint, as they were designed to be collectors’ items). Some errant boxes have been sold recently on eBay, adding to the confusion and ire.
UPDATE: read Andrea’s comment below, explaining the timing of the roadside assistance cards.
Caveat emptor
I used to get indignant when I saw utter bullshit eBay auctions. Nowadays, I figure anyone who is dumb enough to buy a Chinese crapheap with Vespa stickers on it (with one photo of a clearly-different scooter included in the description) deserves to have their piston shatter the first time they rev the engine. Fuck him for quoting Umberto Eco, though, that’s beyond despicable.
Catalog Critique: Revving Up
PJ Chmiel is one of the best designers I know, and the Scooterworks USA catalog is one of the most daunting design projects known to mankind, so I was floored when I got my copy (what was it, two years ago?). When I bought my first Vespa in 1995, the Scooterworks catalog was a typed price list. It’s been redesigned several times since, but even design icon Carlos Segura’s take (circa 1996) didn’t hold a candle to P.J’s version. (P.J. also designed the Stella, Blur, Rattler, and Buddy identities for Genuine Scooters, but left Scooterworks/Genuine last fall.) Today, Trish came across a design critique of the catalog written by a couple catalog design “experts”. While they make some valid points, it’s clear they (and the catalog industry in general) have no idea about how much impact a catalog can make when it’s actually looked forward-to, enjoyed, talked-about, and kept on-hand for years by a carefully-targeted audience, rather than a by-the-numbers book full of cranberry duvet covers cluttering up the mailboxes of millions of people that didn’t even request it.
Be part of a fluff piece
It’s spring, so MSNBC wants photos of you “prepping [your] bikes for another riding season.�
2007 Dealer Expo: POCphil’s review
Since a week has passed and I still haven’t been able to collect my thoughts on the ginormous mindblowing extravaganza in Indianapolis, here’s POCphil‘s writeup. I’ll add my comments in italics where appropriate. -2SB
We were so excited to get to the Indianapolis Dealer Expo this year, we were running about 2 hours early. We took that time to go visit Speed City Cycles in Indianapolis, only a few minutes from the Show. Mike and Marybeth Tockey have created a fantastic shop with an ingenious use of space and rural/industrial feel that leaves room for a snack bar, lounge and a ton of scooters and accessories. Mike also builds award winning metric cruisers. Just hanging around his IWL Berliner is a treat. After a great tour and some bench racing we were back on our mission to deliver two scooters to the Scoot! Magazine/ Corazzo booth and still arrive early enough at the hotel for some hottubbing before showing up in time for the open bar at 4PM, whew!
Continue reading “2007 Dealer Expo: POCphil’s review”
SF Scooter Girls calendar
Another calendar! But can one really ever have enough pictures of girls on scooters?