OK, motorcycles, not scooters, but let’s see if we can pull this off at Amerivespa! Judging by the trouble we had keeping six or eight people together through Chicago Columbus Day parades, I doubt it. Awesome.
Category: Motorcycles
New Florida law requires MSF class
A new Florida law takes effect tomorrow: New motorcyclists and scooterists are required to take the Motorcycle Safety Foundation course before being granted a motorcycle license. Bravo.
In Utah, also starting in July, riders under 19 will need to get a 2-month learners’ permit before getting a full endorsement, and all riders will not be allowed to operate a motorcycle bigger than the one they passed their test. Both these rules are steps in the right direction, though a “tested displacement” limit seems a bit unrealistic even to supporters of stepped displacement licensing.
Mods vs Rockers 2008 Photos
Mods vs. Rockers 2008
Update: Scooterists are meeting at the Globe at 10:45am Saturday, to ride down to Delilah’s as a group.
I would tell you that Chicago scooter rally season kicks off this weekend with Mods vs. Rockers 2007 but the truth is, it’s been going on for a while already. I’m woefully behind on events posts and you already missed a Comic Book Release Party and the ModChicago’s Weekender (Sorry, mods!) But don’t miss the Motorcycle/Scooter/Hot Rod show at Delilahs from Noon-4pm on Saturday, and the Fish & Chips Dinner and Chicago Premiere of Brittown at the new Bottom Lounge on Saturday night.
Royal Enfield floats on
Sify’s story about Royal Enfield‘s modest success, which can been seen as somewhat analogous to LML’s story. It’s a good model for business; targeting a small-but-fanatical market that’s totally ignored by bigger corporations.
2nd Octannual 2SB Coloring Contest!
It’s been eight years since our last coloring contest, and the wounds have healed, let’s try it again. As you may have heard, MotoGP’s coming to Indianapolis Motor Speedway this summer, so we’re co-opting THEIR contest to show those cheese-eating, terrorist-loving Europeans what a MotoGP bike should look like.
Another (positive) Honda-inspired rant
Bob sent this great Honda ad from 1967. The ad’s a perfect illustration of everything Honda got right back then, and explains how they came to dominate the U.S. motorcycle industry at that time. There are a lot of ideas here for aspiring foreign scooter and motorcycle importers (in no particular order):
Continue reading “Another (positive) Honda-inspired rant”
Can your bike’s “face” improve visibility?
Neat story on how some motorcycles are designed to resemble a human face:
[Honda’s tests] found that motorcycles that resemble a human face – especially an angry one evoked with diagonal headlights – are “significantly” more visible to other drivers. Measurements taken with functional magnetic resonance imaging confirm that a more lifelike front-end design “elicits a response similar to that when a human face is seen,”
So, in conclusion, The Blur rules, and Andretti’s “Happy Cyclops” just isn’t going to cut it. (Thanks for the great link, Chandler!)
2008 Riders Choice Awards Winners
Motorcycle Bloggers International has announced the 2008 Riders Choice Awards winners. Entries were nominated by motorcycle and scooter bloggers, then chosen by the public. We scooter bloggers (well, 2sb anyway) kind of dropped the ball during nominations this year and some of the scooter categories got cut, but the results are still interesting. I love that the KTM toaster won both first place for “Wish we’d thought of that” and third place for “What were they thinking?”. (Of course there was no way it was going to beat the BabeCage.)
Awareness Test
Britain’s “THINK” motorcycle safety campaign just keeps topping itself: “An Awareness Test.” Mindblowing. Even if this makes an impact on drivers, how many scooterists and motorcyclists push their luck (and luck is very often the only thing keeping us alive) by not wearing safe gear, riding drunk, disobeying traffic laws, and/or showing off?
Kymco supplies 450cc motor to BMW
BMW is using Kymco engines in its new 450cc enduro, the G450X, reports powersports industry news icon Black Enterprise magazine.
How to be seen
Tips on how to improve your visibility from the Minnesota Motorcycle Safety Center. Oops, wrong link, this is it. Good stuff (Thanks, EPScoot!)
Blog Review: The New Cafe Racer Society
Back when people rode new bikes that looked like what people today call a cafe-racer, did they refer to themselves as cafe-racers with pride and machismo? Or was that a jibe that would come from others poking fun at groups of wannabe Grand Prix heroes? I don’t know. But I came across a blog called The New Cafe Racer Society that has some great material. It has many stories about vintage and modern motorcycles and culture as well as an ample amount of digital ink devoted to scooters. It’s good to be reminded that there are people out there with great passion for motorbikes for the sake of art, technology, performance, style and down right sensibility. I have yet to see a comment listed in the posts so I fear it may not be getting the exposure it deserves. Take a spin on over and check it out. It’s now on my daily list of sites to check with new content nearly every day. Alternatively, you could just keep tabs on it over here at 2SB for when I re-post some of the more sweet morsels I find there.
Not the Gilera reverse-trike you’re looking for
Are you dreaming of the day the Gilera Fuoco/Piaggio MP3 500 arrives in the US? Ryan says, “Why wait?”
Motogiro d’California
Motogiro d’Italia is a motorcycle touring rally made famous in the 1950s and revived in 2001. The event, showcasing classic Italian machines, is venturing outside Italy for the first, of what I would imagine will be annual, Motogiro America. The oil leaking event will be held in and around Monterey, CA preceding the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix in July 2008. Webbikeworld.com reports that the routes will include a lap around the racetrack at Laguna Seca as well as scenic rides around the picturesque Monterey Bay area. There is a range of entry classes including a “Vespa Class.” Hopefully other vintage Italian scooters will be allowed as it would seem very fitting to have some of the beautiful Lambretta D race machines participating (I’m talking to you, Alex). It sounds like a dream week for any Italian Iron enthusiast.