This might be old news, but the Incriminators SC of North Caroline have redesigned their site, and Sean Steven’s always-handy Tech Section, with his comprehensive (anal) plug-chop instructions, is working again.
Category: Technical info
Scoot 2 Go Podcast
Podcasts, for all their hype, are generally pretty dissapointing, but Scoot 2 Go has a lot in common with 2strokebuzz: Rob, the Australian host, doesn’t have the world’s best speaking voice, his two-year-old regularly distracts him, and what he lacks in scooter-specific knowlege is balanced by, well, the fact that he was bright enough to be the first person to do it. After 7 quality episodes (well, the first is a bit shaky, ha) Rob has become the self-effacing champion of scooter podcasting, and good for him. He covers the same broad range of scooterdom you’ll find here. Newish scooterists will find the show informative and valuable, and oldtimer know-it-alls will just be happy to know that no one expects them to make a podcast now (whew). In any case, the show’s a must for long drives to rallies. Note that the show can be downloaded directly from the Scoot 2 Go site (where Rob helpfully posts links to everything he mentions on the show), from Apple Music Store (it’s free), or many other podcast directories.
Honda unveils new Forza
Honda announced yesterday that their popular-but-unavailable-in-the-US-what-else-is-new Forza 250 range of scooters has been updated for a May release. Aside from cosmetic improvements, it’s been fitted with a seven-speed, three-mode Honda S-matic motor. Sounds a bit cooler than the Reflex.
TAG’s “What Scooter?”
TAG (formerly Twist and Go) magazine has a What Scooter? Database that appears to be carefully updated with all available UK-spec models. A great reference if you’re looking for a new scooter, but don’t get your hopes up if you live in the US, many aren’t available here. Thanks, Dave, for the link.
“Moped Expert” videos
A link blatantly horked from The Scooter Scoop (thanks!), but too totally freaking awesome to not spread around: Beamer from Austin Mopeds has produced a series of Google Videos covering moped maintenance and service. This is why the internet was invented, spreading information from those who have it to those who need it. These would be great in video podcast form!
Scooter seat height reference
About.com has a chart listing the seat heights of several common makes and models of scooters. The lowest: the Yamaha Morphous at 25.8 inches, the highest is the good ol’ Vespa PX150 at 31.9.
Vintage DIY scooter plans
From the mighty Bill at scoot.net: Vintageprojects.com has free plans for vintage scooters you can build yourself, scanned and PDFified from old copies of Popular Science and Mechanix Illustrated, presuming you’re handy and can find all the materials in your workshop. I think i’d rather take my chances on a dodgy $300 Chinese scooter from Pep Boys, but to each his own. Check out the photos, at least.
CEAB Italia
I don’t know why I’m infatuated with CEAB Italia’s website, maybe i’m just a sucker for line-drawings of stator coils and electrical doodads. There’s no ordering link, though I think ScooterworksUSA is their US importer. It’d be nice to have one of their coil testers.
Vespa PX200 Serie Speciale Owners Register
“The Serie Speciale model was made in 2002 to celebrate the end of a 25 year run of the Vespa PX200. Only 400 Serie Speciale Vespa PX200s were made and the aim of this site to log the owners and history of each one!” The Vespa PX200 Serie Speciale Owners Register, aside from being the best source for information on the Speciale model, has a lot of useful general PX200 info as well.
How to fight motorcycles
Another link I’ve been saving for months and can’t remember who originally sent it:
This little book assumes that the United States has been invaded by enemy soldiers on motorcycles and that we have to fight and harass them by guerrilla tactics.
Might come in handy if the Mods-and-Rockers war ever flares up again, but beware! These tips could also be used against us.
Vespa Village
If American Scooterist’s special GS issue whetted your appetite for all things GS 160-related, visit the handsome and useful Vespa Village.
Exhaustive Vespa PX200 exhausts
To end all those “it feels like…” arguments once and for all, here’s an english translation of Scooter Center Köln‘s test of fourteen exhausts, complete with dyno results, tested on a Malossi-kitted PX200 in 1999.