The Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme reports the launch of the United Nations Environment Programme ZERO-race. The ZERO-race pits various electric vehicles in an 80-day race across Europe, Asian and North America. Included in the four-vehicle line-up is a Vectrix scooter. While the company may struggle with glimmers of hope, a German team hopes to take one around the world to promote zero-emissions alternatives. Only one of the vehicles has four wheels so it seems that traditional cages are the odd man out in this ‘sprint’. Maybe an electric MP3 could enter next time around. Any Vectrix riders out there supplying their steed with solar go juice?
Category: Manufacturers
“Pimp on a motorscooter”
Huggy Bear, Starsky, Hutch, 2 hookers and a Lambretta!
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“Better than French Beer”
That’s our proposed tagline for Peroni, but 2sbBrandPartners didn’t get the account, so they end up with this: director Gabriele Muccino’s film Senza Tiempo, an Italian film for an Italian beer company about making Italian films for an Italian beer company. Meta! As required by Italian film law, there’s an obligatory Vespa VBB and Fiat 500. (at 1:40). More background (and a better quality video) at Peroni’s site if you can find it through the age verifications and Flash nonsense (don’t get sidetracked by the “Vespa” link that goes nowhere Vespa-related).
I’m so glad I work only nominally in the advertising industry.
Thanks for the link, Bradley J.!
Piaggio MP3 “Light” will come to U.S.
French site scooter-infos.com recently published some early information about the Piaggio MP3 300 Light. With a ever-growing variety of MP3 displacements and versions on the market, including LT, Sport, and Hybrid versions, Piaggio is looking to create a smaller, more city-friendly version for 2011. The new machine is said to be based on the newly-designed 2010 Beverly (the “BV” in the U.S., though the new design didn’t make it here yet). Scooter-infos.com created the photo illustration above based on that description.
Charles from scooter-infos also emailed 2strokebuzz to let us know that Stefano Sterpone, sales director at Piaggio, reiterated Piaggio’s commitment to the U.S. market, and told him the MP3 Light has been designated a “global product” and will be introduced in the U.S. shortly after its introduction in Europe.
Thanks, Charles!, hopefully I translated your information correctly!
UPDATE commenter “Blue Mark” suggested an MP3 Sea-Doo hybrid:
That was just silly, and I wanted to put an end to the nonsense, so I bribed a worker at a taverna in Pontedera for this actual photo:
A Minivan for your Testicles
This comic is making the rounds of the scooter boards lately. It’s funny enough on its own, but it’s really just a fraction of The Oatmeal’s “6 Reasons to Ride a Polar Bear to Work,” which is even funnier as a whole.
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PiaggioUSA: 75% drop in 1H 2010 unit sales
Guido Ebert apparently dug deeper into Piaggio’s 1H 2010 financial reports than we did, the mildly encouraging press release (28% improvement in global profit for the first half of 2010 on the strength of Indian and Vietnamese sales) fails to mention a frightening drop in the U.S. market: a 76.7% drop in 2-wheeler sales in the first half of the year (3,100 units in 1H 2010, down from 13,200 in 2009).
#22: Bit by the Vintage Bug
Today’s question for Dr. Buzz (the “panel of experts” is still M.I.A.) comes from Katy D. in California. Katy owned a Honda Metropolitan in the past but…
…I always wanted a vintage Vespa but the price was not right. Now I can afford one, but am leery of venturing into unknown territory…
Play the Burger King® “The Twilight Saga:
Eclipse” Game, win a Vespa
Do it. Now. If I was guaranteed a free Vespa, I might eat at Burger King and go see a Twilight movie. “I Love You Man,” “Transformers,” it’s like they know all my favorite movies. I’m looking forward to the “Eat a live scorpion, then see your grandmother naked, win a Vespa” promotion.
Carter Brothers/SYM-USA HQ
destroyed in fire
Steve at the Scooter Scoop worked for SYM-USA for a few days, so we’ll defer to his ex-insider-coverage of the fire at Carter Brothers’ Alabama headquarters. Glad to hear everyone’s allright, but man, that’s bad news for SYM, Carter Brothers, and scootering in general.
Pinasco Gears Up For New Stella
Pinasco sent out an email announcement last week describing their new exhaust for the 4-stroke LML Star (AKA, the Genuine Stella 4-stroke. It is described as made from special INOX steel. That must make it fast. The dyno charts included in the email showed an increase in power from about 7.5 to 8 HP, but increasing the RPM range by about 1000 RPM or more. The best part is that it looks pretty cool. I think that’s what’s most important. So when the Stella breaks through the red tape to put smiles on the faces of Californians and other fans of two superfluous strokes, Pinasco should have something with which to void your warranty.
Who rides a Honda PCX?
If you speak Russian and dig guys wearing Speedos, you’ll love this
Honda PCX video. It’s sort of the “Vespa Gringo” of Russian-Thai-scooter videos, so you know it was Rye that found it for us.
Admit it, you watched *way* longer than you should have, didn’t you. I wanna hang out with those guys.
Stella 4T Delivery Delayed by EPA
The first batch of 4-stroke Genuine Stellas is being held up by the EPA to validate the production model’s compliance with earlier testing (which, obviously, was done on prototypes). In typical transparent and honest fashion, Genuine explains it all clearly, and apologizes for the delay, here. I know the delay must be frustrating for would-be four-stroke Stella riders, but whining about it on the internet isn’t going to get you a bike any faster, and just think, further government confirmation about how green your bike is will just give you hippy 2-stroke killers more to be smug about, amirite?
Farewell, John Gerber
I’ve just heard that John Gerber has passed away. As an active participant in the U.S. scooter scene since “the old days,” John was the preeminent historian of American scootering history, collecting his own memories, first-person accounts, and laboriously-researched stories for American Scooterist. He was frankly the heart and soul of the Vespa Club of America. Aside from that, I have no details at all, but I’ll share the information when I get it, and a proper tribute when I’m less speechless.
2-Tone “Campus” Vespa S in U.S.
Patrick confirms (with the photo above) that the two-tone Vespa S ie models (called “College” in Europe) are now available in the U.S. (Specifically at Motoworks Chicago. Or at least they were a week ago when he emailed us. The new colors (red/white and blue/white) are listed on VespaUSA’s site in in both “S” displacements. Also, a new LXV is available in a color Patrick called “Tobacco,” but Vespa lists it as “Espresso” (The seat leather may be called “Tobacco?”) Anyway, good to see some sharp new colors from Vespa, actually available in the U.S. roughly the same time as Europe.
Too much racing for one headline
If you’re interested in scooter racing at all, read on! Simply put, there’s a big schload of scooter racing going on this summer, and that is awesome.
Our 2SB Rally Calendar should now be up to date with all events for the following organizations/leagues:
- MARSC: Mid Atlantic Scooter Racing Commission (MD, NJ, and VA).
- MWSR: Mid West Scooter Racing (OH).
- NASRA: North American Scooter Racing (IN and OH) including the Scooterworks Drag Race Series.
- PSRA: Pacific Scooter Racing Association (OR, WA, and BC)
- Polini Cup (CA).
- MSILSF: Motor Scooter International Land-Speed Federation (CA).
Are we missing anyone? (Probably!) See any errors? (blame Google Calendar!) In either case, please let us know!
You’ll see we’ve added a new series of events, following the success of Twist and Gone in May, the North American Scooter Racing Association is hosting a full season of drag races in Nashville, IN, sponsored by Scooterworks.
One last bad news/good news bit: MWSR’s organizer Seth tells us that the race this weekend at G&J Kartway in Camden, OH has been postponed, but the good news is the track will be open to scooters for only $10.
Kymco racer photo above is courtesy of Alan Spears, MSILSF