Garelli’s website is working, if you have time to wait for the Flash to load. As is the trend, they’ve enlisted a member of the Italian national soccer team. At first, we thought “Wow, they got Totti?” but it took us a half hour to figure out that it’s Alberto Gilardino, who we imagine cost them a good deal less than Suzuki paid Alessandro Del Piero. The site features “their” new models (ooh, another Chinese Vino clone!) and a history of the company, which is interesting even for those unable to read the text. “Facile essere liberi,” by the way, means “It’s easy to be free,” though we suggest the slogan “Facile essere cinese.”
Category: Manufacturers
“The perfect scooter for a mandolin player,
or a coroner for small children”
(Photos showing the under-seat storage better explain the Ryan’s description.)
As we suspected the other day, the Yamaha VOX scooter is actually on the market in Japan, with a fun flash site to promote it (if you read Japanese). Now Japanese mods (don’t laugh, you wouldn’t believe how many Japanese mods there are) are surely torn between vintage scooters and a spiffy retro scooter bearing a brand name synonymous with the British Invasion. (I suspect they’ll stick with vintage).
The story of Japanese musical instruments roughly follows the development of their motorcycles: Japanese products that started life as cheap knockoffs (are you listening, China?) eventually surpassed many Western instruments in quality and features, at a much lower price, and eventually dominated the market and put the original makers out of business (are you listening, corporations?). So it’s a bit funny to learn Vox’s parent company, Korg, is owned in part by Yamaha, and they’re leveraging the brand name to sell scooters.
Testes, testes, 1-2-3: Morphous airbag?
Yamaha is testing an airbag on the Morphous. I’m not sure about that placement, as Guzman noted, it’s awfully close to your ‘nards.
400cc MP3 due in winter, Gilera version in works
This interview with Piaggio France’s marketing director (undated, and in french) claims Piaggio will unveil a 400cc MP3 this winter, and that a sportier, Gilera-branded version is in the works.
LML lockout continues, future uncertain
Indian scooter manufacturer Lohia Machines Ltd (LML) continues to fight financial and labor woes, as a lockout starting May 7–following strikes and protests–continues amid complaints from the workers’ union that interim payments are not being distributed properly. (It also appears they’ve blown off their web hosting bill). It’s unclear if LML has produced any scooters at all since the beginning of the year. While the Indian business press has frequently reported on potential investors and buyers, nothing has come of these rumors to date.
With demand for small motorcycles and modern automatic scooters on the rise (in India and worldwide), the Honda Eterno, Bajaj Chetak, and LML Star together accounted for only 16% of Indian scooter production in 2006, including 95,000 Eternos, and a combined 70,000 Stars and Chetaks. The Chetak presumably outsold the Star in the Indian market, so LML could certainly benefit from the Chetak’s recent demise (not to mention the demise of the Vespa PX150). Another sales boost comes from the hot, but relatively small, market for the Stella and Belladonna (both LML-manufactured variations of the Star) in the USA and New Zealand, respectively.
As it stands, most US Stella dealers are running very low on stock, and Genuine’s large backorder is–at best–months away (LML surely has domestic obligations, and Belgian, British, and other international dealers are promising a 2006 model). Sadly, it may never come, unfortunate considering US demand has never been higher. Genuine’s deal with PGO (manufacturers of their Buddy 50, 125, and Black Kat, along with other models likely to be announced soon) should reduce the shock on Genuine, their dealers, and scooterists, and Belladonna has introduced a Vino knockoff to their lineup. But those with their hearts set on a Stella would be wise to act fast and settle for whatever color they can get (some colors appear to be sold out nationwide), or place an order for what, if it comes, will likely be the last batch of metal-bodied 2-stroke geared scooters to ever see American soil.
“Tracy! are you OK?”
I heard about this when it happened a couple years ago, and never thought I’d get the chance to see it, but thanks to the dual magic of Tivo and Youtube, here it is: With mere seconds of instruction and an unbuckled half-helmet, WLS Channel 7 meteorologist Tracy Butler crashes a Vespa, during a PR piece with Vespa of Chicago’s Sam Tomaino. God bless you, Vespaway. Now if only I could find Les Nessman’s Vespa crash on WKRP…
What Would Ganesh Ride?
Speaking of Big Ass Motors, I love their BBS ad. Oh, the lengths people will go to to sell 2004 Chetaks. Shame, really, they’re lovely bikes.
Big Ass, Yamaha Vox featured in Moto-Champ
Ryetronics Ryan stopped by yesterday to show me his copy of Moto Champ Magazine, which he picked up at Mitsuwa. (They never have it when I go there, dangit). The “Mini Bike in America” section features a story about ScooterBBS admin “SE” and his shop Big Ass Motors. (click on picture for larger image), and the cover features a Japanese hoochie girl posing with the Yamaha VOX. Being completely unable to read Japanese, I can’t tell you anything about Big Ass Motors, or if the VOX pictured was the prototype or if it’s actually in production, but I can tell you they have a lot of cool bikes in Japan we’ll never see here.
Vespa PR
Ever wonder why just about every news story about scooters follows the same formula and focuses on the Vespa rather than other scooters? CooperKatz is doing their job well. (Is that the Adobe Acrobat guy moonlighting in the background of that page?) They’re the people that coordinate Vespa’s events, shop openings, and media relations, including the official blog.
Garelli is back, if only in name
Motoblog.it reports that Garelli, thought to be lost forever in the never-ending shuffle of Italian motorcycle brand names, has three new scooters on the market, but as one reader comments, “Oltre al marchio cosa ha di Garelli questo pezzo di plastica?”. It’s another case of a once-great manufacturer that exists now only as a trademark, slapping their esteemed name on Chinese scooters.
Giro d’Italia visits Pontedera
Workers at the Vespa factory will be sticking their heads out the window to watch the Vespa’s human-powered cousin as the eleventh stage of the Giro d’Italia bicycle race starts and ends in Pontedera. Thanks Lu$ (In other Pontedera news, local chocolatier Amedi was featured in this month’s Food and Wine magazine.)
Audio Forza
From the Melbourne Autosalon, via Gizmag: A custom Honda Forza “2-wheeled sound system” by Fusion Audio. Hmmm, I’m DJ’ing a wedding next month…
My Burgman
Juventus and Italy football star Alessandro del Piero stars as “Mr. Burgman” in Suzuki’s rather nifty “My Burgman” site for the Italian market. We marvel at the lengths Suzuki will take (del Piero is arguably Italy’s biggest sports star) to make a dent in the Italian scooter market, compared to the complete lack of a US marketing campaign for the Burgman. (From Motoblog)
Saved by a dead battery
Last Saturday night in Kansas City, two teenagers on a Vespa snatched the key from another teenager’s black Vespa at a stoplight, but were then unable to start the scooter because the battery was dead. Too bad the kid’s still gotta pay a few hundred bucks to get his electronic locks and keys replaced.
Vespa Chicago closing?
2strokebuzz sources report that local Piaggio/Vespa dealer Vespa Chicago will soon close their Vespa Boutique on Diversey and their showroom in Maywood (within the Volkswagen dealership of parent company West Suburban Auto Group). The new Vespa dealer for Chicagoland is rumored to be Motoplex USA, a motorcycle/powersports dealership with showrooms in Worth and Joliet, IL, and an upscale Chicago showroom on Wells Street called “Old Town Motocycle Shoppe.”
As Motoplex did not immediately reply to our confirmation request, this information is still hearsay, but such a move seems absolutely consistent with recent changes in Piaggio’s strategy. West Suburban seemed unlikely to add Piaggio brands Moto Guzzi and Aprilia, while Motoplex is already an Aprilia dealer. Old Town Motocycle Shoppe has a prime upscale retail location and employees with motorcycle experience, and Motoplex’ other two dealers may be more accesible to suburban and even rural customers. According to one of our sources, Vespa Chicago’s general manager Dan Kay will move to Motoplex along with Vespa/Piaggio. It is unclear whether Piaggio or West Suburban Auto Group terminated the relationship, why it was terminated, or exactly when the transition will take place. Vespa Chicago opened in 2000, they’ve been Chicago’s sole dealer since Vespa’s return to the United States in 1999.