You could argue that there’s no specific difference between a motorcycle jacket and a scooter jacket, and you’d be absolutely right. The demands of either are pretty similar, and any of the thousands of motorcycle jackets out there would certainly protect you equally on a scooter or motorycle. The difference is fashion. 10 years ago, your choice consisted of three varieties: The too-colorful leather “Power Ranger,” the leather classic “Biker,” and the hundred-zipper Scotchbrite-and-black-fabric “Tech.”
Continue reading “Prima Pullman Jacket review”
Category: Genuine (LML/PGO)
LML Star Deluxe for Italy
LML launched their Star Deluxe 125 and 150 in Italy this week (Google translation). As we all know, the Genuine Stella is based on the LML Star, and a “new” California-legal Stella 150 is expected to arrive in U. S. soon, but these appear to be more or less the same models available in Europe for some time (though has the Star always been Euro3 compliant?) Still, there might be a few colors and options within that story to fuel the rumor mill.
Philip McCaleb has confirmed the new Stellas will feature 150cc 4-stroke engines, and despite the wacky predictions we’ve heard (and spread), we suspect they won’t be otherwise wildly distinctive from the currently-available Stella 150. Still, that’s good news for Californians (and the environment,) and California compliance will likely allow Genuine to import and market the Stella on a larger scale.
POC’s morning-show charm
POCphil and POCmerritt on Cleveland’s That’s Life with Robin Swoboda. Could two people be more charismatic ambassadors of scooterdom? Throw in POCrenee and you’ve got a hit reality show, one that I get to watch live, every time he’s around. People accuse me of being a Phil Waters groupie, but Phil’s met African-American preachers, racist skinheads, models, racing superstars, cops, soccer moms, hillbilly gun nuts, Tom Jones, and even my parents, and charmed the pants off of all of them, often literally. Who could blame me for loving the guy, his wife, and everything they stand for?
Note that even the best scooter dealers tend to bend the truth a little (Genuine Buddies start around $1999, but that’s a top-of-the-line Black Jack) but props to Phil for drilling home the safe-and-legal message right from the start.
Genuinely surprised
Congrats to BlueAngel and GypsyLightning! Assuming all went as planned, they were married today. That’s the coolest wedding ring ever.
Buddy 1:12
Genuine’s new line of 1:12-scale die-cast Buddies was just unveiled, and those ingrate MB’ers are already finding reasons to nitpick, heh. I saw the samples, and they look great. Not as great as a 1:12 Blur would, mind you, but great. Scooterworks lists them as “backordered” but it’s more like “preordered,” they’re due in very soon. Only a company with a well-organized, enthusiastic community of customers could order a containerload of toys and know damn well they’ll sell like hotcakes. (If Vespa did something like this, they’d be made by Lladro or Limoges, there’d be a huge PR blitz, they’d cost $1200 each, and never end up at dealers anyway… kind of like those Adidas tracksuits).
Haynes’ “Chinese scooter” book
Scooter-Station notes that Haynes has released one of their famous service manuals targeted to Chinese/Taiwanese/Korean scooters. Probably handy, but it can’t be too specific, even though half the scooters made in Asia are Yamaha Vino knockoffs, there’s a lot of variety there, too, and surely a wide variety of tolerances and torques and such, which is where the Haynes manuals usually shine. Still, knowledge is power, and even if it just covers GY6-style engines in depth, it’d be useful.
Black Jacked
POCPhil says “We just unloaded 8 boxes of BADASS.” Genuine’s “Black Jack” Buddy has been released into the wild. This season’s most highly-anticipated scooter (this season’s only new scooter, aside from the Symba, which is a motorbike, really,) will be at a dealer near you any day now.
Chuck Mead’s scooterrific new video (is back!)
This might be the most scooterific video ever, and would you believe it’s a country song? Check out the new video from BR-549 frontman Chuck Mead: “I Wish It Was Friday,” featuring a Honda Cub, Vespas new and old, Genuine Buddys*, and more, plus lots of footage from East Side Scooters in Nashville.
As far as country songs about weekends, It’s hard to beat Robbie Fulks,’ but Robbie, sadly, doesn’t have a video full of scooters. I wandered into a BR-549 show at Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge several years ago, and that alone made Nashville my favorite city south of the Ohio and east of the Mississipi. (Thanks to Louie from Modern Vespa for the link!)
UPDATE: It’s back on YouTube!, thanks to KymCoJones for his behind the scenes videos and keeping us up to date on the progress).
* “Buddies” just never looks right in print.
Originally posted 2/15/09, updated on 2/25/09 when video was re-posted on YouTube
Dealer Expo 2009, Part II: The Bikes
In Part I of our Dealer Expo coverage, we mentioned there really wasn’t much new to see at DealerExpo, and fewer importers and distributors than usual. In Part II (you are here), we’ll look at a few of the more popular distributors, and a few newer importers looking to make a a bigger impact.
Continue reading “Dealer Expo 2009, Part II: The Bikes”
Dealer Expo 2009, Part I: Overview
Every February, powersports dealers from around the nation descend on grey, shivery, boring Indianapolis to see what’s new in the industry. It’s a chance for manufacturers, importers, and distributors to wine and dine their dealers and hopefully round up some orders for the upcoming riding season. This was our third year at DealerExpo, though it was our first with actual 2strokebuzz press passes. Continue reading “Dealer Expo 2009, Part I: Overview”
Dealer Expo 2009 photos
My photos from Dealer Expo 2009 are up, over in the Gallery. Silent Ron posted his, too, but his photo site is down at the moment. I’m still writing furiously, but i’m done for tonight, have a gander at the photos and post any questions in the comments so I can make sure I cover them in this never-ending story.
Blur Burnout
Alas, no there were no jaw-dropping surprises at Indianapolis, and I’m sure I’m the only person who even asked Dean about the Blur at the Genuine booth, but just for old times’ sake, here’s a video of our beloved ’06 Blur 150, hopped up and Nicky Hayden’ed, in burnout action, courtesy of Mike at ScootOver in Tuscon. He sent it, what, two months ago, and I just re-found it, hopefully our Indy coverage will come together faster than that.
Buddy Black Jack on Genuine site
Genuine’s added official Black Jack photos and specs to their site. Looks great. Note: it’s two words. Black. Jack. No, I’m not going to go back and fix my old posts.
LML Star Deluxe at EICMA
Here’s the LML Star Deluxe at EICMA. Someone Italian, read this and explain the Stella implications.? Purple!?
FabMap Buddy giveaway
RandMcNally has been spamming all over the scooter community, but they’ve got an interesting idea and a great offer: They’re giving away a Genuine 50cc Buddy to promote their new FabMaps, maps printed on fabric that can just be wadded up and jammed in a bag, or used to clean your helmet visor or sunglasses, or to hold a hot sparkplug, or whatever else scooterists do with rags (badump bump!) Even better, the FabMaps are on sale for $2 with free shipping, I just ordered a few, the drawback seems to be that they’re limited to the trendy/touristy neighborhoods of trendier cities (Chicago, for instance featured Lakeview and the Magnificent Mile) but still, $2 is a good deal and if they’re not good maps, they’re hopefully good shop towels, or vice versa. Full review when we get ’em.