My buddy Dawson’s red Buddy was stolen last night. Please keep an eye out for it, Chicagoans and shop owners.
Category: Genuine (LML/PGO)
LML Vespa? Doubt it.
IndiaTimes reports that after relaunching international shipments in the last couple months, LML is back in the (Indian) domestic market, with their “Vespa brand” scooters. I’m assuming this is sloppy journalism and not some sort of LML-Piaggio joint venture where the LML NV SPL and Select II (on which the Genuine Stella is based) are actually being sold under the Vespa name, but in the unlikely event that Piaggio is involved, that would likely bring a quick death to the Stella.
Continuing P.E.A.C.E
Alix B. is still plugging along, deep into her P.E.A.C.E ride, and she’s keeping her blog admirably up-to-date and entertaining. I think it’s working, too; Karl Rove jumped ship yesterday.
P.E.A.C.E. & Scootstars
Alix B. and her Genuine Buddy are a week and a half into their P.E.A.C.E. scooter tour, and blogging away with gusto rarely seen on epic scooter tours. We should probably interview her or something. In other scooter tour news, Josh and Peter the Scootstars have another dead 50cc Chinese scooter on their hands and are apparently stuck in Chicago weighing their options. We’ll hopefully hook up with them before they escape.
Stellas soon?
My best friend’s sister’s boyfriend’s brother’s girlfriend heard from this guy who knows this kid who’s going with the girl who saw LML making scooters at 31 Flavors last night. I guess it’s pretty serious.
OK, it’s not quite that convoluted, but we just heard that LML’s plant is officially back up and running, making Euro-market Stars and N.Z.-market Belladonnas (sisters of the U.S.-market Stella), and that LML brass have been in the US to talk to Genuine recently, so things are looking good that we’ll see more Stellas soon (new engines may be here as soon as July). A photo on LML’s Japanese site labeled “May, 2007” shows an assembly line loaded with scooters (anyone out there read Japanese?). Being put behind the Stars and Belladonnas is probably good news for Stella fans, LML can hopefully get up to speed on the Kiwi bikes and be at full strength for the U.S.-market.
Maybe not-so-Genuine rumors…
Along with the promising Rattler (due this summer, see below), Genuine’s new site depicts a new Charcoal-and-Black Blur as seen at DealerExpo… but it features the orange-and-charcoal Blur’s 150cc engine, not the expected 200cc (an upgrade to the newer EVO 150cc would have also been a plus). The Blur 150 is still a great scooter (I’m still loving mine) and the paint scheme will likely sell better, but the 200 would have been pretty exciting. The Genuine rumor mill is running overtime at Modern Buddy, where one reader posted that a dealer told him a 40HP rotary-engine (?!) Geniune was in the works for this summer. I’ll believe that when I see it, maybe the dealer said four-TEEN and rotary-VALVE… (could it be a new Stella?) Also rumored (and counter-rumored) is a performace upgrade for the Buddy. While the Buddy 50 could use a boost, we agree with the Modern Buddy posters that feel the 125 would be a bit scary (frame-,suspension-, and brake-wise) with a bigger jug.
The Rattler Buck-Ten
Just saw a print ad (targeted at dealers) for the Genuine Rattler 110. The new color (red/black) and bigger engine are definite improvements, rumor has it here in late June (hopefully the Blur 200 will be on the same boat). We’re loving the “Buck-Ten” designation. Is this Brooke’s dream bike? Discuss.
LML: soon?
India Infoline and Moneycontrol India are reporting that LML has signed an agreement with workers and production will resume “shortly,” focusing on scooters for the export market (Stellas!).
LML’s big export plans
I’m a little behind on news, sorry (we’ll catch up tonight), but this certainly caught my eye today:
Remember how LML was preparing for a February comeback? We all knew that wouldn’t happen, and it didn’t. But at today’s LML annual general meeting, LML director Deepak Singhania announced that LML will restart production by next month (whatever that means in India time), for the export market only. Here are some exerpts from the India Business Standard story (their links are unpredictable). Remember this is the LML Star/Genuine Stella/Retroscooter Belladonna, etc., that we’re talking about here.
…Deepak Singhania, chairman and managing director of the company, said the company had received substantial orders for the export of scooters and intended to recommence operations by next month. Further, he said the company was also in discussion with certain organisations for financial/strategic partnership…
…Singhania told Business Standard: “We are the only one manufacturing two-stroke scooters in the world. Neither Bajaj nor Piaggio is making that anymore. There is worldwide demand for these scooters. Besides we will make three-wheelers, again only for export. We will move out of domestic marketing.�
…a perusal of the annual report shows a daunting task is ahead of the LML management. It has shown a loss of Rs 168.89 crore for the 18-month period from March 2005 to September 30. In the earlier period, the company sold 190,561 two-wheelers and in the period March 2005 to September 2006 it sold 111,083 two-wheelers. However, its exports were at 34,879 units as against 19,969 units in the previous financial year. Vehicles were exported to 36 countries, including the US and EU countries…
LML knows what we’ve known all along, the international 2-stroke geared Vespa-style scooter market will never go away, and it’s all theirs if they can get their act together. It’s a good strategy, but a very big “if.” The Financial Times story (editorializing just a little) insists that the strike/lockout was a symptom of LML’s problems rather than a cause. Even if the workers are paid, a contract is agreed upon, and production starts as planned, LML appears to have serious management issues and financial needs that won’t solve themselves.
2007 Dealer Expo: POCphil’s review
Since a week has passed and I still haven’t been able to collect my thoughts on the ginormous mindblowing extravaganza in Indianapolis, here’s POCphil‘s writeup. I’ll add my comments in italics where appropriate. -2SB
We were so excited to get to the Indianapolis Dealer Expo this year, we were running about 2 hours early. We took that time to go visit Speed City Cycles in Indianapolis, only a few minutes from the Show. Mike and Marybeth Tockey have created a fantastic shop with an ingenious use of space and rural/industrial feel that leaves room for a snack bar, lounge and a ton of scooters and accessories. Mike also builds award winning metric cruisers. Just hanging around his IWL Berliner is a treat. After a great tour and some bench racing we were back on our mission to deliver two scooters to the Scoot! Magazine/ Corazzo booth and still arrive early enough at the hotel for some hottubbing before showing up in time for the open bar at 4PM, whew!
Continue reading “2007 Dealer Expo: POCphil’s review”
2007 Dealer Expo: Photo Gallery
Here are our photos from the 2007 Dealer Expo. If you’re a 2sb member, you can log in with your user ID/password to leave comments and rate photos (it finally works). Enjoy, and look for our story soon!
Buddy 07: improved lights, new model
Genuine Scooter Co. have announced a new Buddy 125 model, the Series Italia. The bike (a U.S.-market PGO BuBu) features new two-tone olive paint/plastic and a few other nice touches. Genuine’s ability to change up colors and names, and throw an extra few decals on a bike is surprisingly (and rightfully) effective, it’s surprising to not see other importers copying their ideas. Italian-named Asian scooters are so common now (Vino, Milano, Il Bello, etc.) it shouldn’t even seem strange, but it still is. The Series Italia (and all 2007 Buddys,) will feature upgraded lighting, a cell-phone charger, and hazard blinkers, and a new red Buddy is on the way. In other news, Genuine and Black Cat are sponsoring the AMA Flat Track Championship. (Image: courtesy Genuine Scooter Co.…their new designer is doing nice work.)
Greetings from POC Phil
Our buddy POC Phil has struck fame again, wearing what appears to be some sort of Jedi tunic and a Los Corazones Negros shirt on a red Stella with an unidentified woman, on an American Greetings card due on shelves in June. They look so happy! (Click on photo to enlarge.)
More on LML “rebirth”
Indian news has been closely following the news of LML’s return. Indian station CNBC-TV18 interviewed LML Vice President RK Srivastava, who made it clear Piaggio is not involved in the recovery. DNA India had a bit more detail, but not much, a few days after the original announcement. The loudest chatter came from several Indian investment experts, who warned against investment in LML, reminding us that they were, lest we forget, losing money for years before the lockout and a speedy return to profit is unlikely.
LML back in February
It’s Christmas in… um… late December: citing “large export orders for two-wheelers” among other factors, LML announced production of scooters and autorickshaws will restart in 2 months, hopefully ending nearly a year of labor strife, legal wrangling, government meddling, threats of self-immolation, and general whining. Those export-only two-wheelers are presumably the LML Star, Genuine Stella, and New Zealand-model Belladona, making LML the only worldwide manufacturer of Vespa-style steel-bodied manual-transmission scooters. It’s unclear, but possible the autorickshaws are being built under contract for Bajaj. Thanks, M5 for keeping an eye on the BBS for me.