Category: Scooter News

News Briefs

I’m falling behind again, it must be the beginning of hockey season (and the launch of the Galewood Cookshack, more on that later).

LML: “One Italian, one Chinese and two Indian”

This slipped past me last week in one of the several stories about LML declaring itself “sick:”

LML is believed to be in talks with one Italian, one Chinese and two Indian companies and the talks will continue as the revival of the company is still sought after.

Genuine is surely sick of hearing LML conspiracy stories, but it’s just so much fun to come up with them. This story is as close to “Tom Cruise’s Baby” as scooter news gets, because anything could happen. Is Piaggio looking at LML? Is Genuine? Is Genuine working with PGO to take over LML? Is Bajaj considering LML (see the last story)? Hero Honda? Will the government rescue LML? Will LML employees set themselves on fire? Sure, the most likely outcome is that nothing will ever happen, but it’s fun to think about, and it kills any vintage scooterist to think that that assembly line could be sold for scrap metal tomorrow. (Thanks, John, for pointing out that important detail!)

Bajaj plans 2007 return to scooter market

Bajaj is returning to the scooter market with 75 and 125cc automatic scooters next year, followed by an automatic 150cc model. The company abandoned scooter production last year — including the historic Chetak line of Vespa-like metal geared scooters — as small-displacement motorcycles gained popularity in India. Now they’ve been caught in the middle of a worldwide scooter boom with no scooters in production and only one scooter model, the Wave, at dealers. Can a new Chetak be far behind? Will the new 150cc automatic bear the Chetak name?

Spring is here?

Dentsu's new Vespa Butterfly campaign

Dentsu’s new psychedelic butterfly Vespa ad for the Canadian market, with five accompanying posters: “Kustaa,” “Words,” “Rainbow,” “Metal,” “Iconic,” and “Black and White.” Beautiful, and totally in the spirit of the history of Vespa advertising, but, um, it’s not quite Spring yet, is it? (More info about the campaign.) Thanks to Vespinoy for the tipoff, they have some cool Vespinoy stickers for sale, for all you Filipino-American scooterists (and there are many of you).

News Briefs

  • A one-cm-long Vespa will be certified as Vietnam’s smallest scooter in Ho Chi Minh City today. Presumably, it has yellow kickstand boots.
  • Reese Witherspoon’s film Penelope, featuring Christina Ricci with a pig snout and Witherspoon as a scooter messenger, debuted in Toronto this weekend.
  • Arkansas pastor Bryan Fink, sick of $85 fill-ups for his minivan, switches to a scooter, racking up 1200 miles since May.
  • Another boilerplate “scooters are great” story from Windham, Maine.
  • Another Providence Journal Javaspeed story. (Doesn’t it seem like there have been several others this year?)
  • Hindustan Times reports LML workers have started a sit-in at a Labour commisioner’s office. (Story was later removed)

Indian Autorickshaw Challenge

If Ants’ and Jo’s three-month Tuk-Tuk adventure wasn’t enough for you, or you thought they needed more competition over a shorter distance, you might want to schedule time off work next August for the 2007 Indian Autorickshaw Challenge. Sounds a bit better organized and a bit more fun, though I think Ants and Jo could have blown away the competition.

Kymco gears up for export market

The Taiwan Economic News reports that Kymco plans to export 10% more scooters and ATVs worldwide next year, about 290,000 units, including the world’s first 700cc scooter. Upscale products for more affluent markets will continue to be manufactured in Taiwan, while secondary markets will be served with products made in mainland China. 2sb prediction: by this time next year, KymcoUSA will be fighting a PR battle against cheaper illegally-imported Chinese-made Kymcos. Safety recall: 2006 Kymco Agility 50cc scooters were accidentally shipped without an engine kill switch. A voluntary recall is in effect, Kymco dealers can inspect and fix the scooters at no cost.

Aussie motor group speaks up for scooters

As Spring arrives in Australia, bringing along a U.S.-like scooter boom, The Age quotes the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce:

Scooter riders need safer travel routes, better sharing initiatives, better education for riders and drivers, better traffic management, better licensing and training laws as well as better infrastructure. Government policymakers and road planners are failing powered two-wheeled transport users. We need a system of designated `safe routes’ and better traffic management features to make road-sharing safer for scooter and motorcycle riders. It is time the growing army of scooter riders was heard and their concerns addressed.

Hear hear! We feel the same way in the U.S. (and we want parking!). Some Chicago scooterists are looking to join forces with ABATE, the next meeting is Wednesday, September 20. We’ll post more details soon.

Catching up

A few good news stories that got lost in the fog of the last week: