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).
Category: The Biz
222,000
The Motorcycle Industry Council estimates a record-setting 222,000 scooters were sold in the United States in 2008. For the sixth year running, over a million motorcycles and scooters were sold in 2008 (slightly fewer than 2007), but nearly a quarter of those were scooters. The last string of five million-selling years was in the early 70s. In 1992, only 278,000 motorcycles and scooters total were sold. These estimates appear to only include MIC-reporting companies, so Genuine and Kymco and several other popular scooter manufacturers’ sales may not even be included in that figure, let alone the thousands of Chinese imports sold. Either way, those numbers are staggering. Especially because next year 90% of these scooters will be on Craigslist with gummed up carbs and 150 miles on the odo.
ScootRS’ new Lambretta front brake
ScootRS’ long-promised Lambretta inline front disc brake is now available. I love to open their RSS feed and try to identify “Today’s Featured Item” without looking at the caption.
Friends in the industry?
As you might have guessed, Carter Brothers and Cobra Powersports aren’t in love with 2strokebuzz right now. I had a cordial and enlightening talk with Bill Pierce at Cobra this morning, and rumor has it there’s an email on the way from Carter Brothers. More tonight
SYMpathy for the scooter industry
I recently learned from a third party that my friend and colleague Steve Guzmán of The Scooter Scoop was let go by SYM distributor Carter Brothers shortly after DealerExpo. When I asked Steve about it, he was modest and polite as usual, and I don’t pretend to know what happened behind the scenes, but it’s a real disappointment.
Continue reading “SYMpathy for the scooter industry”
How’s your Piaggio stock doing?
According to Reuters UK, Piaggio reported a 28% drop in net profit in 2008, which reminded us to check on our Piaggio stock: It’s at €0.95, an all-time low since Piaggio’s June, 2006 IPO at €2.30. Poor sales, a bad economy, and the weak Euro all hurt Piaggio last year, as did nearly €100 million in new debt from stock buybacks and a €.06-per share dividend last year, which will be offered again this year, which seems counterintuitive, but what do we know?
Continue reading “How’s your Piaggio stock doing?”
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.
Dealer Expo 2009, Part 2.5: Sorry, Chuck D.
“Public Enemy” “welcome to the terrordome” rap song lyrics
Lots more to cover, but here’s a little ditty while you’re waiting:
I got so much scooter on my mind
Newcastle Sign
“Michelle Rodriguez” on my ticket
Hear Phil Waters get wicked
My crew is few, we hype the Black Jack
Attack then we drank
and yacked, Then slapped the iMac
Now Im ready to post it
(you know I made up most of it)
Hear my favoritism roll, oh
OMG, is that Mattheu Solo?
TGB Lasers, scooters like Razors
Hallways to blaze, with brain and foot pain
The way Im livin, forgiven
What Im givin up
Ron on the Nikon, shoot this now
Where’s the party at later?
As for now I’m grillin at the Chinese pavillion
Man Ive had it up to here
CF Moto logos appear
Kymco’s a no-show,
saw P-town just a bit ago
never-ending show,
Adjust the white balance.
Work to keep from gettin jerked
Changin’ some ways
To way back in the 2-stroke days
Chinese hockey mask molds,
never mind the highway codes
Still thousands sold.
Never question what I am, Who knows?
Cause I’m comin from the bar
What I got better get some
(soft pretzels) master of scooter culture
hard-ridden
Been splashed in the face
But the helmet keeps fittin’
Eating nothing healthy, ranting with Chelsea
Seth and Dave and everyone elsee
Check the spec sheets
ripped a hole in my jeans knees
rolling on the ground, looking for a VIN please
Walked the halls, took the falls
Broke the laws
my Sambas are fallin
more or less square
Getting up there in years
Still. I growl at the plastic cowls
Thanking Christ Indiana’s not my home
So welcome to the Hooiserdome.
Win a sweet Pink Puch!
Dan from Moped Army tells us his shop, 1977 Mopeds, is is raffling off a sweet-looking pink Puch Maxi ZA50 moped custom-built by Graham French. Tickets are $5, or 5 for $20, or get a free ticket with a one-page letter sent via snail mail. A winner will be announced at a party at the shop on March 6, 2009.
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.
Chuck Mead: behind the scenes
We posted Chuck Mead’s great new video a few days ago, but it’s since been pulled from YouTube, The same YouTube link appears on Chuck’s MySpace page, so that’s strange, but being a big-shot music video director myself, I’m aware things don’t always happen the way you’d like, ha.
So we’ll get that re-linked ASAP, BUT! There’s good news! There are two other videos on YouTube with outtakes and behind-the-scenes footage from the video shoot, both of which are nearly as entertaining as the real video, especially because Chuck gets hassled by the Man in one of ’em. Check it:
The Crush
Valentine’s Day is Saturday, and I’ll be spending it with POCphil, who wrote this love story:
Your concept drawings were phenomenal, pure sex. Your designer must have been hacking my dreams while I slept.
Vespa versus Venti
Don’t say it was unexpected (1, 2) but 2sb has learned that Piaggio has taken some sort of legal action against Hammerhead, the importer of the Venti 150 vintage Vespa lookalike. Our source tells us “Piaggio sent Hammerhead a cease-and-desist order in regards to the Venti yesterday.” We suspect it was actually a C&D letter rather than an order“ (there’s a difference) or if it’s based on the design of the Venti or the marketing language used in their flyer, but either way, domestic legal action against importers is usually a safer bet than an international legal contest, especially when China is involved. The good news for Hammerhead is that they’re raking in publicity leading into Dealer Expo (just a couple weeks away), so we applaud their market savviness , if not their design and engineering.