(When using the folding Italian scooter to attract the ladies, it helps to be a brooding Italian guy.)
From what I know, the Di Blasi Mod. R7 is the only folding scooter still in production. It looks like it would be a fun little ride to throw in your trunk or pack into the overhead compartment for your next tour of Italy. The thing is pretty decked out too! Headlights, turn signals, horn, luggage rack… impressive.
These guys are also known for their folding bi (Mod. R24, Mod. R4, Mod. R21) and tricycles (Mod. R31 and Mod. R32). They are NOT known for their creative naming abilities.
Prices start at $1995 + $75 Ground shipping. For that you’ll get a scooter with a 3/4 gallon tank. It get’s about 130 MPG (100 miles per tank of 50:1 premixed gas). It goes a maxium of 30 mph (not after we get our hands on it). The engine is a 1.3HP 49.9cc kickstart. It can hold up to a whopping 320 lbs before folding back up and rolling off whimpering. It comes in a host of pretty primary colors AND you can also buy the Mariner version which is lighter and comes in stainless steel (mmmMMMM… Stainless Steel…)
They say that once you get the hang of it, it sets up in 3 seconds without tools and folds up just as quickly. It IS street legal. It’s a CVT (automatic). It weighs just 64 lbs and you can get an optional carrying bag so you can throw it over your shoulder (if you don’t mind carrying a sack of concrete around your neck).
Do I like it? HELL YES! Di Blasi of America Inc. is located in Lantana, FL. Anyone wanna take it for a spin and give us the scoop?
Here’s a little pitch from their site:
“Di Blasi, the top-of-the-line Italian manufacturer of folding vehicles, presents to America the street legal Di Blasi ‘EXPRESS’ Folding Motorbike. Popular in Europe for 25 years, DiBlasi has recently created a North American division, DiBlasi of America Inc., which is exclusively offering the lightweight, portable motorbike.”
18. December 2005 at 1:03 pm
If you are interested, there was a story in the New York Times, within this year (perhaps back 7 or 8 months) about several valet services, in Los Angeles that have just such buff looking jockers who are employed to be designated drivers at swanky parties and restaurants where the owners of luxury cars are too tipsy after a night of hobbing and nobbing. These beaus pack their Di Blasi’s in the trunk, drive the folks safely home and then make their way back on what else?; their portable Italian stallions. The story is worth a read, as it alluded to the more than casual relationships which sometimes resulted when the man of the house was, ahem, to pooped to pop after being driven back to the manse.
9. November 2007 at 2:38 pm
Hi, steve, we have purchased thirty of the Di Blasi R7′s. We run a taxi service here on the Gold Coast in Australia. How do we get the Di Blasi R7 to go faster than the restricted 30mph. We could really do with them hitting the 40mph mark. Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated. They really are fantastic little bikes, what a buy. contact me back at rick at scoot2you dot com.
9. November 2007 at 4:48 pm
Hey Rick Maiman! It’s been a while since you’ve posted this, but it seems this service has grown from a little thing in the UK to a world wide phenomena!
Rick in the Gold Coast! You know, I’m not sure if those things have rev limiters on them. I know you can get them up to 45 MPH or so, but it takes some considerable work:
Cylinder Kit
Re-port the exhaust
modified carb & bigger jet
tuned pipe.
You get get more details at this german site: http://tinyurl.com/35smn8
Just adding a cylinder kit will get you to around 37 and some have claimed to hit nearly 50 mph after a full stage 7 tuning.
If you’ve got 30 scooters this could get a bit expensive and time consuming. Maybe about 20 hours worth of work if you JUST do the cylinder kit on all the scooters… and that’s after you’ve located someone who carries the kits. Maybe that same German site? I haven’t been able to get their catalog to come up.
Good luck!
steve
2. April 2008 at 3:18 am
Hi Rick & steve,
Are these things legal in Australia. I wanted to buy one for my boat but the RTA said it was illegal?
Thanks
Brig
9. January 2009 at 6:02 am
Hey Brig,
these bikes are now legal in Oz, you can see them at http://www.scooterqld.com.
good luck
jimmy
23. November 2010 at 10:07 pm
How do I get my machine to go 40 mph….thanks….john