TheScooterScoop

With about 30 images, this post may end up breaking your browser. I apologize in advance if it does.

I was hoping I wouldn’t have to reveal the man behind the curtain just yet. I really wanted to hold out until we pulled the rabbit out of the proverbial hat (did they mention anything about a hat in proverbs? Well, never mind that).

I know that sometimes, saying nothing speaks more than just saying the little that you DO know. Saying nothing-at-all may really tell people that NOTHING is happening. So, I will tell you what I do know in hopes it will put some of you at ease. BUT… before I do, let’s go way back to where it all started:

January 2008. This is when I climbed aboard the USS LS Motorsports. As captain of the Italjet USA ship I knew there was a LOT of work to do. No, I don’t think you understand… There was a LOT of work to do. First was damage control. A fouled-up 2007 really put a damper on people’s spirits. Dealers had become skeptical and consumers had become cynical. Italjet hadn’t delivered the goods and no one believed that they would come back from the dead. Even I had my moments of doubt early on. What turned me around was the insight I gathered during communications between LS Motorsports’ President Mathu Solo and Italjet’s President Massimo Tartarini. I found that both of these men were committed to making this thing happen. Both teams knew that when it comes to resurrecting the Dragster, they could take no short cuts… but it wasn’t as easy as turning the plant back on and shoehorning in a Piaggio Quasar 250 under the seat. It was almost like starting over. Italjet no longer owned all the tooling to make a Dragster. Kinetic in India had the tooling but hadn’t committed to building it for their own distribution. There is a long story about how Kinetic got it, but let’s save that for another day. Italjet knew that if they wanted to build the Dragster, they would have to work closely with Kinetic to get some of the major components produced (frame, body panels, etc.) This part has already begun. Well then, how did we get a Dragster 250 for the Indi Dealer Expo last month? Let me take you on a journey.

LS Motorsports Headquarters

February 14th, 2008. I left Austin Texas at 11am and arrived in Houston around 2pm, just a day and a half before the Dealer Expo opened for business (ok, they opened on the 15th but the dealers wouldn’t really start funneling in until Saturday, the 16th). Why was I driving to Houston on the 14th instead of flying to Indianapolis on the 15th like I was originally scheduled? I know it’s hard to believe, but we didn’t have any Italjet scooters on the truck headed to Indi; that is to say, we didn’t have any NEW Italjet scooters on the truck. We did have an extra 2007 Italjet Torpedo on the truck, but no Roller Craft and no Dragster 250. Why? Because, well… lets just say, our partners waited a bit late to send them over from Italy. After they arrived and finally cleared customs (at 6pm on 2/14/08) I had about 24 hours to transport them to the show. “Why bother? You’ve got flyers. People know what the Dragster looks like. It’s Italjet! Just hop on your plane, order a drink and get to the show!”, right? NO WAY!

I played the scene over and over in my head. I was there in 2007 to grill LS Motosports in my coverage for The Scooter Scoop. “Where’s the Roller Craft? Where the Dragster 250?”
I didn’t want that to happen to me (Bryan), so I said “by any means necessary these scooters are getting to the show!”

I pulled my pickup truck into the warehouse (seen below) so it would be safe, and grabbed the keys to my Tour Bus. A Budget Rent-A-Truck.

As I was preparing to leave, Lanson brought forth a challenge. Who could eat 1 of every flavor of Bertie Bott’s Nasty Beans (24 in our box), simultaneously, without tossing their cookies. IT’S ON!

On your marks, get set… Gulp!

With flavours (these are from the UK, right?) like Vomit, Booger, Rotten Egg, Soap and Bacon we kept a can close by. Surprisingly, we both survived; though this was NOT a good way to start out a 24 hour journey.

I change into something more comfortable and make my way to KLM Air Cargo in Houston. I wanted to get out of town by 8pm. I went over my route.

More than 1,000 miles (16+ hours) to get from Houston to Indi and I had already been on the road 3 hours from Austin.

If you are in Europe, the total journey was something like a trip from Napoli to London. Just without all the good food and old world scenery.

And THIS was the vehicle that was going to get me there. An old, dirty, Budget Rent-A-Truck. Every surface had a fine coat of sticky cola residue on it and it smelled like your garbage can just after the sanitation workers empty it.

Inside of KLM Cargo in Houston.

Lots of cool Italian toys are shipped via KLM… like this Ferrari for instance.

I got to watch the delicate dance of how a Ferrari gets on to a flatbed.

There were more where that came from.

I waited and waited for them to get around to pulling my boxes out of the warehouse.

Finally, about 7:50pm they start pulling my crates.

The Roller Craft crate was in one piece. The Dragster 250 crate didn’t fare as well. I had to do some fancy strap work to make sure this baby wouldn’t take a spill before my thousand mile journey was through.

I’m happy with that. It’s just after 8pm. Time to hit the road!

I made it to somewhere around Arkansas before I had to stop. It was 3am and I needed some sleep.

Friday, February 15th, 7am. Four hours later I felt like a new man. I needed to make it to the Indi Expo center before they shut the doors at 8pm that same day. Could it happen?

Before I left, had to check the truck to make sure my cargo was still there. Check!

From Arkadelphia, 200 miles later I was around Memphis. Time to get a little grub.

I grabbed some Nanner Puddin’ as a tribute to The King.

…and kept one eye on the truck at all times. I made it this far. I’m not loosing those scooters now!

That was it. No more photos, no more stops. Just drive like a bat-outta-hell until I finally made it to Indi at 8pm. Literally! There were times as I passed though Illinois that I reached speeds of 90+ MPH! Where were the cops? Thank goodness I didn’t find out. At the Expo Center the LS Motorsports crew helped me offload, mount and polish. Mission accomplished. Even though these were just pre-production units, they were a million times better than showing up empty handed.

Some nice girl passed by the booth and asked to have her picture taken on the bikes.

She really thought the Dragster was “Hot” and would definitely give her phone number to any man who was riding one. Ok, I’m lying about the phone number part.

The new Roller Craft was a big hit with the ladies and with crews of “developers” looking for some inspiration. Here’s a set of 3 taking extensive notes and photographs. They did the same routine with the Dragster; shooting photos of the suspension and steering set-up. Good luck with THAT one fellas!

Now… What do I know about the developing Dragster 250? I’ve got some photos that I cannot show you, but this one isn’t too incriminating. I think it’ll be ok (Remember, you didn’t get it from me.) This is a shot of a 3rd generation preproduction Dragster 250. What you saw at the Indi show was a 1st generation and they are on to the 4th or 5th generation by now.

I didn’t want to show you the front end of the above scooter because I’m not sure the Italians are ready to show you the new headlight configuration on it… BUT, the shot below was captured at an EICMA show and I think it gives you a hint of what’s to come in the near future.

BRAIN DUMP:
So, here’s the few facts that I do know about the 2008 Italjet line up.
In 2008 there will be 5 models and they are:
The 50.it scheduled for a Spring arrival (MSRP $2495)
The Torpedo 150 also scheduled for Spring (MSRP $3195)
The Roller Craft, that will be here this Summer (MSRP $2995)
and finally we are expecting the Dragster 50 and 250 to begin rolling off the assembly lines this Fall (MSRP $3495 and $5795 respectively)

All models will have Italian VINs, they will all come with a 1 year parts & labor warranty, they will each be available in at least 3 or 4 different colors, we will stock parts for all the new models and plan on eventually stocking old Italjet parts as available, we are currently signing up dealers across the nation with an attempt to have 1 Italjet dealer in each state (with a couple of exceptions like CA, TX, NY). If you have a dealer near you that you’d like to see carry the Italjet line, send their info to info@italjetusa.com. We plan on having our 50cc scooters licensed as a “limited use motorcycle class-B” for our friends in NYC. We are expecting our CARB certs about the same time that our first ’08′s arrive for our friends in Cali. The first 2008 allocations are expected to begin shipping from Houston in 2 to 3 weeks. I’ve got dibs on the first Dragster 250 we get in which will promptly be pimped into a show scooter that I will take to all the rallies.

And finally, congratulations to my friend and fellow member of the Austin Hooligans, Chris D. and his wife Sarah on the arrival of their lovely and sweet baby girl!

Thank ya, thank ya verrr much. Elvis has left the building.