Looking like an extra from the movie Transformers is an X-Speed modified Yamaha Mio. If you get a chance to check out the Motorcycle-Thai blog (title link) you’ll get a good idea of how they “kick it” over in Thailand. Very futuristic looking, and do you know what they like even better than modding up their scooters? Tricking out their Cubs! Here were using the generic word “Cub” to describe any scooter that somewhat resembles a bicycle with leg shields. Cubs are big business over there. See what I mean right here.
16. June 2008 at 7:16 am
Instead of just waiting to go bankrupt, maybe Ford or GM could produce a reliable, high tech line of 50-125cc urban commuter bikes.
It’s exactly that same thing the Japs did to start to destroy them.
16. June 2008 at 1:19 pm
Where can I buy one of those slick tall-wheeled scooters?
16. June 2008 at 3:49 pm
Howdy Reddog!
I like the idea. There’s bound to be an American manufacturing facility that would be available to do that sort of thing… maybe they could team up with HD and build the Topper II? My fear is that they’d just bulk order a bunch of components from China and assembly them here. It’s not the same.
Tim!
Slick, tall-wheels? Not in the USA. Making any trips to the southeast Asia? The modern cubs are real popular over there.
17. June 2008 at 3:18 pm
It’s actually Malaysia that refers to every motorcycle as a “cub”. Thailand refers to scooters as just plain old motorcycle, automatic motorcycle, mo-cy (as Thais love to shorten everything), or mang-ga-sai (the last makes it sound a little like an insect name, to show annoyance probably, as 80% of the riders here have horrible road manners). If it looks like a Cub though (underbone), they might call it a pop bike, though I’ve only heard the term a couple of times.
Though it is true that there seems to be a decently sized modding scene in Thailand. Yamaha is currently having an exhibition at Central World. Bikes, especially scooters, with NOS always make me smile.
20. June 2008 at 5:43 am
If they brought that to the US, Scooter sales would skyrocket even higher.