TheScooterScoop

Vespa
Originally uploaded by makototaipei

Ok, it’s not as big as the MP3′s winter getup… but if you are looking at the shield to scooter ratio… it’s MASSIVE!

This shot is shared by makototaipei and was taken about 5 years ago in Taipei, Taiwan.

It looks like someone just screwed a riot shield on the front of their Vespa.

Awww man! Big shout out to Jo Borras for scooping up this baby. This video comes from a link found on AutoblogGreen (click on the title link if you don’t mind the annoying, growing NEC projector ad). This is definitely the cheekiest video to ever come from Jeremy Clarkson. It shows the 6′ 4″ giant cramming himself into a Peel 50 (2 stroke 50 with 4hp and squeeze bottle window washer), the world smallest production car. If you have a Genuine Buddy, you’ve got more than twice the power of this minuscule motorcar (which means to me, TUNING TIME!). If someone ever tells you cars are safer than scooters, you can point to the Peel 50 and say, “No they’re not!”.

For more Peel (and Trident) fun, check out this video:

If you watch carefully, around 10:02:43:00, you’ll see a wad of something flying at the Trident. Did someone spit at it? Did the camera operator laugh and nearly choke on his chewing gum? I don’t think I’ll ever know.

***UPDATE 11/16/07***
I’m definitely not saying this is the BEST car ever created. I’m just glad it didn’t make the Top 50 WORST cars of all time list. *UPDATE*** D’OH! Genwaylaid cold busted me here. The Peel DID make the worst car list. I guess I was so busy looking at the worst from the 70′s, 80′s and 90′s that I completely missed out on the worst of the 60′s. There, as plan as day, is the Peel Trident. Good catch my man!

Also, it looks like Illnoise over at 2StrokeBuzz got his hands on a new book. Go HERE to read his informative review of the “A to Z of Popular Scooters and Micro Cars” book from Veloce. With Illnoise’s background, he has quite a critical eye for design and content… he’s not going to give it the cursory pat on the butt and sent it on it’s way. I don’t wanna give away the ending, but I have a feeling it’s going on my shelf next to my “The A-Z of Classic Scooters” book from Haynes.

Congrats to Rex Hermogino of San Diego, CA for the win. Rex is quite a talented dude. Wrote a fun and catchy song, made an entertaining video AND he as good drawer… drawing guy… drawist, he’s good with a pen and a white board.

Thanks to Scootin’ Old School for the scoop! (title link)

***UPDATE 11/15/07***
IF you’re available Friday, November 16, at 7 PM you can see Rex perform the song live at the San Mateo County Event Center. You’ll probably also get to drool over his brand spankin’ new Vespa GTS 250. Lucky dog.

Found out about this campaign from the “Asia Injury Prevention Foundation” through Motoblogger.it (see title link).

It address these three logical statements:
1) I won’t wear a helmet, it makes me look stupid.
2) I don’t like wearing a helmet, it ruins my hair.
3) I never wear a helmet, they don’t look cool.

The only helmet I know that really makes these statements ring true is this one:

Ok, and maybe the one from SweetyPrize, which will definitely mess up your hair (not DOT approved). So… wear a helmet, please.

If these three posters don’t slap some sense into you, I don’t know what will. Click on them to make them bigger and ickier and scarier, then maybe you’ll change your mind.

What happens when you take a Roketa scooter…

and silk screen the “Lambretta” logo on the engine cover? You get the Roketa MC-42. Can’t you see how much faster and more stylish this scooter is with “Lambretta” on the side? All I know is when you see a posting on CraigsList for a “Lambretta”, be sure to go take a look at it before you PayPal over the money. I’m just sayin’…
Thanks to Matthew J. for the scoopage!

My friend, Peter Pinetree in Portugal, was browsing the BBC News’ “Day In Pictures” and found this wacky new prototype helmet to be used by Joint Strike Fighter pilots. It would have been cooler if the eye tracking system used red lights instead of green… and if the pilot was making “mean eyes”, then it would have been REAL cool. Anyway… a TheScooterScoop jacket patch goes the the first person who sends in a photo of them on a scooter with this helmet on… making mean eyes.