TheScooterScoop

When the Vespa Club of America (VCOA) throws a scooter rally, they don’t mess around.  With the help and hard work of the host city’s scooter players and tons of sponsors, you can expect to see 600+ AmeriVespa attendees riding scooters and mopeds of all shapes and sizes.  Heck, you’ll probably see motorcycles and cars there too!  (You did know Vespa made cars, right?).

Well, speaking of “not messing around”, KYMCO has planned a 1381 mile scooter journey from their HQ in Spartanburg South Carolina to the event in San Antonio over the course of four days.  The ride will begin in Spartanburg on May 23rd and end in the basement of the Alamo in San Antonio, TX, just in time for Amerivespa, May 27 – 31, 2010.  Maybe while you’re there you can help Peewee find his bike.

If you’ve been keeping up with AmeriVespa, you know KYMCO has been a big supporter of  for the better part of the decade and they want to support YOUR journey to the event by paying for your gas along the way!  That’s right, if you join the KYMCO posse at any point in the journey, they will pay for each day’s fill up.  If you join them from the HQ, they’ll even cover your $75 registration fee!  Nice, eh?

ANNND, speaking of registration, if you’re planning to pay for your own you’ll need to git to it!  Only 10 days left before registration closes!

For details, see the Facebook Event information on the KYMCO Scooter page:  www.facebook.com/KYMCO.Scooters. RSVP to Scoot2TX@kymcousa.com and tell us which day(s) you can join them, make your own hotel reservations, and we’ll see you on the road!

I’ll catch up with the action when the Posse arrives in Austin, TX.  We all go out for Torchy’s and a Shiner when you get here on Wednesday, May 26th!

HERE’S the trip schedule:
DAY 1, Sunday, May 23

- Depart 5 Stan Perkins Rd, Spartanburg, SC 29307 on Stan Perkins Rd, KYMCO USA Headquarters
- Arrive Courtyard By Marriott [3501 Courtyard Way, Columbus, GA 31909, (706) 323-2323]

DAY 2, Monday, May 24
- Depart Courtyard By Marriott [3501 Courtyard Way, Columbus, GA 31909, (706) 323-2323]
- Arrive Best Western Seaway Inn [9475 Highway 49, Gulfport, MS 39501, (228) 864-0050]

DAY 3, Tuesday, May 25
- Depart Best Western Seaway Inn [9475 Highway 49, Gulfport, MS 39501, (228) 864-0050]
- Arrive Marriott Courtyard Beaumont [2275 I-10 South, Beaumont, TX 77701, (409) 840-5750]

DAY 4, Wednesday, May 26
- Depart Marriott Courtyard Beaumont [2275 I-10 South, Beaumont, TX 77701, (409) 840-5750]
- Arrive Courtyard By Marriott-Austin-South [4415 South IH-35 Austin TX 78744, (512) 441-7900]

DAY 5, Thursday, May 27
- Depart Courtyard By Marriott-Austin-South [4415 South IH-35 Austin TX 78744, (512) 441-7900]
- Arrive Alamo [300 Alamo Plaza, San Antonio, TX 78205, (210) 225-1391]

Maybe we’ll get a chance to take the new Downtown 300i for a spin!

It has been half a decade since the Reevu got a preview from our favorite helmet honcho, Rick K., over at webBikeworld. Well, after a long, quiet spell, Reevu has FINALLY delivered an updated production helmet to Rick, who wasted no time in giving it a run down. For those of you not familiar with the Reevu, or perhaps it’s been so long that you’ve forgotten about it (hell, it’s been 2 years since WE last mentioned it), it’s the helmet with the mechanical rear view mirror system. It’s pretty ingenious and could definitely save someone from an inattentive driver coming up from behind.

It looks like it could well be worth the $380+ price tag when it finally arrives in the USA. For an exhaustive review to be matched by no other on the web, I suggest you visit webBikeworld.

Here we get cheap playgrounds in front of Mickey-D’s, but in Cairo Egypt?  They get delivery Vespas.  I have a sneaking suspicion that they also serve healthier food than our McDonalds.  I worked at McDonalds one summer back in the late 80′s.  If they had these?  I’d probably still be there today… even if a couple of them are a bit ratted (bent leg shield and missing blinker cover).

Thanks to iphonelomo.com for sharing via Flickr!

On Sunday March 8th 2010 Jeremy Dean took his totally pimped out Hummer, entitled Futurama, out for a spin. Dean has pimped it out with silver chrome, working LED lights and a booming audio and video system. Even though the modded Hummer only gains 2 HP of forward momentum, it’s still tons better than the civilian mall-runner, tax right-offs usually driven by CEO wives. I like to see how it runs with the 8 HP upgrade! The Hummer is DEAD! LONG LIVE THE HUMMER!

Shouts to our homeboys in Korea, Furange, for the scoop!

Take one helping of Jimmy from Quadrophenia and serve with a side of scooter mod legends Dave, Nick & Ian and you’ve got the hottest bit of television to never be made… until now that is.  Understand that this is just a pilot for the time being.  This looks like a project that kicked off back in June or July of last year and, from what I can tell, has yet to make the airwaves. I’m hoping that if I keep an eye on their YouTube page or official site, some updates will appear.  Even if the BBC doesn’t pick it up, I hope they can find the resources to keep it coming as a video cast.  Now that American Chopper has been canceled this would be a GREAT replacement!

You could get away with watching the video at work with the volume down… it’s the audio f-bombs that’ll get you in trouble.

Shouts to April at the JustScoot! blog for the scoop!

If you’re ever in a position where you can’t ride or wrench for an extended period of time (broken wrist, etc) then maybe you can take up papercraft!  You can find instructions for Vespa, Bajaj, Honda and others.  Shout out to Chris Hooligan, the only guy I personally know who has attempted any of these.