Some lucky bastard is scootin' to work in Bondi Beach every day.

One of the benefits of having an Australian wife is that visiting the in-laws for the holidays means a trip down under to the flip side of the world where an NYC Winter quickly becomes a Melbourne Summer.

This year I had my scooter-eyes on to bring back a brief report on – and a few snaps of – the scootering scenes in Sydney and Melbourne.

First off, let me give a serious hats-off to anyone riding a scooter in either of these cities. Take it from someone who rides in Gotham traffic everyday, you guys, and gals, have some serious brass balls. Car drivers in Melbourne, and especially in Sydney, have a way of flipping around bends at terrifying speeds that put NYC cabbies to shame. Add to that the twists, turns, and hair-pins of Sydney’s rolling hills of traffic and it’s enough to shake the nerves of even the most seasoned rider.

Melbourne doubles-down on the danger with the presence of the city’s ubiquitous trams, slippery tram tracks and local traffic nonsense, the infamous “Hook Turn” that I swear was designed for the single intent of testing the mettle of foreign tourists.

Let’s just say that, while the balmy weather is appealing, I’m not sure I’d want to be out there in either city on a scooter in everyday commuter traffic.

Dedicated powered-two-wheeler parking in Sydney downtown (AKA The Central Business District.)

Scootin’ in Sydney
Our first stop was a few days in Sydney for New Years Eve 2011/2012.

If you’re a foreign scooterist visiting Australia, one of the first things you might notice on local Aussie scoots are the ubiquitous “L” and “P” plates and we saw plenty of both in the city.

An "L-Plater" in Watson's Bay, Sydney.

“L” (or “Learner”) plates are worn by scooters ridden by scooterists in their first few weeks on two-wheels following the passing an initial online test at the local licensing center. Riding as an “L” means the requirement to be accompanied by another rider with appropriate licensing, either riding two-up or accompanying on another scooter or motorcycle. The system works much like the provisional licensing in New York but with visible notification to other drivers (and the cops) that you haven’t quite got your scooter “Sea Legs” yet.

Once you’ve gotten some miles behind you, you can apply for a “P” plate, which includes some restrictions including not being able to carry a passenger before easing into your full license. A system similar to the one I grew up with in England, and something I would love to see introduced in the States for all drivers. I’m convinced it leads to safer streets (my comment about corner-whipping down under aside.)

Attached to these plates my wife and I saw a good range of the usual scooter suspects naturally including a healthy dose of modern Vespas, Yamahas, Kymcos, and Hondas.

It might not have been in production for long, but at least one "La Vita" made it to Sydney.

In addition, much like last year’s trip to Paris, I was also pleased to see a decent amount of modern Peugeot scooters, another company with a historic pedigree, that currently offers a terrific portfolio of bikes that are disappointingly not sold in the US.

From a vintage perspective, if you find yourself in Sydney, do yourself a favor and swing by to check out and support S.S. Scooter Engineering who have been representing the vintage love in Sydney since 2006. They’re a much warmer friendly bunch of folks than their name suggests. The S.S. recently moved to a new workshop in the Alexandria neighborhood and are the local go-to guys for vintage repair, restorations and under-the frame performance pimping.

Finally, if local ride outs are your thing, if you have a couple of days in Sydney you’ll want to reach out to the local scooter clubs before planning your trip. In Sydney, your first stop for trip planning should be the website for the Sydney City Scooter Club that houses an active forum including the usual chatter, smack-talking, wrenching, and silliness that comprises all great scooter forums.

A Peroni billboard in Melbourne tips the hat to other Italian icons.

Movin’ in Melbourne

After a quick domestic flight, a few days in my wife’s hometown of Melbourne provided a great opportunity to swing by local legend, The Vespa House in the Collingwood neighborhood.

While Melbourne has a healthy number of scooter shops these guys deservedly wear the nostalgia crown.

The Vespa House has ruled Melbourne in the very-same location since 1956, founded like all great scooter shops by a guy called Tony from Italy. In addition to being a Piaggio, Vespa, and Gilera dealership, the jewel in the crown of the Vespa House is the fantastic workshop that drips with history and continues to actively take care of the vintage and four-stroke bikes of this very busy city.

The shop, now in its third generation of the same family, includes Giovanni (Johnny) Scriba who has put in an incredible 40-plus years as the in-house Vespa mechanic.

Outside The Vespa House in 2012.

The same location back in the day. Spot the Lammy. Photo courtesy The Vespa House.

If you’re into vintage bikes of another pedigree, don’t hold-your-breath for a sight of a Lambretta however. While the workshop does service Innocentis, its website claims that the business has seen four times as many Vespas than Lammys, particularly back in the rivalry heydays.

For a sense of the history of the place, check out the gallery over at the Vespa House website which includes some fantastic images from the past 50 plus years.

Customer bikes inside The Vespa House.

If you’re looking to soak up some more Italian nostalgia in Melbourne, the city is home to some terrific Italian coffee houses that put American coffee to shame, including – but by no means exclusive to – the “Little Italy” neighborhood stretch on Lygon Street where you’ll occasionally spot a vintage scoot or two, even if it is sitting there for display purposes propping up a couple of Cappuccinos., or better yet, some of the best Gelati on the planet. Personally, operational or not, I’m always happy to see a scooter in any shape or form. Seeing an old bike as décor always brings a smile to my face.

Like Sydney, Melbourne is also home to a number of active scooter clubs including the Vespa Club of Melbourne, Melbourne Crusaders and the Vintage Vespa and European Motor Scooter Club and if you ask nicely through their forums, they’ll no doubt set you up with an experience in the city.

If you find yourself joining one of the local clubs for a ride out, you may also want to check out Melbourne Vespa Tour who offer modern Vespas to rent for city traversal.

All said and done, we had a terrific trip and I can’t wait to head back to the Southern hemisphere to check out more on the active scooter scenes of these two terrific cities. If you’re also fortunate enough to make the trip, not only will you have an amazing time you’ll also get to experience modern scooter culture at its best. A warm “G’Day” and “How yer goin’” to all our Aussie NYCS readers.

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This guy could be heading straight for your scooter. Photograph Courtesy Of: Cedarposts.Blogspot.com

I took a ride this morning. The weather is be-yoot-iful. But some say it can’t last. Some say, the milder the Fall, the worse the Winter. Who knows? I prefer to think more optimistically. Given the engine on my Jet 200 had been on the surgeon’s table at Scooters Originali for most of the last couple of months (thanks Gene, she’s running like a dream,) I’m hoping for a continued riding season to squeeze as much out of this year as possible.

However, one thing is for sure – Eventually the weather is going to turn nasty, and even if it’s not full-fledged snow, it could be ice that will prevent you riding. It’s therefore time to start planning a winter strategy for your scoot.

Many scooterists choose to store their scooter out on the street during the Winter months. And with some basic prep-work to winterize your bike, especially if it’s a two-stroker, this is certainly a viable option. But it can quickly become a bad call if the snow comes in and you wake up one morning to find your bike under a pile of snow, or worse yet, your bike scrapped away unknowingly by a NYC Sanitation Department snow plow (yes, it happens.)

And that’s why most of the area’s local scooter stores and mechanics offer off-road Winter storage solutions. With limited space available, it’s better to call around now before the weather turns and competition for space rises.

Northvale, New Jersey’s Metro Scooter has been offering a storage service for several years now with a pick-up and drop-off service for Manhattan bikers. Owner Alan Townsley recently pointed out to us that saving a buck by leaving your scooter on the street over the Winter can sometimes mean “Penny-Wise, Pound-Foolish.”

Alan got several distress calls this past Spring: scooters damaged by snow removal activity, customers issued tickets for parking issues related to being immobilized and many more that had mechanical issues needing serious money spent to get the owner riding again: “Winter 2010 was a blood bath. Many customers unfortunately had to spend much more to get their scooters sorted in Spring than they would have spent in storing them.”

Metro Scooter charges $349 for storage over Winter until April 30th and offers pick up and delivery in NYC at no additional charge. They also go a step further than simply putting a roof over your head and provide an oil and filter change plus a full safety inspection of all bikes before they roll out on the road for another year of riding.

So your call. Many seasoned scooterists pretty much ride all Winter long. As with all things, it’s about having the right apparel. But even the toughest scooterist can’t commute in the snow. Others who are more familiar with the ins-and-outs of their bike might opt to store their bike on the street. Again, viable as long as you know what you’re getting yourself into.

For those looking to store their bike outside, some local dealers have in the past hosted Winterization seminars so it’s worth keeping an eye on your favorite dealers’ websites for upcoming events. If you’re a Stella rider looking for tips, we have some great videos courtesy of Scooterville Minnesota, a state where you can be sure they know snow when they see it.

But if you don’t intend to ride through the harsh weather, or you’d like that shiny paint job to remain just the way it is, then worry-free storage is the way to go. If you’re interested in storage options call around your local friendly scooter dealers. Metro Scooter can be reached at 201-564-7003 or emailed at metroscooter@optonline.net.

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The LX150 remains the Vespa marque's most popular scooter this year.

Back in 2008 Piaggio North America had one of its best years ever as skyrocketing gas prices provoked commuters to think twice about their chosen form of transportation. The scooter business was booming and everyone set to profit from the growth was smiling from ear to ear.

Then gas prices fell, and so did scooter sales. Established dealers were left with models on the floor that nobody wanted, and many new dealerships that had sprung up in response to scooter fever found themselves closing as quickly as they had opened.

Now, a couple of years later, US scooter sales are once again on the rise as gas prices (and the economy in general) prove challenging.

The LA Times business desk released a story yesterday highlighting scooter sales for all the major manufacturers are now up close to 30% over equivalent quarter sales from 2010. Importantly, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council, this rise in sales is above and beyond any other category of powered two wheeler.

A quick glance at Piaggio’s Vespa USA site certainly confirms that the brand is going after cash-strapped commuters in a big way with the brand continuing to push the daily savings provided by, “Vespanomics.”

Also of interest is that Piaggio in particular are seeing a rise in larger-capacity sales with scooters in the 150cc-300cc seeing significant growth as, one assumes, consumers look to bikes that can get them off the back-streets and out on the highway without making the transition to a higher capacity motorcycle.

The Times also leverages the article to introduce its coverage of the scooter exhibit currently on show at the Petersen Automotive Review. You can see photographs and read our review of the exhibition here, or click on through to the LA Times photo gallery of the show for more.

For the full LA Times article, click here.

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The opening to the exhibition.

The Petersen Automotive Museum, on the Miracle Mile, in the museum district of Los Angeles has briefly turned its attention away from four-wheels to two this year to host the exhibit, “Scooters: Size Doesn’t Always Matter.” And I find it hard to disagree with that sentiment.

The featured exhibit – which gathers together an eclectic collection of scooters over the past ninety six years – opened in mid-June this year and runs through May 28, 2012. This Labor Day Weekend I headed to LA to check it out.

Never having been to the Petersen before I wasn’t sure what to expect. I figured I’d probably be in-and-out in an hour: skip past the cars, and head right to the scooters. Boy was I wrong. What a fantastic place. While clearly I’m a gear-head when it comes to scooters, I’m not, by extension, much of a car guy. But the museum does such an incredible job of walking you through the history of the motor vehicle and in turn through the very history of Los Angeles itself that I walked (correction, drove) away with a renewed love of the automobile.

In addition to the over 100 cars across three floors punctuating every major development in the history of the combustion engine, the museum contains a fascinating walk through the car’s direct association with the development of highways and suburbia of the West Coast. Audio and video cues combine with re-created streets scenes from the turn-of-the-century through the classic age of the car in the pre-oil crisis 50s and 60s to bring every vehicle to life in fascinating – and highly waxed – detail. With every car presented in the most pristine condition imaginable, my excitement grew at the prospect of a scooter exhibit handled with such a high standard of care.

The museum did not disappoint. Situated on the second floor, between the institution’s permanent collection of vehicles from the silver screen, and its current exhibit of Italian and American “Supercars” the scooter exhibit is fantastic and I encourage you to do your very best to check it out over the coming twelve months.

What makes the exhibit so remarkable is that unlike the collection of supercars across the hall, the obvious Italian contingent of Vespas and Lambrettas comprises a relatively minor slice of the exhibit.

A restored 1915 Autoped manufactured in New York City. Note the motor directly tied to the front wheel.

Starting with a 1915 New York built “Autoped,” thought to be the earliest known example of the motorscooter, the exhibit sets the tone from the off gathering together an incredible collection of American built rarities in a category now dominated by Asian and Italian bikes.

Remember, many Italians saw their first scooter by way of American parachuted supply drops during World War 2, as US Army scooters representing one of the earliest mass uses of the form landed as light but rugged troop transportation conveyances.

US Army stenciling on a Cushman "Parascooter."

Prior to the war years however, the collection opens with a collection of 1910s and 1920s prototypical British and American scooters including a rare 1917 Kenilworth and 1919 ABC Scootamota. These early scooters chart the earliest days of the forms development, including the evolution of the motor from the direct front-wheel-drive of the Autoped to the mid-section and eventually over the rear wheel and, later still, under bodywork.

A collection of early scooters from the 10s and 20s including one so rare, it's manufacturer is unknown.

As we enter the Thirties, the exhibit gathers together a great collection of American Salsbury machines developed in Los Angeles itself. A particularly great scoot is a 1937 Salsbury literally designed like a barstool on wheels. How’s that for drinking and driving?

A Salsbury "Barstool" scooter from 1937.

Along with LA’s Salsbury scooters, and Lincoln, Nebraska’s Cushmans (including a WWII parachute or “Parascooter” bike) the exhibit contains other US manufacturers that I haven’t seen before including a great collection of Moto-Scoot bikes from Chicago and some terrifically restored Powell bikes from just down the way in Pomona, California.

Motorscooter development boomed of course in the post-war years, and the exhibit reminds us that a key reason for the explosion of Japanese, Italian, and German built scooters came as these countries’ manufacturers looked to the scooter as new direction for their respective companies. This manufacturing shif was a necessary reality in accordance with post-war moratoriums that forbid the companies continued production of aircraft (Piaggio, Mitsubishi, Heinkel) armaments (Innocenti) and other military ordnance.

The era naturally marks the introduction of the iconic Vespa, briefly followed by the Lambretta, and the exhibition hall has a nice collection of both marques from this era including a very nice Lambretta Series III TV175 with sidecar and even an ill-fated Piaggio 400 car from the era of the competitive birth of the affordable family car.

A very nifty Lambretta Series III TV175 and sidecar.

Vespa. A motorcycle, it most certainly ain't. From a wall of scooter marketing.

The next shift in the exhibit traces the rise of Asian manufacturers including a beautifully restored Fuji Rabbit from the former Nakajima Aircraft Company and a Mitsubishi Silver Pigeon both from 1946. Much like the Europeans, the Japanese population was introduced to the scooter as US soldiers posted in the far east following the war continued to use their American made machines as a convenient form of transportation and the vehicle took off in a big way.

The nicest restored Fuji Rabbit I've seen with my own eyes.

As the Japanese market became saturated with the explosive growth of its domestic scooter market, it began to look to North America as its export market and the exhibit contains some great examples of some of the most iconic 70s and 80s bikes from Honda, Yamaha, and Suzuki that are familiar to us here in the US.

The emergence of Japanese scooters in the 70s and 80s.

Finally the exhibit wraps with a small collection of contemporary scooters including modern LX and GTS Vespas, the three-wheeled Piaggio MP3 and even a Buddy Italia from Chicago’s Genuine Scooter Company.

Finally, died-in-the-wool scooterists will no doubt get a smile out of a small corner of the exhibition hall that defines what aren’t scooters with a small collection including a moped, a disability scooter, and a mini-bike.

As if all this is not enough, much like the rest of the museum, the exhibit is surrounded by all things scooter related including a wide range of toys, accessories, and dealership marketing materials that have contributed to the fascinating world of scootering over the years. While I didn’t get an exact count, I would say that there were something like seventy scooters in total comprising the fantastic exhibit and every one of them expertly and lovingly restored or preserved. A once-in-a-lifetime chance to see so many diverse brands and models under one roof.

The museum is open from Tuesday through Sunday all year round with the exception of major public holidays. In this day and age, a very reasonable $10 adult entrance fee proved to be a fantastic half-day experience.

Heading out of the Petersen, and not being on home turf with my Lambretta, I did what any self-respecting dude would do following an experience like that. I jumped in my (rental) car, wound down the window, turned up the classic rock, and hit the highway. Until traffic that is. Hey, that’s LA.

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Image courtesy of The Genuine Scooter Company.

Motorcycle.com doesn’t just reserve its love for the humble scooter’s more burly brother. On occasion it dishes out its admiration in our particular category.

The website has just unveiled its awards for the best of 2011 and has declared the four-stroke iteration of the much-loved Genuine Stella its scooter of the year. The dot-com have picked up on the bike for the same reason scooterists the world over have: It’s seemingly last way to ride a modern bike with all the benefits of a four-stroke power plant, but with a geared transmission to keep you engaged in the ride.

In second place, honorable mention goes to Kymco’s GTi 300 edition of the “People.” With its generous capacity, fuel-injection, and sixteen-inch wheels, the GTi demonstrates some serious muscle on the road.

Head on over to Motorcycle.com to read about all the winners here.

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2 Stroke Buzz continues with more Lambretta LN 125 finds that spin both sides of the battle over the prestigious brand name.

From the red corner we have the Lambretta LN manufacturers first jab in the ring, as their PR agency Life Longari & Loman brings their heavyweight teaser video to the canvas. I have to say, I think the video does a fantastic job of romancing the lines of the bike and playing up its continued heritage in Italian design even with a Taiwanese engine under the hood. It’s certainly raised an unexpected eyebrow here at NYCS Towers:

From the blue corner, defending the all-important Lambretta title comes the Lambretta Consortium in the ring to fiercely defend their title, and ownership of the brand name. It would seem that the LC is very unhappy about the handling of the brand name. The consortium are claiming that the LN and accompanying LS models are “unapproved and unlicensed for the global market as a full inspection of their authenticity and quality has not yet been conducted by Lambretta Consortium.”

The consortium is warning dealers to avoid taking a financial stake (e.g. stocking) these models at this point in time with the Lambretta name allegedly being used illegally. No doubt legal action will soon follow which may impede the expected European launch.

We’ll keep you posted as the battle continues, so stay tuned.

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One of several 196os Simson Schwalbes I spotted. You don't see many of these in the US.

One of the benefits of my job is that I often get to travel (I’m writing this from Portland, OR.) Occasionally that travel takes me out of the country and last week I was lucky enough to spend three whirlwind days in Munich, Germany.

Munich is quite the two-wheeled city with one of the most extensive bicycle path networks in the world. Between traditional pedal-pushers to roller-bladers to our favorite form of transport, scooters, it’s a city with more on its mind that the fine cars of German automobiling.

Typical of any European city, the scooters I saw were a mix of vintage, modern, oddities and the expected. But one thing I was not prepared for was just how many beautifully restored vintage Vespas there are in the Bavarian city. The Germans have a very active restoration and customization scene, as any reader of the UK magazine Scootering can attest, but boy was I still surprised at some of the beauties I saw even in my quick trip.

Seriously, I saw more painstakingly restored Vespa Rallys, Primaveras, and 50 Specials whiz by me on the street, than I could catch to photograph at the side of the pavement. For seventy-two hours I was in Vespa heaven.

Most of these restorations – no doubt – are due to the superb Vespa maintenance and restoration shop in the southern ward of the city, Vesbar. Vesbar has a fantastic collection of oldies in stock and for sale from beautiful patina originals to shining ground-up restorations and three-wheeler Piaggio Apes. It’s well worth a visit if you’re in the city and the pleasant thirty minute walk from the central old town area is a welcome chance to duck away from the tourists for a couple of hours. Entering the store feels like every last vintage bike has been sucked out of nearby northern Italy, flowing through Vesbar as a clearing house for the rest of the world. If you’re a German speaker you can also follow Vebar’s activities at their Facebook page.

Following is a quick selection of bikes I was able to snap during my brief stay in the city:

A blinged up Vespa P200.

One of several PK50s I spotted.

An Aprilia Mojito modern / retro scooter.

A beautiful side-street find!

I have no idea what's under the custom fur trim, but I love it. Any guesses?

A 50 Special waits patiently for its owner outside a sidewalk cafe.

A department store display for Italian coffee.

A beautifully restored Primavera.

Just like everywhere else in the world, the P-series are the workhorses of Piaggio. Check out that load.

Another beautifully restored 50 Special.

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Photograph courtesy of the Petersen Automotive Museum.

If you’re one of our west coast readers, or planning a trip to the City of Angels in the months ahead, be sure to set some time aside to stop by La Brea on your travels.

LA’s Petersen Automotive Museum is hosting a dedicated scooter exhibit, “Scooters: Size Doesn’t Always Matter” for the next calendar year through May 28th, 2012 giving you plenty of time to get your saddle-sore ass over to the left coast.

While the show is already underway, the museum kicks off the exhibit properly on Saturday July 9th with a “Scooters and Supercars” day at the museum celebrating in it’s words, “two extremes of personal transportation.”

Meanwhile, back here on the East coast, the New York Times has a nice piece on the exhibit revealing that the show goes beyond the expected vintage Vespas and Lambrettas and has a sizable showing on American-made oddities. One section of the exhibit is dedicated to scooters manufactured in the LA vicinity alone. Further, the show includes a full one hundred years of scootering from the latest 2011 model from Piaggio all the way back to an New York built “Autoped” from the 1910′s.

To learn more about visiting the museum for either the year-long exhibit or the kick-off event, head on over to the Petersen Automotive Museum’s website. The website includes a fantastic in-depth article on the history of our favorite two-wheeled conveyance. This is a rare opportunity to see so many great scooters heralded on US soil.

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Another rally means another patch for D.C. scooterist Mark Bennett.

We laughed, we cried, we certainly got lost. We did not however break down.

This weekend, Jersey Shore’s faded glory beach resort of Wildwood saw two independent and equally strange subcultures descend on it’s beach, bars, and boardwalk. East coast scooter rally goers in attendance for the first annual, “East Coast Classic,” and a national “Elk” convention and I rode down to take part. In the rally that is, not the convention.

With fellow riders Melissa, Patrick, Zach, Nick, Oz, Maya, Kurt, and Kristed; I braved what turned out to be a mammoth ten hour ride down from Brooklyn through Staten Island and down the Jersey Shore to Wildwood, south of Atlantic City on Friday to arrive just in time for the kick-off event on Friday night.

What should have been about a six hour, one-hundred-and-seventy-or-so mile, journey – long enough in itself – was stretched further by a missed turning leaving Staten Island as we took a meandering, though pretty, route 35 instead of the more direct route 9.

No doubt our heads were still fuzzy following the first hurdle of the day. Crossing the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge on our Italian ladies’ shopping bikes in high winds. Heads-down and hearts in our mouths. As Oz – who has only been riding for a few months – put it in videogame parlance, “Achievement Unlocked.” Achievement unlocked indeed.

Yes, we crossed this on scooters on a windy day.

Next highlight? Stopping for gas only to find out that Zach’s seat on his 60′s Lambretta Series 3 refused to budge, blocking access to the gas tank. An hour and several borrowed tools and scooterist ingenuity later and the seat was finally opened and the locking pin mechanism removed for the remainder of the weekend.

Next hairy moment. Zach’s side panel flying off at 50 miles an hour only to be picked up by Melissa playing sweeper at the back of the pack. Sorry again Zach, my bad on failing to correctly secure the panel.

A few more rest stops for gasoline, stretching, and bad road food later and we raced against the sun like vampires-in-reverse for the final stretch of road to finally arrive around 9 o’clock to check in for the rally.

Check in took place at the kick-off party at Wildwood’s restaurant-cum-bar-cum-disco-cum-Tiki bar, “Flip Flopz.” As concise a slice-of-life of the Jersey Shore as I could ever describe.

Scooters lined up outside "Flip Flopz" on Friday night.

Dropping off our bikes at our motels following the check-in was promptly followed by cab rides back to “Flip Flopz” for a night of chit-chat, beer, food, and more beer.

Saturday morning saw the day starting at the Starlux Motel meet-up which acted as rally central for the weekend. License plates gave evidence of a hundred or so bikes from New York, New Jersey, Maine, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and D.C. as we downed coffee and bagels, caught up with old friends, and talked shop.

Scooterists gathering at the Starlux Motel.

A wide slice of scooters were represented with the usual selection of Vespas (vintage and modern,) Lammys, Hondas, and more. GS classics with side cars to souped up TS1 racing Lambrettas. Rat bikes to paint jobs and chrome. Scooters filled the Starlux parking completely and overflowed into the street causing a good deal of interest from passers-by.

What scooterists love to do best. Talk scooters.

Saturday lunchtime saw a leisure ride south to the beach at beautiful Cape May at the very southernmost tip of New Jersey led by Philly’s Rabble Rouser Scooter Club member Tedford. An hour at the beach gave plenty of time for souvenir shopping and lunch. The ride back was punctuated by New Jersey rider Clinton driving into the weekend’s official photographer. In true scooterists tradition the photo bug was more concerned about Clinton’s SX200 than his own wellbeing.

Gathering for a photo under the "Wildwoods" sign before heading out to Cape May.

Taking a break from the ride-out to fix stuck throttle cables and lose exhausts.

Saturday afternoon gave the Brooklyn gang and myself a chance to take to the boardwalk and ride the roller coaster. At $5.50 the Verrazano had given a significantly cheaper thrill-ride but the $8 wooden “Great White” coaster was a thrill all the same.

One of the many great Vespas in attendance.

Saturday evening and it was back at “Flip Flopz” for a buffet, drinks, and the all important raffle. Trophies, some as big as the scooterists themselves, were also awarded to riders who had participated int he CORSA and Corsette (Ladies’ small frame) gum-ball races down to the rally. The raffle consisted of plenty of goodies culminating in the grand prize of a 1965 Allstate acquired, stripped, and restored by East Coast Classic participants with discounted parts generously supplied by rally sponsors.

The raffle grand prize. A 1965 Vespa Allstate.

Sunday morning and following a brief stop for a stomach full of carbohydrates at “Uncle Bill’s Pancake House” and it was time to wave goodbye to the rally and start out for home. Route 9 provided a straight shot home over the next few hours avoiding the Verrazano and plumping for one last roller-coaster of rides, Route 1-9 into Jersey City. This last six hour ride thankfully provided one last memorable moment that summed up the weekend: Pat bringing his Fireball Stella to a screeching halt, grabbing wildly for his helmet and throwing it off his head onto a neighboring lawn somewhere in mid-Jersey. Why? A hornet had decided to take the inside of his helmet along for a ride. Nice one pat. Good to know you are cool under pressure.

Three days and eighteen hours or so of total riding down and I’m left with happy memories and blisters from keeping the throttle pegged. One last thing? I went to jump on my trusty Jet 200 this morning for work. The bike that had made it effortlessly there and back again without a hitch. Pulled in the clutch, put it in first to pull away and the gear cable snapped. How’s that for being seen home safe by the scooter gods?

For a whole load more pictures from the weekend, check out the official NYC Scootering Flickr set for more.

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Gathering of the tribes

Friday night was the kick off for the 2011 NY Scooter Club BlockParty.  I rode just a few blocks from my house up to Carbon Negative, where the “Meet and Greet” was to take place.  When I arrived, there were already about 40 scooters parked around the back, near the service entrance.  People were mingling, and I quickly made my way inside to the free coffee and donuts.  That gave me the opportunity to wander through the work shop, and the display room, both making me green with envy.  So many tools, so many beautiful scoots.

Two of the organizers, Alan and Chris.

The plan was to hang out for an hour or so, and then commence the first ride of the three-day BlockParty.  Not long after my arrival, there were about 100 scooters parked up and down the street.  The variety was amazing, everything from vintage Vespas and Lambrettas, to the newest large format Hondas.  These bikes and their riders were raring to go, and the organizers were not going to disappoint.  Brendan, the ride leader, made a brief announcement, with the tribe gathered ’round, explaining to newbies and veterans alike, the rules and tips for riding in a large pack.

Group rides have their own set of challenges, but ultimately, they often provide a sense of security because you are not all alone out there.  The mapped event was to take us throughout Brooklyn and some of Queens, eventually ending up at Gantry State Park in Long Island City.  From there, after a brief rest, the ride would finish at St. Vitus bar in Greenpoint, owned and operated by some fellow scooter enthusiasts. Despite the prediction for sour weather, the sun peeked through just before we left, which seemed to make the mood even better for this first event of the seasonal BlockParty.

The ride started off well, with the pack seeming to really get the hang of moving together.  Then the red lights kicked in, and the group was divided into smaller segments.  Typical for NYC scooting, but the leaders had planned ahead for such eventualities, and riders were left behind on corners to direct the next bunch toward the route.  This way the entire pack was at least headed in the right direction.

After a few stops by the lead group to wait, the rest caught up, and we would take off again, continuing into the belly of Queens.  At a certain point, I realized I had lost track of our direction, but gave into the adventure, and we continued on….

About 3/4 of the way into the ride, it was my turn to stay behind to direct the stragglers in the right direction.  Once I saw the last rider pass me, I joined the group again, realizing at that point, we had gotten a little turned around.  So, after a brief stop, we got back on track and off we went towards Gantry State Park.  The cars and passersby beeping and hollering, cheering us on, was a welcome change of pace to the typical ornery New Yorker sneer.  This is one of the benefits of riding in such a large pack.  The spectacle makes people smile.

Once we got to the park, we all pulled up onto the sidewalk, and parked for a short while.  Another chance to meet and greet, and talk shop with some of the other scooter owners.  It was impossible not to be impressed with the view of Manhattan from here.  But the night wasn’t over for most, so after about 1/2 hour, we all saddled up and back on the road, just a short distance over the Pulaski Bridge back into Greenpoint for the finale at the bar.  After unsuccessfully trying to park for about 5 minutes, I decided to call it a night, having finally become cold as the night chill set in.

A great kick off to another very promising BlockParty.

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