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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With Halloween behind us, it’s time to start turning our collective attention to the holiday season, and the season means presents.

Looking for a present for the scooter lover in your life? (Yes, it’s okay if that’s you.) Scottish artist Christine Berrie started drawing vintage scooters when she first moved to London and became enamored with the various Lambrettas and Vespas she saw tearing around.

After a period of time, with twenty five drawings under her belt she decided to put together a beautiful print that collects the bikes together. The limited edition signed prints are available in two sizes starting at $50 for a 14″ x 11″ edition and 20″ x 16″ for $200. Both sizes are available framed or unframed and are printed on 100% cotton rag paper using archival inks.

Head on over to Christine’s page at 20×200.com to learn more and part with your credit card details.

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Stone Roses front-man Ian Brown during his scootering days. Credit: Unknown.

The music news continues this week with the news that scooter culture favorites, The Stone Roses have done what many (including the band) said would never happen – they’ve reformed as the original line-up.

Front-man Ian Brown (pictured above during his scooterist days) and guitarist John Squire famously came to blows following band mismanagement, dissatisfaction, and drug abuse (… so the usual band story) and vowed they’d never work together again. Reports suggest that the two met six months ago face-to-face at fellow band-mate Mani’s mother’s funeral and used the opportunity to bury the hatchet having not been in the same room together for over ten years. Mani of course has had a successful career in the meantime as a band member in Bobby Gillespie’s Primal Scream.

Initially, the band will play for the first time live in seventeen shows by way of two shows at 75,000-capacity Heaton Park, in Manchester, on Friday June 29 and Saturday June 30, 2012 which is no doubt a show that will sell out in seconds. Following the gig, providing the band doesn’t self-implode, they’ll be following up with additional dates. Ian claims that they’re, “ready to shake up the world” and are planning a world tour so let’s cross our fingers and hope they make it here to New York City.

For those of you prepared to make the trip to the UK for their debut re-appearance, tickets go on sale at the UK Ticketmaster site this Friday, October 21, at 9.30am GMT (Yes, that’s 4.30am East Coast time.)

What next, The Smiths reunited?

You can watch a short section of the band’s press conference here:

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The show, while short, includes some great interviews with mod and revival luminaries including the late, great John “Ox” Entwistle who passed away just prior to the documentary’s release so presumably it’s one of his last recorded interviews. It’s also an opportunity to revisit not just The Jam, but some of the lesser known revival bands such as The Purple Hearts, The Chords, and The Lambrettas.

This was the period that gave me my first exposure to scooters, skins, ska, and mod culture during my short-pant days as a 12 year old British school kid that led to passions that have lasted to this day.

The documentary is currently available in two parts over on YouTube. Catch it now before the copyright lawyers inevitably pull it down:

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The cover of the upcoming Quadrophenia box set.

The Who have announced that their classic scooter culture album, Quadrophenia is finally getting the deluxe back-catalog treatment and Vespa is joining forces with the band to celebrate.

Vespa will be making a unique, one-off scoot to celebrate the release of the Director’s Cut box set of the album.  The box set, slated for release mid-November, also includes several previously unreleased demos by Pete Townshend including songs that didn’t make the cut for the original album, an eight-track DVD, a hardcover book and various notes, photographs, memorabilia and exclusive content.

The scooter will based on a PX125, complete with “mod-ed” parts such as white-wall tires, chrome bits and multiple mirrors.  The scooter will be given away on The Who’s facebook page.  Good luck!

Also of interest, in the run up to the release, Pete Townshend has begun to open up the archives on the band around the time of the album and subsequent film. You can get a taste of some of the great behind-the-scenes material over at the image gallery at the UK’s Independent newspaper website.

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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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Style on 3 wheels.

Although I have never owned a Piaggio Ape or Innocenti Lambro, I have always loved their functionality.  When I finally made my first pilgrimage to Italy, the little 3 wheeled vehicles were everywhere.  Well, for those of you who love all things classic Italian, there is another famous moto-manufacturer who had a 3-wheeler of it’s own.  Back in the 1950′s, Ducati, makers of extremely cool motorcycles, made their own version of the beloved trike.  They made 3 versions, a 48cc (called the Fattorino), and 175cc and 200cc versions (both called the Muletto).  I would love to cruise the streets of Williamsburg in one of these babies!  Function AND fashion…

Bike Exif has the full story and some great photographs.

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Any Vespa owner out there will tell you that the Vespa is an art form. Heck, the MOMA agrees. They have a GS150 in their permanent architecture and industrial design collection.

But what about the Vespa as a material for Artists? Beautiful Life has unearthed the recent works of Australian artist Patricia Picchinini who has taken key aspects of the industrial design of the contemporary Vespa range and brought to life some unique Vespa characters.

To see more of Patricia’s amazing Vespa sculptures, click on through to her website to see more great images.

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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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