NYC Scootering - New York City scooter news, views, and reviews » new york city

Function Over Fashion

scott — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 13:44:59 +0000

I have to admit, my vintage Vespa is my baby. I bought it from a guy who treated it as such, so when it finally arrived in my hands, there was really nothing to do to it, cosmetically. I wanted my first scooter to be a good running machine. I didn’t want to have to wrestle, coax or cajole it, just to get it to run down the street. At the time, I felt this hassle would sour me on riding, and that I would potentially get frustrated to the point of opting not to ride as often. So I bought a beauty, made a few minor engine repairs, and was on my way.

The thing about perfect bikes is that they don’t offer the chance to tinker. If you are like me, and I know a lot of you out there are, you like the idea of being able to mess around, to make your scooter your own. By nature, I like to tinker. I like to add something here, move something there, all in an attempt to make me feel like I have contributed to the overall look and feel of the bike. But with my current Vespa, there really is very little to do.

So I spend my time walking the neighborhood, looking at other people’s scooters, checking out the cool things they have added or obtained, to shift the look and feel of their bike. At first I focused on Vespas, or at least vintage scooters. But slowly I realized that the real mods (changes, not the movement) are done by the delivery folks.

These guys and gals that hop on these beasts each and every day, to get that food to the hungry masses. These bikes have character, and their choice of function over fashion is something that appeals to me. Don’t get me wrong, I love my scooter, but how can you not love a bike that looks like it’s fabricated out of duct tape? I am not stressing the safety of these modifications (I know that they often represent a lacking in that area), but merely the ingenuity of these mods. My mother used to say “necessity is the mother of invention,” and these scooters prove it time and again.

The photo above, shows a scooter that I passed on the street, outside a restaurant in midtown Manhattan. The bike was in fairly good condition, which is sometimes rare for a delivery vehicle, except for the addition of a unique set of hand protectors. I have seen the ones made and sold specifically for the new Vespas, but this was a whole different thing all together. Fashioned from duct tape, the protectors allowed enough coverage for the whole hand, as well as half the forearm. What genius! What balls! Take a perfectly good scooter and go Mad Max in a heartbeat, all with a little help from the ‘wonder-product,’ Duct Tape.

This got me to thinking. I think I might like to get an older scooter. Something I am not so precious about. Something I can tinker with, without fear of messing it up. I’d like to have a bike I can sort of start from scratch on, and not worry about the fact that it no longer looks ‘stock,’ or represents what the manufacturers intended. I think I might like to fashion my own duct tape accessories, and maybe, just maybe, feel like I had more of a hand in what people see passing them, as I scoot along down the road…

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Spotted in NYC: Parking in style

admin — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 17:12:24 +0000

I envy this guy’s (gal’s?) cojones.

Parking parallel to the curb? Check. Hi-viz traffic cones? Check. Got to love how this scoot commands its rightful parking space on the mean streets of Manhattan’s East Village. I’ve been thinking of doubling up my bikes as parallel parkers like this to command more attention to car drivers. Seems like the chances of a bike getting knocked over would be much less because a bike pushed from the back or front is more stable than tipped from the side, but it also begs the question how many times an irritated car driver has taken it upon themselves to move the bike (and cone) by hand up on to the sidewalk to claim the spot for themselves.

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A day amongst “Odd Classics”

scott — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 17:32:25 +0000

Photo by Midlife GT of NY Scooter Club.

Since meeting Tom, of Oddscoot fame, on the day I bought my vintage Vespa scooter, I have been eagerly awaiting the annual Tom & Anna’s Bagel Brunch and ride. The couple throw this shindig each year, with their collection of over 50 classic scooters strewn across their front yard, and along the street where they live, in Westchester County. Several people on the forums I frequent have commented on the amazing time to be had, and although I have already seen the collection when it was stuffed into their garage, with this many scooters, I was looking forward to seeing them in all out their sun-baked glory.

As I had decided to meet up with the NY Scooter Club for the trip up north, I made my way to Grant’s Tomb, up on Riverside Drive, for the rally point. The ride there was a beautiful way to start the day, and after meeting the club, we all set out for points north. I fell in line with the club, trying to keep pace and safe group-riding protocol, up through Harlem, and then into the Bronx. Hopefully I succeeded in decent, group-riding protocol, but if not, everyone was very accommodating. We arrived in New Rochelle, NY about an hour after leaving. My vintage scoot seemed in good form, and although I intently listened for any odd noise or weird vibration, I made it without incident.

As we pulled down the street, greeted by smiles from the already gathering crowd, we were treated to a view of the largest collection of “oddscoots” in America, and possibly the world. These scooters are breathtaking, and the variety is not to be underestimated. Parking on the block, we were informed that many of the neighbors leave town for this bash, and after seeing (and hearing) the scooters constantly going up and down the block, it’s no wonder. There were an estimated 150 people attending this years Bagel Brunch, the 10th such event in as many years.

If you have never seen or heard about this collection, check out the photos that accompany this article, as well as some great photos that have been posted on the NY Scooter Club site. “OddScoots” are defined as scooters made mostly in the 1950′s, predominantly by manufacturers that designed and built very few runs of these eclectic bikes. When Tom described many of these models to me, during my first tour of the collection, he explained that several of these bikes were developed by tractor manufacturers that were looking to cash in on the popularity of the Vespa. It looks like everyone was looking to get a piece of the scooter market, after seeing that Vespa, and then Lambretta, were profiting from this new transportation phenomenon.

I met up with Louis, who had introduced me to Tom the night I bought the Vespa from him. We walked among the incredible scooters, made by manufacturers I have never heard of, ogling the unique designs and flare of some of these rarities. I spent the better part of the time at the house snapping photos of some of my favorite looking scooters. Then Anna called us around to organize the second half of this affair, a ride through the winding roads of Westchester County. Given maps and a brief rundown on where we’d be headed, we all saddled up and got in line, for my first ever rally ride. Traveling up to this event with the twenty or so Club members had been awesome, and I loved the feeling of being in the pack of riders, each looking out for one another, making sure that as a whole, we progressed safely through the hazards of New York City. Now, with an larger pack of approximately 75 to 100 riders, we slowly took off up the block, with some of the faster scooters moving ahead to offer “blocking.” I have never experienced this, when a smaller group of riders get to the intersections the pack will be crossing, stopping all traffic, so that we could move unencumbered through red lights and stop signs. Man, I could get used to this! Such a stark contrast to my typical ride in Brooklyn.

Map of the ride through Westchester County.

The plan called for a 25 mile ride further north to the village of Tarrytown, through the green roads and reservoirs that make up this part of the country. The scenery was exactly what I was hoping for, and the blocking provided the best ride I have been on to date. Anna had made an effort with the local police to arrange for an open lot for us to gather in, feeling it would be less of a burden on the town. But they had informed her that they were “not comfortable with the idea.” So we all stopped at a public parking lot, getting more than a few stares from the residents as we pulled in single file as a large group. After a quick look around the town, most folks decided to head off toward their respective homes, and I joined with the remaining NY Scooter Club members, for the trip back to the city.

By the time I pulled up at my apartment, my ride had totaled about 100 miles, and offered me the most scenic and relaxed ride I have had thus far. I look forward to planning more trips like this, and hopefully joining the Club on some of their jaunts, both in and out of the city. The exhaustion I felt was welcomed, having a complete sense of satisfaction at a great, and ultimately, safe ride. Don’t miss it next year!

Tom rides...

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One of the most "odd" scoots.

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First great ride with a destination

scott — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 22:20:59 +0000

Since getting the Vespa, I have been primarily dealing with paperwork, repairs and practice. Most of my rides have been very basic. I would head out for a trial run, do some zipping around the local streets, and generally just get comfortable with this new machine. I have realized that Brooklyn, and it seems NYC in general, is not so much the place to take a leisurely ride. Leisure rides are for the countryside, and we don’t have too much of that around these parts. My experience so far has been that traffic, crazy livery cabs, potholes, pedestrians who seem to not notice me before leaping in front of my scooter, all lead to a ride more an exercise in extreme concentration than effortless comfort.

It seems to me that having a nice destination is the way to go, a point on a map to concentrate on. Now that I feel comfortable on the scooter, I’m more secure and ready for action. I really want to go out on a ride with some substance. I have read about the local scooter club rides on Wednesday nights, but have yet to attend. I’m craving a nice adventure, with some length to it. I have been keeping a list of places to explore via scooter, places that I have avoided because the subway either doesn’t get near enough, or would just take too long. It’s time to dive right in.

My girlfriend and I decide to make the trek to the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. Seems like a nice distance to ride, and will be a perfect payoff once we get there. Promises to be some beautiful fun in the sun, checking out all the blooms and green stuff, smack dab in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Brooklyn.

The day before the ride we get Kami a helmet (totally snazzy full-face, with safety red light on the back – the geek in me is totally jealous!), and head out for our first two-up test ride. Everything feels good and safe, and she is the perfect passenger. Tomorrow we will head out to the Gardens.

Tomorrow comes and… It’s cloudy. Oh well, so much for the sun part, but the fun will surely be had. We cruise at a leisurely pace over to the Gardens, and get there safe, while having a fun ride along the way. Kami seems to really be digging this, especially the fact that you get to explore parts of the city usually passed by underground. There really is no better way to explore this city (except maybe horseback – something that will NEVER happen for me!).

The Gardens are pretty great, and the flowers and plant life really set a stark contrast to the surrounding neighborhood, with the tall apartment buildings and traffic outside the walls of the park. The Gardens are not quite big enough to completely isolate you from the city, and that dichotomy makes the park all the more special. I also have to mention, the lunch we had at their “snack bar” was pretty slamming too.

Clouds have been threatening all day, but after checking the weather app, I am starting to believe it’s prediction that we should be home safe, before any rain comes. We finish the tour of the park, head back to the secure parking lot (an inexpensive bonus for me, since I am still a bit nervous about parking the scooter out on the open streets). Just as we get to the scooter, we feel a few drops. Damn! Let’s get home…

First ride with a destination, first longer ride with a passenger, first ride in the rain. A whole ton of firsts, but I’m refusing to let this dampen our adventure. Got back on the road, and the light rain really didn’t impact the ride too much. I wasn’t nervous, just extra cautious. Took it slow and safe, and we made it back just fine. Despite the rain, the day was awesome, and I am looking forward to visiting some of the other destinations on our list…

Have any suggestions for great rides?

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NYC Scootering stickering ’09

admin — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 13:01:52 +0000

This weekend, the NYC Scootering team began its first wave of hitting the streets to bring our shiny new stickers to your scoot. We hope you enjoy them, and we hope we didn’t piss you off.

If you let curiosity get the better of you and this is your first time visiting the site, welcome. At NYC Scootering, whether you ride classic Italian, or cutting-edge Asian scooters, we’re committed to bringing you the latest news, views and reviews on riding step-through on the streets of the Big Apple and beyond.

Around NYC
We’re the only scooter blog dedicated to posting news directly relevant to New York City scooterists. That means we cover the rough with the smooth: parking, congestion, ticketing on the one side, and local rallies, meet ups, events and more on the other.

We also bring you everything we think is relevant throughout NY, NJ, PA and the East Coast scooter scene. If you can make it there comfortably on two-wheels, we cover it.

Around the web
From scooter reviews, tips, videos and oddities around the world to issues in other cities that bear relevance to NYC. We try not to be the nineteenth site to publish these tidbits. But every now and then even we stumble upon something we think you should know about.

Scooter culture
Scooter boys, Scooter girls, Mods, Punks, Skinheads, Rockabillies, Psychobillies, Rude Boys & Girls. The list goes on. Scootering has been synonymous with subculture since it began. We’ll keep you up to date with the latest music, movies and fashion you should know about.

Deals on wheels
From diamond-in-the-rough Craigslist finds to local dealer specials. We’ll keep you up to date with bargains on scooters, apparel and accessories.

Learning to ride
Recession aside, scooter sales in the US have had unprecedented growth in the last couple of years. For many of you this may be your first or second riding season. Get a glimpse on some of the do’s and don’ts of your first few months in the saddle with our scooter newbie section.

Contributing
From one-man humble beginnings early this year, the site has grown from strength to strength and now has a small team of local scooterists bringing you news. If you’d like to contribute your perspective on life on the streets. Get in touch. We’d love to hear from you too.

So – again – welcome, take a look around the site and keep checking back daily for the latest news, views and reviews. You can also keep up to date using your favorite RSS news feeder, by linking to our feed. Finally I hope you’ll take a chance to check out our links to local scooter clubs (including our favorite – NY Scooter Club) and dealers. There’s a fantastic community of riders out there just like you. Honk next time you see one.

- Paul

Editor-in-chief
NYC Scootering

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Thursday April 30-Sunday May 3: NYC Mods vs. Rockers 4 Day Weekend

admin — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 21:41:32 +0000

Folks, it’s almost upon us. The first major Big Apple scooter event of the year: The NYC Mods vs. Rockers weekend. And the fine folks over at MvR have updated us with the itinerary:

Thursday
Meet at the Treehouse Bar (46 Greenwich Avenue, Manhattan) at 8pm. Night ride to Times Square.

Friday
Meet and Greet at Lolita Bar (266 Broome Street, Manhattan) at 7pm. Drink specials until 9pm.

Saturday
Soho to Brighton! Saturday ride meets at Vespa Soho (13 Crosby Street, Manhattan). We will have a proper Mods vs Rockers ride to Brighton beach.

Night time ride to the main event at Public Assembly (70 N 6th Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn). Drink specials and live bands, starting at 10pm:
Autodrone
Hunters, Run!
45 Adapters

Sunday
Sunday ride meets at Oslo Coffee (133 Roebling St, Williamsburg, Brooklyn) at noon. We will have a scenic ride to the Bushwick Country Club for drinks and BBQ.

What more do you need to know. Polish down that scoot, and join in the fun. As the Mods & Rockers say:

The idea is simple: you like trouble, and you and your two wheeled motor vehicle are both old enough to drink in a bar (or your main ride at least look old enough to pass). Got it? Good.

In case anything changes over the next couple of days, keep your browsers pointed to NYCModsVsRockers.com. See you there.

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Tonight: Boogaloo Shampoo at Beauty Bar

admin — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 13:00:09 +0000

The fine folks at the New York Mod Squad Facebook group have given us the heads up that Scooterist favorite Jonathan Toubin will be spinning the decks at Beauty Bar tonight filling the air with Mod sounds:

Beauty Bar New York and Three Olives Vodka presents the Boogaloo Shampoo – the party where New York’s hardest-working DJ (over 300 gigs in 2008), New York Night Train Soul Proprietor Mr. Jonathan Toubin, fills the mod-ish newly-redecorated back room dancefloor to ceiling with bubbly 45rpm soul classics, novelties, and obscurities – spanning late-r&b to early funk but centering on mid-60s burners every Thursday. Come welcome Mr. Toubin back from his nationwide tour of Beauty Bars and get down to his sound….

The set kicks off at 11pm and continues until 4am.

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How to start your day

admin — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 13:20:56 +0000

Spotted on East 2nd street this morning in the village.

It’s raining, and you have a nice present from the traffic cops neatly secured to your seat. So that’s what that strap is for. What a wonderful way to start your day.

Best of luck to the owner. Keep up the good fight.

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Parking your scoot on the streets of NYC

martin — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:23:19 +0000

If you’re new to scootering in New York then, unfortunatley, you have a lot to learn about parking.

Spend five minutes in conversation with any New York City scooterist, and you’ll quickly learn that parking a scooter safely and securely on the streets of the Big Apple doesn’t always go nicely hand-in-hand with parking legally.

Let’s get one thing squared away. In the eyes of the NYPD Traffic Department – there is only one legal way to park a scooter or motorcycle on the street in the five boroughs: On the street.

The danger in doing this? Returning to find your scoot the victim of theft; a much larger vehicle’s bumper. Or worse – its back wheels.

With the amount of discussion dedicated to the subject of parking around local websites, we felt it would be helpful to summarize some of the key points that will arm you with what you need to know before you make your decision where and how to park. We’ll offer pointers whether you choose to risk damage and park on the street, or risk towing and park on the sidewalk.

First off…

Parking on the street

Parking on the street is the only way to go if you want to keep it legit. But it’s still not that simple. The right to park in metered areas is fuzzy to say the least. 9 times out of 10 you’ll be parking between parked vehicles. And provided you’re backed into the curb, you’re occupying a slither of a spot that can be argued to be between two parking “spaces” and be left well-alone.

The spirit of NYC parking law however is that if you park in a metered area you are responsible for paying for the right to park, not for the right to a specific space.

For the most part, NYC scooterists do park “between spaces” with little risk of a ticket, but as the law above implies, some have been known to be stuck with a failure-to-pay-the-meter ticket by over-zealous parking agents. If this happens to you it’s certainly worth appealing because for the most part, it’s demonstrated that this will typically get thrown out in court.

From a scooter-preservation perspective. Think carefully about where you park. Your best bet is to park in the end “spot” between the last parked car and the junction. And park it in those spots where the vehicle is facing the junction. That way you’re at least guaranteeing that the vehicle owner can’t claim to not see your bike as they leave the spot.

As is implied above, avoid parking behind vehicles – particularly large ones. And don’t sandwich your bike between two parked cars where there is limited space. If you know you’re not leaving the vehicles enough room to exit, you know that they’ll see your scoot as a temporary obstacle to their leaving.

Finally try to locate a low turnover parking area. Even if you choose a great spot to park. It’s no guarantee that the nearest vehicle will be your only neighbor during your stay.

Our tip, for what it’s worth: Try and park next to the nicest vehicle you can find. A graffiti festooned mini van driver isn’t going to give a crap about rolling out of his spot over your scoot, but a waxed Jaguar owner may think differently about scuffing their pride and joy.

Parking in a parking garage

While you may have made arrangements at your local neighborhood lot for scooter storage (good luck with that negotiation,) your chances of parking in a typical Manhattan parking garage are slim to none. The reason? Most garages aren’t insured to store two-wheeled vehicles so they’d rather not go to the trouble of accommodating you. Which brings us swiftly on to:

Parking on the sidewalk

Most of the scooterists we talk to feel this is the way to go. Yes it’s illegal, but it is unevenly enforced and it’s generally a lot safer for the well-being of your bike (unless it’s unceremoniously towed to the pound) but you’re also risking a fine.

The first trick to parking on the sidewalk? Removing your license plate. Why? So the traffic cops have no immediate way of identifying your vehicle, even if they are hungry to write you a ticket.

This used to be the tried-and-true trick. However, some parking cops, particularly those operating in high-volume areas like Midtown Manhattan are also armed with scanners that can identify your vehicle by it’s VIN number. So next, you need to think carefully about obscuring your VIN number. Don’t high-profile cover it with tape or something. That’s also considered illegal. But a dab of grease should deter most traffic cops’ manicures and render their scanner useless.

If you do get a ticket pulled from your VIN number, Jonathan over at the NY Scooter Club Forum has some sage advice.

Finally, in recent years there have been periods of crack-downs on bikes without plates being treated as abandoned vehicles and towed. But again, it’s unevenly enforced and comes down to which side of the bed your local traffic cop got out of that morning.

So what can you do?

Well for starters, in addition to removing your plate and keeping your VIN on the down-low, keep your scoot as inconspicuous as possible. It’s always better to cover your bike with a scooter cover to blend it in with the surroundings. This also creates extra effort for any cops who want to ID your scoot.

Park as close to the curb as possible, rather than close to the building. Don’t block building entrances, or loading areas. Definitely don’t park in areas like bus stops. And avoid buildings with doorman attendance. You’re just providing them with quarry to bring meaning to their day. Finally, anywhere with an abundance of traffic meters means that a traffic cop will never be far away.

Additionally, much as we like to support our fellow scooterists. Park your scoot away from others. The last thing you want to create in the eyes of a traffic cop is a loosely formed scooter parking lot.

Finally, lock it up. Not just against theft. But as a deterrent against towing. Lock your steering column. Lock your wheel. And chain your bike to an immovable object.

Oh boy. Good luck!

In 2007, Piaggio sponsored a free-parking program in the Summer of 2007 but it didn’t repeat in 2008. Time will tell if they’ll explore it again this year. Other cities have begun to explore free parking city wide for two-wheeled vehichles. Not so, New York City. Until then? Good luck out there, and let us know your parking tips, and cherished spots.

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NYC Scootering Top 5: Things to do while you wait on your license

admin — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 15:29:10 +0000

If, like me, you’re a rookie waiting on your test waiver to come through so you can hit the DMV and get your full license, you’ve got some time to kill, and an itchy throttle hand, so here are some suggestions:

#5 Break in your boots

Right about now I’m breaking in what has to be my tenth pair of Doc Martens. Not a task for the squeamish. Be prepared for some blisters but there are some things you can do to ease the pain:

Thoroughly flex and bend the boots before you put them on. Better to squeeze them with your hands than with your toes.

Grab yourself some dubbin and liberally apply to the boots. Especially to the stitch seams. Then as you walk the boots in the dubbin will work it’s way into the leather and soften them up.

Wear them one day on, one day off for the first week or so. Give your feet chance to heal.

And finally – don’t make the mistake I once did on day one of a new pair – go dancing.

#4 Pick up a copy of “Scootering”

UK’s premier scoot magazine sure knows how to keep you drooling. With a little leg-work it’s possible to pick up a copy around town. Most of the larger Barnes and Nobles have it as do some of the more progressive newsagents, but be prepared to bend down and shuffle behind the low-rider magazines to pull this diamond from the rough.

But then again, you have a subscription, don’t you?

#3 Scout a parking spot

Spend five minutes on New York Scooter Club’s fantastic forum and you’ll soon learn the one thing that irks more riders than any other issue in the city – parking.

Legally, the only place you’re allowed to park is on the street, but that comes with it’s own set of annoyances. Chief among them, you’re opening yourself up to the Big Apple parking ballet, in which nudging your scooter out of the way with a well placed shift into reverse is a favorite among city drivers.

The preferred method among NYC scooterists is the plates off, sidewalk park. But you’ve got to pick your spot carefully.

Personally, I’m taking a different tact. I’ve eyeballed a bicycle parking area just outside the freight entrance to a nearby midtown building. It’s set back away from the sidewalk (and traffic cops I hope), provides ample space for a scooter, and is currently underutilized by our human-powered friends. A friendly chat with the building delivery manager may grease the wheels. We’ll see.

And no, I’m not sharing where it is. Not yet, anyway.

#2 Dust down Grand Theft Auto Vice City and run some pizza delivery missions

Sure, you can ride the mean streets of Vice City on the back of a chopper of from the cockpit of a jump jet (did you get that far?) but for the scooter enthusiast, there was only one way to tool around town – the pizza delivery missions gave you a scoot and an income.

Dust down that copy and revisit the 80s. Guns optional.

And finally…

#1 Re-watch Quadrophenia for the fiftieth time

Seriously. How long did you think this site could run without mention of the holy grail of scooter movies. If you haven’t seen it then you need to leave this site now, and head for netflix.com, blockbuster or better yet, pick it up from amazon.com. You won’t regret it. “Bellboy!”

Personally, my copy’s getting so scratched up it might be time to pick up another one. A restored and remastered edition is long overdue. It’s starting to show it’s age.

And remember. A watched pot never boils. Keep your eyes off that scoot until you can hit the road.

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