http://sctrcst.com Your podcast source for motor scooter information, scoot culture, news and music. Tue, 06 May 2008 11:05:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc en © sctrcst@gmail.com () sctrcst@gmail.com() Automotive 1440 Your podcast source for motor scooter information, scoot culture, news and music. sctrcst@gmail.com No no http://sctrcst.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/SCTRCST ALBUM ART.jpg http://sctrcst.com 144 144 http://sctrcst.com/2008/05/06/episode-59-alix-rides-out-to-find-peace-scooter-friends/ http://sctrcst.com/2008/05/06/episode-59-alix-rides-out-to-find-peace-scooter-friends/#comments Tue, 06 May 2008 11:05:18 +0000 admin http://sctrcst.com/?p=236 http://sctrcst.com/2008/05/06/episode-59-alix-rides-out-to-find-peace-scooter-friends/feed/ 23:34 Show notes: As usual, this has been a week of playing catch up having spent several days last week and the weekend in New York ... Show notes: As usual, this has been a week of playing catch up having spent several days last week and the weekend in New York City. As I mentioned last week, it was well worth it. In addition, this truly is spring time here in Virginia and I have been out riding my scooters every chance I get. You may have noticed on 2 Stroke Buzz and other blog sites, that Alix left Richmond this past Friday to start her three month odyssey, scooting around the US. I have mentioned Alix Bryant here several times in the past year and even got to interview her a few weeks back about this years plan for the second half of her scooter ride for peace. I have seen plenty of pictures of Alix who is a bundle of energy, but met Alix in person for the first time last Friday at Scoot Richmond. She is a thin, hyper, smiling little waif, hardly the kind of person you would think takes off to ride across the state let along across the country and back. If she cracks the scale at over 90 pounds I would be surprise, but she makes an immediate impression by talking openly about her values, what's really important in life and taking a stand on environmental issues with no apologies. Alix pulled out of the Scoot Richmond parking lot alone, on her loaded Genuine Buddy 125 about 2:00 pm on Friday. Make sure you go to Alix's site and throw some support her way. You can follow her progress and contact her when she approaches your town by leaving her a message on the website. I hope to catch up with her and our other cross country friend, Matua of Vespadition in about a month and if I can, we'll put together a live show where you can call-in and talk with them. How about that, another new venture in the Scootercast effort to master new technology. Music for this show is from the Podsafe Music Network Open all nite by the The Gentleman Callers Dont dont dont The Gentleman Callers SCTRCST,Podcast sctrcst@gmail.com no No http://sctrcst.com/2008/05/02/can-old-folks-really-rock/ http://sctrcst.com/2008/05/02/can-old-folks-really-rock/#comments Fri, 02 May 2008 21:54:43 +0000 admin http://sctrcst.com/?p=234 http://sctrcst.com/2008/05/02/can-old-folks-really-rock/feed/ http://sctrcst.com/2008/04/30/scooting-in-nyc/ http://sctrcst.com/2008/04/30/scooting-in-nyc/#comments Wed, 30 Apr 2008 11:05:25 +0000 admin http://sctrcst.com/?p=233 http://sctrcst.com/2008/04/30/scooting-in-nyc/feed/ http://sctrcst.com/2008/04/27/episode-58-scooters-gas-prices-and-safety/ http://sctrcst.com/2008/04/27/episode-58-scooters-gas-prices-and-safety/#comments Mon, 28 Apr 2008 03:11:20 +0000 admin http://sctrcst.com/?p=228 http://sctrcst.com/2008/04/27/episode-58-scooters-gas-prices-and-safety/feed/ 21:27 Show Notes: I'm back from New York where I attended my second Podcamp. Like last year, it was a great opportunity to meet some of ... Show Notes: I'm back from New York where I attended my second Podcamp. Like last year, it was a great opportunity to meet some of the podcasters that I have been listening to and get new ideas for keeping the show fresh. Marcel arrived on Friday night from Denver and we met up with some old NY friends. I thought it a bit prophetic, that on my first morning in NY, I walk out of the hotel and after grabbing a cup of coffee, I ran into a beautiful black Vespa LX 150 along with several other smaller scooters. It made me think about how scooters are becoming more and more common and maybe this scooter podcast has some relevance. One of the things I have always tried to do with this blog and with the show is to get better connected with people around the world. I was amazed at Podcamp NYC how many people knew each other, but had never met. Many of these friendships were formed through social media, like twitter and it got me thinking, I have a twitter account, but never use it. I was enlightened to find out that twitter is not just posting something stupid like ldquo;hey I just picked my noserdquo;. All these new media types were using it to share information, links, resources and things about their passions. You can now follow me on twitter. I started riding my Vespa GTS to work. This past week, it was in the 70s and as I pulled away from the garage I thought, what a fantastic way to start the morning. Pulling on to the freeway was not such a thrill. On my way home I pulled into the gas station to top off the tank with $4.50 worth of gas. The fellow waiting just looked at me and shook his head. I could tell that he was thinking what I use to think when I pulled our SUV up to the pump, there goes 50 bucks. I was impressed to find that April of Scoot Magazine had posted over at the Scoot blog, a note that included links to a number of stories about people turning to scooters as a result of the rising gas prices. It is a well done piece and includes links to other articles and news stories on the subject. Several week ago I go an email from a listener who was looking to get her first scooter. She asked all the right scooter information questions, trying to figure out what scooter might be right for her, but my only real advise was, take one of the motorcycle safety classes first. Make sure this is something you want to do. Websites and bloggers Honky Tonk Dragon ndash; congrats to Mr and Mrs Dragon, Ben announces that they are expecting their first child. Check the ScooterBBS for the calender. We are heading into prime time for scooter rallies. Music for this show is by Matthew Ebel. I met Matthew at Pomcamp NYC this weekend. You can get his music at his website or from the Podsafe Music Network Everything,else,,SCTRCST,Podcast sctrcst@gmail.com no No http://sctrcst.com/2008/04/20/episode-57-a-new-book-by-iggy-granger-scooter-lifstyle/ http://sctrcst.com/2008/04/20/episode-57-a-new-book-by-iggy-granger-scooter-lifstyle/#comments Mon, 21 Apr 2008 02:40:36 +0000 admin http://sctrcst.com/?p=224 http://sctrcst.com/2008/04/20/episode-57-a-new-book-by-iggy-granger-scooter-lifstyle/feed/ 30:05 SHOW NOTES: As you know, I'm back from after spending a few days in Key West, sun burned yet relaxed and refreshed. Marcel and I ... SHOW NOTES: As you know, I'm back from after spending a few days in Key West, sun burned yet relaxed and refreshed. Marcel and I celebrated our anniversary and I had yet another birthday. We spent most of the time sitting on the beach, sampling fresh seafood and of course scooting around the island. Last Wednesday Marcel and I met up in Miami, she came out from Denver, I flew down from Richmond, rented a convertible and headed for Key West Florida. For those of you who have never been to southern Florida it is a paradise of palm trees, sand and surf. Key West is an island that is a mile wide and three miles long and has a year round population of about 28,000. This time of the year is low season, as all the tourists have headed back north with the warmer weather. This meant it was a perfect time for us to visit, no crowds, easy to get around and scooting without the worry of hitting anyone except for all the chickens running around the island. Our rental scooter, from the Moped Hospital was a little two year old 50cc Kymco that had seen better days The speedo broke with 7500 miles on it and the variator was on it's last legs. I did the math and decided that it must have been ridden nonstop on every road on the 3 square miles of the island. This is the first time I have taken a vacation in months and when we get back, I have Pod camp New York to look forward to. Unfortunately, the pod camp is the same weekend as the Dogwood Delirium here in Central Virginia. So, once again I will have to settle for hearing about all the over eating and drinking along with the usual general mayhem and embarrassing moments from other club members. If you happen to be in Central Virginia and weekend of April 25th consider joining the 7hills gang. Check the rally website which has all the detail as to where to go when. On a note that includes scooter information you ldquo;cannot live withoutrdquo; I have an interview with Iggy Granger from England on this week's podcast. Now you may say you don't know Iggy, but if you read Scootering or any of the other scooter magazines, you have probably read one of his reviews. He is a prolific writer who has spent most of his life around scooters and in pursuit of the scooter lifestyle. He has a dream job as an independent scooter test and travels about England and Europe reviewing the newest scooters and organizing some of England's biggest scooter rallies. Check out his website and his book. Blog updates Really only one story to report. Steve Williams of Scooter in the Sticks is closing the book on scooter blogging, but keeping his writing and photography pursuits going around other topics. Check out his blog for more information Music for this show is from the Podsafe Music Network Preacher by Rick Fowler SCTRCST,Podcast,,Scoot,Culture sctrcst@gmail.com no No http://sctrcst.com/2008/04/16/back-from-key-west-florida-but-awol/ http://sctrcst.com/2008/04/16/back-from-key-west-florida-but-awol/#comments Thu, 17 Apr 2008 02:33:17 +0000 admin http://sctrcst.com/?p=221 http://sctrcst.com/2008/04/16/back-from-key-west-florida-but-awol/feed/ http://sctrcst.com/2008/04/06/episode-56-selling-scooter-parts-on-ebay/ http://sctrcst.com/2008/04/06/episode-56-selling-scooter-parts-on-ebay/#comments Sun, 06 Apr 2008 20:10:29 +0000 admin http://sctrcst.com/?p=218 http://sctrcst.com/2008/04/06/episode-56-selling-scooter-parts-on-ebay/feed/ 23:35 SHOW NOTES: Spring continues to blossom here in Richmond and that means both warm and cold days. I feel sorry for our friends up north ... SHOW NOTES: Spring continues to blossom here in Richmond and that means both warm and cold days. I feel sorry for our friends up north who by this time must be praying for spring to come. It seems like scooters are coming out of the woodwork around here and I have been able to ride several time this week without having to bundle up of worry about the weather. Despite all this, Marcel and I will be heading south this week to spend a few days in Key West Florida taking in the sun and generally lounging around. As I understand it, scooting is a way of life in Key West This is the first time I have taken a vacation in months and when we get back, I have Pod camp New York to look forward to. Unfortunately, the pod camp is the same weekend as the Dogwood Delirium here in Central Virginia. So, once again I will have to settle for hearing about all the over eating and drinking along with the usual general mayhem and embarrassing moments from other club members. If you happen to be in Central Virginia and weekend of April 25th consider joining the 7hills gang. Most of you know that my Vespa Sprint has a new engine in it. What I haven't talked about is how this has left me with a bunch of spare parts. I happen to be one of those people who rarely throws anything away. As I laid everything out and looked at the blown crank bearing again I notice that almost everything else was in pretty good shape. Dave the mechanic had shown me some damage on the inside of the engine case, but for the most part, everything else was OK, the clutch assembly, the cylinder head, the gear changer and a whole lot more. It has been a long time since I have bought and sold on Ebay. For a while I was very active trading spare BMW parts, old computer components and other electronics. I think that the experience has changed a lot over the years. It use to be that buy on Ebay was like trading with your next door neighbor. Now you never know who you are dealing with and as I understand it, there are fewer auctions taking place and more fix price items than ever before. Hopefully all the Ebay scooterist will find my spares interesting and I expect the bidders will be like most of the rest of the scooter community, honest. Scooter Blog Posts 2strokebuzz - ldquo;Have it your wayrdquo; with Honda? Who Rides A Vespa - Vespa Canada launched the Vespa-head campaign Vespadition gets news paper article ndash; Matua starts his trip in CA Music for this show is from the Podsafe Music Network Ready to Go by Ben Cooper Empty streets by the The Gentleman Callers Everything,else,,SCTRCST,Podcast sctrcst@gmail.com no No http://sctrcst.com/2008/03/30/episode-55-alix-and-her-scooter-peace-ride/ http://sctrcst.com/2008/03/30/episode-55-alix-and-her-scooter-peace-ride/#comments Sun, 30 Mar 2008 20:24:29 +0000 admin http://sctrcst.com/2008/03/30/episode-55-alix-and-her-scooter-peace-ride/ http://sctrcst.com/2008/03/30/episode-55-alix-and-her-scooter-peace-ride/feed/ 41:14 SHOWNOTES: ScootRichmond did a fantastic job on the installation of the LML 150 engine in my Vespa Sprint. I have had time to take a ... SHOWNOTES: ScootRichmond did a fantastic job on the installation of the LML 150 engine in my Vespa Sprint. I have had time to take a closer look at it and the workmanship that including rewiring to a 12 volt system makes a big difference in the lights. Hopefully it will prove to be more reliable. I guess that's another free plug for ScootRichmond, but I mean it as a plug for building a relationship with your local scooter shop. When you have an established relationship, they are more likely to go above and beyond to give you good scooter information and make sure you are happy with their work. Before I prattle on too much about the usual scoot stuff, I want to tell you about a unique conversation with Alix from Peace Scooter on this week's Scootercast. Alix is a person who speaks with amazing clarity and purpose. During our conversation she talked about her upcoming 20,000 mile ride for PEACE. Most people might ask the obvious, ldquo;are you some kind of fanatic?rdquo; But for Alix it is much more personal and the ride is a natural extension of her view of life. Since completing the first half of her PEACE ride last year (here is link to the CNN coverage), she has been planning and blogging about this years ride with the kind of enthusiasm a child has in anticipating a birthday. The ride will start in Washington D.C. On May 2nd and the route will circle the USA ending back in D.C. Along the way she plans to blog, post video, volunteer, mingle and generally commune with all kinds of people asking only one question, ldquo;how do you define PEACE in your life?rdquo; Over the course of the next few months I'll try to check-in with her and get an update on the ride. Go over to the website and throw some support her way. This is a very good interview, not because of me, but because of what Alix has to say. Although a little longer than most shows, it is worth taking the time to listen too. Music for this show I Got Sunshine by Sarah Vonderhaar Love is in the Atmosphere by Kerry Politzer SCTRCST,Podcast,,Scoot,Culture sctrcst@gmail.com no No http://sctrcst.com/2008/03/25/episode-54-changing-the-scootercast-website/ http://sctrcst.com/2008/03/25/episode-54-changing-the-scootercast-website/#comments Wed, 26 Mar 2008 02:07:19 +0000 admin http://sctrcst.com/2008/03/25/episode-54-changing-the-scootercast-website/ http://sctrcst.com/2008/03/25/episode-54-changing-the-scootercast-website/feed/ 24:04 SHOWNOTES: I am planning some changes on the website and want to know what you think about the idea. Last week when I put up ... SHOWNOTES: I am planning some changes on the website and want to know what you think about the idea. Last week when I put up the link to Vespadition, I noticed that several of the posts that included links to Peter Moore and Christian Bauer's websites had fallen off the front page of the website. One way of fixing this is to increase the number of posts that appear here, but then the page gets to be very long and who wants to have to scroll and scroll just to find a link. So I have been considering changing up the format of the site and plan to keep a picture link to my most recent guests right at the top of the page. Another website issue that plagues podcasters is the question of monetization. For the common folk, this mean ldquo;how do you make money to defray the cost of bandwidth.rdquo; But before I head off in this or any other direction, I want to know what you think. Are you interested in this kind of this stuff, you know sctrcst t-shirts, buttons and other good SCTRCST crap. I would hate to do anything to make you, my audience, feel like I was just pimping for pennies. On a completely different subject, I picked up my 1966 Vespa Sprint at ScootRichmond. It has a clean, shinny, new LML 150cc engine and I got my break-in instructions from Dave the mechanic, which synthesize down to ldquo;don't ride it like you usually ride itrdquo;. This translated into keeping it under 60 kph, that's 37.28 mph for those of you keeping track. Coming home I could feel the difference in power and responsiveness and can't wait until it is broken in, should be about 300 k according to Dave. Apparently he installs a larger main jet to keep people like me from over doing it in the beginning and after break in, changes the oil and swaps out the jet so it will accelerate as it suppose to. This is probably a good safety measure for me to have, I do like to go fast. Maybe like you, I listen to lots of podcasts, especially those that have to do with tech. One of those is called net@nite, hosted by Leo Laporte and Amber MacArthur. Leo is a longtime tech broadcaster who teams up with all kinds of people to produce podcasts and in this case he is working with an entertaining fresh face from Toronto. This past week, they talked about a website named Animoto. It is an on-line application that automatically generates a professionally produced video. There are really only three steps to the process. 1) Select your images and download them to the site, 2) choose your music, and 3) finalize some details as to how you want your video to look. You can produce the 30 sec clips for free, but I recommend signing up for $30 per year which gives you unlimited access to longer produce videos. If you want to see what a short clip looks like, checkout the one below. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wg25a0RbfOI Blogs Posts 2 strokebuzz - Josh from Scoot Mag and the silent auction to help him out MBI Awards ndash; Mostly about motorcycles except MP3 Vespadition ndash; Changing his route Music for this show is from the Podsafe Music Network Cant Help Myself by Kyoshi Dumb by 21 Against Podcast Sell-Out by Smart Bomb Radio SCTRCST,Podcast sctrcst@gmail.com no No http://sctrcst.com/2008/03/16/episode-53-vespadition-scooter-ride-30000-miles/ http://sctrcst.com/2008/03/16/episode-53-vespadition-scooter-ride-30000-miles/#comments Mon, 17 Mar 2008 03:55:43 +0000 admin http://sctrcst.com/?p=203 http://sctrcst.com/2008/03/16/episode-53-vespadition-scooter-ride-30000-miles/feed/ 39:45 SHOWNOTES: I took time yesterday to get out and ride my new Vespa GTS. It was the longest ride I have taken in ... SHOWNOTES: I took time yesterday to get out and ride my new Vespa GTS. It was the longest ride I have taken in months. I guess that means that my life has settled down a bit, work has become more manageable and I even have more time to spend with Marcel at home, although I have been in the garage a lot, not her usual hangout. On the podcast I am always saying ldquo;email me, give me ideas, tell me what you think?rdquo; Well, apparently some of you really do think I mean what I say. As a result I got a recent email from Roy from the Greater Vancouver Vespa Riders. He wrote to tell me about their rally coming up in June 27-29 happening at Golden Ears Provincial Park something I considered trying to make, but later I found out that we are going to be there early in June. In addition to the rally, Roy pointed out that a fellow named Peter was planning a 30,000 mile scooter trip across the US and Canada and suggested I talk with him. There are a lot of people on the web posing and proposing to do all kinds of things. If you're like me, you probably get all kinds of emails suggesting donating to one cause or another, or even more blatantly, just asking you to send money. I have talked about several good causes in the past, like Alix's PEACE Scooter ride and Scooter Relief, but have been reluctant to tout others for fear of suggesting support for something that really was a scam. With Vespadition I did what any good blogger would do, I Googled the hell out of it and looked at everything that was written in the forums. Some might say ldquo;why is a guy who blindly bought a scooter off Craig's list, from a stranger so questioning?rdquo; I thought maybe that maybe my luck was going to run out, but then I remembered something Peter Moore said to me several weeks ago, ldquo;I think the default is that most people are goodrdquo; and after my speaking with Matua, I think he is right. Make sure you listen to this week's show and interview. On another note, for those of you who have asked, I am still waiting on my new Icon Armor to arrive. I reorder, because the first supplier put everything on backorder. Yesterday I got a FedEx notice that it was shipped and scheduled for delivery this week. In the mean time, several emails suggested other products such as a ReVit Jacket which Carlos says doesn't have the same sag in the armor that my Firstgear does. The brand looks very good, although a bit pricey and they have a whole line of riding gear including rain wear and mesh. I want to note that the blogger from Heinz and Frenchie in SoFlo the congratulated me on my new GTS. In a comment he said ldquo;We agree with you that one falls in love with the beauty of the Vespa. There is nothing like it. We shopped for many months and anguished over buying another brand to save money as we were buying two scooters. But every time we saw a Vespa we drooled over it. So we decided that if we purchased anything else we would always wish we had a Vespa. We are very happy with ours." It got me thinking that maybe I need to be considering an appropriate name for her. A caller from England told me he is making a pilgrimage to the Italy hoping for a vintage find. Many of you may know that Italy has been trying to get most vintage Vespas off the road for a number of years. They have been offering owners money for taking them out of service. This means you don't see many older Vespas. I know from my own hunting over there, that the desirable scoots, like the GS and 180ss, are hard to come by and are more expensive than the smaller daily riders. When I return in the fall, I plan on visiting Peter Moore's friend Marco Quaretta, who has a shop in Livorno. Marco's email use to be waspmaster@libero.it Music for this show is from the Podsafe Music Network Drinkin' On Sunday Afternoon by Patric Carlson #38; Bluebirds Figure It Out GreenTaRA SCTRCST,Podcast,,Scoot,News sctrcst@gmail.com no No http://sctrcst.com/2008/03/10/episode-52-new-vespa-verses-old-vespa/ http://sctrcst.com/2008/03/10/episode-52-new-vespa-verses-old-vespa/#comments Tue, 11 Mar 2008 03:29:39 +0000 admin http://sctrcst.com/?p=201 http://sctrcst.com/2008/03/10/episode-52-new-vespa-verses-old-vespa/feed/ 25:17 SHOWNOTES: Like most of you, I have developed my scooter interests over a long period of time and have been influenced by the things I ... SHOWNOTES: Like most of you, I have developed my scooter interests over a long period of time and have been influenced by the things I have read, people I have met and the unexplainable. There are many scooterist who are utilitarian. They ride for lots of reasons, but mostly because of the efficiency or the ease of commuting. Where I am going with all of this, is to talking about what motivates each of us to take up an activity that sometimes is dirty, sometimes dangerous and other times just an outlet for never having really grown up. In my case it is definitely the last thing I mentioned. For the past three months I have perused the scooter magazines like I use to do with the Sears Christmas Catalog, marking all the pages, circling the things I wanted, weighing the pros and cons of this scoot over that scoot. Two weeks ago I ended up on Craig's list. Did I mention that I and a chronic window shopper? When ever I get questions about looking for used scoots, I suggest, "first go to Craig's list", because you get a good idea what is available in your area and as long as you steer away from all the Chinese junk, you'll be fine. Well, in my case, a dream machine appeared. It was a 2006 Vespa GTS. I knew that I couldn't afford a new GTS, so this seemed almost too good to be true. It was fairly priced and had only 1300 miles on it. After an email and talking with the owner, who had the interesting name of Fox, I rented an Enterprise cargo van and headed up to Maryland. Of course, on the way there I got lost, that is to be expected, but when I arrived Fox proved to be a fascinating character who is a bit of a celebrity in his community. Fox has quite a history, although I didn't hear all of it. He appears to be an adventurous type who walks with a slight limp from his motorcycle racing days. He apparently has owned just about every brand of motorcycle or scooter around. So why dump this beautiful scoot? ldquo;I am tired of it and I'm on to other things.rdquo; I considered Fox's ADD, my good fortune and with the help of his friend Mike, loaded the scooter up for the trip back to Richmond. All I could think about when I left Fox was getting back and eating, but every time I looked in the review mirror, the headlight of that elegant bike stared right back at me. It was then that I realized that after all the dreaming and talking and even your suggestions, I had come back to the Vespa for one specific reason, it is beautiful. I have aways been a sucker for the Italian sense of style and this new scoot has it. How do these things happen? In my world things happen for a reason, and although I don't know why this has happened, I plan on enjoying it. I'm not giving up on my old classics, but at least I will have a scooter that feels like a part of the family and will fit in with all the rest. Blog Posts The new 2008 Amerivespa site up and running. The site has a beautiful art deco picture for this year's event. Jon, who runs the Yamaha Zuma Forum sent me an email several weeks ago to reminded me that there are other scooterist out there. Take a look at their forum and join their Friday or Saturday evening Chat. Music for this show is from the Podsafe Music Network Beatriz Bombskare Cant Help Myself Kyoshi Generic Podcast Promo - Braithewaite Peeper Radio Theatre One too many two times The Gentleman Callers 4,stroke,scoots,,SCTRCST,Podcast sctrcst@gmail.com no No http://sctrcst.com/2008/03/05/episode-51-john-and-bimbo-talk-about-manila-scooting/ http://sctrcst.com/2008/03/05/episode-51-john-and-bimbo-talk-about-manila-scooting/#comments Thu, 06 Mar 2008 04:35:28 +0000 admin http://sctrcst.com/?p=197 http://sctrcst.com/2008/03/05/episode-51-john-and-bimbo-talk-about-manila-scooting/feed/ 41:11 SHOWNOTES: I hope you got a chance to listen to last week's episode. Vespa travel author Peter Moore and I spoke about traveling, scooters and ... SHOWNOTES: I hope you got a chance to listen to last week's episode. Vespa travel author Peter Moore and I spoke about traveling, scooters and the process of writing, If you missed it I highly recommend that you go back and listen. Once again, this week I have some old friends back. I spoke with both Bimbo Isidro and John Rana, Vespa bloggers from the Philippines. The conference type call was a fun opportunity to catch up with both Bimbo and John and talk about what has been happening on a totally different front in the scooting world. I can tell from the traffic reports that we have more and more fans joining us from Europe and even south America. It seems that my recent reports and mechanical problems with my little Vietnamese resto has plucked a few heart strings. As you might expect, I have gotten the expected, ldquo;southeast Asian resto imports are craprdquo; emails, but most of you have been quite nice about all of it. Like many of you, I have a rather extensive web of Internet friends from around the world. I have connected with most of these people since having started my blog and podcast. The Internet makes it easy to keep in touch and I must admit, I like the idea that I can instant message or chat, without having to plan Two of the most unlikely friends I have made are half way around the world in Manila. Both are very involved in the Vespa Club of the Philippines. Many thanks to my Pinoy friends who spent time talking about their scooter scene. Get over to see their websites, Who Rides a Vespa and Vespinoy. I should also remind you that Bimbo also runs Motorcycle Philippines forum with more than 64 thousand registered members. Now those are some big numbers. Harvey in Ottawa wrote me to suggest that I send the SCTRCST t-shirt he had won to Paula in Denver Colorado. Now that name might not mean anything to you, but those of you who live in Colorado or follow the blog world might have heard that Paula was riding her Buddy scooter when she was hit and seriously injured, just a few weeks ago. Harvey was hoping to win the Ipod and was planning on sending it to her. He had been reading about her on the Scooter Relief website. The group has raised thousands of dollars to with the help of the national scooter community, clubs, individuals and shops and have distributed these funds to all Katrina survivors and victims of scooter accidents and some facing serious illness. You can find out more about Paula and others by going over to the website. Music from the Podsafe Music Network Trouser Load of Love The Mod-est Lads Music from Ariel's Cyber PR Started Out Right The Ugly Stick SCTRCST,Podcast,,Scoot,Culture sctrcst@gmail.com no No http://sctrcst.com/2008/02/27/episode-50-peter-moore-author-of-vroom-with-a-view/ http://sctrcst.com/2008/02/27/episode-50-peter-moore-author-of-vroom-with-a-view/#comments Wed, 27 Feb 2008 23:35:54 +0000 admin http://sctrcst.com/?p=195 http://sctrcst.com/2008/02/27/episode-50-peter-moore-author-of-vroom-with-a-view/feed/ 39:10 SHOWNOTES: This is episode fifty (50) and yes, the picture above is the famous Vespa travel author Peter Moore. Several weeks ago he ... SHOWNOTES: This is episode fifty (50) and yes, the picture above is the famous Vespa travel author Peter Moore. Several weeks ago he talked with me from London. Although it seems unlikely, especially if you listen to the scooter podcast, you may have never heard of Peter. On his website you will find you have been missing one of the best literary travel experiences and you can also get a scooter fix. You have missed No Shitting in the Toilet, The Wrong Way Home and for those the Vespa fans Vroom with a View. Peter is an humorous Australian who has a great story to tell about growing up infatuated with the scooters and if you are at all like me, you will be fascinated with his how he was able to lived out his dream of riding about and around Italy for months on a Vespa. Peter is an unlikely scooter expert. As a matter of fact he does not call himself a scooter expert at all, having come to scootering only in the last few years. But make no mistake, he is a dedicated fan who owns three scooters and has taken his love of travel and mixed it up with the idea that when you travel, who you meet along the way and the experience you have with them may be more rewarding than any tourist site you may see. On another note, Thanks again to everyone who has emailed me and encouraged me to keep punching out podcasts. Fifty episodes in this podcasting space is a milestone, by anyone's measure. I would specifically like to thank everyone listens, but especially those of you who have phoned with questions, ideas and even criticisms. You have helped define what SCTRCST has become and will continue to be. In February hundreds of listeners register to win the SCTRCST Ipod. I wish I could give away an Ipod to all of you, but unfortunately I only have one and that one is going to David Huskins in North Carolina. David even called the voice mail line to say thanks. As a consultation prize I am also sending SCTRCST t-shirts out to Eric, Alex, Jim and several other listeners as soon as I hear back from them. The rest of you, you are going to have to settle for another podcast, delivered shortly, in just a few more days. I will have a follow up from Scoot Richmond where they are all about the installation of the LML motor in my Vespa Sprint and I also have another treat, a conversation from the Philippines with John Rana and Bimbo Isidro from Who Rides a Vespa and Vespinoy. Music for this show is from the Podsafe Music Network Friday Night by Andreas Weise Talk About Your Feelings by Josh Woodward SCTRCST,Podcast,,Scoot,Culture sctrcst@gmail.com no No http://sctrcst.com/2008/02/20/episode-49-protective-riding-gear/ http://sctrcst.com/2008/02/20/episode-49-protective-riding-gear/#comments Thu, 21 Feb 2008 03:02:35 +0000 admin http://sctrcst.com/?p=189 http://sctrcst.com/2008/02/20/episode-49-protective-riding-gear/feed/ 25:14 SHOWNOTES:You may remember that a while back I took the plunge and bought some real riding gear. I have been riding for years and had ... SHOWNOTES:You may remember that a while back I took the plunge and bought some real riding gear. I have been riding for years and had never upgraded my outerwear for either safety or fashion. For some reason I started thinking about how it would be safer if I took the possibility of crashing more seriously and I ended up going for a Firstgear Meshtex Jacket and a HJC full face helmet. The helmet has been the best purchase I have made in a long time. Although it blocks out a lot of sound, I like the way that it it keeps my whole face protected from the wind and bugs. Before, I had just become a custom to the sting a bug makes when it hits your face, thinking that it was a part of the riding experience. Let me tell you, it is not. Many riding jackets have armor built in. Mine seems to shift around, mostly inside the elbows of the jacket and never seems to fit right. I like is the mesh design, which keeps me warm but also lets in just enough air to keep me cool as the seasons change. Don't think I am planning on pitching the jacket, but several weeks ago Steve on the Scooter Scoop showed a riding armor alternative which I think is worth considering. Its called Icon Field Armor. Instead of being built into your riding gear, it is armor that straps on under your clothing and allows you to make your usual fashion statement without sacrificing your safety. It seems to offer all the same protection points, chest, shoulders, back, elbows, knees and legs. For me it will mean I will be able to build my riding wardrobe around the essential sweatshirt/jeans combination and not have to worry so much about the consequence of bouncing off a hard road surface. All this talk about new safety gear is not just some whimsical review of new clothing options. I noticed several weeks ago that there were a number of blogger and forum posts talking about recent crashes or close calls. Each seemed to document the sheer stupidity of people driving big over-sized SUVs, proving the old riding adage that just when you think you have thought of everything, the unexpected happens. For many years I have been a rather cautious rider, some might even say pessimistic or paranoid, But like other things in life, you have to ask your self, ldquo;does it work?rdquo; For me the answer is yes. Since blowing up my Vespa Sprint, I now face the prospect of getting back a hopped up version of the old girl. With great excitement and anticipation, I am looking at a brand new 150 LML engine mounted in a bike that is pounds lighter the Genuine Stella it is usually pushing. From everything I hear and read on the interwebs it seems that this is quite the little power plant. I am going with the no oil injection, 5-port, 150cc motor. It has electronic ignition and reed valve induction and Dave the mechanic tells me he will switch out some of the scooter's wiring harness to get the lights working with the new 12 volt system. It should mean better reliability and more power and of course, give me a good reason to invest in some new armor protection to match the prospect of all the increased horse power. I am not planning on changing my riding style, I just have the option to go faster and we all know what that will means. Scooter Blog Posts and News Two Close Calls Too Many at Little Billy's Scooter Tales The (Potential) High Cost of Riding at Scooter in the Sticks Surgery is over, now it's time to mend at Dion's Random Ramblings Music for this show is from the Podsafe Music Network Soccer Mom by Olio She's Got My Darts by Curiosity Shop Olive Garden by Paul and Storm Revolution Blues by Billy Jones 2,stroke,scoots,,SCTRCST,Podcast sctrcst@gmail.com no No http://sctrcst.com/2008/02/12/episode-48-scooter-meltdown-but-there-is-hope/ http://sctrcst.com/2008/02/12/episode-48-scooter-meltdown-but-there-is-hope/#comments Wed, 13 Feb 2008 04:02:23 +0000 admin http://sctrcst.com/?p=187 http://sctrcst.com/2008/02/12/episode-48-scooter-meltdown-but-there-is-hope/feed/ 00:01:01 Show notes: If you have been listening to the show for any length of time, you have heard me talk about my three Vespa ... Show notes: If you have been listening to the show for any length of time, you have heard me talk about my three Vespa beauties. My first is a 1981 P200e with a sidecar. It is still my main ride and is always a eye catcher because it has a California sidecar. Another is my classic 1965 Vespa 180ss, a Red Italian beauty that I pamper, that sleeps under a blanket, the one that gets a gentle soapy sponge bath, never the direct spray of the hose. An then there is my little '67 150 Sprint, which I finally will say, "yes I ride the ..... out it". I'm sure you know the riding technique, crank it wide open and see if you can get just a few more miles per hour out of her. Although I have mentioned it in passing a few times, I have tried not to bring too much attention to the fact that my Sprint is one of those...yes you know what I mean, dare I even say it? A Vietnamese import. She came to this country as a refugee almost 10 years ago, just when the first bikes were making their way from overseas. It wasn't easy to get her through customs, but she made her way to Denver and lived for a time in Texas with me, until I brought her to the east coast. She is a long way from home. I was a bit stunned this past week, when on one of the scooter forums a member wrote about wanting to buy such an Asian scooter. There was more that one response, but the first was most telling, it said ldquo;YOU ARE NOT WELCOME HERErdquo;. I thought, oh my god, that could be me, am I going to have to remain hidden, live with the secret and shame that at one point in my life, I too was an uninformed neophyte? But then again, not everyone is so judgmental. I have delayed the show for a couple of days so I could report to you on the findings of diagnostic Dave, my local scooter mechanic. He and Chelsea at ScootRichmond have always been supporters of the show and even in my current state of scooter embarrassment for having over taxed the little girl, they have never made me feel stupid. Thanks to both of them. Check the podcast for a report on the current state of my bike. I think you will enjoy the phone call and the good natured ribbing Chelsea gives me and I give myself for living on the edge, with this illegal alien scooter. Scooter Blog Posts You must check out the redesign of 2 Strokebuzz Music for this show is from the Podsafe Music Network HARLEY DAVIDSON for a man to sing Linda Sublett-Warner Rooster Blues Davis Coen Dumb 21 Against 2,stroke,scoots,,SCTRCST,Podcast sctrcst@gmail.com no No http://sctrcst.com/2008/02/05/episode-47-scooting-in-richmond-va/ http://sctrcst.com/2008/02/05/episode-47-scooting-in-richmond-va/#comments Tue, 05 Feb 2008 12:41:04 +0000 admin http://sctrcst.com/?p=185 http://sctrcst.com/2008/02/05/episode-47-scooting-in-richmond-va/feed/ 26:13 Shownotes : I don't know what more I can ask for, it was almost seventy degrees here today. Having worked so much in January, I ... Shownotes : I don't know what more I can ask for, it was almost seventy degrees here today. Having worked so much in January, I had a nice afternoon of riding planned. But as you might expect, work again, interfered with recreation and I spent the afternoon at the Virginia legislature, listening to the big wigs argue about money. But then again, such is the business of the people and I did sign on to this gig. What had really gotten me hyped up, was another beautiful Virginia weekend. It was in the sixties and just right for wrenching a bit on my scooters and spending part of Sunday riding out in the country. You may not remember, but I live in Richmond, a small city hoping to fool everyone else into thinking it is a big city. The truth is, we operate like any other small town in America. Plenty of hopes and dreams mixed up with lots of southern tradition, small town political bickering and easy access to some of the most beautiful countryside in the United States. So yesterday morning I took off and road out old highway six, past the McMansions, horse farms and an occasional civil war plantation house. As usual my little sidecar Vespa hummed along catching glanced from all kinds of city and country folks. Probably like you I always get the thumbs up and the smiling wave, but yesterday I had something altogether new happen. I mentioned that I took off in the morning, but what I didn't say was that I had skipped my usual bowl of Honey-nut Cheerios, oh yes they are a heart health breakfast. I took the New York times along with me planning to stop for a late morning breakfast. Now I am a rather solitary guy and when I do this I also take my Ipod and sit quietly at the local diner eating, reading and catching up on podcasts. Much to my surprise, a guy comes up and asks, "are you riding the Vespa?" When I say yes, he says that he saw me about two miles up the road, turned around and told his wife he had to talk with me. Come to find out, he too has a Vespa P200 along with a new GT and lived just down the road. But that was a first, he actually tracked me down to talk with me about my or his scoot. I was even able to give him a lead on a Vespa sidecar that has shown up here in Richmond. In other news, I finally took the plunge and joined the Motorcycle Bloggers International (MBI) For those of you who aren't familiar with this group, it is an association of bloggers who write about riding all kinds of two wheeled vehicles. I have watched this site for over a year and was impressed when Steve Williams at Scooter in the Sticks won last year's ldquo;blogger of the yearrdquo; award. It was then I decided I had to have him on the show. MBI has all the big guns in our blogging world as members, which is why I never thought I really belonged in that group. Maybe there is something about having survived for a full year that has given me a little more courage, but I said, sure why not and since they didn't reject me. Make sure you go over and check out some of the other bloggers. They are a classy bunch of guys and girls. I hope I can live up to all the self imposed expectations. Scooter Blog Post and News One of my heroes, too cool, Lou Reed did an ad for Honda Scooters, What was he thinking? Scooterplace has pictures of unusual and old scooters in their natural environment. Check out the upcoming German based Custom Scooter Show. Piaggio-Vespa is set for a comeback in India. Look at Honky-Tonky Dragon website, just because Ben is so damn good at posting interesting stuff. Music for this show is from the Podsafe Music Network Birds by ENRi From Me To You by Jeriko Holmes in 30 Seconds - The Six Napoleons Peeper Radio Theatre Be My Friend by Geoff Smith SCTRCST,Podcast,,Scoot,Culture sctrcst@gmail.com no No http://sctrcst.com/2008/01/27/episode-46-un-anno-di-sctrcst-podcasts/ http://sctrcst.com/2008/01/27/episode-46-un-anno-di-sctrcst-podcasts/#comments Mon, 28 Jan 2008 03:09:41 +0000 admin http://sctrcst.com/?p=181 http://sctrcst.com/2008/01/27/episode-46-un-anno-di-sctrcst-podcasts/feed/ 29:30 SHOWNOTES: You may not know that this is year to the day that I launch the Scootercast web site and posted the first podcast. It ... SHOWNOTES: You may not know that this is year to the day that I launch the Scootercast web site and posted the first podcast. It is an amazing milestone given that I always wonder if I can keep it going beyond the next few months. Much of the shows success and my persistence has to do with you the audience who have given me lots of encouragement and direction. Along with ldquo;don't do thatrdquo;, you have suggested everything from audio improvements to topics like long distance riding, purchasing a scooter, winter riding, rallies and of course music. It seems you either like the music or don't, everyone has an opinion. So this is the point at which I must pause and thank a few supporters. First to thanks Chelsea over at ScootRichmond. Chelsea was the first person to submit to the rigor of my amateur questions along with my bumbling remote recording skills. She has continued to be a supporter of the show along with Dave Munn and all the folks at ScootRichmond. Second, thanks to Steve Williams from Scooter in the Sticks. Steve has also been on the show and has been for me and many other bloggers, a great literary and content inspiration. Over the past year I have spoke to or exchanged emails with dozens of scooter bloggers, who all point to Steve as an influencing factor in their own development. He is both a gracious individual and a talented writer. Last week I spoke briefly about interviewing Steve, formerly full time scooper over at the The Scooter Scoop. I was lucky to track Steve down for an interview on Wednesday. He is spending most his time preparing for the International Dealer Expo in Indianapolis and working on strategies for dealer support as Diamo looks to build it's brand and reputation back up here in the US. We talked about Italjet's plans for the coming year and his transition from the Scooter Scoop to full time scooter pimping. And I mean that in the best way possible, Steve. So thanks again to Steve for the interview and best of luck in your new venture. Like I was saying earlier, I have so many people to thank for fantastic first year. It's hard to believe that the show has garnered so much interest and support. My apologies if I left anyone out. I mention your names on this week's show, so go and listen. So here goes my effort to thank all of you and please forgive me if I leave anyone out, but I will do my best to give credit to everyone who continues to contribute and make this a success. So here's my thanks to you, a SCTRCST engraved Ipod Nano. Now don't think this is some cast off first gen Nano. This is a brand new Ipod Nano with all the SCTRCST episodes pre-loaded. Look here on the site for the sign up box. Enter your email and you at in. There is only one entry per listener and at the end of February on the last show of the month I will pick a winner from all the entries. I haven't figured it our yet, but as usual, there will be some consolation prizes. Music for this show is from the Podsafe Music Network Andreas Weise with Take me Higher Admiral Twin with Better than Nothing at All SCTRCST,Podcast,,Scoot,News sctrcst@gmail.com no No http://sctrcst.com/2008/01/22/episode-45-stella-is-back-and-i-am-working-too-much/ http://sctrcst.com/2008/01/22/episode-45-stella-is-back-and-i-am-working-too-much/#comments Tue, 22 Jan 2008 14:16:06 +0000 admin http://sctrcst.com/?p=178 http://sctrcst.com/2008/01/22/episode-45-stella-is-back-and-i-am-working-too-much/feed/ 27:37 SHOWNOTES: Thanks to Ben over at Honky Tonk Dragon for his post acknowledging the mild stone, one year of podcasting and web posts. I won't ... SHOWNOTES: Thanks to Ben over at Honky Tonk Dragon for his post acknowledging the mild stone, one year of podcasting and web posts. I won't spend a lot of time this week talking about all that, but rather will save it for next week. Steve Guzman from the Scooter Scoop, sounds over the moon about his new job with Italjet. It also seems that the rush of preparing for an upcoming Indianapolis Dealer Expo next month, makes it tough to track him down for a full length interview. He has assured me that we will talk and at that point we'll hear a whole lot more about what the LS Motorsports and Diamo. He reports that there are big plans for getting strong Diamo products out to the public and that he has been to the new warehouse to see for himself that this is not just another promise. Steve has always a wealth of information and is honest about what he considers to be good product and also things that are crap. Stay tuned. It has been hard to keep up with all the news and emails this past week. It wouldn't be nearly as tough if I didn't have a job, but then again I like my job. The month of January is always a non-stop marathon for me. Here in Virginia, it the time the legislature is in session and does it's work. You could say I am a community organizer, but what that really means is I help other people, usually the poor, the disabled, those without health care and the homeless, make themselves known to politicians and the powerful. Like most of you, I have my own escapes and one of those rejuvenating activities is scooting, but since bragging last week about our balmy weather, the weather gods have struck back with a vengeance. When ever I hear the word vengeance I can help but think of my favorite move, Pulp Fiction and Samuel L Jackson saying ldquo;and I will strike down upon thee with great vengeancerdquo; just before he kills someone. I have done a little investigating into the problems I am having with my Vespa Sprint and will need to deliver it to Scoot Richmond for some serious repair. The kick start won't engage and if I try to push start it, it freezes up. Of course I am not looking forward to the diagnosis, but it started me thinking about all the possible performance mods I might be able to make to it. So in the spirit of spring riding I have been careening through the on line catalogs for performance kits and dreaming of breaking the 45 mile an hour speed barrier of my little Asian girl. Yes, I did get this bike over the Internet a number of years ago, from Randal at Scootrs in Vietnam, but thats is a story for another time. (Please don't ban me from the forums) In an effort to dream a little spring into my life I decided to go out to the Richmond International Raceway to a motorcycle show, thinking, maybe they will have a few scooters, just for fun. The quick story is, of course there were no scoots, even at the booth that had a big vinyl sign saying Scooter Works (I wondered if that was trademark infringement). Despite some beautiful machines, most were over the top hard tail frames with ungodly amounts of horsepower stick in them. One of the most incredible ones was by Boss Hoss Cycles, a production bike the size of a large Harley with a 6 liter LS2 Corvette power plant. I am looking forward to some under 250 cc scooting as soon as the weather warms up. Scooter Blog Post and News Skootin Old Skool's post about the Stella Scooter in Seattle Two Stroke Buzz also posts links to a dealer taking shipment of the new Stella Highrollers Weekend rally in Vegas, another reminder it is coming up in February Music for this show is from the Podsafe Music Network Cadillac Woman by Freightrain Jones Telling on Trixie with Dumb Boy Peeper Radio with Holmes in 60 seconds The Moots with Just Let me Know SCTRCST,Podcast,,Scoot,Culture,,Scoot,News sctrcst@gmail.com no No http://sctrcst.com/2008/01/13/episode-44-top-scoop-goes-to-italjet-scooters/ http://sctrcst.com/2008/01/13/episode-44-top-scoop-goes-to-italjet-scooters/#comments Mon, 14 Jan 2008 00:19:15 +0000 admin http://sctrcst.com/?p=173 http://sctrcst.com/2008/01/13/episode-44-top-scoop-goes-to-italjet-scooters/feed/ 29:52 #160; SHOWNOTES: There has been a big development in the scooter blogging world. Many of you may know that one of the best scooter blogs for ... #160; SHOWNOTES: There has been a big development in the scooter blogging world. Many of you may know that one of the best scooter blogs for news and information is Steve Guzman's The Scooter Scoop. He always puts up top quality blog posts, lots of outstanding pictures, done with a fantastic sense of humor, both about scooting and about those of us who sometimes take our selves to seriously. In a post on Thursday January 10th, 2008 Steve announced that as if that moment he was ldquo;the official point of contact for Italjet USArdquo; he went on to say that ldquo;LS Motorsports has brought me on board to manage all aspects of Italjet Sales and Marketing.rdquo; which is probably a good things, in that when I looked at the LS site for news, the last post was September 8, 2007. Apparently Steve will be working closely Italjet Moto (Bologna, Italy) to bring the Italjet Dragster as well as the Torpedo, the IT50 back to the US market. We all congratulate Steve and wish him the best of luck. As you might expect, the web buzz started shortly after Steve put up his post. Orin Oniel from Scootin Old Skool, who I have decided must be on the Internet 24/7, he seems to be live all the time on all the social networks, must never sleep, was one of the first to comment on Steve's post and later to post the news to his own blog. In his post he includes on of the classic pictures of Steve with a drink and cigar in his hand, sitting in what must be one of Austin, Texas' famous local juke joints. Steve posted this picture on his blog a while back and I always have like the look on his face, kind of like, ldquo;go ahead, just piss me off and see what happensrdquo;. As you might expect Brian Bedall over at 2stokebuzz also picked up on the story and put the news into some context with references to past 2strokebuzz posts about Italjet and Lsmotorsports not delivering on promises to bring scoots to the US. It was nice to see was Steve responding quickly and honestly to Brian's post commenting that his ldquo;report (about Italjet) ended up being wishful thinking for everybody.rdquo; I found out later that one of the main reasons for the delay was a manufacturing snafu." So it seems that Steve is already doing his job and doing it well. I think this is the kind of response that we are looking for when asking manufactures about their scooter lines and what is coming to the US. We are looking for honestly and hopefully Steve brings this to the table with the big boys. One of the things that I have learned is that we all have principles and values, but the real proof of our resolve is when we face a real challenge to those principles. When ever money enters the picture it is surprising how quickly one's values can be compromised and how often rationalizations are substituted for good judgment. I am consistently amazed how the big boys always think that we don't recognize the difference between what they say and what they do. One of the things I have always liked about The Scooter Scoop is you never had to guess where Steve stood on the issues. He seems like an honest, straight-up kind of guy. I suspect he will take all this with him into his new job and it appears to be a good fit for someone who is so well informed about the scooter scene. Even if we don't talk about it, most bloggers and almost all podcaster hope that at some point our passion will morph into a real vocation. You know what I am talking about, having someone pay you for doing something you love. Steve's opportunity gives all us aspiring journalists, writers, critics and producers hope that our ship will come in someday. Scooter Blog Post and News Scoot is now being sold in some new countries Frostina the Scootergirl from Crystal at Girlbike.com Scooterplace ramblings about the lovable Cushman Irish Scooterist Bulliten Board Heinz and Frenchie in SoFlo Music for this show is from the Podsafe Music Network Cool, Collected Calm by One Day Life Jaik Miller... SCTRCST,Podcast,,Scoot,News sctrcst@gmail.com no No http://sctrcst.com/2008/01/09/video-i-mentioned-on-the-scooter-podcast/ http://sctrcst.com/2008/01/09/video-i-mentioned-on-the-scooter-podcast/#comments Thu, 10 Jan 2008 01:46:34 +0000 admin http://sctrcst.com/?p=172 http://sctrcst.com/2008/01/09/video-i-mentioned-on-the-scooter-podcast/feed/ http://sctrcst.com/2008/01/06/episode-43-performace-scooters-my-leap-of-faith/ http://sctrcst.com/2008/01/06/episode-43-performace-scooters-my-leap-of-faith/#comments Sun, 06 Jan 2008 23:48:19 +0000 admin http://sctrcst.com/?p=169 http://sctrcst.com/2008/01/06/episode-43-performace-scooters-my-leap-of-faith/feed/ 29:52 #160; SHOWNOTES: I guess that most of you have seen the Vespa that I use for my Podcast logo. It is a red 1967 Vespa 180ss ... #160; SHOWNOTES: I guess that most of you have seen the Vespa that I use for my Podcast logo. It is a red 1967 Vespa 180ss that I got back in 1998, when I was relatively new to scooting. In late 1990 I started looking for a new scoot and the 180ss or the GS kept coming up, but as I read more I was attracted to the style of the 180, the large frame and unusual trapezoid headlight. I also found out that it was a very difficult scooter to find and was cautioned that if I did fine one it better be complete, because parts, especially side panels were hard to some by. I was an early adopter to buying everything on the web and by that time was purchasing everything from pet supplies to housewares to medication to groceries, yes groceries, anyone remember that? As usual, thanks to the Wayback Machine I can even show you the page where I first saw my scooter advertised. Look here. The shop was Performance Scooters in Toronto. They assured me that the scoot was complete, waiting for paint and had the original engine rebuilt, tested and waiting to be installed. I was excited to have located what sounded like an original bike, so I haggled a bit and settled on $2400 USD. To make a long story short, a crate arrived twelve weeks later and the scooter was even more beautiful than I had expected. The engine work was perfect, with the rebuild having been done to period specs, just as I had talked with them about. In addition, it had an accurate trim package and belched out beautiful puffs of 5 percent, 2stroke smoke on the second kick. Now some of you who have been around for a while might be thinking, Performance Scooters, that sounds familiar, but isn't there another story about them? Like most historical accounts it is tough to go back and sort out fact from fiction, but I consider myself lucky and think that I was probably one of the last customers who dealt with Performance before they started to get into trouble. Performance went into bankruptcy on November 8, 2000. Even when I was dealing with them they werestarting to have trouble. So what were some of the signs? First and foremost, it was a lack of customer service, a common problem with a business that is struggling and usually the thing that finally brings them down. Although there are many reputable scooter dealers these days, I would suggest that there are still a number of scooter businesses that are hanging on by the seat of their pants and you should take this into consideration when you look at buying a scooter or ordering parts. The best measure of good customer service is the relationship a business owner has with their customers. Look for someone who is open and honest and follow your gut feeling. A dealer who doesn't make things right, puts you off or consistently doesn't deliver on their promises is someone to avoid. Ask your friends, ask on the forums and don't think ldquo;they won't treat me that way.rdquo; I was just lucky with my web purchase, but honestly wouldn't do it again. Think about it, I plunked down big money for a scooter unseen from someone I didn't know. Why not just ask someone punch you in the face and take your money? Scooter Blogs My favorite restoration sites: Eric Bambers' Restoration 1967 Vespa SS180 (VSC) 1962 Lambretta TV 175 Restoration Classic Scooter Collector PortedPiston Resources for Vespa GS and180ss Music for this show is from the Podsafe Music Network The Stone Coyotes with Party Down the Hall Geoff Smith with Digg the Code Peeper Theater ndash; Holmes in 30 seconds Midnight Shakes with Just Fine 2,stroke,scoots,,SCTRCST,Podcast sctrcst@gmail.com no No http://sctrcst.com/2008/01/03/momentary-podfade/ http://sctrcst.com/2008/01/03/momentary-podfade/#comments Fri, 04 Jan 2008 01:00:07 +0000 admin http://sctrcst.com/?p=168 http://sctrcst.com/2008/01/03/momentary-podfade/feed/ http://sctrcst.com/2007/12/27/episode-42-italia-bound-and-scooter-wiring-mods/ http://sctrcst.com/2007/12/27/episode-42-italia-bound-and-scooter-wiring-mods/#comments Thu, 27 Dec 2007 12:22:47 +0000 admin http://sctrcst.com/?p=161 http://sctrcst.com/2007/12/27/episode-42-italia-bound-and-scooter-wiring-mods/feed/ 30:01 #160; SHOWNOTES: For those of you who have been watching you can probably tell, I have been tinkering around with the format of the website ... #160; SHOWNOTES: For those of you who have been watching you can probably tell, I have been tinkering around with the format of the website this past week. That should explain why it has been changing, sometimes, minute to minute. I guess there is a way to do all this off line then update the site, but I haven't figured out how to do it that way yet. When I first built the site I set it up to work best in a Firefox browser, the one that I migrated to several years ago. The site seemed to display fine in the Mac Safari browser, but did funny things in Internet Explorer, like throw the sidebar lists to the bottom of the page. Hopefully those of you using Explorer will find this has been fixed and I must say if you have never seen the Firefox browser take a look at it. It is free and seems to run the site beautifully. One of the new features on the SCTRCST website is a new page that includes a photo album. I haven't settled on everything I plan on including, but started by posting some of my pictures from Amerivespa 2007, photos of some of the scooter shops I have been to, photos from our trips to Italy and of course, I had to include a variety of my own family and scooter pictures. I have to admit, none of my photos seems as artistically inspired as some other bloggers, like Steve Williams but it thought that in the service of connecting more with you I would try to give you a better idea of the world I live in and the places I travel. I am still collecting my digital photos, which over the years have gotten spread out across several computers, various CDs and hard drives. I am not completely sure, but think I may also have lost some of my scooter shop pictures when my laptop's hard drive failed the ldquo;drop testrdquo; last month. If you were listening last week, you know we didn't have time to get to Chelsea, at ScootRichmond. She has graciously volunteered to supplement my meager technical expertise and this week is going to answer a listener's question about adding ground effects lighting to his classic scooter. In addition, I will be reviewing some of the week's scooter blog posts and talking about the biggest upcoming scooter events for 2008. Most of you know that Marcel, my wife, has been working in Denver. She is back for two weeks during the holiday and we are making the most of all this time together. Along with all the holiday events, we have been talking about going back to Italy, maybe in the spring to visit her family and catch-up with some of our Italian friends. Although they probably wonrsquo;t be high on Marcelrsquo;s travel list, I am already thinking about all the scooter related options I have to consider in planning our trip. We always go to Florence to stay with friends at Villa Poggio SanFelice. So of course, I have already checked the train schedule, having thought, why not travel just a little farther northwest to the Piaggio factory. Itrsquo;s a short 60 minute train ride to Pontedera and I am sure I can find some shopping for Marcel to do while I am there. Every time one of our scooter friends on the web writes about having gone to Pontedera I end up salivating over the pictures and dreaming of spending the days at the Piaggio Museum and the factory. It is definitely at the top of my site seeing list. It also doesnrsquo;t hurt that it is in one of the great wine making regions of Italy, Tuscany and the of course the food! But that is a whole other podcast show. Stay tuned for a travel update in the New Year and I will keep you informed of our plans Scooter Blog Post 2StokeBuzz post on Scooter Books for the holidays Classic Scooter Collector ruminates on collecting scooters Little Billy writes about Mod Kevin John Rana elected president of the Vespa Club of the Philippines 2 Strokebuzz confirms all the latest buzz about the Genuine Stella 2008 Upcoming Scooter Events Get your scooter calendars out and start writing these dates down. These are just a few of the early spr... SCTRCST,Podcast,,Scoot,News sctrcst@gmail.com no No http://sctrcst.com/2007/12/17/episode-41-interview-with-bobo-on-long-distance-riding-voicemail-206-888-6174/ http://sctrcst.com/2007/12/17/episode-41-interview-with-bobo-on-long-distance-riding-voicemail-206-888-6174/#comments Mon, 17 Dec 2007 11:55:08 +0000 admin http://sctrcst.com/?p=149 http://sctrcst.com/2007/12/17/episode-41-interview-with-bobo-on-long-distance-riding-voicemail-206-888-6174/feed/ 40:48 SHOWNOTES: It's been another long work week which took me to Baltimore and Washington DC, but as usual, the best part was coming home and ... SHOWNOTES: It's been another long work week which took me to Baltimore and Washington DC, but as usual, the best part was coming home and settling back into my routine. Marcel is away in Denver this weekend, so I have spent some extra time putting together a special show. I have another interview for you, this time with a legend of the long distance ride and a active member of the Modern Vespa forum. I want to say thank you for all the email you have been sending and if I haven't gotten back to you yet, please be patient, I will answer you. I have been getting email suggestions for show topics and this show is a direct result of one asking for some discussion about long distance riding. The suggestions was a natural, in that I have been emailing probably one of the best traveled scooterist here in the Untied states, after having met him here in Richmond at the Modern Vespa Workshop. Any of you who belong to the Modern Vespa Forum know him as Bobo. He is Mark Bobotek a veteran of the Cannonball scooter runs and frequent rally attendee. I spoke with Bobo about a week ago, just as one of the first snow was making it's way into the Washington Baltimore area. As you might expect, he had just returned from the west coast where he did a LA to Tucson to Nogales scooter ride and was settling back into being at home with his family. I think you will find that he is personable and interesting, just the kind of person you could feel comfortable striking up a conversation with, even if you were attending your first rally. Check out some of the things we talk about at Bobos website, the Cannonball Run website and the Alaska Bike Run site. This is Patrick's small frame that he rode on the 2006 Cannonball run...it is fast! Thanks to everyone who entered the drawing to win one ldquo;Scooterist,A Way of Liferdquo; by Christian Bauer. I have eight consultation prizes in addition to the DVD and will be email all of you to get your shipping address so I can get those out this week. One of the DVDs goes to Melvin McBride, the other DVD goes to Brian Frobisher. I will mail out a specially designed SCTRCST t-shirt to Carlos, Chad, Errol, Bill, Harvey and Carl. Music for this show is from the Podsafe Music Network Dice with Wait The Hipnotics with I feel it too SCTRCST,Podcast,,Scoot,Culture sctrcst@gmail.com no No http://sctrcst.com/2007/12/09/episode-40-is-scooting-dangerous/ http://sctrcst.com/2007/12/09/episode-40-is-scooting-dangerous/#comments Mon, 10 Dec 2007 03:52:05 +0000 admin http://sctrcst.com/?p=146 http://sctrcst.com/2007/12/09/episode-40-is-scooting-dangerous/feed/ 19:54 SHOWNOTES: On the last show I talked allot about the scooter groups and forums on the web. As a source of information they are fantastic ... SHOWNOTES: On the last show I talked allot about the scooter groups and forums on the web. As a source of information they are fantastic and if you follow them with any regularity you start to get to know the people posting. I mentioned that they operate much like a social community and as a result, you hear about all kinds of things. This past week some of the posts referred to past scooter accidents and injuries and I began to think back to a post by Steve Williams that I had breezed over. Steve had made a reference to how pilots dont talk about crashes and I thought about how I have never really talked about scooters and risk and what I think about every time I take off out of the garage. I had a conversation a while back with Steve where I mentioned the idea that I you ride long enough you inevitably will have an accident. His repose was interesting, he said he had heard about this, but wasn't sure about it. About two months ago his friend John had an accident. As Steve reports it, John ran into the back of a garbage truck and later said, you should be able to stop for something as large as a garbage truck. Now you might be thinking that the next thing I am going to say is, that was me in Johns position many years ago, but it was not. Sure I have had many close calls, like taking the Black Diamond Road curve to fast and ending up in the gravel with a barbwire fence heading towards my face. But to be honest it has never happened to me, but it has happened to some of my closest friends and it makes you think. Some of you may know from looking at my blog or from listening to the show, that I come from a family with a rich history of motorcycling and racing. By the time I was old enough to ride on the street, I was riding my father's pristine Harley Davidson and working about any little ding or scratch that might appear when I took it out to get a burger or to meet up with my friends at Pizza Petes. To be honest, back then it was the only way for me to relate to the other cool kids in town and I struck up a great friendship with Doug, whos father owned the Coca Cola bottling plant. Doug was a year younger than me, but had the latest Yamaha trail bike and was just started to use it as his main transportation. We rode together for about a year, and although I could never keep up to him off road, he was always behind me when it came to the street. Its funny how life changes just as you think your getting the hang of things. Doug ran his bike into the back of VW micro bus that had stopped to turn. At my age. Like many other memories it seems like a dream. It was a beautiful clear spring day, a route that we rode almost everyday, down highway 101, out the old Sequim highway, through farm land and down be the water. After that day, many people asked if was going to continue to ride and I would be lying to say that I wasnt effected by this tragedy. I didnt ride much after that, but what really happened is what always happens, life goes on. But I never forgot and to this day, every time I climb aboard one of my scoots and start up the engine, there is always a moment that I smile and I think of Doug. As for the ever present risk, as Steve and others might say, it is a part of life. But what some non-riders dont understand is that the risk is mitigated by the experience. The experience of riding a piece of history and even anticipating the jepordy of loosing power, slowing to a stop and having to use some of my tinkering skills to figure out why this relatively simple machine will not start. My reward is the sound and smell of the engine, the wind and the giggles, laughs and smiles of those who point and give me a thumbs up from the side of the road. Scooter Post Steve Williams post Looking Down the Road at Risk and Regret Steve Williams post A Prayer for John Scooting with Dru post Regrets Steve Williams post Two Lane Blacktop Music for this show is from the Podsafe Music Network The Kind with Whats your D SCTRCST,Podcast,,Scoot,Culture sctrcst@gmail.com no No http://sctrcst.com/2007/12/05/word-from-the-great-white-north/ http://sctrcst.com/2007/12/05/word-from-the-great-white-north/#comments Wed, 05 Dec 2007 19:17:45 +0000 admin http://sctrcst.com/?p=144 http://sctrcst.com/2007/12/05/word-from-the-great-white-north/feed/ http://sctrcst.com/2007/12/02/episode-39-yahoo-groups-and-scooter-forums/ http://sctrcst.com/2007/12/02/episode-39-yahoo-groups-and-scooter-forums/#comments Mon, 03 Dec 2007 01:06:47 +0000 admin http://sctrcst.com/?p=143 http://sctrcst.com/2007/12/02/episode-39-yahoo-groups-and-scooter-forums/feed/ 30:00 SHOWNOTES: I have been very busy at work, but more to the point, I have had one of those weeks where I ask myself, ... SHOWNOTES: I have been very busy at work, but more to the point, I have had one of those weeks where I ask myself, do these people really think I am that smart? You know what I mean, that little nagging voice that you have in the back of your head that says, ldquo;if everyone knew how really stupid I was I would be fired on the spot." I do know that this is my own little nagging insecurities, but indulge me for a minute. After much heartache I have learned that this is a useful little quirk to have, because it keeps me honest, both with myself and with others and also has helped me from getting to far out on a limb numerous times. What the hell does this have to do with scooters? It is related to the idea of making more scooter connections so you don't get out there and on the web it means getting into groups and forums. Most of groups I know about are through Yahoo Groups. This has got to be one of the easiest ways to communicate with like minded fans and to establish a place where people can ask questions, share information and exchange ideas. Some that I still follow are about disabilities rights, politics and other things more material like McIntosh Stereo equipment, Mini Coopers, Ducati, Harley Davidson Sprint motorcycles and of course Scooters. Some groups are large (thousands of members), but most are small to medium sized (hundreds of members).and each has what I would term its own distinct personality. In addition to the Yahoo Groups, the other place to connect is through the online forums. In my view, the forums provide an avenue to both connect with other scooterist and in most cases, get some of the best free advise in all the scooter community. Many of the scooter forums, like the Internationalist BBS, which has been around for ten years, have more resources on riding, mechanics, clubs and rallies than you are going to find if you do something like google search. And most times, the information is more current accurate and reliable. As one example, the modern Vespa forum includes a section with all the modern Vespa parts and workshop manuals, with a separate section for repairs and technical tips. Now that is a resource! Scooter Groups and Forums 2StrokeSmoke Group Bajaj Scooter Group Chinese Scooter Group Cushman Group Genuine Buddy Group Honda Metropolitian Scooter Forum Honda Reflex Owners Group Honda Silverwings Group/ Intenational Scooterist BBS Forum Maxi-scooters Group Modern Vespa Forum Scooter Forum in England Scooter Forum in Germany Stella Scooter Group Suzuki Burgman Group TwistnGoScoot Group Two Stroke Smoke (a kinder gentler group than the other) Vespa Smallframes Group Vespinoy Forum in the Philipines Yamaha Vino 125 Group Yamaha Zuma Group Music for this show is from the Podsafe Music Network The Clintons with Fan of the Bean Lesismore with Sweetest Heart The Aggrolites with Funky Fire Everything,else,,SCTRCST,Podcast,,Scoot,Culture sctrcst@gmail.com no No http://sctrcst.com/2007/11/25/episode-38-scooterfilms-christian-bauer/ http://sctrcst.com/2007/11/25/episode-38-scooterfilms-christian-bauer/#comments Mon, 26 Nov 2007 02:51:20 +0000 admin http://sctrcst.com/?p=141 http://sctrcst.com/2007/11/25/episode-38-scooterfilms-christian-bauer/feed/ http://sctrcst.com/2007/11/18/episode-37-vespas-mini-coopers-and-blogging/ http://sctrcst.com/2007/11/18/episode-37-vespas-mini-coopers-and-blogging/#comments Mon, 19 Nov 2007 03:06:26 +0000 admin http://sctrcst.com/?p=138 http://sctrcst.com/2007/11/18/episode-37-vespas-mini-coopers-and-blogging/feed/ 24:24 SHOWNOTES: I have to say that it was sad to leave Denver last week, but some what of a relief to get back to Richmond. ... SHOWNOTES: I have to say that it was sad to leave Denver last week, but some what of a relief to get back to Richmond. The weather has turned cold here, well for those of you who live up north I should say it has gotten cooler here. Despite this, I was so excited with the White Roof Radio plug I ran outside, pulled out my my scooter and snaps a boat load of pictures of my Vespa and Mini-cooper. When I looked at them later in preparation to posting them on the blog I was impressed with what a natural pair they make. Both are small, efficient modes of transportation, with a built-in fun factor that is out of this world. Just to draw a clearer comparison, the mini gives you that wild adolescent feeling of driving your friend's go cart around the neighborhood at top speed, hoping your parents never found out that you were in the street. It is unnerving how in a Cooper S, which is the supercharged mini, you can go from 35 to seventy before you know it. I have the same experience riding my scooters. Although they top out well below seventy, when I am riding the winding roads around the James river, 35 feels like seventy and with every turn the smile on my face gets bigger and bigger. If you haven't already, go over to the website and check out the mini post and the show notes. For those of you who are also fans of all things small and quick I will put a link to mini's latest creation. It is called the Mini Clubman, a longer, wagon type mini with the same built in fun factor. It's not due out until next year, but the web has lots of leaked and ldquo;officialrdquo; Here is a link to the Mini Cooper Clubman info. Scooter news and blog posts Big Guy Small Scooter Rides the countryside around Vancouver, BC Unlike some of us, prepare yourself to ride year round by Scooter Dru Steve writes about the Austin Rally on The Scooter Scoop Long distance pick up and a new scooter from Idaho by Classic Scooter Collector Steve Williams writes about fall riding in Pennsylvania How about a Vespa with that Condo purchase? Check out the new Aurora Scooterist Club Music for this show is from the Podsafe Music Network The Clintons with Freeride in a Cop Car The Verticals with Stop that Building Geoff Smith with Set the Music Free (a podsafe music anthem) SCTRCST,Podcast,,Scoot,News sctrcst@gmail.com no No http://sctrcst.com/2007/11/12/white-roof-radio-surprise/ http://sctrcst.com/2007/11/12/white-roof-radio-surprise/#comments Tue, 13 Nov 2007 00:24:51 +0000 admin http://sctrcst.com/?p=134 http://sctrcst.com/2007/11/12/white-roof-radio-surprise/feed/