SCOOTERCAST Episode 90 [23:13m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The last couple of weeks I have been ignoring my blogging and podcasting responsibilities. Sorry. I was sick most of the week after returning from Denver and haven’t gotten back in the groove until this week. This hasn’t stopped me from scooting a bit during the brief warm weather hits that are popping up every few days. The 7 Hills Scooter Club had a delayed ride a few weeks ago after the first Sunday ride of March was rained. Although everything in the garage is running, I was a bit lazy not wanting to risk a break down, so I took the Vespa GTS out.

My favorite scooterist, Alex from Peace Scooter has posted a video on her site she is calling a minumentary. It a mini-documentary that chronicles her two years of scooting for peace. It occurred to me this week that Alex didn’t have one of today’s great social connectors when she was riding. I am talking about Twitter. Loved by some and hated by many, Twitter is an amazing tool for connecting. I use it myself, mostly when I travel. Right now there is a guy called the Twitchhiker who in just a few weeks has traveled from New Castle in England to New Zealand San Fransisco by using twitter to connect with people who help him get from one place to another. You can see all the details of his trip on his website.

I got tagged as one of the top five scooter blogs on the Go Motor Scooter website. I am not really sure this has any credibility to it, as I tend to think that reader and podcast listeners’ feedback is most valuable. It may be a bit pedantic, but shouldn’t we really be talking about the real powerhouse scooter blogs like 2-stroke buzz, Scootin Old Skool , The Scooter Scoop and Scooter in the Sticks. I have always thought of them as having an editorial credibility and an authority that I can only aspire to. But my thanks goes out to Paul, who does the site. Any link love is appreciated.

I want to comment on a post over on 2-stroke buzz, where the blog posts are usually to the factual with minnimal editorializing. But in this case a bit of editorial license was just what the scooter doctor ordered when it came to talking about Steve Guzmans’ departure from Carter Brothers and SYM. The post makes several very good points about how the power-sports industry not seem to understanding the scooter lifestyle. We are very accepting of almost anyone who comes into the community with an honest interest in scootering. One of the problems, not that I profess to know anything about Steve’s situation with SYM, but when a short-term perspective motivates what you do, you can expect the deal to go south pretty fast. Thanks to 2-stroke buzz for speaking up and we wish Steve the best in keeping up the Scooter Scoop Blog and anything else he jumps into. He is an honest, straight-up kind of guy.

Scooter Website Link
All Styles Scooters – A ton of information, including brochures,repair manuals, owners manuals, schematics and much more from a scooter parts site out of England. Focus is mostly on Vespa and Lambretta, but not just vintage bikes. They have instructions on making racing modification including barrel tuning, intakes and plenty more. The tech page seems to compliment all the parts options they offer, the kind of thing that could really get someone like me in trouble.

Music For this show

Dance Hall Night from Jonny Barber, an old friend of Chuck Hughes another Denver Rock-A-Billy star and also known as the Velvet Elvis. Jonny has played with numerous and is associated with the Rock-A-Billy Record Co. label. I love this music, but to get the full experience you have to see it live. Jonny is constantly on the road so make sure you check his website to catch a live show.
Mashuptown has endless remixes of known and unknown music. Six Songs Collide played on this show mashes: Jason Mraz, Howie Day, Five For Fighting, Angela Ammons, Boyzone and 3 Doors Down.

SHOW NOTES: I am sitting here with a beautiful hand crafted premium leather case for my new 3g iphone. It’s that soft Italian leather, you know, the kind that feels like a well worn shoe, already broken in and it has a wonderful new car leather smell to it. I am talking so much about this case, because my stupid AT&T store ran out of iphones and I had to order one “to be delivered in the next few days.” Now as much as I like smelling the leather case, I find myself a little pissed that all I have is a case. How can I show-off? Maybe what also gets me is that I ordered the case last week, thinking, I bet if I do this I won’t be able to get the phone. As I pressed the buy button, I thought “this will be a self fulfilling prophecy”. So now I check the AT&T website everyday to see the if the phone has shipped. So far all I get is, “your phone is on back-order.” Damn that Steve Jobs, he sucker me in again.

So as our English friends might say, lets get to this week’s scooter shite. Pete Davies is one of those English fellows, like Nigel Cox whose name is synonymous with scooter history in Europe. Pete was around way back in the late 70’s and heyday of the huge Scarborough rallies in England and has stayed true to the Lambretta badge since. Today he remains immersed in Lambrettas running the British Lambretta archives.

Being an admitted Lambretta neophyte, I am no expert, but I will go out on a limb and say that both the beginner and experienced Lambretta fans are going to love Pete’s new book, The Lambretta Bible. The book outlines in great detail the production run of every Lambretta model from 1948 until 1971 and the book also includes extra details on non production scooters including those modified by English dealers. This is one of those books that sucks you into the brand, even if you have had only a passing interest in the Lambretta scooters. Of course, now I find myself wondering if I am missing out not having a Series 2 Li in my stable. Pete has included model by model frame numbers, paint schemes, Lambretta’s Central Office notes on model by model changes with carburetor specs and gear ratios for every Lambretta model made.

The Lambretta Bible is published by Veloce Publishing in England, but as you might expect, it is available from all the major book outlets. For a direct link to the Veloce website click here. With all the detail and hundreds of glossy color pictures, of some of the best Lambrettas ever made, you won’t be disappointed.

Music for this show is from native New Yorker, long time studio musician and session guitarist Chris Juergensen and Todd Sharpeville both on the podsafe music network.

 

 SCOOTERCAST Episode 65 [21:09m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Sorry for the delay in this week’s podcast. I haven’t been able to get back on track since the holidays, but since my liquor and drug intake has been negligible for years, I don’t have that to fall back on. Let’s just say, don’t worry, I’m all better now and have a dynamite show planned for this weekend, covering the demise of a 1990s scooter shop and how I got a hold of my restored 1967 Vespa 180ss.

In the mean time, enjoy the newly posted Youtube video which is exactly what gets me salivating about going back to Italy and visiting the Piaggio Museum (as I talked about in Episode 42)

SHOWNOTES: New voice mail number you can call from your phone 206-888-6174. Scoot Richmond had it’s grand reopening this weekend including a Friday night scoot-in movie Empire Records. and a Saturday open house. I took the opportunity to speak again with Chelsea and Dave Munn and found out that they are expanding and moving in the direction of becoming a full service scooter shop along with continuing their web-based mail order business.

Follow up to last week’s note about Hayden Neale from Jacksoul. Seems that everyone has been quiet about his condition, but the Toronto Star reports that he is in a coma, is in critical, but stable condition and has not regained consciousness. Our thoughts go out to he and his family, hoping that he will be fine.

Two stroke buzz reminds us that the Chicago based Slaughterhouse 13 Rally is in just two weeks. The rally website has been updated and you can find all the details over at www.slaughterhousechicago.com Labor day weekend Aug 30-Sept 2, dinner, clubs, dancing, cruising, a gymkhana and of course a pig roast. Get there if you can, it should be a fantastic way to end the summer.

MUSIC for this show is from the Podsafe Music Network, Escape Goats – Canada Day and Todd Carey – Aint got love

 

 SCTRCST Episode 24 [30:20m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download