The 7hills scooter club rally is coming up in a few weeks. That is usually a ride out into the country, with camping and bonfires in an area where club members can stay out of trouble and avoid doing too much damage to themselves. The 2009 Dogwood Classic scooter rally will be held at Heavenly Acres Campground in Stanardsville, VA Friday, May 15 to Sunday, May 17.

Another big spring rally here on the east coast is the New York City  Scooter Club block party, which is scheduled for the end of May. Their club motto is: “If you have a Scooter, you’re in the Club!” The block party, held in Brooklyn and attracts scoot fans from all over the northeast. I am jealous of our New York friends. They have a vibrant scooter scene and at least a dozen legitimate scooter shops to choose from in the New York city area.

Here is taste of what they have:

• Brooklynbretta
• McCarren Motors
• Scooter Bottega
• Scooter City Inc.
• Scooters Originali
• Vespa Brooklyn
• Vespa City
• Vespa Jersey City
• Vespa Queens
• Vespa Soho
• Zoom Scooter

In my world, scooters are connected to many of my other interests and activities. One of those interests is a life long fascination with pinball machines. Nick Bennett happens to be one of those fellows who’s life is dominated by pinball. I came across Nick’s website a  few months ago, while referencing the Las Vegas Pinball Museum and later heard from him in an email about this summer’s European tournament. Although a bit of a digression from scooting, I think you will find this conversation interesting and most likely will see some similarities in Nick’s passion for pinball and our passion for scooters. Listen to the podcast for all the details

Music for this show is by Telling on Trixie a New York based band that has gathered a big web. I first heard about Telling on Trixie two years ago at podcamp New York. Checkout their website.

SHOW NOTES: If you are even remotely in the vicinity next week I am hoping you will consider coming to the Indian Summer Rally in Richmond. This is the premier rally of the 7Hills Scooter Club and I am sure it will include a killer city ride along the river, one like those I am always talking about on the show. Be assured, there will be plenty of over indulging activities of the oral kind. It’s easy to register, just go to the website. The rally starts Friday October 24 and runs through Sunday 26th. For those of you feeling the chill of season, it is still beautiful here in the south. Today I rode home from work in 82 degree weather.

I picked up another Accident Hash podcast from CC Chapman. If you haven’t heard of it, it is a music podcast from Boston, very eclectic with lots of bands that are connected in one way or another to the internet community. He played two artists I have played earlier this year, so I thought I would revist some of their music on this podcast. The first is Geoff Smith, who has a talent for catch tunes. He also was playing Mathew Ebel, a musician I met at Podcamp NYC. Like any good geek musician Matthew has a flashy website which offers premium content along with free music.

On last week’s podcast I cut off the conversation with Ed just as he was talking about producing fringe festivals. On this segment, he talks more about that, about scooting and the development of the St Louis Scooter Club. Click the player to listen to what he has to say.

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.

Our friend Errol in Toronto sent this video update on the Toronto Twisted Wheel Scooter Rally. You can find more about the rally on thier website.