Piaggio recalling 740 Scarabeo 100 scooters

Piaggio is recalling 740 model year 2008-2009 Aprilia Scarabeo 100 motorcycles. In the evaporative emission system there are hoses connecting the fuel tank to the charcoal canister through which the evaporative emission passes. It has shown that the emission hoses to the canister were pinched and/or crimped. In other cases the hoses in and out of the charcoal canister were installed backwards, the roll over valve for the fuel tank was installed incorrectly, and in other cases there was dirt in the carburetor and still others had faulty float valves in the carburetor.

Consequence:

The engine may flood with fuel causing difficulty in starting and the possibility of stalling. It is also possible for fuel to leak from the carburetor onto the ground. Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire.

Remedy:

Dealers will double check the installation of the evaporative emission systems hoses and components to will ensure that there are no restrictions. The emission system hose will be re-routed and the installation of one way valves as per approved re-routing instructions will ensure that the system is assembled and operating correctly. The remedy is free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during February 2009. Owners may contact Piaggio at 1-212-380-4431.

ScootMaryland Garage with Mechanic James

Segment One - Your first oil change...



Here is out first DIY segment on scooter maintenance. Mechanic James and I filmed this last summer, and since I now have imovie on the new Mac we made a pretty little finished segment for you. Hope this is helpful

If this isn't loading fast enough here is the LINK to the file on youtube.com

Scrubs: Scooter Love - JD Meets Sasha

American Chopper-NY Scooter Club

Catch a nice breeze while you sober up

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Super Bowl day drinkers' service started with single scooter

Scooter Patrol, which offers rides year-round, will be at Tsunami Sushi in Sunset Beach on Sunday.

By JAIMEE LYNN FLETCHER

The Orange County Register

| Recommend 2

SUNSET BEACH – Beer and junk food seem to be synonymous with Super Bowl Sunday, but a local nonprofit warns that getting behind the wheel after the big game could ruin all the fun.

Scooter Patrol, an organization that looks to keep drunk drivers off the road year-round, will offer transportation services Sunday to patrons of Tsunami Sushi in Sunset Beach.

And the offer is more than tempting. It's free. Your car goes with you. You arrive safely home and keep other drivers safe in the process, organizers said.

"Super Bowl Sunday is one of the worst days of the year for drunk driving," said Scooter Patrol founder Anthony Panzica. "We're looking forward to making our community safer… by providing free rides home.''

Panzica, 42, of Seal Beach, started the patrol as a one-man show in 2003 using an old scooter with a light duct-taped to the front.

His endeavor quickly grew as friends stepped up to help with the service and sponsors started showing interest.

"This is my way of helping my community," Panzica said. "It's really heartening and humbling to be in a position where we're saving people's lives."

Today, GoPed provides the scooters, Scott's Motor Sports offers maintenance services and 15 volunteers are signed up as drivers.

Although the Scooter Patrol will focus on Sunset Beach and Seal Beach on Sunday, they also provide services for Huntington Beach, Huntington Harbour and Newport Beach from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. every Friday and Saturday. They also offer a reservation service for people going out on off days.

The Scooter Patrol usually visits bars early on the weekends to let patrons know of the service. They field about six to 10 calls a night, on average, and pick up people from Main Street in Huntington Beach to Belmont Shore in Long Beach.

Tsunami Sushi is one of the Patrol's early supporters. This will be the sixth year the Scooter Patrol has offered its services at the restaurant's annual Sunday-Funday Super Bowl Party, when the Arizona Cardinals take on the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Scooter Patrol will have a booth at the restaurant ready to cart away intoxicated football fans up to 10 miles from the bar. They also will offer their on-call service in other Sunset Beach and Seal Beach locations.

Designated drivers take bar-goers home in their own car, return the keys then zip back via scooter.

If safety isn't a priority for a partygoer, perhaps avoiding an expensive driving-under-the-influence charge would be enough incentive to take Scooter Patrol up on their offer, organizers said.

The Office of Safety and Traffic this year was awarded about $165,000 in grants for law enforcement agencies to step up their DUI checkpoint efforts in eight Orange County cities including Tustin and Laguna Beach, according to Register archives.

OST named Super Bowl Sunday as one of the premier holidays for police to host a sobriety checkpoint -- right up there with St. Patrick's Day and New Year's Eve.

Scooter Patrol also offers a reservation service for people going out on off days.

Contact the writer: 714-445-6692 or jfletcher@ocregister.com

Link to Story

Idiots giving scooter drivers a bad name!

Teen scooter riders risk lives in M27 madness

THIS is the shocking moment when two reckless teenagers put their lives at risk by riding their scooters along a busy Hampshire motorway.

With a blatant disregard for the law, the two youngsters took to the westbound carriageway of the M27 on their bikes – with L plates.

One motorist couldn’t believe his eyes when he spotted the two scooters joining the motorway.

Link to Story and video

These two dumbasses are lucky they didn't end up like this poor soul who lost his life this past weekend...

Semi hits and kills scooter driver

A semi tractor trailer struck a motorized scooter last night in Henderson, Ky., killing the driver of the scooter.

The name of the victim has not been released pending notification of relatives.

Kentucky State Police said Earl Buckner, 69, of Yale, Ill., was traveling south on the U.S. 41 Bypass near the Zion exit at 11:20 p.m. when he rear-ended the scooter.

The victim was thrown from the scooter and pronounced dead at the scene by the Henderson County coroner.

No charges were filed; police said the scooter was the type of vehicle which should not have been traveling on the parkway.

Link to Story

These Idiots should be sentenced to letting the store owner back over them!

DAYTONA BEACH -- Using a pickup stolen from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, two men backed into a motorcycle shop and made off with three cycles, police said.

The theft occurred early Saturday just before 2 a.m., police said. Surveillance video showed the men backing up into the west wall of Pompano Pat's, 910 W. International Speedway Blvd., entering the shop and wheeling out three cycles with the keys attached to each one.

The three pilfered rides were described as two blue and white Zhecheng dirt bikes and a 2009 black and yellow Zhejiang scooter with a Pompano Pat's sticker on it.

The stolen truck is described as a black, 2006 Dodge Ram with Florida tag T80INA.

Investigators said all three scooters sustained some damage because they were tossed into the back of the pickup. An anonymous caller reported the truck with the three scooters was heading north on Adams Street, police said.

Anyone with information is asked to call Daytona Beach Detective Kellie Fishpaugh, 386-671-5245.

I don't get it ... but I'll take 3

The Best Scooter out there APRILIA SCRABEO 150 - $3300 (Baltimore City/Towson)

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Reply to: sale-995457505@craigslist.org ^[?]
Date: 2009-01-16, 2:49PM EST

Has just over 7000 miles and is in excellent condition! Yellow in color and was just serviced at the end of summer. Includes medium windshield. Starts up on an electric starter. Has temp gauge, fuel gauge, and oil light. The windshield is an authentic Scarabeo medium windshield that is very difficult to find (they don't make it anymore) and costs $200+. 

Freeway legal, 16" tires (most scooter have 12" tires or smaller), wide comfy 2 up seats (seat is brand new), glove storage compartment. This scooter is more like an automatic motorcycle and has the power for it! The most powerful 150cc in it's class (Speedometer goes to 100mph and i know it cruises pretty solid at 75mph on the freeway). I've ridden Yamaha's and Honda's and this bike is way more powerful and solidly built. The motor is made by Vespa and is the Harley's of scooters. This scooter is really powerful but not as gigantic as the Suzuki Burgman. I am including the Lock trunk box as well as the exhaust kit which was recently installed ( has a great sound) If you hate tinkering on bikes, then this scooter is for you! you get what you pay for. If you buy a cheap no name brand scooter, you may find yourself looking for replacement parts within the same year. That happened to 2 of my friends. I've NEVER had a problem with this scooter. 

There are some small scraps on the body from regular riding and a scrap under the bike from parking to close to a curb other than that it is in great shape has never been dropped or layed down. 

This scooter has had 1 previous owner my boss an attorney in Towson and has had regular service at Moto Strada the origianal dealership it was pourcheased from. 

I hate to sell this and would love to take it with me but i am moving out west for School and don't have room to take it with. I will greatly miss this fantastic machine. 


If you are interested, shoot me an email! $Best offer accepted. Come check it out, it's a blast to ride around town.

2008 Genuine Stella Scooter 150cc Black - $3500 (Reisterstown)

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Reply to: sale-990671918@craigslist.org ^[?]
Date: 2009-01-12, 9:39PM EST

I’m selling my 2008 Genuine Stella Scooter in black color. This scooter is in fantastic condition, with less than 200 miles on it. I purchased my Stella new in August from Moto Strada in Cockeysville and it has performed flawlessly for me. I am selling it only to purchase another Genuine Scooter; with 50cc as opposed to my Stella’s 150cc. I paid $4,000 for this Scooter and I am looking to get $3,500 for it, but I am open to realistic offers. This is your chance to own a practically new Genuine Stella, which is still well within its warranty, for a good chunk of change off. The picture below is a stock photo, but it looks exactly like the scooter I am selling. Here are the Stella’s specs, from Genuine’s website followed by a few links to websites about the Stella:

Engine: 5-port 2-stroke

Transmission: 4-speed manual with "twist grip" shifting

Suspension: Gabriel® performance shocks

Tire Size: 3.5" x 10" Interchangable

Braking: Front Grimeca Hydraulic Disc, 6" Rear Drum

Top Speed: 60+ mph MPG 90 mpg plus*

*Depending on road conditions, riders weight and altitude.

Warranty: 1-Year / 5000 Mile

http://genuinescooters.com/scooters/stella/stella.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stella_(scooter)

Please feel free to contact me with any questions that you may have. I look forward to hearing from you soon!!!

Ride your motorcycle or scooter on this day to demonstrate:

The number of motorcyclists to the general public and to politicians.

That motorcyclists are from all occupations and all walks of life. That motorcyclists can reduce traffic and parking congestion in large cities. That motorcycles are for transportation as well as recreation. That motorcycling is a social good.

Site

Officials register the first scooter in Annapolis Police Department's new anti-theft program. From left, Lt. William Powell looks on as V Moto employee Gerry Webbplaces an anti-theft sticker on the front of his scooter. Behind the bike, are Joseph M. Asplen, from the Maryland Automobile Insurance Fund, Maj. Ray Presleyfrom the Maryland Theft Prevention Council, and Bob Emory, who heads up the police department's vehicle theft prevention programs.

Annapolis police kick-start scooter-theft-prevention effort

By LISA BEISEL, Staff Writer

Published January 23, 2009

City residents may get a more watchful eye on their beloved scooters, thanks to a new program through the Annapolis Police Department.

Yesterday, police kicked off an effort to help reduce the number of scooters that are stolen on city streets, and to help return those that are stolen to the rightful owners. The program is modeled after the "Watch Your Car" program, which is run by the Maryland Vehicle Theft Prevention Council.

Under the scooter program, owners give their serial numbers and other information to police and get a sticker to put on their scooters. The sticker gives officers probable cause to pull the scooter driver over at any time of the day. This is because scooter thefts happen more frequently during the day, said Bob Emory, a retired lieutenant from the Annapolis Police Department who currently serves as a vehicle-theft prevention specialist.

"A lot of scooters are stolen during the day," he said. "It's a little bit of a different pattern from automobiles."

In 2008, there were 125 vehicles stolen in the city, and 41 of them were motor scooters.

The scooter program runs similarly to the car program that allows a police officer to pull over a car between 1 and 5 a.m. that is registered with the program and stickered. Once again, it gives the officer probable cause to pull the car over and make sure the owner is driving. The program is ideal for people who do not drive in the early morning hours, because many car thefts happen in the overnight hours.

The "Watch Your Scooter" program is funded through the Maryland Vehicle Theft Prevention Council, and is supported by the Maryland Automobile Insurance Fund.

"Police recognize the problem," Mr. Emory said.

Often, police recover the stolen scooter, but because scooters are not registered with the Maryland Vehicle Administration, it is difficult to find the rightful owners.

Maj. Ray Presley, from the Maryland Theft Prevention Council, said the scooter program is the first of its kind, adding that scooter thefts are a problem because they are popular in Annapolis.

"We're very excited about it," he said.

The Maryland Automobile Insurance Fund, based in Annapolis, provided the stickers for the program, which will be placed on the front and back of scooters.

"We saw a need ... and we wanted to come out and be part of the solution," said Joseph M. Asplen, special investigations unit manager.

George Steiner, owner of V-Moto Scooters, said customers have heard about scooter thefts being a problem, and he will offer the scooter program information to anyone who buys a scooter there.

"We're hoping this will deter it," he said.

For now, V-Moto Scooters is the only store in Annapolis that has the program registration, but Mr. Emory will be contacting other stores to stock them up with registrations, too. And people interested in the program may also get registrations at the police station.

Gerry Webb, the shop manager at V-Moto Scooters, was the first person to register his scooter in the program.

"I see all the scooters that get stolen ..." he said. "Half the time, the scooters don't get back to the original owners."

He said he knows officers may pull him over while he's driving his own scooter, but it's worth it in the long run to protect his investment.

"Let them stop us," Mr. Webb said. "It just gives them a better way to do their job and we're all better off."

Original Article

Scooter Artist Alert !!! and she's local too

Scooter Paintings now on Display at Freda’s Kitchen
in Mt. Washington Village

(1604 Kelly Ave • Baltimore, MD 21209 • 410-367-7840)

or click the painting to jump to Joan's Website.

Looks like a fun scooter life goal

Different Yet The Same

Which one sells you a scooter?

I MISS SCOOTING ...

... and this video reminds me of that ...




MELT DAMN SNOW MELT!!!

It just hit me!

I was reading about the new Vespa GTS 300 Super that debuted recently at the New York Motorcycle Show. It has great specs, it's their most powerful model ever, it's getting a lot of talk and yeah it looks great ...

wait, does it? ...

well, it looks like a Vespa ...

wait a minute, what is bothering me here?!?

By and large it looks like every other model they sell. Sure there are a few variations in style but on the whole it looks like every other Vespa in their line up!

Now I realize I may be about to go against the Holy Church of the Italian Wasp, and those who are perfect are not to be questioned, and why change something that isn't broken, and who am I to question the all mighty Vespa ... but ... but I look at your site and I look at your 09 line up and I'm bored ... snore, yawn, comatose!!!

No model of anything stays the same, it evolves and adapts over time. It gets better, its gets worse, it changes with the styles. The true mark of tradition lies inside the machine with it's construction and quality, not with its colorful candy shell.

Vespa, the word of the day is "diversify"