Now With 50% Less Death-trappiness!

June 17, 2005 2:16 PM

They look slick to cover up the garbage.With the increasing popularity of scooters in North America, many people are trying their hand at vintage Vespas and Lambrettas. However, there's an increasing number of quick and dirty restoration jobs showing up on Craigslist and eBay. Now, there are those that are trying to warn the noobz.
posted by Extopalopaketle (22 comments total)

Scooters are funny. I love ripping past them on my motorcycle.
posted by fenriq at 2:25 PM on June 17, 2005

Scootoers are funny. I love ripping past them on my bicycle.
posted by fixedgear at 2:29 PM on June 17, 2005

I must admit that I'm a little confused as to why the poster refers to "North America," but so many of the links seem to be Australian.

That having been said, I do find it to be an interesting (and, probably, inevitable) phenomenon.
posted by dersins at 2:30 PM on June 17, 2005

This has been going on for years now... with Vespas and the like becoming a hot item folks started buying them up overseas where there were still many of them being used for everyday transportation, doing a quick and dirty paint job and selling them here...

I wish I kept mine... it was still running in 1966 when I sold it!
posted by HuronBob at 3:08 PM on June 17, 2005

Compensation is funny. I love ripping past it with my phallic symbol of choice.
posted by joe lisboa at 3:32 PM on June 17, 2005

I'm happy to see this. They're low cost, low fuel comsumption vehicles.

I have to admit though, that when I see those guys cruising around with thier rolled up levis and converse all-stars trying to look like James Dean, I choke up my 96ci Harley and back- fire at them. There is some perverse joy I get when they start swerving and almost eat shit!

However, that doesn't mean I wouldn't stop to help them if they were broke down on the side of the road.
posted by snsranch at 4:01 PM on June 17, 2005

Gas-powered vehicles are funny. I would love walking past them while they're stuck in traffic, if it weren't for the smell.

(Though actually I do own a scooter. They're fun.)
posted by hattifattener at 4:10 PM on June 17, 2005

Are these scooters really so slow that they can be passed by a bicycle?

I tend to doubt it.
posted by delmoi at 4:45 PM on June 17, 2005

Land vehicles are funny. I love flying past with my Boots of Flying.

(I plan on getting a scooter soon, after I get a job. They're cheap, low insurance, have good efficency and are a good vehicle for a place like Tucson.)
posted by Snyder at 4:47 PM on June 17, 2005

DORKS!

I'm with Fenriq on this one. Me AND my tremendously large penis.

Though I agree... they are kinda fun. Now, what is that joke about overweight women and scooters? hmmm...
posted by tkchrist at 4:49 PM on June 17, 2005

hattifattener, they don't get stuck in traffic, they ride through, that one of the things that makes them cool.
posted by snsranch at 4:49 PM on June 17, 2005

Humans are funny.

I like to use my +2 broadsword and Spell Of Confounding on them as they try to pilfer my treasure.

Actually, I have a scooter and it pretty much rules. I very much like 80+ MPG.
posted by ImJustRick at 4:53 PM on June 17, 2005

Damn, okay, okay, okay, I will be more careful with my choice of words when I make the first comment on a post. Geez!

snsranch, yeah, they don't get caught in traffic but they sure do piss off the motorcycles who get stuck tailing a scooter.

And I only get 45+ miles a gallon on my motorcycle but I go through it lots faster!
posted by fenriq at 4:59 PM on June 17, 2005

snsranch, low fuel consumption and low cost, but definetly not low pollution. Those old two-stroke motors are horrible, horrible smog machines. The newer 4 strokes are much better, though.
posted by Hackworth at 5:17 PM on June 17, 2005

"A week of commuting on a 40-horsepower, 2-stroke scooter is the hydrocarbon equivalent of driving 100,000 miles in a car, according to environmental group the Bluewater Network. "
posted by Hackworth at 5:20 PM on June 17, 2005

Hackworth, Holy shit. I failed to think about the 2 stroke/vintage scooter aspect. That is some serious food for thought.
posted by snsranch at 5:29 PM on June 17, 2005

Thanks for playing My First Post (tm)!

Actually, 40 horsepower is a lot for a vintage or even modern <201cc scooter. It's closer to something like 10-14hp.

Nevertheless, yes, the things smoke like a tire fire and decent 2-stroke oil is about ten dollars a litre.
posted by Extopalopaketle at 5:44 PM on June 17, 2005

1960/1980/1989 2nd/3rd-wave ska/mod/Sting called. They want their overpriced fad fashion accessories back. They also say monkey boots/creepers, suspenders, flight jackets and porkpie hats suck, especially when worn together.

MERV GRIFFIN! MERV GRIFFIN!!

Not a bad first post, though.
posted by loquacious at 6:57 PM on June 17, 2005

Nice first post. I grew up on those things in Italy. Pretty damn fast those things are. My very first bone-breaking needed stitches wreck was on a 1979 P200.
posted by snsranch at 6:59 PM on June 17, 2005

I had one a couple of years ago when living in Italy just outside Rome. Not an old vespa but a brand new 50cc Aprilia. Too many people drving on narrow roads through old villages meant 45 minutes to get to work in a car, 8 minutes on the scooter. No license, almost no fuel, no parking problems. I miss my scooter!!!!
posted by Merlin at 7:30 PM on June 17, 2005

What do scooters and (insert derogatory stereotype) have in common?

It's embarasing to let your friends see you riding either one!
posted by Balisong at 8:14 PM on June 17, 2005

For those who missed out on loquatious' MERV GRIFFIN! reference...
posted by Smart Dalek at 6:31 AM on June 18, 2005