Episode 21 - Scooter Projects and the Toronto Moto Scooter Club

SHOWNOTES – I have had allot going on this week and in this Podcast
I talk about that and The Toronto Moto Scooter Clubs Twisted Wheel
Scooter Rally. I have noticed that the Podcast pickle player on the
site has not been working. I will watch this for a few days and if
it doesn’t resolve, change players so you can get to the shows
directly from the website. I added a few more blog sites and
scooter clubs that I have talked about on the show and started to
include links to a few shops and websites that I like either for
repairs or for ordering part. Let me know what you think is missing
and I will do my best to check them out. I have hoped since
starting this Podcast, it would become more of a social network and
a voice for a variety of scooter ideas. Some of last week’s
interviews from Amerivespa were just that, but tonight I have the
first listener submitted report from the field. Errol Forster sent
a brief clip from the rally. My 1966 Vespa Sprint has been
screaming for some attention, refusing to idle unless it is choked
to death and my 180ss is cutting out and running intermittently.
Such is the life of a vintage bike. An inspection of the 180 showed
that the gas tank has accumulated some rust, not a terrible amount,
but I have had this happen before on another bike and the remedy
was to replace the tank and valve. Next weekend I am planning on
pulling the tank and seeing if it requires this or maybe a tack
cleaning. I have used the POR-15 products before with good results.
Now I could use your help on the Sprint, what do you think are the
possibilities? I have already replaced the spark plug, started from
scratch to adjust the idle and lean-rich setting and have had no
success. Is it sometime more complex? What are your suggestions?
Leave me a message on the website or email me. Piaggio SpA plans to
launch a hybrid scooter for congested cities in the second half of
next year (2008), powered by a traditional petrol engine and
alternative electric power, said chairman Roberto Colaninno. The
hybrid will be based on the three-wheel Piaggio-branded MP3
scooter, launched last year, and will have a price tag of less than
10,000 euro, against the 7,000 euro the solely petrol-powered
scooter currently sells for, you can read the full artical here.
The Scooter Scoop has another article about the new VespaS (LXS)
which I have been drooling over since his first scoop a few weeks
back. As his article says the LXS is reminiscent of the Vespa
Special and Vespa Primavera that were design inspirations for other
scoots. But I have to say that I was a little disapointet that the
design doesn’t include the trapezoid headligth. Rather it is a
little bulkie looking square one. No doubt it will still turn
heads. Make sure you go over to Dave Guzan’s site to check it out
the full story. The Toronto Motor Scooter Club which has a meet-up
site on the web sends me emails every few days talking about
another ride that is taking place in the Toronto area. The Twisted
Wheel Rally was their first big Rally and from the posts and video
clips available appears to have been quite successful. Look at
their website. The club already has a well produced rally video
that includes music up on YouTube.