Many people make fun of me for buying too many tools. One I saw early on is the Fourth Hand Tool. Most scooter places cary it. I have seen cyclists use it to adjust cables as well. When you are on the road and you need to adjust a cable, you will not care what anyone thinks. You will simply be happy you have one. Make sure you have this in your glove box if you have an older scooter or Stella. You will be happy you do.

Many people ask about what scooter to buy. There are many out there, but I will talk about the P today. I am partial because I have one. Vespa is the name is scooters today. That is the one people want. Lambretta is a great, but they also went out of business in the early 70's and parts are getting harder and harder to come by. The P series is unique in that it lasted for so long-about 30 years. If you think of all the models that came before it (the 1st 30 years of the company) this is even more amazing. The P was basically the first scooter that was really designed for modern roads and a lot of use. The shocks, for example, on earlier models were very inadequate for the constant rider. I came across a great site that has some history of the P and I hope you all can enjoy it as well. http://pleasantpaintings.tripod.com/vespa_history.htm The P is great today because it still has the old style look and aftermarket parts are readily availalble for it. Great power and a great ride day in and day out.

1% er (One Percenter) Outlaw Biker - A biker who’s beliefs and/or actions are outside (or not accepted by) the common public.

AMA - American Motorcycle Association.

Aerodynamics - In motorcycle context, good aerodynamics means that the motorcycle is designed to have as little resistance from the air as possible. This is essential to archieve great speeds. The manufacturers often make use of wind tunnels during the development of a new motorcycle.

Air Intake Valves - Reed Valves

Anch’s or Anchor - Brakes

Ape Hangers - Handlebars that are very high, and which often raise the rider’s hands above his or her shoulders. High handlebars so Biker’s hands are at or above their shoulder height.. Refers to a handlebar style where the handgrips are located at a higher position, so as to enable the rider’s arms to “hang” Picture “Clyde” from “Every Which Way but Loose” and you’ll get a perfect understanding of the riding position.

B. F. H. - Big F@#$ing Hammer used to remove rusted axles, bearing cups from the frame neck etc.

B.R.A.G.® - Buell Riders Adventure Group

BAB (Born Again Biker) - Someone who has recently returned to riding after a period of absence and really ought to get some advanced training” Matt the Rat

Back Door - The last (and most experienced) rider in a group ride.

Back Warmer - A girl on the back of your motorcycle.

Baffle - Sound deadening material that sits inside a muffler and quiets the exhaust note

Ballistic Nylon - A specific nylon developed by Dupont for the U.S. Department of Defense for use in flak jackets. Later it was replaced by Kevlar. The basket-weave construction helps add abrasion resistance as opposed to a plain weave. The name is used as a marketing tools with ballistic sounding like something “bulletproof” therefore really tough. May motorcycle apparel companies us the word “Ballistic” when describing material. In many cases the materials tear and abrasion strength does not meet a minimum standard for motorcycle apparel and the word is used only as a sales gimmick.

Bar Hopper Bike - The cool customs and pristine bikes that only come out of the garage Friday and Saturday nights during the summer (and only if it’s real nice out -never in rain) to prowel from bar to bar. A motorcycle that is not very comfortable on longer rides, yet lavishly styled. Rigid frames and hardtails fall into this category.

Barn Disease - When a bike has been idle a few years and the battery is dead, calipers siezed and of course the carbs are filled with varnish sludge.

Barn Queen - That really pristine bike everyone claims a buddy found in some farmer’s barn and bought for $50

Barrels - Another term for Engine Cylinders or Jugs.

Basket Case - A Bike being built from scratch with parts from other Bikes.

Basket Case (#2) - Basket case - typically (at least in the ‘old days’) a bike that someone had taken apart and hadn’t the skill to reassemble. You’d find an ad in the paper and go over….”my brother took it apart and never could figure out how to put it back together, what will you give me for it?” Also - someone who is unhinged as in, “she/he is a real basket case.” So, a bike that is in pieces, usually has been for a while. A bike that is built from pieces of other bikes would be (or would have been) known as an ‘assembler’ (out west), or a person that is way ‘out there’.

Belly-Shover - Racer

Bible - Repair manual

Big End - End of connecting rod that fits on the crankshaft

Big Five - Refers to the five major motorcycle manufacturers - Harley-Davidson, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Yamaha.

Big Slab - Interstate Highway

Big Twin - Any large sized V-Twin motorcycle engine. V-Twin motorcycle engines have really grown in size over the past 10 years so this defination today fits V-Twins over 1200cc. Examples include the Roadstar by Yamaha 1700cc (102 ci), Harley-Davidson motorcycles over 1200cc, Honda VTX 1300/1800, Kawasaki Vulcan 1500/1600/2000, Suzuki Boulevard

Blockhead - The Evolution® engine (V-Twin, produced from 1984 - 2000)

Biker - Simply put, a motorcycle operator. True bikers have a passion for the art of motorcycling, and easily get all wrapped up in this passion during even a simple 1/2 mile commute, but they rarely allow their motorcycle to sit for more than a week without taking it somewhere. Anywhere. Just for the simple excuse of a joy ride will do.

Biker Friendly - A business establishment that doesn’t treat you like you have the plague when you walk in wearin’ leather

Binders - Brakes

Bitch Bar - A sissy bar.

Bitch Pad - Passenger Seat

Blackie - A dark streak left on the asphalt when a motorcycle drills away from a stop. White smoke often accompanies the formation of a blackie.

Blinkers - Turn Signals

Blip - snapping the throttle quickly, as in “blip the throttle”.

Blown or Blower Bike - a bike that is supercharged.

Blue Hairs - Elderly Cage Drivers

Bob, Bobbers, Bobbed or Bobbing - The art of shortening a bike’s appearance by cutting down the size of its fenders. These bikes were also known as “bobbers”. Appeared before choppers. They got the name from the rear fender being cut down to a minimum. And the rest of the bikes were stripped also. This was all part of the early customizing done by the returning WWll flyers.

Bologna (Baloney) Skin - Tire tube

Boneyard - Salvage yard for used bikes & parts, most indie shops also have their own boneyards next to the shop

Brain Bucket - Term for a helmet.

Bronson Rock - Anything that is NOT a bonified tool that you use to fix a bike — I.E., in one show of Then Came Bronson he used a rock to straighten out his crumpled fender after going over the highside so as he could rideon!

BUB - Broke Urban Biker

BUBF - Butt Ugly But Fast

Buckhorns - A style of handlebar that comes up higher and sweeps towards the rider, the stance is more like holding a steering wheel in a car than a handlebar on a motorcycle. A popular style from the 1960’s and 1970’s and still in service today.

BUG - Big Ugly Guy- a big, hostile person, as in “So me and my bros had to fight off these Bugs..” or “You shoulda seen this Bug’s ride”

Burnout - Spinning the rear wheel while holding the front brake

Bullneck - When Harley Davidson 1200 Duo Glide came in 1957 it came with a new feature, the “Bullneck” is a headlightcover that streches from the headlight to the steeringhandle. The “Bullneck” followed the Duo Glide until the end in 1964, when the Electra Glide continued with it for some years. “Bullneck” is selfexplainatory.

Burn-out - Activity where bike stays in one place while backtire spins at full throttle — uses up tires quickly.

Bus or Busa - GSX1300R Hayabusa

Bush Pad - Passenger Seat

Cafe Racer - Sportbike (in Europe Bikers would ride from coffee house to coffee house)

Cage - A car, truck, or van. The sworn enemy of motorcyclists, more commonly known as automobiles. The name stems from being all cooped up inside a closed shell, with no contact with the outside air.

Cager - A person driving a car, truck, or van. Cage operator, or driver.

Can - Muffler (AUS)

Can Of Tuna - Suzuki Kantana

Caning it or Thrashing it - Self-explanatory terms for taking the bike for ‘a blast’.

Canyon Carving - Riding the twisties (road curves/corners) to an extreme.

Carb - Carburetor, Fuel Management System

Carburettor - The part of the bike that mixes air and fuel in correct proportions before it is entered into the engine cylinder(s).

Carma - Like traditional Karma but occurs when cagers do stupid things to bikers. The energy is much more fierce and vengeful and will infect a cager’s ride with radiator leaks, blowouts, bad gas, thrown rods, and overall bad radio reception. These phenomena will only occur when the cager is more than a mile in distance from the biker as to avoid any motorcycle catastrophes. Also works in positive ways when cagers allow a biker plenty of room and are aware of their presence and respect their right to the road. AM reception is unusually clear and the cage experiences a 35% increase in gas mileage.

Carving - Refers to hard fast cornering on roads with many curves, stems from laying the bike down to a nearly horizontal position and “carving” a line through the roadlike a knife.

Catwalk - Riding a motorcycle on the rear wheel only, more commonly known as a “wheelie”

CBT -’compulsory basic training’ a one day training course which all newbies must complete before being allowed to ride on the road in the UK. (It also stands for ‘Cognitive Behaviour Therapy’ which many car drivers could do with to improve the way they relate to bikers.)

Chain - The word chain usually refers to primary drive, in which sense it means the chain transferring power to the rear wheel. As opposed to the two alternatives, shaft or belt drive, the chain is a light-weight solution and does not cause lag in throttle response or elevation effects. On the other hand it is a solution that needs a lot of maintenance.

Chase Vehicle - Van or truck that follows a pack of riders on a run to assist or haul any bikes that might break down

Checkbook Biker - Same as “InstaBiker” Someone who goes down to the dealership and writes a check for a new bike and new gear.

Cherry Juice - Tranny Fluid

Cherry Tops - Cop cars

Chicken Strips - The tread left on the sidewalls of a sport bike. How much of this there is (or isn’t) is how some Bikers size each other up.

Chickenwing - Honda Gold Wing

Chopper - A style of motorcycle that appears deceptionally light, has a greater angle on the front end than usually seen, and radical styling. The word originates from the post WW2 era when former GIs were looking for performance mods, there was no aftermarket back then and once all engine mods were out of the way the bike’s weight needed to be reduced…owners began to remove uneccesary compnents and eventually began to cut away (or “chop”) sections of the bike and frame. Used to be called “bobbing” but the word “chop” became the more popular phrase. 2. A radical customized bike with extended and raked front end, from which all unnecessary parts have been stripped. The early choppers weren’t raked, so the front end was high making it necessary to reduce the size of the front wheel. They are very stable in a straight line, but not to agile in turns.

Chrome-Slut - Those addicted to putting on more and more chrome, regardless of the functionality.

Chromosexual - That one biker who keeps adding more and more chrome, a chrome-overkill.

Citizen - Anyone who is not a member of a Biker Organization.

Class - A Violent Act

Clone - A motorcycle built to resemble and function like a Harley-Davidson motorcycle without actually being a Harley-Davidson motorcycle (the vehicle title will identify it as something other than a Harley-Davidson)

Club - Also referred to as MC Club A motorcycle organization made up of members who have banded together in a common interest, members have pledged their loyalty (also called prospecting or a prospect) for some time before becoming active. Not to be confused with riding clubs or riding organizations, the distinguishing feature here is a three piece patch consisting of a logo and upper & lower rockers worn on the back of their riding jacket or vest. A patch with or simply the lettersMC will often accompany the club name. Treat these people with utmost respect especially if you see the word Vulcan.

Clubber - One who has club affiliation

Clutch - The clutch is operated by a handle in order to, ultimately, engage or disengage power to the rear wheel.

Clyde - cage driver (usually the bastard that cuts you off)

Coasters - Plates used to block the holes when removing Reed Valves

COG - Kawasaki Concours Owner’s Group ( http - //www.concours.org/ )

Colors/Colours - Signifies a motorcycle club or organization patch.

Combustion chamber - The part of the cylinder in which the fuel is compressed and explodes.

Commuter - Anyone who normally rides his Bike to and from work.

Compression - A condition in which the volume of fuel and air in an engine cylinder is reduced as a result of increased pressure by a piston. The compression ratio of an engine is the ratio of the volume above the piston at the bottom of its compression stroke to the volume above the piston at the top of its stroke.

Compression ratio - The compression ratio specifies how much the fuel is compressed when the engine’s piston is at its highest point.

Corn Snakes - Dried cornstalks that blow across the road especially at harvest time.

Countersteering - Turning the bikes handlebars in one direction(at higher speeds) and having it go in the opposite direction

Coupon - This is a traffic ticket.

Cordura - A high tenacity, air textured nylon fiber, made exclusively by Dupont. Superior abrasion resistance over any other fabric in a head to head comparison. Hundreds of nylon materials exist but 500 Denier Cordura is the industry minimum standard for apparel material abrasion and tear strength

Crack It - Turning up the throttle

Crash Bars - The incorrect term for engine guards.

CreditGlide - RUB’s Ride

Cross - Extreme motorcycles designed for driving in rough terrain or on cross tracks.

Crossover - what connects a front & rear cylinder exhaust pipe together.

Crotch Rocket - A slang term for Sport Bikes. A small sport bike with big HP engine.

Cubic Inch Wars - Refers to the ongoing battle between the “Big 5″ companies for the largest displacement OEM MC engine.

Crash Bungs or Mushrooms are terms for the plastic ‘bungs’ you attach to the frame to protect the fairing etc in case of a ’spill’ or crash.

Cruiser - A newer term that surfaced in the late 1980’s that refers to the laid back styled street bikes with chrome and boulevard styling.

Crushers - Cool Shades like the original Ray-Ban Wayfarers

Cylinder - The cylinder shaped space in an engine where the piston moves up and down to compress and explode fuel, which generates the engine’s power.

Cylinder head - The engine piece that closes off the top end of a cylinder.

Dammits - Those devices on the back of your pins that you will almost always drop. Can be used synonomously with Jesus-clips

DBM - Double-Breasted Mattress Thrasher - when you’re out ‘bird’ watching.

Death Grip -Usually how a first time rider grabs the handle bars.

Denier - a unit of measurement used to describe the strength of a material like nylon. Simply - the bigger the number the bigger the thread.

Detonation - See Pre-Ignition

DILLIGAF - Do I Look Like I Give A F_ _ K

Displacement - 1. The size of an engine, in cubic centimeters (cc) or cubic inches (ci). 2. The volume through which the piston travels during a single stroke of an engine. This term is sometimes also used for the total volume displaced by all engine pistons. The displacement is measured in cubic centimeteres (ccm).

Donor Cycle - Firefighter Term for Sportbikes because their drivers tend to kill themself.

Dos Equis - Honda CBR1100XX Blackbird

DOT - Department of Transportation

Drag Bars - A straight styled handlebar that does not sweep up from the risers. Low, flat, straight handlebars.

Drag Pipes - These were short exhaust pipes that ran low along the frame.

DSA - Driving Standards Agency. The UK government body which, among other things, controls the content of the British bike test.

DTGO - Dyin’ To Get Off - Refers to either the rookie female passenger or the seasoned one, depending on how you look at it.

Dual Sport - A dual purpose motorcycle, made for both on and off the road travel.

Duals - 2 seperate Exhaust pipes, ie one each for front andrear cylinder.

Ear’s - Air boxes (i.e. - on a Kawasaki VN750 or VN1500A or any Virago)

Eat Asphalt - Crash

Econo-box, cage, dresser - Car

ECM - Electronic Control Module - The computer brain that controls various aspects of your motorcycle’s performance including ignition, timimg, and fuel to air ratio.

EFI - Electronic Fuel Injection

Eighty Six (86) - If someone is 86′d they are cut off. for example If you are 86′d from alcohol in public places they are not allowed to drink in public. Some are 86 from club functions.Ol’ladies sometimes get 86 from club functions.

Endo - The art of stopping a motorcycle and having the rear wheel lift off the ground, a reverse of the catwalk. Also called a stoppie. Going back over front.

Enduro - Typically this category includes cross bikes which are tuned and equipped for driving on the roads. These bikes are often heavier than, and not as extreme as cross motorcycles, though not as heavy and well-equipped as the larger off-roaders.

Engine Guards - Metal tubes bolted to the motorcycle’s frame that should protect the engine from damage in the event of an accident. They are not designed to offer the rider or passenger any protection in the event of an accident.

ESAD - Eat Shit And Die

Evo - Evolution® - The Evolution engine (V-Twin, produced from 1984 - 2000)

Excessive 11 (Xcess 11) - SX1100, a 1100 cc 4 cylinder street bike.

Exhaust System - Pipes

Expanding brake - Device operated by a handle or pedal to slow down or stop the bike. A cylinder is attached to the relevant wheel. Inside there are two so-called brake shoes, which are pushed outwards against the inner walls of the cylinder, thus slowing the bike down.

FAR - Factory Authorized Repair

Fairing - The plastic shrouds that deflect wind and rain from the rider, the motorcycling equivalent of automotive bodywork.

Fathead - The Twin-Cam engine (V-Twin, produced from 1999 - Current Day)

Flathead - The Flathead engine (V-Twin, produced from 1929 - 1972)

Fast Riding Award - Speeding ticket

Fat - Too Rich Fuel Mixture

Fender Bunny - Nice babe on the back of a bike

Fender Fluff - Nice lookin’ babe on the back

Fiddly-bits - Those chrome do-dads all over saddle bags and seats.

Fishtails or Fishtail Muffler - The exhaust tip or the end of a muffler looks like a Fishtail from the side and usually straight pipe’s with Fishtail tips had a narrow exit for the exhaust where no night stick could fit to check for baffles in the exhaust pipe.

Flame and Crook - Fire and Theft insurance.

FlexiFlyer - 1970s 2-stroke Kawasaki 500/750, lots of go, really bad frames.

Flogging it - Gettting on the throttle hard and shifting thru the gears.

Flower Pot - A cheap helmet non snell-approved head protection device.

Fluff - Young Girl (AUSTRALIAN Terminology)

Fluid Exchange - Stopping for gas and to take a leak.

Flycatcher - Kuryakyn Hypercharger

Flying Colors - Riding while wearing the club/organization’s colors

Fools Paradise - A Harley-Davidson

Four Banger - An inline four cylinder motorcycle (or automotive) engine, these are among the most powerful motors on a motorcycle. Also referred to as an inline four.

Free Rider - Someone who shares the same ideas as a gang but doesn’t belong to one.

French - An old custom car and bike term that refers to mounting a device, a light, usually, deeply recessed into the bodywork, “frenched-in,” and peeking out from within a sort of tunnel, completely recessed below the surface of the surrounding bodywork, presenting only a sudden, clean circle through smooth the surface from which the light appears

FreshMeat - New young girlfriend

Frisco Pegs - Railroad spike highway pegs

Frisco’ed/Frisco style - Style when a gas tank is mounted right along the top of the backbone.

Front Door - Leader of a group ride

FTF - F_ _k The Factory

FTHRWYFL - Forget the Hype, Ride What You F@$#%&n Like!

FTW - F_ _ K The World, also Forever Two Wheels

FUBAR - Which is a very old slang acronym meaning “F_ _ked Up Beyond All Repair.” Pertaining to the sad, inoperable and unfixable state of someone’s bike or engine or whatever.

Fuel Management System - Carburator

In September of 2005, as the sheer magnitude of the Hurricane Katrina disaster became apparent to the world, the Jedi Knights Scooter Club and other scooterists realized we had to do something to help our friends in from New Orleans.

We quickly formed Scooter-Relief.org to coordinate relief donations for scooterists from New Orleans and the rest of the Gulf Coast.

Since September of 2005 we raised thousands of dollars with the help of the national scooter community, clubs, individuals and shops. We have distributed these funds in an equitable fashion to all Katrina survivors who have applied for funds.

Scooter-Relief has also responded to the needs of other scooterists--victims of accidents and some facing serious illness. We continue to raise money for our general fund so we can make grants or donations quickly after receiving word that a scooterist needs aid. We also are raising funds for specific individuals.

You can make a donation through Pay Pal, or by check to:
Scooter-Relief.org
C/O Gregory Heller
455 FDR DR B1604
New York, NY 10002

Scooter-Relief makes grants to scooterists who are affected by natural disaster, accidents or medical emergencies.

We raise funds through donations made online, at scooter rallies and other events.

If you are throwing a rally and would like to find out how you can support Scooter-Relief.org, Contact us. We can provide support in the form of promo wristbands, advertising on our website, stickers and other materials.

If you would like to make a donation, please contact us.

To date we have helped well over a dozen scooterists around the country including many effected by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and Mississippi as well as those with medical emergencies and victims of accidents. Our ability to help scooterists in need is directly related to the donations we receive throughout the year to our General Fund, as well as the specific funds we establish when we hear of a specific scooterist in need.

We encourage our fellow scooterists to consider making a regular donation, perhaps $150 a year? It might sound like a lot, but it is less than the cost of one gallon of gas a week. Just click on the "ChipIn" widget on the right.

For more information visit them at http://scooter-relief.org

www.scooterhelp.com is fantastic for just about anything for Vespa and Lambretta. The following is an example of what the site has to offer:

Two Stroke Oils

Since there is no oil pump in a traditional two stroke engine, two stroke oil is added to gasoline to lubricate the engine. The oil coats parts as the gasoline is drawn through to the combustion chamber, and is then burnt along with the fuel. This is where the typical "blue smoke" comes from and unfortunately the main reason legislation exists against two strokes.

There are two main types of two stroke oil on the markets: non-synthetic and synthetic oils. I hope to add to this page in the future with more info, but for the most part the only difference I have seen on standard motors using synthetic vs. non-synthetic is that the inside of the motor and piston area is much cleaner after many miles using synthetic. Any comments on this would be appreciated.

Having a good tool set is essential to fixing your bike with minimum effort. I have outlined a few of the essential tools; there are others that you will need as you repair the engine. I will post these tools used when i get around to rebuilding my engine. These basic sets will help you tackle most frame, headset, electical, wheel and carburettor problems. A torque wrench is not essential, but it will save you having to break out the helicoil set to re-thread your engine case. As a rule of thumb, if you dont KNOW the torque, tighten the fasteners until they are SNUG or until the lock washer is flat, overtightening aluminum is really risky, less is more in this circumstance.

Here is a list of some of the common tools I bring
                  along on road trips:  Spark Plug Wrench  - Any automotive sparkplug wrench will do. MultiDriver & Bits - Magnetic style;
                  #1 & #2 Philips head minimum. 2 Pairs of VIcegrips - For pulling cables and bolts. One long nose and one standard will
                  do everything. 1/8" Ratchet Handle - 1/8" Drive with the following metric ratchets: 10, 11, 13, 17 and 22mm.  1/8"
                  Torque Wrench - For wheel nuts and carb work. Extensions and Adapters - 1/8" extenstion, and 1/8"-1/4" adapter
                  for the 22mm ratchet head. Tire Gauge - They're all the same - use 22psi in front 28psi in back. Punch - for driving out
                  bolts. Open Ended Wrenches - For setting up cables. Possible sizes include: 7, 8, 11, 13 & 14mm. 13mm Box Wrench - For
                  stripped out wheel nuts and 13mm bolts. Needlenose Pliers - Helpful for tricky situations in tight spaces. Electrical Connectors
                  - Get an assortment of different sizes of spade connectors. Clamp - used to secure the fuel/oil line.  Wire Strippers - This
                  style allows you to get in tight places.  Cables - Buy a few gear change cables (they do everything in a pinch) Spark Plug
                  - Carry a spare plug at all times. B8ES and B7ES work very well on stock machines. Body Hardware - fly-cover screw, cable
                  nipple, headset screw, rear wheel cotter pin, Cable trunions. Fuse - For battery bikes; 8A 12V Euro Style. Spare Keys - Just
                  in case. Wire Cutters - For cutting long cable excess and wire in tight places. Crimp Tool - Used to crimp electrical connectors.
                   
A fantastic site to help you understand scooter maintenance (especially anyone with a P or Stella is 
http://vespamaintenance.com/ which is powered by www.scoot.net (another great site)

www.scooterworks.com

http://www.sip-scootershop.com

www.scooterpartsdirect.com

www.americanscootercenter.com

www.scooterwest.com

Scooterworks is in Chicago and the delivery is usually a day or two. SIP is really only for high performance parts. Scooter Parts Direct has the same prices and uses the same part numbers as Scooterworks. They are in Georgia so the shipping takes a bit longer. These three sites are set up very well and easy to order from. They also email you the invoice which is nice for record keeping. American Scooter Center usually has better pricing as a rule, but you have to call for ordering. The web site is for information purposes only. A great first call might be Jim at Scooter Source in Dayton. He often has parts that he found over time at swap meets and if you are nice to him he might order the parts for you from other venders and pass his discount on to you. http://scootersourceinc.com/ My suggestion would be to see what Autozone has in regards to spark plugs, fuses, etc.... They will be much cheaper than the other sources. For synthetic oil I usually go to Cycle Specialties on Harrison Avenue. Metro Scooter on Montgomery and Dana is also a great place if you are in that part of town. If anyone has other ideas, please share them by sending them to info@scootercincinnati.com.

Established in 1884 by Rinaldo Piaggio and based in Pontedera (Pisa, Italy), the Piaggio Group is one of the world’s top manufacturers of two-wheel motor vehicles. The Piaggio Group has been listed on the Milan Stock Exchange since 11 July 2006 (Piaggio & C. S.p.A.) and is controlled by Immsi S.p.A. (approximately 56%), an industrial holding listed on the Milan Stock Exchange and headed by Roberto Colaninno, who is Piaggio Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. The Group Deputy Chairman is Matteo Colaninno. Daniele Bandiera is Chief Operating Officer Operations, and Michele Pallottini is Chief Operating Officer Finance. Public Relations and Institutional Affairs Manager is Francesco Delzìo. The Piaggio Group, which also includes Aprilia and Moto Guzzi, acquired on 30 December 2004, and Spain’s Derbi, acquired in 2001, ranks as one of the world’s top four players in its core business: a consolidated leadership position on the European 2-wheeler market; 5 R&D centres; approximately 7,000 employees. In addition to its joint venture in China (Foshan), Group production operations are located in seven facilities: Pontedera (Pisa), with three plants for production of two-wheeler vehicles for the Piaggio, Vespa and Gilera brands, light transport vehicles (LTVs) for the European market, and scooter and motorcycle engines; Scorzè (Venice), for production of two-wheeler vehicles for the Aprilia and Scarabeo brands; Mandello del Lario (Lecco), for production of Moto Guzzi vehicles and engines; Barcelona (Spain), for the Derbi brand; Baramati (India), for production of LTVs for the local market. In India, the wholly owned Piaggio subsidiary Piaggio Vehicles Private Ltd (PVPL) produces cargo and passenger Ape diesel 3-wheelers. PVPL is currently the second largest player on the Indian 3-wheeler market, with a share of around 39%, and leader in the Cargo 3-wheeler segment. During the second half of 2007, PVPL started the production of a new 4-wheeler product, Ape Truk, for entering in the growing 4-wheelr light commercial market. PVPL shipments rose from around 35,000 vehicles in 2003 to more than 154,000 units in 2007. In China, operations are conducted by the Piaggio Zongshen Foshan Motorcycle joint venture, which produced more than 209,000 vehicles in 2007 (of which more than 57,000 based on Piaggio technology). Piaggio holds a 45% interest in the joint venture, which is therefore not included in the Group’s consolidated results. In Vietnam, on 9 October 2007 the Piaggio Group officially inaugurated the site (in the province of Vinh Phuc) on which the Vespa scooter production facility will be built, to serve the local market and the ASEAN area. Total investment through to start-up of production operations is estimated in a range of 25-30 million US dollars. The facility will provide a production capacity of up to 100,000 scooters/year. The Piaggio Group product range includes scooters, motorcycles and mopeds in the 50cc to 1200cc displacement range for the Piaggio, Vespa, Gilera, Aprilia, Moto Guzzi, Derbi and Scarabeo brands. The Group also manufactures three- and four-wheel light transport vehicles for the Ape, Porter and Quargo ranges. In 2007 Group consolidated net sales totalled € 1,692.1 million, up 5.3% from 2006, with overall production of approximately 708.500 vehicles (scooters, motorcycles and three/four-wheel commercial vehicles), an improvement of 4.1% over 680,700 vehicles in 2006. Specifically, Vespa sales in 2007 topped production of 117,000 units (+17.1% from 2006), another confirmation of the brand’s international success; Gilera and Derbi gained 12.2% and 7.1% respectively, while Aprilia sales volumes grew by 5.8%, largely as a result of strong performance in motorcycles (+26.6%). Net of spares and accessories, the two-wheeler business reported Year on Year revenue growth thanks to strong performance in scooters, which gained 2.4% for turnover of € 854.1 million, and above all in motorcycles, where net sales progressed by 6.5% to € 277.9 million. The commercial vehicles business had revenues (net of spares and accessories) of € 343.8 million (+7.0% YoY), including € 223.9 million on the Indian market, which gained 15.4% over 2006. Net sales in spares and accessories amounted to € 195.2 million (+10.7% on 2006). Consolidated EBITDA was € 226.1 million, an improvement of 10.8% from € 204.0 million in 2006. Operating profit amounted to € 136.6 million, an increase of 19.6% on € 114.2 million in 2006. Financial year 2007 closed with a consolidated net profit of € 60.0 million, after Income tax amounted to € 43.5 million. Net debt at the end of 2007 decreased to € 269.8 million, a reduction in respect of 31 December 2006 (€ 318.0 million).

In the 1950s, Ducati entered the market of scooters with a technically innovative project: the Ducati Cruiser. The scooter was first released at the Milan Show in January 1952.

The Cruiser had a lot of firsts: it was the first Italian four-stroke scooter, the first scooter in Italy with an automatic transmission and the first scooter produced by Ducati. Initially the Cruiser was designed to have 12 horsepower but the engine was later reduced to 7.5 hp because of a governmental regulation limiting the scooters speed limit to 50 km/h.

This model was Ducati’s response to the ever-increasing invasion of scooters in the motorcycle market. The Cruiser was an elegant luxury scooter, superior to the standards of the time and made for a mid-to high portion of the market.  Ducati spared no expenses in the development of the Cruiser: Giovanni Fiorio was responsible for the development of the engine and the style was designed in cooperation with Ghia, a company famous for designing luxury cars.  The resulting style was unmistakable.

Without a reputation in the market for scooters, the Cruiser was unable to compete with already successful models such as the Vespa or the Lambretta. After only 2 years and approximately a thousand Cruisers made, production was put to a stop. 

THE OFFICIAL STORY
The Vulcan Scooter Sect : A Scooter Club apart ...

50 years after its first appearance, the scooter remains a highly popular machine, ideal for getting around busy cities, it continues to appeal the young and not do young alike, as much for its practicality as for its looks. For a long time, passed over in favor of the motorcycle or the car, the motor scooter has made somewhat of a comeback over the last few year.
Recently all the major manufacturers have brought out their range of scoots : Peugeot, Honda, ...etc. But nothing it seems can depose the mighty Vespa, a veritable icon, along with Lambretta, of European scooterism. The large rallies of the fifties and sixties have been succeeded by more modest events (in France !!), but one finds the same type of "aficionados ". Following the example of the English, Scooter Clubs have started to flourish in France, Spain, Germany... among them the Vulcan Scooter Sect, more as a group of friends than an official organization. Despite a certain " Couldn't care less " attitude, This club has managed to put on a number of events, Scooter runs, races, evening do's, concerts and Custom Shows... The Vulcans are not therefore unknown. Nevertheless, most people ignore the origins of the Scooter club, an unforgivable state of affairs that these few lines will attempt to put right.

The First Scooter Runs
Dzig, Vincent and Laurent started off with the first Perpignan scooter Run, which took place in July 87, (and again in 88, 89 and 90). The year after some of the Vulcans took part in Eurovespa in Aix-les-Bains (1988). It was a good opportunity to show off their customized vespas.
They presented some extremely varied machines, Dzig 's " Excalibur ", Vincent's " Columbia " and Lionel's "Sauterelle". Their efforts were rewarded by five trophies, an exploit which was repeated in 1989, as they left Eurovespa with three more trophies. At the same time Laurent held the first edition of the Saintes Rally ", held annually from 1989 to 1992. One has to admit that the Frenchies were really pulling out all the stops. Two rallies started up in consecutive years, was a great achievement. Even the English, despite being well catered for in Runs, rightly made the trip (more than 3OO). This also gave them the chance to discover or rediscovered the hugely photographed " Gremlins " scooter belonging to Lionel.
Compared to the British Rallies, the French ones weren't quite up to scratch, with lower attendance and less activities. Despite their carefully nurtured lack of organization, the Vulcans remain an active Scooter club. At least - a handful of active members, with the rest just carried along, which doesn't stop them using their veto when hey dislike some proposal or other. After all the right to veto needs to serve some purpose. Anyway a good organizer is one who wants to get stuck in. All though are game for a run out in France, England or indeed the four corners of Europe !

The Vulcans and the A.N.S.R.
In order to simplify things, Dzig, Vulcan member & owner of the famous « Scootermania » scooter shop in Perpignan, started up the ANSR (Association Nationale des Scooters Runs) in 1989, a French counterpart to the British NSRA. From this point on French clubs could obtain an official NSRA membership card , to facilitate access to campsites and do's in the UK, (without mentioning reductions). The ANSR disappeared however in 1991.

The Vulcan today, The European & "All over the World" dimension !
We are not a 1% MC even if we have many chapters … So not without it's problems the Vulcans has carried on its merry way. The small family has got bigger, up to fifteen members proving to the slaggers, that the club isn't as elitist as they make out. Patches were even made up with " Associate Member " on them, (perhaps intended for eventual groupies - who knows !!!) And despite all that, the Vulcans appealed to the English. Alex Pease, our mate from the rallies and a grand specialist on France's wine treasures, took the initiative to start the English Vulcans in 1991. Meanwhile Chris Newton created the US version of the Vulcan in South Florida, with the Belgium and Dutch Vulcans being created in 1995, run respectively by Alexandra Cools and Christian Dozy). From the off the English Vulcans numbered seven members, while their French namesake was down to twelve. To celebrate the worldwide spread of the club a new T-shirt was conceived (yep, its just like having a baby and almost as long). Lionel Designed a new logo where Mr. Spock lost his smart image and took on a special rally look, a bit less " chic ", but altogether more practical (as if old pointy ears could care anyway). The Vulcans have become a club of International proportions, well perhaps that's a bit of an exaggeration, but we did and do keep relations with English clubs, as well as with the Belgium, German, Dutch , Spain, and USA clubs. Without taking on the appearance of a multi-national, the Vulcans have enjoyed a somewhat notorious reputation in Europe, which can surprise certain members.

The last months of ’98 have seen the birth of Vulcan Scooter Sect chapter in California (Berkeley area) ... In 2OOO a new chapter was formed in Brittany : Vulcan Celt SC... Whereas 2OO2 was the creation of Vulcan SC Lutece (Old Paris) with new & old blood from the Paris Scooterist Scene that wanted to be part of our family ! In 2003 a Spanish chapter was created and in 2004 some more members from the North of France join the ever growing family, while an All Girls Chapter is about to see the light  ! The story goes on and is spread all over the world.

All these Vulcan Chapters « All Over The World »  are alive & kicking ! They are part of the Scooter Scene & you’ll see them « All Over The World » … For the little story : have you seen these Vulcan SC Paris members riding down their scooters in Daytona Bike Week almost everey year, side by side with greasy bikers riding their Harleys !

The Paris Scooter Show & Future Objectives
One of the more recent club objectives has been to organize scooter races. Vincent helped by Eli and Joachim, both lucky enough to own a Scooter shop in Paris (Avenir Scooter - Porte d'Orleans- PARIS 14th district) got the ball rolling. From May 1992 on (ASCC - RIP - ed), it was possible to attend both scooter speed and endurance races.
October 1996 and November 1997 saw the 1st and 2nd PARIS International Scooter Custom Shows in the Paris suburb of Chaville, to celebrate the 50th anniversaries of Vespa and Lambretta respectively. These two events were sponsored by Piaggio France , Michelin France and other manufacturers and distributors of accessories and parts such as Pinasco-Fam Corot, Polini-Montuori France etc !! The attendances were good from both French and foreign clubs, with over 650 visitors in ‘98. In 1997, we noted the attendance of the custom Lambretta " Betty Blue " from the Nice'n'Sleazy SC Scotland, who came by road in forty-eight hours, or others from the Tribesmen SC, Vintage Motor SC in ’98, as well as the massed participation of the Scooter Club du Sud Est...

Thanks to the positive response from those scooterists present in Chaville these years, we are already working on the organization of the next edition of the Paris Scooter Show. The best thing for us was the title of 1st Continental Custom Show, voted by Scootering Magazine reader’s review in ’97... A title we’ve promised to keep alive.
In order to mark the next Millennium and the second decade of the club we want to organize a Euro-Scooter Run in the coming years so our British and all over Europe mates can rediscover the French rallies of old, like Saintes 90, and Parthenay 93... 1998, saw also the creation of support wearing by the creation of Reservoir Scooterwear, and parties organized by Los Gringos.

The Vulcan is Electronic on the web ... ready for the new 2000 Millennium
The Vulcan Scooter Secte France has now the chance to have his own website, created by our webmaster and Grand Guru Mr. Toth. The French website displays all info concerning the club, rallies & others events calendar, useful links for example with Vulcans in Florida, Holland, Spain.... We also reports events like Scooter Rallies, Custom Show, various Rides out or Photo/video shootage. There’s also a Guestbook where many web surfer & friends can give their impressions about our site & club. Faster than a real scooter, the web is illogically, as would have said Mr. Spoke, the way to enter the new 2000 Millennium.

The Resume
Since 1986, the assessment is, all things considered, a positive one. Some members have obviously gone their own way, but what the hell, the Vulcans have remained a group of mates determined to carry on in a committed way. in France the majority of the active members are in France (Lionel, Vincent, Toth, Olivier, David, Thierry, Jeff, Riquet, Raphael, Bruno, Cedric, Toth, Stoggie, Mimi, Fabrice, Stephane, J-Sex, Jerome, David, Nicolas, Christophe, etc). The attendance is not perhaps as regular as at the very beginning for the old guard members, but all are always willing to make an effort to come to a party. Whatever the Rally, Do or event, you can be sure that one of the members is there somewhere. It's this, in part, that explains the success of the club. Its hard to find a more passionate lot. For some scooter plays a predominant role, where as for others, it has become more of a hobby than an activity of prime importance. But all this works together. The indifference of some compensates for the sometimes excessive attitude of others.

Visit the Ohio Chapter at http://www.vulcanscooter.com/

Lambretta History

Italy, more than any other country, is known for its motorscooters. In the movies, a photograph of Rome, or in a story about this sunbathed country, the motorscooter is an obvious feature in the Italian way of life. The name most often mentioned when scooters are discussed is Lambretta, and the story of this marquee is a study of the post-war industrialisation of Italy. The Lambretta, like many of its European brothers, is locked up and interwoven with a parent company that produces many other products in addition to its two-wheeled vehicles. The story of this legendary scooter actually began in 1922, when Ferdinando Innocenti moved to Rome from his native Pescia for the purpose of building a factory. The product of this enterprising industrialist was steel tubing, and such ingenuity was involved that Innocenti's wares became renowned throughout Europe. In 1931, Ferdinando moved to Milan, which had become the industrial centre of Italy, and a new and much larger factory was built. Mr. Innocenti developed a seamless steel tube for industry, and 6000 people were employed in this plant. Then came World War II, and the factory was reduced to a smouldering pile of rubble. When Ferdinando viewed his war damaged homeland in 1946, he saw the roads torn up, cities levelled, and the populace left with little means of transportation. Like Mr. Piaggio, he reasoned that the answer to the transportation problem, was the motorscooter - a vehicle that would feature a low production cost, be inexpensive to operate, and would offer better weather protection than a motorcycle. The production of motorscooters began in 1947, after one year had been spent in developing and testing the prototype model. As well as the obvious Italy, Lambretta's have been made around the world, from their birth place in Italy to other countries such as Spain, India, Argentina, Brazil, Chile and more. Although some producers did market the Lambretta under differing names, such as the Serveta from Spain, the Siambretta from South America, they all share the family design that came originally from Italy. Innocenti's demise came at a time when sales of scooters were slowing down due to small cars entering the market at affordable prices. BMC struck a deal with Innocenti for them to produce cars under license from BMC. Within this contract was a clause should Innocenti ever decided to sell, BMC had first refusal. The inevitable happened, Innocenti was sold to BMC, who quickly saw the Lambretta products as a gimmick. Long industrial strikes ensued, along with poor scooter sales eventually lead to the closure of the Innocenti factory in 1972. The factory was sold to the Indian government, and Scooters India Ltd began production using the Innocenti tooling around two years later. S.I.L stopped producing two wheeled scooters in 1998, and today survive on producing their own version of the Lambro three wheeler.

Our humble beginnings trace back to the garage of Genuine Scooter Company Founder and President Philip McCaleb.

In his previous life, McCaleb worked in the corporate world. He spent several years stationed in Greece and Belgium, among other overseas locations. While in Greece in particular, McCaleb noticed that everyone enjoyed getting around on scooters. It didn't take long for him to recognize that scooters are not only incredibly practical, but super fun to ride! Pretty soon, he was hooked and adopted a vintage scooter as his daily transport. Some of his fondest memories are cruising around the busy streets of Athens on two wheels.

Upon his return to the states, McCaleb didn't see millions of people driving around in cars. Instead, he saw millions of people who loved scooters (they just didn't know it yet).

So in 1989, McCaleb started restoring and selling vintage Vespa and Lambretta scooters out of his garage on the north side of Chicago. Some of his early clients were celebrities and rock stars.

Noticing an untapped market and burgeoning subculture, McCaleb used his business knowledge to source hard-to-find vintage scooter parts and sell them to scooter enthusiasts through a mail order catalog. Scooterworks USA was born!

As Scooterworks grew, so did the vintage scooter subculture in the US. During this time, McCaleb was instrumental in the formation of the Vespa Club of America, as well as setting standards for vintage scooter appraisals. Thanks in large part to McCaleb's efforts; the rusted heaps tucked in the back of barns nationwide were transformed into gleaming collector's items.

In 2002, Scooterworks got its hands on some excellent vintage scooter manufacturing equipment. Figuring that the only thing better than an old vintage scooter is a NEW vintage scooter, McCaleb and crew created the StellaŠ and Genuine Scooter Company was born!

The first Stellas landed in dealerships in spring of 2003 and immediately enjoyed brisk sales and a cult-like following. Soon a new subculture was created, as witnessed by the formation of Stella clubs across the country. Stella's online presence was bolstered by the formation of www.stellaspeed.com, an online group dedicated solely to Stella.

In 2006, Genuine recognized the need for a modern, automatic scooter with vintage charm. This ushered in a new era for Genuine, highlighted by the Buddy, the Rattler, the Blur, the Black Cat, and soon the Roughhouse.

You don't have to look hard to find Buddy scooter clubs and enthusiastic online user groups such as those found on www.modernbuddy.com. We think this demonstrates that Genuine's modern machines feature all the charm and fun of the old classics (minus the hard-to-find parts and repair bills!)

The way we see it, if riding our scooters helps you can capture the same feeling our founder had on his old scooter in Athens, then we're doing something right.

Vespa History

Photo courtesy of M. Huwyler Model AMCA Troupes Aeról Portées Mle. 56 used by the French military in World War II.

Although the use of scooters does predate the introduction of the first Vespa, it popularized and mass produced them on a level not previously seen. Italian industry had suffered severely under Allied bombing during World War II, and many Italian industries were geared for wartime production. With the Italian economy struggling and much of their manufacturing facility in ruins, the Piaggio family sought a way to reinvent their business. They had been producing aircraft, but the demand was greatly reduced in post-war Italy.

Second-generation company owner Enrico Piaggio had an idea for a two-wheeled, inexpensive vehicle that would be cheap and reliable--perfect for financially struggling Italians who still needed a way to get around. There is a legend that Enrico was inspired by his employees, who had trouble getting from one part of the Piaggio facility to another due to large portions of it being bombed out. However, this same tale is told of Vespa competitor Lambretta, so the story is doubtful.

In any case, Piaggio called on aircraft engineer Corradino D’Ascanio to come up with a design. Unfettered by any preconceptions about what a motorcycle or scooter should look like, and aided by his experience designing sturdy, lightweight aircraft frames, D’Ascanio created a prototype from spare parts that fulfilled all of Enrico Piaggo’s wishes for the new vehicle. It just needed a name, and based on its shape and the sound of the engine, Piaggio decided to call it “Wasp.” The Italian word for wasp, of course, is vespa.

Photo courtesy of M. Huwyler An original Vespa with a sidecar attached.

Photo courtesy of Dave Lewis A 1969 Vespa Rally 180, a rare vintage scooter.

Sales in Italy began slowly in 1946, but by 1950 Piaggio was selling more than 60,000 units per year [Source: Patrick Taylor]. By that time, the Vespa name and design was being licensed for production in other countries as well. More than four million Vespas had been sold by 1969 (Brockway, 96), not counting licensed production.

In 1951, British motorcycle company Douglas began producing Vespas under license (they had been importing Piaggio-made models for two years prior). While the sales numbers for Douglas Vespas represent a fraction of overall sales, the cultural influence of the UK Vespa craze is difficult to understate and certainly increased worldwide popularity.

Despite financial difficulties in the 1980s and 90s, and several changes of ownership, the Piaggio Company and the Vespa names still exist. The 21st century has seen the reentry of Vespas into the North American market, the creation of high-end “touring” Vespas suitable for longer distance drives, and major upgrades in engine efficiency and power. In 2007, Piaggio introduced the MP3, a concept vehicle with two wheels in front and one in the rear. An advanced suspension and computer-controlled fuel injection make the MP3 a very futuristic scooter [Source: Piaggio USA].

Vespa’s CompetitionInitially, Vespa faced serious competition from Lambretta, a company with a similar history to Piaggio’s. While Lambretta scooters were considered equally stylish, Vespa controlled most of the market share. More competition arrived in the 1970s and 80s, as companies in India and Southeast Asia began mass producing inexpensive scooters for a market that was perfect for them. Many of these designs were based on Vespa licenses. Nevertheless, for many scooter enthusiasts, there’s only one name worth knowing: Vespa.

It has been one year since the forum has been born (October 2007) and we wanted to celebrate by adding this fancy new blog to our site. If you want to contribute to content of the blog please send all articles to info@scootercincinnati.com I promise you I will post them as soon as you send them. As winter approaches there is still a lot of good riding out there. Often you can ride though December enjoying some great temperature. January and February are for the hardcore riders that use their two wheels as primary transportation (no names-Carrie Nation). It is also a great time to work on your bikes to prepare them for the great year of riding in 2009. Rebuilding a 1980 Vespa P125X has been my past time over the past few weeks. Engine back in and all we have to do is place the carburetor back in and replace one cable. Completing work like that does the mind and body good. I am very sorry to hear of the tragedy of one motorcyclist killing another with his car. View details on www.localriders.com. It is every rider's nightmare. Our deepest sympathies go out to both families. We will work diligently to post daily at a minimum. If a post is missing for a moment, please understand that this could only be due to some serious riding. 20,000 miles per year is our standing goal!