scooters = two-wheeled volvo??

[Slide Panda]

Sweet!  The GS160 was THE classic Vespa, the Ace Face bike.  If you've still got it, they are worth quite a bit these days.

PhilB

Wish I did, it was a '64. It got lost in the wilds of life due to college, parental move (where it was stored) and such. I hope it's still out there some place...

[mrpetebojangles]

Mopeds can certainly be as dangerous. Moped driver killed here in Reno a couple days ago by a hit and run. http://www.kolotv.com/mobi?storyid=162156675

[SDRider]

I'm talking about this kind of ridonkulousness. 

[PhilB]

That's cute.  People will customize anything.  They hot up and drag race Harleys and Volkswagens.  They customize minivans.  You should see the Japanese custom scooter scene (or the Japanese custom *anything* scene for that matter).  I've even heard there are people who will buy a Ducati and bolt on thousands of dollars of bling that does nothing for performance, ride it to Starbucks, and then put proud pictures on the internet. 

Whatever.

PhilB

[SDRider]

That's cute.  People will customize anything.  They hot up and drag race Harleys and Volkswagens.  They customize minivans.  You should see the Japanese custom scooter scene (or the Japanese custom *anything* scene for that matter).  I've even heard there are people who will buy a Ducati and bolt on thousands of dollars of bling that does nothing for performance, ride it to Starbucks, and then put proud pictures on the internet. 

Whatever.

PhilB

LOL!  Yeah, all I'm saying is that I don't get it.  I'll just leave it at that.   

[1.21GW]

I say, happy dog.

Don't know, he kinda looks concerned to me.  Besides, everyone knows this is the proper way to handle a dog on a bike:

[bdub]

No helmet!

[ducatigirl100]

short story 

when I was 14 yrs old I was harassing  my dad (big time !)  to have a scooter 

One day, we where in a parking lot going in to a shopping mall ....

 I Shaw a scooter  and I said to my dad " I  want one like that !! " 

As I was pointing at the scooter the guy add a accident Right in front of our eyes
he was OK but forget the permission of my daddy to have a scooter ! 

scooter are more dangerous that you would think

[ducatiz]

short story 

when I was 14 yrs old I was harassing  my dad (big time !)  to have a scooter 

One day, we where in a parking lot going in to a shopping mall ....

 I Shaw a scooter  and I said to my dad " I  want one like that !! " 

As I was pointing at the scooter the guy add a accident Right in front of our eyes
he was OK but forget the permission of my daddy to have a scooter ! 

scooter are more dangerous that you would think

and now you ride a Monster!  bwahahahaha

[1.21GW]

and now you ride a Monster!  bwahahahaha

Just goes to prove that when a parent says No, the kid will want to not only do it but do it ten times worse.

[ducatigirl100]

  yeah monster it is 

[Nottsbiker]

Beats walking I guess.  I'd rock one if my commute was only a couple miles in the city.

Yes, you are capable of killing yourself on one of these things and I agree, I almost never see scooter riders wearing any gear other than a helmet (and it is usually one of those half helmets like the hot chick in the original post is wearing, and it usually matches the paint on the bike... not that there's anything wrong with that of course). 

I have seen scooter riders wearing full gear but it is extremely rare.  What really cracks me up is the modified scooter scene.  A scooter with a Yoshi pipe?  Not sure what the point of that is... to make noise I guess?   

Many of my friends from back home have Vespa's and Lambretta's and are well into the modding / racing scene including even sidecars. I've owned a few in my time like Gilera Runners and the old Yamaha Bi-Wizz and they are great for buzzing around town on.

Unfortunately the 2 schools I work at now are both 10-15 miles from home and also I'd never been seen dead on a 'ped at a school. I'll be the cool member of staff next year who turns up on a loud n rattly Monster

[HotIce]

When I was a kid, I had a Vespa 50cc (50cc was the only one you could get at 14yo), soon modded to 90cc and 19 Dell'Orto carburetor.
At 16yo dumped the 50cc and got a Vespa 125PX (at 16yo, all you could get was 125cc), which I kept for a while.
Scooters, at least the ones back then, were more dangerous than motorcycles. Vespas had very small wheels, and their breaks weren't worth $hit.
Today's scooters are six leaps forward as far as safety goes. Breaking especially.
I keep a XMax 250cc to hoover around my hometown when I go for vacation in the summer, and it feels decently safe.
How people drive scooters in Italy, makes CA line splitting a kids game  

[MendoDave]

Paging Michael Moore to the white courtesy phone....

[xcaptainxbloodx]

ive got a flat black  1964 vespa GL 150 with a p200 motor in it, its probably the scariest bike ive ever ridden.

nothing quite like going 90 on a set of 10" tires with suspension and brakes that are nearly twice my age...