Parking at Clipper Stadium

If you ride to Clipper Stadium, they do have a spot for motorbikes. Unfortunately, it's pretty far from the stadium. It's past the main lot, at the entrance to overflow parking. But if you have a 50cc scooter, you can park it at the bike rack. I asked about it at the front office. I've used it a couple times without incident.


-- Post From My iPhone

Meltdown 2009

Scott wrote to me to remind us about Three Mile Island Scooter Club's annual rally, Meltdown 2009. It takes place over the weekend of August 21-23 in Camp Hill, PA. Click here for more details.

This event is open to all makes and models, and is 50cc-friendly. Since my scooter is a 50cc, I'll be looking for a slow road for the long trip over. If you are interested in joining me, or would like me to post the route, leave a comment.

A Ruckus in Annapolis

I rode the big bike down to Annapolis, MD on Saturday. Annapolis is an old town with narrow streets and limited parking; a perfect scooter town. Most of the scooters were of the cheap asian variety. There must be an agressive Fly dealer in town, because there were a number of them around, including as a display prop in a dress shop. What was most interesting were the Honda Ruckuses.

Take this one for instance. A set of BMW roundels? Poser! We all know you're a Honda. Actually, BMW has dabbled in scooters before and is rumoured to be working on an entry into the maxi-scooter market. Apperently this owner wasn't willing to wait. I did like his storage net under the seat, giving it some useful (if not secure) storage area.

Then there was this guy. Cheer up, dude, you got a sweet ride! (Maybe he was bummed he forgot his riding gear.) Double, stacked LED headlights, are just the start of the many modifications to this flat black scoot. Click on the pics for larger views.

Transitioning to Green

LancasterOnline.com ran an article today about all the great green things going on in the City. Of most interest to me was a group called Transition Lancaster, which is a group working to facilitate the transition to a greener, more sustainable economy; one with a low carbon footprint and without cheap foreign oil. I'm interested in their goals and their vision of the future. I agree that we need to transition away from large vehicles carrying single occupants and reduce our emissions. But they jump right to buses and bicycles and ignore what I consider to be a transitional step: motorbikes and scooters!

Let's face it... not everyone can bike to work. Maybe it's too far, or you're just not fit enough. But the bus doesn't go there. Or it does, but not often enough or on your schedule. What's the alternative? A scooter. A much more efficient use of our limited fossil fuel than an SUV or even a car. If we're talking about transitioning, the first step is to get people out of their cages, oops, I mean cars. And a scooter can be that first, fun step.

MP3 Hybrid

OK, on to a more realistic plug-in. This is Piaggio MP3 Hybrid. You will actually be able buy these next year, and I think I actually want one. It will be (they claim) the first production plug-in hybrid vehicle. It runs on electricity, AND has a 124cc gas-powered engine that will take over when your charge is up. That means its range is not limited. And the battery is a Lithium-ion battery, the kind like in your cell phone that charges quickly and lasts long (another first for a production hybrid).

It will reach 64mph, and they claim 140mpg. Of course, if your trips are short and the gas engine never kicks in, that 140 could approach infinity.

The unlimited range and the electric engine make this an appealing package. One cool thing about an electric engine is that 100% of the torque is avalable from the instant you twitch the throttle. So even though it's a green vehicle, it won't be a wimp. This thing will jump off the line. Is it me, or does this even look better than the other MP3s? To read more, see Piaggio's website.

Brammo Enertia

This is the Brammo Enertia. It is a motorcycle that is completely electric. It only goes for about 45 miles on a charge, tops out at 55 miles per hour (not bad, actually), and cost $12,000. That's right, it costs as much as a BWM 800. So, what's so interesting about that? You can't buy it at a motorcycle dealer. It's going to be sold at, get this, Best Buy!

I don't expect to see a lot of these around. Partly because, for now, they only have plans to release them in the Northwest United States. But mostly, it is so expensive for what you get, I can only imagine it as some sort of status-symbol toy. So that makes the distribution the most interesting part. If vehicles in the future are going to be consumer electronics, what does that mean for the sales model? Will car dealers cease to exist? Will you be dickering with Radio Shack? An intersting thought experiment for a County that currently awaits a Best Buy to repace our one Circuit City.

Fishnet, Tattoos and Pigtails

The Dutchland Rollers are Lancaster’s own roller derby team. They are associated with the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (http://www.wftda.com/). Saturday night, July 11, they hosted the Steel City B-Unit from Pittsburgh at Overlook Activities Center, 2040 Lititz Pike. I headed up to try my hand at sports photography, armed with a brand new Canon PowerShot SX200 IS.

Tickets are $10, but some of the proceeds from each match go to a charity. This month, it was Cancer Aid of Gap. You also get a glossy program that explains the rules and a chance at door prizes. And there are raffles that take place in between periods, so bring your folding money.

The action is fast and the rules are complicated. Luckily, you don’t have to understand much to enjoy the spectacle. The short version is that a “Jammer” from each team tries to break through the “Pack”.
The Jammers wear stars on the helmets. The first one to do so cleanly, controls that round (or “Jam”). Points are awarded for many things, but mostly for passing other players. For a more information, see www.wftda.com/rules.

Matches are advertised as family-friendly, and they are... in an alternative kind of way. Tattoos and short skirts abound, and not just on the women. The bonnet-wearing mascot, Hester, is played by a guy. Even some of the spectators are a sight. If that bothers you, perhaps you aren't the target demographic. But everyone is friendly and even new vistitors can have a good time. There are always plenty of extra team members around willing to answer questions.

Players take on psuedonyms like Ruthless Ness, White Thrash, and Cherry Crush. Like the feigned bloodlust, it's part of the fun.

The Rollers are on the road in August. Their next bout at Overlook is September 19, 6:30pm, vs. the HubCity HellRazors. That may seem far away while baseball teams are playing every day, but consider the beating that these ladies take. That time is needed for bruises to heal.

Sports photography with ambient light is tough, and not for a little snapshot camera. You must need a lot of light and super fast film. Or a monster flash. Most of my shots are primarily blurs, even with the ISO set at 1600. But, it does take HD video (which has to then be downgraded to put on the web, of course).

Sighted Around Town

This gray Vespa Granturismo was resting under the Ginko tree on the southwest corner of Central Market yesterday morning.

Updates

LancasterOnline.com has an article that give more information about Red Rose Tours. They are now open for business, Wednesday-Sunday, 10am-6pm.

I spoke to the owner of the Fractured Prune today, and guess what? He's a scooter rider! They are also in the process of getting a bike rack for the Walnut Street side of the shop, so look for that in the future.

In spite of posted hours, they are occasionally open on Friday nights, like First Fridays. Personally, I'm grateful that they are open Sunday mornings. If you are headed into town in a car on the weekend, you are welcome to park in the Lebzelter's Goodyear lot across the street.