tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28004052071411105002024-03-05T23:46:59.937-05:00ScootLancaster.comPromoting scooters for commuting and tourism in Lancaster, PA.Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13780513470677906192noreply@blogger.comBlogger256125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2800405207141110500.post-88690182552497339642010-03-08T04:57:00.003-05:002010-03-08T05:09:46.335-05:00What's Going On With Vespa Lancaster?Vespa Lancaster is now listed on <a href="http://www.vespausa.com/find_dealer.php?">Vespa's website</a>. But if you've driven by Keim Pre-Owned this winter, you probably noticed a lack of progress or any evidence of a Vespa dealership. So I stopped in and asked about it.<br /><br />I was told that they are waiting on their motorcycle dealer's license from the State, and that it should be here any day. Once that arrives, look for renovations to begin on the property that currently houses their service department. They said to expect signage, and "two Vespas up in the air". It sounds like they are going to do it up right, with a branded showroom.Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13780513470677906192noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2800405207141110500.post-68329086050545159702010-03-03T06:11:00.005-05:002010-03-03T06:28:51.117-05:00Mid Atlantic Scooter Racing CommissionI don't know if this is new or not, but I just became aware of the <a href="http://masrc.wordpress.com/">Mid Atlantic Scooter Racing Commission</a>. It looks like they are planning a season of races and rallies. Check out their website and <a href="http://thunderscooter.hotdiscussion.net/index.htm">forums</a>. It looks like an exciting year for scooter enthusiasts.<br /><br />And get this: one of the tracks is easily reachable by scooter. Sandyhook Speedway in Street, Maryland, is just across the border.<br /><iframe height="350" marginheight="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=39.629061,-76.307902&num=1&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=23.875,57.630033&hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=39.626251,-76.313052&spn=0.830887,1.778412&z=10&output=embed" frameborder="0" width="425" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no"></iframe><br /><small><a style="TEXT-ALIGN: left; COLOR: #0000ff" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=39.629061,-76.307902&num=1&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=23.875,57.630033&hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=39.626251,-76.313052&spn=0.830887,1.778412&z=10&source=embed">View Larger Map</a></small><br /><br />I've ridden as far as Holtwood on my 50cc scooter, which is more than halfway there. And I've been to Havre de Grace on the 300. So I say this is doable... imagine how fun to ride your little scooter to a day of racing little scooters!Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13780513470677906192noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2800405207141110500.post-88695698317622519992010-02-21T10:46:00.002-05:002010-02-21T10:57:25.984-05:00Mid Atlantic Spring Scooter Rally - 2010The date for the Mid Atlantic Spring Scooter Rally has been set: May 21-23. As usually, rally headquarters will be at the the New Hollander Motel, New Holland, PA.<br />The tag line for this event is "Kommen Sie Essen und Fahren", which is PA Dutch for "Come Eat And Ride". Eating, riding and camaraderie is what this event is about. There aren't awards for restoration or gymkhana events. But there are door prizes.<br />This is a free rally, but registration is required. For more information, and to pre-register, go to <a href="http://www.midatlanticscoot.com/">http://www.midatlanticscoot.com/</a>.Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13780513470677906192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2800405207141110500.post-6580602518696165852009-10-10T05:57:00.005-04:002009-10-10T06:10:52.715-04:00Matt and Tom's Night Prowl Through Our Aromatic County<em><span style="font-size:78%;">Today we have a Reader Submission by Tom Becker</span></em><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKpvGl1H0y-4ssuLXIZjXYITVr9cwLg0RXPk7z9v-_u0TrbnelZa3G1kTOrhN4gLdEjT8GhofG3OXaS3ce3sEKUcg6Q0uJsDDOsPmQok8o6py-lw2mTxUAB26UK7WUFoXBMYCgo2Hwpmg/s1600-h/100_0398.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 176px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390910681972504610" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKpvGl1H0y-4ssuLXIZjXYITVr9cwLg0RXPk7z9v-_u0TrbnelZa3G1kTOrhN4gLdEjT8GhofG3OXaS3ce3sEKUcg6Q0uJsDDOsPmQok8o6py-lw2mTxUAB26UK7WUFoXBMYCgo2Hwpmg/s200/100_0398.jpg" /></a>Under the harvest moon and through the evening air, we scooted. Four intrepid riders were on the bill, but two turned out to be posers. Questioning our friends' claims to family responsibilities, we set out from College Avenue to the hamlet of Mastersonville just to say we had been there.</p><p>Having achieved that lofty goal, we turned south toward Mt Joy for a warm-up and beer at Mick's (formerly known as Carlos 'n Charlies and mournfully deprived of great salsa). We then motored to Washington Boro and back home via Charlestown Road, the perfect strip of road for filming a slasher movie.</p><p>Our Night Prowl was not difficult or noteworthy, except for the wonderful smells of farmer's fields, sleepy streams and decaying leaves. It was the first of many tours, we're sure. Pictured is my Ruckus and Matt's C3 parked with a Ducati sport bike in Mt. Joy.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtZdW32rjpbWEsWyhd5Qqm3hNmpa-UjMf9dNnCWpidW4XFvkAXm-rH_6XwqA2C7_Xsd3wna6b9rmx6cRZwS0DU3uEdSe7HJzmW3RKbJ0UIDWeFEtT7Z01HN8mdrva9GoQ7CdyUTmqe3FU/s1600-h/100_0402.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390911024854321938" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtZdW32rjpbWEsWyhd5Qqm3hNmpa-UjMf9dNnCWpidW4XFvkAXm-rH_6XwqA2C7_Xsd3wna6b9rmx6cRZwS0DU3uEdSe7HJzmW3RKbJ0UIDWeFEtT7Z01HN8mdrva9GoQ7CdyUTmqe3FU/s320/100_0402.jpg" /></a></p>Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13780513470677906192noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2800405207141110500.post-13221949488558009142009-10-01T05:40:00.007-04:002009-10-01T06:19:19.925-04:00A Folly Named Trolley<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX3mJaQ-cneEj3coGfZXiaRjkPG9KXkWfde5D0npQ-cNEbTfLK0utDm1zUzb0WJah60RzsBdg5t1Jazs88IXdjWKkEqSOMZgD58SHvMCAe1h3dGDQ4KhaMKNIt7qyVZJcbnXc6Gf3EAyY/s1600-h/streetcar.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 119px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX3mJaQ-cneEj3coGfZXiaRjkPG9KXkWfde5D0npQ-cNEbTfLK0utDm1zUzb0WJah60RzsBdg5t1Jazs88IXdjWKkEqSOMZgD58SHvMCAe1h3dGDQ4KhaMKNIt7qyVZJcbnXc6Gf3EAyY/s200/streetcar.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387564514328710866" /></a>There is a debate in Lancaster about whether to bring back streetcars to the downtown. It has become <a href="http://talkback.lancasteronline.com/index.php?showtopic=100217">an issue in the the upcoming election</a>. I am for alternative forms of transportation, but I don't think this makes sense. Do I wish they had never gotten rid of the streetcars we had? Sure. You can't buy the kind of authenticity a continuously operating line would have. But to tear up the streets now and put the tracks back would be a tremendous cost, both in money and disruption to traffic, both during construction and on-going.</p><p><br />I understand the reasons why some want streetcars. Lancaster is an old city. It is essentially built-out. The streets, which were established before automobiles existed, are narrow and crowded. Parking is scarce. Areas of shopping, eateries and entertainment are sometimes separated by blocks of houses or offices. It is difficult for individuals to avail themselves of all the attractions downtown on foot. People want transportation that is convenient. How are we to solve this problem? If only there were an example we could look to...</p><br /><p>Hey, wait, don't European cities have these exact same problems? How do they deal?</p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEjccWwwBPChyphenhyphen3QJ5sBylMa6i0mcSnRkrUNclvbyfTgBp0wGHIsXyns2ZdtMlE380zI7pup0qwNjVB3LyRiqc7blg7ddv5ZrquBTDg33g840xjlgB9ScT6DV7jN6lBEUMIlyCkrdlOuAo/s1600-h/scootersinflorence.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEjccWwwBPChyphenhyphen3QJ5sBylMa6i0mcSnRkrUNclvbyfTgBp0wGHIsXyns2ZdtMlE380zI7pup0qwNjVB3LyRiqc7blg7ddv5ZrquBTDg33g840xjlgB9ScT6DV7jN6lBEUMIlyCkrdlOuAo/s400/scootersinflorence.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387569978101007538" /></a>photo by Sweetgrzly and nicked from Google ImagesGerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13780513470677906192noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2800405207141110500.post-22022815741352047692009-09-29T06:31:00.006-04:002009-09-29T07:05:07.017-04:00Touring Load CapacityLooking to go big for touring? No need to look beyond scooters. A recent issue of Rider Magazine reviewed the big touring V-twin motorcycles. But a letter to the editor in the November issue points out that the Suzuki Burgman 650 has more carrying capacity than both the Kawasaki Voyager 1700 (379lbs.) and Star Venture (395lbs.). A quick search of the interwebs suggested that both Burgmans are rated for over 900lbs.. (Maybe one of our new Burgman-owning readers can post the real numbers in the comments section of this entry). This would mean that a Burgman, even a 400, is capable of towing any of the flagship touring cruisers, while the reverse is not true! That makes me giggle.</p><br /><p>Before you Harley guys start thumping your chests, I just looked up the article in the September issue. The Harley FLHTCU (Ultra Classic Electra Glide) can carry 474 lbs..</p>Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13780513470677906192noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2800405207141110500.post-59791076911010558742009-09-29T06:22:00.003-04:002009-09-29T06:28:37.013-04:00Reader SubmissionA reader, Jim from Elizabethtown, sent in this picture of his 1965 MOD Lambretta. He says that he has owned about a dozen vintage metal scooters over the course of his life. I guess this area has been into scooters for years!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3IMaciQ80TiVH3QrIXXiy5jXijOOxaWHdBYQNSrRt1s0Grmx3Fe7lOOaEOzl7AU0QZnrzLWr0wsm3cPnudRGnx1kIPyNxyoXemX3bAOJG4_dpsM9CZwwXhyphenhyphen-2KDIYqmCqstnfwuYpH9w/s1600-h/scooter+006.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 391px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3IMaciQ80TiVH3QrIXXiy5jXijOOxaWHdBYQNSrRt1s0Grmx3Fe7lOOaEOzl7AU0QZnrzLWr0wsm3cPnudRGnx1kIPyNxyoXemX3bAOJG4_dpsM9CZwwXhyphenhyphen-2KDIYqmCqstnfwuYpH9w/s400/scooter+006.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386833114360587778" /></a>Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13780513470677906192noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2800405207141110500.post-66928895732916172122009-09-29T06:10:00.004-04:002009-09-29T06:20:30.597-04:002010 Rumor<p>It's been a while since I posted any news about new scooters coming to market. I guess the economy has led to manufacturers playing it conservative. Honda seems to be the only one introducing new models (SH150i and the <a href="http://powersports.honda.com/2010/elite.aspx">new 108ccc Elite</a>). So I thought I'd pass along what I've been reading around the internet: Vespa is going to add fuel injection to its models down to the 150cc engine size for 2010. That is going to make the S150 a very attractive scooter.</p><br /><p>And, yes, I realize that this blog has been a little Vepsa-centric lately. I'll try to mix it up soon. Try...</p>Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13780513470677906192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2800405207141110500.post-41227150931740357192009-09-27T20:25:00.013-04:002009-09-27T21:37:37.416-04:00Mid-Atlantic Fall Scooter Rally, 2009<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-0FBo8lCh6iM8JGwa5llFDBtZj2FY6qwWX9ZvNkJ0ILDqUk7WjQf2NoPhaq9AYanjBV0kxASSDviDSUeB0Of0yJEaqf3bZo5aPKJNu_jeTaOVX1zeqCIe5tDiED2Gg3cU5LVmDA3y49U/s1600-h/IMG_0996.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 142px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-0FBo8lCh6iM8JGwa5llFDBtZj2FY6qwWX9ZvNkJ0ILDqUk7WjQf2NoPhaq9AYanjBV0kxASSDviDSUeB0Of0yJEaqf3bZo5aPKJNu_jeTaOVX1zeqCIe5tDiED2Gg3cU5LVmDA3y49U/s200/IMG_0996.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386308276966005970" /></a>Saturday morning, as I was headed up to New Holland for the Mid-Atlantic Fall Scooter Rally, I was reminded of why Lancaster County is such a scenic place to ride. A hot air balloon was flying low over the farm fields of Bareville and Leola. This balloon was just above the rooftops and wires. As Will had said to an out-of-towner the night before, "There's nothing that you can name that we don't have around here."</p><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiMGd0eBtiZ3NXr5ANudjpu8o2HvSfjTA959wRe2xlOZ0R_Rl19fjDYpnsTt62v814cmgKUKzqyOrY1ROEvqJl3z9_XzIT71-Pedb3GR9sRuK3KEMDHxjqalAVBK9T1Pu5LRi5uYupqEw/s1600-h/IMG_1013.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 126px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiMGd0eBtiZ3NXr5ANudjpu8o2HvSfjTA959wRe2xlOZ0R_Rl19fjDYpnsTt62v814cmgKUKzqyOrY1ROEvqJl3z9_XzIT71-Pedb3GR9sRuK3KEMDHxjqalAVBK9T1Pu5LRi5uYupqEw/s200/IMG_1013.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386308439742950498" /></a>The day started promptly at 8:30am at the Hollander Motel when Will blew the whistle and yelled, "Mount up!" A New Holland police officer held traffic for us as we turned northeast up Route 23 to Shady Maple for the traditional breakfast buffet. Breakfast was from 9 - 10:30, and you needed the time to pack in the wide variety of meats and potatoes, including turkey bacon and sausages. We would need the nourishment, as we would not be stopping for lunch. Nobody left hungry; just look at these satisfied customers.</p><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEineGnPXBBJlAlyFnOPGw8j9zsU3HwwnK4jCAaTotF2jqtK24U9mh0wZeyPZS9_Tb6rSijIRJurcC_XOvaGRIMMRwX3OcTn4wYihr9ITEI8h08upvu-GDZFQuuW0m2flSzET3HElXf-nGM/s1600-h/IMG_1034.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 167px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEineGnPXBBJlAlyFnOPGw8j9zsU3HwwnK4jCAaTotF2jqtK24U9mh0wZeyPZS9_Tb6rSijIRJurcC_XOvaGRIMMRwX3OcTn4wYihr9ITEI8h08upvu-GDZFQuuW0m2flSzET3HElXf-nGM/s320/IMG_1034.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386313004698303970" /></a><br />Those finished with breakfast early spent time in the parking lot looking at the 57 scooters that had assembled for the main ride.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOIs1O_iYp17ivHmjggHD8ovus2VjFSImbRJi5c9dMjZuTXOXgVWe5KrnY67lrxKJoIlgrUPila9G_Opcmdo3Dgs45UzEJI0azrqlKnf1D3UTkoBDNJTw1GmT9uKvc91wEWtJPLBxf9Tk/s1600-h/IMG_1011.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 129px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOIs1O_iYp17ivHmjggHD8ovus2VjFSImbRJi5c9dMjZuTXOXgVWe5KrnY67lrxKJoIlgrUPila9G_Opcmdo3Dgs45UzEJI0azrqlKnf1D3UTkoBDNJTw1GmT9uKvc91wEWtJPLBxf9Tk/s320/IMG_1011.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386313012911696274" /></a><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwDFW4K1ZzLcDAQEh-u8LbMYz_aY7oWo8_OPraEN1k4ntyHPpC5Bx0hctsAnIL_3pApyx3GZjwQJCMMYL8DQjpVEHTziT6rujBjSlCUoAJCO4DscKmT47RuHdt3ZxJ0lsLXGvMNa0iH9Y/s1600-h/IMG_1029.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 167px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwDFW4K1ZzLcDAQEh-u8LbMYz_aY7oWo8_OPraEN1k4ntyHPpC5Bx0hctsAnIL_3pApyx3GZjwQJCMMYL8DQjpVEHTziT6rujBjSlCUoAJCO4DscKmT47RuHdt3ZxJ0lsLXGvMNa0iH9Y/s200/IMG_1029.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386308284107570594" /></a>Most of the scooters were Suzuki Burgmans, which is not surprising as this rally has been primarily organized by members from <a href="http://burgmanusa.com/forums/index.php">www.burgmanusa.com</a>. But there were a few small guys there too, like this Zuma 125 and a Buddy 150. I didn't notice either of them having trouble keeping up on the ride, although the Honda SH150i did suffer on the hills, as it was carrying 2 people.</p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0RZeIOi2zfaw0SfhdKQYyJ-RaJqhpJthnuBhmJ6nSkpYLssiBwDe5-bRx2QSzbCQrpyBQvVA2sut9Yh7C4YRln8DjsBpRTqu9Fyg1EMU4pRpvN2k-OOoUp5C4WkeTQMrxHhIs1N-xuUg/s1600-h/IMG_1028.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 210px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0RZeIOi2zfaw0SfhdKQYyJ-RaJqhpJthnuBhmJ6nSkpYLssiBwDe5-bRx2QSzbCQrpyBQvVA2sut9Yh7C4YRln8DjsBpRTqu9Fyg1EMU4pRpvN2k-OOoUp5C4WkeTQMrxHhIs1N-xuUg/s320/IMG_1028.JPG" border="0" alt="Why do the red ones park together?"id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386314708436240306" /></a>I don't have any pictures of the ride itself, because I didn't want to hold a camera while we were moving. There will probably be more pictures at <a href="http://midatlanticscoot.com/">midatlanticscoot.com</a>. It is quite a sight to look ahead and see scooters as far as you can see in front of you, and to look in your mirror and see scooters as far as you can see in back of you. I hope we didn't disrupt traffic too much. How surreal it must be to have that many scooters suddenly pass your out-of-the-way home. We certainly put some smiles on faces and got many waves from bystanders.</p><p>Along the way, we stopped at M&S Suzuki (on Rt. 322, outside of Blue Ball) to thank them for their sponsorship and their having helped multiple rally-goers over the past years. They have gotten more than one rider that limped in on a Friday night rolling by Saturday morning.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqlLtbM8jnAcA1Uq1Kjx6JCL1PqH-YpnhqxOovALssz3TW9L7BGNQBB6nsW0DWfAWE-eauMRjVOL1eJ3nm9VdXfzR3eAG5fkbChFHTyBBu0VohNOr_AGftvte-gw9zoMF_NyB1QeiS0XA/s1600-h/IMG_1040.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqlLtbM8jnAcA1Uq1Kjx6JCL1PqH-YpnhqxOovALssz3TW9L7BGNQBB6nsW0DWfAWE-eauMRjVOL1eJ3nm9VdXfzR3eAG5fkbChFHTyBBu0VohNOr_AGftvte-gw9zoMF_NyB1QeiS0XA/s320/IMG_1040.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386315731611997346" /></a><br />We also stopped at Pat Garrett's Sheepskin Shop on Route 183. Even though I believe we were expected, we had to overcome some initial nervousness about the size of our group.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_TPiOp6uH8WPdhzm6y6zVyhkn0tGw3pZZTBo5Wa63JIwoVSJps907jkNnuhve1qiJUxtvkWOEJzgsk6AoS-85qtIi3XbXjvdcWmKAuHiGby1ZM0UUjKhcMSA416DU-vuZ5kISxq2auiU/s1600-h/IMG_1047.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 141px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_TPiOp6uH8WPdhzm6y6zVyhkn0tGw3pZZTBo5Wa63JIwoVSJps907jkNnuhve1qiJUxtvkWOEJzgsk6AoS-85qtIi3XbXjvdcWmKAuHiGby1ZM0UUjKhcMSA416DU-vuZ5kISxq2auiU/s320/IMG_1047.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386318382144330002" /></a><br /><p>Overall, it was a good ride. We just beat the rain back to New Holland. From there I went back to Lancaster and skipped the rest of the Rally, as I had other plans. But I will definitely go again in the Spring.</p><p>On a personal note, it re-affirmed my satisfaction with my Vespa 300 Super.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWWeQVL06F8ZqO9Bn-gP6711z7urSjycpe9CLvFQjG1dkHPsK7PCsxFOKRcdfxcXc969QUvfJO-u47zd18tFDoAUDwysF6_2wtq5gWqA_c-kD65iyyP2_SXYYX_02SPRoswNVuDVLSsa4/s1600-h/IMG_1003.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 298px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWWeQVL06F8ZqO9Bn-gP6711z7urSjycpe9CLvFQjG1dkHPsK7PCsxFOKRcdfxcXc969QUvfJO-u47zd18tFDoAUDwysF6_2wtq5gWqA_c-kD65iyyP2_SXYYX_02SPRoswNVuDVLSsa4/s320/IMG_1003.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386320807606464066" /></a> It easily held its own with the Burgman 400's and 650's, while being nimble and light. That last point was reinforced when I saw a Yamaha Majesty and and a Burgman 650 get dropped at a stop sign during the ride. I like a mid-size scoot.</p>Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13780513470677906192noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2800405207141110500.post-60586625960619611772009-09-25T20:25:00.010-04:002009-09-25T20:53:13.711-04:00Mid-Atlantic Fall Scooter Rally Begins<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkR_2l0-0KyHiodFhdfaOy14BRTz0D3jzx0ICv_CFyjvlwRxmYc4xYiH9IsrhIjaZhOD0IStSWcxBbB94jQ5WQ89ovjb9TxjQoLQoj1DcR-qoZBXD9hYGyAp4G1ovuem3gsy5NHFEg7YI/s1600-h/IMG_0974.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 110px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkR_2l0-0KyHiodFhdfaOy14BRTz0D3jzx0ICv_CFyjvlwRxmYc4xYiH9IsrhIjaZhOD0IStSWcxBbB94jQ5WQ89ovjb9TxjQoLQoj1DcR-qoZBXD9hYGyAp4G1ovuem3gsy5NHFEg7YI/s200/IMG_0974.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385566035645904866" /></a>The Mid-Atlantic Fall Scooter Rally began this evening in New Holland. A cook-out was generously provided by the Hollander Motel. Between hot dogs and hamburgers, people re-newed old friendships. This rally is held twice a year in the same spot, so many attendees know each other from previous events. People trickled in all evening, mostly on Suzuki Burgmans.</p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9z6l8s73LAcz3NgMHVKON1MPzZTCRCm9KMshXlH1rnkq0ezNuRgIxCKmevZTzjzFgnxiQUsrxAeuhcE8NXOGQiHG8YvRwKU8aft9FnJ6MljaY7ub3nOUervBDQ3Fa59M2qDlFxiO6lrg/s1600-h/IMG_0968.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9z6l8s73LAcz3NgMHVKON1MPzZTCRCm9KMshXlH1rnkq0ezNuRgIxCKmevZTzjzFgnxiQUsrxAeuhcE8NXOGQiHG8YvRwKU8aft9FnJ6MljaY7ub3nOUervBDQ3Fa59M2qDlFxiO6lrg/s320/IMG_0968.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385568839610340994" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfEy-asoUuJkIiDJ80vfnhMzXSCavSPwfU-oYY_DoIcwQpl7QmiEN1oJubYjGXD6-R0qfy7qfkem3x7UkfkEvThdeu4QLQ9WI7ynaMAZKEZNfoSVUj5SlNNRseOP7K1NLdyu_M8kZsgkY/s1600-h/IMG_0949.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 289px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfEy-asoUuJkIiDJ80vfnhMzXSCavSPwfU-oYY_DoIcwQpl7QmiEN1oJubYjGXD6-R0qfy7qfkem3x7UkfkEvThdeu4QLQ9WI7ynaMAZKEZNfoSVUj5SlNNRseOP7K1NLdyu_M8kZsgkY/s320/IMG_0949.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385567538333852050" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiytiQN91egur97c8UUHHo0Ch6h8sEimmWYDu9UO9R7KVK3_zEKwJnGdabtqfdI6v11HpV8vYeTDH52JGCHPT8Wz_aEXS7zqVWAgzAnIzaO4lFku6JdkPD9YZKvWk2e5l32IlKYKPbRXMU/s1600-h/IMG_0964.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiytiQN91egur97c8UUHHo0Ch6h8sEimmWYDu9UO9R7KVK3_zEKwJnGdabtqfdI6v11HpV8vYeTDH52JGCHPT8Wz_aEXS7zqVWAgzAnIzaO4lFku6JdkPD9YZKvWk2e5l32IlKYKPbRXMU/s320/IMG_0964.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385567532670783682" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2UGZQDFvex40Jqg-vW-ROij-8ggP6G_x26H2P2eHYucRUhDaFjBmpiUeef9FQuMY2yIjqdenzz1KBlz1GnxzGZWtHm_wxUxU0rvjZnX_4GfQwr6CtNA2IgzxBFcXlDG8f21bamjySOA4/s1600-h/IMG_0960.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 234px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2UGZQDFvex40Jqg-vW-ROij-8ggP6G_x26H2P2eHYucRUhDaFjBmpiUeef9FQuMY2yIjqdenzz1KBlz1GnxzGZWtHm_wxUxU0rvjZnX_4GfQwr6CtNA2IgzxBFcXlDG8f21bamjySOA4/s320/IMG_0960.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385568850025897954" /></a><p><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDqEaUJ14z0OnjcncImGDElKcfn38Unhl2oh-lrzI6TEX7prTxVaKLOUWEY_otAmWvKauRSuscY9VXZ1z3FOcFoRl_1dIvqi-_iBTOlb3TJGnUAMeUn7o7WZOELNgR0NG3sSfreLv_KC8/s1600-h/IMG_0963.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDqEaUJ14z0OnjcncImGDElKcfn38Unhl2oh-lrzI6TEX7prTxVaKLOUWEY_otAmWvKauRSuscY9VXZ1z3FOcFoRl_1dIvqi-_iBTOlb3TJGnUAMeUn7o7WZOELNgR0NG3sSfreLv_KC8/s200/IMG_0963.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385569784326660482" /></a>This Honda SH150i was bucking the trend, and not just by parking contrary to everyone else. It was one of the smallest bikes there this evening. But it was ridden by a couple riding 2 up, so it is a capable scooter. I especially like the barrel Prima bag on the back. It brings out the Italian influence.<p/><p>I expect a wider range of scooters Saturday. Be at the Hollander by 8:30 to leave for breakfast!</p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzEBf4_SXSO0kOXTcSUWj_rPRzGUo4CntqKHAPNhwTnfkU2RGbQLQbsJt5D1jkKgfWUXR1AyuucapvPYv3qewXtJ44LRL2ATWsPbHdFfUSCDl5a4ll4K05kEQErWUY63xeg8IKdfdJdho/s1600-h/IMG_0989.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 154px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzEBf4_SXSO0kOXTcSUWj_rPRzGUo4CntqKHAPNhwTnfkU2RGbQLQbsJt5D1jkKgfWUXR1AyuucapvPYv3qewXtJ44LRL2ATWsPbHdFfUSCDl5a4ll4K05kEQErWUY63xeg8IKdfdJdho/s320/IMG_0989.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385571781148120274" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Y6f9w6tcDp-T3i7XrhQbWGEspyycZCJrCdNaXFTou40kDOxRe65uybQKh77P1RJrtx3xCs9-9O_fhx4ao5uLoUd0Elkn_5CEHEP-bEX9bXbL5HDEthydX5n1JJyFRKR6NpAz8dprxn4/s1600-h/IMG_0984.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Y6f9w6tcDp-T3i7XrhQbWGEspyycZCJrCdNaXFTou40kDOxRe65uybQKh77P1RJrtx3xCs9-9O_fhx4ao5uLoUd0Elkn_5CEHEP-bEX9bXbL5HDEthydX5n1JJyFRKR6NpAz8dprxn4/s320/IMG_0984.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385571787669003906" /></a>Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13780513470677906192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2800405207141110500.post-65057755123743098262009-09-22T19:45:00.006-04:002009-09-22T19:52:52.200-04:00Where did the Vespas go?If you've driven (or ridden) past Keim Pre-Owned and noticed that the scooters aren't on display anymore, don't worry. I'm told that they could only show them for 2 weeks and that the scooters have been moved while Keim continues their application for dealership. They're still moving forward, and they've even placed their first order from Vespa.Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13780513470677906192noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2800405207141110500.post-72169082364172984422009-09-22T19:39:00.002-04:002009-09-22T19:44:22.837-04:00York Bike Night<p>In case you're not interested in the scooter rally in New Holland, this Friday is Bike Night in the City of York. Just head downtown, you can't miss it. I've been before, and it is primarily a Harley event. But it is fun to see the large number of bikes lined up along the curb for blocks in every direction.</p><p>Scooters in Lancaster and Bikers in York ... let's hope a new Mods vs. Rockers/War of the Roses doesn't break out.</p>Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13780513470677906192noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2800405207141110500.post-77229576257684187992009-09-20T06:59:00.001-04:002009-09-20T07:01:12.677-04:00Reminder: Mid Atlantic Scooter RallyDon't forget that next weekend is the Mid Atlantic Scooter Rally. <a href="http://midatlanticscoot.com/">Click here for more details.</a>Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13780513470677906192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2800405207141110500.post-23137927116486674242009-09-20T06:51:00.004-04:002009-09-20T06:58:15.939-04:00Putting the Mileage On<p>The weather this weekend is so nice! I've been trying to put the miles on the new Vespa so that I can get the break-in period and first service out of the way. I took these pictures along the way on Saturday. The iPhone takes a nice picture with enough light and a steady hand.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd8YwrhCxGJQTKEz9PG8BmPFyYtjXyMLMJW7HZjxwkABIWYzrT8540VV1dhnpDGKYqvWMlNW9lB8ZUL6qeDxaFbwfVG6fKwZ9EawDEUlKTv7X3ezKe_mXY93zqaNTXIjym9gs4c-lwibc/s1600-h/IMG_0172.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd8YwrhCxGJQTKEz9PG8BmPFyYtjXyMLMJW7HZjxwkABIWYzrT8540VV1dhnpDGKYqvWMlNW9lB8ZUL6qeDxaFbwfVG6fKwZ9EawDEUlKTv7X3ezKe_mXY93zqaNTXIjym9gs4c-lwibc/s400/IMG_0172.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383500936299873346" /></a>Does anyone know the significance of the sign?</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFnJIjIPCt5M6YeHqcB5s1YDJSC9ofVlXm9ANIV1azMurNC9Sfw5gz9J7DnQ9kF5E8wvRQWkZikqhAlkMC1x0jkI_HHXYtzx6egMbV7cUwUxdIxS8GO9ww_voMwmQLopGN8n9IMzm1v9s/s1600-h/IMG_0174.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 314px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFnJIjIPCt5M6YeHqcB5s1YDJSC9ofVlXm9ANIV1azMurNC9Sfw5gz9J7DnQ9kF5E8wvRQWkZikqhAlkMC1x0jkI_HHXYtzx6egMbV7cUwUxdIxS8GO9ww_voMwmQLopGN8n9IMzm1v9s/s400/IMG_0174.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383500934886939810" /></a>Three Mile Island</p>Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13780513470677906192noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2800405207141110500.post-33266549332726786562009-09-17T19:25:00.009-04:002009-09-17T20:10:30.955-04:00Parade for Auntie Anne's<p>Ever been to a mall and had an Auntie Anne's pretzel? Well, you and people all over the world. This week, operators of those pretzel stands came to the City of Lancaster. And Tuesday evening they paraded from the Lancaster County Convention Center to the Corporate Headquarters of Auntie Anne's at Chestnut and Prince Streets.</p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGlFBiuce3kAT5uGJ-wRJ1fzaxlyB0nga-Nync1sy9QKueP3XdhYw0XWLe97Jg5FRxIZoziFIXFrovq0PTnpqT39YyGc6R8uSwXhGkrhohyiOsXIi3W78A49zMgahbJAF0eZb0TkSBeUk/s1600-h/IMG_0156.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 307px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGlFBiuce3kAT5uGJ-wRJ1fzaxlyB0nga-Nync1sy9QKueP3XdhYw0XWLe97Jg5FRxIZoziFIXFrovq0PTnpqT39YyGc6R8uSwXhGkrhohyiOsXIi3W78A49zMgahbJAF0eZb0TkSBeUk/s320/IMG_0156.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382583513234346914" /></a><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirnDMQp8dKczHrMqGxAKzomI6lwqWYA_zM7GI8Vd7-Acz4vmzDtzwHfK3emVjY4ZRa9c7Ge294_jlLKg51AtkksGir3PPAgxAVcKmQR5UfuGUzMlige7Ddy2oy6PVyFWA0JSnzq22PBy4/s1600-h/IMG_0160.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirnDMQp8dKczHrMqGxAKzomI6lwqWYA_zM7GI8Vd7-Acz4vmzDtzwHfK3emVjY4ZRa9c7Ge294_jlLKg51AtkksGir3PPAgxAVcKmQR5UfuGUzMlige7Ddy2oy6PVyFWA0JSnzq22PBy4/s200/IMG_0160.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382584504382551890" /></a>The parade was led by Mayor Rick gray, this time sporting his trademark bowtie. The Lancaster County Catholic High School Band followed him, trailed by three people on Segway scooters from Red Rose Seg Tours handing out flyers.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9V70AXNzR0glLn7pbDyrODIEfJVSkH3RbZSJX-Efylj9NSKO5j4m1956m_pztTrZYL7UFfRzoNwYY0voiWy3HbIpUMKrGA4Yc7pTGFYj6yMGMPcEZOqxdNS7xO7J38nFT84w9gBwXKFA/s1600-h/IMG_0162.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9V70AXNzR0glLn7pbDyrODIEfJVSkH3RbZSJX-Efylj9NSKO5j4m1956m_pztTrZYL7UFfRzoNwYY0voiWy3HbIpUMKrGA4Yc7pTGFYj6yMGMPcEZOqxdNS7xO7J38nFT84w9gBwXKFA/s200/IMG_0162.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382587129094354866" /></a>Then came the conventioneers; hundreds of them from a surprising array of countries. Kuwait, South Korea, Hong Kong, United Arab Emerits, and Northern Ireland, to name a few. And of course, the 50 States. It was really surprising to see the many places that people operate Auntie Anne's franchises. It's amazing to think of all of those places being touched by a little piece of Lancaster County. A butter-soaked piece.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1DApvI_ie95h24ql_-jshkuflhOYamER13waDfEytGqrdXM5Sbjpk3oYa4BjdsXWucJtVWuGYGizTYRbsAIxOSvd2gXF4IRR8HbIcg6jSq4Aa88hKr9SZdpivSH89u-mQUcbMFWi4g4A/s1600-h/IMG_0161+-+Copy.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 144px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1DApvI_ie95h24ql_-jshkuflhOYamER13waDfEytGqrdXM5Sbjpk3oYa4BjdsXWucJtVWuGYGizTYRbsAIxOSvd2gXF4IRR8HbIcg6jSq4Aa88hKr9SZdpivSH89u-mQUcbMFWi4g4A/s200/IMG_0161+-+Copy.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382589280291092210" /></a></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2k54lLeui2GyjjjJkBZbRDGKBTlHqIsTSt5df-ZcYW6uvnuLe4ONBq-82o5xqGh1_WXAd2Fy6LoZ94gZgD0O9xJ194GqmOeN4xxiCU_6DUXVmHjT2voROC1yEEOCVhnB9V8g5pgNMZhE/s1600-h/IMG_0163.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 270px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2k54lLeui2GyjjjJkBZbRDGKBTlHqIsTSt5df-ZcYW6uvnuLe4ONBq-82o5xqGh1_WXAd2Fy6LoZ94gZgD0O9xJ194GqmOeN4xxiCU_6DUXVmHjT2voROC1yEEOCVhnB9V8g5pgNMZhE/s320/IMG_0163.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382590769360762082" /></a><p>The McCaskey High School Marching Band and a fire truck closed out the parade. Short, but I'm sure that the people who participated got a kick ot of it. Good for Corporate for putting on a celebration that those pretzel makers will remember fondly, and that brought a little life to a downtown Tuesday night.</p><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYXZdLjFd7DCxP7ven-D5HwDtopaAqMs_GUU_BG7cr0Ph4DJQ-v2Q59Li2Axs96rs_aHJ5HxGtqk178Jh4ZYrYir4Ibcq0fNMH3u-vqgcT-3oxvBJRfULUTJi29j6DTK7BECWv7zrzMJA/s1600-h/IMG_0166.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 291px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYXZdLjFd7DCxP7ven-D5HwDtopaAqMs_GUU_BG7cr0Ph4DJQ-v2Q59Li2Axs96rs_aHJ5HxGtqk178Jh4ZYrYir4Ibcq0fNMH3u-vqgcT-3oxvBJRfULUTJi29j6DTK7BECWv7zrzMJA/s320/IMG_0166.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382590780151423122" /></a>Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13780513470677906192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2800405207141110500.post-41212049082854691682009-09-15T20:28:00.021-04:002009-09-15T21:47:44.129-04:00Wheels 2009 - The Photos<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkefwoPvAAFxUk4-9ydYPX9hHn46p5JE2otI_291kdzuXLnTZ165CFb03jLQj4xp7bajBJLGEv7tZx2R4ejgTkqVMPE5rQiHBHin4cCFN4j_RUWwrsK2mLanmGaGLhjc-E_41AQ5Brd6A/s1600-h/IMG_0742.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 166px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkefwoPvAAFxUk4-9ydYPX9hHn46p5JE2otI_291kdzuXLnTZ165CFb03jLQj4xp7bajBJLGEv7tZx2R4ejgTkqVMPE5rQiHBHin4cCFN4j_RUWwrsK2mLanmGaGLhjc-E_41AQ5Brd6A/s200/IMG_0742.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381856043355330562" /></a>This past weekend was the annual Wheels show in downtown Lancaster. I was wondering if there would be any scooter presence this year, but just as I arrived, I saw <a href="http://www.scootlancaster.com/2009/06/ruckus-cafe-racer.html">Ryan and Lauren</a> pulling in with their friend Mike. All three were riding Hondas. A new aquaintence, Vinny, was also there with a red Stella. I pulled my new white Vespa up next to them to make a respectable representation for scooters.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvxAzGRMNPIAU3dQQuQ3xaMPc5rPds0kctWnM4V4CenvI94fHFxvifDY26sV57wl0zUy1aDQkEISgE-u-rVAOYLRdeeMVWdXb0RfnnB-vycgEj3bpGB-NW5boz4kM6ggolNDHdyuBkjxY/s1600-h/IMG_0637.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 162px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvxAzGRMNPIAU3dQQuQ3xaMPc5rPds0kctWnM4V4CenvI94fHFxvifDY26sV57wl0zUy1aDQkEISgE-u-rVAOYLRdeeMVWdXb0RfnnB-vycgEj3bpGB-NW5boz4kM6ggolNDHdyuBkjxY/s200/IMG_0637.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381858264020372850" /></a>Ryan and Mike showed their Honda Ruckuses, both of which have been heavily modified. Ryan's midnight blue one was sporting a new set of handlebars since I last saw it, but looking pretty finished. Mike's is still a work in progress, looking for that balance of customization vs. complying with PennDOT's arcane rule book.</p><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTNspwLUx_DSXtB7005lfUpB3S8Y3cJ7-2xEMXB_nqM1hF0EujufI0icbCXixItM-B3S3WTqMs7UqRwaQsEFaje4Nz8srHv_BmItS896I79nQiH0k8H7VaK_Kbh4O_63FhODbFL0wPmfw/s1600-h/IMG_0635.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 275px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTNspwLUx_DSXtB7005lfUpB3S8Y3cJ7-2xEMXB_nqM1hF0EujufI0icbCXixItM-B3S3WTqMs7UqRwaQsEFaje4Nz8srHv_BmItS896I79nQiH0k8H7VaK_Kbh4O_63FhODbFL0wPmfw/s320/IMG_0635.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381860970677573138" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCFXaTvkkGMSHRCHjiBNkewEhwzwwD-_fxwLfqGvSZeAXjK1h30JVQDHYyk8Hii0tD-xHH4Hh-vbkZpHRiLWds2IUiNtjuSS90PLHOt7NoBsK3yZy4HyYR-8JoXTtnSiQiMN5ETW_tdYI/s1600-h/IMG_0726.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 210px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCFXaTvkkGMSHRCHjiBNkewEhwzwwD-_fxwLfqGvSZeAXjK1h30JVQDHYyk8Hii0tD-xHH4Hh-vbkZpHRiLWds2IUiNtjuSS90PLHOt7NoBsK3yZy4HyYR-8JoXTtnSiQiMN5ETW_tdYI/s320/IMG_0726.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381862071707162610" /></a><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJpzmVpNM2GHAtlsZ9xy9HqGz1NKZRchT1jOoQuJITQqz6Kjdc6I-rcfywXODyUulppfWd_D45mkYKlf-HBVM23JxZoYSEq9fbLNLC70hq1IzmZSRmMfOMyGAk7mkLwW0YbiREgEa5kY4/s1600-h/IMG_0638.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 188px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJpzmVpNM2GHAtlsZ9xy9HqGz1NKZRchT1jOoQuJITQqz6Kjdc6I-rcfywXODyUulppfWd_D45mkYKlf-HBVM23JxZoYSEq9fbLNLC70hq1IzmZSRmMfOMyGAk7mkLwW0YbiREgEa5kY4/s200/IMG_0638.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381858273366826178" /></a>You really need to know the configuration of a stock Ruckus to appreciate how much work has gone into these. Mike's guages and lights have all been fabricated into the box under the handlebars. And that box has been given a custom airbrucsh/spray paint job by Derek Cochran. Photos cannot capture the eye-assaulting shade of pink on the rims. But it works well with the white, and it's echoed in the outline of the graffiti.</p><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvODGsvK4y4ho7QBIXxwQUqu0_-8tjDyalQy5u9LP9LHGRsTTIuofKh510drPZ3XZdcxyNtjsjLNlDzthsxig7bu1_4jAxaDBpHhSXjAz6Qj5ndSRibx_pjnXBdZniVjQ-Ix9bdWA8P98/s1600-h/IMG_0641.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 318px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvODGsvK4y4ho7QBIXxwQUqu0_-8tjDyalQy5u9LP9LHGRsTTIuofKh510drPZ3XZdcxyNtjsjLNlDzthsxig7bu1_4jAxaDBpHhSXjAz6Qj5ndSRibx_pjnXBdZniVjQ-Ix9bdWA8P98/s320/IMG_0641.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381860974497148370" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmk2WZkGHkbmOH94u1Ii0v8D798IzyMyDDzG9cRDRRe9qc95OEE3r4vxiFYfhHf0Z7DLFjA3HSX22cuYt1uoDSv8tXjTK_4A42ZYGE-mZa8lWYqRr4cMHOzq1fUms2am9ohFQ_4rQkV5o/s1600-h/IMG_0651.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 253px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmk2WZkGHkbmOH94u1Ii0v8D798IzyMyDDzG9cRDRRe9qc95OEE3r4vxiFYfhHf0Z7DLFjA3HSX22cuYt1uoDSv8tXjTK_4A42ZYGE-mZa8lWYqRr4cMHOzq1fUms2am9ohFQ_4rQkV5o/s320/IMG_0651.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381862080496488706" /></a><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-UGnaqI5_-iC_20rKtOxy3RA_dAa0zf0Y_GDwErgkV1UNdfBz-z3UsBDqD7BJcu_DVjd2lbKWhpjQuETtt7RTx3cA3Fy97lA_04qaCOzTXIvSpaP9E8Y6mXeQOj96r_hRxN9xLbdc2dk/s1600-h/IMG_0729.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-UGnaqI5_-iC_20rKtOxy3RA_dAa0zf0Y_GDwErgkV1UNdfBz-z3UsBDqD7BJcu_DVjd2lbKWhpjQuETtt7RTx3cA3Fy97lA_04qaCOzTXIvSpaP9E8Y6mXeQOj96r_hRxN9xLbdc2dk/s200/IMG_0729.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381865668909098418" /></a>Compared to the boys, Lauren's Metropolitan is the essence of classic style. But don't be fooled; a lot of work went into this also. Honda doesn't make them look like turquoise '57 Chevys. That's a custom paint job on an '02 (which is where the brown seat, floor and grips come from). Note the paint on the swing arm and exhaust covers, for an extra splash of color. A cavernous wicker basket has been added to the back and the wire basket in the leg shield has been wrapped in that same wicker. On top of the new paint has been added brand new chrome badges from '09. The result is a tastefully refurbished Metro that could be confused for factory new.</p><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7gHNF3Jr9yGrllEt48G4cpzCWV-RCk2tosZcqIj2ysGYf4YK3qeeihDxGxPDUTohjCD8sqfbpIQlfv-aoKXvMvcNJyR0GYZNDsApiz4BckDlR4OX2ita4BJsS2CrGVfI9vDoytlquYkk/s1600-h/IMG_0738.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7gHNF3Jr9yGrllEt48G4cpzCWV-RCk2tosZcqIj2ysGYf4YK3qeeihDxGxPDUTohjCD8sqfbpIQlfv-aoKXvMvcNJyR0GYZNDsApiz4BckDlR4OX2ita4BJsS2CrGVfI9vDoytlquYkk/s320/IMG_0738.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381868235521341522" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNH4ZlI3P6dOWPn5oFkeN4YsZQpJOu2hOhOA5BBuIeRDg9tgvbBwErNdpprkZD7dG4Ks84QB0ApLqd_-OlGSLkRR3q2T1LURfpxi4OnA1LlirfxQIHdHMZ1wjUJ-hu0GTTxhQFGSfXS2s/s1600-h/IMG_0761.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 202px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNH4ZlI3P6dOWPn5oFkeN4YsZQpJOu2hOhOA5BBuIeRDg9tgvbBwErNdpprkZD7dG4Ks84QB0ApLqd_-OlGSLkRR3q2T1LURfpxi4OnA1LlirfxQIHdHMZ1wjUJ-hu0GTTxhQFGSfXS2s/s320/IMG_0761.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381868239504717714" /></a><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX6Cr7P-jFtqcNM1IRsvjRV1z-feorM2R-iiaA45DtY8d4KGtoOEzfC2yyuvJ1df2VV2lzYCJWJhethEi3OB0fdnEA-b28dj4LP_GNQoH9TDmYAH6mju80nQNSt4RvLQMpLU20Zg4sDPo/s1600-h/IMG_0739.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 156px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX6Cr7P-jFtqcNM1IRsvjRV1z-feorM2R-iiaA45DtY8d4KGtoOEzfC2yyuvJ1df2VV2lzYCJWJhethEi3OB0fdnEA-b28dj4LP_GNQoH9TDmYAH6mju80nQNSt4RvLQMpLU20Zg4sDPo/s200/IMG_0739.JPG" border="0" alt="Mayor Gray, in yellow, sans bowtie."id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381869156936113346" /></a>The scooters attracted the attention of Mayor Gray and his wife, who stopped to talk to Mike, Lauren and Ryan about their own scooters. The Mayor also mentioned the <a href="http://www.scootlancaster.com/2007/08/parking-now-open.html">free scooter parking</a> around the ramp of the Prince Street Garage. He hinted that maybe the rule about registering before using isn't being so closely watched... but you didn't hear it from me ;-). He did say that he hopes to create more official scooter parking around town, but can only do so if he can show the existing spaces are being used: so get to the Prince Street Garage! And remember that the scooterist's friend in City Hall is up for re-election this year, so register to vote.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjDXZegUolPji2evSZCJtyP6P_RIWr1Fr1SqxbfyyvIhF9KHdm444eNYYUYufMVCcO9GTlTlHiL1HYGpSPnG1yMTeVPO_Gkr1c-8cGm1hvAdZtkE2PSgbLI3adP1CkjTH7L7wJthQdAS8/s1600-h/IMG_0757.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 188px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjDXZegUolPji2evSZCJtyP6P_RIWr1Fr1SqxbfyyvIhF9KHdm444eNYYUYufMVCcO9GTlTlHiL1HYGpSPnG1yMTeVPO_Gkr1c-8cGm1hvAdZtkE2PSgbLI3adP1CkjTH7L7wJthQdAS8/s200/IMG_0757.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381873206472490786" /></a>To wrap up, here are some more photos taken around the festival. Remember, you can click on any of the photos above or below to view them larger.</p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh22GkbD5U0PDN09HnmiW7lfPpVMabJtAqjZ5yeKLvT9tpDcluR8pZSDIqsrSvlMhNos8rF61RD6M8LRJDHxGezKA8sCv1Nhq-xkdMTvFv6b9bQOO4A6KFCmTe0hphPilA1GRPeaqAEsAA/s1600-h/IMG_0660.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 258px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh22GkbD5U0PDN09HnmiW7lfPpVMabJtAqjZ5yeKLvT9tpDcluR8pZSDIqsrSvlMhNos8rF61RD6M8LRJDHxGezKA8sCv1Nhq-xkdMTvFv6b9bQOO4A6KFCmTe0hphPilA1GRPeaqAEsAA/s320/IMG_0660.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381873682232262242" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ8fnAUdFz7gpu0yOg-07FY6nqbA-KBKodyeloLN5Ez9V-4CtlwPhlIe0CbHqUVyrsYgXIj_hpvzMkHDCm9AEBwIB5SLcAeO9aCrgaPEG5c9j3Gs-7NlZ2NBpn4KLpnrlh2_pxppbz6Qg/s1600-h/IMG_0674.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 255px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ8fnAUdFz7gpu0yOg-07FY6nqbA-KBKodyeloLN5Ez9V-4CtlwPhlIe0CbHqUVyrsYgXIj_hpvzMkHDCm9AEBwIB5SLcAeO9aCrgaPEG5c9j3Gs-7NlZ2NBpn4KLpnrlh2_pxppbz6Qg/s320/IMG_0674.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381873673353871138" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirZa_QWdrXdtwrzFhLYBR-YuOA9OWYSYXUoF8PMBuDq4DRs3R-97ASUEABR8g3XY-becTJoHCWXYSgYzL1aeXJ8QQYpf7LMGd7AjrhZ3mLs-606qeuy0HFDOv7g-VdTkD8OTGOz-thmns/s1600-h/IMG_0698.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 256px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirZa_QWdrXdtwrzFhLYBR-YuOA9OWYSYXUoF8PMBuDq4DRs3R-97ASUEABR8g3XY-becTJoHCWXYSgYzL1aeXJ8QQYpf7LMGd7AjrhZ3mLs-606qeuy0HFDOv7g-VdTkD8OTGOz-thmns/s320/IMG_0698.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381873670340520626" /></a>Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13780513470677906192noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2800405207141110500.post-49743880531289944252009-09-11T06:34:00.003-04:002009-09-11T06:40:32.797-04:00Wheels 2009It's been a rainy week, but the skies should clear by Sunday. If you are looking for something to do that day, Lancaster's annual car and motorcycle show, <a href="http://www.lancastercityevents.com/wheels.html">Wheels</a>, will be happening on the first couple blocks of Queen Street from 11am - 3pm. I don't know if scooters will be featured, like they were last year.Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13780513470677906192noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2800405207141110500.post-84663179809276475242009-09-07T08:46:00.011-04:002009-09-07T09:27:14.644-04:00Ephrata First Sunday Ride-In, September 2009<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH4k_KMOzuJRQmHI4bRJLDi6pRtqZBdhKKsvgb2gOtSbUhkHulCTtKmgXcK3SZPf8gQVqI6OnUWNMuMBzlf7r_9ibh2CWZiellGFzij2gxOe6mGlZ7Tn6MOYARMqfNUysTcOB05eV50Mc/s1600-h/Lambretta.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 157px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH4k_KMOzuJRQmHI4bRJLDi6pRtqZBdhKKsvgb2gOtSbUhkHulCTtKmgXcK3SZPf8gQVqI6OnUWNMuMBzlf7r_9ibh2CWZiellGFzij2gxOe6mGlZ7Tn6MOYARMqfNUysTcOB05eV50Mc/s200/Lambretta.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378707166854078178" /></a>I attended the Ephrata First Sunday Ride-In this weekend. There were a few scooters mixed in the crowd, as usual. The most classic I found was this Lambretta, followed by his Vespa friend in the background.</p><p>I stood back from my new white Vespa and listened to comments of people of they walked by, as an experiment.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIJMkxls4Lc137tyTg0qGeeIcpR37xYGU4kUUH_rjURywELhTPLB0ijvDq8gMSthXgrZNAYkJbL6WPGx1PTyZ_bwnenI-4UX9S6yOTb0CTOxx11V9LVUxs0FAnKKxwuSOfRIOcaKfEAgI/s1600-h/vespa2009-09-06.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIJMkxls4Lc137tyTg0qGeeIcpR37xYGU4kUUH_rjURywELhTPLB0ijvDq8gMSthXgrZNAYkJbL6WPGx1PTyZ_bwnenI-4UX9S6yOTb0CTOxx11V9LVUxs0FAnKKxwuSOfRIOcaKfEAgI/s200/vespa2009-09-06.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378708236736957042" /></a> I was curious how scooters are percieved by the crowd there. Comments ranged the spectrum. A petite female sport bike rider said to her two male friends, "I wouldn't be caught dead on scooter. It is cute, though..." A burly biker dude told his buddy, "I'm tellin' you, that's the shit. Nice!"</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib3F2iO1tME1L2ryEUF19ZOwkO6yTqnCr_CI6dYJGh6djnthHz2vns8sYSv6ubgMoEh5WS4cEuNu4Wh_OQy9E2YWX_QXltHRtEFaORut-DSLvfv2H4Y5zVNws-1vTn3fpq7c-gUJWzj3w/s1600-h/IMG_0622+-+Copy.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 205px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib3F2iO1tME1L2ryEUF19ZOwkO6yTqnCr_CI6dYJGh6djnthHz2vns8sYSv6ubgMoEh5WS4cEuNu4Wh_OQy9E2YWX_QXltHRtEFaORut-DSLvfv2H4Y5zVNws-1vTn3fpq7c-gUJWzj3w/s320/IMG_0622+-+Copy.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378710640226642066" /></a></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiBZXpqWQt0tyu1BF18XxREh0O3lHbeH6gfnsE_jhuqmiJkyRLB0_JR0OUnwagKJSSFxS6wV1CcHqf5SM0YV3yvLHhCUiSpMq9U4cZyApY2z_rUZJf3o62f4gfYUGcEdbcLP3w8tmkmOM/s1600-h/Wild+Hogs+Scooter+Club.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 160px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiBZXpqWQt0tyu1BF18XxREh0O3lHbeH6gfnsE_jhuqmiJkyRLB0_JR0OUnwagKJSSFxS6wV1CcHqf5SM0YV3yvLHhCUiSpMq9U4cZyApY2z_rUZJf3o62f4gfYUGcEdbcLP3w8tmkmOM/s200/Wild+Hogs+Scooter+Club.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378707171084609746" /></a>The <a href="http://www.meetup.com/wildhogssc/">Wild Hogs Scooter Club</a> showed up with a representative party. The Wild Hogs started in Philly, and has expanded by affilating other clubs, including one in York. The members that made it to Ephrata were riding Asian maxi-scooters by Suzuki, Sym and Kymco.</p><p>The most interesting of them was a triked-out Kymco Grandvista 250. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdIv5WQ2GLRtFOkHAyQMuIDvK1yqdlK65B-3k3Lp6eRCM-7FAt7FnAXdoUDPwTQvN2TAA_9HIP6O54McDnXl37EOmXxGFpK5XDizTIY3l66m6ummK_mlRlZc5-fAaVF4D9EW1Q0otjcmo/s1600-h/Kymco+trike.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 190px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdIv5WQ2GLRtFOkHAyQMuIDvK1yqdlK65B-3k3Lp6eRCM-7FAt7FnAXdoUDPwTQvN2TAA_9HIP6O54McDnXl37EOmXxGFpK5XDizTIY3l66m6ummK_mlRlZc5-fAaVF4D9EW1Q0otjcmo/s200/Kymco+trike.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378708241162680482" /></a>This kit adds two out-rigger wheels, without removing the rear drive wheel (technically making for 4 wheels). It looked strangely natural, like it was supposed to be that way. It had a spaceship feel to it. You normally see these kits on bigger bikes. But as a mid-size, it looked fun.</p>Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13780513470677906192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2800405207141110500.post-14379428792617503232009-09-07T07:40:00.007-04:002009-09-07T08:30:08.589-04:00New Scooter<p>My accident caused me to re-evaluate my riding habits. I re-thought what I enjoy about riding, and what I can do without. I knew I didn't want to give up riding. My first time back in the saddle of the scooter felt like seeing an old friend again. I had no such feeling with the motorcycle. I like touring, but for the purpose of seeing something or experiencing a new place, not just to put miles on as fast as possible. If I never spend another 3-hour stretch on the Turnpike, that would be fine. Scooters, with their all hand-controls, are easier to handle than a motorcycle that requires all 4 limbs working in harmony to keep the engine from stalling and the wheels under you. And now, with the knowledge of how a crash feels, working that hard to conrol a bike at those speeds is not the thrill I'm looking for. (Too many close calls already.) I was thinking about a Honda SH150i. I like the modern technology, but couldn't embrace the styling. To top it all off, this Vespa dealer opens in town...</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdniCC7nLDw8gfKFxioqnIaN1fXlJk354y00NoLbn3OvmSAXklxg8m8On2DiNCeKB1Vm0RFeTHXDKl_pJCZ2eF638rPKYulpNYe2L9Dj6hH0uhSZN1CwaDuHPyJQon8udH4g-xYaU0W8k/s1600-h/Vespa+Super+300.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdniCC7nLDw8gfKFxioqnIaN1fXlJk354y00NoLbn3OvmSAXklxg8m8On2DiNCeKB1Vm0RFeTHXDKl_pJCZ2eF638rPKYulpNYe2L9Dj6hH0uhSZN1CwaDuHPyJQon8udH4g-xYaU0W8k/s200/Vespa+Super+300.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378694560961490818" /></a>Enter the Vespa 300 Super, my new ride. It's not a true 300, it's actually 278cc, but that is a lot for the geometry and wheel size. It has the classic look and feel I like, down to the analog gas and temperature guages.</p><p>I had to ask myself; if you got the Honda, would you still want a Vespa someday? Yes. If you got the Vespa, would you miss not having the Honda? No. So there you have it.</p><p>By the way, Keim Pre-Owned was pleasant to deal with. The people are friendly and easy to work with. They are still learning about their scooters, so you may have to supplement their knowledge with your own research. But they'll get better. While I could feel them trying to close the deal, I never felt pressured. Ask for Kenny, and tell him you read about it here.</p><p>I've still got the Yamaha C3. Its weight and easily-replaced plastic panels still make it attractive for in-town use. You can pull it up on the sidewalk against a building, without sweating the scratches. Plus, it costs very little to keep it registered and insured. I'll keep it. But if you are interested in buying a 2008 Kawasaki Versys with hard saddlebags, drop me a line.</p>Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13780513470677906192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2800405207141110500.post-48263474593973987672009-09-07T07:32:00.002-04:002009-09-07T07:35:49.824-04:00Health UpdateI am recovering nicely after my accident. I am waking up without pain again and the physical therapy is coming along nicely. Should be completely back to normal in another 2 weeks. Meanwhile, I've already started riding again. Thanks to all who expressed their well wishes.Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13780513470677906192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2800405207141110500.post-53752069675662551082009-08-29T12:05:00.013-04:002009-08-29T12:32:07.702-04:00Vespa Coming to Lancaster!<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhmssSO6-ObF_bmVF6U-rnLafNe7cUzl8aBGnbbMwpscFFJ0jpW2zZVsKM9DFp5N-gxhyHonjuwWrHQcPIRPei9heJXli1cwcxantFz4tf7lXcZvbutnvkX5PEScVqsoTAwVO_a6yx50s/s1600-h/ManheimVespa.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 152px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhmssSO6-ObF_bmVF6U-rnLafNe7cUzl8aBGnbbMwpscFFJ0jpW2zZVsKM9DFp5N-gxhyHonjuwWrHQcPIRPei9heJXli1cwcxantFz4tf7lXcZvbutnvkX5PEScVqsoTAwVO_a6yx50s/s200/ManheimVespa.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375420865777482434" /></a><br />I was driving down Manheim Pike and as I passed Keim Pre-Owned, I noticed a MP-3 parked out front. "Wierd..., somebody must have traded it in". But there was a silver Vespa right next to it. And further down, a black one... and a pink one! Wait, the pink is a new model. This can't be a coincidence. So I whipped in and sure enough, the showroom was full of Vespas and Piaggios!</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCJPGWpjCiYgjUQQRP9Z8ocH5a062x_nYNAD_B0KtIUIvRCPi4YZ1j73iQKI5Sl-Oz7QPSAtBik_IHQ8PF0hk2ZVgSm4OL73Fqiy_9CfS8RF8NPe__nErL_em0muY6JW4_OFEaWz1B9mk/s1600-h/pink.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCJPGWpjCiYgjUQQRP9Z8ocH5a062x_nYNAD_B0KtIUIvRCPi4YZ1j73iQKI5Sl-Oz7QPSAtBik_IHQ8PF0hk2ZVgSm4OL73Fqiy_9CfS8RF8NPe__nErL_em0muY6JW4_OFEaWz1B9mk/s200/pink.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375422632007575922" /></a>I spoke to Steve Keim, and yes, they are opening a Vespa and Piaggio dealership. They are currently waiting on the official paperwork (the entire country of Italy goes on vacation for the month of August). But in the meantime, they are linked-in with the Vespa dealership in Lebanon. And they have stock on the lot, as you can see.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje5wysRKOaaoQ-_FrKj2D7uODvIHDDRKY4_z7yt1OCrTNxSBUgXgtMIc3QHGqWaD-Wjx6XrmvZ-EiNYZnvydJo6Jius6m-_qZF3sIYGD2BvV6u2ZyACKS29QyUNee7RBqG5ej-nkLvVkI/s1600-h/IMG_0112.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje5wysRKOaaoQ-_FrKj2D7uODvIHDDRKY4_z7yt1OCrTNxSBUgXgtMIc3QHGqWaD-Wjx6XrmvZ-EiNYZnvydJo6Jius6m-_qZF3sIYGD2BvV6u2ZyACKS29QyUNee7RBqG5ej-nkLvVkI/s200/IMG_0112.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375420875460235506" /></a><a href="http://www.keimpreowned.com">Keim Pre-Owned</a> is located at the corner of Manheim Pike and Steelway Drive, across from WeeBee Audio.</p><p>Steve said that Lancaster was Vespa's #1 target market in which to next open a dealership. Who knew? I guess word is getting out that Lancaster is becoming a scooter town!</p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvcv8_46ARDllhLAwt0d6cuLdiNGXdtvWXuiA8WBddmn-y5MJFm2a7GmOWjgUlUiUAxYXVZhynsRyZaFQbzccUwpcGaOwbO1FTYMCS_gvnt8frJqG38fXhE-5E63bHr3VRwf-cTmRkCNs/s1600-h/IMG_0110+-+Copy.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 270px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvcv8_46ARDllhLAwt0d6cuLdiNGXdtvWXuiA8WBddmn-y5MJFm2a7GmOWjgUlUiUAxYXVZhynsRyZaFQbzccUwpcGaOwbO1FTYMCS_gvnt8frJqG38fXhE-5E63bHr3VRwf-cTmRkCNs/s320/IMG_0110+-+Copy.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375422147925157938" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgAePhOQGyyo46SBiruc3Q9R9N7Tdj3XRmPnqXnYUjOMCO1VVDlQjNE6Zhqft6aqpvO-uLQwxuAyW5SnoQolqTeP5jK8NLuxPcx0Qcr4jG7Nfvkf-LpXJH468yRH30CW7CeL8Y8wMdFOc/s1600-h/IMG_0114.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgAePhOQGyyo46SBiruc3Q9R9N7Tdj3XRmPnqXnYUjOMCO1VVDlQjNE6Zhqft6aqpvO-uLQwxuAyW5SnoQolqTeP5jK8NLuxPcx0Qcr4jG7Nfvkf-LpXJH468yRH30CW7CeL8Y8wMdFOc/s320/IMG_0114.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375422156239111762" /></a>Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13780513470677906192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2800405207141110500.post-17773777587273784472009-08-17T18:45:00.003-04:002009-08-19T06:15:20.817-04:00Spotted Around TownA Honda Big Ruckus.<br /><br /><center><a href='http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/09/08/17/459.jpg'><img src='http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/09/08/17/s_459.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='207' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br />-- Post From My iPhone<br /><br /><p>editted to add: I caught what seems to be the same scooter with my better camera on Saturday, over by Long's Park.</p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIKwWIsNsHzhLWprStIZ-71Au3skgsTITiCnXneJ8XjtkAF8XcHT6POewUaIk9bu49d1Qj5w-VqAFsyH7PfLz1knbdVIE_L9CivVG9vqPu-43i4LQh6-CO-oeoiEp5HOGIRL0hGmivHQw/s1600-h/BigRuckus.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 291px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIKwWIsNsHzhLWprStIZ-71Au3skgsTITiCnXneJ8XjtkAF8XcHT6POewUaIk9bu49d1Qj5w-VqAFsyH7PfLz1knbdVIE_L9CivVG9vqPu-43i4LQh6-CO-oeoiEp5HOGIRL0hGmivHQw/s320/BigRuckus.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371615760447881346" /></a>Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13780513470677906192noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2800405207141110500.post-70770724263231025772009-08-12T19:05:00.003-04:002009-09-07T08:31:21.475-04:002009 Fall Mid Atlantic Scooter Rally Set<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivvi9_msfCEdgw5rbgSrsxwPKUI9py8e8DwIlppuaAseObwGRsdbJ5AZe4DuZvGaCTNQKPcwU49ZdBUS424jK_NDU56gAThJC_OHKGdUw29lkmg2R8zYqvXgzRGuzywPOUKcnVoRYmsZ4/s1600-h/IMG_3455+-+Copy.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 258px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369217830290586546" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivvi9_msfCEdgw5rbgSrsxwPKUI9py8e8DwIlppuaAseObwGRsdbJ5AZe4DuZvGaCTNQKPcwU49ZdBUS424jK_NDU56gAThJC_OHKGdUw29lkmg2R8zYqvXgzRGuzywPOUKcnVoRYmsZ4/s320/IMG_3455+-+Copy.JPG" /></a><br /><p>The dates for the Fall Mid Atlantic Scooter Rally have been set: September 25-27. As usual, it will start Friday evening at The Hollander Motel in New Holland. For complete details and to keep up with events as they change, see <br /><a href="http://burgmanusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=41930">http://burgmanusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=41930</a></p><p>I attended this event in the Spring, and it was great. Friendly and well-run, there were door prizes for everyone. Days revolved around rides, meals at local buffets, and looking at and talking about scooters.</p>Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13780513470677906192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2800405207141110500.post-26073382414950349652009-08-08T20:40:00.002-04:002009-08-08T20:43:58.375-04:00The One Where I CrashedThere is a saying among riders: it’s not a matter of if you will crash, but when. For me, when was about 10:30a, August 1.<br /><br />I was riding along River Road in southern Lancaster. It’s beautiful country, but very rural. The road is twisty and scenic, which should make it a good motorcycle road. But it is also old and in bad condition, which makes it dangerous.<br /><br />Because it’s rural, there is a greater amount of wildlife. One of their representatives, in the form of a large moth, decided to greet me by alighting on my faceshield. While I was riding. I flipped up my modular helmet, hoping that the flow of air would blow him off. But when I brought the front of the helmet back down, he was still there. Only now, I had exposed the inside of the helmet. So, I studied him out of the corner of my eye, trying to bring him into close focus, to decide if he was still outside or (eek!) now inside the helmet, less than an inch from my face. Failing to make that determination, I returned my attention to the road, only to find that the road had begun to curve. My wheels were leaving the pavement. I was drifting onto the long, wet, green grass of the narrow shoulder. Between that shoulder and a corn field was a drainage ditch. I knew the wet grass would make it difficult to turn, but I had to try, now. Sure enough, the tires slid out.<br /><br />I don’t remember hitting the ground. I did become aware while I was rolling; I thought, “I need to stop myself”, but then thought that stiffening could cause more damage than rolling, and the helmet seemed to be doing its job, so I relaxed again until I came to a stop. In reality, I may have only flipped 1-1/2 times.<br /><br />It knocked the wind out of me, and I was slow to get up. I wondered if I should lay there until someone found me lying in the grass, my scooter in the ditch. I heard a motorcycle, and looked up. A Harley rider yelled, “Are you OK?” I couldn’t yell back. I just waved him over. I was able to stand up.<br /><br />He pulled the scooter out of the ditch, and it still ran. Some plastic scratches. A missing fork cover. The headlight came off. “That’ll buff right out”, we joked. Perhaps the fact that it still ran and the gauges and mirrors were undamaged gave me the impression that it wasn’t that bad. He made sure I had a cell phone and that it had coverage, and there was nothing else for him to do. I told him, “Ride safe.”<br /><br />Faced with the decision to call for help so far from home (which would surely be a big deal and be expensive), and not knowing how badly I was hurt, I decided to ride it home. I knew there was something wrong with my left arm, but I could get to the brake, and that was all I needed it for. Maybe it would feel better soon, after all, I was breathing easier now.<br /><br />I was able to get home surprisingly easy. Some bumps along the way shot pain through my back enough to convince me that, when I got home, I was going to get checked out at the hospital. Accident threads on forums always say to get checked out by a doctor, even if you think nothing is wrong. I was paying for good insurance, and this was the time to get my money’s worth. I parked the scooter in my garage and walked the 5 blocks to the hospital.<br /><br />Many x-rays later, I got the diagnosis: 3 cracked ribs, a cracked shoulder blade, and a broken collar bone. At least 4 weeks with my left arm in a sling. It’ll probably be 6-8 weeks before I ride again. Oh yeah, and Monday a new surprise revealed itself: I had landed in poison ivy. My left leg, below the knee, is a weepy rash.<br /><br />I didn’t want to write about this until I had some perspective on it. Even as I was riding home, I was anticipating the question, “Will you ride again?” I wasn’t sure for the first couple days. The main argument against is that it seems irresponsible, considering that I can’t even tie my own shoes right now. But I still believe in scooters as smart transportation. And I would miss it if I didn’t ride.<br /><br />Maybe I don’t need to tour by bike. If this is crashing a small bike at 30mph, I’d hate to go down on the highway. Maybe I’ll consolidate the 2 bikes to a mid-size scooter. When I can ride again, I’ll fix the scooter and see how it feels.<br /><br />Meanwhile, I can analyze what I did wrong. I should not have tried to clear my helmet while riding. I should have pulled over and stopped. But I’m glad I was wearing it. It is scratched and gouged, and that would have been my head. Who knows what that would have meant. I have occasionally ridden downtown without a helmet; never again. And I won’t ride until I get another one. Full face again.<br /><br />And I’ll never ride without a jacket again. I have 2 good protective jackets and protective pants, but I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt. Stupid. Maybe it wouldn’t have saved my shoulder. That was from the impact. But it would have saved me some road rash. As it is, I was lucky; I didn’t go down on pavement. It could have been worse. Don’t let people tell you that you are over-dressed for a scooter. I began to believe it, and have been reminded it’s not true. You aren’t dressing for the scooter, you’re dressing for the crash. And that can be bad, even at low speeds. If bicyclists weren’t working so hard, I’m sure they wouldn’t wear lycra.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdLdTJpNtvsInVqHCPGomHmwFBz8dn4QHhky8My5OimCRTGWzksef8GpveeEcGljc3szA-7ieBkyHa-H48hsbHIrIUpTDz3bf5AxzIjMD9ALBG7Uvv9I2qBrtcI7vpSjBHrouLQcG0te8/s1600-h/IMG_0532+-+Copy.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 325px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367757967660592802" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdLdTJpNtvsInVqHCPGomHmwFBz8dn4QHhky8My5OimCRTGWzksef8GpveeEcGljc3szA-7ieBkyHa-H48hsbHIrIUpTDz3bf5AxzIjMD9ALBG7Uvv9I2qBrtcI7vpSjBHrouLQcG0te8/s400/IMG_0532+-+Copy.JPG" /></a>Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13780513470677906192noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2800405207141110500.post-72225766647954189122009-07-30T18:42:00.001-04:002009-07-30T18:42:45.660-04:00Parking at Clipper StadiumIf 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.<br /><br /><center><a href='http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/09/07/30/516.jpg'><img src='http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/09/07/30/s_516.jpg' border='0' width='210' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br />-- Post From My iPhone<br />Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13780513470677906192noreply@blogger.com0