If you are planning to meet up with us for our Fall Ride this Saturday morning, I suggest you not approach Lancaster from the North. Govenor Sarah Palin will be holding a rally at Clipper Magazine Stadium. Traffic is bound to be heavy.
On the other hand, after the ride, I suggest you check out the Art Walk going on this weekend.
The Genuine Scooter Co. has released some teasing information about some new Buddys. The Eco Buddy is very intersting because it is a 125cc scooter that they claim will get 110MPG. Read more here: link.
This is a concept bike by Suzuki. It's a sport version of the Burgman 400 with graphics inspired by the GSX-R. Read more about it here: link. I like it. I hope they produce it.
Sunday I took advantage of the beautiful weather and rode down to Annapolis, MD on the motorcycle. It's a place I've heard a lot of nice things about, and I've always wanted to check it out. It lived up to all I'd heard. See the pictures at the end of the post.
I quickly noticed that Annapolis is a scooter town. I saw this area marked specificly for step-through scooters. Note the graphic painted on the ground. Judging from the number of scooters I saw around town, I bet it gets a lot of use. This area must be relatively new, as it doesn't show on aerial photographs. It's a clever use of space, around a corner, at the front of a line of angled parking.
This website
says that there are other areas like it around town.
The Chart House Restaurant.
Here is route we'll be riding.
It's about 43 miles, and will take 2-3 hours. There are no gas stations along the way, so fill up before we leave. Bringing a beverage is suggested. This ride is do-able on a 50cc scooter.
I rode the route today, and it is beautiful. There is a lot of great scenery that should be even more colorful next weekend. There are streams, farms, forests, challenging roads and Face Rock Overlook. Hope to see you there.
Meet 10:30am, the corner of Orange and Water Streets, Saturday October 18.
OK, clearly I was wrong about gas prices. I just came form the Turkey Hill store on Harrisburg Avenue where the sign said $2.99. I went to fill up and noticed the pump showed $2.97. Sure enough, while I was there, a woman came out to change the sign.
I didn't foresee the global credit crisis. Investors are worried about future demand for oil, so prices are falling. If that were an isolated case, we could feel good about it. But in light of the cause, well..., let's just focus on the bright spot. Cheap gas! Wooo!
Late last night there was a scooter-jacking at the Turkey Hill in the Grandview Plaza on New Holland Avenue. Apparently, at 12:30am, a man borrowed a friend's blue Honda Metropolitan to go to the store. While there, he was approached by a second man (the robber) who started asking questions about the scooter. The robber then pushed the first man off the scooter and took off on it into the City. Read more here: link.
I have heard about scooter-jackings before, but this is the first I can recall in Lancaster. I hope this isn't the start of a trend.
Use the same common sense when out on your scooter as you would when in a parking lot carrying valuables to your car. Note who is around you. Evaluate people approaching you as a potential threat. If they want to talk, turn off the engine and pocket the key. Use the kill switch... anything that would make it take longer or make it harder for them to get away on it. And here's another reason for ATGATT (All The Gear, All The Time): You want to fight me for my scooter? Go ahead... I'm wearing body armor and a helmet. Hope you brought a weapon.
Speaking of weapons... what if this guy had a concealed gun under the seat? Now the robber has your scooter AND your gun. Be smart out there people.
Drew Emailed me about this yesterday: Road Apple Ride IV? : The Frozen Road Apple Ride. It's a moped ride, but Drew said that all are welcome, and that it would be fun to see some scooters along. It will gather at Conestoga Valley Middle School on Sunday, October 26 between 1 and 2pm. Then they will leave on an ambitious ride that promises to go through the City and on to the river. The event is organized by a group calling themselves the "lancaster human beans". They sound like a fun group. They are even offering loaner mopeds!
October 18 there will be a scooter ride featuring the natural beauty and fall foliage of the County's Southwest. Hopefully we'll catch the scene here in glorious fall colors. Meet at the corner of Orange and Water Streets in the City of Lancaster at 10:30am, depart at 11:00am. Watch here for details.
Xebra cars and trucks from Zap are now for sale in Lancaster County. Mike Cronin of the Lititz Car Co. had all kinds of trouble with PennDOT red tape getting these things approved for sale, but he finally prevailed.
These all-electric, 3-wheeled vehicles are plated as motorcycles, mostly to get around that the safety requirements of normal automobiles. So think of them as plug-in scooters with hauling volume.
The ultimate green commuter vehicle. Since I have nothing to add to this article, just click through and read it. Why? Look at it. It's part MP3, part Prius. And it is 3-wheel drive.
It was another great First Friday in downtown Lancaster for October. I started out parking next to another C3. That red is a fun color for these little scoots.
From there, I walked down Prince Street to Here To Timbuktu. I've always like that store. I knew they carried Hamilton watches, and I wanted to take a look at them. Hamilton used to be a major industry in Lancaster... I even live on Hamilton Street. What I didn't expect to find was some Vespa clocks!
It turns out that scooter paraphenalia will show up in unexpected places. And look at the other fun clocks... if you are looking for some kooky kitch to decorate your place, check out Here To Timbuktu, 46 N. Prince St..
After you have your Vespa clock, add a little more MOD cred by heading over to Britian's Best on Market Street and picking up this MOD lisence plate. Who knew there was so much scootery goodness to pick up downtown?
No new scooters from Honda for '09. There. That's out of the way.
But there is this. The Honda DN-01. It's a motorcycle with an automatic transmission. It's a scooter without storage. It's a sporty cruiser. It's all things to all people, and I'm afraid that it will appeal to very few. It's exciting on paper, but a bit weird in reality. It's like what the people of the past thought the motorcycle of the future would be like... and I think it's still ahead of its time. But the transmission is interesting.
Wow, these are sweet. Ridley, the American automatic motorcycle company, is selling a line of retro-styled mopeds. They are 2-stroke motorbikes. They come in either 50cc or 70cc versions. Ok, so they aren't particularly cheap, fast or "green", but they look cool. And riding a moped gives you some distinct advantages in Pennsylvania: like no inspection and the right to park on the sidewalk.
It turns out that the rumors may be true: Suzuki is planning to bring a 125cc scooter to America... next summer. It's called the VZ125, it's a 4-stroke, and fuel injected, and.. and... well, that's all we know. According to www.motorcycle.com.
Meanwhile, take a look at this. It's a brand new UJM! UJM stands for Universal Japanese Motorcycle... or at least they used to be universal. Lately, if you wanted something like this, you had to buy the British Triumph Bonneville. But Suzuki is bringing it back in the TU250X. And it's fuel-injected with a catalytic converter monitored by an oxygen sensor. That means this classic-looking 250cc is good for the environment and fuel-efficient too. The perfect commuter, or a great starter bike. Well done, Suzuki!
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