From the "Too Cool" file: world's fastest scooter...
 

While checking out fuel-sipping alternatives, I ran across this little gem: an 850cc V-twin Gilera with an auto trans. Top speed: 120 mph. Man, this could be fun!
http://www.gizmag.com/pictures/galle...1206110123.jpg

Article:
http://www.gizmag.com/go/6632/picture/29965/

Gilera. Owned by Piaggio who also owns Moto Guzzi and Aprilla. Probably won't see a lot of them in this country.

I like Aprilla. Those are some nice bikes. :cool:

It's better or more fun than a normal motorcycle because . . . . ?

Well in Italy metrosexuals love these things. You can ride them across town wearing your Zegna or Armani suit, and there are lots of storage places for your man-purse, bottles of San Pellegrino etc.

Do scooters worry your masculinity (or dwindling lack thereof)? SmileWavy

Me? Heck no. I keep an old Vespa at our place in Europe. Best vehicle hands down for going to the market in the morning, grabbing a Negroni before dinner, parking anywhere you want etc. And mine is nice and battered, so that no one would think of stealing it.:)

There can only be one cool scooter, and this is it. Top speed: About 40.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1249926014.jpg

An 850cc scooter is ghey while a 250cc or less scooter might be considered useful for running across town. Pretty simple

i've broken three fingers, and had the thumb ripped out of it's socket. some mornings i see the advantage of an automatic. and the horse power is interesting. i watch a movie like AKIRA, and see this as a long overdue step in the right direction.

but for the price you could get a conventional bike that would kick it's ass.

Not so fast...



http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1249926873.jpg

That Vespa is the gayest thing i ever saw. I suppose to old men it could be cool. Is that why you like it Dot?

..and as a design exercise this is IMHO as iconic and timeless as the 911.

There's one of these in the Museum of Modern Art in NYC.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1249927288.jpg

This qualifies as the most awkward vehicle I have ever ridden.

Yep, same here. I destroyed one that my father bought back in the late 70's. I probably rode that thing several thousand miles off road in two summers until I got a bigger real dirt bike (mid 70's KX250). That said, they are very collectable as many guys my age had them in our youth.

I went straight from Z-50 to XR-80, but you can't put a plate on either one of them, so the CT70 appeals to me. ;)

Looks to be a Motorcycle styled like a scooter.

A fraternity brother had an old 200cc, 4-speed Vespa. It would haul ass! And do wheelies... stock!

It's a damn clever marketing idea; there are lots of people who'd ride a scooter but not a motorcycle just b/c it's a scooter.

You may be correct, I can add that to the list of things I would have never thought of.

I can see there'd be people who would ride a 50cc scooter around who wouldn't ride a motorcycle (like young girls around campus, etc.).

I wouldn't think there'd be a ton of people who would not ride a motorcycle, but would ride that giant, 850cc scooter. I can't envision who those people would be.

People who cannot drive stick shifts spring immediately to mind.

My guess would be that 99% of people who are incapable of driving a stick shift are not in the market for an 850cc scooter.

Yep. Nothing wrong with that.

Also people who feel safer on scooters than m/cs: nothing wrong with that, either.

Of course the biggest marketing scheme is the 120 mph top speed. That's insane!

one word - Quadrophenia:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1249932675.jpg

Actually, the old Vespa's are manual, at least the one I rode. If I remember correctly, you shift by rotating the right hand grip and the clutch is the right lever.

EDIT: no, it must have been the left, because the right would have to be throttle.

Actually the reason scooters are so popular in Europe has much to do with fashion.

Europeans city types are very fashionably dressed. Women in pumps and dresses, men in expensive suits etc. You wouldn't ride a motorcycle dressed like this—but on a scooter this works just fine.

Correct. Throttle on the right. Clutch and shift on the left. (If you look at post #11 above you'll see the driver riding the clutch with his left index finger.)

Another reason they're popular is that you can get a motorcycle/scooter license at 14 years old. At least in some parts.

And here i just thought it was because french and italian men are metrosexual homos. ;)

Probably just as much as they think 928 drivers are knuckle-dragging apes.

Anyway, it's be cool to see you say that to the faces of a few Italian and French men on scooters. It'd be really cool.

Then you could start in on the punk rockers, goth kids and soccer hooligans who ride around on their modified loud-as-hell 2-stroke banshee scooters.

SmileWavy

I hate it when I am sitting at an outside cafe, and a bunch of metrosexual punk rockers wearing Manchester United Soccer jerseys ride by on their loud as hell "hey look at me" Vespas.

Oh, i would. :)

Ahem.

Punk rockers wearing Manchester United jerseys are, by definition, not metrosexuals—and vice versa.

How can you be sure? Everyone that rides a loud Harley is automatically categorized as a RUB?

(obviously my post was a joke)

And 120 mph scooters may be ridden in nickers and bow tie without risk to life and limb. Such a motorcycle would require proper gear including helmet, gloves, jacket, boots, etc.

Very wise, this scooter fad.

Another benefit of the scooter (in CO, anyway) is you don't have to register/plate/insure a scooter, if it's (ahem) under 50cc and goes (ahem) under 30mph. And, Dottore is right about how suits/dresses etc. don't mix too well with motorcycles.



Vespas are great, in the same way (IMO) as old XKEs are great. Fantastic, but not my bag of donuts.

Every day, on every street corner in Europe, you can see the following:


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1249957837.jpg


...and then of course there is the classic:


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1249957871.jpg

Girls i can understand, as that is the most girly damn mode of transportation i have ever seen.

PS: She's hot as hell- i'd hit it.

That, I can understand. Scooter as a cute, lightweight, glorified bicycle or moped for gals getting around the city or college campus (esp. in near-second world countries).

I don't think Ms. Hotlegs, above, would be interested in the monster 850cc version, though.

If you really want to be cool, you need this, the rocket-powered bicycle. I saw this last week at a big MC gathering in Mpls: :cool:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1249963143.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1249963162.jpg

Says the guy who posts his picture and gets mistaken for beaver. :cool: