Rockrant

Argo USA

Argo USA formally Bajaj USA has finally announced their scooter replacement for the Bajaj Chetak and the Bajaj Legend. Bajaj was the first metal bodied, manual transmission scooter to be sold in the US since Vespa pulled out in the early 80's. The Bajaj was very popular in Minnesota as well as the rest of the country until Genuine Scooters introduced the Stella, a virtual clone of the PX150. Califorina was the only state that didn't allow the 2-stroke 150cc Stella so the Bajaj still sold well there. But the US scooter market is only a small drop in the bucket compared to Bajaj's domestic market. And the Indians are done with the Chetak and have moved to motorcycles. So Bajaj decided to end production of all of their geared scooters in 2005 leaving Bajaj USA holding the bag with no new scooter to sell.

Long story even longer, after over a year Argo USA had announce that they will be selling a TN'G Milano/Barron/ Schwinn. After so long and they could't get anything else? The Bajaj dealer network that has been set up is still there, but is any reputiable dealer going to want to sell another Vino 125 stepchild? Many larger dealers have already one on the floor or have gotten out of Chinese scooters of questionable quality. Argo says they are of a higher quality than all of the others, but I don't think I would wait around to see it.

I think that I just saw the last nail put in Argo's coffin, bury them with the golden fleece.

Scootering

I am going to be starting to write a scooter column for Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly. Pretty much the same thing of what has been done in the past. Rally reviews, scooter news and maybe the new bikes that come to our shores from around the world.

It looks like Vespa introduced a new line of scooters to take over for the ET2 and ET4s. The LX line is similar in design to the GT 200 which was introduced last year.

TGB a new scooter company to the US, probably best known for having riders race across the country in pizza delivery scooters will introduce a new scooter to go along with their pizza bike, 101s a bike that competes against the Yahama Zuma and the Laser a sporty styled bike. The new scooter, the R50X is in the sport style but has angular lines and is a 50cc. I'm sure the US spec version will have different blinkers on the front and maybe on the back. What is intersting about this model is that there is a big tachometer right in the middle with a smaller digital speedo off to one side.

International Motorcycle Show Round-Up Part 1

This past weekend was the International Motorcycle Show, Scooterville had a space there that I worked at on Sunday, so unfortunately I misses most of the Superbowl.

We had the new TN'G Baja on display there. I think it is the Milano 150 with the covers off and a couple of other modifications. The styling is definitely something that either you like or you don't. It is a factory made rat bike that is not as refined as the Honda Ruckus , and I think that that is the point. The Baja also fits pretty well in the market because it is a 150 cc scooter capable of 60-65 mph. The Honda Ruckus is a 50cc four-stroke that has a top speed around 30 mph and a price of $1999 plus the other fees. The Big Ruckus is a 250cc stripped down version of the Reflex. It will probably hit close to 80, but even I know you don't want to be going that fast without a windshield. The $5500 price tag makes me wonder who is this scooter aimed at? The people who like the Baja are most likely the same people who like the two Ruckus and that is male between the ages of 15-25. What person in that age group has $5000 for a car? So I think this makes the Baja that much more appealing a 150 for $2500, which is pretty cheap. One person at the show said, "I couldn't make one of these for less." That is very true. I will never be caught dead on it, but there are people whose dreams are a scooter like this.

Scooterville also had 6 different Kymco Scooters on display from the 50cc Super 9 and People 50 to the new 250 Grand Vista. Dumb scooter trivia: The Grand Vista is known in other parts of the world, as the Grand Dink . I guess there was months of explaining by Kymco USA to the folks in Taiwan that they cannot sell a scooter called the Grand Dink no matter how good it is. Scooterville also had the Kymco Venox 250 motorcycle there too. Yes, it really is a 250.

A white Stella in black accessories and a green Stella with chrome accessories were on the turntable. As usual they drew a lot of looks, but by far the biggest attraction at the booth was the Bajaj Auto rickshaw .It might have been the biggest attraction at the show. As Bob liked to say, “It’s like the elevator at the Sears Tower, three get off and another 3 get on.” This was really true. The 175 cc, street legal, 3-wheeler isn’t like anything that one usually sees in the US. It has handlebars and a front fork like a traditional scooter, but it has a roof and a back seat.

I drove the thing home from the show; it was about 20 degrees but the big windshield kept me fairly warm. Pulling out of the parking lot, my left mirror fell down so I could see even less that usual. Driving through downtown Minneapolis was a riot. I had to keep in mind that I wasn’t driving a car and the steering is very touchy. Taking a turn at 20 feels like 45. You wouldn’t believe the looks you get when driving it. I am used to some driving on a scooter, but that is nothing. It would be possible to use one of these as a form of daily transportation, but you would have to be prepared for people hopping into the back, or stopping you at every corner.

Next time I will talk about the other scooters at the show including the Diamo scooter with a roof.

My Smallframe Vespa

The paint color was not really my choice. I was just going to paint it flat black rattle can, but Ed had some of this color left over and he offered to shoot it for me. The color is bright, but has really grown on me. At least drivers will be able to see me. The frame is from a 1974 Primavera I got it for free. At the time the back was chopped down and there were marks on the legshield for the process to continue. I welded the crossbar in between the legshield and the rest of the frame myself. If I was thinking I would have put it a bit lower so that the seat would be able to open properly. I think that I will be able to figure something out. The front fork and headset is from a '64 v90. I have Continental Zippy 3's on. I have the old style gray grips on there now and dampners for the ends of the handle bars.

The engine in there is a brand new LML Sensation 125 in has a 12v ignition system. The engine, as far as I can tell is very similar to the latest PK engine. I will but haven't put a kit on it or done any tuning. I will buy a new exhaust for it because the PK exhaust doesn't fit well in the old style frame. I was able to get the engine cheap because the shifting system uses only one cable. I think that I have devised a way to make the engine work with 2 cables. I have the part being manufactured right now out of aluminium billet. I will show pictures of the part when is finished and tell how well it works.
I'm not going to use the seat that is on there, it is from a Stella that I was working on. It kind of shows how much bigger a P-style scooter is compared to a smallframe.

An odd photo. It is showing the fuel tap lever. I welded up the holes under the seat for the choke and the fuel lever, there was already a hole in the side there so I thought it would be cool and a bit different to have it come out there. I have since cut-down and bent the lever so it looks more polished.

More photos as I progress. I still need to make a wiring harness, find a taillight and recover the seat. I think I will have it done by the time the snow melts.

Scooter Du

Back in 1999, the The Regulars Vintage Scooter Club decided that we needed to have a scooter rally. For the uninitated a scooter rally is usually a weekend of mass scooter rides, parties, music, gymkhana ect. My name for the rally was Going Underground, the song by The Jam. There weren't nearly as many scooters on the road as there are today and I was on a Jam kick at the time. Instead we decided on Scooter Du, a blatant rip-off of one of the greatest bands of the 80's and the best band to come out of Minnesota, the trashmen excluded. The 2000 rally was Scooter Du, Everything Falls Apart, we thought a very fitting title for vintage scooters. SD 2 was not electric boogaloo like some people wanted instead it was Land Speed Record. SD 3 was Metal Circus, last year was Zen Arcade, and this year is New Day Rising. I guess that we have a couple of years before we run out.
Anyway, guess who has a scooter Bob Mould, recently on his weblog "boblog" he wrote that he found out about the use of the name and was honored. I guess that he rides a scooter in DC and may be coming. He rides a wineberry People 150, one of the scooters that I sell at Scooterville. Bob, not Mould, but my boss, said that he would give him a scooter to ride at the rally if he wants. What kind of stamp of approval would that be to have Bob Mould of Husker Du come to Scooter Du. That would be cool, maybe he would play a set for the Saturday show at the Triple Rock.

Speaking of Bob Mould, he's going to be playing and answering questions at First Ave. on May 18th.