The Scooter 'Zine

03/08/2024

Tucson's , together with the from Phoenix are preparing for the 2024 version of For A Few CC's More Scooter Rally. This time we're going on the road and riding some top notch road in eastern AZ and western NM, including AZ Route 191, formerly known as Route 666, aka "The Devil's Highway. How do you like our rally image? This is one of several created by Elisha Acosta.

02/08/2024

Do you have a favorite photo you've taken of your or someone else's scooter? I take a LOT of pictures and when I thought about asking this question, this is the first one of mine that I thought of. It was taken during the South Mountain Ride during the Scooter Fiesta in Phoenix . I saw this series of curves on the way up and when folks started riding down, I zipped down and found a place to get a couple of pictures.

Share one of your favorites in the comments.

28/07/2024

Scooter Spokes-Folks! - In this issue of The Scooter 'Zine, you'll find an interview with Dan Fellini. Dan is the creator of the YouTube channel, Bug Scooters ("a scooter channel for the deranged.") You learn a bit of Dan's history, how and why he started his channel and some other fun facts.

I like to find and feature those creative scooter folk who have put themselves out there on YouTube, blogs, podcasts etc so that we can get some additional scooter-related entertainment when we're not riding. Previous installments have featured podcasts like Scooter Cannonball, Chasing Ghosts-On scooter-In Bars and A Scooter Affair. The YouTube channel Scooter Newbie and the Scooter in the Sticks blog.

What are some other channels, podcasts or blogs that I should feature?

Go to www.thescooterzine.com to see a free sample issue or for more info about subscribing.

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27/07/2024

Do we have any scooter sidecar pilots out there? This morning, I received an email from a reader with questions about sidecars. I emailed him my answers, but he wanted to "poll" scooter folks. If you have some experience with hacks please comment with your answers. Jeff will appreciate it. Here are his questions:

*What kind of sidecar do you have?
*Where did you get it?
*Do you like it?
*Is it a permanent mount to your scooter, that is to say, could you unhitch it easily if you wanted to?
*I am familiar with motorcycle sidecars, I have ridden a couple so I know about flying the car and how the whole thing is not like motorcycling anymore, and I know what to get for my classic BMW, but scooter sidecars are a bit more of a mystery. I have seen Texas sidecars online, and Hannah sidecars made in Ft. Lauderdale Florida, and I'm wondering if there are other manufacturers. "

Including a few pics of my own sidecar rigs.

25/07/2024

Huzzah! The Scooter 'Zine is proud to support "The Big Scoot!" and now I even have a couple of stickers to prove it. I am really looking forward to seeing the "nearly complete" version of the film next month.

Keep an eye out for the official release of Corrie Vaus' Cannonball documentary sometime in the near future. Go see it, buy it to support our scooter community.

23/07/2024

History - A while back I posted about riding in a part of Arizona where Billy the Kid used to ride and the Edgar Rice Burroughs was stations around the turn of the last century. This past weekend, a friend and I rode in an area of more recent, but still important history.

The Titan II Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile system was first deployed in sites around the nation around 1962. There were 18 silos located in each, Kansas, Arkansas and surrounding Tucson, AZ. These sites were deactivated in the 1980's. One of them is now a museum. Several have been sold and have houses on top of them, one even has a church on it. Most do not have access to the complex below but a couple do. One was for sale last year. I think most were destroyed and filled with concrete.

Several more are just abandoned out in the desert. On Sunday, Jon and I paid a visit to site 571-11 located off of AZ Route 86 near Three Points. I have been to several of the sites, but this was my first time visiting this one.

Years ago, I heard rumors that some people had dug down and gained access to some of the tunnels in the complex. There was certainly evidence of people digging around the site. There isn't much to see but I find it fun to visit and to be thankful that they were never used.

Where are you going to go?

19/07/2024

I just want to thank Law Tigers for their on-going support of The Scooter 'Zine. Their support helps defray the ever-increasing costs of postage. I hope you never need an attorney, but if you're ever in a scooter crash, Law Tigers is a good place to call.

If you know of a scooter-related business or organization who might be interested in in advertising in the 'Zine, send them my way.

17/07/2024

Those who hesitate, wait to ride in 2027

Registration for the upcoming Scooter Cannonball has closed! Our 300th rider registered last night. Registrations are transferable. If you want to participate, please inquire about the wait list status or connect with riders transferring registrations through the events Rider Forum or Facebook group. Historically, about 1/3 of the entrants have withdrawn early due to conflicts.

Overnight cities will be announced in the coming weeks! Stay tuned!

14/07/2024

Okay, unlike the time in this video, I actually did do the yard today, but I really didn't want to.

13/07/2024

Out hitting multiple post offices to buy stamps before they raise the rates tomorrow. I prefer to use 2 ounce stamps to save a bit of time.

12/07/2024

by Paul Sjodin.

The Scooter 'Zine is North America's only scooter-centric publication with stories and art done by riders just like you.

Subscriptions available for just $20/year for digital or $25 for good ol' print. More information and a free sample issue at the website www.thescooterzine.com

11/07/2024

On a S'Wing and a Prayer - What do you do when you have a series of strokes that leave your left side paralyzed, and your balance and coordination severely compromised? Many people would quit riding and find a new hobby, but not Dr Brian Kopp. After months of therapy, regained use of his left arm and leg but not quite enough to be able to shift gears on a motorcycle, so he purchased a Honda Silverwing.

He fabricated a tent trailer out of a used hardshell roof-top tent and away he went! Read about his 3000+ mile trip to Florida with this rig in the newest issue of The Scooter 'Zine.

www.thescooterzine.com - Subscriptions available for just $20/year for digital or $25 for the hard copy edition.

09/07/2024

I know that the PNW folks are going to make this a great AV! Everyone start making your travel plans.

It's official!

Amerivespa 2025 will be held in PORTLAND, OREGON!

Save the date: June 11 - 15, 2025

08/07/2024

I spent a few hours riding around Sedona again today.

06/07/2024

My wife and I are spending a long weekend in Sedona, AZ. I brought the Burgman with me so I can get in a little bit of riding on some of the amazing roads in this part of the state. Yesterday, I rode to Prescott on AZ-89A, through Cottonwood and Jerome. The road over Mingus Mountain is amazing. I snagged some photos for the Tour of Honor (story in an upcoming issue) and returned to Sedona by the same route.
Tomorrow, I'll be riding Oak Creek Canyon. I'm sure everyone who was at Amerivespa Flagstaff remembers that.

04/07/2024

Have a safe and amazing Independence Day. The Scooter 'Zine is on the road today. Going someplace, hopefully, a bit cooler than Tucson.

02/07/2024

The Scooter 'Zine is ALL about scooters - all kinds of scooters and sometimes I stretch that just a tad. In this issue you'll find the Part 1 of David White's journey to restore a used and abused 1983 P501 Piaggio Ape'. An Ape ("ah-pay") also known as a tuk-tuk or perhaps an autorickshaw, is part scooter, part truck. They are used all over the world for many different purposes.
David is an active member of the Slow Riders Scooter Club and has been published in The Scooter 'Zine before, most recently his combination Rally Report and scooter review of Scoot the Ozarks and his Royal Allow GP300 (Issue no.30) Follow his journey as he gets a well-used Ape, newly imported to the US.
Some of this story is peculiar to an Ape' but much of it will be familiar to anyone who has restored a vintage....anything.

29/06/2024

Note: Disappointment Valley is a real place, located on Colorado Route 141. You can see Sean Lynch a ways down the road, waiting for me to take the picture.

28/06/2024

Do you recognize him? Of course you do! That's Robot, from Vespa Motorsport, aka Scooter West, in beautiful San Diego. "Shop Talk" is a regular column in The Scooter 'Zine where we feature different shops from around North America. Alex Cohn, CEO, graciously took some of his time to tell the Vespa Motorsport story. Oh, if you haven't ever met Alex, he's the fellow on the blue, Paul Frank Vespa.

Learn about scooter shops and their owners in The Scooter 'Zine

25/06/2024

History! Everywhere we ride has a history, but we don't usually know what it is and sometimes we might ride right past something really cool.
On Sunday, my friend, Jon, and I wanted to ride someplace cooler than Tucson, so we took a long (342 miles for me) ride to the top of Mt Graham, east of Tucson. An unbelievable twisty rode climbs to over 9000 feet of elevation. It's an amazing road and it's about 30 degrees cooler at the top than in the valley below.
Where's the history? Well, I really love the history of the old west and we hit a couple of historic spots. One of which I may have mentioned in the past.
1. Bonita, AZ. There is anything here but some ranches, a cemetery and a school, but the Bonita Store is noteworthy because it was here that Henry McCarty, aka Billy the Kid, shot and killed his first man. He was held briefly at the Fort Grant stockade, but escaped to the New Mexico Territory where trouble would find him again.
2. Fort Grant and Klondyke - In 1896 an enlisted man who failed the entrance exam to West Pont was stationed here. His name was Edgar Rice Burroughs and he went on to write the world famous "Tarzan" series of books. He also wrote a series called "John Carter of Mars." Mr Burroughs must have explored the area around Fort Grant because about 35 miles west of the fort is a town called Klondyke. Klondyke is mostly a ghost town now, but it sat at the entrance to Aravaipa Canyon. This is important because a cave in Aravaipa Canyon is where John Carter gets magically teleported to Mars, Burroughs probably spent some time checking out Aravaipa and was impressed enough to have used it in a later novel. Cool, right?
I had fun telling Jon about these cool little factoids.

24/06/2024

“Two wheels on the road, one heart in the ride.”

This is the motto of the Vespa Zitas Scooter Club. Isn't it beautiful? They are based out of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada and they are the featured club in the current issue of The Scooter 'Zine. Kelmany and Steve Ross, founders and current leader of the Zitas are truly inspirational: not just as club leaders but as riders and as human beings. This article is about far more than a club. It is about overcoming chronic health issues, relationships and building a true community of people. Combine that with Kelmany's wonderful writing style and you've got some really great reading.

Check it out in the July/August issue of The Scooter 'Zine. www.thescooterzine.com

22/06/2024

Here's to the folks gathering at Canada Vespa Days! I know everyone is having a great time. If someone has a rally report that they would like to contribute for the next issue of The Scooter 'Zine, let me know.

20/06/2024

What happens when a recently retired gentleman gets talked into buying a raffle ticket at a Portland Italian Festival? Well, he wins a Scarabeo 100cc bike, moves to bigger scooters (including a BV-500 and several Burgman 400's), an adventure bike, becomes president of his local scooter club ( ) and continues riding more than a decade later of course.
Read Ernie Goble's amazing story of returning to 2-wheels after a 50-year hiatus in the current issue of The Scooter 'Zine!
Not a subscriber? 1 year subscriptions start at just $20 digital or $25 print for 6 issues of North America's ONLY scooter-centric magazine. Subscribe at www.thescooterzine.com

18/06/2024

Woohoo! The July/August issue of The Scooter 'Zine is in the mail! It's an excellent issue and the your first visual "taste" of it will be these covers. Ginny Leigh is back with more of her beautiful digital called "Breathe." A reminder for us all to slow down and enjoy life.

On the back cover is this beautiful photo taken by Austin Browder. I discovered the picture in a Helix group. Thank you Austin for allowing me to publish it.

Do you enjoy making scooter related art or photos? Want to share them with the world? Send me a message and let's talk about it.

22/05/2024

When I got my confirmation of completing the requirements for a Tour of Honor Saddlesore, it had a lovely quote at the end of it.

19/05/2024

Iron Butt ride complete. We rode 1099 miles in 22 hours and 40 minutes. We fueled up 10 times. I put 22.7 gallons of gas into my 2013 Burgman 650 resulting in an average of more than 48 mpg. Hundreds of those miles were at interstate speeds and into vicious head and crosswinds.

The total miles for the weekend was 1432. We rode some super roads and saw some amazing scenery.

19/05/2024

16 hours on the bikes so far today. Looks like another 6 or so to get home. We passed 700 total miles a bit ago.