est details. The Journal of the Oregon Scooter Club/Vespa Club of Oregon .... 10
% off on all parts, accessories, services ..... recently purchased a 2006 CPI GTR.
The Journal of the Oregon Scooter Club/Vespa Club of Oregon
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2007 Scooter Calendar Jan 7, Sunday
OSC Sunday Ride (Bowling)
Jan 20, Saturday OSC Formal Dinner, Portland Who: All members (only) and their guests Where: watch website Feb 4, Sunday
Feb 22-26, Thur–Mon
Gymkhana
See www.lvscooterrally.com Mar 4, Sunday OSC Ride, Portland, (Sat. Market Opener) Mar 30–Apr 1, Spring Scoot Fri–Sun Apr 8, Sunday
CBAKSC 6th Annual Easter Party
Apr 15
OSC Sunday Ride (3rd Annual 4M Ride or Small Displacement Ride
May 4–6, Fri-Sun TDC’s Cinco Scoot May 13, Sunday OSC Sunday Ride (Multnomah Falls) Jun 3, Sunday
OSC Sunday Ride (Hagg Lake, BBQ at Scooter Street)
July 1, Sunday
OSC Sunday Ride (St. Helens)
July 12–15, Thur–Sun
Amerivespa (Seattle)
Aug 9–13, Thur–Mon
OSC Scooter Raid
Sept 2, Sunday
OSC Sunday Ride (Roslyn Lake)
Sept 28–30, Fri–Sun
Festering Oktoberscoot 16 (Seattle)
Oct 7, Sunday
OSC Sunday Ride
Nov 4, Sunday
OSC Sunday Ride
#4, Fall 2006
High Rollers Weekend Annual scooter rally, Las Vegas
Always check our website for latest details.
Interested in advertising in Kickstart? contact us @
[email protected] or
[email protected]
To promote safe riding, good road manners and scooter awareness.
The Oregon Scooter Club hosts events that promote safe riding, good road manners and scooter awareness. All events are open to any scooter (or motorcycle) model and to people of all ages and backgrounds. OSC helps new scooter riders with newsletters, mechanical workshops, monthly rides, social events and more. Membership includes: Free admission to the annual Oregon Scooter Raid. The Raid is a weekend rally with food, camping or bunking, rides, games, prizes, raffle, etc.
Oregon Scooter club patch and pin
Discounts at many of our sponsor shops & businesses
Meet & make friends with other local scooterists
Quarterly newsletter (this magazine)
Admission to members-only rides and events
Members may purchase merchandise like t-shirts and legshield banners
First-Sunday monthly rides in Portland, or First-Saturday monthly rides in Salem (these are open to nonmembers, too)
The OSC is affiliated with the AMA (American Motorcyclist Association).
The optional one-time $6 dues for Vespa Club of Oregon gets you a VCO patch.
Jake
Greg
Cassie
Nicole
Mike
Karen
Steve
Christy
Contacts
www.oregonscootorclub.org
Oregon Scooter Club, 3568 SE Gladstone Portland, OR, 97202
President
Jake Stept
[email protected]
Vice President
Greg Walters
[email protected]
Scooter Street Steve Talley After decades of experience in high tech, Scooter Street owners, Paula and Kevin, wanted a change; they wanted to do something together. Scooters got a lot of press in the summer of 2005 and they investigated opening a scooter shop. They chose Forest Grove because they love the town, and it would be the only all scooter shop west of Portland. (1904 Pacific Avenue, www.scooterstreet.net, 503 357 1058) The store is in a former church built in 1916, the same year Cushman started making scoots! Scooter Street carries the full TN’G (Twist and Go) line, which includes five 150cc models, three 49cc models, plus two more 49cc models similar to two of the three 49s: L'S and also Lil Sport which is a souped up version, (Venice and Venice LX which is a 4-stroke version and hence quieter, though none are loud). All are automatics getting 70-100 miles per gallon (the local priest says he's getting 116!). TN'G has a 250cc scooter coming in early 2007. Paula rides a TN'G DR150. “I like the longer wheel base and 13" tires,” she said. Kevin is a scooter slut and switches regularly between the TN'G's Milano 150, the DR150 and the Verona, always declaring his true love (for this fortnight, anyway). Scooter Street carries Fulmer helmets, a cool selection of leather jackets, dusters and accessories. Lots of riding gloves styles are here. Oh, and rain gear too! Service is at the shop; they will pick up & deliver scooters. Scooter Street plans to host a cook-out for OSC in 2007; Cassie will have more info as the time approaches.
Rodney
Secretary
Cassie Maringer
Treasurer
Nicole Walters
[email protected]
Membership
Mike Einis
[email protected]
Regalia
Nicole Walters
[email protected]
Kickstart
Karen Giezyng & Steve Talley
[email protected]
Webmaster
[position open]
[email protected]
Salem chapter
Michael & Christy Martino
[email protected]
Eugene chapter Rodney Butler
Sponsor Spotlight
[email protected] cover photo by K. Giezyng
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OSC Sponsors
from the president’s scooter…
These people are sponsors for Oregon Scooter Club / Vespa Club of Oregon. Please help us return the favor.
PTown Scooters
Motocorsa
3347 SE Division Portland OR 97202 503.241.4745 Hours 11-7 Tue-Fri, 10-4 Sat Discounts on control cables and selected two-stroke oils and new scooters
9008 SW Canyon Rd Portland OR 97225 503.292.7488 800.824.7061 Hours 10-6 Tues-Sat 10% off parts and accessories
Scooter Station
Columbia Scooters
2940 SE Belmont St Portland OR 97214 503 231 2768 Hours 9-5 Mon-Fri, 11-4 Sat 15% off labor
1417 SE 9th Ave Portland OR 97214 503.872.8565 Hours: 10-6 Tue-Sat, 12-3 Sun 10% off labor
Beaverton Honda Yamaha Suzuki
Corazzo Design
10380 SW Cascade Blvd Tigard OR 97223 www.hondamcdealer.com Hours: 9-7 Mon-Fri, 9-5 Sat, 11-5 Sun 10% off parts and accessories
Carlson's Suburban Trailers 38415 Proctor Blvd Sandy, OR 97055 (503) 668-5578 10% off on all parts, accessories, services
Craftsman Bed & Breakfast 35255 4th St / PO Box 303 Pacific City OR 97135 503 965 4574 10% off normal rates all year long
935 NE Couch Portland OR 97232 503-493-9422 10% off on any riding gear (open by appointment, or try knocking)
Scooter Street 1904 Pacific Avenue Forest Grave OR 97116 503 357 1058 Hours Tu 10-4, W 10-5, Th 10-6, F 11:30-7, Sat 11-3 10% off accessories
Hey, everyone. I hope you’re all enjoying the more relaxed days of the post-rally season. I seem to be as busy as ever, though, and I’m really looking forward to OSC’s coming year. Here’s a little info for those of you who don’t know me: during the day I’m a structural engineer (building design) and on various evenings and weekends I read, watch TV or movies, listen to music, drink beer, and play the sousaphone. I’ve been riding with the OSC since 2004 and served as the membership officer from 2005 to 2006. My first scooter was a Honda Elite 250 that I won in a raffle when I graduated from high school and rode all through college until I moved to Portland in 1995. That was a great bike, but it was unfortunately stolen and trashed. I acquired my current scooter, a yellow Honda Reflex, in 2003 (on eBay, even). I’ve contemplated getting a vintage scoot, but haven’t decided to make that jump yet. When I went on my first ride with OSC in May of 2004, I was impressed with the variety of scooters in the group, but even more impressed with the friendliness of the people riding them. Since then, I’ve learned an incredible amount about both new and vintage scooters, as well as of the colorful history of their riders. As time goes on (and gas prices rise) I’m seeing tons more scooters on the road, so I’m anticipating that our membership will continue to grow. We plan to have a lot of fun this year. We’ll have our monthly rides, of course, with some new routes and some old ones that we’ve enjoyed in past years. At least one of the rides will feature and be specially designed for scooters of 100cc or less. Our past president James has offered to put together a gymkhana (Jimmy-khana?) this winter for us to test our riding skills. We’re still looking for leaders for a few of the rides, so if you’re interested, please contact me. We’re also going to continue our tradition of visiting the holiday lights in December, as well as a formal dinner for club members in January or February. And, of course, there’s Oregon Scooter Raid 5, coming up in August 2007. Our past rallies at Oregon state parks have been great, but we’re thinking that a private location for the next one might offer a few advantages. We have a few leads at this time, but it’s always good to have options, so if you have any ideas, leads, or connections please let us know. Have a good winter, and ride safe! Jake
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from the vp’s scooter… For those of you who don't know me, my name is Greg Walters, and I am your new Vice President. I have been asked to tell you a little about myself so here goes. I started off with dirt bikes and cafe racer styled bikes as a kid in Texas. Later in my teen years I ran into a group of the then scooterboy scene. After seeing my first scooter I knew I wanted one but had no money. Fast forward ahead some years: my wife, Nicole and I moved to Portland where we met Juaning Higgins. Juaning approached me about starting a new club in Portland following the old traditions of scootering. So here we are today. I’m mostly known for my cooking skills during Scooter Raid. I finally have enough time to step in as an officer. I hope that I can fill the shoes of our past VP's and help keep things on track as we continue to grow.
from the editor’s scooter… K. Giezyng Fall can be a beginning or ending. For some it means the start of school or a new scooter project. Yet for others it means the end of rally season and riding. Scooters quietly slumber in garages waiting to be awakened by their owners in the spring. In this, our fourth issue of Kickstart we begin by welcoming a new President, Vice-President, and the Eugene Chapter to OSC. Al Drake takes us back to 60’s campus life at U of O and reminisces about the scooters and people who ruled his school. I talk to a man about a dog and their sojourn through France. And we say goodbye to rally season with a photo montage. This is our last issue for the year and I want to thank everyone who has helped Kickstart grow and mature into what you now hold in your hands. It’s hard to believe that only a year ago, we held an open call for newsletter volunteers. We had a lot of ideas but, Mike and I needed someone who could give them shape and form. How lucky we and OSC were when Steve Talley answered our call. With each issue they get better and better Mr. Talley. And it’s only the beginning. Enjoy the upcoming holidays and what they may bring.
time to shove off and get dinner. Always the big spender Cappie. Til next time Kickstart, Captain 8 Ball & Donna Dateball
Kickin’ It With Amy Sedaris
See you next year.
Actress & Comedian Amy Sedaris poses with Kickstart while in Portland to promote her new hostess book, I Like You.
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4 Out Of 5 Toddlers Agree Dear Kickstart, I had to write and tell you how much we enjoy your club’s magazine. Our daughter, Lillian especially loves it. Whenever we ask her what she wants to read, she heads straight for the Kickstart. We may have a future scooterist on our hands. Time to put the training wheels on the moped. Thanks for being our connection to the Pacific Northwest. Jeff, Marcia, and Lillian Daniels Kalamazoo, MI
Ask Captain 8 Ball Ahoy Portland Donna and I are vacationing on the East Coast, but will be back next issue. Heres a photo of the only scooter we’ve seen so far on our trip.
Photo by Captain 8-Ball
The Honda Elite was spotted in Bar Harbor, Maine. Not that I’m disappointed, but I thought I’d see something more along the lines of this beauty. Owww, Donna just smacked me and called me an old barnacle. I was talking
Tossed Salad and Scrambled Eggs Christy Martino With not a lot going on in Salem Michael and I took a field trip this month to Seattle. We set off to discover the city the very best way—on a scooter. We went into the city with no plan and no clue of where we were going. The best part is that we didn’t care. Even when you’re lost (and believe me, we were lost) it is just too much fun to explore a new place while riding. We thought we were having a “Rally for Two”, but what we found is that a whole mess of people were there for Festering Oktoberscoot. What a bonus! The folks in Seattle were great and the weather was fantastic. We felt very lucky to join in the fun and discover some great breweries. I just wish there weren’t so many flippin’ steel bridges. I don’t think I will ever get used to the feeling if having that big Vespa bootie wiggling all over the place. Here’s a picture of the face I make before I have to go over one.
We left Seattle with some new friends and some really great memories. We went back to Suburbia with plans to return to the city soon. Stay tuned for a ride in Salem soon. We hope to have all of you as guests.
New OSC Members Rodney Butler Jessica Szabo Shawn Simons Michael Morrissey Virginia Chambers Emmalee Kearney Michelle Frogge Justin Lentz A.J. Arriola Tina VanOrden Ryan Smith Jeff Ingram
Treasurer's Report about the scooter Donna. Don’t be crabby. Speaking of crabs, You think they have a Skippers out here? Its
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Notice the “Boo-Boo” lip.
Current balance: $2094.65 Last year at this time: $2272 Cost of RAID: $3600.01 Brought In: $1295.62 (roughly the same as last year )
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SCOOTERS ON CAMPUS Albert Drake In 1959-62, when I was a student at the University of Oregon, there were hardly any scooters or cycles on campus. I had been riding a Vespa in Portland since 1957, and I took mine with me to the UO, where it was ideal transportation because my world had diminished to an area of about two square miles. It was a quick trip across campus, through the Pioneer Cemetery or into downtown Eugene. If I were in no hurry I’d ride through the alleys that intersected almost every block, looking in people’s back yards. So if the Vespa was ideal transportation, why weren’t there more? Actually, there weren’t many bicycles either. I suspect that most college students considered scooters and bicycles as juvenile transportation. That’s my impression, years later. The only other guy I knew at UO who had a Vespa was Ed Nadeau, who I’d met at PSC. Ed also had a fairly new MG A roadster. He probably shouldn’t have been driving or riding anything, because he got pretty drunk several times a week. He had plenty of family money, and during the summer of 1959 he rode his Vespa all the way to Mexico, an incredible journey. He wanted me to go with him, but, alas I had to work. In the fall I rented a room, the old dining room actually, one huge room, in a Victorian house that had been converted into apartments for students during WWII. It was like a Charles Adams drawing, and therefore it attracted Beatniks, loners, outsiders, nonstudents and some really smart and creative students. My room cost $15 a month. After a few months I became manager, which meant I got the entire third floor in exchange for collecting rents and keeping people from destroying the place. Like Vespa riders, the renters were a distinct minority, and on occasion it was us versus the fraternity and sorority people. One renter was Kernan Turner, who went on to have a distinguished career with the Associated Press. He had a 1940s Cushman motor scooter. Today it would be lovingly restored, but in 1960 it was a clunky, noisy scooter with an old blue paint job that’d been put on with a brush. The difference between
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that Cushman and my Vespa was like night and day. One example, the Vespa shifted by rolling the handle grip, while on the Cushman you had to let go of the handlebar, reach down low on the right side and slide a lever forward. Another renter was Brad Reed, an outdoorsman, who loved to boat, fish and climb mountains. He went on to become one of the first serious ski bums in Aspen. He showed up at the house one day with a brand new BSA Spitfire, a full-size cycle with a 250cc single cylinder motor. I think it was supposed to be an economy bike, because it had things like a partial seat, with no room for a passenger. But it was a neat bike, with a blue tank and the BSA emblem. I think Brad’s bike was the only example I’ve ever seen. Then a couple, Garth and Virginia, rented a room. I can’t remember the details, whether one showed up before the other or if they came together. I clearly remember that in 1960 it was unusual, even shocking, for an unmarried couple to live together. I don’t think there was a rule against it; it just didn’t happen. They were the only couple to live together in unmarried bliss during the years I managed the joint. My own wife didn’t move in with me until after we were married! I believe Virginia got a Vespa before Garth did, or maybe they brought their Vespas when they moved in. Garth had a Vespa 150, similar to mine. Virginia, who worked for a delivery service, rode a Vespa Grand Sport, the only one I saw during those years. I think it had a 200 cc motor, bigger tires and was taller than my Vespa. I don’t think they took classes, but they had jobs and rode their Vespas rain or shine. Then one day on their lunch hour they rode their Vespas to city hall and got married. I hope it lasted.
Kickstart thanks Al Drake for sharing his memories of early 60’s campus life and the two-wheeled gems that ruled his school. Mr. Drake is a leading hot rod historian and author currently living in Portland. Mainly known for his publications involving the hot rod set, he is also an accomplished poet and novelist. His two novels: One Summer and Beyond the Pavement are recommended reading.
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Scotchtoberfest 2006
Coat of many colors Karen Giezyng
Jacket distinction - He has an English cider bar towel sewn on the back of his jacket.
All photos by Joni Kabana, unless noted Postcards tell stories of places and different times. The sentiment, “Wish you were here” written on them greet their recipients. The scooter community has their own version of postcards:
the rally patch
They range from the simple to the ornate. Most scooterists sew them onto a jacket and wear them to the various rallies they attend. The patch jacket owners can look at their patches and think back to that rally and time. In England, the patches are made from cloth and are commonly known as “Paddys,” named after Paddy Smith, the originator of the scooter rally patch. He started printing them back in 1981. Some of the English scooterists also sew pub towels on the arms of their jackets. This comes in handy when it rains: you can use the pub towel to wipe of your seat. Recently, some of Portland’s patch jacket-wearing scooterists got together for a photo shoot with OSC member, Joni Kabana. They reminisced with me about their favorite patches from the past.
cover photo by K. Giezyng
Debbie Boehne First Rally - Victoria Rally 1996 (I can't remember right now what its technical name is) First Patch - (same as above)
Paul Baczuk First Rally – 1993 Secret Society Poker Run/Pub Crawl First Patch – (same as above) Patch had a girl in fishnets pushing a scooter. Favorite Patch – The Fall Classic patches Photo by K. Giezyng
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(Continued from page 7)
Favorite Patch - Run From the Sun 2003
I had a lot of respect for what T&P has done to make this community what it is today.
James Boehne First Rally – Mallory Town 1987 First Patch – One of my English ones from 1990 Favorite Patch – I think I prefer the older silk screened ones the best.
Lance Cerny First Rally – Spring Scoot 9 (2003) First Patch – same as above Favorite Patch – As of this moment, I’m pretty fond of the Spring Scoot 11 patch.
Karen Giezyng First Rally – Rally from Hell 2003 (Space Theme) First Patch – Scooter Raid II (Raid in Oregon) Favorite Patch – Monkey Run 2004 (the knife patch) I rode my Kymco up to Port Townsend for the rally. It was the furthest I had ridden my scooter. By the time I got there, all the patches were given out. I never thought I would see one on my jacket. Years later, I received the coveted patch from the paws of an Emerald City Flying Monkey himself. Thanks Monkey Jesse.
Dave “Doughnut” Fogarty First Rally - I think it was 1995 "The Tricky Dick Tour". I don't remember a patch, but I have a shirt somewhere. First Patch - Spring Scoot 1996 It had a silhouette of a woman on a scooter with an umbrella. I think it was made at Kinkos on Saturday of the rally. Favorite Patch - Twist & Play Club patch Even before I was a member,
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photo by C. Maringer
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Amerivespa 2006 Denver
Julie Goodrich First Rally – Yule Scoot First Patch – Scooter Insanity 2001 (A Scoot Oddity) Favorite Patch – Monkey Run 7 (knife dripping with blood)
Cassie Maringer First Rally - Spring Scoot 8 First Patch - besides all those old punk band patches... Vespa 50th anniversary patch, acquired in '96 when I got my first scooter Favorite Patch - Olive drab Ptown Scooters patch
Team McCabe – Dave, Becky, and Greta (in front) For Dave First Rally - Spring Scoot III (1997) First Patch - VCOA Favorite Patch - Dirty Clown Run, Apocalypse Clown
For Becky First Rally – Spring Scoot 4 (1998) First Patch – Hells Belles II (1998) Favorite Patch – I really dig the NASA “meatball” patch from Rally from Hell. My dad worked at NASA for 30 years and was the inspiration for this patch. For Greta First Rally – Garden City Rally 16 (2001) First Patch – Spring Scoot 7 (2001) Favorite Patch – Scootouring 19 (Scoots of the Holy Grail)
Dave Schwanke First rally - Rally From Hell First patch - Rally From Hell Favorite patch - LBSC club patch (picture next page) (Continued on page 10)
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(Continued from page 9)
kind, made with loving cuteness by the paws of CBAKSC!
Ian Mullin First rally - Scooter Rage Ten First Patch - Spring Scoot Three Favorite patch - my 'P 200 E' that Mario used to stock in his shop.
Nicole Walters First Rally - Houston-2002 Mods & Rockers with Red Stripe 69 SC-pub crawl First Patch - same as above Favorite Patch - Hand made CBAKSC Easter 2005--each cutie is one of a
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lies, but this was their first Amerivespa performance. The band has also performed in Europe, most recently at the Screamin’ Rock and Roll Weekend held in Spain. “Tons of scooters there. I remember passing a bunch of them as I chased Kurt through the streets of Spain after he dumped a bunch of beer on my white pants. I was swinging the wet pants around at him as we passed some confused looking Spaniards.” Garrett added. The Orangu-tones are just one of the many bands that record for the Wormtone Record label. They currently have two CDs out: The Orangu-tones Pledge Kappa Epsilon Gamma and Intro-
OSC Raid 2006
ducing the Simian Sounds of the Orangu-tones. For fans of 45s, they have one available with a Christmas song called “Santa’s Coming.” You can find them online at: www.theorangu-tones.com.
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Dance Monkey Dance Karen Giezyng Bands that perform at scooter rallies can often become irritating background noise. But, on some rare occasions a band turns out to be good entertainment. They get scooterists off their bar stools and onto the dance floor. At this year’s Amerivespa held in Denver, one of their local bands, The OranguTones did just that. Wearing matching “Bronco orange” Letterman v-necks, white pants, penny loafers and crocheted beer can hats The Orangu-Tones took the stage at the 3 Kings Tavern for Amerivespa’s Friday night party. The band’s look and sound was straight out of a 60’s college toga party. With their upbeat “frat rock” they turned the tavern into one big dance party. As soon as their music filled the room, scooterists hit the dance floor to twist, stomp, and monkey the night
away. With such songs as “Fly-boy Monkey”, “Beer Can Pyramid”, and “Yama Yama Pretty Mama” they got the scooterists into a dancing frenzy. They even held a twistin’ contest of which yours truly was one of the winners. The Orangu-Tones consist of Garrett “Bob” Brittenham on vocals & guitar, Kurt “yes that’s my real hair” Ohlen on vocals & bass, the Mysterious Kenny Davis on baritone sax, Ed Debord on guitar & vocals, Barry Newton on drums, and Christerious on the Farfisa organ. Besides being musicians, some of The Orangu-Tones are also scooterists. The Mysterious Kenny rides a Stella w/sidecar; a 10yr wedding anniversary gift he and his wife gave each other. Kenny and his family can be seen riding around Denver in it. Christerious has a collection that consists of a ’58
LD 125 Lambretta, ’75 Primavera, and a Vespa GL. Kurt is the proud owner of a ’63 Vespa VBB. ”Cosmetically it isn’t the best but mechanically its sound”, Kurt attested. “I also have a ’62 Rambler Cross-country Wagon we use to haul the band’s equipment in.” They have played at past Mile High Mayhem ral-
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Dog is my co-pilot Karen Giezyng When you are a stranger in a new land, sometimes it helps to have a friend come along for the ride. In the book Spotted in France, Gregory Edmont and Jarny Prince du Bois de Tanagra (J.P. to his friends) scoot to the south of France on Gregory’s ’63 Vespa V5A. Along the way they find adventure and gastronomical delights. This isn’t your average road travelogue though. J.P. isn’t your typical Frenchman enjoying a holiday in the south of France. He is Gregory’s Dalmatian, who happens to love riding on Vespas. It was my good fortune to have a phone conversation with the book’s author, Gregory Edmont recently. He was in Aspen finishing up the sequel to Spotted in France and took some time out to talk with me. Kickstart: So tell me a little bit about you, J.P., and France. Gregory Edmont: I had just graduated from the Sorbonne and was trying to make a living in Paris. I was having a hard time of it. Some friends, twin brothers with twin dogs suggested I get a dog so I wouldn’t be so full of myself. After I got J.P., the city of Paris opened up to me. Whenever I was with him, the Parisians would be drawn to us and strike up conversations. I discovered a whole different side to Paris with him. It was like getting the key to the city. K: Did you ride scooters before you moved to Paris? G: Yes, I rode a Honda while going to college in LA. I bought my first Vespa while in Paris. I was tired of taking the Metro all the time and saw a ‘63 Vespa V5A in a Montemare scooter shop window. I liked the look of it and returned the next
day with J.P. There were other scooters around, but he went straight for the Vespa and promptly plopped himself down on the floor board. K: How did you get J.P. interested in riding on your Vespa? G: J.P. really took to the scooter. He would wedge himself between me and it when I would get on. It didn’t take much persuasion. I started going on short rides with him to get him use to the scooter’s noise and handling. I put goggles on him when we would ride to prevent red eye. At first he hated them, but after he got use to the goggles he would run and bring them to me when it was time to ride. K: Were they the Doggles that are sold for scooter riding animals? G: No, this was before they were around. Both he and I wore the same type of goggles. K: Most Dalmatians are known for being hyperactive animals. How did you manage to keep him from moving around on your scooter? G: He’s a liver-spotted Dalmatian which isn’t inbred like the other Dalmatians. He and the rest of the litter were surprisingly calm dogs. J.P. (Continued on page 20)
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East bound and down Karen Giezyng “We’ve got a long way to go and a short time to get there” – “East Bound and Down,” Jerry Reed 1977 Those words to the 70’s trucker anthem were on many a scooterist’s mind at the starting line for the 2nd Scooter Cannonball Run on September 10, 2006. Thirty adventurous scooterists were about to spend the next 9 days scooting 3,292 miles cross-country from Pacific City, Oregon to Orange, New Jersey. A stop in Coney Island would mark the end of their coast to coast adventure. Oregon was well represented with four scooterists taking part. Among them were Kickstart’s first centerfold girl, Sara Atkeson, local scooterist Heather Knight, and OSC members, Ady Oren and Jim Smith. Ady rode in the Auto Super Stock class and finished sixth overall in his class. Jim was in the Auto Stock/Kitted class and, due to mechanical issues, did not complete the run. They talked with Kickstart about their different Cannonball experiences.
Kickstart: Why did you decide to do Cannonball? Ady Oren: I love riding my bike and I love road trips. I remember first hearing about it and immediately thinking about what I would need to do to get ready for this trip. Although I knew that it would take some major preparation, I couldn't really think of a better way to spend my vacation time. Jim Smith: I've wanted to do a crosscountry motorcycle trip for quite some time and the CB seemed like a good idea. It was also an opportunity to promote the CPI GTR 150. K: How did you select the brand of scooter you would ride crosscountry? AO: I had a brand-new, yet extremely unreliable 150cc scooter that I
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needed to replace desperately since I commute year round on it. I was looking for a bigger bike so I could be less limited in my traveling. I was originally looking at the Big Ruckus, but came across an ad on Craigslist Seattle for my current bike and the deal was too good to pass on. The Honda Reflex is my daily ride and weekend fun vehicle. It seemed only natural to ride it in the cannonball as well. I put 8,500 miles in 5 months on the Reflex so I had no doubt it could go the distance. JS: As a collector & dealer, I wanted to ride some different and unique. The vintage vehicles I own were too small in size for the trip, and I had recently purchased a 2006 CPI GTR 150 for personal use. We made numerous modifications to the bike to enhance its performance and make the ride more enjoyable. K: What were you thinking at the starting line? AO: "Holy crap it’s early!" I think leaving at 7am every morning was one of the hardest parts for me during the trip. Especially since 7am came earlier and earlier as we traveled east.
the screen play and have some say in who’s in it. If Disney is involved, they may not use the Dalmatian breed. Kickstart: Thanks for speaking with me Greg. Good luck with the book’s sequel and movie. Gregory Edmont: Thank you. The sequel is due out around February and we may do another book tour.
Gregory Edmont is a writer in the TV and movie industry. He also has two columns in Bark Magazine. One is Spotted in… and the other is Unleashed in New York. He never intended to write about dogs, but getting a Vespa and J.P. changed his life. J.P. is currently 12 years old, a cancer survivor, and doting dad to 9-year-old Sketch. Spotted in France is currently available in paperback.
Vespa 50 V5A – 1963 Introduced the first months of 1963, this model with a 3-speed manual transmission was very popular. No riding endorsement was required because it was a 50cc. In France, the model was fitted with pedals for the moped class. The 3speed model had 2.75 x 8 solid rims, while the 4-speed transmission (50 Special) was fitted with 3.00 x 10 inch rims. Another version, Vespa 50 Elestart had an electric starter. This one came with a square headlight, the ignition on top of the handlebar and no kickstart. The look was slightly modified around the horn on the legshield. It had a 6V generator system with 2 batteries. This version was distributed mostly in England and Italy. Lastly, there was the sport version with 50cc motor called the Super Sprint.
By the time we hit EST I was getting up at the same time I usually go to sleep. JS: That I hate setting my tent up in the dark for the Run from the Sun Rally! It seems every time I go, I'm delayed for some reason or another
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almost never moved around while on the scooter. K: What got you to ride 500 miles to the south of France with him? G: I received a frantic late night call from J.P.’s, breeder, Madame Clix, telling me that his services were needed immediately. His family’s blood line was in jeopardy and she needed him to sire a new litter. She would spare no expense. Any excuse to travel is fine by me. K: You run into trouble with the French law early on in your trip. G: Yes, the French weren’t sure how legal it was for a man and 65 pound dog to be riding around on a scooter. We were detained in the police station for awhile. K: Shortly after you have some scooter problems, but receive help from some unlikely people. G: The scooter repairing witches. I guess being a tarot card reader doesn’t quite pay the bills nowadays. One of the witch’s day jobs was repairing motorcycles. He fixed my scooter, they did some sort of trance and we were on our way again. Without their help, we wouldn’t have been able to make it to Madame Clix’s place. K: What was your route like? G: I planned the route so it would go along rivers for J.P. to take breaks and Michelin starred restaurants for me. I would scrimp on our hotels but always made sure we had nice meals. After cleaning up with some Evian and a comb, I would pull up to the restaurants. Most times the scooter would get valet parked, sometimes they would think I was
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the help. The French love the unconventional, so an American on a scooter with a 65 lb dog was a treat for them. The waiters would bring J.P. a silver bowl of Evian water and ice cubes first then I would get my gin and tonic. The chefs would even make him special meals. K: Let me skip ahead a little bit. J.P. has a son named Sketch that lives with you. Does he love Vespas as much as his dad? G: No, he won’t go near them at all. J.P. is a little too old to ride anymore too. K: When the book first came out you did a cross country book tour in a Dalmatian spotted R.V. Portland was one of your stops. G: Yes, Portland was a great stop and we got a lot of attention there. J.P. and I would don our goggles and ride the scooter into the events. He was always calm and patient during the promotional stops. Towards the end of the book tour though, he got sick. Sketch found a tumor on J.P. We drove non stop to the hospital in California. They told us he had cancer. I took him to get chemo treatments at UC Davis. J.P. beat it. His scootering days are over though. K: I’m so sorry your dog had to go through all that. Glad to hear J.P. is doing well. He’s had an interesting life and gotten lots of stamps in his doggie passport. He’s even been on the Concorde. I hear they are making a movie based on your book. G: Thanks very much. Yes he’s doing better. There’s a movie deal in the works with Pierre Lescure, former head of Canal Plus and producer Raffaella De Laurentis. I’m writing
(in this case 2 Cannonballers had engine troubles on the ride out to Pacific City the night prior. So I was still a little sleepy-eyed at the start, but glad to finally get going. K: What was your favorite part of the route? AO: Call me a biased Oregonian, but I still think that HWY 20 to John Day (via McKenzie pass) was one of the prettiest rides on the trip. Riding through the Sawtooth range in Idaho and going over the Continental Divide was awesome too. In general, the first 3 days had my favorite roads.
K: Any stories from the road you want to share? AO: Overall, my trip was somewhat uneventful compared to others. There were of course the occasional deer/fox/cow/buffalo-in-the-road encounters that made sure I was paying attention. Particularly the enormous dog that came running out of a cornfield in Iowa while I was bent forward, one hand in my lap with the throttle lock on, rocking away to Nick Cave comes to mind. Lucky for both of us he was fast enough to get to the other side because I had no time to react at all. I rode a little more cautiously through the cornfields after that. There was also the broken tire valve mishap in Lusk, WY (which had no cell reception or a pay phone). I managed to convince the local tractor tire repair shop to break the bead on my front tire and replace my valve after some pleading and a promise I wouldn't sue him if he broke my rim. I was very thankful my tire went flat in front of that gas station and not during the 70 miles of nothingness that came before and after Lusk, WY. In general, I came across many small town folks that were really nice and happy to help.
JS: Certainly my most enjoyable part of the route was in the western states, especially climbing tall passes (9,880 feet I think) through the Grand Tetons in Wyoming. Coming into Jackson Hole, WY at twilight was stunning after enjoying an awesome sunset. Only wish I had time to swing through Yellowstone for a bit.
JS: Some of the route was plotted from mapping software that didn't always match up with reality. I rode with Kieran Walsh on his '74 Lambretta one day and we had to flag down a car to verify we were on the right highway. We had turned onto 12 miles prior and hadn't seen even 1 highway marker. Fortunately the (Continued on page 14)
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next car approaching us was the local Sheriff who confirmed our suspicions that we were indeed on the right road. 2 miles later, were at a "T" indicating that to the left a few miles down would be a Uranium Mining Area and that access was restricted. It was a bit surreal to say the least. K: Did you make any new friends with your fellow Cannonballers? AO: Sure did. I had a great roommate for the whole trip that made things a lot easier. We rode at about the same speed and would have dinner and go over the maps together. Everyone was super nice in general, and I met some really cool people that I would have probably never would have met otherwise. I was a little
bummed to see that folks tend to hang out with people in the same bike class, so there was a good chuck of the group I never really met, but I guess when you go on a trip with 40 people, that kind of stuff happens. JS: Absolutely! I was fortunate to ride with a few seasoned scooterists who had scraped a few knuckles in their time on vintage Vespa & Lambretta engine cases. For those of us having problems on the trip, we quickly learned who had what tools
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which could be borrowed at moment's notice. Libby, Mike Heytens, Patrick & Heather & Chris G. were all great people who pitched in and made the trip one for the scrapbook.
no such luck with the Super. Even a new sparkplug didn’t get it running, so once again, the guys unpacked the trailer and loaded up another scoot. Once we got to Portland, Dave called to say his Honda was in the driveway of a Forest
Heights estate with it’s rings blown. He rode bitch with Ming the rest of the way home. Regardless of all our scooter problems, we all had a great time at RFTS. Now we’ve got all the scooter projects lined up for the fall.
K: What did you learn from doing Cannonball? AO: I learned a lot about long distance riding and things I would and wouldn't do on my next long distance trip. My riding skills improved; especially when it came to riding in a group with folks I didn’t know that well and who were trying to beat me to the finish line. JS: Prepare, prepare, prepare... Gotta take care of yourself & your bike first and then attend to everyone else. Also, be nice to the organizers, your support crew and everyone else along the way, 'cause you never when you might need a hand. Also, keeping a positive attitude is really important on this type of adventure ride. K: What were you thinking at the finish line? AO: "Thank god we are here because my ass hurts too much to keep on sitting" Beaded seat or not, by the time we got to New Jersey I had pains in areas I didn't know I had. I was ready to get off the bike and not ride anything for a week or so. I'm over that now. JS: Hmm, that it would've been nice to ride my bike through it, but I was glad I didn't have to deal with all that east coast rush hour traffic!
Monkey Run
K: Thanks Ady and Jim. For more information about the Scooter Cannonball Run go to ww.scootercannonball.com
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RFTS Julie Goodrich Run from the Sun: the time of year when Portland and Eugene scooterists traditionally meet up and ride out to the coast for a weekend of rallying. This year was made special, as the Cannonball Run riders and the Flying 15 Motor Cycle club also joined the party. The weather here was perfect for a long 100 mile scooter ride out to Pacific City. My scooter group consisted of Mike, Ming, Rudy, Dave, Matt, and Jessica. Out of that group, four bikes broke down over the course of the weekend! The back roads between Portland and Dallas (south of Salem) were lovely; lots of farmland, a ferry across the Willamette (we took up the entire boat), and a fast, fast ride on Highway 22, which took one of our Lammy's out. Mike and Kim were riding double and after nearly an hour at full throttle his bike seized up. He blew a hole in the top of the piston!
breeze cooling you through your helmet. Notoriously, my scarf came out of my bag, and wafted gently down onto the road. Rudy went back and retrieved the precious Timbers Army scarf which happens to match his bike (green and gold), and claims it as a "rally prize". Upon reaching the campground in Pacific City (across the highway from the beach), it was a complete Mods and Rockers set up. The Flying 15 MC gang was in full colors on the right, and the Mods (scooters) on the left side of the large group campground. Everyone got along well, and were still fighting hangovers from Fri night when we arrived around 4pm. As you can imagine, the rally was in full swing. I recommend checking the pictures out on scoot.net. Guys from the Flying 15 were racing a minibike around and jumping it over flaming tubs of potato salad. The kegs of beer were flowing and the BBQ chicken was cooking. The beach cannon was amazing! Shooting bowling balls into the ocean using black powder was a remarkable sight (and noise). A large bonfire burned on the beach where most folks socialized through the evening.
What'cha Wearing? Nicole Walters As your body speeds thru traffic along side gigantic SUVs being driven by “blind” cell phone users, you may ask yourself, “What can I do to protect my precious butt?” Well, unfortunately there’s really not much you can do to prevent major trauma in a serious accident, aside from not riding anymore—yeah, right! As the old tantrum goes, “It’s not a matter of if you crash, it’s when.” Scooterists are invisible to most 4–wheeled vehicles. It’s a fact of life. New scooterists: don’t be alarmed. There are precautions you can take to help lessen the chances of serious harm. Wearing good riding gear is an investment that you should seriously consider. Remember: you are worth it. When I first started riding scooters, it took me a while to figure out what riding gear was right for me. I’d like to offer a couple of gear suggestions that have served me well.
Once all the Portland riders made it to Dallas, we had a pizza lunch with the Eugene group. After carbo-loading, we took off for the coast. What a gorgeous ride! Tons of twisties through the forest and the ocean
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Sunday, the Cannonballers did a good job of waking us up at 7am with all the honking and cheering that took place. My group was the last ones out of the campground at noon, with the maintenance folks picking up the trash and sweeping up around us. On the way back to Portland, Matt’s clutch cable snapped the very moment he’s making a turnoff. The150 Super decided it’s had enough and lost power. Ming and I pulled over to assess the situation while Dave went back to help out a Goldwing rider who was stuck in the gravel along side the road. The Goldwing rider ran off the road when he turned to see what Ming and I were doing! They got the Goldwing back on the road but
Helmet—wear a full-face helmet, DOT-rated, but best to look for Snell–rated. Remember: Even “skid lid” helmets are DOT-rated. Buy the best you can afford. This may someday save your life. No, really.
Jacket—armored is best; road rash really sucks.
Gloves—good for those rainy, chilly Oregon days, or to keep your fingers attached; leather or material heavy enough to not rip to shreds.
Boots—they should cover your ankles and not slip off.
Don’t
Do
This all may sound like common sense. To each his/her own, I say. Though sometimes I gawk in awe at what some folks consider riding gear. A few weeks ago on my commute home, I saw someone on a new automatic scooter wearing a “skid lid” 1/2 shell helmet with dainty flip-flops, a flirty skirt, and a pashmina. How the pashmina stayed wrapped around her body, I’ll never know.
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Photo by K. Giezyng
