You've got to love Queensland in summer, a time when both the temperature & hem lines go up. Sparkling clear skies, warm temperatures provide us riders with nice grippy roads. At the moment the Gold Coast is just the perfect place to be scooting.

I wheeled the scoot out of the garage collected my gear & turned around to see the Derbi Rambla sitting outside shimmering in that summer sun, calling me like a scooter siren "I've got some new 11 gram rollers, come ride with me..."

That temptress of a scooter & the wonderful weather can combine to trick one into a false sense of security. It's hot, it's a nice day & the scoot is willing, why get all hot & bothered with all the gear? The answer comes from one of the greatest movies ever...Alien V Predator. Where one future alien snack asks another future alien snack "why bring a gun to an archaeological expedition?" she answered "the same reason I carry a condom, better to have it & not need it than need it & not have it".

It was so tempting this morning to just ride in shorts, shirt, shoes, gloves & helmet. The mind says "why put on pants, boots, jacket, gloves & helmet for a 5K ride where I don't exceed 70km/h?" although it's not politically correct to say this especially being part of the industry but it is what many riders not only think, they say & do. 30 plus degrees does that to you.

Despite the temptation to dress down, I grabbed the jacket & threw it on. So I headed off protected by jacket, gloves, helmet, enclosed shoes & dare I say...shorts. On the ride in I paid particular attention to what other riders were wearing. Only one out of 15 odd scooter or bike riders I saw had on more gear than me. One rider on a big cruiser had on a singlet, thongs, disgustingly short shorts that in a cruiser riding position left nothing to the imagination (I doubt I'll ever eat Kiwifruit again).

Some may be enraged about the lack of appropriate gear, we live in the real world & deal with real riders. During a Queensland summer getting some riders to gear up is like bashing your head against a wall & complaining of a headache.  So we'd like to suggest something a little left field, that riders will actually do.

If you are going to wear less gear then do something to reduce the risk of having an accident in the first place. We can sell a tangible piece of safety equipment like a jacket but it has a shelf life, the person may wear it or may not wear it, it may get lost, damaged or worn out. It is also only of benefit if the owner is wearing it in the event of a crash. The other option is an intangible, the recipient of this intangible has no choice they will use it every time they ride their scooter whether they realise it or not. More than likely they won't even realise they are using this intangible. I'm talking about training

Ask yourself this simple question, since obtaining your license & scooter how much have you spent on Accessories, Safety gear & servicing? Then ask yourself how much have you spent on improving your skills? Obtaining your licence is the first step in your two wheeled experience, it is a card that simply says this person has enough skills to pass a fairly simple test. You have a basic foundation set, now its time to build on that foundation.

Because many associate training with a licence test the idea of going back for more can create stress for some riders. It is an unfortunate situation as you already have your licence, follow up training is not a test situation, learning to ride can initially be a bit stressful. Thing is you've probably been riding for a while since getting your licence and are far more comfortable now than when you started. If you are comfortable with your riding, its time to move on and get some more advanced skills while improving some of your existing skills.

The riding journey is sort of like a computer game, first time you play a game often you don't get passed the first level until you get the hang of it, once you've got the hang of it you progress to new more engaging levels, the weapons get better & you can do more. Funnily the armour gets better too

Ask yourself at what level can you play the riding game?

Most of us on the Eastern Seaboard of Australia recently copped a huge dust storm which has coated everything including the roads in a fine coat of dust. For Scooter riders means more than just having to give the scoot a thorough clean.

With the roads coated in this fine dust grip is reduced, if you think about it having a film of anything between the road & tyre is going to reduce grip. We need to take it easy until until nature takes care of itself & cleans our roads with some rain.

Only problem is when the rain first hits this film of dirt it's going to be even more slippery until it cleans the dirt of the road. Our advice is to take it a little easy allowing for these unusual & slippery conditions

Safe scooting

Saturday 1st & Sunday 2nd August is a weekend Celebrating the history of motorcycling scooters with Q150. The Motorcycle Enthusiast Club Gold Coast is hosting a weekend of two wheeled indulgence.

Starting at 9.30am on Saturday at 238 Mudgeeraba Road, Mudgeeraba on the Gold Coast (Opposite Milky Way). While being predominantly a motorcycle show it is open to all Scooters. The Show n Shine expected to be the most popular with Scooterists. 

"Celebrating the History of Motorcycling with Q150"

Saturday 1st August

• 9.30am Trials Demonstration
• 10-12    Bike & Scooter Show
• 11am    Official Opening
• 1pm     Presentaion of Trophies
• 2pm     Poker Run Starts
• 7pm     Sit Down Dinner with guest & Live entertainment

Sunday 2nd August

• 6.30 am Breakfast
• 8.00am  Navigation ride begins
• 1.00pm  Lunch
• 2pm       Presentaion of Trophies

We hope to see a strong scooter contigient with 1st & 2nd place prizes for the Scooter Division provided by Scooter HQ. Full details & entry form are available at the Motorcycle Enthusiast Club (Gold Coast) Website

http://www.mecgc.net/

See you there

Scooters seem to keep advancing like most other automotive devices. Electronic Fuel Injection, Anti lock Brakes & other electronic aids are making scooters not only more efficient but harder to service without the right equipment or people to operate this equipment.

At HQ we have the latest electronic diagnostic tools allowing us to work on the electronic system of a scooter (or motorcycle), we chose this particular type of electronic diagnostic tool so we are not limited to one or two brands, it allows us to deal with just about anything.

Being the younger ones at HQ with a bit of time due to cold and now wet weather Tim & I were discussing how some (not all) guys have issues adapting to this technology & how many younger people have no issues with such technology. Combine an interest in something like scooters with a generation X, Y or younger person with a second nature like command of technology, anything is possible

It's currently school holidays so we put this idea to the test. Can a bored 9 year old with a grasp on technology and a love of bright Derbi Sports scooters operate such a device with competence?

Mr HQ Junior unpacks the latest model Axone - The disappointed face says it all  "where's the high res colour screen dad?" "doesn't have one" I replied. "Dad, if you are going to spend that much money on technology, you have to ask me it's obvious you need help, I'd have got you one with a colour screen"

All we had to do was open the battery access panel, he already had the cables ready to be plugged into the scooter & knew where to plug them, on the machine scrolling through the menu to locate Dads scoot.

Not only did he find Dads scoot on the list he knows it runs the same engine as an Aprilia Sportcity amongst others, so proceeded to check "compatibility" as he calls it. Checking idle speed, water temp, fuel pump & thermo fan. I just wish he could find the cheat codes to give the GP1 unlimited ammo, armour & power boost

The future is bright indeed. 

Derbi Australia & Scooter HQ have teamed up to make the Boulevard 125 even better value for money. The Boulevard has that "Vespa Retro look" combined with modern dynamics.

The Derbi Boulevard runs the 125cc Piaggio Leader engine which is also fitted to Vespa 125's, Piaggio Fly, Aprilia Mojito & Aprilia Sportcity One. With the 125cc market getting more competitive Derbi & HQ are seeking to make the Boulevard the number one choice for new scooter buyers. 

We have a demonstrator Boulevard, come take it for a ride & make up your own mind

www.scooterhq.com.au

A few of the Scooter old timers were talking the other day about how much things have changed here on the Gold Coast over the past few years, in particular how the number & quality of scooters has increased but also how much the shops have evolved in the competitive environment.

It was pointed out most of the major brands are available from specialist scooter dealers & combined stores. We currently have the following stores offering every major brand (Sorry if I missed anyone or brands held). Best thing is we are all only 20 minutes apart & each store is independently owned.

• Scooter HQ Southport- Aprilia, Benelli, Daelim, Derbi, Mojo & Vmoto
• The Scooter Shop Southport - TGB, Sachs
• Revolution Scooters  Southport & Burleigh - Piaggio, Vespa, Gilera, KYMCO & Hyosung
• ScootnToot Miami - SYM, TGB, Peugoet
• Gold Coast Scooters Burleigh - SYM, Aprilia
• Honda Scooters Gold Coast Ashmore - Honda
• Team Moto Nerang-  Yamaha, Hyosung.

Rumour has it the Gold Coast is set to have a new dedicated Scooter Service Centre and a single brand shop setup by a major Scooter Importer, in addition to the existing players. An amazing achievement given the small population base.

Quite simply the Gold Coast has become the Scootering hub of Queensland, with people from Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, regional centres, in fact people all over Queensland head to the Gold Coast for the wide range of brands, scooters & dealers. If you can't get it here it's probably not worth buying.

The industry here is quite proud of how we have all grown & what we have achieved.

We received a mysterious package in the mail the other day consisting of a garden gnome rumoured to have been stolen from the garden of the editor of Albury's Border Mail newspaper who recently published an article about a local Scooter Hoon. (I don't know if that is true but sure makes it sound better) This gnome is travelling Australia visiting various scooter affectionados, having a great time capturing the scootering with a happy snap. Until he got to Scooter HQ & the place we call the Sunny place for Shady people, tourists call it the Gold Coast.

The Gnome was sitting at my desk where he could see the Players Showgirls Harley Davidson Destroyer drag bike on the workbench. "What's Players Showgirls?" he asked. "It's where Vmoto held their last dealer conference" I replied. Gnome then suggested it as a destination that has an association with scooters no matter how vague & obviously worth a look...

Being such a high profile visitor I gave Gnome a choice of anything in the shop for a ride. He went straight to the Malossi Edition Derbi GP1 250, it matched his outfit. Gnome & I grabbed a meal, mounted the Derbi GP1 Malossi edition heading to Players Showgrils located in Surfers Paradise, this seems to be some sort of pilgrammage for gnomes & blokes from the southern states here without their Mrs Gnomes.

Derbi GP1 Malossi Edition, Gnome, two lovely ladies who remembered us from Barney & Blinkos last Gold Coast tour plus some bloke who walked into the picture and had better not told his Mrs he was working back late.

As for what happened once we got inside there is a saying here on the Gold Coast "What happens in Surfers Stays in Surfers" plus camera use inside this club is a big no no. I've never taken a garden gnome to a strip club before but will admit it was a great conversation piece & this particular one is a real ladies gnome, its not often a visitor get to go outback to the office & girls change room. I can't go into details of the evening but can reveal gnome loves uniforms. I learnt gnomes do not belong in the gardens of the conservative, they have needs & desires.

Gnome busts a move.

After spending all his money on booze & lap dances gnome broke the golden rule of these clubs. Don't touch the dancers, which led to the following heartbeaking moment.

Gnome - Smashed & broke on the steps of Players Showgirls 

Me left to pick up the pieces.

We rushed gnome inside for emergency medical attention, fortunately there was a dancer in a nurses uniform which was close enough. Management of this wonderful establishment pulled out all stops providing superglue, a dancer in a nurse uniform for medical, a dancer in policewoman uniform for crowd control plus a dancer in a french maid just for the hell of it. If that wasn't going to bring our fetished friend back to life nothing would. After an hour of delicate surgery we had gnome back in one piece, well more like a whole heap of smaller pieces badly glued together.

The gnome stands six inches fully erect in the hands of two lovely Players girls.

Le Minz 2009 24 hour Scooterthon has been run & done. Scooter HQ teams taking out first place in all classes, this year will be remembered as Derbi Demolition with the GP1 50 Racings taking out 1st & 2nd overall. Conditions were challenging with the track being soaked for three days of heavy rain & the event started in appalling conditions.

Overall line honours went to Team Global Trader Scooter HQ (http://www.globaltradertech.com.au/) riding a Derbi GP1 50 Racing specifically prepared for Le Minz 2009. Ridden by the boys from Stuntz Inc (http://www.stuntzinc.com/) it was going to need to put on one hell of a show as they are fairly big boys, to give you an idea of the weight handicap faced by mad Irishman Robbie Bolger he would have needed some of the opposing riders to strap a Vmoto Milan to their back to address the weight differential between them. We will have an article specifically about this scooter & team very soon, you'll be amazed at what went into this GP1.

Matt Mingay rides the Derbi GP1 50 Racing to a class & overall victory

Coming in second place overall & first in Class B (standard & derestricted scooters) went to the Derbi GP1 50 Racing of Team Towcam Scooter HQ  (www.towcam.com.au) ridden by racing car legend John Faulkner, Jet Ski maestro Christian D'Agostin & the imported northern hemisphere motorcycle racer Zak who suffered a shoulder injury after testing the structural rigidity of the GP1. We had to pull Glyn from the Scooter HQ VA Garage Derbi Boulevard to replace the injured Zak. This was surprisingly Johns first ever ride in the wet, there is something special with the competitive spirit of professional racers, hurdles or obstacles are expected & overcome with ease. The focus & drive of these guys is extraordinary.

Glyn glides the class B Derbi into second place overall 

First in Class C was the Scooter HQ Aprilia SR50 Ridden by Team Azza. These boys punted the completely standard SR50 which was speed limited to 50km/h around on the rev limiter for 24 hours. The amazing part of this team performance was that it beat modified & derestricted scooters whilst being limited to 50km/h. It was able to out brake, out corner & out accellerate just about everything on the track until it hit the 50km/h limiter. Using this advantage allowed the Aprilia SR50 to over come the 50km/h handicap.

Azza trying to corner the SR50 as upright as possible to conserve tyres due to extreme cornering earlier in the race.

Our Scooter HQ Derbi Boulevard riden by Adam, Bronson & Glyn representing VA Garage (www.vagarage.com.au) was the complete opposite to the awesome GP1 50 Racing of team Global Trader Scooter HQ. Using only a couple of bolt on parts with a mild port job this was our lightweight budget rocket. Testing had proven it capable of an outright win but was f&#ked by the fickle finger of fate from the outset. It did very well for two laps & was plagued by problems for the rest of the event until 4 hours from the end lady luck jumped on board & the problems disappeared. With one rider transferring to the Class B Derbi GP1 a tired Brono & Adam released 20 hours of frustration in the last 4 hours performing some lap times that with better luck would have seen them an outright contender.

With the Derbi Boulevard hammering again Brono gets busy trying to beat the lap record of the Class C GP1

We also "acquired" a couple of extra teams. A team who were initially to be all female & ride our SR50 ended up being 2 girls & one guy and transferred to the new Mojo 50. We provided breakdown, fuelling, motivational support & every Monza brake lever we had in stock. Never in the contention for anything other than finishing the two girls eneded up crashing heavily a few times & were put out of the race with injuries. The remaining team member finished the rest of the race solo & in his stride. Mojo Scooters can take pride this little 50 took such a beating & finished the race with nothing other than brake levers, oil & fuel.

Team Flying Irish was our other adopted team having only brought a Scooter, themselves & a smile. They really needed support & were a great bunch of guys to help. Having never ridden a scooter before these guys went out, got used to it & placed it second in Class B behind our Derbi & 4th over the line. Must be the luck of the Irish.

Le Minz is like climbing Mt Everest it's not so much about doing it first it's about finishing, to those who competed for the first time, welcome to an exclusive club you effectively rode a 50cc Scooter not stop for 24 hours from Brisbane to Sydney, some even made Melbourne. To those who have done it before, we think your nuts for coming back but look forward to see you all again next year

(Scooter HQ Crew L to R Tim, Wayne, Lynn, Brendon & D'Arcy with the Winning Derbi GP1 50 Racings)

Its on again this weekend. On Saturday 14th February around 25 scooters will line up at Parklands Showgrounds on the Gold Coast (opposite Griffith Uni Campus) for 24 hours of Scooter endurance testing. Some riders have this confused for Scooter racing, it happens in the heat of the moment or it might just be an in built competitive gene amongst those who participate. Either way when you get 20+ rider on the grid, the flag drops, the BS stops, it's on for young & old.

Le Minz is split into 3 classes

• Class A - Stock standard 50cc scooters speed limited to 50km/h
• Class B - Stock standard 50cc Scooters with restriction devices only removed
• Class C - Modified - Go for it but it must remain a 50cc

This year is another full grid & the battle for line honours in Class C will be fierce. Last years winner will be back this year mounted on a Peugeot Ludix Blaster (Team Scooter Shop) rumoured to be very quick. Team Scootopia/Scooters Scooters/Scooter Life have a few entries that will include some of our forum members like K-star, RPMorrell, Waxhead & forum. While playing coy & talking down chances of an outright win wattch out for the scooters prepared by this team definately contenders for an outright win. Perhaps the guys may want to confirm what they are running, again I'm relying on the rumour mill which says there is a PGO PMX Naked, Bug Super 9, SYM Red Devil & Bug Vibe. Not sure about all of these, perhaps this is a deception to make us complacent.  Is there a secret weapon perhaps? Maybe a well sorted old blue Piaggio Typhoon only used on weekends that goes like stink? Don't know you'll have to come along & see.

Also in contention is the team from Stuntz Inc who came second last year after an epic battle with Team Scooter Shop. They want a result one better than last year & have a pretty wild Derbi GP1 50 Racing to do the job on. With a GP1's already in the fray in class C we thought we'd cover another angle & enter a lightweight flyer in the form of a Derbi Altantis Bullet in class C. For the first time we won't have a Vmoto running around.

This year has a number of teams that are Le Minz virgins, after 24 hours of scooter riding in Queenslands February heat, humidity,  possibly rain they will be well & truly non virginal after the event.

To all those who are participating we wish you the best of luck & a safe enjoyable Le Minz, to all scooter riders in South east Queensland or Northern NSW you have to come along for a looksie at your favourite brands or shops doing battle. 25 odd scooters on a 600 metre track with top speeds ranging from 50km/h to 100km/h is going to make for some interesting viewing.

As there should be a heap of scooterists, forum members & industry players watching & participating in the event. I'm sure like us they'd really like to see some spectators (fans?) cheering them on, especially toward the end. After the Event finishes on Sunday 15th at 12.00 midday we will be having an informal scooter run starting from 1.00pm.

Hope to see you there

We have boycotted the local paper with advertising for a period of time due to constant misreporting on scooters. We are not electric bicycles & we are not motorcylists either. We are are own unique form of transport & have our own mindset. Recently an opportunity presented itself for both parties to kiss & make up.

At the end of the day they want our advertising dollars & we want to use their exposure to positively promote scooters. Thing is we pulled out because of bad reporting so they are making it up to us. Advantage Scooters - I'm going to get as much positive scooter coverage out of this as I can. Milk em so to speak..

The best way to convert someone to Scooters is to allow them one to use one for enough time to get used to it, then take it off them. We agreed to put a reporter on a scoot but which one? Do we use the Derbi GP1 250 to show how far scooter design & dynamics have advanced, do we go for the Ultra cool of the Aprilia Mojito, perhaps the ruthlessly efficient Daelim S1 commuter or Super practical SYM VS 125?

Having done the research first I knew they had a female Journo who rides small capacity motorcycles. I had a cunning plan. I see a lot of new female riders on motorcycles, quite often struggling with them, not so much the weight but where the weight is located, bikes have a much higher centre of gravity making them hard to handle at times. A scooter has the weight down low, no tank & are automatic making them a much better first bike proposition than say a cruiser or commuter motorcycle.

Female riders can also be guided by a male friend or relative who often guides them onto the bike they would have if they were female. Now with all due credit to blokes we are usually shiite at picking stuff suitable for women, underwear is a good example, women buy womens underwear to wear, men buy women underwear to take off. Most women who have had a male buy them underwear will know what I'm talking about. 

As we hadn't committed to anything I used the advantage & requested we provide said female journo with a scooter for a week. Knowing that her current ride is a Japanese Cruiser 250 I thought if we get the right scoot this is an opportunity to convert a journo from Motorcycles to Scooters.

What is the most suitable scooter ride for a light female who rides motorbikes? Easy Scarabeo 200. Handy because I've got one & it follows on from the last Blog entry very well. Only thing I added was a colour coded Aprilia 35Ltr top box which comes with handle bar weights to offset the effect a top box has on handling.

Vanessa arrived to pick up the Beo yesterday afternoon, I could see there was just a little initial reluctance toward the scoot. It wasn't anything particular, the styling looked great, the capabilities suited her needs, really it was just a little motorcycle snobbery, it wasn't a "Real Bike".

The initial reluctance turned into interest when the top box swallowed her backpack that is used to cart her gear on the bike, actually she is able to ditch the backpack & return to a handbag because of the scooters storage. "It's a lot lighter and easy to handle than the cruiser", "I like the colour scheme", "a DOHC Liquid cooled engine". It was like watching someone have a moment of clarity, suddenly the scooter started to make a lot of sense & the "Real Bike" reluctance had dissapeared...Completely.

When we were talking over the phone the scoot was to be returned Monday, after the moment of clarity the return date was left up in the air, concerned she may not be able to ride it much with wet weather predicted for the next few days. Personally I think Vanessa really took a shine to the Scarabeo & it went from being a work job to getting something they really desire to use.

I wonder if it will be returned or if I'll have to make phone calls to get her back......

In the garage gleaming after a polish was the White Scarabeo 200, outside was lawn in dire need of mowing after some pretty heavy rain, clear skies hadn't coincided with days off. I really wanted a ride, in record time the lawn was mowed & the gear readied for a nice ride through the Gold Coast Hinterland.

This was the Scarabeo's maiden journey through the route chosen, 130kms of twisting winding roads, you go up & down the range we Gold Coasters call the Green behind the Gold several times. The speeds range from 60km/h to 100km/h with 80km/h being the posted speed for most of the journey, except for the sign where it says drive to suit conditions. I'm not sure exactly what that means. This is a riders paradise with enough corners to make you dizzy, only problem was the clouds covering the Hinterland.

The Scarabeo 200 is a new design & technically an awesome machine which is one reason I chose the Scarabeo. It is the same price as the Vespa LX 150  & Aprilia Mojito 125 offering a retro style but the package underneath is a mile ahead. While I really love the look of the Mojito or LX personally I like a bit of technology & like to get as much for my dollar as possible.

The liquid cooled 4 valve 4 stroke 125cc & 200cc (actually 180.8cc) engines are a new generation of scooter engine with a move from single to double overhead camshafts (DOHC) which allows better valve control the engine breathes better producing more power. DOHC engines like to rev which is important with a small engine, the rider can feel this DOHC engine trait in smoother stronger accelleration than their SOHC counterparts. It is a step forward & the power figures show it, Piaggio Liberty S 200 (197cc) 9.32kw of power, Vespa LX 150 8.6kw , SYM HD 200(171cc) 11.2kw, Bug Orion (163cc) 8.5kw, Bug Hawk 250 14.2kw & the Scarabeo 200 (180cc) a phenomenal 14.1kw. Interestingly the 125cc Scarabeo clocks in at 11.18kw.

Off to the petrol station to throw in a massive $5.90 worth of the expensive 98 octane petrol & headed out to the hills. The last set of lights saw a young gent on a CBR 250RR  (Baby sports bike) pull up next to me then zoom off up the road. I was out for a cruise not a scratch & let him go. I hit the hills & corners not long after, the 16" wheels of the Scarabeo provided plenty of ground clearance & more importantly stability. We have had some pretty wild weather lately & the roads were showing some scars & debri. The suspension package worked a treat with the Scarabeo flowing from corner to corner. Next thing you know I'm on the tail of one CBR250RR which is now acting as a mobile chicane holding back the flow of the Scarabeo Scooter.

No problem when you've got a good braking package that features a 260mm front disc brake fitted with a three piston caliper & the rear a 220mm disc with twin opposing piston caliper. Didn't take long for the little Scarabeo to nip up the inside under brakes & we never saw the little Honda again. Wonder if he told his mates when he got home...

About 60kms into the ride the rain came down which was fine as I was dressed for the occassion & the screen keep a fair bit of the elements off while still providing some "wind feel" if you know what I mean, the best part about it was ascending into the clouds which is magical experience.  It was also an opportune time to see how the little Scarabeo went in the wet. Top shelf Chenshin tyres are fitted standard, only having experienced the budget end of the range I approached the tight wet corners with a bit of caution. After a few minutes I had a fair bit of confidence with the tyre and found myself having a bucketload of fun playing supermotard rider in really tight stuff with the Beo moving around in a controllable manner.

After a bit of a play I sat back and cruised just enjoying the scenery, the road & the scooter. You could smell everything, the rain, grass, trees, flowers, fresh air, the whole lot, I could have kept going all day. Unfortunately the reality of having to pick up the kids from School in an hour & a half kicked in so I needed to get back home jumping on a wet Motorway at Burleigh for a quick 20 km blast. Without any drama she sat on 100km/h & could have easily sat on 120 if it were legal, the top speed I think would be somewhere between 135 & 145km/h.

So a wonderful day in the mountains was had getting better acquainted with the Scarabeo 200, I'm a little surprised at how much I like it. It is small, relatively light, very easy to ride, stable & performs like a 250 & would make a perfect first ride, on top of this it is very capable & will make a great scooter for experienced riders. I've really taken a shine to my Scarabeo 200 that while this was the first mountain ride I've already done two late night rides after work & I haven't had it a week yet. 

Must be something subconscious about throwing a leg over a stunning Italian  

The past 12 months has been a great for the scooter rider. We have had a plethora of new models from most major manufacturers. What was a market leader 2 years ago is now obsolete, we've discontinued more models this year than any other.

This year I've been running the Derbi GP1 250 most of the time, the reasons obvious. It stops & handles like no other scooter plus has great storage, I've also run the Daelim S1 125 & S-five 50 which have proved themselves as the best commuters in their class, the Mojito 50 as it's the coolest retro out there & an absolute joy to ride. We've had others but these really stand out as the scoots I ride the most.

When you commute everyday on a scooter your choice of ride can often have an effect on your state of mind just like your choice of music. Riding the GP1 for me is like listening to pumping techno music, motivates you & can have you punting around town. At the other end of the scale the Mojio is like listening to Bob Marley..a relaxed nothing can bother you ride....just cruising...jah

I was after something different not a sports or a retro cruiser. It had to be versatile & able to adapt to my many, many moods. It also had to be able to cope with the playlist on the MP3 player. No point in playing pumping techno on a Mojito or reggae on a GP1 it's like a beer milkshake, just wrong.

The new ride must be able to fullfill certain tasks such as able to sit on 110km/h on the M1 for those late night return trips from Brisbane SC dinners, be able to punt through the hills on the weekends, commute around town, offer a bit of protection from the rain, a trip meter plus clock, a comfortable seat, light & manouvreable to squeeze through the stationary cagers & I want a little bit of style with it so my 8y/o son will be seen on it (I'm not going to run around on a scoot that's naff either). It has to  represent excellent value for money too.

Recently had the first ride on the chosen scooter, it was so impressive that I had to have one. Not many scooters invoke an emotional urge like that & if they do it usually dissapears once you read the technical specifications or price. Not in this case with disc brakes all round, twin shock rear suspension, a liquid cooled 4 valve engine enveloped in a sweet chassis & wrapped in one of the most aesthetically pleasing styling packages out there. It is also a new model.

It should be here Friday when I'll post a photo...Until then anyone care to take a guess?

November is the month of mens health awareness issues. So how on earth do we tie in a mens health issue awareness with scooters? Very loosely - we just applied a bit of lateral thought & came up with our bit for mens health while subliminally advertising scooters.

We came across a news article reporting researchers have discovered that staring at womens breasts for 10 minutes is effective as an hour & a half at the gym. A German study of 200 men by Dr Karen Weatherby uncovered this practice lowered blood pressure, reduced the rate of heart disease & lowered the pulse rate (when not looking of course).

Now gentlemen, it's time for your daily workout... 

The Dollar is down and there are some amazing specials currently being offered by a most of the Major brands. At the moment it is a scooter buyers paradise with existing stock purchased on the back of a strong Aussie dollar and the end of winter sees a spring clean of stock, hence the current sales. Expect change when new stock purchased on a weak Aussie dollar hits.

Consider this entry a heads up on some impending price rises. So if you are wanting to get on a scooter or upgrade a scooter right now is the best time.

Six days ago one shiny new Aprilia Scarabeo 500ie arrived at the shop, less than a week later it has been from the Gold Coast in Queensland down the East Coast of Australia to Phillip Island in Victoria & back, a total trip of exactly 4,647km. Not bad for a Scooter.

D'Arcy our resident baby boomer normally does this trip on large touring motorcycles & the objective was to see how the Scarabeo 500ie stacks up against the motorcycle tourers used in the past and if such a scooter is really capable of heavy duty touring.

First off we need to put the trip into perspective. The Beo is a single cylinder 500cc fuel injected scooter that currently retails for $8,990+ on road cost. The usual tourers are usually at least twice the engine capacity, twice the weight and sell for more than three times the Beo's modest retail.

For HQ people the marketing material is little more than something to rest a drink on. We don't believe the marketing guru's and have a tendency to try things for ourselves. So we prepared the flagship Scarabeo 500 & sent D'Arcy on a magical mystery tour.

With a trip like this one could do the journey & write whatever you felt like. In this instance the facts speak for themselves. Baby boomers aren't as young as they think they are & simply can't do the big miles day after day if the vehicle isn't the real deal. 4,647kms in six days speaks volumes as does travelling from Melbourne to Kempsey (approx 1,300km) in cold 11 degree temperatures, uncomfortable rain & high gusting winds of up to 80km/h on the second last day of the adventure, the only thing stopping him from making the Gold Coast in one day was fog.

We had a chat about the Scarabeo & what he really thought, the only thing he missed was cruise control, a 12V charger & radio. After a bit of a chuckle we informed him it does have a 12V charger, you just have to bend down a bit lower to see it. Since the invention of MP3 & bluetooth bike stereo's are redundant & with the $20,000 saved on the nromal cruiser we could easily do an aftermarket cruise control & have change for a Ulysses Club membership.

I asked the question outright. How does the Big Beo compare to the proven touring motorcycles used before, can the beo hold its head above water in such company? The answer is a resounding YES!. The cruising speed is something we can't tell you as is the top speed, but we are impressed as were the numerous bike riders who queried D'Arcy with questions like "what the @#$% is that thing". When they get passed by at speed by something that flashing by resembles a scooter & they are on a 30 grand bike you are going to take a look when you see it at the next fuelling point. I can't imagine many would be telling their mates about that one...

The last & most important question was "Would you do it again?" the response "Absolutely"

We nicknamed the Aprilia Beowulf in honour of the myth, it turned out to be quite an apt name because there are quite a few motorcyclists out there having nightmares about scooters, fast scooters chasing them down & there is nothing they can do about it. Unless of course they buy one.

Enjoy Scooting