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Scooters

James

James

Carbon Porn Star
Sep 11, 2001
3,559
0
Danbury, CT
I'm posting this here because the Lounge is inhabited by cretins and 15 year old Guidos.

Anyway, I'm in Taipei this week, and I am COMPLETELY blown away by the sheer number of people on scooters. They outnumber cars at least 20 to 1 from what I've seen, it's the most insane thing I've ever seen.

Part of me really, really wants to go rent one, and spend a day just ripping around the city, threading gaps, etc, but I know that I'd either
1. Get flattened by a bus/taxi
2. Get hopelessly lost, and have to live here for the rest of my life

People just drive pretty much however they want, 1ft gap? Fill it with 25 people on grotty-ass scooters! Lanes? Meh, they're more suggestions, just drive how you want, especially if you are a cab driver. And no one gets mad and honks or yells, it's just how it's done, I love it.

I'll try to get some pics uploaded later this week or when I'm back next week.
Hope everyone is having a good time...

James
 
Tame Ape

Tame Ape

BUY HOPE!!!!!!!
Mar 4, 2003
2,284
1
NYC
Thats how they do over there! My brother lived there and picked up riding scooters the same way I use a bike to get around NYC. Now he's back in the States (@ UCLA) and has a 600cc scooter that he is all sorts of proud of (massive fail, I mean really!)

They love their face masks too! So much crap in the air.
 
James

James

Carbon Porn Star
Sep 11, 2001
3,559
0
Danbury, CT
I can see the appeal of the Aprilia scooters, they're pretty cool. And I saw a superbadass commercial for some brand with some dudes sliding them around like supermotos, which looked sweet.

Food is great so far, Taiwan Beer rules, and I am still exhausted. 14 hour direct flight from LAX. I fly through Tokyo on the way back, which adds a bunch of hours, that's going to suck.

The city is pretty damn cool though. I'm a bit sick of all this weird bike crap already though, and I have 2 days to go after this... :)
 
M

Mike B.

Turbo Monkey
Oct 5, 2001
1,522
0
State College, PA
Your first time eh? I'm glad I didn't have to take the 2 connection, 20+ hour flight from New York this year. I think of the scooters there like schools of fish, very fluid movement and they gang up to appear larger just as fish do with predators, etc.

If you haven't gone yet, make sure to eat at Din Tai Fung for the best dumplings ever. I think there are two locations in Taipei. They serve Taiwan Beer too so no worries.
 
James

James

Carbon Porn Star
Sep 11, 2001
3,559
0
Danbury, CT
Mike B. said:
Your first time eh? I'm glad I didn't have to take the 2 connection, 20+ hour flight from New York this year. I think of the scooters there like schools of fish, very fluid movement and they gang up to appear larger just as fish do with predators, etc.

If you haven't gone yet, make sure to eat at Din Tai Fung for the best dumplings ever. I think there are two locations in Taipei. They serve Taiwan Beer too so no worries.
Click to expand...
Name me one place that *doesn't* serve Taiwan Beer! :)
 
Secret Squirrel

Secret Squirrel

There is no Justice!
Dec 21, 2004
8,150
1
Up sh*t creek, without a paddle
James said:
I'm posting this here because the Lounge is inhabited by cretins and 15 year old Guidos.

Anyway, I'm in Taipei this week, and I am COMPLETELY blown away by the sheer number of people on scooters. They outnumber cars at least 20 to 1 from what I've seen, it's the most insane thing I've ever seen.

Part of me really, really wants to go rent one, and spend a day just ripping around the city, threading gaps, etc, but I know that I'd either
1. Get flattened by a bus/taxi
2. Get hopelessly lost, and have to live here for the rest of my life

People just drive pretty much however they want, 1ft gap? Fill it with 25 people on grotty-ass scooters! Lanes? Meh, they're more suggestions, just drive how you want, especially if you are a cab driver. And no one gets mad and honks or yells, it's just how it's done, I love it.

I'll try to get some pics uploaded later this week or when I'm back next week.
Hope everyone is having a good time...

James
Click to expand...
I was in the backseat of a Toyota Tercel (w/ wife) and the cab driver was doing probably 45mph (covert that to kilos yourselves, ya pansies) through downtown Bangkok. All of a sudden he engages the e-brake (handle version) and power slides a right turn. Then the street goes sharply uphill. He doesn't slow down. We hit this "bridge" (probably spans a 15' causeway) at around 40...cleared probably 30' of road all James Bond style then *BAM!!!!* landed...I'm willing to bet money they have aftermarket off-road skid plates put on those taxis....


Have fun...and be safe!
 
SuspectDevice

SuspectDevice

Turbo Monkey
Aug 23, 2002
4,198
420
Roanoke, VA
We are all about Derny's here in Easthampton.


For our 13 member team, we need about 4 for optimal motorpacing and distribution throughout the northeast.

The 80CC motors cost about $200, and we can build the frames in about 5 hours after we get them figured out. Mig welded .065 with disc mounts. Easy.

Now i just need to gain some more weight to drive it properly
 
skatetokil

skatetokil

Turbo Monkey
Jan 2, 2005
2,383
-1
DC/Bluemont VA
Honestly, I just want a simple 50cc scooter with roughly the same geometry as my stp a decent 4 inch fork, hookworms and hydro discs for around a grand. Is that really so hard to build?
 
Toshi

Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
39,371
8,466
skatetokil said:
Honestly, I just want a simple 50cc scooter with roughly the same geometry as my stp a decent 4 inch fork, hookworms and hydro discs for around a grand. Is that really so hard to build?
Click to expand...
SuspectDevice said:
At that price, yeah.
Click to expand...
actually, any number of chinese factories will gladly sell you a POS for $1000. check your local sporting goods store.

:twitch:

the problem is you get what you pay for: in engineering, in materials quality, and in after-sale support.
 
Toshi

Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
39,371
8,466
maddog17 said:
who makes that?? it's pretty cool looking for a scooter
Click to expand...
it's a Piaggio MP3. www.piaggiousa.com <-- piaggio is the parent company of vespa.

in the US you can buy 250cc, 400cc, and 500cc variants. in other parts of the world you can also get a 125cc. the pictured one is a 125cc gasoline electric plug-in hybrid model that's rumored to be coming next year.
 
James

James

Carbon Porn Star
Sep 11, 2001
3,559
0
Danbury, CT
Toshi said:
it's a Piaggio MP3. www.piaggiousa.com <-- piaggio is the parent company of vespa.

in the US you can buy 250cc, 400cc, and 500cc variants. in other parts of the world you can also get a 125cc. the pictured one is a 125cc gasoline electric plug-in hybrid model that's rumored to be coming next year.
Click to expand...
They used those as support vehicles during that super-steep uphill TT in last year's Giro. Mechanics all sitting on the back, holding a set of wheels in their hands, pretty funny stuff. I think the one behind Contador broke down, and the Astana mechanic jumped off and ran!
 
skatetokil

skatetokil

Turbo Monkey
Jan 2, 2005
2,383
-1
DC/Bluemont VA
Toshi said:
actually, any number of chinese factories will gladly sell you a POS for $1000. check your local sporting goods store.

:twitch:

the problem is you get what you pay for: in engineering, in materials quality, and in after-sale support.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I hear you. With that said, it actually seems like the parts you'd need for the scooter would actually be about the same as the parts you'd need to build a mtb. You basically ditch a couple hundred in drivetrain components and replace it with a couple hundred dollar engine. At that point, it's not much different from a steel hardtail frame.

What I want and what I simply haven't seen on the market is something that is nimble and maneuverable, set up like a mtb and not some ghey vespa roller skate with a motor.
 
James

James

Carbon Porn Star
Sep 11, 2001
3,559
0
Danbury, CT
skatetokil said:
What I want and what I simply haven't seen on the market is something that is nimble and maneuverable, set up like a mtb and not some ghey vespa roller skate with a motor.
Click to expand...
There was this company making the most badass thing ever, at least it came out in some promo videos, but never production. Almost like a mini-mini-MX bike/BMX bike combo. People just mobbing this thing around a city, god I wish I could find the link now. Pretty much the coolest city vehicle ever.
I'll do some digging tonight...
 
Toshi

Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
39,371
8,466
James said:
There was this company making the most badass thing ever, at least it came out in some promo videos, but never production. Almost like a mini-mini-MX bike/BMX bike combo. People just mobbing this thing around a city, god I wish I could find the link now. Pretty much the coolest city vehicle ever.
I'll do some digging tonight...
Click to expand...
yamaha tricker pro?

 
DirtyMike

DirtyMike

Turbo Fluffer
Aug 8, 2005
14,437
1,017
My own world inside my head
Scooters are like fat girls, there fun as hell to ride, just ont let your friends find out.




All joking aside, I think scooters are great, cheap, easy to maintain, easy to control. Personally though, I will stick with my 750 plus cc bieks with at least five gears, good ole regular clutch too!!!


On that note, I do have an 02 49cc Zuma for sale for $700
 
skatetokil

skatetokil

Turbo Monkey
Jan 2, 2005
2,383
-1
DC/Bluemont VA
Dude, that's incredibly sick. I'd love to have one of those, but unless yamaha starts importing them, I might just have to diy. Anybody know what the thinnest chromo tubing you can safely mig weld is?
 
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