The number of motorists considering buying a scooter is constantly on the rise the past few years. With the steady rise of fuel prices, more and more are making a big switch from cage (that’s typical riders’ parlance which refers to cars) to freedom. Give or take, I just spend P200 for a full tank that could last me a week; and traffic had since been a breeze and parking has never been a problem since I got my Vespa. Scooters may be the two-wheel, entry-level of choice to some car owners since they just practically have to sit on it instead of having to straddle to ride. Even women on skirts can ride!
Even the media has noticed this phenomenon. The recent Sunday Inquirer article is a testament to that. The situation is the same even in the U.S. Take a look at this news feature about the ‘Scooter Boom’ in New York. But I’ll be honest that all these blah-blah is just a segue for another, more interesting video. So do stick around to check out that one out as well. Here’s the first feature from ABC’s Eyewitness News.
This next video is another TV news feature on scooters. The difference is this newsclip is more a ‘must-see’ than being informative. It says in YouTube that the correspondent is Tracy Butler, a weather reporter test riding a shiny red Vespa ET4 in Chicago. I see that the feature intended to deliver the message that scootering is easy for anyone, but it actually conveyed exactly the opposite. I do feel sorry for the reporter but really, it’s clearly her fault. SHE DIDN”T EVEN STRAP HER HELMET ON! Good thing no one was hurt, though she almost hit an old guy. Watch this a see for yourself!Read the rest of this entry ?
Josh, my seven year old nephew handed me this doodle over the holidays last year. When I saw it, I knew it was my Vespa alright because of the rear rack and the flag. I was actually quite impressed with his attention to details being observant enough to notice and include the foot break. Others could’ve totally missed it. When I told him that he should sign his artwork for me, he went to one corner and drew his name out of smoke for the pipe. Now that’s very imaginative!
Like his sister, Josh is used to giving drawings on special occasions; but I have to admit, this was the first time that I was truly pleased. In fact, the drawing has been in my wallet since.
When I was new in riding a Vespa, I got to chat with the other riders hanging out in 2211Works to get some tips. That was when I heard the ‘odd’ habit that these Vespa riders do whenever they see another Vespa on the road. They said they honk their horn to acknowledge the other rider. Some even flash the ‘V’ sign. It was strange hearing this since I’ve been riding a big bike (a Yamaha) back in college and I never experienced something even remotely close to that.
The first time I experienced that phenomenon (if I may call it that) was on the way up to Antipolo with my daughter. A motorcycle behind me kept honking his horn since I thought he wanted to pass. What puzzled me is that the road was big enough for him to pass so I kinda got annoyed that he kept beeping. I kept my pace but moved a little to the right so he can finally pass. When he did, they (he had a backride) smiled back at me and I finally understood what’s with all the honking: we’re bonded by our scoots.
I had the same encounter while riding along Rockwell, Ortigas, T. Morato or even in Diliman but those times, I knew better. I even honk my horn whenever I come across a Yellow Cab pizza delivery and they always nod and honk back. It appears that it’s a ‘rule’ that every Vespa riders know. One time, I even had a small talk with the delivery guy while riding within Read the rest of this entry ?
Summer is officially here and a lot of people have been trooping to the beach, especially in Boracay. During my visit last year, I wanted to see the Vespa scoots which have been sighted by other riders there. In fact, that’s part the reason why I considered riding on the back roads of Boracay in the hopes that I’ll get a chance encounter to see these Bora Vespas in the ‘flesh’ and take a snapshot or two and eventually blog about them. But I didn’t get the chance to see even one.
Despite that setback, my Bora ride has still been a very exhilarating experience! An off-beach thing that I’d recommend to other riders visiting the island. Below is a short clip from that ride which I’m sharing here for the first time.
To go back to the topic: It is said that there are at least two Wasps in the island based on some sightings. I don’t know if there are others in existence but the two scoots that has been described before have already been spotted and captured on cam by two other Vespa bloggers. Check them out! Read the rest of this entry ?
Eric Caruncho, an Inquirer music writer and also a Vespa rider, wrote about the Pinoy-style scooter-culture taking over our streets in this article which appeared in today’s sundayINQUIRERmagazine (pages 4-5). The feature includes an interview with Nani Juarez (aka Dr. Scoot) and a couple of low-res pictures of Vespas line-up in Mall of Asia taken during the Vespa Attack II held last December.
Here’s are excerpts from the article which specifically touched on the Vespa:
In 1997, a local distributor (that would be Veloci ~J.R.) reintroduced the venerable Vespa PX150 , a nearly 30-year-old design, to encouraging sales. “The real boom came when gas prices rose in 2000,” he says. “Scooters became an alternative mode of transport, Honda built a factory, and everyone got into the picture.”
“You know the Pinoy, his scooter has to look good,” says Juarez. “Maborloloy (decked out). Not to flaunt it, but the scooter has to look trendy. People will spend more on [customizing] the motorcycle than they spent for the motorcycle itself.” Read the rest of this entry ?
The shooting was held last Sunday (March 11) along Macapagal Ave. There were about 20+ scoots which joined the shoot. The video was directed by Jon “Sponky” Villarin who is a Vespa enthusiast himself. In fact, his was the most retro-looking Vespa that I’ve seen complete with plaid solo seats and a blow horn! Here’s a pic of direk at work that day.
‘Pasalubong’ is one Filipino term which doesn’t have a direct English translation. It could be a gift but not quite. It is a noun and a verb. Something tangible yet also a gesture. The perfect way to describe it to foreigners is to cite an actual example. Think of a father coming home from the office with a bag of candies for his child. That bag of candies is not exactly a gift but more of “oh, I just thought you might like these” kinda thing. That’s exactly what a pasalubong is.
Since the goodie bag from him is the form of an email and the goodies inside were image attachments, you’d imagine I won’t exactly be jumping for joy. Well, I could’ve been but since I’m a blogger now, these images were highly appreciated since I can share it with other people.
“Another amazing thing is the sheer number of motorcycles in the road outnumbering cars. From simple Honda/Yamaha underbones to the classic Vespa. Mind you and nobody here is wearing a helmet. I believe it is only required if they are on the freeway (going to the airport). It is truly maddening if you watch them crisscross and weave their way in the streets.”
Last February 22, I got invited to the grand opening of Gallery 7 Studio — a new art gallery situated in Oasis Manila along Aurora Blvd. in San Juan. The owners (Enrico & Bing Gaw) are actually my colleagues in the wedding industry. When Rico text me, he requested that I bring my Vespa to the event. Of course I obliged. A rider will always grab any chance to ride no matter what the occasion.
When I got to the place that night, I saw two familiar Vespa PXs. One was parked outside (beside which I parked mine) and the other one was conspicuously ‘parked’ inside the gallery. Sounds weird? Well, here’s proof:
notice the 3-piece, Andy Warhol-inspired Vespa artwork at the background
The gallery owner is actually a brother of a fellow Vespa rider — Charlie Gaw aka Vestsinoy. That’s actually his scoot, Baccarat. Since Charlie is an Interior Designer by profession, he was a natural choice to design and decorate the interiors of his brother’s gallery, and boy, what a job he did! Check out the place! Read the rest of this entry ?
I have been fascinated with the spinners that I see on SUVs when they stop. But like the teddy bear mags and hologram tints of yesteryears, they are amusing to see on other car but never did I consider having them on mine. For those who aren’t familiar what spinners are, here’s a hip-hop music video of “Ridin’ Spinners.”
Nice, right? But I really can’t see myself riding in a car with those. It’s just not me. I still feel the same until now… but only as far as our car is concerned. When I found out that there are spinners available for Vespas, I suddenly gave in to the dark side. Here’s my saga how I got my Vespa spinner. Read the rest of this entry ?
Early last month, I posted here my entry for the Art Vespa 2006 design contest by Vespa South Africa. I called it “The Original Levi’s Scoot” the design details of which you could see here.
Since then I have been asked by a few people if I already know who had won or if I had seen the other submitted designs. To answer the first question, here are the Top 3 winning designs:
The design of the first placer (dubbed as the Chicken Runner) is actually very simple yet quite imaginative. It has been reported that international Piaggio designer, Francesco Maffe had a tough time choosing the winners. Do you want to see the rest of the entries? Then, check this out! Read the rest of this entry ?
When I was new in riding a Vespa, I got to chat with the other riders hanging out in 
Manila’s Mod band — 
