Remember the gorgeous sidecar for the classic Vespa I posted a while ago?
Just last Tuesday, Gruppo Piaggio unveiled a prototype of a new sidecar design specially made for the modern Vespa line — particularly the GTV and GT models.
(front view)
If you like that, wait ’til you see how the rear looks like! Click on! Read the rest of this entry ?
(photo courtesy of Calvin Tang) Here in Philippines, when one talks about a motorcycle mounted with a sidecar, the image of the good ol’ tricycle would immediately pop to any Filipino’s mind. The three-wheeler is essentially a mini-version of the more popular jeepney. It’s a workhorse that carries cargo and passengers which can easily fit narrow streets and alleyways unlike the other bigger public transports (more info about Philippine tricycles here).
Yesterday, Eugene, a ride buddy and founder of Scoot66 (a riding club composed of Vespistis mostly based in southern Manila) posted in vespaclubph forum a couple a pictures of another “trike” not usually seen in the streets of Manila. It’s an immaculate white Vespa PX with a bullet-shaped, Cozy sidecar attached to it. My fascination with single seater, open and roofless sidecars may have been nurtured at a very young age while watching Star Rangers daily in the late 70s. But seeing the picture of those five superheroes now, I realize that their chosen mode of transport looks no different from the mobile patrol of the Barangay tanod (neighborhood peacekeepers) in our area. hahaha!
Here’s the front view of this drool-worthy Vespa sidecar:
So could this thing fit a grown man for a side passenger? Check out the sideview photo and see the legroom. Read the rest of this entry ?
The past weeks have been really busy with work and rides. Mountain biking took a back seat and so was blogging here. I can’t say that I’m really back to blogging here since there are more things that I need to do. 
In the mean time, let me share this Vespa I’ve spotted recently in the blogosphere. This is for wordpress bloggers hosting their own blogs especially for those who want a little Vespa-flavah in their blog layout.
Presenting… the Vespa moto theme for WP!
This 3-column template was designed by mikozv and it’s so fresh that only five downloads have been logged as of this writing. Thinking of starting your own Vespa blog? This could well be the perfect template/blog layout to start with.
• you may view a sample page of this particular Vespa blog layout here
• If you like what you see, you may download the Vespa moto template here
Vespa blog now. 
-o-
{▫}
J0HNRANA
john[dot]rana[at]gmail[dot]com
That’s my 3-year old nephew, Enzo, riding the all-metal, vintage toy Vespa I recently acquired. I got it from an antique dealer at the Suan Lum Night Bazaar in Bangkok which is like our Tiendesitas here in Manila. It didn’t come cheap but I figured I’d rather have this one than look for an actual vintage Vespa to restore. hehehe I had to carry it riding a tuktuk back to our hotel, looked for a box big enough around the Divisoria-ish Pratunam Market the next day, and paid overweight charges at the airport. All that hassle just to get this baby in Manila (thanks again to spank_me for the “meet & greet” at NAIA 
). But mind you, it’s not even like I’m the only one who has it here.
Meet Charlie (aka Vestsinoy). He’s got one exactly like mine and only paid a freakin’ P300 for it. What the…?!! That’s not #@%* fair! 
hahaha! Here’s his story:
“If luck is on your side you’ll stumble on things and it will find you. Well luck was on my side that day, while strolling around downtown Manila I happen to be at the right place at the right time. I saw a kid sitting on a small old metal Vespa. WOW! A faithful detail replica made of metal. “This is soo mine!” (with greed ng konti hehe). I ask for her mom and offer to buy it, she instantly agreed. “How much?” i asked. Clueless mom…“Ikaw?” 300 pesos… Done! It’s like owning the best toy in your block, when I was a kid. Now it adorn my bookshelves.”
Galing mambarat! hahaha! Here’s a pic of that 300 peso-deal displayed in his shelf… Read the rest of this entry ?
Here’s a great apparel that any rider should have, especially those who ride at night. Reflectorized vest are available in hardware stores in malls (i.e. Ace Hardware, Handyman, True Value, and The DIY Shop) and they’re not expensive at all. This may just proved as your most practical riding gear. While helmet provides protection for serious head injury, a reflective vests helps prevent the accident altogether by making the rider more visible to other motorists on the road especially at night time.
I already have one but I like this custom-made reflectorized vest posted in Vespinoy better since it has the Vespa logo so I’m ordering one. 
(photo courtesy of randypogi)
Read the product description here. Read the rest of this entry ?
I almost missed this if not for Minggoy’s post in the Vespinoy forum. Turns out that yesterday’s ish of the Sunday Inquirer Magazine is all about motorcycles and the people who rides them.
Right on the cover is bossa nova singer, Sitti, wearing short shorts and boots while riding a Vespa! 
Vespa Nova, the cover story, was written by Eric Caruncho who’s himself a Vespa rider. Here’s an excerpt:
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Locally, the cult of the Vespa has experienced a growth spurt in recent years, fueled by the entry of the modern Vespas and the continued fetishization of the vintage ones. Local aficionados bond together through organized group rides, the annual Vespa Attack scooter rally, and through internet forums such as Vespinoy.com and Euroscoot.net. Last year, the Vespa Club of the Philippines was organized. It recently launched its own internet forum as well.
Vespa enthusiasts form a subset of the emerging Pinoy scooter culture. Spiralling fuel costs and worsening traffic congestion, together with the introduction of inexpensive “underbone” scooters available on installment have seen two-wheeled vehicle sales go through the roof (together with a corresponding increase in road accidents). Granted, Vespa aficionados tend to be older, better educated and financially better off than the typical underbone enthusiast (the modern Vespas costing many times more than the average Japanese or Chinese scoot). But for both, their rides signify the same things as the first Vespas did for their owners: a means of freedom, mobility, and self-expression.(read full article here)
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If you missed reading a copy, here’s a list of the other motorcycle-related articles in yesterday’s edition of SIM: Read the rest of this entry ?
With managing WeddingsAtWork.com, part of my daily routine is to keep tabs of wedding-related blogs to know the goings on among key players in the industry. The images I’m sharing here were those I’ve seen while blog hopping in sites of wedding photographers. Of course, I asked their permission first before reposting their works in here.
The first pic is by Mimi+Karl who’ve just been named as the 2007 W@W Supplier of the Year in the awarding held last Friday.
Capturing images of the wedding rings need not be a cliché by letting it lie on the boring and expected bearer’s pillow. The more imaginative the photographers get, the better the pictures!
According to M+K, the topper for the wedding cake was a Vespa to represent the groom and a Beetle for the bride. Mia rode in her Beetle to the church, although Jay had to pass up riding his Vespa because of the rain that day. See more pics from taken from Jay & Mia’s wedding.
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The other photo is from a by MangoRed. These guys were named as the 2007 Rookie of the Year by the WPPP (Wedding & Portrait Photographers of the Philippines) . Randall — the guy who had been a very gracious hope in our recent CamSur trip — took this shot in the Trailer Park in CamSur Water Complex using his own Vespa as a prop. Check it out. Read the rest of this entry ?
Here’s another series of movie screencaps with Vespas in it. This is actually the long-overdue, second installment of the Guess the Movie (Easy Round) I posted last April. I think this will be just as easy since all the movies where the scenes below were taken are mainstream and quite known.
Let’s start:
1. ___________________________
2. ___________________________
3. ___________________________
4. ___________________________
5. ___________________________
How are you doing so far? There are five more items in this quiz. Read the rest of this entry ?
Since my side of the family is not exactly small, the whole brood gathers at least once a month to celebrate someone’s birthday. It’s usually held on a Saturday, and for the past three or four birthday dinners we’ve had, we never failed to get a glimpse of a show called “Celebrity Duets” on GMA. Hmmm… if catching the show happened on several occasions already, it couldn’t be dismissed as a mere coincidence anymore. Someone in the family is obviously following every episode religiously; but I’m not one to reveal who it is. 
Anyway, there was a segment last Saturday where Tessa Prieto-Valdez (she’s one of the contenders) had a duet with the legendary Mike Hanopol singing, what else, but the anthem of all jeproks (Tagalog street slang for ‘tough’) called “Laki sa Layaw.” As a prop to this live performance, Tessa posed beside a white Vespa ET right up there on the stage at the start of the song. What’s the connection, right? I guess it’s jeproks to have a Vespa… hahaha
I went to youtube to see if I could grab a broadcast recording of the show but only found this home video of the said performance taken by a studio audience. It was uploaded by a certain hkpirate/DV which I could only assume as Dennis Valdez, Tessa’s better half (Note: If you’re following the show, you may be interested to read his blog and read about rumors about what the other contestants are doing to get text votes).
Watch their performance:
The vocals weren’t clearly audible because of the quality but the band sounded great… and Mike Hanopol still rocks!
During the break, I saw this commercial — with pretty newcomer Maja Salvador — where I spotted another Vespa. The ad is for a product called Lewis & Pearl cologne and I think the ad was shot in Downtown Manila. If you haven’t seen it, take a look at it here. Read the rest of this entry ?
This is the station ID which BBC America came up with when they introduced their new logo and tagline early this year. It’s very different from the three little branding blocks that audiences worldwide has gotten used to. But I would say that the new logo is “younger,” witty, less serious, and very Brit (very MOD in particular). The spot involves motorcycles and has a twist on this familiar American culture. It has a subtle “British invasion” theme to it. Check out this 10-seconder they aired to launch their new identity…
When I fist saw the ad above mentioned in 2StrokeBuzz, I went straight to YouTube to look for other interesting ad the company has made in the past.
There is this one-minute TV ad for BBC Radio which involved a powerhouse cast featuring great music legends together with this generation’s music sensations. It’s sort of an Alternate Reality. This ad won several awards including the Gold in Best TV Ad category in the 2007 Creative Circle Awards and recognition for its direction, editing and computer graphics/special effects.
The ad weaved a dream Elvis Presley concert scenario with an amazing band lineup: Marvin Gaye (2nd lead vocals), Stevie Wonder (piano), Jimmy Page (lead guitar), Kheith Moon (drums), Sheryl Crow (bass), Noel Gallagher of Oasis (rhythm guitar), and Sugababes (back-up vocals). The video look so authentic, it looks like it’s an actual clip from an old concert video. Check it out: Read the rest of this entry ?
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