Don’t Commute … Scoot!

I’ve been finding out a little more abut the new Symba, coming in April from SYM.

SYM used to manufacture the Cub 100 for Honda. Since that agreement ended a few years ago SYM has been making and selling it in Taiwan under the Wowow name. Symba is the same vehicle with slight mods for the American market.

Yes, it does have a four speed manual transmission with a motorcycle style foot shifter (one down, three up). The clutch, however, is automatic. There is a chain drive connecting the transmission to the rear wheel.

As mentioned earlier, available colors are red, black, and powder blue. Price is $2,598. I expect these to be hot sellers, so your best option is to book yours now. As an added incentive, any order received before March 1 will receive a discount of 10% of the deposit amount.

Call me at 585-643-5540 to reserve yours now!

Many thanks to Mike and Deb Schillaci for putting on another wonderful winter gathering for the Negative Image Scooter Club last night. The weather was cold enough that beer cans were sticking to lips, but the bonfire and friendship combined to keep things warm.

I admit I spent more time in the kitchen than out in the cold, but hey! That’s where the food was! Drew mulled some cider for us, and Melissa baked some brownies. I don’t know who made the meatballs – I was too busy eating them to ask!

Many thanks to Simon Pontin for taking some pictures (incriminating evidence!) You can see his photo gallery by clicking on the flames above.

I wonder what we’re going to do next month?

One of my favorite finds on the Internet is the BBC 2 show Top Gear. Shortly after Christmas they broadcast their Vietnam special in which they sent three of their reviewers, including 6′5″ Jeremy (who hates anything with only two wheels), on a ten day, 1,000 mile trek through Vietnam.

On scooters! (Mostly.)

Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson Scooting Across Vietnam

The show is about 75 minutes long, and was put up at two segments. Check it out!

[edit: The BBC has cracked down on unauthorized versions of this video. The official version is in these two links, but they've been edited down from their original content.]

The first part:

http://www.topgear.com/uk/videos/vietnam-pt-1

The remaining piece:

http://www.topgear.com/uk/videos/vietnam-pt-2

Vietnam: “You don’t know, man! You weren’t there!”

Finally! After six weeks of waiting I finally have some information on SYM’s version of the venerable Honda Cub.

As you can tell from the picture, the Symba is styled very much like the world’s best selling vehicle (ever!), the Honda Cub. Symba comes with a 101cc engine (probably four-stroke) and a manual motorcycle-style transmission. It has separate seats for the operator and passenger, and the passenger also gets her own set of fold-down foot pegs. It will cost $2,598, and the first units are expected to be shipped to dealers in early April.

The Honda Cub is the world’s workhorse, and the SYM Symba should continue in that tradition. SYM started out as an assembly arm for Honda, and they know how to build bulletproof bikes. This promises to be a go everywhere, do everything transportation machine. I expect its top speed to be in 50 – 55 mph range.

Symba is available in Blue, Black, or Red. I’m already taking pre-orders, and will deliver on a first come basis. Pre-orders will discount the price by 10% of your downpayment. Call me at 585-643-5540 to order yours now!

Simon Pontin, host of WXXI’s Sunshine Show, is one of the founding members of Rochester’s Negative Image Scooter Club, and has put together a Rogues Gallery of the active members (those who join us on the weekly rides). The mug shots will help you make up your mind about joining, but you should join anyway.

Rides are every Wednesday evening, snow (and cold) permitting. We generally start at the Open Face Sandwich Eatery on South Ave., but last summer we had several rides start here at Urban Village Scooters, and we’re talking about having some of the rides start at Country Rode Motorwerks, too.

We generally head out for ice cream somewhere, which is why hardly anyone rides when it’s cold and snowy. In the summer there are lots of riders, on many different types of scooters, and with many levels of riding experience.

So, if you can stand the company, please join us!

How aware of your surroundings when you drive? Are you really?

Here’s a video that’s been kicking around YouTube for a while. Prepared by a group in the UK, it reveals how aware you actually are.

Prepare to be disappointed in yourself!

Here’s a little test for you: Count the number of motorcycles, scooters, three-wheelers, and sidecars you can find in this video of the Motorcycle Season Opening 2008, Russia, St. Petersburg.

Think we’ll ever see a parade like this here in Rochester?

Well, at least some of them! Susan Siebert is one of Urban Village Scooter’s customers, and according to this article in today’s Democrat and Chronicle she’s come up with an awfully healthy way to greet the new year. Hey! At least it ends with a tailgate party!

Congratulations Susan!