I’m sure you’ve seen one and you might have even repaired one, but you probably haven’t seen a modern Vespa built from the ground up.  While over visiting the site of our phriend in the Philippines, John Rana, I saw some nice videos including this clip from Season 6, Episode 13 of How It’s Made, the “it” here being a Vespa GTS.

Shout out to the WhoRidesAVespa? blog for the scoop and a happy belated birthday to John who just turned 37.  You should check out some really nice looking video of him and his scooter here.  You can tell it was done by people who know more about their cameras than “Autofocus”.  Artfully done!

Bikes of Burden is a photo essay of the myriad of two wheeled vehicles that cover Vietnam and carry just about everything needed to keep an economy going – animals, construction supplies, entire families, you name it.

Motorcycles and scooters are popular in Vietnam because they are far cheaper to buy and operate than cars and trucks. Cars are not only expensive, there is a 200% tax on imports.

As a result the scooters and motorcycles have been pressed into duty taking care of the jobs normally handled by cars and light trucks.

The book looks to be filled with truly OMG moments sure to make you laugh and stare in amazement. For a sneak preview you can run over to the Motorcyclist website where they have a short article and a few sample photos.

Bikes of Burden – I encourage you to check it out.

A good friend, neighbor and professor of percussion, John T., found this useful bit on wikihow.com (title link). Nearly 20 authors have gone through the trouble of revealing the magic behind traffic signals (I hope the traffic signal magician’s guild doesn’t come after them!)

If you’ve ever been dissed by a traffic light because you’re rollin’ on two, this wiki will show you a variety of methods for tripping the lights fantastic. There are suggestions for triggering three different inductive-loop detectors and other methods that range from using magnets to simply pressing the crosswalk button. It’s a worthy read to be sure!

Even with a blackbelt in Google-fu, neither I nor Illnoise from 2StrokeBuzz could locate the elusive wiring diagram (thanks for the help by the way Bryan).

Luckily Scuderia West has some kickass mechanics with this sort of knowledge buried in their archives. The above image SHOULD be the correct ignition wiring schematic for the Italjet Velocifero. No guarantee is written nor implied. If you blow up your bike… sorry.

If you find an error in the diagram, please let us know. We just want to help people get the right information so they can get back on the road. Thanks.

***Update 4/4/08***
Looks like this post should have made the April 1st deadline. All excitement about said “fuel economy” is quickly squelched by Mythbusters and an ASE Master Tech. Thanks for the feedback. Though… If it were 100% untrue, then lots of time must have been wasted attempting to prove the contrary. That still doesn’t stop it from being banned by the government as a fuel additive in Vietnam.

So, as long as we’re on the topic… what else do you suggest one bring to boost their road readiness before a long haul? I’m trying to figure out the ultimate roadside readiness kit. It would ultimately fit in your scooter’s built in storage (glove box, underseat, etc).

I haven’t had a chance to flip through the book just yet, but when my autographed edition arrives I’ll be sure to tell ya what I think. It’s likely to be a good resource for the scooter curious.. Here’s what the back says:

With oil prices soaring and people looking for alternative means of commuter (and cruising) travel, motor scooters have exploded across the country as a viable means of transportation. Here’s the book for both scooter newbies and accustomed riders that includes a complete listing of scooters available by size and power, advice on evaluating and buying scooters, maintenance and customizing, and more.

—Complete list of all manufacturers, road rules, and government regulations
—Written by the founder and senior writer of the premier industry magazine ScooterWorld Magazine

So, there you have it. I’ve always wanted to make an even SIMPLER version with nothing but black and white icons in it and call it “The Guide to Scooters for Complete Fargin’ Dumbarses!” I’m just not sure how well received it would be by the publishers. Any offers? Publishers?