2013 Euro Vespa LX to debut in June

Vespa LX 125 (Piaggio photo)

Word comes of the introduction of a revised Vespa LX 125/150 in Europe in early June. According to a story on French Web site Scooter-infos.com (In the original French, cliquez ici; in English, click here.), Piaggio will unveil the new scooter, which features a catalyzed and fuel-injected version of their new 3-valve engine, at a media event in Rome.

This engine debuted in the Vespa 946 concept shown at EICMA in 2011; its first application in a production scooter was the newly-introduced Indian-market Vespa LX. Piaggio touts significant reductions in fuel consumption, emissions and noise.

This engine is also expected to appear in Piaggio’s Fly 125/150, and other Piaggio Group scooters.

Now in leather

Corazzo’s 5.0 jacket is now available in leather (Corazzo photo)

I really love my Corazzo 5.0 jacket. Not least because after all these years and exposure to all kinds of unpleasant weather, there’s not so much as a loose thread.

Reader’s Ride: Honda C70 Passport

‘Sir, please park your moped next to the bike rack.’ (Orin O’Neill photos)

Dan Gould of Bellingham, Wash. has several scooters (and a really nice garage to keep them in). This is the latest addition to his fleet, which you can see in detail after the jump.

You will be able to buy one of these in 2014

Electric smart escooter eschews capital letters (Daimler photos)

Daimler, parent company of the smart brand, has announced that a production version of the smart escooter will go on sale in 2014.

May Day, May Day

A truckload of scooters. Color-coordinated, no less! (Jackie Fitzpatrick photos)

May Day was last weekend. And while there could well have been a celebration of International Worker’s Day in Eugene, Oregon, the focus here is on scooter events like Top Dead Center SC’s May Day Scoot. I wasn’t there, but Jackie, Randy and Cathy were; Jackie took some pix, which you’ll see following the jump.

‘Hamsters ’til we die

First-year team Bellingham United FC has passionate fans (Orin O’Neill photo)

Chances are, if you know someone who rides a scooter, they’re a soccer fan. It seems to go with the territory, just as scooter riders often make a living as artists or Web designers.

Not so local anymore

The KVOS building on Ellis Street is for sale (Orin O'Neill photos)

It shouldn’t have come as a surprise, but it was still sad to see the real-estate sign at the KVOS building. Media consolidation in the U.S. marches on.

Running the Cannonball

The 2012 Scooter Cannonball Run is in the books, and 37 of the 51 starters went the entire 2500-mile distance. As with the Seattle-to-Portland Bicycle Classic, just being part of it is an accomplishment. A time-lapse video was made on the leg between Abilene, Tex. and Roswell, N.M. by d2bednar. Follow the jump to watch.