Yet another 4-wheeled scooter concept

Nissan photo

The run-up to the Tokyo Auto Show sees more offbeat concepts like this one, the Nissan Land Glider.

Did you mean “unicycle?”

I’ve lost count of how many people get here by searching on “one-wheel scooter.” Wouldn’t you know, Honda has actually come up with one.

Another 4-wheeled scooter concept

Renault photo

Still recovering from the road trip, when I first saw this I thought my eyes were playing tricks. But no, it’s one of Renault’s electric concept cars going on display at the Frankfurt Auto Show in Germany.

It was bound to happen

Motorcycle.com reports the 125 and 150cc engines found in Vespa LXs and Ss (and presumably any other Piaggio Group scooter that uses those engines) will trade their carburetors for electronic fuel injection.

No surprise, really. Emissions standards around the globe are getting tougher, and the only way to meet them is to precisely monitor the amount of fuel going into the combustion chamber. EFI (or if you prefer, inienzione elettronica) is how you do that.

Of course, the added bonus is more torque and lower fuel consumption. If this means you can get an LX 150i.e. in orange, so much the better…

Vectrix: Gone?

I noticed a lot of hits on my previous posts about the Vectrix electric scooter, so I thought it would be worth checking in on the Middletown, R.I. based company.

As you may have seen elsewhere, the company has laid off almost all its staff and shut down its Web site. Vectrix says this is an attempt to conserve cash and postpone a bankruptcy filing, the company hoping for a merger or buyout in the next 30 days.

Honda SH150i: Getting serious

In the U.S. and Canada, Honda’s scooters always seemed to be an afterthought. Until now, their scooter lineup consisted of two 50cc scooters (the one with no bodywork costing more than the one with) and a 600cc maxi, occasionally supplemented by devices like the Reflex and Big Ruckus, which proved to have very limited appeal. Honda people have told me the scooters’ mission was to attract people who are afraid of motorcycles, the ultimate aim being to get them onto one of their motorcycle offerings once their fears were assuaged.

However, the Great Scooter Fad of 2008 seems to have convinced Honda a market exists in North America for a serious 150cc scooter. Enter the SH150i. As a Honda lawnmower commercial once said, “This. Changes. Everything!”

SH150i: by Jove, I think Honda’s got it

No doubt you’ve seen the posts on 2strokebuzz and The Scooter Scoop. While I’d like to think the conversations I’ve had with the Honda people at the last several Seattle motorcycle shows might have played an extremely small part in Honda’s decision to finally bring the SH150i to the U.S. market, it’s more likely the sales they lost during the Great Scooter Fad of 2008 that finally opened their eyes.

You won’t find this on craigslist

Tata Nano Europa at the Geneva Auto Show (Autoblog.com photo)

Let me repeat: the Tata Nano has not gone on sale in India yet. (Actually, it has. See below.) However, you still aren’t going to find a used one for sale on craigslist, no matter how much you search.