Slaughterhouse XIII Scooter Rally

Today, I went to my first scooter rally, in Chicago. It was quite an experience. There is nothing quite like riding through a big city in a pack of about 75 scooters, while everyone stops, points, smiles, honks, waves, and laughs. Scooters are disarming and they don't have a negative image like motorcycles often do.



<-- This photo is one of my favorites from the day. It shows the variety of bikes that can be seen at a scooter rally. Everything is represented: Clapped-out 80s Jap scooters, beautiful restored Italian bikes, ratty Italian bikes, Korean bikes, and even a modern motorcycle there for a visit. I started out this morning at about 7:30 AM heading for Chicago, to make sure I'd be at Motoworks by 10. Little did I know that city scooterists seem to be late. Probably, they were drinking until 3 AM last night, as the rally unofficially started Thursday night. When I got there, there were about 4 other scooters there, and a bunch of BMW motorcycles, mostly older ones. As more scooterists showed up, the bimmer guys started to disappear? Coincidence?



<-- Lined up in front of Motoworks. There were a ton of vintage Vespas, a few Lambrettas, a couple of old Honda Elites, and an old Yamaha. It's worth noting that although the Japanese bikes were neglected, they were tons more reliable than the old Italian bikes. However, they were only 20 years old, and not 40 or 50.

<-- Rear view of bikes at Motoworks.

<-- A couple of nice-looking old Italian bikes. A Lambretta on the left, a Vespa Rally on the right. Lambrettas had the engine mounted in front of the rear wheel, like today's scooters. Pop off a panel on either side and one can reach either side of the engine. With the Vespa, one can pop off the right panel and get to the outside of the engine only. Vespas are easier to find parts for, at least in the USA.


<-- Here are a few Genuine Stellas lined up. One of them is set to bump tunes. The Stellas proved to be reliable. All the bikes that crapped out during the rides were old Vespas.
<-- One of the mechanics at Motoworks built this mini-bike for his son. It has a 5 hp Honda engine. The kid was there and says it has too much power; it wheelies too easily! The mechanic is considering the addition of wheelie bars.
<-- Here's a well-restored Lambretta. The pipe has a bit of a leak, but it is cherry otherwise.

<-- A nice pair of Vespas, one with a sidecar! The husband/wife pair rode together on it for the group ride. There were also a lot of couples who rode together in more conventional fashion.

<-- check out the sticker I found on a Stella. Can't read it?


<-- Here's a detail shot. Excellent. Motoworks has an classy old industrial building. The hardwood floors look like they're about 100 years old, and in one spot, they even conform to the shape of the pipe underneath. Beautiful vintage bikes are all over the place, with about 70% of them being BMWs. There were some old British bikes, like left-shift Triumphs and a Douglas Dragonfly. Finally, to actually make money, they have scooters. Used ones and new Kymcos.








<-- Motoworks has this leaky (boiler?) coupling. Put a cooler underneath it to collect the drips, and problem solved. (kind of)

<-- Here's a Douglas Dragonfly. Don't ask me, I've never heard of the company either. Seems like either an old British or American marque.


<-- Some old Beemers, very nice & simple design. Too bad BMW has decided to complicate the hell out of everything in recent years...



<-- This was my favorite vintage Beemer. The saddle looks comfy. Can you see the kick-start lever?




<-- Here's a closer shot of the engine, with the sideways kick-starter. (since the engine is mounted front-rear instead of transverse) Very cool.
<-- After breakfast and ogling each others' bikes for a while, it was time for the gymkhana. This is a small obstacle course. One starts by riding one's scooter over the teeter-totter, doing a couple of tight turns, collecting a flag on a piece of conduit from one of the judges, trying to throw it through a hole in a rack, then a slalom around (full) 16 oz. beer cans, and finally a run through the gauntlet while people throw wet sponges at the contestant. The Kymco People series are much better looking in person than they are in internet photos. The big wheels don't look so goofy in person. The first thing that struck me about them was how little foot room they have. Don't get me wrong, there is enough room for normal size feet, but not a lot of room to move them around, like I can on my Buddy. There are two options: putting them in the cut-out areas on the floorboard, or putting them back on the passenger pegs. Another thing I noticed was that the seats are better shaped than 95% of all other scooter seats. Instead of having a convex curve, they are flat or a bit concave-shaped, to avoid pressure points on one's butt. In photos, I like the Bet & Win scooters the best; in person, the People series. My opinion is that if they fuel inject these, fit LED lighting, and make ABS an option, they will be the hot sellers they deserve to be. The fit & finish on the 50 and 150 Bet and Win doesn't seem to be up to the standard of their People series and the higher end bikes. The photo above is of the Kymco People 150 dash.



<--- After a continental breakfast at Motoworks, we went for the group ride of the day. We went all the way west out of the City into Berwyn. We stopped in this parking lot for a smoke break and to ogle this... sculpture. It reminds me of the old-style restaurants in which the cashier impales the paid receipts on a nail.

<-- After the group ride, we wound up at Scooterworks. This is a shot from inside their parking lot. Behind me was the barbecue tent. They had scooters on display. A TV cameraman was on scene as we arrived.










Later, at about 9 PM, the party started at a bar. I didn't go. Was too tired from getting up at 4:30. Don't ask me why I woke up that early & spoiled myself, I went to be late enough where I should have had to TRY to get up earlier than 7. It is over a 2 hour ride home by scooter from the city. As soon as I got home, I went to bed for a 3-1/2 hour nap, which is why I'm up at 3 AM blogging this now. ;)


Tomorrow is the last day of the rally. They'll be meeting at the Pick Me Up Cafe for a cup of joe, then riding up to the pig roast at Design Within Reach in Evanston. Then judging & awards, and recovery on Monday. I haven't decided if I'll do this yet. I may just scoot down to Evanston for the pig roast. I don't think I'll be up in time to catch any of the rest of it.