New stuff for the Blog!

Looking at the blog's traffic, it seems that there are a lot of you who read on the regular, but you have no idea when new info is going to appear. Well, this morning, I took a couple of steps to make it a little easier to find out when the new deliciousness appears on your fav KC scooter blog!

Take a look at the sidebar to the left and you'll see a couple of new things:

• A reader's block
• A blog subscription block

The reader's block isn't anything like writer's block. No, instead, this handy tool will allow you to set yourself as a "reader" and then see who else also reads the blog! Nice stuff. It'll also help me fine tune this web-based machine to my reader's interests since I won't be running blind anymore.

The subscription block is just that: Want to be updated when the new stuff appears, just subscribe. Really easy!

All Hallows Even!!

It's Halloween once again, and for once, it's not raining!! It was so nice this morning that I was outside grilling breakfast in just a t-shirt and socks! Superb!

Get out there and enjoy the roads today, but remember to ride safe. If you want a little inspiration to safe riding, check out Brittany Morrow's latest effort: Rockthegear.org . If you're not familiar with with Ms. Morrow, she survived a 522 foot slide across the asphalt in nothing more than a t-shirt, capri pants, and sneakers. She did have a helmet thankfully, but her body was scarred forever! If you want a halloween fright, look up her pics, they're vivid! Her newest initiative is based apon ATGATT or All The Gear, All The Time. The Rockthegear web site offers lots of information and testimonials for those looking for a reason to wear protective clothing when they ride.

It's a great site and it has a small but active forum too! It's not bike-specific, so don't feel intimidated to go ahead and check it out!

Winter Service!

Hey folks, this year we're offering a winter service program for scooter folks, just like you and regardless if you bought from us or not or the make and model of your scoot*. Those who participated last year will remember the free pickup and delivery options and we're continuing that on to this year as well!

For those who have no idea what you're reading about, the Vespa of Kansas City Winter Service + Preventative Maintenance Program is the scooter version of what VanWall (our owners) do for their lawn and green equipment customers. The short explanation is that we get your scooter tuned up and prepared for the winter months. This is especially nice for those who can't ride during the cold season; by the time the warmer temperatures arrive in Spring, you won't have to worry about stale gasoline or a dead battery keeping you from going out and doing what you like to do best: ride your scoot!

Folks on our email list will get a newsletter and those customers who have shopped with us in the past - provided we have a current mailing address - will get a postcard in the mail. If you want to sign up to take advantage of the... Uh, lets call it the VKCWSPMP, just give us a call, ask for Keith or Mike and we'll get you in the books! The deadline for sign up is December 15th! Any questions, call Vespa Kansas City or email me.

Leno and Clarkson on scooters!

Tonight Show host Jay Leno was the guest speaker at this year's Piaggio Dealer's Meeting (end of September), so it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that the Piaggio MP3 showed up on his website. Click here to check it out!

Another famous (or not so much depending on how much of a car nut you are) car enthusiast, Jeremy Clarkson (see above pic) was also talking about scooters recently. I will obviously post the link to his article regarding his being recently sighted on a Vespa GTV Navy (blue version we don't get here in the USA) after saying he hates motorcycles, but be fowarned: If you've never read a Clarkson article or watched him on TopGear... Well, he doesn't mince words. An example:

"I also liked the idea of a Vespa because most bikes are Japanese. This means they are extremely reliable so you cannot avoid a fatal crash by simply breaking down. This is entirely possible on a Vespa because it is made in Italy."

Yeah, it's kinda tongue-in-cheek, so don't take the rest of it too seriously but expect him to bash on scooters and motorcycling in general. Either way, it's a fun little read.

Check it out, here.

The newness for 2009

Chances are that if you've been on the forums and blogs, you already know of the new new coming out for 2009. If you've been like me, nose to the grind (or however that saying goes), then I'll fill you in!

Last weekend was the Piaggio Dealer's Meeting. This annual get together is how the dealer's find out what's new for the upcoming year. This time around there weren't many additions, but a good number of significant changes:

• Gallio Lime (Yellow) is out for '09 and Capri Blue (glossy powder blue) is in.



• Vespa S 150 is being joined by a Vespa S 50 which has a 4-valve engine! Awesome!



• Grantursimo 200 is gone, replaced by a new GTS machine, the GTS Super. It has new looks and a 300cc fuel-injected engine. Woot!



• The BV family finally gets what Europe has had for a while, the Touring redesign, making the BV 250 and 500 the BV 250 Tourer and BV 500 Tourer.



• The Fly series gets color swaps, adding Optic White in for the 150 and 50 instead of the Dragon Red.



• The MP3 250 and 400 get a facelift and a couple new accessories including a new backrest that doesn't require a topcase! Nifty!



• Sienna White is the new.. uh. White.

So, that's it for the most part. If you're interested in ordering anything special, right now is the time to let us know as we're setting up our 2009 order as I type this. I'll give you readers a week or so before turning it in, so act fast if you'd like to have your choice of color.