|
 That comment always makes me cringe. Not that it's not a nice ice breaker. It's just that I have a hard time smiling and saying thank you without wanting to say, "Actually, it's not a moped. You see, mopeds have pedals, like a bicycle. That's why they're called mopeds — motor, plus pedals. This — this is a scooter."
A vintage scooter, by the way. Vintage and Italian. Always with the qualifiers. My qualifiers are this: 1) it has to be a shifter. No twist-and-go for this gal. 2) It has to be vintage or vintage-styled. Usually that means it's made of metal, not plastic, and that I have to mix my own oil and gasoline, since most vintage scooters are two-stroke engines. It also usually means there is a kick-start, instead of an electric start. My own scooter (a 1978 Vespa P125X) doesn't even have a battery. The lights run off magnetic energy produced by the engine's rotation. Finally, 3) It has to be older than I am. The cut-off year is 1980.
So if the difference between a moped and scooter is that a moped has pedals, then what's the difference between a scooter and a motorcycle? Well, that explanation requires a short history lesson.
Italian scooters became popular after WWII in Italy as a cheap post-war form of transportation, since the country was rebuilding itself and cars were too expensive to manufacture or own. Italy's aircraft industry was extremely restricted to follow terms of the peace treaty, and so the first Vespa scooters were developed by former aeronautical engineers. In fact, the early Vespas' tires were old airplane tires.
Part of what made the Vespa such a hit in rainy Italy was that the scooters had full running boards, wheel cowls and leg shields to protect a rider from the elements. A step-through — this is the main difference between a scooter and motorcycle — made the vehicles popular with skirt-wearing women.
By the 1950s and '60s, thanks in no small part to Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn, scooter sales were flying. And that's kind of how I got into it.
My father has always been into motorcycles, racing them when he was younger. A product of the '60s and a California child, he has also always been into counterculture movements, and he instilled both interests into me at a young age. By the time I was a teenager, I was a full-time Mod. What appealed to me most about vintage scooters, initially, was the fashionable image. Go-go boots. Mini skirts. Sexy curves. I'm mean on the scooter, not on the women.
 I didn't get my own scooter, though, until my early 20s, when I first moved to Houston. I couldn't handle sitting on the back of various boyfriends' rides anymore. Now, I'm a dedicated two-wheeler, in the city that oil built.
Riding in Houston is kind of hard, since this is probably the most car-centric city in Texas. My 31-year-old scooter only goes about 35 mph, but it helps that I live in the center of town, and don't have to take a highway to get anywhere. In some ways I think it's better than riding a motorcycle. I always wear safety gear, but it's a lot easier to wear normal clothes on a scooter because you're more protected from the wind, rain and puddles. And the network of scooterists in Texas is a lot smaller and more tightly-knit than people who ride motorcycles.
I met my husband through mutual scooterist friends — he rides a stock, restored 1963 Vespa VNB. But together, our tastes have matured a bit. Two years ago, we bought what we call our "grown-up bike," a 2004 BMW R1150RT, which is our long-haul ride. Still, we aren't immune to the appeal of vintage — we also have a 1973 Triumph Bonneville.
For both of us, the Vespas were kind of starter bikes. We now live as a one-car couple, mostly because we don't have room for a second car with two motorcycle and three scooters crowding our garage, including a project Vespa. And we're both everyday riders. He commutes 44 miles to work each day on the Beemer. Thank Texas for HOV lanes.
My favorite thing about riding my scooter is seeing old grizzled bikers around town. Without fail, any old dude who has ridden for more than a few years will stop me and say "I first learned how to ride on one of those things."
And what do I say back?
"So did I."
Read Brittanie Shey's bio on HH's contact us page |
Scooteristas Unite!