Modern Vespa

I think he mainly rides a TGB Laser right now, but he's known ride whatever's around the Scoot! office at the moment too...

You have to stop wearing short dresses when riding, start shaving your face instead of your legs, and everyone will stop staring at you!

Here in New Orleans there is a group of about 10 black women that all ride pink scooters; the China Mojito type clones. I met them at a local burger joint and asked if they were a GANG or a CLUB. The happily replied that they are a GANG.

We have lots of black scoot riders in New Orleans. Men, women and kids. We get stares but not any more then when we are on the sport bikes or the Harleys when we ride. BUT, I did notice that EVERYONE wants to talk when we are with the Vespa. So it is all good.

African America middle-age female here, living and riding in suburbs and through the boroughs of New York. The reactions I get depends on where I am riding at, and how used to the population is to seeing scooterists.

Out in the 'burbs and in the poorer parts of town (regardless of the ethnic make-up of the population), you do not see many scooters at all. There I get a variety of responses. They range from the WTF looks, to kids smiling and waving or adolescents that sometimes snicker. I will also get a good share of positive feedback, especially when riding my LXV. It is the leather seat matched with my brown and tan leather Nexx helmet that gets 'em! 8) I have folks (especially older women) come up to me and tell me they would love to get up the nerve to ride a scoot! Folks in cars that ask the make and model while we are stopped at the red light, etc.

In Manhattan where scooterist are more plentiful, the looks are less.

Although, I do attribute most of the second looks to folks not used to seeing scooter riders I am sure I may get a look or two 'cause I am a AA female with dreads that reach down to my a-- that flap in the breeze when I fly by! 8). Don't know, don't care - luv marching to my own drum!

Black dudes love the old Kasasakis like the ZX9, ZX11 and ZX12. They also love Hayabusas and occasionally you will see an old black guy on a Goldwing with 1000 lights all over it. That is all I ever see them ride. I have a couple black friends here in Chi-Town and if they read this I know they would laugh because it's true.

A good friend from work who came here 20 years ago from India told me scooters were what we could afford. Here he can afford a car.

Almost seemed like a status thing to me...like if you have a car your a rung or two higher on the ladder. Scooters were not fun or romantic....they were very 'basic' transportation.

He always talked of riding in India when he was young and said he would like to get a bike here...his wife vetoed the plan with the words..."we work hard...you don't have to ride a scooter".

Interesting mindset.

R

8)

When I snapped a belt in South Carolina in the middle of nowhere, a group of black guys on Japanese sport bikes went past me and then circled back to offer me some help. I had already called AAA by then, but it was still pretty cool of them to offer.

I live in a very diverse neighborhood and while I haven't seen a black guy on a Vespa, I have seen a number of them on other scooter makes. I also get far more black guys asking me about my scoot than people of other colors.

I live in a very diverse racial / cultural community...Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, Asian, Caucasian, African American, Native Americans, Fillpinos, Middle Eastern, etc...I hope I didn't leave anyone out...with this mix I really don't give it much thought about their ethnic / skin color...all I see is a Bike Rider...who then is of (blank) ethinicity.

I'm confident that that's the way it is in our community.

I feel fortunate thay we have such a diverse mix...I take if for granted at times and although we may have our differences...we seem to get along...

come on along on one of the donkei skok rides - we've got it all: gay, black, female, asian, left-handed, grumpy, and just plain weird ... not all in one person tho

Wanna bet ?

Bill X

Woof!

I can operate on all levels.

Bill X

bill represents the 'weird with a touch of gay' community

And what's worse is no one knows how weird. Nya ha ha ha ha

Off to polish the GT.

x

It may just be general scooter related curiousity as other people have said , but it *is* unusual to see a black chap on a motorbike.

There's a biker's cafe near me and every time I call in there's 100+ riders there - The vast majority are white , at least 75% men , and quite often there isn't a single black or asian face there.

I went on an organised scooter ride a couple of weeks back and of 100+ riders there was one black guy on a very nice lambretta and that was it, and this is near Birmingham that has a large non-white population.

I don't think there's any issues about non-white people being accepted by white riders , there just doesn't seem to be the widespread interest in two wheeled transport.

I see the same thing at rock/metal concerts I go to - less than 1% of the audience are non-white , and the same thing for the musicians as well.

Okay, I've posted a lot of humorous comments (well at least to me) against this thread, so on a serious note for a moment (and only just a moment)...I'm really usually quite observant and quite aware of most social/cultural issues and this has been something that has totally escaped me and would have never occurred to me that the OP or other minorities riding Vespas/Scooters might have this perception. That being said, it has been one of the more interesting posts/treads that I have been a part of on MV.

Although not necessarily scooter related but indeed motorised two wheel related, I though some of you might find this link interesting....

Soul on Bikes

Vespa/scooter is one thing, but as far as motorbikes, I'll have to disagree with you. At least in the States, there's a bevy of black motorbike clubs here's a list of just a few...

http://www.ebonyryders.com/about.html
http://www.fulltiltriders.com/fulltilt.htm
http://www.shiftnsteelsportriderz.com/
http://www.turningpointmc.com/
http://www.speed-divas.com/
http://www.nubianqueensnc.org/

Yep , that certainly seems to be the case in the states.

As I said though , just from personal experience non-white riders are definitely in the minority in the UK. I think the population as a whole is 90% white but I don't see one in ten bikers being black or asian etc.

Gee Ricky ... you don't LOOK gay!

As for changing two of those 4 traits, if you decide to go straight, my assistant (who is going with me to St. Thomas to shop today) just looked over my shoulder and said she thinks you're hot ... and she loves Vespas too!

I'm a quad minority too! I am a white Canadian living in a black country AND I am a 55 year old woman who rides a scooter. I tend to stand out in the crowd around here. I wouldn't change a thing!

gotta admit i thought it was something about black scoots .......my mate craig is half pakistani and he has some sweet lambrettas ... he also races a tag in the brso

I have never seen a black person riding a Vespa where I live or on a ride?

Face it, riding anything two-wheeled makes you HOT! Embrace your HOTNESS!

I prefer to think you get looks because you are a HOT Brother on a scooter.

A scooter and a hot guy wins every time in my book!

If you think about it. There may be a whole market out there that is not being addressed. Maybe ads need to show a more diverse cliental and be presented in more venues.

I have never seen a scooter ad on TV here. I have seen more scooters on the road, but I would say they are mostly white men. I think I have seen only 1 other woman riding a scooter in my area this summer, excluding the scooter rally down town.

I would love to see a serious scooter ad on TV, with a diverse group of riders.

Photos are from last weeks scooter rally!

I live in a predominantly black neighborhood and I see black people on Vespas every now and then.

Oh, and a black dude on a super nice black lambretta which is the loudest scooter I have ever heard.

I'm a Black American and get a few double takes here and there. But Valimagdon hit it on the head. In the black culture, In the US, the thing is to get the I've arrived or look at me car and bling it up. It's not cool to ride a scooter, which is associated with a few stereotypes, in the black culture as a certain amount of bravado and machismo has to be exuded. I've never been concerned with what people think about me, as I am confident in all aspects of my life. At this point in my life, the only person I have to be please is my wife of 11 years! Funny thing, I get teased by my white and black colleagues, because I'm fairly broad shouldered and muscular and they see me riding my"little" scooter...makes for good laughs! But always, I end up with the last laugh as I get much better gas mileage than they do, and often times pass them on the highway going to work. Good times I tell ya, good times! Don't sweat the small stuff, look at it like this, you think and live outside the box. In other words, you are a REBEL! 8)

You forgot my buddy Julian and his bike, who were at Slaughterhouse XV all weekend!

I've enjoyed Reading all the responses and some quite humerous, I'll have to put a face pic on now just to let everyone see how hot I am as well as my scoot, black, White, pink, green or yellow if u ride the Vespa that makes us all family anyway......

I really like the diversity of the people I have met riding my Scooter.
All Kinds of people, all schools of thought, and a feeling of mutual respect.

When I rode Dirt-Bikes, It was almost exclusively Pasty White Guys Like Me.
Very little diversity in people or political views.

My fellow San Diego Scooter Squadron Asst. Organizer.
Saleem

In NJ, USA, as far as black riders go I've seen mostly guys on either big Harleys or souped-up 70s-90s modified standards. Mostly club guys too, with colors on their leather vests..

Scooter riders? Hell, there ain't that many of ANY color, race or gender in NJ. Plenty of different kinds of bikers tho: -thousands! But mostly they go in for the big roarers... And you wouldn't believe how many dudes around here can afford those way-out-stretched $35K(+) ridiculous fat rear wheeled customs!

Out of the maybe 50 or 60 scooterists I've seen over the years riding in NJ, I remember seeing only one Afro-American dude. I think he was riding with a club out of New Brunswick, NJ on a rally I attended. His riding a scooter didn't seem at all unusual to anyone tho, and nobody (at least none of the other scooterists) stared at him...

hmm? Never really thought people were starting at me because of my beautiful black race I thought most of the other road users were staring because they saw a hot chick on a hot scoot - Just thought they were looking in admiration so naturally I just always give the on lookers a lovely smile back and then scoot away

Quite right too

Snapshot - I could of been the one you saw on the gts.

Once in a parking lot I had a surfer type guy say to me "Wow. That's your scooter? I was saying to myself I can't believe this brother is going to hop on that scooter!" I had no words.

My friend Ken has a PX200 and used to ride with the Westside Scooter Club. Other than that I have only seen one other black man on a scooter, and he crashed literally right in front of me.

(i have since ditched the crappy stock tires for pirelli's)

There were about 20 Afro-American scooter riders, maybe more, at the Philadelphia Independence Day Scooter Rally. As I recall, most of them rode with the Wild Hogs Scooter Club. Taylor, a young charismatic lawyer, is their club president. Taylor happens to be Afro-American. I'm guessing that their club is roughly half Afro-American, but I don't really know. According to their club website, they have 130 members. I'm looking forward to seeing them again in October, at the Philly Rabble Rouser Scooter Club Rally.

Yep, I was about to post this... The Wild Hogs are the club I used to ride with when I had a scooter.

http://www.meetup.com/wildhogssc

I ride a black 300 GTS. I thought the thread was about black scooters too,.

Lol, thats my fault, i should have been more specific with the title..... Anyway ive come to terms with the fact people stare at me not because i'm black but because i'm cute and have an even cuter scoot to go with it!

There's a black skinhead in my scooter club.

Me neither, then again Northern Iowa isn't very diverse. Plus there are only around 6 Vespas in my town, and I own two of them.

I live in a nice area to raise a family, but I do wish my kids could be exposed to some more cultural diversity.

I think black men on scooters are hot, especially if they are British. I don't know why, but something about the combo trips my trigger. Don't tell my husband He can only be 1 out of the 3.