Modern Vespa

If you really want to get stared at get yourself over the channel all europeans say (in a dutch type accent ) " look at thoshe crazy English on their motor shcooterhs"

Been riding here for 41 years ... all kinds of 2 wheelers ... started to get stares and comments when riding one of my Vespas or my Burgman ... some call them "mopeds" ... LMAO

I just let them know that in my stable ... i have in hand all of the titles and looking to buy more ... next on my list is an '10 BMW R1200 GS !

Let 'em make their comments and sneer ... as someone once said "Let Them Eat Cake".

quote "there are two types of individuals in our world ... scooter owners and those who WISH they owned a scooter" !!!!!!!!

Keep this in mind.

Happy Fall to everyone.

Ricoefamoso
Daytona Beach Shores Florida
10-08 09

As others have said, when we are all geared up, very little skin is actually showing, so yeah, it's just the fact that you are on something cool and/or "different" that gets people staring at you.

Also, some drivers are extra careful around a two-wheeler -- giving them extra courtesy, extra space, etc. I routinely have people wave for me to go ahead at stop signs even though they clearly have the right of way -- now, of course, that certainly doesn't happen all the time, so I can't take it for granted, but being noticed or "staired at" does have it's advantages.

When I switched over to a motorcycle, I bought a new jacket, since the bike is green and my old Joe Rocket jacket was mostly red with some black trim... I didn't want to look like Christmas rolling down the road!

Well, if you really want people to stare at you, do what I did and buy HiViz gear! I love the obnoxious look-at-me nature (and the additional attention) of HiViz gear.

lol... i am sorry, I don't think you get stared at at all in Holland... So choose a different type of accent!

Lol, we will keep it a secret...although i'm not sure now which of the three your hubby is lol

Wow sounds like the vehicle drivers in Philly love scoot riders, wish it was the same in London...its an ongoing war with most drivers a war that scoots are winning my friend......lol

Though I've never been to your fine country, my parents have been there many times (6+). The time before last they rented a Smart FourTwo.

They said driving over there is "an experience"!

And, just to clarify, I live about 90 minutes away from Philly in the suburbs (still closer to Philly than most). I'm sure city riding is a bit different.

I grew up with a black friend called Alf. We were both born in 1949 and back then black people were pretty thin on the ground in the UK.
Alf's father was a G.I. who stayed on after W.W.2. and married a English lady.
Anyway, Alf and I were always interested in motorbikes and scoots and we had a small DKW moped that we shared between us from the age of around thirteen. At that time you had to be 16 to ride legally and we used to ride round South Manchester trying to dodge the Police.
There was even a story in the local newspaper about the
"Two Tone Terror's" motorcyclists who the Police wished to interview..
When we were 16 we both went "Legal " and got Lambrettas.
No helmets in those days, so a black guy on a scoot was a rare thing.
We were pulled up by the Police many times and Alf was asked more than once "Now Then." " Does the owner of this bike know your riding it ".
It could not happen today in our P.C. world and Alf and I still have a good laugh about it when we speak.

"Happy Days"

Soniam, I read your post this morning and have been agonising all day over whether or not I should ruin your fantasy or not... and I thought the only honourable thing to do was to come clean...you see I'm not British....but American! Well two out of three ain't bad, no??? Well at least timblanc meets all of your criteria!

He's an Hispanic American. He can't really change that. He's not a scooter rider yet, but he has plans to be.

Fucking brilliant! This thread mos def has some of the wittiest and clever comments i've read on here on a long time! Ain't no worry about your colour brother, you could ride with me here in the desert of Arizona anytime mate. By the way, I ride a black gt200, I too thought it was about "black" vespa's! haha, but I was happy with this little jewel of a thread regardless!

cheers, TS

Hey Ricky, thanks for putting Soniam in the picture and edging her closer in my direction. Soniam when in London eh..wink wink....lol.

Neptune thats a lovely story and would love to meet you guys to hear a few more stories that you might like to share. When i lived in east London i used to get pulled over in my car at least once a month by the police sometimes it was quite humerous asking why they were pulline me over. I've been pulled over on the scoot once since i've been riding and that was for a faulty light but dont think it was due to skin colour as it was dark and they were behind me.

I'm still looking for a few black vespa riders in london to form our own little hells angels lol...

I am heartbroken I guess the British part doesn't matter much then. Nevertheless, I have seen some very handsome black gentlemen posting on this thread from all over. Keep it up guys

It probably wouldn't work out anyway, with you being gay and me being married

Actually, I was in London this summer for about week, but I was with my son and husband. I am thinking the distance, and again, my marriage, would probably put a damper on things

Your right distance and marriage can be a nightmare barrier especially the atlantic ocean...anyone got a scoot that travels long distances on water i can borrow?

They make that already you know... Sea-Doo, Kawasaki and Yamaha have quite a few models:

Having been to Europe every year for the past 7 years or so I find that you get really stared at especially on the motorways France is not so bad but Belgium and Holland I have had people pointing and laughing in disbelief and taking pictures. It does make me chuckle and I did not mean to offend!

Surely many riders wear full face lids.........

My this has become interesting reading.

I thought i'd revisit this post with a little update. Its been another year of riding my Vespa and happy to say i have now traded in my loveable convertible and switched to Vespa riding 24/7. Over the year i have noticed an increase in Black Vespa riders in London. Only two weeks ago at a set of lights close to where i Live a lovely black Vespa S pulled up along side me and behold there he was another brother riding a Vespa, lol We gave the accustomary 'black nod' (those of u out there who hang with black guys know the nod) then we joked about being more than one of us out here on these mean streets not riding a kiddy gilera or big powered bike.
The same week travelling on the A406 ahead of me i caught what looked like a Vepsa GTS 125 and as we all do we look to compare and give respect to fellow riders, As i stopped behind it at the lights, there she was a black sister riding a lovely Vespa that i could of just married...lol I did not even know what she looked liked but the sheer joy made me feel pleased that we are growing in numbers.

I went to a family reunion recently and all the guys admired and swore they would get themselves one "its so cool, why dont you see many black guys on them?" was all i heard. Yes i wear open faced which makes me noticeable, i just think people are used to seeing young black kids on crappy scoots and not a classy bike, I would prob get the same look on a Harley if i rode one.

Anyways thoughts i'd share that with you lovely people!

Missed this the first time around and second Gotta stop traveling so much. I also thought it was about the color of the scooters Here in Hawaii "white"people are the minority. That said "black" people are even few and far between as well as Vespa scooters. So the odds of a black person riding a Vespa is almost zero. Have a neighbor who is black and rides a Harley. It's so cool to see him crusin down the road, dreads flapping in the breeze (no helmet law here) 8) He loves my scooter but alas i haven't been able to convert him... yet...

Traveling is always good, Hawaii is on my travel to go list. Must be great to ride no helmet over there! Well i have to say i have never seen a Hawaiian over here on a Vespa so that makes our countries even.......lol

TIM if you ever get over my way give me a heads up. The gang has some extra scooters and we'll show you a good time. 8)

Sounds like a good plan, may take u up on that invitation of no helmet wearing scootering!! Now where's my passport?

I agree with previous posters. Perhaps it's the Vespa that draws the first glance. I know that where I live, we see equally as many caucasions and african americans on scooters. I will say, though, that when my partner and I ride two-up on one scooter, we get some looks, and have also been verbally assaulted three different times at stop lights by different groups of homophobic idiots. Strange to me that each time, the homophobes themselves have been minorities. You'd think they would be the last to point fingers.

Same here. Was expecting to open this up and find a bunch of photos of guys showing off their black Vespas. Never occurred to me to think about what it means for blacks (or any other group) to own or ride Vespas. Frankly, I'm not even sure what the issue is. Is Timblanc ("White Tim") saying he gets weird looks because he's black? When I think of Vespas, I don't think of boring white, honky men (like me) driving scooters to work. I much prefer to think of the youthful, energetic guys and girls (like in the Vespa ads) from all over the world, scootering around having fun. But hey, what the hell do I know.

timblanc has a point. London is a hugely multicultural city ... and yet for some odd reason, there are very few black scooter riders.

I resemble that remark! I would prefer to think of myself as a rather studly, energetic old boring white man driving my scooter to work! (If y'all only knew what a line of BS that is! )

There's this guy...

http://www.cafepress.com/+obama_heart_vespa_note_cards_pk_of_20,366091608

Ha ha ha GBaby, loving the Obama card.

On a serious note, when I started this posting last year I was highlighting the fact that in London we have many 'young' black teenagers that ride your usual scooters and then you have your more mature black guys that ride bigger power bikes, two of my cousins fall into this category and there are quite a few of them that prefer big bikes, although this does not seem to be the same for black Vespa riders in London. Thats what i was highlighting....yes tim blanc is white...yeah yeah i know what the Blanc means, my father was French

I would not be seen riding any other type of bike apart from a pedal one but as i said earlier we do seem to be increasing in numbers. Like most have said maybe its a cultural thing we need to shake off about Vespa's

Next time i'll entitle it black guys that ride Vespa's

I don't think anyone would question the color of Barry White or Slappy White!

Well considering Barry's real surname was Birthday id question hos motives on that one...Slappy gets my vote, not sure why he changed from Melvin to Slappy but thats way before my time!

I thought Barry's real last name was Carter!

You may well be right, even with carter u would never know he was a brother...

we (Black people) are always stared at when doing things usually associated with white people. At this point when someone stares I just take it as me doing something they either want to do or cant. im sure the Williams sisters got the same and Tiger got the same. No trying to get all serious, but just saying.

I absolutely LOVE my new Vespa and I'm riding it everywhere. When people look at me I say, "Yeah, I'm cool.....and I'm black too" lol

It's hard to tell for me. Perhaps its a non-issue.

I do notice, now that my pillion told me, little kids love Vespas as they're the ones that tend to wave.

Come to Memphis for Amerivespa. You'll be amazed at the variety.

I saw the title and thought, "I ride a black scooter!" Then I read....oh! Never mind! I guess it's like Black campers...at one time they were rarer than hens teeth, but that has changed in recent years. I meet quite a few black riders on the road, more than Caucasian riders and I find them more likely to salute than their non-black counterparts.

A 7 year old thread. Wow, just wow. I didn't think anybody really distinguishes people by skin colour any more but I guess I'm wrong.

Well, there's that, plus the horns attached to your helmet.