In fact one state wants a list of mentors that would be willing to mentor a new scooter rider and they would distribute that information to all new scooter registrants. Other state representatives are very helpful with advice and feedback. The idea definitely has legs.

In order to pursue this idea further I launched ScooterMentors.org this morning. I want to try to make the mentoring idea as inclusive as possible for all scooter riders and so I wanted to move it off the Burgman focused site.

You know how much I value your opinions and feedback so I don’t want you to be a stranger in offering help and suggestions about how we might be able to be a friend and mentor to new scooter riders to help them avoid trouble on the roads during their early days.

The idea is simple, just go for a ride with new scooter rider and show them how an experienced rider, rides.

Steve

©2010 Suzuki Burgman Scooter Riders - 'Lovers of Fun'. All Rights Reserved.

By the way, I’m going to be joining them in Raleigh and ride along for a bit. As you will see in the interview below, you are invited along anywhere on their trip as well. You can contact Ali and Tim directly for meeting details.

Steve

August 1: Greenville to Spartanburg to Columbia
August 2: Columbia to Bluffton to Hilton Head to Beaufort
August 3: Beaufort to Charleston to Myrtle Beach
August 4: Myrtle Beach to Cape Fear, NC to Raleigh
August 5: Raleigh to Greensboro to Winston Salem to Charlotte
August 6: Charlotte to Asheville to Greenville

2wheels4water Route

Q1: So you’re off on a scooter trip around the Carolina’s to raise money for water resources in developing countries. That’s a pretty interesting use of a scooter. Why a scooter?

Tim and I both love scooters. When we got married last September we decided that our first major purchase would be a Vespa. In May we finally made that dream come true when we purchased our Vespa ET2. We started talking about how fun it would be to take a long trip on the scooter and that transformed into making it a charity ride to raise money for an amazing organization called Hydromissions. We have known about Hydromissions for a while and I just had this burning desire to help them. 2 Wheels 4 Water turned out to be a unique, fun way we could help them.

Q2: It looks like you’ll have some big travel days and long distances to cover on a 50cc scooter. How have you prepared for such a long trip on a small scooter?

I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little unsure about the trip. The longest trip I have ever taken on the scooter is about two hours. But then again, when I ran my first marathon I had never run 26.2 miles, so it just takes faith and endurance. It’s also good to know that we have nice places to stay every night along the way. Hampton Inn donated hotel stays for us so we can rest up. Plus knowing that the distance we cover will translate into money for an organization we believe in is extra motivation.

Q3: Do you have any concerns about heading out on a 1,200 mile trip on a 50cc scooter?

There is always the unexpected but we know it will be an adventure. Our scooter (the one I will be riding) is technically a 50cc, but it has modifications to give it extra power which is nice when you are side-by-side with traffic. The wonderful people at Touring Sport BMW here in Greenville, SC are loaning us a 250cc Vespa for the trip. My husband will be riding that one. We plan to take a small gas can with us in case we can’t find a gas station. We also have a tire repair kit in the event of a flat. We also know that the people in the Carolinas are so friendly that it won’t be hard to find someone to help us if we need it.

Q4: Why scootering for water? Is this a combination of the love of two passions?

We are a pretty ordinary couple. We don’t have lots of cash to donate. We aren’t celebrities. But we do have a scooter and a passion to help others. We are proving that you don’t have to have lots of money or power to do your part and make a difference. We just found an organization we believe in and we wanted to help them.

Hydromissions was started in 2004 by Steve and Jennifer Lorch. In just four years since they founded Hydromissions they’ve worked to bring access to clean water to over 30 countries. Without having any engineering background, they used 100-year-old sets of encyclopedias for inspiration to invent low-tech water pumps. They go to third world countries and teach people how to install, operate and maintain these pumps. I love Hydromissions because it’s not an organization that is just throwing money or expensive equipment at people. They are teaching people how to get clean water and that translates into saving lives. The numbers are huge- 1.1 billion people don’t have access to clean drinking water. It would be easy to get overwhelmed by that number and just think that it’s too big of a problem to be solved. But Hydromissions knows it’s not about helping all 1.1 billion people. It’s about helping one village at a time and impacting the lives of those people forever.

Q5: How can people in the scooter world help support your fundraising goals?

There are so many ways you can help. First of all, you can support us by making a donation or a pledge. You can do that by visiting our website at www.2wheels4water.com and clicking on the “Donate/Contact” page. Every penny we raise goes directly to Hydromissions. Secondly, you can support Hydromissions by purchasing some of the soap they manufacture.

Currently they fund their trips to third world countries by selling soap that is made in a one-car garage here in South Carolina. You can buy the soap by visiting www.Hydromissions.com. Thirdly, you are more than welcome to ride with us! Check out our route on our website and let us know if you are interested in joining us. Finally, just help us get the word out. If you have a blog, write about our trip and post a link to our site. We want as many people as possible to know about the work of Hydromissions.

Q6: How did you pick the route and are you sticking to back roads?

My husband was in charge of making the route. We decided to try to drive about 200 miles a day. So once we had the main stopping points nailed down my husband mapped out back roads to each location. We are really looking forward to riding along the coast. Our goal is to avoid as much traffic as possible. We’ll probably get lost a few times along the way, but hey, that’s part of the fun.

©2010 Suzuki Burgman Scooter Riders - 'Lovers of Fun'. All Rights Reserved.

Hanoi and Soon to Be Peoria Scooter Traffic?

Maybe you’ve noticed a lot of newbie scooter riders on the road. I have. And that is confirmed by the huge rise in scooter dales over the past year. High gas prices have tipped people out of 4 wheels and onto 2 to help save money.

Just last weekend at the bike meet we were talking about how easy it is to spot the newbie scooter riders. Maybe you’ve noticed the same thing, they don’t wave. It’s not that they are anti-social but this new crop of scooter riders is a bit different than us lovers of two wheels.

For those of us that love to ride and ride the Burgman, we look at what we do as being part of a community. Many new riders just look at their scooter as cheap transportation and if gas went down by half a whole lot of those new scooter would be on eBay or parked. They are not enthusiastic about riding, but thrilled about 50 mpg.

The other trend that concerns me is that these newbie riders will lead to higher injury rates. A look around confirmed that most new rider accidents as driver faults, just due to a lack of experience, mentoring or training. More injuries will lead to a reaction from government and that will lead to more regulation. Not necessarily a bad thing.

Maybe one suggestion is to require new scooter riders to take a safety class before delivery. But who would teach it? Many motorcycle classes are backlogged now. Probably a non-starter idea but certainly it would not hurt at all. And here is a good reason why.

A year or so ago I was in Bermuda and met this woman that was limping and had a bandaged right arm. She told me about how she had an accident riding her rented scooter. She was ranting and raving about how bad the scooter was and that people should not be allowed to ride 50cc scooters.

In listening to her story I caught one very important point. She said she sailed off the scooter to the right when she made a 30 mph left turn. I asked her how she turned to the left and she demonstrated a hard turn of the handlebars to the left.

Seems she high sided off the scooter and threw her own self off. She just didn’t know it. She also mentioned that the turn was sandy but she hadn’t slowed down for that either. [Insert shaking head]

Maybe one suggestion is that we could contact our local dealers and offer to ride with any new scooter riders. It doesn’t have to be a formal class but a little mentoring goes a long way.

Photo by: Flickmor

©2010 Suzuki Burgman Scooter Riders - 'Lovers of Fun'. All Rights Reserved.

When you invest money, as little as $25, to help someone, you are not giving it away, you are making a loan and when the money is repaid you can withdraw it to put back in your pocket or you can lend it out to another in need of your help.

I would not ask you to do anything I would not do. You can visit my lender page on Kiva to see who I have lent money to.

Steve

For more information on each person below, click on the link under their picture.

$850 of $1,200 raised.

Started raising funds on Mar 9, 2010




Mrs. Tit Dara owns and operates a small store to sell café to her neighbors who live in the village. She is age 51, a married woman, and the good mother of six children. Tit Dara was married many years ago to Sokha, age 50, who is a motorcycle taxi driver. Two of her children are married and have already started new homes, and the remaining four are single. To help with the responsibilities of the family, two daughters work sewing clothes in a garment factory. She is a low-income citizen living in the best territory of Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia.

Tit Dara’s café shop is too small and limits her clients. She would like to seek a loan on Kiva through HKL’s project. She will be using her loan to help upgrade to a larger shop. The rest of the loan will be used to buy accessories for her café enterprise.

Lider Flores Pezo De Pinedo : Peru

$275 of $900 raised.

Started raising funds on Mar 11, 2010




Sra. Líder is a member of the Communal Bank “Mujeres para el Futuro II” (Women for the Future II), which is in the District of Tarapoto in the Province and Department of San Martín. She is 55 years old, in a common law marriage, and has eight children who are all independent.

Her enterprising nature and desire to move forward led to her start her own business selling “juanes” (a mixture of rice, yucca, and meat that is steamed in a banana leaf). Her vending location is at the corner of the main city street, an area that experiences considerable traffic. Motorcycle taxi drivers, residents, neighbors, friends from the area, and other individuals make up her primary customer base. She is gradually become well-known and admits that she is doing very well in her business.

Líder continues selling “juanes” every morning. She has been working in this particular business for several years and feels happy about what she has accomplished. With her loan of 2500 PEN, she will buy ingredients for food preparation such as rice, chicken, crates of eggs, liters of oil, as well as cooking utensils so that she can provide better service to her customers.

Líder feels very strongly about continuing her work and thanks Manuela Ramos for contributing to the fulfillment of her dreams and goals.

Translated from Spanish by Ronan Reodica, Kiva Volunteer

Eustaquio : Bolivia

$50 of $700 raised.

Started raising funds on Mar 1, 2010




Mr. Eustaquio lives in the town of El Torno. He is married and has four school-age children. He is a moto-taxi driver and his wife sells refreshments in the central market; together they support their four children. They own a home in the Naciones Unidas neighborhood which they were able to buy though much hard work.

Mr. Eustaquio is a responsible and hardworking person. With the loan he will maintain his motorcycle which has recently begun to have some problems that prevent him from working as he normally would. He is very grateful to Emprender and Kiva for the trust and support given through this loan.

Translated from Spanish by Isabel French, Kiva Volunteer

Gloria Requintina : Philippines

$50 of $450 raised.

Started raising funds on Mar 10, 2010




Gloria Requintina is one of the very good members of ASHI in San Jose, a province of Antique. She was able to purchase a tricycle (motorcycle with sidecar) for her husband to manage and earn his daily income. The vehicle is for hire and is one of the common means of transporting people around the town and around the province. Just like with other unemployed men in town, this has become the main business of Gloria’s husband. It is the main source of income for Gloria’s family to support their needs, especially the education of her only 14-year-old child who is presently in high school.

Because the motorcycle needs to be maintained (the strength of its engine is already depreciating after it was bought several years ago), Gloria is requesting a loan from Kiva through ASHI to be spent for reconditioning the motorcycle as well as its sidecar to be able to attract more passengers. This means that some spare parts have to be changed and the engine has to be cleaned.

Martha Iris Campos Centeno : Nicaragua

$575 of $725 raised.

Started raising funds on Mar 1, 2010




Sra. Martha Iris Campos has a store in her home, located in the old town of Tonalá. She will use her loan to buy merchandise to restock her business such as rice, beans, sugar, oil, bread, undergarments, metal sheeting, and other products. Martha started her business by selling candy from her home. Today she has a large store that generates a daily household income.

This is her third loan with the Institution and she has completed all of her previous payments in a timely manner. Martha says she is grateful for the loans CEPRODEL has provided because they have enabled her to restock her business, improve her home, and open a mini hardware store and motorcycle parts shop. As a result, she has more income to develop both her family and her businesses.

Translated from Spanish by Ronan Reodica, Kiva Volunteer

Urbanus Kioko Wambua : Kenya

$275 of $925 raised.

Started raising funds on Mar 10, 2010




Urbanus is a 35-year-old hardworking father of three. He has a motorcycle transport business located in a busy environment. Besides, he is employed, has semi-permanent rental houses and he does livestock farming together with his wife. He wants a loan of Kes.70,000 from Faulu Kenya to purchase a motorbike. He hopes to upgrade his rental houses to become permanent houses. He sees himself becoming a stable businessman in the future.

Moises : Bolivia

$250 of $1,200 raised.

Started raising funds on Mar 1, 2010




Sr. Moisés lives in the Santa Rita neighborhood in the town of El Tomo. He provides passenger transport services in his motorcycle taxi. He also has a side business selling livestock on the weekends, which helps him support his wife and two children. They do not own a home so they live at his brother’s house and his wife takes care of the domestic work. When he was a soccer goalkeeper, he had the chance to travel outside of the country. Among his wishes are to have his own house and see his children become professionals.

With the money he is requesting, Moisés will purchase another motorcycle since the one he currently has experienced numerous mechanical failures. He hopes to provide better service to his customers.

Moisés is grateful to Emprender and Kiva for trusting him by providing this loan.

Translated from Spanish by Ronan Reodica, Kiva Volunteer

Seangheng Cheng’s Group : Cambodia

$0 of $2,125 raised.

Started raising funds on Mar 11, 2010




Mrs. Seangheng Cheng is 46 years-old. She is the village bank president for a group loan for 12 persons offered by Kiva partner AMK and located in Sampan Kraom village in Kandal province. With the loan, all the members hope to increase their income in order to improve the family lifestyles. Mrs. Seangheng Cheng is a laborer who receives a small salary to support her family. Her husband is a motorcycle taxi driver who earns a small income to support the family. Mrs. Seangheng is requesting a loan of 800,000 Riels to fix up her home. Mrs. Seangheng is the mother of five children, two of whom stay at home while the other three attend the local school.

Jose Guadalupe Chevez Ríos : Nicaragua

$350 of $725 raised.

Started raising funds on Mar 1, 2010




Mr. Jose Chevez works in the UNAN University in Esteli, working as a security guard.

Jose will use the loan to buy a motorcycle and hopes that with it he will be able to travel to and from work.

Jose is married and has 2 children under his care. This is his second loan with Ceprodel (Kiva’s field partner) he has worked for two years with the institution.

Jose says that his loans with Ceprodel have been very important since he paid his debt and has bought some things for his home.

Translated from Spanish by Mayra Duque, Kiva Volunteer

José Nuñez : Paraguay

$125 of $400 raised.

Started raising funds on Mar 12, 2010




José is 39 years old, married, and has 2 sons. He has a motorcycle workshop and motorcycle washer set up on property that he acquired 5 years ago from a relative. He started up his workshop two years ago, and his nephew works there as his assistant. He has a regular clientele, since his services have been well-received by his customers.

With this loan from the Fundación Paraguaya he will be able to buy spare parts for the motorcycles and meet the many demands of his customers in his workshop.

Translated from Spanish by Lisa Grobar, Kiva Volunteer

Veronica Morilla : Philippines

$550 of $650 raised.

Started raising funds on Mar 1, 2010




Veronica Morilla is from the village of Sebasi in Clarin, Misamis Occidental. She is 51 years old. Veronica is married and has 10 school-aged children. To make a living, Veronica provides motorcycle transport services. Veronica has been engaged in her business for over 3 years and earns approximately 10000 PHP a month from these activities.

In 2010, Veronica joined GDMPC to gain access to financial services to help improve her living situation and ability to engage in business activities. Veronica is requesting a loan of 30,000 PHP to pay for registration, franchise and licenses. This will be Veronica’s first loan from GDMPC. She plans to use the additional revenue generated from the business to improve her family’s living conditions.

About GDMPC:

GDMPC is one of the most progressive cooperatives in Mindanao, Philippines. It has four branches and three units offices covering the provinces of Zamboanga del Sur, Lanao del Norte and Misamis Occidental. Its membership is composed mostly of farmers, fisherfolks and small entrepreneurs.

*Note: To maximize efficiency and reduce costs, this loan was posted using a template to automate the translation by Kiva. Given that manual translation of entrepreneur profiles is costly, Kiva created this template for our Field Partner to allow them to continue to post loans in English while providing quality and accurate information to Kiva lenders.

Fred : Uganda

$100 of $400 raised.

Started raising funds on Mar 11, 2010




Fred is a 43-year-old man married to peasant farmer with eight children. He is the family’s income earner and his dream is to have his children go to school up to university level. He owns a house in which his family resides.

Fred has a mobile disco as his business and has been in the business for eighteen years. He started as a tailor then rode a motorcycle for hire. With the help of loans and savings, he bought the disco machines though he dreams of getting modern machines to have an ultra-modern mobile disco.

The purpose of this loan is to buy a generator to enable him easily to operate in areas where there is no electricity.

Suon Kuntha : Cambodia

$650 of $1,100 raised.

Started raising funds on Mar 1, 2010




Suon Kuntha, 37, is a resident of Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, where she has established a small family home and lives with other family members. She is married to Bun Sokha, 41, and has three school-aged children, who require her financial support. Her husband owns a small truck that he uses to pick up merchandise or garment workers for a profit. In order to earn an income, Suon Kuntha buys clothing in bulk from the factory and from her wholesale supplier and sells it at retail prices in the local public market. Suon Kuntha is taking out her loan to buy a new motorcycle which will allow her children to ride to school.

Tusitukirewamu Nanziga Group, Mpigi : Uganda

$250 of $2,150 raised.

Started raising funds on Mar 11, 2010




Nalumu Winnie is a hardworking and devoted woman, 41 years old, who is married with six children aged 22 to 7 years. She also takes care of three dependents.

Winnie is a business lady who has been involved in the sale of fuel (gasoline) from Nanziga for nine years and from which she is able to make 50,000/= as profits each week. Her customers are the boda boda (motorcycle transport) riders in Nanziga where there is no major gas station. Hence, she has ready customers in addition to her good customer care skills which has enabled her to succeed.

Winnie needs a loan to be able to buy more gasoline in jerry cans to sell since having more gasoline in stock enables her to save on transport costs. Winnie appears in the small photo as well as in the big photo.

Kodjo Djikpo : Togo

$675 of $1,200 raised.

Started raising funds on Feb 26, 2010




Born in 1969 in the district of Gapé, Mr. Kodjo DJIKPO is a very dynamic and entrepreneurial man. He is married and has two children. Despite his numerous efforts to escape his financially dependent state, he is unable to do so. Because his activities are no longer generating any income and in order to make ends meet, he has started running a motorcycle taxi business. At present the motorcycle he is using is too old, and he is applying for a loan to buy a new motorcycle. This will allow him to increase his income and his family’s living conditions.

Translated from French by Alison Le Bras, Kiva Volunteer

Benito Arbonida : Philippines

$0 of $450 raised.

Started raising funds on Mar 11, 2010




Mr. Benito Arbonida is from the village of Locus, Sapang Dalaga, Misamis Occidental. He is 46 years old. He is a farmer and a Barangay Kagawad (an elected government official) in the local community. His income of 9,000 per month comes primarily from his barangay honorarium (payment for government duties) and from his agriculture business. Benito is requesting a loan of 20,000 PHP which will be used to pay for his motorcycle.

About PMPC:

Paglaum Multi-Purpose Cooperative (PMPC) is one of the most progressive cooperatives in northwestern Mindanao. It reaches out to the rural poor using the Grameen model.

*Note: To maximize efficiency and reduce costs, this loan was posted using a template to automate the translation by Kiva. Given that manual translation of entrepreneur profiles is costly, Kiva created this template for our Field Partner to allow them to continue to post loans in English while providing quality and accurate information to Kiva lenders.

Hâm Sopheavy : Cambodia

$450 of $700 raised.

Started raising funds on Mar 1, 2010




Mrs. Sopheavy, 41, has established a medium-sized stone house, where she lives with other family members. It is located in Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia. She currently stays at home to either care for the kids or to do housework.

Sopheavy is a widow and the mother of three teenage children, two of whom are learning in school and the other one is employed. The entire family is dependent on Sopheavy’s daughter, who is an employee in the Casino Club, earning $250 per month.

Sopheavy’s daughter always finds it hard commuting to work because she doesn’t have a vehicle. Because of this, Sopheavy is asking for a loan to be used to purchase a motorcycle, which will allow her daughter to drive to work.

Chanthorn Chhoun : Cambodia

$125 of $1,000 raised.

Started raising funds on Mar 12, 2010




Mrs. Chanthorn Chhoun (pictured here), 50, and her husband, Mr. Ny Chhum, 57, have been married since 1979 and have eight children: four sons and four daughters. One of the children is married and lives outside the family home, two are garment factory workers, four attend school and one is still young. The family lives in a small village along National Road Number Five about 20 kilometers from Phnom Penh City.

Chanthorn and her husband are rice farmers. Besides farming, Chanthorn also sells porridge in front of her house and her husband is a wooden house builder.

Chanthorn is requesting her first loan in the amount of US$1,000. She will use $400 to purchase a water pumping machine and $600 of the loan to buy a motorcycle for commuting.

Francisco Manuel Muñiz Acuña : Nicaragua

$125 of $1,175 raised.

Started raising funds on Feb 26, 2010




Manuel is a dedicated 26 year old young man who lives with his mother. With his mother’s support, who used to sell in a Masaya market; and help from his uncles, he managed to complete his studies and graduate as an attorney. He currently works as an account manager for a company. He did not have his father’s support, who immigrated to the United States, so this is why he is very happy for having reached his goal with the help of his loved ones. He made improvements to his mother’s home with his savings, and now he would like a loan in order to build a lockable storage area to store a motorcycle that he uses daily. He needs to buy solder, metal bars, paint, sand, cement and flooring. He plans to continue his studies in order to have better job opportunities in the future.

Translated from Spanish by Hugo Reyes, Kiva Volunteer

Mutinda Mwaniki : Kenya

$275 of $725 raised.

Started raising funds on Mar 12, 2010




Mutinda is 30 years old and married to Monicah Wanjiru. He has been employed as a motorcycle taxi operator in Naivasha for the last two years. He now wants to buy his own motorbike which will give him a higher return.

Mutinda was introduced to KADET by his friend and this will be his first loan. He plans to buy another motorcycle in a year’s time and to employ someone else to run it for him. The purchase of another motorcycle will increase his income tremendously.

S N Jose Group : Bolivia

$375 of $4,075 raised.

Started raising funds on Mar 2, 2010




The Communal Bank “S.N. Jose” is led by Sra. Virginia and consists of 15 members (13 women and 2 men) who live in the same area.

Sr. Hugo is the father of three school-age children. He works as a mechanic and helps his wife at night with selling soft drinks and milanesas (breaded meats) from the corner of their house. His oldest son is 15 years old and in charge of looking after his younger siblings while he and his wife are running their business. Don Hugo is a man who has made many sacrifices. He is currently saving so that he can have a more comfortable home and provide his family with a better place to live. For this reason, he continues to work so that he can fulfill his greatest dreams of seeing his children become professionals and providing them with a decent and comfortable home.

The rest of the members are engaged in different business activities involving public transportation, roasted chicken sales, motorcycle taxis, soft drink sales, clothing, bread, empanadas, shoes, and housekeeping services. The competition that exists among their businesses is not as difficult since each member’s business is well segmented and has its own distribution channels for selling and offering products. Their businesses are situated in strategic locations. The members who sell cosmetics have steadily built up their clientele and have been working for many years with their products.

This loan will be designated for investment in their various works. Some members are starting new businesses. Others are changing out their inventory based on the season and the market conditions of supply and demand. Most of the members only heard about the availability of these loans through their group, so they are taking a training course in which they are instructed in how credit works and the expectations the Institution has for each of its members. Some members are very knowledgeable already since this is an experienced group that has worked previously with another institution.

Translated from Spanish by Ronan Reodica, Kiva Volunteer

Mtumwa M. Mpakani : Tanzania

$0 of $1,125 raised.

Started raising funds on Mar 12, 2010




Mambo from Tanzania! This is 40 year old Mtumwa Mpakani from Mbarali. She married with three children, between the ages of 12 and 18. Additionally, she is responsible for supporting two dependants because their parents cannot take care for them. Mtumwa has been running a “mama lishe” (cafe) business since 2005. A local restaurant or café in Tanzania usually consists of a rough wooden table and some long, wooden benches. The food is all local: rice, ugali (a hot sticky dough, made from maize flour), plantain (a cooked savoury banana), all served with beans, vegetables, meat, and a variety of sauces.

She works at the business for 13-16 hours per day, 7 days per week and is assisted by her sister and one employee. Mtumwa currently earns about 120USD from her business. She is requesting a loan in order to buy a three wheel motorcycle known as Bajaj which can help her transport her goods and people. In the future, she plans to establish another business of transportation. Mtumwa thanks you for your support!

SELFINA has taken a lead role as a pioneer of micro-credit in Tanzania through Micro-Leasing. The organization is engaged in the economic empowerment of women in Tanzania through the provision of a leasing and leaseback microfinance facility. Customs and traditions in Tanzania make it difficult for women to own land and assets, thus they are termed non-creditworthy by financial institutions. This leads to poor financial support and poor access to basic needs and services for women with low incomes. One of the primary advantages of micro leasing is that is allows clients to use the equipment as collateral for future loans with SELFINA, thus enabling them to borrow larger sums in the future.

Poa Pay : Cambodia

$275 of $500 raised.

Started raising funds on Mar 4, 2010




A lot of Cambodian people earn a living by driving a motorcycle taxi. One of those citizens, Mr. Poa Pay, is a motorcycle taxi driver and is able to earn a salary of $5 a day. He uses this income to support all his family expenses such as meals, his child’s clothing, medical bills, and his child’s school fees. In order to help him, his wife works sewing clothes in industry and earns a specific salary.

Recently Poa Pay is hardly finding passengers because his motorcycle taxi is too old and not attractive. To solve this problem, he decided to pursue a loan to be used to replace his old motorcycle taxi. From this he is hopeful that he will able to increase his number of customers and his income.

29 De Enero Group : Bolivia

$1,925 of $3,100 raised.

Started raising funds on Mar 6, 2010




The Communal Bank “29 de Enero” (January 29th) is led by Sra. Dioselina and consists of 14 members (3 men and 11 women) who are mutually supportive of one another.

Sra. Fátima is married and has three school-age children. The oldest is in high school, while the other two are in elementary school. Sra. Fátima manages a small neighborhood grocery store located inside of her home. She sells products such as oil, sodas, and canned goods and hopes to expand her business by adding more products. For this reason she is requesting a loan. In the future, she hopes to enlarge her house and make a few repairs. She also wants to provide her children with a good future by paying for a good education and having a comfortable home where they can develop in all of their activities.

The other members of this Communal Bank have businesses involving cosmetics, food, groceries, fine jewelry, beauty salons, motorcycle taxis, and housekeeping services. Competition is high in the commercial sector, but the members know what it takes to succeed in their businesses by turning over their merchandise or establishing their businesses at the regional markets or neighborhood fairs where they can obtain the most loyal customers who are in need of their products. This loan will be used to expand their businesses by purchasing merchandise, equipment, and supplies. They will also provide more comfortable conditions for their customers. Most of the members are new to the group, but they have plenty of experience working with solidarity group loans at other institutions. They are satisfied with the objectives they have to achieve with Fundación Agrocapital and so far have demonstrated teamwork in each of their previous meetings.

Translated from Spanish by Ronan Reodica, Kiva Volunteer

Shin Ning : Cambodia

$100 of $1,200 raised.

Started raising funds on Mar 9, 2010




Mr. Shin Ning is a 37-year-old military policeman. In addition, he also leaves home with his old motorcycle that he uses to deliver fresh fish to sell retail at the client’s house. This operation has the main point of making more income in order to help him be responsible for his family.

Shin Ning is a widower and has six school-aged kids who are dependent on his income. Recently Shin Ning faced the fact that his existing motorcycle often has broken down during the delivery. Because of this problem happening, he is looking for a $1,200 loan from Kiva’s partner, HKL. He will use his loan to replace his old motorcycle.

Sophat Hor : Cambodia

$275 of $600 raised.

Started raising funds on Mar 9, 2010




Mr. Sophat Hor has been a wooden house builder for almost three years. He operates the business in other provinces far away from his house. Sophat is requesting his first loan of $600 to purchase a motorcycle for commuting.

Sophat, age 38, and his wife, Mrs. Savun Yeun, 38, have been married since 1995 and have five children: four sons and one daughter. One of the children is in high school, two others are in primary school and another one stays at home. Mrs. Savun Yeun has been selling groceries for almost ten years. The family lives on an island in the Mekong River about 15 kilometers from Phnom Penh.

Sophat is not in the photo; his wife was available instead.

©2010 Suzuki Burgman Scooter Riders - 'Lovers of Fun'. All Rights Reserved.

A Keizer man was transported to Salem Hospital after he was struck by an SUV while riding his scooter.

Malcolm Gilbert Clarkson, 84, was southbound on Windsor Island Road when he was hit by a 2003 Ford Explorer. Clarkson was driving a 2005 Honda scooter.

A witness at the scene stated the driver of the Explorer, later confirmed as Anna Marie Klossen, 42, also of Keizer, made a left turn directly into Clarkson’s path.

As of Wednesday, Keizer Police Department was still investigating the case. No citations were issued.

Clarkson was later transferred to Legacy Emmanuel Hospital in Portland.

I was more impressed by the fact that Mr. Clarkson was out riding his Honda scooter. I can only hope that when I’m 84 that I’ll still be riding.

Granted at 84 my reaction times will be a bit slower but I’ll compensate for that by being sprayed in DayGlo yellow from head to toe with a flashing red strobe light on top of my head.

I hope Mr. Clarkson isn’t injured too badly and can look forward to riding his scooter again, soon.

Curious, I wonder who the oldest Suzuki Burgman rider is? Anyone know?

©2010 Suzuki Burgman Scooter Riders - 'Lovers of Fun'. All Rights Reserved.

©2010 Suzuki Burgman Scooter Riders - 'Lovers of Fun'. All Rights Reserved.

DubFx, Not the Usual Human Beat Box
I am trying to keep up with a number of demands these days and at the same time prepare for the big move to northern Virginia. Most of my Internet time activity has been relegated to late-night surfing and listening to other people’s podcasts. In among the usual Stumble-upon ad-supported sites I happened upon this [...]

Denver’s Vintage Moto Gets News Coverage
I mentioned this museum, Vintage Moto in a post after my last trip to Denver. A few days ago, a local Denver TV station did a story on the owner Jim Dillard. He has an amazing collection of small displacement Italian motorcycles from the 1960s. You can see an article about Jim at the following [...]

Changing Travel Plans
On the heels of deciding we would move to Northern Virginia I have been flooded  with reconsidering a whole series of decisions including canceling plans to get to Amerivespa 2009. I am hoping that next year I will be settled and can make the trip to where ever it is been held.
Several friends have asked “how [...]

Good News…for me.
I have been pondering this post for the past week. It was about this time seven days ago I accepted another dream job. However, like owning a vintage Vespa, it comes with both risks and rewards. Those of you who know me might say I am a professional “do-gooder”. I have always worked in social services and [...]

Scooting Back into Your Life
If I were Catholic I would be saying, “forgive me father, it has been four weeks since my last post”. For those of you waiting for the disparaging words of self loathing and apologies, forget it. The fact is, I have a busy life and the best I have been able to do is store [...]

Jason Reeves and the Vespa Experiment – Episode 94
Back in April I was following a few of my peeps on twitter when someone posted a tweet about a group of three musicians who were putting together a west coast tour called The Vespa Experiment with sponsorship from Vespa USA. As an extension of the “Go Green” campaign Vespa was providing three [...]

LA Latebirds Moped Video by LAEdge
I got an email this week from Imiuswi Aborigine pointing me to the March 2009 Flock Yeah rally. The event was put on by the LA Latebirds Moped Club along with help from the  Choke Motorcycle Shop. The following video of the rally is done by LAEdge. Nicely done mi amici!

©2010 Suzuki Burgman Scooter Riders - 'Lovers of Fun'. All Rights Reserved.

There has been a few calls for a custom Ruckus clone we have in mind and will take pre orders for these 85cc machines.

The Peirspeed Madass 50 and 125 is getting some looks also and seems to be a fairly good looking rugged machine that gets the job done. A much larger machine in person. Comfort and ride from large wheels plus power 4 speed trans.

Znen Naviagator 250 2009 Model

Now Its Time
Jan Slows Down

With the new year came the slower months of Jan and Feb which find us working the same long hours updating our website and finishing up the Go Cart mods in the shop we always have in the winter months. In Jan most have gotten their carts up and running and upgraded.

 Hammerhead 250

We have a Hammerhead 250 in there right now gettin our special hop up for power and torque with Dr Pulley products and high performance exhaust plus the air and fuel upgraded. Most years scooter repairs fall off to nothing when its cold but this year it did not we found ourselves repairing scoots all winter, I know because we have been using the van plus I was able to hang on to the staff all winter which I have not blogged about at all. The state of the economy I have stayed away from but will address.

Kymco People S 50 4T

Last week we got a Kymco People S50 4T that was just not acting right. So after a few minutes of checking things out the ignition was wired up corrrectly which is not the correct one anyway and she fired right up but did not run to great. Some fuel and air fixes and wiring problems at CDI were corrected and she was all one. So we went ahead and tried some No Rev CDIs that work great and add all kinds of performance to the ever slow Kymco 50s bu the people with its 16inch wheels is a bit faster plus what a smooth ride that is easy to steer.

Do It Now or at Least Start Planning

Scootertronics has gotten a shipment of Sport Rs and Metro Duo Turbos with orders waiting to be shipped. These two were ever popular for the last four years for their power and speed. Plus have rear carriers trunks and large seats, these are 2009 models.

Streaker 150s Blazer/Delta50s and M80 150s

Scootertronics has also gotten a shipment of Streaker 150s which is the staple Sport 150 which replaced our Stradas we used to offer but no longer do. With the Streaker we could always offer a trunk which no Stradas ever do or ever will if they are even sold as new units, I know some old ones were laying around but for warned stay away from these, we had some and gave them back.

The State of the Economy 

I have stayed away from this subject during this time when all we are told is everyone is broke and no one is buying anything. This is not true, Netflix is slamming, McDonalds is doing wonderful as with most places that add value to your purchase which is what scootertronics does.With the ever growing scooter industry so many are opening up websites and drop-shipping scooters all over the place with no support and the cheapest of the cheap when some really good scooters can arrive at your door and be ridden in 15 minutes or the time it takes to uncrate or fill up with 2 bucks of gas. Not assembled the front end off or guess if it starts. Now dealers are shipping scooters claiming they only need front wheel attached. They do not tell you shocks are unhooked, voltage reg is disconnected, front panels are all off, air box is unhooked and hanging there, we got these the other day and it was shocking that I was paying a good price and I have to build the scooter. Of course no mnual or instructions and distributor has no support or tech service. We put together but its now costing time just to get it ready to prep.

As far as Chinese scooters being poor quality I will say it again as I always have its the dealer who sells and offers no support and most of all has no ideal what the apecs are or what the scooter really is or what it does. It amazing me some of the things customers tell me when calling for help. I try to find out as much as possible so when I am helping someone with a brand new scooter they had drop-shipped from a scooter website they can not reach or can not help them. Most can get anyone on the phone. If you make a 1500-4000 dollar purchase for a vehicle you are going to ride on the road with cars you really should have a professional prep it and if you are going to do it yourself make sure you can reach dealer by phone before you purchase. I have a list of places that can not help and its because most never have touched the scooter they sell nor have a shop nor know anything about scooters.

Scootertronics adds value to your scooter purchase by prepping and recrating for no damage. We also stock our parts, high performance parts, we all ride, race the scooters, assemble them, know the names of the them, we know what engines are in them the whole nine yards. Well we charge more but its worth it. We have a shop, parts dept and people who are dedicated to helping our customers. Everyone at scootertronics loves what they do.

Here they are, the people that make Scootertronics what it is today in 2009
Tommy Thunder

First Tech, Main Mechanic, Retail scooter sales, retail parts sales, main high performance mod upgrade dude and this is why he is Tommy Thunder well really got his name for his drum playing skills plus it sounded like thunder when he blow up his first RX8 he modified in 2006 before I gave him a high compression head. So if Tommy can not get it going then not sure if it will ever get going. Tommy does a great job finding what will work and what will not work and what is true and what is not so I know what to tell every one. Tommy puts in countless hours everyweek and rides a Yamaha Zuma in races, he also rides a Classic 150 plus a few other scooters and a 250 Vision Liquid Cooled Motorcycle from Tank he recieved as a bonus in 2006.

Mary Chaffe

Mary plays an important role in our retail store by answering phones and greeting customers that come to visit and keeping Tommy and Levey in check. Mary ships all scooters parts and everything else going out. Estes Express, UPS, USPS, DHL are all Marys best friends. Most important to me Mary keeps track of all retail sales and scooter vin numbers so she knows who has what scooter and when they got it and where the scooters went and where they are now. Plus without vin number there is no paper work for tags. Plus she is a full time mom with two teenagers and a full time wife and rides a Retro 16 85cc scooter and a rock music lover.

Levey  Oiler

Foremost Levey is our scooter expert in repairs of all kinds. I learned this when we had a starter that was bad in a 250, so Levey let us know and by the time it went through the channels to get a new one into shop, which is basically letting Tommy know with some paper work at production meeting with me in the am who lets Mary and Debi know who then check stock and make sure Levey gets his starter to finish up job. Well by the time this happen I was on my way to my office and here comes Levey screaming up th edrive way on the 250 which does not have a kick start so I am like how did you get it started, Levey says I rebuilt starter and put it back in an dstarted it up. So thats it he is the main man who doe sall repairs and preps all scooters. Levey rides everything, Starda 170cc, Classic 150, Sport 150 and a few others, Levey needed wheels a while agoso I told him go in the back and build a scooter, two hours later he rode out and home. He has been ridding to work everyday since and it below freezing right now here in MD

Debi Dean

Debi is Scootertronics Operations Manager which means she is the left and right hands of the company. Debi answers the 800 number so she gets a lot of calls. She handles all vendor accounts and is the driving force behind our Givi, Scooter Carriers, Mobility Carriers and the success we have with all accounts and internet sales. Debi takes all orders over the phone and gets customers to the right person to help our customers. She handles all my problems with ease and keeps me on track so I can keep Scootertronics growing and profitable. Updating and adding products to the site takes up any spare time she might haveGoing to all ends to make sure customers happy and get what they need from scootertronics. Debi was last to come aboard and the first one called upon when there is a problem with anything. So if you have a problem talk to her. Debi is a mom to a young man and a teenage girl. She is very single. Debi commutes the longest distance so gets a private office with a window plus private kitchen and bathroom.  Debi rides a Harley.

 Michael (scootermike)

Well I am the owner and do all internet scooter sales and high performance parts plus anything that has to do with website. Not going to blow my own horn here but I can do it all and have been for 6 years. I built entire site and wrote everything.

New 250 2009 High Power CDI 50

Looks like we will offer a 250 from Znen along with Red Steak for 2009. Label Navigator with a large body and frame plus disc brakes along with liquid cooled engine. We will offer this unit in place of our Expressway model. Along with Znen 250 we will also have a really hot looking Wangye 150 as the Grace 150 as of now. These two units will hit Feb and March.

Shop News

Along with a Polini cylinder kit for a Kymco Agility I installed a high performance CDI I had recieved as a demo unit last year. When I get these which I do from time to time I like to really see if the no rev limit thing is happening and it sure was this time theis Kymco Agility screams now. A very very good upgrade that kicks the rev limit to death finally. I will get more and will have them on the site in a week.

Dec 2008
With the new year right around the corner once again I welcome it with open arms and a open mind. This has worked for me in the past so lets do it again. With gas prices jumping all over the place and really giving people a better way of getting things done plus scooters are here again to help make it happen . Now its how far can I go on 1.89 a gallon. I can drive for two weeks now when it was only one week before. I see 2009 really getting going right away. It seems people were strapped because of christmas spending but the phone just started ringing again and a few nice days and repairs were being picked up and dropped off. This only says people want their scooters now.

With the International Motorcycle Show in DC coming Jan 9-11 we will be plenty busy with the scooter pavilion that will be there for the first time. CF Moto and Kymco are there along with Piaggo Stella and Genuine which Buddy models are some of my favorite to add a high performance exhaust from MRP.

Right after that there is the Dealer Expo which I will never miss even when it will be hard to get everything done thats needed we will still be there checking out everything we need. Most likely I will lend a hand to MRP again this year I enjoyed it very much last year.

CN250 Power Upgrades
The CN250 Honda Clone 244cc four stroke scooter engine that is also used in go carts has proven itself to get the job done. Certainly a favorite engine at scootertronics and across the US. Most 250 Chinese scooters use this engine which is a model number and not the actual size of engine. Being 244cc with 72mm piston size you can bore the cylinder to accept a 75mm forged piston from JT Pistons which we have attained from MRP with gives use a 75mm Cylinder Kit with piston and rings plus gaskets. Which brings us all upgrade parts for a CN250 scooter or go cart which includes models from CF Moto Jonway Roketa Tank JMStar and many others. The CF Moto engines are the best made which are in Hammerhead Carts. You can now do upgrades to

CN250 Mods/Upgrades
High Performance Head with Titanium Springs
75mm Cylinder Kits with Forged Pistons by JT Pistons from MRP
Clutches from Dr Pulley and Polini plus Malossi
Variators from Dr Pulley Polini Malossi
Roller Weights from Dr Pulley Polini Malossi
Kevlar Belts
32mm Carbs from OKO Keihin
Mikuni Jets
Uni Filters EMGO Air Filters
Mikuni Fuel Pump
Motion Pro Fuel and Air Lines
NGK Spark Plugs
High Performance Coil
Adjustable No Rev Limit CDI

The MRP Exhaust is a shorter can than used on CF Moto V5 and V3 so its a great pipe a little different tone.

Doing the trans upgrades are the best way to increase performance plus electrical parts are quite impressive.

When doing exhaust upgrades add air filters, jets, carbs, intakes and new fuel lines and fuel pumps for gas flow plus air flow to get all you can out of a high performance exhaust.

Doing the trans which can add value right off and easier to tune to what you are trying to get for scooters so try 21gram weights plus clutch and belt and it does great for take off, we have done these where they were too much on some scooters so we would simply lower weights to 18grams. Go Carts should add 18gram to start off with for the power needed to get up and going and stay when needed so add a clutch to this only improves it even more.

Linhai Aeolus 300 Mods
The Scooter Shop at Scootertronics is doing mods or upgrades with a Polini clutch and high performance exhaust along with a nice chrome header pipe also that will add torque and a cool low tone. Doing the clutch will also find us fine tune with Polini weights or a set of Dr Pulley weights, we are trying to get plenty of take off power and torque with top end speed. The best we have found is with 10gram weights from Polini, they come in eight packs, Dr Pulley does not have these at this time with eight roller weight packs so we will have to use two packs during testing.

CN250 75mm Piston Kit

During the month we are stocking some forged CN250 piston and ring sets while we bore out some stock cylinders to fit new piston. Its not about the cc”s gain but the performance of the piston we are looking for to make the difference in power. The stock piston size on most CN250s is 72mm but we have seen 67mm kits for sale so we have to think there are some 67mm pistons out there which would not be 244cc. We are using CF Moto cylinders and Jonway for our stock heads. The CF Moto heads we set up will cost more than the stock Jonway ones we will have. We hope to price these at 399/499. The CF Moto kits will not be ready till 2009 but we will Jonway kits soon. Since we have the cylinder kits for Linhai/Yamaha designed engines from Polini and most likely will make our own also. We are looking into making pistons on our own even more now.

Linhai Aeolus 400-B EFI Spring 2009
Linhai Aeolus 400-B EFI Scootertronics Adds Linhai 400 

Spring 2009 will bring the Linhai Aeolus 400 B EFI so we have electronic fuel injection which will move Linhai ahead of the pack now just not simply a good choice down to the only choice. With the Linhai Aeolus 300 still a very strong scooter and highly recommended for a reliable scooter for commuting unlike alot offered at this price across the internet. While sale for these will do well this type of machine screams service and a must to have when its just not as simple as vaccum feed fuel lines to electric fuel pumps and fuel injection. Linhai follows where CF Moto is now with fuel injection on 150s such as the new Glory.  With the Linhai 400 consumers will have a number of good choices between CF Moto and Linhai for a quality scooter with everyday use in mind.

Easy List for Best Scooter Value

This list is broken down into several sections for price, service, parts and use. This is also based on what scooters we offer and ride so we know them well enough to make a judgement but this is my opinion from what I have learned first hand.

Everyday Use with average speeds of 55=65 with some freeway travel. Average daliy trip being qn hour or up to 75 miles twice daily.

CF Moto scooters and motorcycles using the CN250 172mm engine with long case on V3 and V5 which is a 244cc liquid cooled engine. So this also includes the Fashion 250 which holds up like a V5. There are no 150s at all in with these bikes. Linhai 260 and 300 also make this trip. Both of these use the Yamaha design for an engine from the Majesty or YP 250.  This also true of the Kymco 250 models and the newer Linhai 400 ans Q LInk 400. All these scooters have many upgrades and performance parts to keep one busy at alll times. If you always ride you will want to try a few like exhaust systems, clutches from Polini Malossi DR Pulley and MRP make the best upgrades.

Now pulling out a 150 on city streets is a great feeling to zip around on these models from CF Moto and Linhai and a complete host of others. The larger 16 wheels on scooters from Kymco, Xingyue and Znen make some fine machines that get the job done. The Retro line of models like Classic 150, Linhai Retro 150 capture the look and feel with a Milan model with 12 inch wheels that does a real good job. These all are using the basic GY6 engine with CF Moto having a liquid cooled version that is an excellent engine. TGB has a model in this class that boast experience more than anything which counts as alot these days same as Kymco with its People Line and Bet and Win 150 and 250. The Znen model we see as Zen King is a good example of value and price for a stable ride everyday. The ITA does remarkable as a inexpensive version of Kymco people with not just being a GY6 based scooter but offering better tech and handling plus power and ride, its just plain easy to see around when you are ridding one of the ITA 150s with 16 inch wheels it just happen.

Linhai/Yamaha Best Products for Scooters ATVs
Linhai/Yamaha ATVs Scooters

With everything power sports Linhai offers the top of the line scooters and ATVs. With so many different products and websites offering inexpensive scooters and atvs online you have to be real careful and completely inderstand you get what you pay for in this time. Even thought there are great deals out there and alot of these products are just right for the consumer but if you are looking for quality scooters and atvs for a resonable prive that will get the job done none other Linhai do it.

Yamaha Zuma 125
Yamaha Zuma 125

This was a great move by Yamaha to release a power four stroke 125 Zuma so all the Zuma lovers can finally have a four stroke with power. As soon as these were bought up by the few and then more as they were brought out of crates and added to show rooms high performance parts would soon follow and with a four stroke you have just as much to do these bikes as any others.

As with the Yamaha Vino 125 which has numerous upgrades the Zuma 125 now has a high performance pipe from Two Bros to lay its mark on.

Honda Ruckus Performance Pipe
Honda Ruckus Performance Pipe from Two Bros adds the high performance you are looking for and a sound to die for so they hear now also.

The Honda Ruckus demands high performance mods to exhaust and a change to the roller weights and variator from Polini matches well with a complete performance exhaust kit with bracket and hardware to bolt right up and get going.

New for 2009
New for 2009 Jonway Predator 250/300cc not out yet but looks good for the begining of 2009 and I am sure it might take till after Indy unless some are getting these made now which we are looking into also along with a few other models and ones we will bring back like our Classic Euro Retro which we were out of this past year. A new round tail end will be the biggest difference in body style and just plain smoother lines with same CN250 engine that now will be 300cc or close to it. The Linhai Aeolus 300 will still be here along with Classic 260, the Linhai models will stay top performer throughout 2009as fas as performance for being a very stable scooter.

Here is another look we like for 50 and 150

Kymco Scooter Windscreens and Top Case
Kymco Scooter Windscreens and Top Case

Scootertronics adds the ever popular Givi Scooter accessories for Kymco scooters. With great new products for the Kymco Agility models consumers have a quality windshield they can add and top case hardware for mounting Givi top cases that are easily removed for a carrier to go with you. I have been using Gvi top cases on my ride for a few years now and can not beat attaching your trunk to your bike and removing it like a briefcase you carry into the office. With the popular Kymco Agility 50 model being bought up by consumers facing the high gas prices which have now settled back down to something not to scary a windshield added for a better experience over all and storage to get the job done on your commute. Customers will many new Givi windshields and mounting hardware for tops cases for Kymco Xcting 250 and 500 plus the People 50 and People S models up to the People S 250.

Yamaha Majesty 400 spoilers and top case mounting hardware all new to Scootertronics along with Piaggo MP3 500 windscreeen and top case hardware.

Parts Move
Parts Dept Moves

Scootertronics to better serve its local customers and stream line our parts shipping the complete parts dept has been moved from internet offices to our shop. The very first day this paid off in helping our local customers get parts they would have to normally wait for to be shipped to them.

Scootertronics continues to add parts to our site but the amount we are now stocking and bringing we are behind getting all the maxie scooters (250 and above) parts on the web site. Although our high performance parts are on there for to purchase at anytime and these sure move fast. Its been hard to keep most Dr Pulley high performance parts in stock they do not come in very often and you have to order way in advance and never know how much to get.

ATVs

Scootertronics has started stocking some ATVs for our local customers. We do this at this time of year according to demand.

Scootertronics Big Changes Move Added
 2008 Economy

The gas crisis in the spring and summer and now with the economy in the tank its been an up and down year for Scootertronics. With 2008 out taking off in Feb with Vog 260 sales and then shortage of product making any kind of plans was just not happening. With that said the economy and two robbery’s have left our heads spinning. Rather than just close or let everyone go or simply cry Scootertronics carries on with our plan to expand and add better products and service which we have here are some of our changes———

  Moving Parts Dept

Starting in November all parts and orders will be flowing through The Scooter Shop at Scootertronics in Sykesville MD 21782 west of Baltimore on Rt 26. The Scooter Shop location will get a huge boast in parts supply along with all other products offered on the internet on the web site. Scooters plus all repairs have been here since begining we are just combining our operations cost to better handle all customers through the correct channels making it easier to shop at Scootertronics.com and get service at The Scooter Shop. With real time inventory and staff we are now able to help with just about anything locally and throughout the states from our web site. Myself, (scootermike, Michael), Tommy Thunder, Levey, Lisa and Mary all in one place will make it so much easier for customers to get help and products faster. Debi Dean will contine to run Scootertronics as Operation Manager. Her role is to keep us alive and kicking through our leases, contracts, legal matters, policy and procedure are created by operations.

800 Number and Acessories Signage

All Givi Products, Helmets, Sullivan and WSP, ATV Solutions plus others will still be handle through internet office by Operations Manager Debi Dean seperate from The Scooter Shop.  The 800 number will be used strictly for phone orders, questions on stock and shipping info. New numbers and phone service will address tech question for all people who call even though they are not customers yet, we strive to help all that call with correct info to get thier scooter or cart upp and running. Signs are being added at shop to better direct to our location so be on the look out. With the addition to a glass store front has added traffic to the shop which is now a complete retail store something we have worked hard for and comes at a high cost in these tough times for small business. This was made possible by our landlord and other local businesses that support Scootertronics and what they are doing to create jobs, plus help with gas savings scooters for all.

Scooter Engines

Scootertronics now offers off the shelf engines for scooters using 139 qnd 157. These are Jonway engines that come with intake, trans and drum brakes. As always we can build these into custom engines for your scooter in anyway you need or want for the best performance you can get by adding quality cylinder kits plus trans and exhaust. These engines will start at 399 shipped.

 Go Carts ATVs

ATVs and Go Carts are in stock and shipping plus moving at The Scooter Shop.

Helmets

Helmets from HJC have been added and are a welcome site adding the quality and style demanded by scooter riders today.

Givi Products

Givi continyes to add quality products to its line up and although not lisited we can order anything in catolog.

©2010 Suzuki Burgman Scooter Riders - 'Lovers of Fun'. All Rights Reserved.

I’m not sure if I should be appalled by the rider below or he should be applauded for his ability to deliver carpet on a scooter.

At least he is wearing a full face helmet. Bonus points I guess.

©2010 Suzuki Burgman Scooter Riders - 'Lovers of Fun'. All Rights Reserved.