The Razor E300 Electric Scooter is designed for people age 12 and over. It goes up to 15 mph and has extra wide 10 inch tires, with a hand-operated rear brake. In comparison, the E200 model has 8 inch tires, and goes 12 mph. To make it go, use the twist-grip throttle, which has variable speed acceleration. The quiet, chain driven motor will zip you there in style. One charge gives you 45 minutes of drive time. Charging time is 8 hours, and it comes with two 12-volt sealed lead acid batteries for convenience.

When you reach your destination, you can fold it up using its folding handlebar system. The E300 Electric Scooter is 41 inches long, 17 inches wide, and 42 inches tall and weighs 52 pounds.

The Razor E300 Electric Scooter requires some assembly, but it is reportedly easy to do. After one charge, you’ll get around 45 minutes driving time. The Razor E300 works best on relatively flat surfaces. Steep climbs will drain the motor faster. While the E300 is designed for riders 12 and over, it is quite popular among adults and college students. It is designed to carry up to 220 lbs, though some adults say that it slows considerably at weights lower than that.

The owner and riders of the Razor E300 Electric Scooter must ride responsibly, and need to know all the local, state, and federal laws pertaining to use of electric scooters. It should not be ridden by children under age 12, or by people who weigh over 220 lbs. Riders should check tire inflation periodically, and should always wear a helmet, knee pads, and wrist pads.

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This may be the most adorable mode of transportation ever. The Razor Pocket Mod Miniature Euro Electric Scooter looks like one of those sleek little scooters everyone rides in Europe, only smaller, and cuter, if that is possible. It comes in a selection of gorgeous retro colors, too. This little vehicle can go at speeds up to 15 mph, has a padded seat, and a storage compartment underneath. The tires are 12-inch pneumatic tires, and you get a retractable kickstand.

With a quiet, chain-driven electric motor, and sleek retro styling, the “Pocket Mod” goes fast enough for fun, but not too fast. It has a rear suspension system, making the ride extra comfortable. The built-in battery goes for up to 10 miles on one charge. This is the kind of fun vehicle young girls squeal over, particularly those with a sharp eye for hot Italian scooter design. It has received raves in many magazines: Teen Vogue, Time, and Newsweek have given it a definite green light.

Charge time is approximately 8 hours for the 12 volt acid lead batteries (included). Designed for ages 13 and older, this scooter can hold up to 150 lbs. and has a 90 day warranty.

This scooter does require some assembly, but it is a simple task. The 12 inch tires are strong enough to cope with the occasional rock on the road or sidewalk. One of the many things kids (and parents) love about these is how quiet they are. They are almost silent.

Anyone owning or riding one of the Pocket Mod designs is responsible for knowing the rules of the road: local, state, and federal, and obeying them. A safety helmet (perhaps in the same sherbet shade as the scooter?) is an absolute necessity for safety. Wear your helmet for every ride. That way, the biggest risk you’ll take is starting a major trend.

Buy it from Amazon now: Click Here

Ok so your probably don’t expect a post on handheld vacuums at modvespa.com but bear with me. My Vespa will generally get a good clean every week but i find it really hard to clean the inside chamber and inside the seat. It got me thinking that maybe i could use the same handheld vacuum i use in the car on my vespa!

Amazingly when i used my handheld vacuum on my vespa, it cleaned it in half the time it normally took.

Ok, so this is not something that will change your life but it still saves me ten minutes when you could be out scootering!

I checked out a hand-held vacuum comparison site to find the best vacuum cleaner for my scooter.

At hand-held vacuum cleaners.com they believe that the Eureka 71B, Dyson DC16 are the top handheld vacuums on the market today. I went for the Dyson DC16 because we already had a dyson and it looked cool he he

You might have read recently about Valentino Rossi winning his 7th world grand prix but did you see his helmet?

The helmet was designed by  Aldo Drudi and has the shocked face of  Valentino Rossi looking out the top. I will keep you updated if any helmet manufacturer starts to offer this as an option.

If you are looking for more cool helmets then Oddee has 15 Creative Motorcycle Helmets for you to check out.

Question: What sounds better than a music tour around the California coastline?
Answer: Use Vespa’s to do all tour traveling!

That is exactly what Jason Reeves will be starting today. As part of the Vespa experiment, they will be on tour around the California area until the 8th May.

Vespa scooters where chosen because of their smaller impact on the environment. As we blogged about before, a 10% switch to scooter in the United States, would save 15 million gallons per day!

If you are around the California are then you check if you can make any of the following dates:
* 4/30 Carlsbad, CA, The Museum of Making Music**
* 5/1 Costa Mesa, CA, Sutra Lounge
* 5/2 Hermosa Beach, CA, Saint Rocke
* 5/3 Los Angeles, CA, Roxy
* 5/5 Ventura, CA, The Lodge at Zoey’s
* 5/7 San Luis Obispo, CA, Downtown Brew
* 5/10 Monterey, CA, Monterey Live
* 5/12 San Francisco, CA, Café Du Nord

Let’s hope we see more musicians choosing to tour with Vespa’s

While the rest of the worlds auto companies are looking at impeding bankruptcy, Vespa bucks the trend. The global scooter manufacturer amassed a 60% increase in growth during 2008.

The Piaggio group which also includes such brands as Vespa, Moto Guzzi and Aprilia managed to shift over 20,000 scooter and other motorbikes in the United States alone.

Whilst the amount of  cars being sold is dropping each day, the cheaper scooter is managing to become a better alternative to consumers. Some of the reasons for the increase in  popularity of the Vespa scooter is:

• Parking prices has increased year on year
• Gas price is still expensive for most families
• Traffic jams in cities mean that using the car can sometimes take twice as long.

The United States scooter market still has a lot of catching up to do with Europe. Currently over 600,000 scooters are sold in Europe compared to the total figure sold in the U.S being 220,000.  When we compare the US market in 2000 where 20,000 scooter where sold this has meant an increase of 200,000!

Since arriving in the US in 2000, the amount of vespa dealerships has gone from 0 to 325 today.

Currently the main scooter on offer from the Vespa brand are priced from $3,299 to $6,199 with some of the piaggio branded bikes going up to just under $9,000. The price difference when compared to most cars means that the amount of Vespa’s sold is set to continue in the coming months.

It’s not just your wallet that will be saved from switching to two wheels. As the latest “vespanomics” advertising campaign pointed out,  if 10% of Americans moved to 2 wheels 14 million gallons of fuel would be saved per day!

I have had a Vespa through the good years of the economy but now that its taken a dive for the worse the decision to switch should be a no-brainer.

Check out some cheap Vespa’s on ebay.

Step 1: Make sure you have the engine kill switch selected (check image below for more information)

Step 2:Next step is to remove the light and cell phone charger jack. Remove the screws securing the battery cover and carburettor cover.  Remove the 4 bolts securing the “met-in” box and lift it out to the scooter.

Step 3: View the seat/ “met-in” box removed

Step 4: Remove the screws and small plastic panels on both sides

Step 5: Remove 2 bolts holding black plastic to the frame. Remove 2 screws near gas cap. Remove screw in colored plastic at the body seam and the  screw attaching colored plastic to black plastic in engine compartment.

Step 6: Remove black plastic piece (with lid to gas cap) and replace gas cap.

Step 7: Note the flexibility of the colored plastic body. This will allow for removal of the valve cover in a bit.

Step 8: The part circled in red is the valve cover. This is what must be removed before you can inspect valves.

Removal of the valve cover requires the removal of 4 bolts, 2 nuts and 2 hoses.

The top 2 bolts and top hose can be seen in this picture. (circled in green)

Step 9: Now to the bottom right half of the valve cover. Remove the bolt and hose. The bolts and nuts can be removed with standard wrenches.

Step 10: Remove the 4th bolt and two nuts on the bottom left of the valve cover.

You will probably observe the valve cover separate from the cylinder head a bit. A little oil may drip from the now separated parts.

Now on to the trickiest part of the job, removing the valve cover from the bike. To do this, push down on the back half of the bike to change the orientation of the engine relative to the frame. Whilst you are doing this with you right hand, try to wiggle valve cover free with your left. Flex the colored body plastic (not too much) to make a gap a gap for the cover to slip through. This may take several tries, but you will get it eventually. Just think of the time saved by not taking all the body plastic off.

Step 11: Next get the engine to stop dead center. To do this you will have to turn the engine by hand while you look at the two visual indicators.

Begin by removing the three bolts holding the chrome piece onto the crank case. (note that oil filer is dangerously close to one of the bolts. Make sure the oil filer is blocked when removing the bolts to prevent bolts from dropping into your engine.)  Remove the circular hatch (upper left) part with a screw driver.

Step 12: Sandwiched between the fly wheel and the chrome plate you just removed is small easy to loose part. (see spring next to it.)

Step 13: With a 19mm sprocket, begin rotating the engine clockwise.

Step 14: The engine will be at “TDC” when the “T” mark on the flywheel aligns with the index mark on the case and the circle timing chain sprocket is visible.

Step 15: Select the blade on a feeler guage with a thickness of 0.1mm and slide into the gap as shown. If the blade will not fit the gap, the gap is too tight and must be let out 0.1mm.

If the blade is not be contacted on both sides, the gap is too big and must be closed 0.1mm

If its clear that the blade is being contacted both sides and passed through the gap with a small amount of friction, you are in good shape.

Step 16: If the valves need adjustment loosen the nut (see image below) and either unscrew or screw by hand until the proper gap is reached. Hold the adjusting screw in place with an adjustable wrench while you tighten down the nut.

Inspect the gap with feeler gauge to ensure the gap did not change while you where tightening the nut down.

Step 17: You may want to get an extra gasket on hand before you do your adjustment. Although the seal is rubber and reusable, it does wear out over time and can be damaged in the process. You never know exactly what you are going to find out when the cover is off so its better to be prepared.

Thats it! You just saved $100+ and now you know even more about the scooter you love. Now if you kept everything organized assembly should be quick and painless.

A number of close friends have had real problems finding a full list of UK and US vespa dealers. I have done a little research and I have created an article that will help you find your nearest Vespa dealer.

US Vespa Dealers

• First place you want to visit is: http://www.vespausa.com/dealers/zips.cfm This page on the VespaUSA site has a search function for both state and town. This page will give you an idea of authorised VespaUSA dealers but does not list the independents.

• Second place you want to visit: http://www.vespasuperstore.com/ This site covers the following areas: FORT LAUDERDALE, MIAMI and PALM BEACH. If your near San Francisco then http://www.firstkick.com/ should be checked out.

• Third place you want to visit: http://www.scootrs.com/ If you are not looking for a new scooter then scootrs does some great restoration projects. If you need to find an old Vespa wreck to do up then I suggest visiting Ebay or gumtree.

• Fourth Place you want to visit: http://www.google.com Try some long tail searches based on your area - e.g.: “Vespa dealer in washington”

• Fifth Place: If you want to not pay dealer price then by all means find a near new Vespa on Ebay, I have found some great bargains this way. Just remember to ‘watch’ a few before you make a bid, so you can get an idea of the market price.

Vespa Dealers UK

As I am based in the UK I have a large number of independents that you can check out for both new Vespas and restoration projects.

• http://www.belindo-classicscooters.com Offers restoration Vespa and Lambretta scooters - worth checking out.

• http://www.buzzsolomoto.com/ If you live near Halifax and need a Italian/Spanish restored Vespa then this could be the place for you. Again not had personal experience but worth a visit for research purposes.

• http://www.classicscootersuk.co.uk/ If you are looking for a Classic Vespa and you live near Surrey then this is very good site.

• http://www.eddybullet.com/ Based in Brighton these guys have a lot of information for a prospective Vespa buyer.

• http://www.euro-scooters.co.uk/ A london based Vespa Dealer. Worth checking out if you are looking for a brand new/used Vespa scooter.

• http://www.haywards.co.uk/ If your near Cambridge then this Vespa dealer is defiantly worth a look.

• If you live in the Manchester/Stockport area then http://www.phoenix-heinz.co.uk/navigation.htm should be checked out. You can also give Scooter Crazy a call on: 0161 476 5800 I have used these guys and they are really good (plus very affordable.) If you ask them what you want they should be able to track down a classic Vespa for you in the North West area of the UK.

• http://www.scooteremporium.com/ A London based scooter restoration dealership.

• http://www.scooterden.com/ A London Vespa dealership that offers new scooters to buy.

Again my advice for the US still stands for the UK, it’s worth checking out Ebay for some second hand bargains.

For the road warrior, the rebel, a weekend journey into the unknown on a motorcycle can be the height of adventure and freedom. Now, with the help of a new TomTom device - the RIDER 2nd Edition, which is made for motorcycles - the motorcycle lover can enhance his or her trip even further. The RIDER 2nd Edition is a motorcycle gps that has many desirable features, including Fuel Prices Service, TomTom Map Share, the Help Me! feature, and TomTom Traffic, complete with a 30-day free trial, which includes brand new maps of the highest graphical quality.

Additionally, bikers now have access to dedicated trip statistics that can make any road trip much simpler. The feature allows the biker to view the average and maximum speeds at which he or she traveled per journey, the distance from home, and the total miles traveled.

Even if you’ve previously purchased the RIDER device in one of its earlier incarnations, you can still benefit immensely from the updated software features - and software may be updated for free using TomTom HOME. Completely new maps are available with TomTom HOME as well. If a new map is purchased - along with a 2 GB DB card (which must be bought separately) - users will then also be able to easily take advantage of TomTom Map Share.

TomTom also offers a map guarantee. The guarantee states that if any new map is released within thirty days of the time the GPS user begins using his or her device, then it may be downloaded for free.

The new enhanced RIDER 2nd Edition comes already equipped with the newest Tele Atlas maps of North America as well. Comprehensive maps of both Canada and the United States make up the set.

With the advent of the RIDER software, motorcycle aficionados can now enjoy the same inventive features that users of the automobile products have enjoyed for some time. Best of all, it’s just in time for summer - prime motorcycle season.

As far as ABS is concerned Ive learned to accept its value and lifesaving properties on 4 wheels as its come on so many times when driving my car. Probably a reflection of how bad a driver I really am. I’m sure today its improved on 2 wheels anyway and will offer a real contribution to anyone who has it fitted I have read many times in the motor cycle magazines I read of so called professional riders who turn it off as they have better control without ABS.

A control I can’t say I have even though Ive ridden for over 40 years. Despite my numerous number of offs due to high speed or lack of experience, but I applaud these experts but would caution anyone without that level of expertise to be cautious in their own ability to outperform a factory fitted system like ABS. I did however, the other day have a need of a panic braking system and my 08 Burgman doesn’t have ABS fitted although it does have the linked braking system as fitted as standard. I did apply the left hand dual brake in emergency and the back brake locked up and gave me an interesting situation by locking up and stepping out which I wasn’t ready for.

I was fortunate and my reactions kept the bike upright and no problem but it was the first time Id locked the back wheel since I can’t remember causing me, now I do it was a 150cc Lambretta that caused me some consternation when it locked up on the rear brake and I ended up running into the back of a truck at slow speed with my back brake locked and the rear wheel skidding much again to my embarrassment as I damaged the front of the scooter and the front wheel jammed under the rear step of the truck in front locking the wheel under the step of the peoples carrier and my being in a position of not being able to remove it until they pulled forward and released my front wheel..

My note is to those on linked systems i.e. k series 400s and alike. Be aware that linked braking systems are indeed excellent but not foolproof. Its worth a note my k8 when delivered wasn’t the smoothest of the bunch and clanked and banged a little when new but now has calmed down with use and although the clutch uptake is still higher than the 03 its not a problem event though it records 4k on the clutch engage which I challenge.

I guess its nearer 3k and the recorded revs on engaging to be optimistic as the final speed generally tends to be. Anyway the bike is operating well and it seems to be settling in now Ive got a few miles on it. In comparison with the 03 its got more grunt at lower revs and wants to go faster when the open road calls but until I get the first service done I will keep the revs down.