Thanks for your support, Bill. I really appreciate it.
What is it about Vespa owners?
As some of you may know, I am the publisher/editor of The Scooter 'Zine magazine. I am always looking for people with good, interesting, exciting, fun scooter stories to tell. I read through forums, Facebook groups and other social media in an effort to find people with stories to tell.
I currently have a Burgman 650, an AK-550 and a Helix. I have also owned a Yamaha Majesty, a BV-500, an X-9 (500cc Piaggio) as well as a Buddy, a Stella, an Elite 80, an SYM RV-250 and several other Helixes. I am part of multiple groups catering to all of those bikes, but when I put out calls for people to share their stories with me, it is usually the Vespa riders that can't wait to talk to me. I have to work to keep from having a "Vespa" magazine. Why is that?
Why post this? Because I would love to get some stories from Burgman riders. Articles aren't just "epic" rides. I've interviewed commuters (Did an entire issue devoted to scooter commuters) and people who travelled somewhere interesting. We're doing a series called "Battle Scooters" in which bikes that have been passed around from owner to owner get their story told. I've interviewed shop owners and scooter club leaders. I've even published some scooter fiction and some scooter poetry. If scooters are involved somewhere, I'll consider publishing it.
Do you have a story that you like to tell friends/family when they ask about riding? If you meet someone new, does another friend say "Hey! Tell them about that time....."? I want to make sure that Burgman and other Maxi-scooter folk get their share of space in the magazine.
What do you say? If you've got a story, or know someone who has a story, please let me know. Send me an email to [email protected]
Happy riding,
Howard Rains
Here's a recent pic of me and my 2022 AK-550. I got it, used, in November.
![Tire Wheel Vehicle Plant Automotive lighting]()
I currently have a Burgman 650, an AK-550 and a Helix. I have also owned a Yamaha Majesty, a BV-500, an X-9 (500cc Piaggio) as well as a Buddy, a Stella, an Elite 80, an SYM RV-250 and several other Helixes. I am part of multiple groups catering to all of those bikes, but when I put out calls for people to share their stories with me, it is usually the Vespa riders that can't wait to talk to me. I have to work to keep from having a "Vespa" magazine. Why is that?
Why post this? Because I would love to get some stories from Burgman riders. Articles aren't just "epic" rides. I've interviewed commuters (Did an entire issue devoted to scooter commuters) and people who travelled somewhere interesting. We're doing a series called "Battle Scooters" in which bikes that have been passed around from owner to owner get their story told. I've interviewed shop owners and scooter club leaders. I've even published some scooter fiction and some scooter poetry. If scooters are involved somewhere, I'll consider publishing it.
Do you have a story that you like to tell friends/family when they ask about riding? If you meet someone new, does another friend say "Hey! Tell them about that time....."? I want to make sure that Burgman and other Maxi-scooter folk get their share of space in the magazine.
What do you say? If you've got a story, or know someone who has a story, please let me know. Send me an email to [email protected]
Happy riding,
Howard Rains
Here's a recent pic of me and my 2022 AK-550. I got it, used, in November.
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I am a "member" of IHMS, which is a sort of "motoclub" but public (IHMS means it.hobby.motoclismo.scooter, which is the newsgroup founded by ... well, the IHMS founder 
).
We made "official" national rallys once a year from 2003 'till covid ( ) and some "local / unofficial" rally also, and in the "golder years" we were about 90 scooters/bikes and 120 persons
![Tire Wheel Automotive tire Plant Sky]()
![Car Jeans Plant Wheel Tire]()
I could share a LOT of old stories, mine or related to someone else; i may even ask to the other guys to write down they own, but:
Thinking at it now while writing, if you like the idea there's the IHMS group on FB, you could ask there directly and see what happens. The spirit of the group is a bit tamed down (we're all older chaps, after all) but perhaps you could get some reaction.
).We made "official" national rallys once a year from 2003 'till covid (
) and some "local / unofficial" rally also, and in the "golder years" we were about 90 scooters/bikes and 120 persons
I could share a LOT of old stories, mine or related to someone else; i may even ask to the other guys to write down they own, but:
- my english is what you see: bad (my friends could have better english). This means a lot of redaction from your part
- they are almost all related to Italy (a couple in France, some in Slovenia/Croatia, someone got a couple of Elefantentreffen, one rode a Silverwing at the Nürburgring circuit).
Thinking at it now while writing, if you like the idea there's the IHMS group on FB, you could ask there directly and see what happens. The spirit of the group is a bit tamed down (we're all older chaps, after all) but perhaps you could get some reaction.
Yup, and the story about a sardinian guy going there with a Piaggio Hexagon, other two guys with two Vespas and the last one with a van in case there's need to pick up someone was pretty funElefantentreffen is a tough gathering
There's been another one mounting skis on the sides of a burgman 650
21 - 28 of 28 Posts
