365 Days of Scooters: Day Seven

Okay, for day seven I'm gonna try something a little different. Here's a how-to for something you can make to take along on your next scooter adventure.

It's fairly quick and easy to make, can be decorated in all kinds of ways (scootery or not) and is handy for jotting down some quick directions, recording a favorite new-found scooter route, leaving a note for a friend--you name it! So, put your creative helmet on and make your own matchbook notebooks!

What you'll need:

• cardstock or other fairly stiff paper (plain or decorative--this is your cover)
• thinner paper for the interior (I like to use orphan tractor-feed paper)
• stapler
• paper cutter (scissors would work too, but a paper cutter helps keep the lines straight)

Getting started:
The size of these can really vary--it all depends on how big a matchbook you want to end up with.

The cover: I make six covers using one 8.5" x 11" piece of card stock. That means each cover piece is approximately 2.5" wide and 5.5" tall when cut. (This makes a finished book that is about 2.5" x 2.5")

Interior pages: You'll want your interior pages to be slightly smaller than the cover. With the above cover specs, my interior pages are approximately 2.25" x 2.25." How many pages you'd like to include in each book is also up to you. Experiment to see what works best for your books and stapler (12 pages works well for me).

Assembling:

• Fold each cover piece approximately a quarter inch up from the bottom.
• Insert your interior pages and place a staple in the center.
• Fold your cover over so that it tucks into the flap above the staple.

If you haven't done so already, decorate your cover!

Now bundle up and find an adventure!

365 Days of Scooters: Day Six

Making it your own.

Mickey and Vespa GS friend spotted at the Smallstate Rally (Rhode Island), Summer 2008

365 Days of Scooters: Day Five

Okay, I probably should have waited until December to post this one, but I just couldn't resist--it cracks me up!

Rudolph the red-nosed scooter (all decked out for the Mayor's Christmas Parade in Baltimore, frigidly cold winter of 2008). I love what scooterists do to their bikes!

365 Days of Scooters: Day Four

It's always fun to see the pretty scooters that folks will ride (or bring out) to a motorcycle show. The Virginia British Motorcycle Club hosts a great event every year and Ryan and I had the pleasure of riding to the show in 2006.

His silver and purple Vespa P200 is at the end of this row which starts off with two lovely Lambrettas.

365 Days of Scooters: Day Three

For day three I'm digging deep into the picture album for a pic from what I do believe was my first scooter rally. This hot vintage Vespa was spotted at "Hostile Takeover" in Philadelphia, 4th of July weekend 2004.

365 Days of Scooters: Day Two

Probably the first scooter photo in my collection, day two features a scoot spotted in Dublin in May of 2003: the Honda Shadow.

This 50cc scoot was found securely parked outside Trinity College.

365 Days of Scooters: Day One

With a grand total of 32 posts in each of the last two years (how weird is that number-wise?), it may be a bit ambitious to embark on this, the first day of 2010, on a new a rather grandiose blog ambition, but here goes. I'm setting out to document 365 days of scooters.

I won't try to show 365 different models of scooters, but I will seek to show 365 different scooters or related paraphernalia. And, because I have a lot of scooter swag in addition to a lot of scooter pictures, that includes photos of scooter swag as well--just FYI.

Without further ado...

365 Days of Scooters: Day One

My inaugural scoot is one near and dear to my heart: a 2003 Yamaha Vino and my very first scooter.

This little scoot is a workhorse. At just 50cc, it may not be the fastest pony in the stable, but is certainly the most reliable (knock on wood). At six and a half years old and with just over 6,000 miles on the odometer, this is the scooter I rely on to get me somewhere if I have to get there on a scooter. Why? Because it runs! No matter how little maintenance it has received or how long it has been since I last rode it, it just keeps going. Rain, sleet or snow (and we've ridden together in each), this Yamaha Vino will get you there.

Need to get to Baltimore to ride with your scooter club in the Christmas Parade? Now room in the trailer? No problem! And wonder of wonder, it will even run when you get there.

Yup, day one just had to go to my trusty Yamaha Vino. Vroom, Vroom!

And Happy New Year!