Scootcats would like to remind you that Mad Bastard Scooter Rally will be held this year between June 21st and 23rd. For those who don’t know what it is: The Mad Bastard Scooter Rally is an 800 km (or so) scooter ride through some great Canadian scenery, while collecting as many “mad” points that you can along the way, with the winner getting a brand new scooter to go home with!

This year’s rally will take place in Belleville, Ontario, Canada and it will be 600 kms (~ 373 miles) with bonus loops close to 800 kms. Different classes of scooters can participate in this race:

Straitjacket (24 hours) – All scooters (& motorcycles) up to 50 cc in capacity.
Heavily Medicated (20 hours) – All scooters (& motorcycles) greater than 50 cc but no greater than 110 cc.
Therapy Required (18 hours) – Scooters greater than 110 cc but no greater than 200 cc.
Day Release (16 hours) – Scooters greater than 200cc.

For more information please visit MBSR site.

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Red Bull Alpenbrevet took place in Switzerland on June 18, 2011. 750 moped racers rode 82 miles over the three Swiss alpine passes – Grimsel, Furka and Susten. The aim of the race was not only to finish the ride on time, but also to score points for style with the jury. Here is the teaser video.

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This year’s AmeriVespa was held in New Orleans, between June 16 and June 19. For those who couldn’t go, this youtube video is bringing the Gymkhana and Slow Race events at this year’s AmeriVespa to the computer screen. Enjoy!

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The Lake Erie Loop (LEL) provides a great opportunity for scooterists to have fun and race while supporting a good cause. The 650 mile endurance run around Lake Erie is to be completed within one day. Bikes under 225cc will be  able to compete for cash prizes and unlimited size bikes are allowed only for a fun run without any official competition.

The Lake Erie Loop  is a fundraising event to benefit the “Aluminum Cans for Burned Children” Foundation (ACBC). ACBC provides many services for pediatric burn victims, mostly through the donation of discarded aluminum cans. Since 2003, additional cash for ACBC is raised through motor-sports.

For more info and registration, visit the Lake Erie Loop website.

The post Lake Erie Loop this weekend – June 10-12, 2011! first appeared on scootcats.

The Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, CA will be hosting a scooter exhibition displaying over 90 vehicles. “Scooters: Size Doesn’t Always Matter” is going to take visitors through a journey in the history of scooters. The exhibition starting on June 18, 2011 and running through May 2012, will feature scooters from the simple Autoped of the 1910s to today’s alternative vehicles.

Petersen Automotive Museum describes the exhibition in their recent press release as follows: “Scooters will show how this genre of motor bike has evolved from simple tube frames with motors to the sophisticated, comfortable, aerodynamic vehicles of today. The exhibit will also illustrate how scooters have been adapted to business and industrial uses, how they have been utilized by the movie and television industry, and how Southern California was once a major scooter manufacturing hub.

Wild or tame, foreign or domestic, old or new, scooters continue to offer a viable and economical alternative to other more traditional vehicles in our motoring landscape and provide a desirable means for free spirited motorists to boldly express themselves without saying a word.”

For more info, visit Peterson Automotive Museum on the web.

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KYMCO will join this years AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days (July 22-24) with its demo scooter fleet. The event hosted by the American Motorcycle Association will be held at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio.

If you have never ridden on a scooter before, but are curious to find out about how it feels, events such as this provide great opportunities to do test rides.

AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days events include, motorcycle competitions in various categories, as well as demo rides of current production bikes and educational seminars. For more info visit the AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days web page.

The post KYMCO scooters at the AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days first appeared on scootcats.

Vespa World Days 2011 is going to be held in Norway this year. Thousands of scooterists from all around the world will travel to Norway for the annual gathering. The event will start on Thursday, May 19 and will continue through Sunday, May 22. Registrations will remain open until Sunday, May 15, so you have still 2 days left to join the Vespa World Days.

Vespa Club Gjøvik, in partnership with Vespa Club Norge and Vespa World Club will be hosting Vespa World Days 2011. Group rides, acrobatic shows, live music, dinners, tours are some of the activities planned for the event.

Also, the Vespa Trophy 2011 winners will be announced during the gala dinner on May 21. Registered Vespa clubs in the trophy visit Piaggio Dealers on the way to Gjøvik and collect stamps to win.

For more information about the Vespa World Days and registration, visit http://www.vespaworlddays2011.no.

The post Countdown to Vespa World Days 2011 first appeared on scootcats.

With a new electric scooter popping up every other day and the rise of gas prices and the environmental effects of our carbon emissions, who knows what we will be riding in 10 years from now… Wait, but are we ready for the electric vehicles?

That’s why CleanTech OC in Orange County is hosting a symposium on plug-in electric vehicles. This event will feature three panels and a variety of speakers from throughout the industry, discussing the opportunities and challenges our communities and state face with the wider adoption of plug-in electric vehicles.

When:
Wednesday, May 11. Symposium will be held 1:30 – 5:30pm. Reception and electric vehicle expo will be held 5:30 – 7:30 PM.

Where:
UC Irvine Student Center – Pacific Ballrooms. First 200 attendees can park for free in Student Center Parking Structure adjacent to the facility. A311 Student Center, Irvine 92697.

Why:
Now that the major OEMs are rapidly introducing plug-in electric vehicles to the consumer market, our cities and the State of California will soon face a variety of challenges and opportunities related to the wider adoption of PEVs. Utilities will have to be strategic in upgrading the grid, cities will need to trim red tape for permitting EV charging infrastructure, and the State will have to determine whether it is financially feasible to continue extending tax credits to those purchasing PEV’s and providing grants for cities that prepare for wider adoption.

Soure: Press Release by CleanTech OC, May 9, 2011

The post Are you ready for the electric vehicle revolution? first appeared on scootcats.

New York Scooter Block Party 6 is scheduled to start on Friday, May 13. Rides are scheduled for Friday through Sunday.

For more info, visit http://www.blockpartynyc.com/.

The post NYC scooterists- Don’t miss out this fun event! first appeared on scootcats.

We witnessed the unveiling of electric scooter concepts from German auto makers, Mini (BMW) and Smart during the past year, one more German auto maker joined the trend today. This time Volkswagen surprised everyone by introducing its new e-scooter concept at the 2011 Shanghai Motor Show.  The new e-scooter was presented to the press during the media day.

The VW e-scooter runs through a 350 watt battery powered motor and has a 25 mile range. However, for now, this scooter is intended for the Chinese market only. See pictures of the e-scooter on Autocar.co.uk website.

Also, see related posts:

Smart develops scooter with airbag

Will the Mini Scooter concept make it into production?

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