Day 78 - How Not to Carry a Bike

 

Lockdown Day 78 - Level 3 Day 12 - I had to take a drive west and it was getting too cold for the bike which means that I am getting soft during this lockdown, ahhh shame. Anyhoo so here I was in my cage and saw this atrocity before me, a scooter being carried in such an undignified manner in the back of a hatchback on it's side. I could actually cry seeing this but anger had to be controlled. 

Well my mamma did teach me that I can't say a thing until I walk in their shoes, so I don't know what the circumstances are that lead to this horrible sight but this is not how you carry a bike on another vehicle. NO!

Netcare 911

On the way to work this morning, I saw this Netcare 911 motorcyclist in the traffic in front of us having an animated conversation with pedestrians on the side of the road, cigarette in hand waving wild gestures. Interesting Healthcare, smoking while riding a bike. When I was in Netherlands, many moons ago, I saw emergency response paramedics using bikes but they sure look more professional than this.

Moses New Ride

Passover is over and my friend Moses has gotten himself a new ride, a MotoMia Java 170 Sport. Moses became my second visitor to my new cottage when he arrived on his new scooter for a visit late this afternoon. With only 144km on the clock, Moses has already had his bikers first fall out of the way so now all we need is a ride out to Hartes.

Thabang

With not much to do this weekend, I started my day by taking my Sophia, Vespa into Fourways to visit Scoots for a nice cup of mocha. While chilling at Scoots in the winter sun, Thabang here was lovingly cleaning a newly restored Vespa PX. Isn’t she a beauty?

Sad Piaggio Vespa

During lunch time, I popped into Kalani Mall which is down the road from my office and when leaving I came across is sad looking Piaggio Vespa. All I had with me was my cellphone camera, so please forgive the quality. I am not sure if it is a P200E or a P150X but it is definitely not a LML, my guess is a late model Vespa P200E. Anyways I have seen Vespas that are in a sad way before but this is real bad as if they have no care in the world. It is only going because of the little proudness it has left is that it is a Vespa. Be strong and hold your head up high, little wasp.

LML – Lohia Machinery Limited

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears; I come to bury Piaggio, not to praise them. The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones; so let it be with Piaggio. The noble Lohia hath told you Piaggio was ambitious by embarking on building Vespas in India. If it were so, it was a grievous fault, and even more grievously hath Piaggio a decade later sell its share. Here, under leave of Lohia and the rest of the Machinery Limited - for Lohia now known simply as LML continued building the classic Vespa P models using the same Vespa machinery.

Now Piaggio, in its wisdom has decided to re-enter the Indian market and they have also decided to reintroduce the classic Vespa P model. So now in South Africa, you can buy two similar 80s era scooters at vastly different prices. A genuine Italian Piaggio Vespa PX150X for R50,000 and a LML Star Deluxe for R20,000. Although the build quality of the LML leaves a lot to be desired, it is a new scooter at 30k cheaper so they are becoming very popular with many being resprayed and rebadged to resemble their Piaggio cousin in a Mod form. I am not sure if the LML would hold a good resell value but that time will tell.

Scoots in Fourways who repairs, restores and service older models of Piaggio Vespas and Innocenti Lambrettas, also sell the latest LML models. This morning, I joined Scoots for a ride to Sofi in Greenside for breakfast then to Newtown, under the bridge to view the graffiti. It was more of a LML ride than anything else as you can see in the photo above. From left to right is a silver LML Star Deluxe, a white LML Star Deluxe, another silver LML Star Deluxe with the blue seat, a red LML Star Deluxe with the lime seat, a copper Vespa P200E with a red seat, a Lambretta Grand Prix 150 and finally Sophia, a black Vespa ET4.

After the graffiti tour, our motley crew ended up at 44 Stanley for more refreshments.