Rag 500

Rag 500 (the importance and the power of your Rag)

It is time to finally move into the Master’s portion of the class. To truly become a master there are some things that you need understand. In this class, Rag 500, we will be talking about the importance of the Rag and the power your Rag can bring you. For those of you who haven’t been to the glossary or haven't been late to class before; the Rag is your bandanna.

The Rag has several uses that can help enhance your scooting experience. The most important use of the Rag for me personally is to protect my face and neck. I run with an open face helmet so I use the Rag to ward off bugs, sand and small pebbles. The Rag is especially good for wiping your goggles down when they fog up or get some road grime on them. The uses of the Rag are endless. I’m sure there are plenty of you out there that have uses that I haven’t even thought of yet. The power of the Rag is immense. The Rag is a huge factor in your own personal steez. You will learn in the upcoming classes how to properly fold the Rag for facial protection and how to use it for the ever popular dangler.

Remember soldier's rags come in different sizes and colors. This is especially important for defining your own steez on the slab. So go out and get yourself a Rag. Start practicing before we get into the steez portion of the class. Practice makes perfect!


Feel free to donate to the right. We in the works of creating Soldiers of the Slab Rags. They are pretty costly so please help out! More info will be posted about this in the future.

Keep it STREET!!

SL

Modding 321

Modding 321 (the importance of modding)

Modding (Modifications) is an essential part of scooting. For some people this is the reason why they scoot. For other’s it is a way to show how steezy you can be or basically just how awesome you are. Over the new couple weeks I will break down on how to mod out a Yamaha Vino 125. These mods may pertain to all other types of scoots as well but these mods are just things I have done to my own scoot or are in the process of doing. I will not take responsibility for mods gone wrong or if you suck at modding. So…mod at your own discretion!

Some of the things you need to take into consideration is what you want to get out of your mod. Some people want the steez of going with a custom look, or maybe its mad speeds you want. These are the things you have to put thought into. Luckily I have the Vino 125 and there are several things out there that can do to that particular model out there. I will be talking about mods that can increase the mpg’s of the vino, custom look...including the paint and last but not least mad speeds!

Be patient soldiers I have been busy ruling the slab lately as well as trying to make sure I can bring the best possible information to class. So until then…Keep it STREET!!!

Scooter 232

Understanding Scoot Culture

Scooter culture is the foundation for all Scooterists. I think you know before you actually buy a Scoot which bracket of the Sub-Culture you are going to fit into. Now, I am not trying to label people and this particular course is strictly based upon my own views and opinions. In no way am I trying to create a rift between the different groups because in the end we all ride on 2 and that’s what matters most. There are 4 basic groups in the scootering world. MODS, TRONS, NATCHOS and SOLDIERS. I will be analyzing each of these groups in a short synopsis for this class. So here we go.

MODS

Mods originated back in the late 50’s as a subculture group in the UK. We all know them today as hipsters or scenesters. This group of scooterist can generally be found riding on vintage Vespas and from my experience tend to be a little snooty in their demeanor. In a nutshell these are the BMW drivers of the scooter world. Yes, everyone can see that you are driving a Vespa and we really don’t care. Just because my scoot starts EVERYtime and doesn’t fall apart doesn’t mean I am any less of a scooterist. Mods also tend to ride scooters solely for image purposes. If it were more scene to roll on a Segway than you would see them on a Segway instead. Now this title doesn’t apply to all Vespa riders, so don’t take offensive to this if you don’t feel you fall into this category. Much respect definitely goes out to Vespa. Scooting would not be where it is today if it weren’t for Vespa.

TRONS

Trons are a force to be reckoned with. This group of scooterist seems to be growing at a rate the rest of us can’t keep up with. Due largely to the vast number of Chinese clone scooters out there that are available at your local hardware store and/or auto parts dealer. These scooters look very futuristic and almost like spaceships. Sorry, but I have an issue with space so that doesn’t help my opinion of the Tron Scooters out there. Trons love the fact that they have mini crotch rockets, so the steez factor they bring kind of sucks. Yes, they are scooters and any scooter is a good scooter so I really can’t hate too much.

NATCHOS (pronounced like nature but instead of ure it’s chos so it’s natchos)

Natchos are a great group of scooterist. Generally they are super stoked to be doing their part by getting 80 mpg’s and saving loads of money in the process. These guys tend to ride every type of scoot and put more of an emphasis on safety and environmental sustainability then steez. I agree with their thought process and encourage everyone to have a little bit of natcho inside of you. Scooting as a Natcho demands respect from all different sects in the scooter world and I highly approve of them.

SOLDIERS

Being in the Serpents Scooter Gang we are brought up to understand the concept of being a Soldier of the Slab. We live and die on the slab. We ride because it’s either ride or die. Scooting is a lifestyle decision and we have made it. We don’t ride to be seen, it is what we were born to do. We don’t let the type of scoot decide how we roll cause we roll on 2! It’s not easy being a serpent of the street, we are constantly battling for our spot on the slab and in a world where cagers reign supreme we need to fight. Soldiers have to face the up hill struggle in our daily combat commute. Keep it street Serpents and the slab with look out for you.

I said it once before and I’ll say it again. A scooter is a scooter…show respect…wave at your fellow scooterist…in the end we are all Soldiers of the Slab!

Scooter 201

I won't hate or discriminate but from now on I will only be using the Yamaha Vino 125 as the scoot of reference in class. Sorry to those of you out there who have something other than a Vino, but I won't have enough time in the day to be a soldier of the slab if I have to refer to all different types of scoots.

LEARNING HOW TO ROLL ON 2

So, you have purchased your scoot or maybe just got your hands on one somehow someway. The first thing you need to do is learn how to ride it. It's really not that hard. If you can ride a bike, you can ride a scoot. The key to riding a scoot is to be confident. You must feel like you own the road. That is something you will learn in time as well while you work your way up the ranks in the Serpents. Getting back to rolling on 2. You need to make sure you do things like be safe and awesome at the same time. Another recommendation I have is to go take a motorcycle safety course. I don't think there is a scooter safety course out there just yet, but we might have to work on that. Below I am going to post a few tips that I have found to be priceless for being a better scooterist.

DO MAD SPEEDS (try to always stay ahead of traffic)

BE SEEN (ride with your high beams on; make it known you are the the road)

DRIVE 100-200 YARDS AHEAD (always look ahead to see what is going on)

ALWAYS THINK THAT CAGERS(cars) ARE OUT TO GET YOU (remember scoots are smaller than cars so you must drive offensively and be defensive at all times, protect that piece of the slab you roll on)

REMEMBER...you are on a scoot and everyday on a scoot is holiday

In the end there is only one way to be a better scooterist and that is to practice.

So get out there and start Rollin on 2!

Scooter 103

So, you have made the decision to get your hands on the most intelligent form of transportation on the road. This decision is HUGE!! Picking the right scoot can make or break how steezy or sleezy you really will be. In this class I will break down the major categories of scoots and all the major points you will need to invest in your future. There are certain aspects of each category that make the scooting experience unique. I hope that you find the information to be both educational and informative. I would also like to preface this information by informing you that I do have a bias opinion in the selection process due to aspirations of being endorsed by Yamaha Motors. However, I will do my best to control this and provide you with the unbiased information you need to find the scoot that will best suit your needs.

Scooters range from 2 wheel and 3 wheel vehicles.

The breakdown will be as follows:

Scooters (50-200cc engines)
Maxi Scooters (250cc-upwards)

Maxi Scooters
I will not spend any time on Maxi Scooters. I personally feel that they do not represent the scooter lifestyle and if this styling of scooter interests you, you might as well just go buy a motorcycle. They tend to look like spaceships, or are basically the same size or even bigger than most motorcycles. Posture on Maxi scooters does not follow standard protocol for proper scooting techniques. So, let’s move on from these waste of time, sorry excuse for a scooter contraption.

Scooters
Scooters come in tons of different shapes, sizes, and engine displacements. I will concentrate mostly on the major brands and in the 100cc plus range of engines. The reason why is smaller scooters, such as those in the 50cc range, which are really fun and totally acceptable, don’t really accommodate the daily scooterist in a commuting/ruling atmosphere.

Brands
Vespa (piaggio)
Lambretta
Bajaj
Yamaha
Honda
Kymco
Genuine (buddy)

These are the most widely accepted brands of scooters. There are many other brands out there, mainly Chinese clones, and I really wouldn’t recommend them due to quality issues. However, I have no experience with them so I couldn’t bring forth an educated reason for why they suck. In the end a scooter is a scooter and as long as you are rolling on 2 that’s all the matters.

Vintage vs. Modern
There is something to be said about vintage scooters. They are timeless machines that only get better looking with age. However, they might not be the most efficient and environmentally friendly vehicles on the road. Personally I don’t have a vintage scoot, mainly due to the cost of keeping them running as well as the negative environmental impact they have. I have chosen to go with the Yamaha Vino 125, which in my opinion, has stayed more with the classic styling of the scoot rather than most other brands out there. Modern scoots range from about 2,000-6,000 dollars. Insurance costs are significantly cheaper than that of automobiles and usually get anywhere from 70-100 mpg’s. Remember, you need to get a scoot that you are going to feel comfortable on.

Please submit comments, questions, or concerns in the comment section below and I will address them as we go along. Also, if there are any particular courses you would like me to expand on, or new class topics you would like to see, please let me know.

Cheers,

SL

Scooter 101

Welcome to the first day of class everyone. This is the beginning of the future for most of you. This is probably going to be the shortest of the classes in the curriculum. Before the Serpents there really isn't much to speak about regarding scooting. However, I promised to bring forth the best knowledge possible so I guess I will. The following is a collection of information that I found from several different websites. So here it is. I really want to get the nuts and bolts of the course out of the way so we can focus more on the 3 S's...Steez, Stuntz, and Speedz. Feel free to comment.

Scooters trace their ancestry back to France with the Auto-Fauteuil mark in 1902. The Vespa, originally manufactured by Piaggio in post-WWII Italy, quickly popularized motor scooters. Despite Vespa's dominance of the scooter market, they were not without competition. Lambretta offered models that rivaled those in the Vespa product line. In the 1980s new versions of scooters began to be released and become popular, especially in Japan and Far-East Asia. The classic styling of the Vespa remains the most popular and most imitated scooter design. Almost all manufacturers now carry both a classic/retro model and a spacy/modern model.