LTD Scooter Gang

Sweet Ride to Point Mugu

2010-08-24T00:01:00.001-07:00

LTD met up with its newest member, Matthew Hill, for a glorious ride to Point Mugu. Taking the back roads through Camarillo and Channel Islands, sailing to the Pacific Coast Highway was a breeze. With summer slowly coming to an end, this ride was a sweet reminder of the joys that a weekend ride like this can bring. The weather was beautiful, with just the right amount of heat to make a smooth ride along the coast a dream. The ride began in Simi Valley and winded through Santa Rosa Rd. and into Camarillo. From there it was a quick ride through the fields of Camarillo, past CSUCI, and onto the PCH. Going a steady 50mph, LTD worked their way to Point Mugu, pulling over to take in the ocean breeze as waves crashed against the old road that once wrapped around Mugu Rock.

If you haven't taken your scoot along the PCH yet and experienced Point Mugu or the other wondrous beaches of So. Cal, add that to your list of things to do before you die. LTD

Spreeeeeeeeeeeee!

2010-07-30T11:29:00.000-07:00

Honda never ceases to amaze me when it comes to scooters. Each one of their perfected scoots is a dream come true. The Honda Spree or "Nifty 50" is a prime example of this. The Spree is a 49cc scoot poduced from 1984–1987. This is a fact I would hope to hear on NPR in the morning when they mention the birth of a notorious person or invention. In 1985, the Spree logo went through a transformation that continued to change throughout is production years. The logo changed from a smaller italic font to a larger cursive font. The color of the scoot was also kicked into high gear.

The original was a glorious white. A limited edition green was offered in 1985. In 1987 the gem became available in blue. The dash, front signal lamps, and tail lamps were redesigned to a more aerodynamic shape. This is important stuff guys – so keep reading. Also added that year was a glove box… which = brilliant. It enabled riders to could carry necessary trinkets and accessories such as digital watch/calculator or pack of gum.

Let’s break it down…

Pros:

* Great logo
* Great mileage
* Beautiful gauges
* Sleek body
* Easy to find OEM parts
* Makes you look cool

Cons:
* N/A

If you have a Spree or used to ride a Spree and have pictures, please submit for us to post with this blog. What spurred this blog post into existence? Well, I’m glad you asked. Tom Mankowski , LTD member and activist, stumbled upon a beautiful Spree in Madisson, WI. Talk about LTD.

2010 Sachs MadAss 125

2010-07-27T11:39:00.000-07:00

Check out this gem! It's brand new this year, compact and agile, yet aggressive looking. This sweet ride weighs about 220lbs, has no fuel gauge, no center stand, no storage compartments, racks or windshield. If you like bare bone simplicity, this is your kind of ride. The MadAss is a cross between a moped and a motorcycle, and would fit in nicely with any scoot rider. It has a 4-strock, 4-speed engine, and can easily get up to 56mph. With a 1.3 gallon fuel tank in a tubular steel spine frame, it also has a one pint reserve in which you've got 20 miles to find a gas station once you've tapped into it. Watch the video below to learn more!

Mullet on a Scoot

2010-04-30T18:30:00.000-07:00

I had the luxury of being introduced to mulletjunky.com this afternoon. While I enjoyed some good laughs from the amazing images on the site, my heart didn't skip a beat until I stumbled across this gem.

I'd like to share with you the words of mulletjunky.com in reference to this photo: "Every 6 months or so a mullet submission will be sent in that is like no other. Like a piece of artwork that you can't take your eyes off of. There is SO much going on here; overweight, young, red haired mullet on a modified moped cruising in a ghetto McDonalds parking lot. It rarely gets better than this." I couldn't have said it better. I hope this inspires you all to be creative. LTD.

Tom Hanks Still needs You

2010-03-26T13:54:00.000-07:00

So, it seems Tom Hanks is filming a new movie and needs vintage scooters and their riders. They did an open casting last Saturday, but are still looking for riders between 18 and 30-ish. So, they are going to be conducting quick interviews again, this Saturday, March 27th. You must bring your M1-endorsed driver's license, proof of insurance and registration as well as a helmet (of course). You also must have a reliable scooter and be available for filming starting around April 20 for about 3-10 weekdays and one night shoot (date to be determined). There will be a bit of a riding test as well as the usual audition-type activities. They are looking for good riders. These are paid roles, and films usually pay pretty well. So, look good and ride better! It's at Sportsman’s Lodge, 12825 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, CA 91604. Drive all the way around the lodge to the back parking lot - don't go into the Sportsman's lodge. Be there anytime between 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. For more information on casting, you can call Carol Grant Casting, (323) 390-9409, or check their Web site, http://www.carolgrantcasting.com/SCOOTER.html.

The greatest picture ever taken of the day!

2010-03-22T16:56:00.001-07:00

It was a cold, rainy Winter day last February, the air smelled of oranges and apple sauce when John-Paul Gutierrez (of JPedia fame) and scooterless LTD member Tom (no fame) took a little ride to Bristol Farms. There they enjoyed some good cheer, a delicious peanut butter cookie, and the beautiful sounds of West Lake Village I think or it could still be Thousand Oaks...I digress, and whilst the panni’s were delicious, Tom had the Santa Fe minus the cheese (please see previous entry regarding NDC), JP had the Italian (he’s getting married in Italy and thinks it’s clever to eat only Italian things, ps, it’s clever), nothing was better than seeing this trooper, Curtis Theodore ‘Scoots’ McGee, on his way to Barnes and Noble. Finding their way over to the discount books on Geiger, they approached Scoots for a little one on one time. A man of few words, when asked where he got such a gem, Scoots replied, ‘the getting place’, to which Tom replied, ‘Nice, I loved that movie.’ Scoots said only, “Old Country was a book first there Trevor, put down the remote, you’re in B&N.” A true life lesson here, take note campers. LTD.

*Nothing in this post actually happened other than the sandwiches and some guy who’s name was prolly Bill had an awesome scoot and never replied to my Missed Connection on Craigslist…ok I didn’t post to craigslist either and this post prolly makes no sense and hopefully Becky will cut it down to “guy on sweet ride”

An Update on Orangina

2010-03-18T23:22:00.000-07:00

The repairs to Orangina continue. The sweet Elite will soon be under way, and in perfect timing for summer. This gem of a scoot has undergone quite the construction, changing her from the inside out. Check out our latest pics on flickr (click here)! LTD

A run-in with Paul Teutul Sr.

2010-01-22T13:28:00.000-08:00

An Interview with Tom by Tom:

Tom: Tom, nice of you to sit down and chat.

Tom: Thanks Tom, and can I say that you look great.

Tom: You too, lets dive in. Word on the street is that you had an encounter with a celeb at the Los Angeles International Airport, what you call LAX in the buis.

Tom: Ah yes, that’s true.

Tom: Well, can you tell us about it.

Tom: Sure

Tom: Do you have to be so difficult, just tell us the story, why do I need to pull this out of you.

Tom: Don’t yell at me, you didn’t even make me coffee this morning.

Tom: You’re right, I’m sorry, let me get that for you.

Tom: Do you have NDCs**?

Tom: You know where they are, please just tell us about your encounter.

Tom: Ok, so there’s three things you need to know, 1. blink 182 is the best band ever. 2. Mankowski’s love TLC/A&E/DC, etc. 3. OC Choppers is the West Coast Choppers of the East Coast.

Tom: Blink is pretty great, please continue.

Tom: Well, I’m getting coffee, and who do I see leaving the line, but Paul Sr.

Tom: Paul Sr, as in Paul Tuetul from Orange County Choppers

Tom: That very one, please stop interrupting. Anyway, I walk back to my seat, open my card holder and take out one LTD business card provided by the lovely Lauren and Becky

Tom: so you

Tom: I said stop interrupting, we, I mean I have a call in 20 minutes.

Tom: Sorry, continue.

Tom: I’m sipping on my coffee, which FYI was Starbucks, 60 cents for soymilk, buy Coffee Bean free NDC, and United makes the call for 1k, global alliance, and premier executives to line up. As you know, I’m premier executive.

Tom: Everyone knows, it’s not that cool and you kind of sound like a jerk when you bring it up.

Tom: Really, well maybe you want to fly in the back, you know what, I’m ignoring you.

Tom: What a waste of time, I’m going to make oatmeal.

Tom: No let me finish, so I get up to the line, and Paul Sr., who is obviously flying first class is standing a few people ahead of me.

Tom: Us, ahead of us.

Tom: Me. So I walk over to him and say, “I don’t want to bother you, we’re huge fans, we have a great little scooter club, here’s our blog”.

Tom: what did he say?

Tom: He says, “What’s that?”

Tom: Hah, that’s cause you mumble.

Tom: That’s hurtful. I say to him, “Scooter Club, Living the Dream” to which he says “Cool man thanks” and takes the card.

And I say “LTD”

Tom: That’s a great story, I’m really glad you didn’t just write a 4 sentence paragraph.

Tom: Whatever, that wasn’t NDC I used, so enjoy the stomach ache.

** Editor's note: NDC = non-dairy creamer for all you amateurs.**

Vespa Restaurant - NYC

2010-01-15T14:52:00.000-08:00

Tom Mankowski (the owner of Orangina) and his brother Tim are living the dream in New York this weekend. They stumbled across a sweet gem of a place, the Vespa Restaurant. Why does a glorious establishment like this not exist in CA? Some questions we will never know the answer to. Vespa is located in the Upper East Side of Manhattan and serves a variety of tasty treats. If you're in the area or out of the area...do what you can to make it to this place. Imagine the wonderful feeling that would come when scoots pull up to Vespa for a friendly meal? To all scoot riders in New York, this should be your goal for 2010. LTD!

[Photo courtesy of Tim Mankowski]

Scoots raved in the New York Times!

2010-01-12T11:07:00.000-08:00

A not-so-recent article was published in the October 22 printing of the New York Times in which our friends at South Bay Scooter Club were highlighted. Hats off to our fellow riders. Check out the article when you get a chance (click here). It's informative, it's about scoots, and it's worth the read. Keep living the dream!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2009-12-23T13:43:00.000-08:00

We’ve had quite a year of adventures atop our magnificent two-wheels, and we owe the long-lasting memories to none other than our gang of ragamuffin road dwellers. Thank you to each and every one of you who has followed the blog this past year, contributed stories, pictures, and commentary to enrich the site we call home.

2009 was a pioneer year for LTD. We got our gang together as the curtain began to close on 2008 and crafted the blog for friends to follow. We documented our very first photo shoot, the infamous wrench night--and who could forget Orangina? LTD spanned across the airwaves in 2009 as we got the opportunity to share our love of livin’ the dream via The BlockFM. We even went global this year, thanks to our fellow members who made a name for LTD in Asia.

How do we top such a pioneer year? You can be certain that some exciting scoot information will arrive in January to diminish your cravings of the next open air ride, but most importantly…Keep spreading the LTD love to all who will listen and undoubtedly, 2010 will outshine its predecessor.

Peace, Love and Joy, my friends!

Letter to the Editor,

2009-10-27T13:32:00.000-07:00

Long time reader, first time writer. Love the site. Love the tweets.
I write to you with a question, an anecdotal inquiry if you will. I begin in the year 2008, where this guy, strike that, this awesome guy, meets these two hot chicks, we’ll call them Zauren and Zecky for confidentiality. As it turns out, along with their stellar sarcasm and general awesomeness (salute, General Awesomeness), they also partake in a gaggle of scoots. Now let’s say that said writer is both intrigued and secretly wanting a scoot of his own since leaving the mean streets of NYC for sunny California. Now let’s go a step further and say said writer also drops the line ‘Living the Dream’ about nineteen times a day, so obviously he wants in. Long story short, the pages of 2009 grace the calendar, a gem is found on the craigslist, a fixer upper named Zorangina, who along with some love and a home, needs a few parts and some wrenching. That brings me to the point of my rant. Now lets say a cowboy boot wearing kid name Zeter Zabib joins our story, who along with a love of Creed, promises to fix the scoot, much the way Midas turned oranges to gold in the tales of legend. So the writer makes some searches via the “world wide web”, Zauren is forced to talk to a Pikie stripping parts in some slum of Eastern Russia, and Zeter does a lot of hard talk, using some weird language with words like ‘sparkplug’ and ‘ball bearings.’ All the while, Zorangina lies in shambles. All the while, Zorangina is hurting. All the while, Zorangina is ashamed to show her face, abandoned by Zeter in the name of what, education? Where is the dedication to his club? Where is the love he once showed Zorangina? Has he patched over his LTD jacket with Crew, Chess Club or Planeteer? One reader would like to know the answer, needs to know the answer: why has Zeter abandoned Zorangina…

Signed,
Concerned Reader

(this letter in no way expresses the thanks and appreciation to all parties involved including, but not limited to Zauren, Zecky and Zeter, for all they have done in going above and beyond the call of duty to help said writer acquire, fix, work on and bring said scooter back to life)

Full Sail LTD

2009-09-29T11:49:00.000-07:00

The LTD Scooter Gang aren’t the only ones Livin’ The Dream. We stumbled across a delicious beer (thanks to LTD member Tom), that is not only delicious, but shares the same mentality that we do. We were filled with utter joy when this beer came into our presence. The beer is brewed and bottled by Full Sail Brewing Co., who with love and curiosity, created the LTD Series. While it is a limited edition lager, the LTD means Livin’ the Dream for the people at Full Sail. In celebration of their 21st birthday, they fulfilled one of their dreams by concocting an ever-changing series of small batch beers which are only available for a limited time. We advise you get your butts to your local liquor store and pick yourself up a few packs.

Not only is the beer delightful, but it’s packaged with a lovely retro design by Sandstrom Partners (an inspiring design company). On top of a great outer package, consumers are in for a treat when they pop the cap off, which reveals the sweet message of “Live the Dream” underneath.

It’s just too good. So, we salute this limited edition beer.

Nice work. May everyone continue to LTD.

What's your Scoot?

2009-09-24T00:08:00.000-07:00

With LTD growing and spreading across the globe we thought it would be a grand idea to tally up what types of scoots everyone is riding. We've created a poll and listed scoot types in the column to the right. Please vote for whatever scoot you ride and feel free to comment here about the greatness of your gem. If your scooter isn't listed as an option in the poll, let us know!

Wrench Night

2009-08-15T23:50:00.000-07:00

On a recent Thursday eve, some of LTD gathered to work on our scoots. Becky's Yamaha Vino was in desperate need of an oil change. The majority of the time was spent, however, working on Tom's new gem, Orangina. This beauty needs a lot of work. After taking apart most of her outer shell, we tinkered on her insides to figure out just why she's having trouble running. After about 4 hours I think we got to the bottom of it! It was a night well spent, ending with a trip to In-N-Out. Check out some pictures taken of the glorious night here.

Keep living the dream!

The Story of Orangina

2009-08-12T16:52:00.000-07:00

In 1995 an Arizona bandit by the name of Gim Inney was taking a cruise in his newly purchased cherry red Honda Elite. The Elite served Gim's bandit career well. He never bothered taking it to the DMV for plates so there was no identifying his scoot, and he proved to be a small and hard to catch target for vigilantes. The cherry red color, however, was becoming a problem. In the glaring Tucson sun, the color made him stick out like a giant amongst a gang of midgets. As he stared at the burnt orange dirt beneath him, the solution became clear. For the next 6 months he put his scooting bandit career on hiatus as he baked his cherry red scoot in his backyard, slowly but surely fading the color to none else but a dirty burnt orange - the perfect camouflage and interestingly enough, Arizona's state color.

Having had some time to plot out his debut robbery on his burnt orange Elite, he trekked out to Tucson's own "Gazooks! Toys", the oldest independently owned store in town. As he ran in using his swiftest movements, it seemed he hadn't skipped a beat since his hiatus. As the cashier went to hand over the bag of cash, Gim had been distracted for a moment at the selection of Pogs and Slammers "Gadzooks!" had to offer in their last chance bin. By the time he snapped back to it, the cashier had used the lapse to his benefit and came at Gim with his coveted 1891 Mosin-Nagant bolt-action rifle. As Gim ran out of the store and onto his Elite, the cashier shot at him, puncturing the Elite and its side panels. Gim was apprehended and the scoot was later resuscitated by none other than LTD member, Tom Mankowski, as he was roadtripping his way back home to Long Island, NY. Heeding to his fathers advice, Tom used the two most important tools a man can have: duct tape and needle nose pliers, to patch a few bullet holes and get the Elite back on its feet. Having had consistently bad luck with automobiles, Tom ditched his 1997 Pontiac Grand AM and hopped on the Elite and headed back to CA. The newly titled “Orangina” is still in need of some TLC, but is officially LTD. If Tom's awesomeness had not intervened, we would never have such a gem a part of LTD. Continually inspired by Orangina, Tom has initiated a band called Tucson, fully equipped with synthesizers and keytars. In Tom's own words “If awesome was my job, I’d be overqualified and underpaid.” We couldn't agree more. LTD.

HAYNES and the support of Reed Trueblood

2009-08-05T11:19:00.000-07:00

LTD had the amazing opportunity to meet Reed Trueblood, a tall and friendly chap, who just a few short days ago moved from Simi Valley to Newbury Park. Little did we know that this new supporter was living in the same apartment complex as Lauren and Becky for quite some time. It just so happens that while Lauren and Becky were working on their scoots outside, Reed, on his last day living in that complex, was walking his dog past them. Being a good gent Reed questioned the LTD members about their scoots. After a little chatting and the unveiling of LTD's existence, Reed confessed he previously owned
a scoot - a 1990 Yamaha Riva.

The Riva was his first two-wheel love of his life and became his daily driver from Simi Valley to his work in Newbury Park. Using the Riva daily to commute to work, Reed mentioned "Whoever said that California winters aren't cold never rode a scooter without a widescreen at 6:30am." He had purchased his Riva from a guy in Torrance for $700 and had it for about a year before selling it to a guy who lives on his sailboat in the Ventura Harbor for $1000 (someone in Ventura search this guy out and get him an LTD card!). Through this incredible conversation we learned that after he sold his scoot he purchased a 1987 Honda XL600R dual-sport that is street legal.

What makes Reed a gem of all gems is that he also works for Haynes, the worldwide leader in automotive and motorcycle repair, maintenance and customizing manuals. He talked to us with delight about how Haynes has sponsored scooter clubs in the past, so naturally we explained to him all about LTD. Reed became an instant fan. Noticing that LTD was doing some wrenching themselves, he explained how he did all his own repairs and maintenance on his scooter using the Haynes manual and he truly believes in what Haynes produces. He now does all his own repairs and maintenance on his XL using a Haynes manual. Of course this was all music to our ears! Within 4 days we had a package at our door full of Haynes goodies from Reed.

These much coveted manuals are quite the treat and we can't wait
to use them to care for our scoots. If you haven't checked out all the amazing things that Haynes provides, you definitely need to!

Encounters like this are few and far between! We are thankful for our new friendship and can't wait to see LTD and Haynes build a sweet relationship through Reed. LTD!

The History of Scoots

2009-07-15T09:51:00.000-07:00

Scoots have been around for hundreds of years! That’s right friends...the history of motor scooters begins in the 1800s with the first well-documented successful example being the Hildebrand & Wolfmueller, which was patented in Munich, Bavaria in 1894.

Characterized by the typical scooter step-through frame, and using a twin cylinder water-cooled engine, the Hildebrand & Wolfmueller, though not a significant commercial success, nevertheless led the way in shifting from pedal to power driven transportation. It was not until after WWII, however, that further progress was made. The modern motor scooter tracks to France in 1902, where a French inventor designed the auto-fauteuil.The auto-fauteuil maintains the step-through frame and a rudimentary engine in the back. From 1902 to 1935 the history of the motor scooter in America basically follows small scooter firms that were lackluster in performance. In 1936, Salsbury introduced the Motor Glide, which was the beginning of the motor scooter craze in the United States.
Cushman, a competitor, developed the similar Auto-Glide and a fierce competition developed between the two.
There were developments such as self-shifting transmission (1938) and new sleeker models like the Salsbury Model 85 (1948) but for motor scooters, no great history continued to happen in the United States. In Italy, the Second World War brought the economic situation into disarray. Many of the large factories which had made weapons were forced to change over to new products including the motor scooter.

Piaggio, a former military aircraft firm, was directed by Corradino d'Asciano towards a new motor scooter, the Vespa. Check out this video from 1990 on the history of The Vespa. The Vespa had many new features, easy-to-change tires, better protections from the elements, and a hidden engine. This new motor scooter was well ahead of its time in history.

The Vespa was originally made of pressed steel to help utilize stock from the war and made solely in Italy. In just a few short years, however, Vespa production had spread throughout Europe (Germany, France, and England) and into Asia (India). Each manufacturer helped to shape the history of motor scooters in their respective regions. In the late 1950's and early 1960's two more scooter makers in history began production of motor scooters. These were the 1958 Honda Cub and the 1960 Harley Davidson Topper (which was the only scooter with the Harley Davidson signature).
The Honda Cub, known as the big little giant, has gone through some minor changes, but is in essence still produced today the same way it was in the 1950's. The Honda Cub motor scooter has sold over 50 million units in its 50 year history.

Most people think scoots are most popular in Italy....WRONG.
More scoots have been sold in Asia than anywhere else on the planet. In some Asian countries, the population owns more of these fuel-efficient, relatively cheap motor scooters than they do cars. Buying a motor scooter can save you a lot of money and is something to look into. You can’t go wrong with owning a scooter. And I don’t think there exists a person who has been on a scooter and hasn’t fallen in love with it!

LTD!

LTD in Thailand!

2009-06-19T14:54:00.000-07:00

LTD member and good friend, Chris Marsh, is traveling the world right now, experiencing the beauties that overwhelm this earth. Right now he's in Thailand, and Living The Dream. LTD's Godfather, Charlie Duarte, recently posted the LTD logo on Facebook, in which Chris Marsh commented with: "I love it ;) I've been scooting (LTD) around Thailand... This place is the land of scooters." Once again, LTD has gone international. We will do our best to get pictures of Chris in action on a scoot around the world and we'll post them here! In the meantime, visit his blog to keep track of his adventures: www.lostinasia2009.blogspot.com. LTD!

LTD in Hollywood!

2009-06-11T10:30:00.000-07:00

A short time back a couple LTD members were visiting Amoeba Records off Sunset in Hollywood to see a sweet band play. Upon arrival they walked by 2 beautiful Buddy scooters. Always prepared

to spread the love, they put LTD business cards on the scoots. Through that they were introduced to a gem of a rider, Chris Donham, who emailed LTD in response to the business card. Chis is

an artist/designer/biker/scoot-er/lover and a fancy dresser living in Hollywood. He has been riding for about a year and lives by the moto "two wheels down, smiles up!" He now rides a black Buddy he calls Ekko.

He spends his spare time making art, dancing, loving, reading, philosophizing, and playing in "the bouncy castle we call life."

What a glorious connection we now have...one that would not exist had it not been for a mutual love for scoots. That's what I call Living the Dream! To find out more about sweet Chris, visit his website: www.chrisdonham.com.

LTD in KOREA!

2009-06-10T13:55:00.000-07:00

LTD's beautiful friend Keith Walheim lives in Korea right now and is teaching English. A quick bio on Keith: he's originally from Simi Valley, CA, and is an amazing photographer who loves literature and art. He's witty and down to earth...a real gem! Recently he bought a scoot and encouraged a couple of his friends to do the same. We are proud to announce that LTD is now alive and growing on the other side of the globe in Korea. This is a glorious moment my friends...

LTD has become international! We plan on revamping our business card and designing a Korean version for him to use in his city to spread the love of LTD. We'll do our best to keep you updated on how LTD is doing in Keith's foreign land. This is the gem he purchased.

Friends on Scoots

2009-06-07T13:47:00.000-07:00

Riding a scoot is a dream. Riding a scoot with your friends is an even better dream. LTD is blessed to have some incredible friends who have supported them and encouraged them, all the while adding to the humor and wit of all that resonates LTD! Check out our pics, (click here) to see some of our friends on scoots!

Scoot Adventure to Santa Clarita

2009-06-07T13:13:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago Lauren and Becky set off to scoot from Woodranch in Simi Valley to Canyon Country, through Valencia and Newhall, and back home. The ride went through the Santa Susana Pass, dropping them off on Topanga Canyon. Topanga took them to Rinaldi, which followed along the freeway to Balboa. They took Balboa to San Fernando Rd. and scooted alongside the 14 freeway. The ride took about an hour and a half. After meeting up with Jenny the group headed to Shooters in Newhall for some sweet darts and pool. Wonderful tunes, like Beyonce and John Melloncamp, rang from the Jukebox. It was good times. The ride home from Newhall to Woodranch was a breeze and a lot of fun. Enjoy some sweet pics posted on flicker (click here). Doing what we can to LTD.

LTD in the Bay Area

2009-05-06T12:02:00.001-07:00

We're excited to announce that LTD is now alive and well in the bay area, specifically in the Nile District of Fremont, CA. Check out our pictures! Chris Sehenuk, who recently purchased a 150cc Ghostrider (which looks very similar to the Honda Ruckus), is an active member of LTD, spreading the enthusiasm of scoot riding in his area. We've had the pleasure of visiting Chris and joy riding on his gem a number of times. Chris is an artist and designer who is committed to investing in LTD. This is one of his amazing illustrations.

If anyone reading this lives in the bay area and has a scoot, let us know so that we can connect you with Chris! LTD.

LTD Photo Shoot

2009-05-05T12:03:00.000-07:00

First off, props to Heather Wilson (pbuh) and Tony Cruz for their amazing talents and their hearts for spreading the love of LTD. Lauren and Becky were fortunate enough to spend a sunny afternoon with those two gems as they scooted around Moorpark and Simi Valley. Heather Wilson, who has taken breathtaking photographs from all over the world (Dust and Light Photography) blessed LTD with creative and candid shots, using a classic Cannon Digital SLR, 10D. Sounds impressive, doesn't it? Tony Cruz, videographer extraordinaire and owner of Symple Media, followed us with his video camera, capturing the movement of LTD, and compiling an amazing promo video for us. Check out our video on youtube!

We started our trek in Woodranch, heading out to Old Town Moorpark. The old buildings around High St. provided some great background textures with striking colors. We had a fun time popping wheelies and gallivanting through the streets. We then headed to an open area underneath the 118 overpass. We toyed around there, encounter a very strange man in a bright red drench coat, did some jousting, and found some wonderful vintage collectibles. Make sure to check out the photos posted on flickr (click here)! It was a glorious afternoon, and one LTD would like to have much more often. The photographs taken are amazing. We hope you enjoy them. It's our goal that these photos and the promo video will further the purpose of LTD in uniting scooterists and scoot lovers from all over. Keep spreading the word and keep Livin' the Dream.

Glam shots with Charles

2009-03-31T21:43:00.000-07:00

Every established gang has glam shots taken at some point. Its a well known fact. Lets even broaden that perspective - every person in 7th grade who thinks they are an established human being goes straight to the mall for some glamour shots. From airbrushed effects, to candid headshots, photos with your great grand-daddy's sax, and bubble backgrounds, its a must do unless you want to be shunned in life. Please see below for a few of our glam faves.

LTD had been talking for some time about finally getting a photo shoot done of the gang, though the problem was getting the key members in town all at once. While it's easy to take shots at meetups and on rides, whoever is photographing always seems to get left out.

Becky and Lauren set up a time with their friend Charles McPadden for a "prelim" photo shoot to get some ideas of what we'd like to see in the "for realz" shoot. The 3 of us met up at Santa Susana High School in Simi Valley along with Charles' wife Vanessa. We scooted back to the tennis courts where we found some random props ranging from a dead bird to a lonely tennis shoe. Of course, we took advantage of all of these free glamour props in hopes of taking the shots to the next level. As the sun began to set, we started running out of daylight and called it a day. Before leaving, Vanessa and Charles took our hogs for a spin in the parking lot. A Simi cop's eagle eye, also known as "the Heat", spotted them without helmets and pulled near the parking lot with a spot light to be sure to make it a point to make a big deal out of nothing. It just wouldnt be LTD if it wasn't causing the slightest bit of trouble. L...T...D. Check out Charles' amazing photography: www.charlesmcpadden.com.

LTD on the Radio!

2009-03-31T12:26:00.001-07:00

Some members of LTD woke early before work on a weekday for one of the best opportunities to come their way since their founding. On a chilly morning in December 2008, Josh met Becky and Lauren at their apartment and they headed out to Burbank to meet up with Tim and Cassie, hosts of 92.5 KYHY The BlockFM, to talk about LTD and share some laughs. Along for some extra encouragement was Ashleigh, Lauren's incredible cousin and Tim's girlfriend. While scheduling our air time the week prior, we tried to figure out a way to have our godfather on the air with us all the way from Visalia. Sadly, we didnt have the capabilities to connect with him during the interview. Before starting we downed a couple donuts for a sugar rush and put our headphones on. Although Lauren was half asleep, Josh and Becky were on their game as usual playing off each others energy. We talked about the Westside Scooter Club rally, the founding of LTD and how our godfather initiated this whole endeavor, recent members and rides, and of course, why everyone should purchase a scooter. Becky even mentioned how the gang is getting scoot tats soon - which was news to Josh and Lauren. Even if it was for just 10 minutes, LTD was pretty convinced they had Cassie and Tim sold on buying a scoot and joining the gang - the kind of persuasion LTD is all about. What an incredible opportunity for LTD to spread the good news. Listen HERE for the full interview. LTD.
Check out Tim and Cassie's great radio show at http://www.theblockfm.com/.

6 Canyons in 60 Minutes

2009-03-31T11:22:00.000-07:00

Every now and then Todd Huber and Tank Top from the Westside Scooter Club head up a group ride: 6 Canyons in 60 Minutes. It's a glorious time of gliding through the hills of Simi Valley. This particular Thursday evening Josh and Becky from LTD joined the scooterists from Westside and met up at Skatelab. The ride began at Black Canyon. About 15 mins into the ride, Becky took a little spill taking a turn too fast. Her scoot slid sideways pulling her leg underneath. While she may have taken a minor beating and fractured her foot, she continued the ride with the gang who was patient enough to wait for her to regain her composure. From Black Canyon they headed through Box Canyon, under the Santa Susana Pass. We then headed through Tapo Canyon, taking us through Lost Canyon, and up Tripps Canyon and back. I'm not sure what the 6th Canyon was...but we rode it. We ended the sweet ride at Elmers Grill in Simi Valley where we ate some delicious burgers and had a couple beers. It was a fine evening of talking scoots and making friends....LTD.

Box Canyon + Lost Canyon

The Scoot Capital of the Nation

2009-03-12T16:56:00.001-07:00

In June 2008, Becky and Lauren went on a short excursion to Catalina Island not necessarily knowing a ton about it. We knew it was very small, a little historic, and generally relaxing, but we knew little of what was in store for us. We took a boat over from Long Beach, got into town and settled, rented a bike and started exploring. We quickly realized how small the little town of Avalon is and noticed there were very very few cars crowing the streets, but instead mostly golf carts and low and behold, scoots. Apparently Avalon controls the size and number of vehicles by requiring a permit for all forms of transportation and limiting the number of cars, thus forcing people to ride around on golf carts and scoots or other modes of transportation. Note "forcing" is used extremely lightly here. Do you really need to pull someones leg to Live the Dream on a daily basis on their small homeland of an island? Homey don't play that! Seeing a scoot on the streets of 805 is exciting enough to lose control of the wheel, but seeing them at every corner and parked on every street in Catalina was truly heavenly. We obviously documented, making it our mission to capture each and every scoot that we saw, including a Rascal. We had some mixed reactions. A large man on a Ruckus loved that two girls on a tandem bicycle were checking him out. Even when he realized that we were solely interested in his scoot, he loved and appreciated our enthusiasm.

Opposite end of the spectrum was the lovely and elderly owner of the Red Elite with the army sticker on his.....well, hm, I suppose on a scoot it's technically the windshield.

We tried documenting him in action, but didn't want his scowl in the frame. Later in the day we saw it parked on the street and snuck in a shot. Click here (LTD in Catalina) and enjoy the variety; truly a different scoot for every personality type.

LTD.

COCONUT

2009-03-12T16:48:00.000-07:00

People either really love coconut or passionately hate coconut. Why? Why do such extremes exist over a simple island food that for some native islanders is their main course for every meal? One must wonder. What God created from a palm tree, man has created into a variety of tasty treats: coconut covered donuts, coconut jellybeans, coconut juice, coconut cake, coconut in candy bars, toasted coconut chips, chicken in coconut cream, coconut sauce, coconut scented candles, coconut bras.

In a journey to understand the worth and desire of coconut, LTD has decided to venture out into the world of coconut lovers and coconut haters. On our blog page we've created a poll. Please give us your input on whether you like coconut or not. We will analyze the data received and report back to our followers our findings. When voting, please keep in mind the many uses of the coconut that extend outside of one's taste pallet, remembering that coconuts are also valuable for their husks, which are used to make mats, mattresses, and rope. Their shells are also used for utensils, cups, bowls, bottles, lamps, buckles, and ornaments. We don't judge whether we like a person or not based solely on their personality. Oh no, we also judge their usefulness.

Keep Living the Dream.

Calabasas Night Ride

2009-03-09T13:06:00.000-07:00

We decided it was high time to map out a good route of our very own backyards and do some exploring to see just how far we could get without the freeway. Becky, Lauren, Josh, Lindsay, Robert & Shannon (on his sweet Harley), and Greg all met at Denny's in Thousand Oaks and headed to Westlake Village via Agoura Rd. and ended up on some beautiful back roads that a lot of us had never been through before. We took Las Virgenes Rd. to Brent's Junction and found ourselves winding alongside the 101 on wide open roads that seemed perfectly tranquil with the glare of the streetlights trapped in the fog that maintained a perfect yellow tint bouncing off the street at us.

Beach Invasion III

2009-03-09T11:59:00.000-07:00

After setting it in stone at our first meeting, LTD had committed to attending the Westside Scooter Rally in Santa Monica, CA. This has to be the best ride/event LTD has experienced to date. We all met at Becky and Lauren's apartment in Thousand Oaks early in the morning to fill up and get our decals on our scoots.

We had made friends with some of the members of Westside Scooter Club (a predominately Vespa and Vintage only scooter club), and they invited us along to their rally and ride. All members of LTD (with the sad exception of Lindsay) mapped out surface street directions and headed out toward the hills of Malibu for the journey. With our scoots ranging from 80cc to 150cc and 2 stroke to 4 stroke, with some friends even tandem, we knew going up a hill could quickly take us from 50 mph to 30. We headed through the hills of Decker Canyon Rd. to Encinal Canyon and after traveling through some seriously thick fog and dominating questionably steep hills, we made it safely to the busy beautiful coastline of Hwy-1 PCH. For the most part, we kept up well with traffic and passed some amazing Harley riders on the way, some who even graced us with the patented motorcyclist wave - one whose rendition completely blew our minds on the scoot ride home. Wish we had a picture to show you the antics some people are able to pull on a motorcycle going 60mph on PCH. We can only hope to live that dream some day. Moving onward, we finally arrived at the Cock N Bull Pub off Lincoln Blvd. in Santa Monica where the scene was totally indescribable. I think if we could sum up our feeling as a whole, it was completely comparable to feeling like a little kid on the first day of school. We stared into a sea of all eyes on us and vintage scoots that we knew our Honda, Yamaha's and Schwinn's didnt necessarily compare to. We pulled in and were eventually welcomed by Mario, Todd, and "Tank Top" of Westside Scooter Club. We were able to chat with some people and check out the amazing scooters that they had put tons of time and effort into; they were unbelievable. We made it just before the Canyon Ride and were given maps and briefed on the route to be taken. The icing on the cake of this wonderful day was yet to come - we suddenly heard the blaring Star Wars theme song and noticed people strapping up their helmets and revving up to go. Make sure to check out the sweet video that captured only a brief snapshot of this wondrous moment. We of course followed suit, and because of the long journey back to Thousand Oaks, let them know we would be pulling away from the group once we got back to PCH. A sea of 50-60 scooters headed out on Lincoln Blvd. with various people in place to keep traffic from invading the group. It felt like a total parade, people looked on as we sailed through red lights in order to not break form. We just can't describe the feeling to ride alongside 50 fellow scooterists with the summer sun and ocean breeze whistling through our helmets...talk about Livin' the Dream.
Click Beach Invasion III to see all the pictures from this big day!

Our First Social Fill Up and Ride

2009-03-03T23:51:00.000-08:00

So to pick up where we left off, what better way to celebrate a successful first meeting than a glorious ride around the land of Oaks? The 6 of us (Travis, Charlie, Josh, Lindsay, Lauren & Becky, shown from left to right in the pic in the previous post) booked it around the corner from Denny's to the Shell station to fill up. We might make an important note that Charlie is the Godfather of this whole endeavor, and we will most likely be referring to him by this title from here on out. We might also mention that Travis was indeed on a Triumph, not a scoot, but yet unarguably and obviously still Livin' the Dream. The gang stayed together without fail in our scattered formation which ultimately led us to the Department of Motor Vehicles. We took advantage of the wide open space at the DMV to practice for our License tests and also do a little drag racing. We still aren't sure who actually won. Enjoy the action shots.

Josh Murray - 125cc Vino vs. Charlie Duarte - 150cc Schwinn

The Birth of LTD

2009-03-02T20:52:00.001-08:00

It has become that time. LTD has been established for a couple years now and we are only just getting to this blog. I suppose this is mostly for our own benefits, but maybe even for the lone scooterists out there looking to get involved in even the smallest way, or scoot for fun just a little more often. Its pretty simple, really. We love scooters, we love our scooters, and we love scooterists. We are well aware of those of you who think this may be a little silly, maybe even a little much. It seems though that we have heard it all, and honestly, we are left unfazed. There are plenty of scooter clubs out there that have been started for Vespa only or Vintage scoots. LTD was founded on the idea that scooterists, no matter what they are riding, should hang out every now and then - to talk scoots, share stories, or even just do a bit more exploring on the side streets of their own backyards. There are no rules, there are no regulations - we don't jump in new members (as we've been asked before).

This idea basically spread like wildfire among friends. Some close friends got a scoot, everyone took a test ride and was hooked pretty much immediately thereafter. We had our very first "meeting" at a local Denny's and invited anyone who wanted to come. As you can see from our picture, we got a good handful of people there to talk about decals, business cards, future rallies and rides, and hopes for LTD in the future. We had some great feedback from friends who don't even own scoots, even from our waitress. We gave our friends some test rides out in the parking lot (to plant the seed of course), and headed out for a ride around Thousand Oaks, putting the very first LTD meeting officially in the books.

New LTD Logo and Business Card

2009-03-02T11:37:00.001-08:00

Check it out!