Will I be the first scooterist to ride Route 66 from start to end? Not exactly, no.

I was recently asked this and I’ve wondered it myself. I knew that two fellows attempted it 7 or 8 years ago. One failed and the other, I thought, didn’t finish.

After a bit of research, I was kind of right.

First off, I’m not the one who coined the term “Scoot 66.” I did, however, think it up on my own, only to find out later that I wasn’t the first to think it up. I’m not sure who the first was, but Mike Frankovich used it in 1999 and 2000 when he and some friends did Route 66 on vintage scooters.

The trip that I had heard about was their 2000 trip. This was their second trip, but I hadn’t heard of (or remembered) their first one in 1999.

The 2000 trip started in May and lasted 10 days. Mike on a Vespa T5, Pete on a Vespa Rally and Don on what’s possibly a Rally or Sprint or something (hard to tell from the small pictures). There also seemed to be a truck following them. They rode Route 66 with very little incident until they reached Needles, California. The temperature hit 115. Mike’s T5 seized on the interstate. Scary situation.

At that point, Pete took US95 north to Vegas, while Mike and Don loaded their scooters on the truck, finishing Route 66 on four wheels instead of two.

So technically (and very sadly) no one made it. Of course, that doesn’t take away from their fun and memories, which is the whole point of even attempting this. It’s not really to finish it, though it would be nice. It’s to try it.

Anyway, the trip that I was thinking of was their 2000 trip. I somehow forgot their 1999 trip.

The 1999 trip only involved two scooterists. Mike Frankovich and Joe Kokesh. Mike documents his 1999 trip a lot better than is 2000 trip (which is mostly pictures).

75 miles out of Chicago (meaning 75 miles from the start of the trip), Mike’s clutch went. He threw his scooter (Vespa P200) onto Joe’s truck (driven by a friend named Mustang Mike) and rode to St. Louis. Joe, however, rode the whole way. The clutch had to be rebuilt again in Missouri, but no truck was involved. Joe fixed it in 45 minutes along the side of the road.

The trip continued without any problems until Amboy, California where Mike’s sparkplug worked itself loose and he holed his piston. Joe rode to find a truck, but no luck there. Mike’s father saved the day by driving from LA to Amboy and loading both scooters on a truck and taking it to Victorville, a distance of about 115 miles.

Mike finished the Route, leaving from Victorville on his Vespa Rally. Joe finished on his Vespa P series.

So, did either of them really finish it? Well yeah. Both loaded their scooters on a truck for 115 miles, sure. But they rode the whole thing, basically.

Also, let me clarify something here. Riding Route 66 on a modern Vespa GTS with fuel injection is no big deal when compared to riding Route 66 on vintage 2 stroke Vespas. I have little doubt that my GTS can make it. I trust it as much as I’d trust a new car. But riding vintage Vespas 2,500 miles in 10 days, that’s just ballsy. Mike, Joe, Don and Pete were true explorers and true scooterists. I’m just some guy who is riding a brand new modern scooter.

There is a huge difference.

So since I don’t have the option of a truck, if I finish Route 66, I will (to the best of my knowledge) be the first guy on a scooter to ride 66 from the very start to the very finish. But that doesn’t begin to hold a candle to attempting it on vintage two-strokes. Not even close.

I will, however, be attempting it alone. No support, no partners, etc. And since I’m on a modern scooter, I won’t be worrying about altitude, cables breaking, seizure and all the other idiosyncrasies a vintage scoot has. That will definitely make the ride more relaxing and easier.

What I’m doing is kind of a big thing. But it’s nothing compared to the Scoot 66s of 1999 and 2000. Take a visit to their webpage about it.

Will I be the first scooterist to ride Route 66 from start to end? Not exactly, no.

I was recently asked this and I’ve wondered it myself. I knew that two fellows attempted it 7 or 8 years ago. One failed and the other, I thought, didn’t finish.

After a bit of research, I was kind of right.

First off, I’m not the one who coined the term “Scoot 66.” I did, however, think it up on my own, only to find out later that I wasn’t the first to think it up. I’m not sure who the first was, but Mike Frankovich used it in 1999 and 2000 when he and some friends did Route 66 on vintage scooters.

The trip that I had heard about was their 2000 trip. This was their second trip, but I hadn’t heard of (or remembered) their first one in 1999.

The 2000 trip started in May and lasted 10 days. Mike on a Vespa T5, Pete on a Vespa Rally and Don on what’s possibly a Rally or Sprint or something (hard to tell from the small pictures). There also seemed to be a truck following them. They rode Route 66 with very little incident until they reached Needles, California. The temperature hit 115. Mike’s T5 seized on the interstate. Scary situation.

At that point, Pete took US95 north to Vegas, while Mike and Don loaded their scooters on the truck, finishing Route 66 on four wheels instead of two.

So technically (and very sadly) no one made it. Of course, that doesn’t take away from their fun and memories, which is the whole point of even attempting this. It’s not really to finish it, though it would be nice. It’s to try it.

Anyway, the trip that I was thinking of was their 2000 trip. I somehow forgot their 1999 trip.

The 1999 trip only involved two scooterists. Mike Frankovich and Joe Kokesh. Mike documents his 1999 trip a lot better than is 2000 trip (which is mostly pictures).

75 miles out of Chicago (meaning 75 miles from the start of the trip), Mike’s clutch went. He threw his scooter (Vespa P200) onto Joe’s truck (driven by a friend named Mustang Mike) and rode to St. Louis. Joe, however, rode the whole way. The clutch had to be rebuilt again in Missouri, but no truck was involved. Joe fixed it in 45 minutes along the side of the road.

The trip continued without any problems until Amboy, California where Mike’s sparkplug worked itself loose and he holed his piston. Joe rode to find a truck, but no luck there. Mike’s father saved the day by driving from LA to Amboy and loading both scooters on a truck and taking it to Victorville, a distance of about 115 miles.

Mike finished the Route, leaving from Victorville on his Vespa Rally. Joe finished on his Vespa P series.

So, did either of them really finish it? Well yeah. Both loaded their scooters on a truck for 115 miles, sure. But they rode the whole thing, basically.

Also, let me clarify something here. Riding Route 66 on a modern Vespa GTS with fuel injection is no big deal when compared to riding Route 66 on vintage 2 stroke Vespas. I have little doubt that my GTS can make it. I trust it as much as I’d trust a new car. But riding vintage Vespas 2,500 miles in 10 days, that’s just ballsy. Mike, Joe, Don and Pete were true explorers and true scooterists. I’m just some guy who is riding a brand new modern scooter.

There is a huge difference.

So since I don’t have the option of a truck, if I finish Route 66, I will (to the best of my knowledge) be the first guy on a scooter to ride 66 from the very start to the very finish. But that doesn’t begin to hold a candle to attempting it on vintage two-strokes. Not even close.

I will, however, be attempting it alone. No support, no partners, etc. And since I’m on a modern scooter, I won’t be worrying about altitude, cables breaking, seizure and all the other idiosyncrasies a vintage scoot has. That will definitely make the ride more relaxing and easier.

What I’m doing is kind of a big thing. But it’s nothing compared to the Scoot 66s of 1999 and 2000. Take a visit to their webpage about it.

LOOK! It’s super lucky Anarchist Tofu Robots!!

Yeah, really punk rock, huh?

The future is SO stupid.

That is, until I saw these….

The future is AWESOME!

-

So where do you get them? Ebay, maybe if you’re lucky.
Here, but they’re out of stock.

I’m still working on it. I want the green one. Oh yes.

That’s Ruby II. She’s the scooter I’ll be riding across the country. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me back up and explain the whole scooter thing.

The Evolution of Scooters.

In the Spring of 2005, I got my first scooter. It was a 1975 Bajaj Chetak, a clone of a Vespa Sprint. I rode it for about a day and decided that I needed something a bit bigger. It was then that I bought a Black 2005 Stella, a clone of a Vespa PX. Great scooter. I modified it with a new head, new crank, new carb and it ran like a top.

It was around that time that I bought a 1970 VW Bus. It wasn’t a scooter, but it was great. It could even haul a scooter if you took out the sink!

Next, I did a really weird thing. I decided that I wanted a white Stella. So instead of painting my black one, I bought a white one and moved the souped up engine to the new white Stella and the stock engine to the old black Stella. And while I certainly wasn’t through with the work on the white Stella, I put it on hold so that I could trade the black Stella for a 1959 Vespa Allstate.

The Allstate had a Stella engine in it (this all gets complicated), which was great. I threw a pipe on it, got a bigger carb and new air filter. It could do 60mph. The body, however, was in desperate need of restoration.

But before that, I wanted to work on some cosmetic things with the white Stella. I removed the batter, gave it a glovebox cowl and some Star Wars decals, making it look like a Storm Trooper. I loved this scooter. With the engine, it could do 70mph. That is, until one fine spring day when I installed a bigger carb and revved it out on a straight stretch. I hit 75mph and seized the engine while on a weekend trip..

While that was in the shop, my father and I restored the ‘59 Allstate. We gave it a beautiful baby blue paint job and replaced everything rubber in it.

I got the white Stella back from the shop, nearly good as new. But I just couldn’t trust it (or rather, myself) anymore. I then got serious about Scoot 66. I need something bullet proof. Something that wouldn’t seize on me and something that would basically last forever.

It was then that I bought the 2006 Bajaj Chetak. The newer Chetaks are 4 strokes and will run forever. Great scooter. I did some cosmetic mods to it and basically fell in love with it. However, it would only do about 55mph. If I were going to take this across the country, I would need to go faster. It would be the perfect around the town scooter, but for highways, I would need something better.

But my goodness, at this point, I had four scooters. Nevertheless, that’s when I bought Ruby II.

Who is Ruby II?
Ruby II is a 2007 Vespa GTS250. She’s a fuel injected, water cooled four stroke. Powered by a 21 horsepower 250cc engine, she’ll carry 80mph all day without batting an eyelash. All this with 65 – 70mpg.

It was a little weird getting used to Ruby II. All of the other scooters are air cooled with standard transmissions. Vespa GTSs are automatics. They have radiators. It’s basically a car on two wheels. Twist the throttle and off you go! Older Vespas (and every other scooter I’ve owned) have the rear break on the floor. On the new Vespas, the rear break is on the handlebars. i’m still not used to that.

And while I sometimes still feel myself trying to shift gears, this is the beauty that will carry me across 22 states, through four time zones, from sea to sea (well almost).

Why scooters?
I’m not really sure, but maybe it’s in my blood. My grandfather used to ride a Montgomery Wards Riverside Nassau. It was made by Mitsubishi (called a Silver Pigeon C-80). He would ride all year long. In the winter, he would pile on the layers, throw on a snowmobile suit and ride, even through the snow, to the post office, where he worked. That is a hardcore scooterist.

While my grandfather rode out of both fun and necessity, I ride mostly for fun. Yeah, I thought about motorcycles for a bit. They’re great. Maybe someday I’ll have one. But for now, I’ve fallen in love with scooters. From their style to their simplicity. Specifically, Vespa and its clones (Bajaj, LML/Stella) have me hooked.

Like my grandfather, I do ride year round. Yeah, it’s a lot less in the winter, but it’s still there. Usually, it’s a quick ride to the store. But when the temps climb over 40 on a warm January day, I start getting the uncontrollable urge to head out on longer rides. It’s a compulsion that only scooterists and motorcyclists would understand. The closest thing I can compare it to is a surfer who is stuck in summer school when the waves kick up. I wouldn’t call in an addiction, not quite.

It’s only been a few short years since I got my first scooter. But since then, I’ve bought a total of seven scooters. And while I’m trying to sell most of them off, I’d be crazy to think that there won’t be more.

What’s next on the scooter front?
Selling. So far, I’ve sold the Allstate and the ‘75 Bajaj. the ‘06 Bajaj and Whitey are also for sale. As is the Bus. I’d like to get down to one scooter. And when that happens, I’ll probably pick up a mid-60’s Vespa. I just can’t stay away from them.

-

Oh, and who was Ruby I? Well, here you go. It’s story time.

In the Spring of 2005, I got my first scooter. It was a 1975 Bajaj Chetak, a clone of a Vespa Sprint. I rode it for about a day and decided that I needed something a bit bigger. It was then that I bought a Black 2005 Stella, a clone of a Vespa PX. Great scooter. I modified it with a new head, new crank, new carb and it ran like a top.

It was around that time that I bought a 1970 VW Bus. It wasn’t a scooter, but it was great. It could even haul a scooter if you took out the sink!

Next, I did a really weird thing. I decided that I wanted a white Stella. So instead of painting my black one, I bought a white one and moved the souped up engine to the new white Stella and the stock engine to the old black Stella. And while I certainly wasn’t through with the work on the white Stella, I put it on hold so that I could trade the black Stella for a 1959 Vespa Allstate.

The Allstate had a Stella engine in it (this all gets complicated), which was great. I through a pipe on it, got a bigger carb and new air filter. It could do 60mph. The body, however, was in desperate need of restoration.

But before that, I wanted to work on some cosmetic things with the white Stella. I removed the batter, gave it a glovebox cowl and some Star Wars decals, making it look like a Storm Trooper. I loved this scooter. With the engine, it could do 70mph. That is, until one fine spring day when I installed a bigger carb and revved it out on a straight stretch. I hit 75mph and seized the engine while on a weekend trip..

While that was in the shop, my father and I restored the ‘59 Allstate. We gave it a beautiful baby blue paint job and replaced everything rubber in it.

I got the white Stella back from the shop, nearly good as new. But I just couldn’t trust it (or rather, myself) anymore. I then got serious about Scoot 66. I need something bullet proof. Something that wouldn’t seize on me and something that would basically last forever.

It was then that I bought the 2006 Bajaj Chetak. The newer Chetaks are 4 strokes and will run forever. Great scooter. I did some cosmetic mods to it and basically fell in love with it. However, it would only do about 55mph. If I were going to take this across the country, I would need to go faster. It would be the perfect around the town scooter, but for highways, I would need something better.

But my goodness, at this point, I had four scooters. Nevertheless, that’s when I bought Ruby II.

Who is Ruby II?
Ruby II is a 2007 Vespa GTS250. She’s a fuel injected, water cooled four stroke. Powered by a 21 horsepower 250cc engine, she’ll carry 80mph all day without batting an eyelash. All this with 65 – 70mpg.

It was a little weird getting used to Ruby II. All of the other scooters are air cooled with standard transmissions. Vespa GTSs are automatics. They have radiators. It’s basically a car on two wheels. Twist the throttle and off you go! Older Vespas (and every other scooter I’ve owned) have the rear break on the floor. On the new Vespas, the rear break is on the handlebars. i’m still not used to that.

And while I sometimes still feel myself trying to shift gears, this is the beauty that will carry me across 22 states, through four time zones, from sea to sea (well almost).

Why scooters?
I’m not really sure, but maybe it’s in my blood. My grandfather used to ride a Montgomery Wards Riverside Nassau. It was made by Mitsubishi (called a Silver Pigeon C-80). He would ride all year long. In the winter, he would pile on the layers, throw on a snowmobile suit and ride, even through the snow, to the post office, where he worked. That is a hardcore scooterist.

While my grandfather rode out of both fun and necessity, I ride mostly for fun. Yeah, I thought about motorcycles for a bit. They’re great. Maybe someday I’ll have one. But for now, I’ve fallen in love with scooters. From their style to their simplicity. Specifically, Vespa and its clones (Bajaj, LML/Stella) have me hooked.

Like my grandfather, I do ride year round. Yeah, it’s a lot less in the winter, but it’s still there. Usually, it’s a quick ride to the store. But when the temps climb over 40 on a warm January day, I start getting the uncontrollable urge to head out on longer rides. It’s a compulsion that only scooterists and motorcyclists would understand. The closest thing I can compare it to is a surfer who is stuck in summer school when the waves kick up. I wouldn’t call in an addiction, not quite.

It’s only been a few short years since I got my first scooter. But since then, I’ve bought a total of seven scooters. And while I’m trying to sell most of them off, I’d be crazy to think that there won’t be more.

What’s next on the scooter front?
Selling. So far, I’ve sold the Allstate and the ‘75 Bajaj. the ‘06 Bajaj and Whitey are also for sale. As is the Bus. I’d like to get down to one scooter. And when that happens, I’ll probably pick up a mid-60’s Vespa. I just can’t stay away from them.

-

Oh, and who was Ruby I? Well, here you go. It’s story time.

Motels are expensive. That’s why I camp. On my little excursion, I plan on staying in only five motels (out of 45 nights). Three of them are just random cheap motels – no campgrounds around. But the other two are amazing.

First, in Tucumcari, New Mexico, a town famous for its old motels and neon, there’s the Blue Swallow Motel.

I stayed there two years ago and can’t wait to stay there again. Here’s what I wrote oh so long ago…

Tucumcari tonight! Tucumcari used to boast 2000 motel rooms. I’m not sure how many there are now, but that doesn’t matter because we found the best freaking motel with the best freaking room and the best freaking owners EVER.

Welcome to the Blue Swallow Motel. A beautifully restored motel from the 40’s now run by Bill and Terri. Red bearded Bill, clad in bib overalls greeted us, checked us in and showed us a “suite.” And sweet it was. It has a stove.. a PINK stove!, two bedrooms, a 1940’s style bathroom and so much nostalgia you’ll go crazy. Bill offered us so much assistance and help and fun that I can’t even begin to describe it. Actually, it’s a lot like staying in a B&B. He took care of us.

Every evening he also takes pictures of in front of the sign of everyone who stays at the motel. He prints them out at night and then gives you a 5×7 of them the next day. For free. What a guy!

Boo went for a run to Tucumcari Mountain while Nikki and I got our picture taken in front of the sign. She and I were on the computer, reading some comments left by you guys (thanks!) when we looked our the window to our right to see Bill walking towards us. He held up his camera with a big smile as if to say “It’s time!” He was excited. You can really tell he loves this place. They bought it in February, I think. New owners totally in love with each other and their motel. I could live here.

May this year they’ll adopt me and Ruby.

The second motel is a few days after Tucumcari. At one time it was a small chain of motels, but since then, only three remain. Two are on Route 66. I’ll be staying in the one in Holbrook, Arizona.

It’s the Wigwam Motel!

I stayed in it in 2004 and 2006 and will stay again in 2008. Every two years! I wish I would have written more about it in 2004. The owner of the Wigman (he’s the original founder’s son) and I had a wonderful conversation about the government. He’s one of those republican/libertarian/anarchist/militia type who are always a blast to chew the fat with.

But no, for some reason, I’ve never really written much about the place. In both ‘04 and ‘06 I hardly mention that I stayed there at all. Weird, huh?

But Holbrook was the place where I got a free plate of fries from Denny’s.

We drive the 20 sleepy miles to Holbrook to our castle for the night, The Wigwam Motel! I love this place. Hungry, we hit Denny’s where our waiter, Jep, took a liking to a certain journal keeper (blogger?) and I didn’t get charged for my fries or my Sprite. Oh yeah! I still got it!

Go me. Maybe Jep will still be there! Oh I hope!

Anyway, those are the two motels I was just itchin’ to tell you about. Are you happy that I did?

Sure you are.

Motels are expensive. That’s why I camp. On my little excursion, I plan on staying in only five motels (out of 45 nights). Three of them are just random cheap motels – no campgrounds around. But the other two are amazing.

First, in Tucumcari, New Mexico, a town famous for its old motels and neon, there’s the Blue Swallow Motel.

I stayed there two years ago and can’t wait to stay there again. Here’s what I wrote oh so long ago…

Tucumcari tonight! Tucumcari used to boast 2000 motel rooms. I’m not sure how many there are now, but that doesn’t matter because we found the best freaking motel with the best freaking room and the best freaking owners EVER.

Welcome to the Blue Swallow Motel. A beautifully restored motel from the 40’s now run by Bill and Terri. Red bearded Bill, clad in bib overalls greeted us, checked us in and showed us a “suite.” And sweet it was. It has a stove.. a PINK stove!, two bedrooms, a 1940’s style bathroom and so much nostalgia you’ll go crazy. Bill offered us so much assistance and help and fun that I can’t even begin to describe it. Actually, it’s a lot like staying in a B&B. He took care of us.

Every evening he also takes pictures of in front of the sign of everyone who stays at the motel. He prints them out at night and then gives you a 5×7 of them the next day. For free. What a guy! (PS – Bill is New Mexico’s answer to Madhava Ghosh).

Boo went for a run to Tucumcari Mountain while Nikki and I got our picture taken in front of the sign. She and I were on the computer, reading some comments left by you guys (thanks!) when we looked our the window to our right to see Bill walking towards us. He held up his camera with a big smile as if to say “It’s time!” He was excited. You can really tell he loves this place. They bought it in February, I think. New owners totally in love with each other and their motel. I could live here.

May this year they’ll adopt me and Ruby.

The second motel is a few days after Tucumcari. At one time it was a small chain of motels, but since then, only three remain. Two are on Route 66. I’ll be staying in the one in Holbrook, Arizona.

It’s the Wigwam Motel!

I stayed in it in 2004 and 2006 and will stay again in 2008. Every two years! I wish I would have written more about it in 2004. The owner of the Wigman (he’s the original founder’s son) and I had a wonderful conversation about the government. He’s one of those republican/libertarian/anarchist/militia type who are always a blast to chew the fat with.

But no, for some reason, I’ve never really written much about the place. In both ‘04 and ‘06 I hardly mention that I stayed there at all. Weird, huh?

But Holbrook was the place where I got a free plate of fries from Denny’s.

We drive the 20 sleepy miles to Holbrook to our castle for the night, The Wigwam Motel! I love this place. Hungry, we hit Denny’s where our waiter, Jep, took a liking to a certain journal keeper (blogger?) and I didn’t get charged for my fries or my Sprite. Oh yeah! I still got it!

Go me. Maybe Jep will still be there! Oh I hope!

Anyway, those are the two motels I was just itchin’ to tell you about. Are you happy that I did?

Sure you are.