Scooter Books

Corsair · Post by **Corsair** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 3:22 am

Anyone check any of these books out? If so care to give a review?

(do you know if this will be useful for the Buddy?)

(Since this is the latest edition do I still need to buy the fisrt?)

Any other books you would recommend?

jaded · Post by **jaded** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 4:03 am

Proficient Motorcycling and More Proficient Motorcycling, EXCELLENT resources. Everyone should read them.

Corsair · Post by **Corsair** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 5:17 am

Do you need to buy both? Is the Second a repeat of the first wiith updated material?

xkennx · Post by **xkennx** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 4:33 pm

The Hanes - Automatic manual is not geared for any single scooter but more a "if you scooter is doing this...., this might be your problem" and basic (but broad) ways of repairing parts of the engine.

Best thing you could do is d/l the buddy 125 service manual in pdf format and take it to kinko or office max and have them print you out a hard copy.

Also do the same with the parts manual - normally this manual will show far more detail on each item your working on.

Corsair · Post by **Corsair** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 5:15 pm

I have the service manual but do you know where I can find the parts manual?

xkennx · Post by **xkennx** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 5:24 pm

Corsair wrote:I have the service manual but do you know where I can find the parts manual?

When I get back to my shop i'll send you a copy of mine

Kevin K · Post by **Kevin K** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 7:41 pm

Review:
http://www.motorbyte.com/mmm/pages/2006/83/book83.htm
-K

Coach B · Post by **Coach B** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 12:52 am

I just read Proficient Motorcycling. It had things in it that I didn't know. I now ride more smoothly, and enjoy the heck out of cornering. I got it at the library, so check there first. I'll read the second one soon. These are good to read every two years or so.
Scoot safe.

polianarchy · Post by **polianarchy** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 7:32 pm

Hi, y'all! This is my first post. I'll put up an introduction in that one photo thread in a little bit.

So, Corsair, did you ever get an answer as to if there was a need to get both Proficient Motorcycling as well as More Proficient Motorcycling? I'm about to become a brand new rider, so I'd like as much literature as possible before my first ride.

gt1000 · Post by **gt1000** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 7:45 pm

Corsair wrote:Do you need to buy both? Is the Second a repeat of the first wiith updated material?

You don't "need" to buy either. You might find them in your local library but the bindings on these books is so bad I'm guessing library copies fall apart pretty quickly.

However, the second book is not a repeat or update of the first, it's mostly different material. Hough does have a 3rd book that is a rehash of both of these books and I don't recommend that one. If you want to learn a lot, read Proficient first and More Proficient later. They're not great literary works but the information is good and definitely helps prepare you for the MSF class.

And, if you do want to own both, Amazon usually has them packaged together for a very attractive price.

vitaminC · Post by **vitaminC** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 7:46 pm

polianarchy wrote:Hi, y'all! This is my first post. I'll put up an introduction in that one photo thread in a little bit.

So, Corsair, did you ever get an answer as to if there was a need to get both Proficient Motorcycling as well as More Proficient Motorcycling? I'm about to become a brand new rider, so I'd like as much literature as possible before my first ride.

Seems like you answered your own question!

You know the old saying, "the more you know, the better it gets". Okay, maybe it's not that old, but at least having two books will help you get through the winter months!

Welcome to MB!

polianarchy · Post by **polianarchy** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 8:17 pm

vitaminC wrote:Seems like you answered your own question!

You know the old saying, "the more you know, the better it gets". Okay, maybe it's not that old, but at least having two books will help you get through the winter months!

Welcome to MB!

Thanks for the response and the welcome, vitaminC!

Since we're on the subject, can anyone here reccomend any books specifically for scooters? I did a quick search on Amazon.com and found more than a few titles:

Scooter Bible: From Cushman to Vespa,the Ultimate History and Buyer's Guide by Eric Dregni and Michael Dregni

Scooters: Red Eyes, Whitewalls and Blue Smoke by Colin Shattuck

The Scooter Book by Bob Woods

The Scooter Book: Everything you need to know about owning, enjoying and maintaining your scooter by Alan Seeley

Scooters: Everything You Need to Know by Pixel Pete

xkennx · Post by **xkennx** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 8:18 pm

Even though im not that old but I was taught the old school way. At 10ys old I was put on my cousins Vepsa PK scooter and told "if you break my vespa i'll break you." And that was history (cliff note version i have broken a few bones over the yrs - always remember no matter how good you are, the car will always win)

No fancy books for me.

vitaminC · Post by **vitaminC** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 8:21 pm

polianarchy wrote: Since we're on the subject, can anyone here reccomend any books specifically for scooters? I did a quick search on Amazon.com and found more than a few titles:

What kind of information are you looking for? History, maintenance, riding, etc... That could help narrow down the choices. I'd give your library a shot, as it's surprising sometimes what little gems they've got stashed away

xkennx · Post by **xkennx** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 8:24 pm

Last night I actually came across "The Scooter Book: Everything you need to know about owning, enjoying and maintaining your scooter by Alan Seeley"

Its one of those mostly pictures of scooters we dont even have here in the US. Just goto Books-A-Million and read over it in 6mins (thats what I did) No need to buy it. There are plenty of PDF files that goes over the same stuff and so does your owners manual.

polianarchy · Post by **polianarchy** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 8:34 pm

xkennx wrote:Even though im not that old but I was taught the old school way. At 10ys old I was put on my cousins Vepsa PK scooter and told "if you break my vespa i'll break you." And that was history (cliff note version i have broken a few bones over the yrs - always remember no matter how good you are, the car will always win)

No fancy books for me.

Haha, well you see, I'm a librarian. My first impulse whenever I'm starting something new is to read as much as possible! My second impulse is to ask an "expert," but I don't know a single scooter owner other than the people over at Phila Scooters. Thanks for the tip, though.

polianarchy · Post by **polianarchy** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 8:43 pm

vitaminC wrote:What kind of information are you looking for? History, maintenance, riding, etc... That could help narrow down the choices. I'd give your library a shot, as it's surprising sometimes what little gems they've got stashed away

I'm looking for riding info primarily, and I guess some basic maintenance tips. Thanks very much!

PS: Libraries rule!

xkennx · Post by **xkennx** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 9:07 pm

polianarchy wrote:
vitaminC wrote:What kind of information are you looking for? History, maintenance, riding, etc... That could help narrow down the choices. I'd give your library a shot, as it's surprising sometimes what little gems they've got stashed away
I'm looking for riding info primarily, and I guess some basic maintenance tips. Thanks very much!

PS: Libraries rule!

I copied the MSF books on my site

http://scootit.com/viewtopic.php?p=6#6

check out "You and Your Scooter" and You and Your Motorcycle" those are good basic reading info from people who know what they are talking about. Ill trya nd upload the rest of the files I have this week on there.

kenn

gt1000 · Post by **gt1000** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 4:43 am

Haha, well you see, I'm a librarian.

How about that? I am too. If you're looking for books that cover all of the ins and outs of riding technique, the Hough books are the place to start. But, and this is a big, big but, nothing beats experience. Take the MSF class and then take an advanced class and ride, ride, ride. If you're looking for something more historical, I have a really interesting book on my desk at work but I forget the title. Another librarian dropped it off for me to look at. I'll post the title tomorrow.

And, for those folks who know Sportique Scooters, I believe the author of "Red Eyes, Whitewalls and Blue Smoke" is one of the co-owners.

polianarchy · Post by **polianarchy** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 2:18 pm

xkennx wrote:I copied the MSF books on my site

http://scootit.com/viewtopic.php?p=6#6

check out "You and Your Scooter" and You and Your Motorcycle" those are good basic reading info from people who know what they are talking about. Ill trya nd upload the rest of the files I have this week on there.

kenn

wow! the librarian in me cringes at this bending of copyright, but the cheap-o anarchist in me says, "YES! THANK YOU!!!" so yeah, let's go with the latter....

becuase i'll probably end up buying the lot, anyway.

gt1000 · Post by **gt1000** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 3:46 pm

Okay, the book that one of my friendly reference librarians passed on to me is titled "Scooter Boys" and is by Gareth Brown. I'm sure many of you have already seen it but it does look like a fun read and has some fabulous pictures. Mostly British mod-related. The author is a well known scootist.

"They made their own rules from within and their first loves were their scooters. They called themselves 'Scooter Boys'."

Bryce-O-Rama · Post by **Bryce-O-Rama** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 11:13 pm

Not really intended for people who already have scooters, but more for people interested in getting into the scooter thing.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Motor Scooters

If you or a friend wants a copy, buy through me and I'll autograph it for you.

ellen · Post by **ellen** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 1:01 am

Bryce-O-Rama wrote: If you or a friend wants a copy, buy through me and I'll autograph it for you.

ME ME ME ME!! Bryce, how can we order from you? I can't wait for the book to come out.
I'm still trying to get Colin to autograph my Scooters: Red Eyes, Whitewalls and Blue Smoke. Though he beat me in the 2 Stroke Fantasy Football this weekend.. Maybe its a good time to hit him up again

Bryce-O-Rama · Post by **Bryce-O-Rama** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 9:36 am

Bev Brinson, the publisher of Scooter World magazine was my co-author on this book, and I'll see if I can get her to sign them too. Not promising anything other than that I'll ask politely. The book comes out in May, and we would like to get a new website or add an order form to ours sometime enough before that so we can get take preorders.

The best way to get Colin to sign your book would be to head out to Denver, that's how I got my signed copy.

Shellee · Post by **Shellee** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 11:42 am

Bryce Ludwig wrote:The best way to get Colin to sign your book would be to head out to Denver, that's how I got my signed copy.

Road trip!!

Bryce, I would love to get a copy of your signed book too.

lobsterman · Post by **lobsterman** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 2:11 pm

Bryce,

Count me in, I want one too.

polianarchy · Post by **polianarchy** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 2:22 pm

ooo, count me in, bryce! if i'm not a complete idiot about scooters, i'm at least half.

and scooter world magazine is really great. i'm a fan!

Bryce-O-Rama · Post by **Bryce-O-Rama** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 6:21 pm

Thanks for all the kind words. The book comes out in May, and we'll be taking pre-orders on our website sometime before that.

Torgo · Post by **Torgo** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 7:26 pm

xkennx wrote:Best thing you could do is d/l the buddy 125 service manual in pdf format and take it to kinko or office max and have them print you out a hard copy.

Also do the same with the parts manual - normally this manual will show far more detail on each item your working on.

Where can these be downloaded from?

Keys · Post by **Keys** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 11:12 pm

Torgo, is that a "Commodopede" you have as your avatar?

--Keys

Torgo · Post by **Torgo** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 4:52 am

Keys wrote:Torgo, is that a "Commodopede" you have as your avatar?

--Keys

No, it's the new Kymco Poopie 150. There's a 50cc model as well, but the engine's just a piece of crap. I like the 150, though; even just sitting on it gives you the feeling of movement. You just can't hold it -- it makes you want to go, go, go! And once things get flowing you start to feel that flush of excitement -- especially as the wind breaks all around you. It only has two gears (number one and number two), but there's plenty of power available for passing. And the best part? It runs on natural gas...

Corsair · Post by **Corsair** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 6:14 am

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

gt1000 · Post by **gt1000** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 6:39 am

Torgo wrote:
Keys wrote:Torgo, is that a "Commodopede" you have as your avatar?

--Keys
No, it's the new Kymco Poopie 150. There's a 50cc model as well, but the engine's just a piece of crap. I like the 150, though; even just sitting on it gives you the feeling of movement. You just can't hold it -- it makes you want to go, go, go! And once things get flowing you start to feel that flush of excitement -- especially as the wind breaks all around you. It only has two gears (number one and number two), but there's plenty of power available for passing. And the best part? It runs on natural gas...

Holy mother of god, Groucho Marx is a scooter nut and is a member of Modern Buddy. How cool is that?

polianarchy · Post by **polianarchy** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 1:48 pm

Torgo??? My MSTie circle is complete! Long Live MANOS: Hands of Fate!

Torgo · Post by **Torgo** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 5:30 pm

polianarchy wrote:Torgo??? My MSTie circle is complete! Long Live MANOS: Hands of Fate!

YES! I hoped someone here would get it! MiSTie's seem to be few and far between these days...

Kevin K · Post by **Kevin K** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 5:53 pm

Torgo wrote:YES! I hoped someone here would get it! MiSTie's seem to be few and far between these days...

There's a lot of them in Minnesota. The show originated here in the Twin Cities back in the late '80s, and was usually shown Saturday afternoons on a local station.

And Gamera rocks.
-K

EBee · Post by **EBee** » Sat Dec 30, 2006 4:45 pm

Have you all seen this?
http://www.buggiesunlimited.com/Merchan ... iftgallery

By the way I got the Riding Well book for Christmas and am reading it cover to cover...being a newbie it's ALL good for me, but an extremely informative book so far!

Keys · Post by **Keys** » Sat Dec 30, 2006 5:03 pm

The only book I got for Christmas was "Tuning Vespas...all the information you need to make your Vespa...FAST!" As I restore my Allstate, I'm sure it'll come in handy. Just not very applicable to my Buddy...

--Keys

Corsair · Post by **Corsair** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 1:49 am

Does anyone know which scooter repair book best applies to the Buddy? Are there any scooter books out there that actually speak on the Buddy?

EBee · Post by **EBee** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 2:02 pm

Bryce-O-Rama wrote:Not really intended for people who already have scooters, but more for people interested in getting into the scooter thing.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Motor Scooters

If you or a friend wants a copy, buy through me and I'll autograph it for you.

I want one too! Actually had heard about it already and was waiting for it to come out. Let us know when we can get one...

Also I am reading the second Hough book...there's new stuff in it that I'm finding interesting. I hope to have it finished before my MSF class in May...

sunshinen · Post by **sunshinen** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 8:15 pm

xkennx wrote:Even though im not that old but I was taught the old school way. At 10ys old I was put on my cousins Vepsa PK scooter and told "if you break my vespa i'll break you." And that was history (cliff note version i have broken a few bones over the yrs - always remember no matter how good you are, the car will always win)

No fancy books for me.

If you don't like to read, well you don't like to read. But I've never heard anyone (however long they'd been riding) say they read these books, but didn't learn anything new. Personally, if I can learn even the smallest of lessons from a book, rather than the school of hard knocks, I'll take it.

Modern Buddy

Scooter Books

Scooter Books

Manuals?

Cruzin Cooler