XENA Security and the cutting edge XX6 120dB disc-lock alarm for scooters are proud sponsors of the 2009 AmeriVespa Rally.

SAN JOSE, CA -- Throughout the civilized world, the iconic Vespa is synonymous with the popular perception of the motor scooter.  These sexy, Italian ideas for alternative transportation have been zipping thru traffic and sipping gas since their introduction in the late 1940's in Europe.  

Amerivespa is the largest annual scooter rally in America and the 2009 edition will be held right here, in the Silicon Valley, from July 2 thru July 5.  An anticipated gathering of over 750 scooterists and their eclectic collection of Vespas and other marques will enjoy a full program of events and rides throughout the South Bay.  It promises to be great fun and an amusing cultural phenomenon as scooterists are truly colorful, and today scooters are really in tune with these green-minded times.  

Amerivespa will be a pop culture showcase of everything that makes scootering the passionate pursuit of the trendy and the tuned in.  Hundreds of charismatic classics will be on display side by side with the latest models, offering advanced tech and a contemporary take on super chic.  The scooterists are as interesting a show as their groovy bikes, stylishly turned out in a multitude of era-defining styles and gear.

 While their worldwide popularity is greater than ever, here in America scooters have ridden a roller coaster of popularity, that is again on an upswing in the 3rd wave of scooter mania.  Motor scooters had been around since the earliest days of internal combustion, but never quite caught on until Enrico Piaggio, heir to the Piaggio industrial empire in Italy, created the original Vespa in 1946.  Piaggio was searching for a product to manufacture in what was left of the Piaggio works after the Allied bombing raids of World War II, and Italy was in desperate need of economical transportation for the masses.  The innovative and very advanced design of the Vespa was the perfect solution.  The name Vespa, which means wasp in Italian,  was Enrico's inspiration, sparked by the bulbous tail section and buzzing motor of the first prototype.  With a fuel efficient engine, advanced engineering based on contemporary aircraft practice, and sexy, Italian style the Vespa became an immediate sensation. 

Italy and Europe were ready for the Vespa, which offered not only an economical and practical means of daily transport, but also the promise of mobility and stylish freedom to the younger generation.  Riding a Vespa became a statement synonymous with being smart, fashionable, modern and very post-war.  In the first wave of scooter mania the Vespa and it's imitators took the continent by storm.

Introduced in 1946 the Vespa was an instant hit and by 1953 total production was over 500,000 units.  Starting in the early 1950's Vespas began to catch on in America too, but more for style and cool cachet than economy.  The hipsters of the Beat generation found the scooter to be the perfect non-conformist, Euro-centric statement, and San Francisco, one of the centers of the Beat movement, began to become America's #1 scooter city.  James Dean, known widely for his interest in sports cars, actually rode a scooter much of the time as his personal transportation. 

As the 1950's segued into the prosperous  and swinging '60's, the scooter found it's 2nd wave of popular fascination.  Vespa's combination of free-spirited style and mod fashion led to the interest of a new generation in scootering, and the world-wide growth of other scooter manufacturers meant that enthusiasts had a much broader selection of groovy machines to ride.  The modest performance and outstanding economy of scooters fit perfectly into a peaceful, non-aggressive mind set, and the scooter became the alternative ridestyle of leading cultural innovators like the Mods of Carnaby Street and the hippies of Haight Street.  Chic scooters were everywhere in the 1960's and early 1970's.

As America moved into the faster pace of the latter part of the 20th century, the scooter lost the limelight and became a cult favorite, out of step with the hustle, bustle, longer, lower, wider, faster mindset of conspicuous consumption.  Vespa, itself, dropped out of the US market in 1985 and the American scooter scene was left to vintage enthusiasts.  In Europe, the true urban utility of the scooter never went out of style, and development and sales success continued.  By 1990 over 10 million Vespas had been sold.

Times change and scooters changed with them, as ecology became a household world again and "living green" became a new mantra, Vespa came back to America in 2000 with all-new machines featuring the latest low-emissions technology and a fresh take on the classic Vespa style.  The 3rd wave of scooter mania had begun.

 Today's Vespas are leading a transportation revolution as America rediscovers the scooter as a truly green transportation option.  Remarkably fuel-efficient, offering models with genuine utility and convenience, well suited to urban landscapes or freeway commuting, scooters are hot again with trend setters and early adopters, who see two-wheels as more sensible than four,  and far better for the environment.  Sales absolutely surged all across America last summer as gasoline hit $4.00 per gallon.  The scooter is back in a big way as the answer to economic and environmental concerns - an answer that comes wrapped in cutting-edge fashion and makes a greener lifestyle statement.

Amerivespa is sponsored by the Vespa Club of America and will be attracting scooterists from across the continent.  The club has been in existence since 1992, promoting scooter culture and comradeship.  

Learn more about the Amerivespa Rally at : www.amerivespa.org

Amerivespa will be co-sponsored by the Los Gatos Vespa Club. This year's event  coincides with the 20th anniversary of this local scooter club.  VCLG promotes itself as an active riding club that promotes the restoration and preservation of vintage Vespas and the promotion of modern Vespas as a green and alternative mode of transportation.  Check out their website at : www.vespaclublosgatos.com.

 Local enthusiasts can visit the epicenter of South Bay scooter activity at the San Jose Scooter Center, located near downtown San Jose at 1886 West San Carlos Street.  The Scooter Center features new Vespa and Piaggio scooters from Italy, as well as Kymco scooters fromTaiwan and the 100% electric scooters from Vectrix.  Set up just like a traditional scooter shop, the San Jose Scooter Center offers a great selection of riding gear, scooter accessories and memorabilia for the enthusiast or collector. 

Call 408 295.0205 or visit www.sjvespa.com for more information. 

Change your ridestyle!