Amerivespa 2009!
The 2009 Amerivespa Rally is over for the year, and what a rally it was! We have never seen so many scooters all together EVER! Of course we were most interested in Vespas, but there were the famous old Lambrettas, Maicos, Heinkels, NSUs, and various new import brands in the mix.
Friday Morning CalMoto Vespa sponsored breakfast at the Los Gatos Lodge for the attendees, and everyone was well-fed and happy, ready for a day of riding!
(click on images for larger view)
There were several rides leaving that morning. Our Sales Specialist Albert Santoso took the 250 and went on the Silicon Valley ride, while I took the 300 and went on the Alice's Restaurant ride. We must have had 150 scooters on our ride! At least it seemed like it from the back of the pack.
Finally, the whole pack stopped and I took the opportunity to dash up to the front and take off with a couple of other guys who were tired of breathing two-stroke smoke. We had a nice "dash" to Alice's - (basically you just pin the throttle and leave it there...) and got parked just in time to see a steady stream of scooters fill every available parking space. It looked like a solid sea of scooters, all colors and brands! Of course Vespas predominated.After socializing for a while, the ride broke up into smaller groups and we made our way back to the rally site. Saturday, the rally was moved up to Saratoga Springs Resort, a beautiful grassy, shady venue with plenty of room for the scooter concours d'elegance. This is where the really neat restorations made their appearance!
We set up a hospitality tent and I spent the day handing out bottled waters, snacks, goody-bags, hats, etc. and just generally making people feel at home. It was a great opportunity to talk with people from all over the country.
One woman rode her Vespa all the way from Nova Scotia to the rally, by herself, camping out the whole way! The field events were held in the parking lot just below, and we had a great view of the various sets of challenges. It was hard! I am not sure, but it didn't appear that anyone cleaned the whole thing. Lots of laughter and applause, and a great effort by all the contestants.
We packed up in the late afternoon, while the rally-goers drifted back to the Los Gatos Lodge, getting ready for the ride home on Sunday. This was a great experience and we hope to see you at the 2010 Amerivespa Rally in San Antonio, Texas!
Kari Prager
California BMW Triumph Vespa
More 2009 Amerivespa Rally photos below (click on images for larger view):
