A night at the museum

    How often do you get a private tour of a renowned museum just for yourself and a few friends? Make sure you  schedule to come out with us on May 6th at 6:00 PM for our own special night at the museum. The TMISC (Three Mile Island Scooter Club) has secured a special event at the AACA museum for just club members and their friends. This will be a private event JUST for us.
      There will be food; and three hours to tour the displays. There is sure to be special behind the scenes stories and glimpses into just a how the museum works and makes its displays.
                                                                   
                                                                         

      There will be bikes from Japan, Europe, and elsewhere that motivated the world when there were few cars on the road. Many of these machines spawned from a need to get people moving again after war had ravaged machines and factories. The bikes we know today have their beginnings in many of these humble, but unique machines.
                                                                 

    There will bikes here that even the die hard collector has never seen, or possibly even heard the name of. There are many examples of rare machines, and some are some of the finest survivors left in the United States.
     So, find the time to schedule to come out; use the link above to register with TMISC. We plan a ride out to the museum on scooters, but you are more than welcome to meet us there on two wheels or four; just be sure to register ahead. This display is not to be missed. If you look hard enough you can even find a German machine that our shop sponsored for its duration at the museum. If this interests you; be sure to check into sponsoring  a machine with the museum staff.

                                                         The event runs till October 11th of this year. If you can't make the scooter club private event; make sure to catch this cool collection of vintage and rare scooters.
                                                       
                                                 

A visit from Cheeky Seats

    We had a wonderful Saturday at our shop. It is fantastic when some things just fall together.
The day started when one of our customers dropped off a seat in the morning for Suzy and Rafa to work their magic on. "Oh, you know they are coming by today?"
     The design and fabrication team from Cheeky seats were due to be by the shop that day to discuss installing a seat cover and accessory section in our shop. The customers already knew they were coming! If that doesn't make Cheeky Seats scooter "royalty" I am not sure what will. There were several customers and friends that came by to discuss seat covers and fabric options.
                                                                      

                                                                        
      There have been a few new seat patterns derived for the new low profile seats from Scooterworks. YES, Cheeky Seats will now have their seat covers for the low profile Buddy seat, and the low profile seat for the Blur, as well. AND They have several new covers out for the Genuine Roughhouse. We were lucky enough to get our hands on some of the first ones produced. They are ON the bikes in the store; make sure to come by and see their work. YES, they are for sale! There are more, this one is just a tease; you will have to come by to see the rest!
                                                                            

                                                                           

         We have used their seats since the beginning, and are now official Cheeky Seats dealers. We have even been professionally trained by "Mr magic hands" himself on how to properly install their seat covers. We can show you how, but they really are easy to install in just a minute of time.
                                                                     

    There was even a custom install going on as well. We got to watch the magic at work first hand; very few pictures were approved by the Cheeky Seats press department, but we did manage to sneak in a few candid shots.
                                                             

     The finished product turned out fantastic. This may be the first custom Genuine RH50 seat cover in the country. This cover is a one of a kind, but you should see the ones they have for the roughhouse. Did we mention that we have them IN STOCK.
                                                                     

    Overall, A fantastic impromptu get together of friends and business. There were several people that left with new seat covers and smiles.

If you liked this blog, feel free to follow us here, on Facebook, Youtube, or on our Instagram. Or you can always stop by the shop to visit.
                                                               
                                                                             

Motorbikes for the masses at the AACA museum

      

                                                                        

 

    The exhibit is now open at the AACA museum in Hershey, PA. This event will be in place March 14 through October 11th 2015. Its a rare chance to see some early, rare and almost unheard of scooters that mobilized the world. Some of our friends from TMISC have donated their scooters for the show. Even if you think you know your vintage people movers; you may be surprised by what you find on display at the museum.

                                                                           

 

There are several other exhibits on display as well, if you enjoy more than just scooters. There is currently a Tucker exhibit and a Lotus racing display amongst others. 

 

We liked it so much we even had to sponsor a bike belonging to one of our favorite customers; so make sure to stop by and check out some of the origins of scootering.

 

There will several open house events at the museum this summer; so keep an eye on their website or our Facebook page for announcements. If we get lucky there may even be some planned rides to the museum to visit this historic collection.

 

Genuine Stellauto foul weather test

     Finally, a warm day! Snow melting, glacial ice receding, its time to RIDE. The roads around here have been horrid for days, and the local scooter club, TMISC, is having a dinner/bowling night at the Coliseum. The temps are in the 40's it is pouring rain and is supposed to change to snow by 10:00PM. We are usually done bowling by 9:30, and it take 25 minutes to get back to the shop...SURE, it will be fine!

     So, being a bike shop owner with a myriad of two-wheeled machines to choose from; just what would I take? There are motorcycles, scooters, fast, slow, old, new; I think the Genuine scooter Stellauto hasn't been tested in the rain and cold by us yet. So, why not?

                                                                              

 

    The ride to the Coliseum wasn't too bad, a good full face helmet, a Firstgear jacket and a Cheeky seats scooter cape did the trick. I arrived warm and dry.

     A fun night of food, bowling and laughs was in order. We had about a dozen members in attendance. The stellauto WAS the only ride in the parking lot. Everyone else arrived on 4 wheels tonight, even a few of our other die-hard riders who were in attendance, but who could blame them with the snow coming.

    When it was time to leave, the stellauto fired right up and settled into a steady fast idle. The conditions were about as bad as they get. It was raining steadily and in the low 30's. There were several heavy looking rain drops that appeared to catch the headlight just a bit brighter. Those aren't snow are they?

                                                                      

 

    A few extra bits of gear piled on underneath the previous layers for some added warmth and we were ready to go. Stella seemed to not mind any more than her pilot, so off we went into the night (secretly hoping the white stuff would hold off till we got back). The added reflective piping from the scooter cape and rain gear were a welcome addition on such a dark night.

 

 

 

   The Stellauto did not miss a bit on the entire return trip. These were some of the coldest and  wettest conditions she could be subjected to. If the weather was any worse it would have been snow under her wheels. The true test of this new design from Genuine was to get her as wet and miserable as possible and see how she held up. Stella arrived at her destination purring happily as she would on a summer day.

     The test had been a success, and everyone arrived back at the shop safe and warm, if a bit damp. Both rider and Stella ready for their next adventure.

 

 

 

 

Second Annual Two-digit ride Sunday May 24

     We started the first one last year as just something silly to do and make use of all our small displacement machines. We had a small group, but the fastest machine was a Kymco 125, and we all had a great day riding to Centralia, PA. on small machines.

                                         Waiting to cross the river ferry in Millersburg last year
                                                           

                                                                               


    Almost everyone has a 50 or an old 80 in the garage; a fast moped, a 50cc pit bike, a 49cc scooter you bought for the campsite. When was the last time you went somewhere for a ride with it?

                                                                 

Time to dig it out, freshen up the fluids, air up the tires and get ready to ride.

Why you ask? We are doing it AGAIN. It is time to pull out your calender and highlight Sunday May 24 at Noon. We will be leaving Carlisle Cycle and Scooter just after noon and going on a 70ish mile loop over 50cc friendly roads. The ride is targeted at bikes under 100cc, BUT feel free to come along if you only have a larger bike, but you just have to ride along at a 50cc pace ( or lack thereof). If you have a moped, make sure it is a fast one and will do 40 MPH, as there will be some mountain climbs.

The ride will head out to a suprise location for the "kids" that is more fun than a puppy and as sweet as candy. After a stop there, we will give the bikes a chance to stretch their legs as we make the run into Gettysburg for lunch at the famous Lincoln Diner. Then we will set a leisurely pace back to Scoot Carlisle to refuel, buy more two-stroke pre-mix , and maybe tell stories and have a few laughs. 

Yes, many of us will be on 50's! The ride will have several stops to allow the bikes and riders to catch their breath. There may even be a few good spots for photos along the way. The pace will be slow, and FUN is on the list. If you think you are too big for a 50, let us try to change your mind.

The rider is 6'3" and the passenger is 6'4" and we made the first one just fine. The uphills just might take a while. See you there! Feel free to call the shop for details or with any questions!

Open house

    We can say our first open house was a great success. There were lots of friends and a few new faces who came out on a cold day. A special hat tip goes out to all the people who rode in! The shop had four bikes in the parking lot at one time! I hope we got a chance to talk to everyone and welcome them to the new shop. It was nice to see folks from as far away as Philadelphia and Baltimore.We look forward to the next one.
      We even had a visit from the R&D team at Cheeky seats. So, if you were there you may have gotten to handle or test some new products coming out in the spring. For those of you not able to make it. They will be available at Amerivespa, MON rally, and other events such as the TMISC meltdown. Of course, the best place to find their products is right in Carlisle and our shop.

    It is amazing what a difference a year makes:
                                                    Shrinky Dink1

                                                    Shrinky Dink II
                                                                              

There is NO BS  going on in this photo!

Just too good of a photo of the new shirts to pass up.

Sure, we are always this busy in January.

Yes, we start them that young whenever possible.

Shrinky Dink II

    Welcome to the 2nd annual Shrinky Dink Ride. This is just a simple bit of fun to keep the hardy/ foolhardy riders enthused through the cold months of the year, and provide some fun to the others who want to watch the rest of us freeze. The rules are pretty simple and loosely followed at best.

1) BE SAFE! You all know your limits, but don't risk life and limb, too much, for a good result. This is supposed to be fun.

2.) The ride will start on December 25th and run through March 21st.

3.) The ride will have two classes. Motorcycles and Scooters; if you have one of those wierd in between bikes we will make it up as we go. DON'T WORRY! We have this covered; just ride SOMETHING!

4.) This pretty simple, the coldest temperature wins, sort of. TRY to take a pic in front of a temperature sign somewhere. We realize this isn't always possible, so you CAN use your phone in a pinch. NO CHEATING! We are putting you on your honour to be fair.

5.) The ride has to be 10 miles or longer to count (total length). The longer the ride the more points it gets. We have a formula worked out for this. It's math stuff, don't worry we have that under control. So, if you do 11 miles in -2 and some nut does 80 miles in 3 degrees. He/she MIGHT just beat you. There are extra points for stupidity (just remember rule#1)

6.) This contest is open to residents of the U.S. only.

7.)If you think it is too warm where you live? Do it anyway, remember points are awarded for originality, stupidity, and bravery. This is supposed to be fun. Last year the first shirinky dink ride was won by a southern rider who got lucky on a cold snap in the south.

     That's it for the rules we think. Ride. email your pics to us atcarlislecycleandscooter@gmail.com. We will post a few for fun, but will save the results till the end. There will be a chat about the rides here on our Facebook page during the event. Also feel free to post comments here.

Yes, there will be prizes. They may or may not be amazing. Ride now. ride often.

   There will be an open house at Carlisle Cycle and Scooter on Saturday January 31st.  It is part of our winter riding contest. There will be some snacks and lots of warm beverages to keep you toasty. IF the weather is decent some folks will ride in. If you want to arrive on 4 wheels that is just fine,too. Stop by and enjoy the people riding in. There will be lots of shenanigans, and some short rides around the block as well. The sidecar rig will be out and running no matter what the weather (we have snow tires). The shop will be staying open late; stop by, laugh, ask questions, talk bikes and scooters. There will be movies later in the evening on the projector if you would like to stay.

    The weather looks like it is ready. Remember, BE SAFE out there, and have fun.Remember, you don't have to win for this to be fun. It is all about the ride!