Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house – not a creature was stirring. Except you, because you still have no idea what you are giving the scooterist in your life.
But have no fear, ScooTToronto once again is here to save your relationship, sanity, and public image with a series of scooter related gift ideas that won’t involve a crappy hand towel with a cheap copy of a Vespa logo! (Probably spelled VEPSA , and containing a picture of a slightly sickly bee instead of a wasp.)
From minimal budget to all-out-xmas-travaganza, we have holiday gift ideas galore! (Editor’s Disclaimer: Galore is not a standard unit of measurement, and may vary depending on your local regulations.)
Gift Budget Level: Minimal. (AKA, you’re poor and you’re still slightly ticked they tried to clean an engine in your dishwasher the other day.)
Visor anti-fog spray:
This helps keep visors from fogging up, and helps to repel raindrops when you’re riding in the wet. Perfect as a small gift or stocking stuffer for that hard to shop for scooter rider.
Gift Budget Level: Medium to High. (AKA, you just found out they bought you something really nice when all you got them was a selection of items from the local Gas station.)
Lap blanket :
For the cold and wet weather rider, a lap blanket (occasionally also known as a “Scooter Skirt” clips to the machine using either bungee cords or straps and then attaches to the rider (usually) with a velcro strap.
These help block cold air and rain from your lower half while riding, and can make unpleasant weather less of a chore to ride through, without having to bundle up in a full rain suit or cold weather suit. See an example below:
Rain gear:
Most non motorcycle rain suits aren’t suitable for use on a scooter or motorcycle – they don’t have the range of motion you require and aren’t made to stand up to the winds you get while riding at higher speeds. (I’ve seen and even worn a few cheap rain suits that have literally shredded and left a trail of small pieces when riding.)
Therefore you need a proper rain suit to remain dry and warm when getting hit by an unavoidable deluge. (Except for your crotch – many suits seem to over time let you get a bit of a soaking in the personal region, but we’ll get into the not-graphically described details of that when we get around to doing some rain suit reviews.)
Many bike stores carry these, and in general even a cheap motorcycle rain suit will be better than nothing at all – and even if they already have one a spare can be handy or used for a pillion rider. See an example below.
Scooter cover:
Scooter covers can range from the inexpensive (which will generally work, but may not last more than a year or two) to more robust ones that will last several years and provide better protection against abrasion.
Covers will help protect from UV sun damage to the scooter (especially the seats and soft rubbers and paint) and can also help – somewhat – with theft. Out of sight, out of mind is basically the theory here, and people will be less likely to notice your scooter when it is covered. Higher end ones will include grommets so the cover can be locked to the bike, which also prevents people from sitting on it or messing with the controls as easily.
Here’s an example of a cheaper one:
Sidewind Large Scooter Cover – Canadian Tire
Toronto (and GTA area) Scooter and Motorcycle Vendors:
Below is a very non exhaustive list of some scooter and equipment vendors in the GTA area – just to give you a bit of a heads up on where you might go for your scooter gift needs. (Listed with no particular order or rating.)
Studio Cycle is a staple in the Junction area – located at 2923 Dundas Street West in Toronto, they have a variety motorcycle gear for sale (and the odd scooter leftover from their tenure as the Kymco distributor for Canada – a role they no longer have but they do have an appreciate for scooters and much experience in them.)
Fada Scooters – fadascooters.com
Looking more east, Fada is located at 1400 Gerrard Street east in Toronto – in little India. They carry both new and used scooters, and carry gear as well.
Vespa Toronto West – www.vespatorontowest.com
Located at 822 College Street near Ossington, in Toronto, Vespa Toronto West is Canada’s oldest authorized Piaggio Group Americas dealer and carries both scooters and gear.
Located at 1100 Champlain Court in Whitby (and at just about all the major motorcycle shows in Toronto for that matter) GP Bikes carries a very large variety of motorcycle gear – though they may not have much that is specific to scooters.
Summary:
Hopefully some of our suggestions of gear and where to buy items helps you find the gift you are looking for.
It isn’t always easy shopping for the Scooter rider in your life – especially during the winter months when any conversation gets interrupted by sad looks and the soft muttering of “vroom vroom” noises as the rider goes through an affliction of SSAD. (Scooter Seasonal Affective Disorder.)
But with a little work, and the help of our guide you too can be the holiday hero showing up with the perfect gift to put under your tree, mantle, or other holiday item.
Happy Holidays from ScooTToronto!