California Rallies and Events

[GP Kevo]

Hi everyone, First, I'd like to express my condolences on the death of your Queen. I have nothing but admiration for her life of service which was longer than I have been alive.

Secondly, I'm now living in Southern California and things have changed a lot since I last made this love-it-or-hate-it-state my abode. For one, rents are about 4x more expensive than they were. There is no circuit track racing anymore, as ASRA, the American Scooter Racing Association, is now a nostalgic facebook page. But there are new things happening as well, like speed trials on dry salt lakes and a track day for vintage bikes at the Streets Of Willow at Willow Springs International Raceway to which I've been invited. All the organizing and contacts for almost all scooter related events is on facebook, which I have reluctantly rejoined. As for me, I'd had to hold down two jobs since moving here, just to meet my expenses, but I started a new, better paid union represented job 6 months ago which sometimes has weekends off and I've got the ability to drop shifts. So no more holding multiple jobs with no intersecting days off.

It took 5 years to ship my scooters here from Poland, but I've had them here almost a year now and I've been slowly reintegrating myself into the scooter scene, which is made up of a surprising number of people but geographically isolated by distance or difficulty (Los Angeles roads and traffic being one of them). Most of them have been scooterists since the 1980s, so they're about the same age as their counterparts in the UK.

I've gone to only four rallies since I moved here: Swarm Rally 2017 and 2018 which I attended scooterless and is in Northeast Los Angeles, Rides Of March in San Luis Obispo on the Central Coast on a borrowed Jet 200, and this year, bringing my blue and orange GP225, to Bako in Bakersfield, which was a well organized day ride from Bakersfield up to the Mountains of Sequoia National Forest and back down to Bakersfield and the USA Lambretta Jamboree that was in Santa Rosa, in Napa Valley.

Most California scooterists haul their scooters to rallies in their pickup trucks or on trailers, only riding to events in their neighborhoods. These rallies are typically at motels or are simply an itinerary of events, much like a convention, with no accommodation provided or specified. I'm trying to help change that, encouraging everyone to ride their Lambrettas to events where there is camping instead. That has begun to happen without my input, which is pretty limited due to work commitments. This year there was a Mods vs Rockers scooter/motorbike camping rally in the Angeles National Forest in the mountains above Los Angeles. The Hedonism rally is being resurrected, which is an all camping rally near Bakersfield.

There is also the beginnings of a Lambretta Club of California taking shape, a club to unite all of the Lambrettists throughout this massive state which the LCUSA has been unable to accomplish. I would like to help plan some LCGB type rallies here, especially riding rallies similar to C2C, Derby 150, etc. But I have to be careful about stepping on toes, as I was a newcomer here in the 1990s and am considered one again. I've found a small, local core of Lambretta riders that do want to ride to events including one of my close friends, so hopefully this will happen, especially as I was the one who nixed our plans to ride to the LCUSA Jamboree due to holing my piston two days before we were to ride up and not having time to do repairs until late in the week. But if the California club becomes a reality I'm down for it to facilitate a calendar of rallies and events and something like a BSM trophy to encourage riding to these and an annual, secure Lambretta camping rally like a mini Euro Lambretta Jamboree.

Currently, there is a local British Lambrettist here who is planning two rides: the first is a 2 stroke event on 25 September in Santa Clarita, just over the mountains past the San Fernando Valley. The second is a ride into the desert for camping in Joshua Tree National Park in November.

I'll try to post upcoming rallies in California and the adjacent states, especially going up or down the Pacific coastline and in mountains.

This is a short video of the Bako in Bakersfield ride that we did back in May. That was a good day.

[steveg]

Glad to hear you're settled back in California and up and running with your scooters again.
I just wanted to say that the D150 events grew out of me and my mates spending days out just riding aimlessly around Derbyshire.
We'd often discover new roads to ride and or pubs to stop at, and we'd cover 100 miles+ without noticing.
I've been to LA and driven there (as a tourist) so I realise it's very different, but maybe starting with a few mates just out for a day, might help things grow organically into more organised events.
Whatever, good luck with it all.
Steve

[Toddy]

Again glad your sorted buddy , them roads on the video look awesome enjoy the ride

[GP Kevo]

Thank you, steveg and Toddy, I left California in 2000, then to Poland for years. It's weird being back here with reverse culture shock but I'm settled in alright. Working too much for not enough pay and most of that goes to the landlord as cheap apartments in LA are a thing of the past. Looking back over the past few years, I don't know how I managed without any scooters for so long, it was the longest I had gone without.

But all's well and when I've got enough time and $$$ I'll start rebuilding my GP200.

[Andy B.L.C.]

Interesting to hear how it's going in the Dk's "ueber alles" state. I worked at the SF Scooter Center (sp!) & was a spanner monkey for John Quintos's Lucky 7 race team in '91. Back then the ASRA was going strong & Vince was very much the West Coast Lambretta center head honcho dude. I have fond semi memories of being in the back of pick up with 2 racing scoots driving the length of Cal state to get to a go-cart race track (somewhere nearer to Mexico than San Diego if I remember correctly). Friday nights were spent drinking tequila & then having push races around the track, no really! it was hilarious I did a write up for Jet Set of my time in California, but sadly Kev used none of the pics I sent him, nor did he return the photos & negatives ) :

I saw Barry (S.F. Scooter Center) in an episode of 'American Picker's & heard that J.Q. owns some Lambretta themed coffee shops in SF. Please say hello from me if you bump into them

[GP Kevo]

That's really cool, Andy. There are a lot of ex ASRA guys around if you check the ASRA facebook page I'm sure you could reconnect. It's mostly nostalgia, though, I'm afraid. The only racing I know of out here is at El Mirage dry lake bed for high speed runs. So far, Todd Rogers has done 102 mph on his Lambretta.

[GRTDKAD]

Great video. Just wondering what the locals make of the Lambrettas - much of a reaction when you’re out on the road or you stop for fuel etc?

[GP Kevo]

Great video. Just wondering what the locals make of the Lambrettas - much of a reaction when you’re out on the road or you stop for fuel etc?

No reaction, really. No one seems to notice when I'm fueling up or riding around. They might think my bike is some new, annoying motorbike or something. Sometimes bikers notice but only when I'm riding fast.

I'm leading a Lambretta rideout on June 24th which should get some notice but I doubt there will be much reaction to us.

[GP Kevo]

Nearly all of my rides are like this

[GP Kevo]

Hedonism 2023 was in April and featured a scenic ride up the mountains from Bakersfield, home of the late country star, Buck Owens. We rode up to Lake Isabella for a night of camping. I had forgotten my helmet camera, though, so the only video I managed to capture was this very short one from just after settling in on Saturday evening.