The Dakar Rally by Vespa

The Dakar Rally is probably one of the most punishing off road motor races of all time if not the most dangerous. It started way back in 1979 from Paris to Dakar then later in 2009 the continent was changed from Europe-Africa to South America because of terrorist intimidations. In the motorcycle category, most people are aware of the dominance of the KTM off road bikes but few even know that this race had already being conquered by the Vespa.

Way back in 1980, 4 Vespa PX200 entered the 2nd Paris-Dakar Rally, although only 2 reached the finish line. Okay that was before the KTM came to power but that was a 2 out of 4 finish which was a 50% compare that to the overall stats 79 out of 211 vehicles crossed the finished line making that only 37%. Yes mad but reliable so there you go to all those BMW and KTM riders out there.

 

Johannesburg to Maputo

Two friends of the Posers, Louw and Yiull, with 4 others did a trip down to Maputo and back to Johannesburg via Swaziland on scooters. Here is a time lapse video of the event. Look out for Yiull's Disco Ball, a PX200 covered in 40kg of mirrored mosaic tiles.

Giorgio Bettinelli, Mh Way

Owning a Vespa doesn't end there. Like Africa, a Vespa creeps into your soul and doesn't let go. Eventually the wanderlust takes over, you hanker for riding the long road to nowhere slowly and dream of becoming like the legend Giorgio Bettinelli.

It is probably easier to list the countries; Giorgio did not visit raking up over a million kilometers from Rome to Saigon, from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, from Melbourne to Cape Town, Chile to Tasmania and around the whole of China. Sailing over deserts with no roads and along jungle paths, crossing the Equator 9 times with no major incident except one close call with death. Somewhere in the Congo, Giorgio was stopped by guerrillas, judged and sentenced to death as a government spy. But that didn't stop Giorgio.

It is when you finally put your feet up that life tends to catch up. Sadly after putting his feet up for 4 years in Jinghong, China, on the banks of the Mekong River with his beautiful wife Yapei, Giorgio departed for the windy road in the sky. Yes at a young age of 53 on 16 September 2008 after 16 years of travelling around the world on a Vespa with a guitar and a backpack, he was called to ride up there on a Vespa.

If anyone would like to give me a present, how about any of Giorgio’s 5 books:

• In Vespa Da Roma a Saigon (On a Vespa from Rome to Saigon)
• In Vespa oltre l'orizzonte (On a Vespa beyond the horizon)
• Brum Brum (Any Vespa lover would know this sound)
• Rhapsody In Black In Vespa dall’Angola allo Yemen (On a Vespa from Angola to Yemen)
• La Cina in Vespa (China on a Vespa)

We members of the Posers Scooter Club sure do dream and long for the spirit of Giorgio Bettinelli as we yearn for the open road on our Vespa.

When asked what he did if his Vespa ever broke down, he replied "You wait. Someone comes, someone helps. A car, a truck, a camel, a day. Someone comes, someone helps."

Buon Viaggio Giorgio Bettinelli (1955-2008), Brum Brum