Who is the Scooter Maven?
So I've decided to start posting all my comments on the industry in general as my alter ego the Scooter Maven on this blog.
It's time to separate "The Maven" from the company and just talk about adventures, things I see that I like, foods I love, and anything related to scooters that catches my eye.
The Maven is a character that came into existence because before "Scooters" were a job they were a hobby. They were a passion, they were something I could help my family with since they were in a rut and didn't know how to market what they did. I saw an opportunity and I took it. So traveling, meeting new and interesting people became part of the everyday routine. Traveling became part of the job, but not just any traveling we would pick up a Ducati at the Malaguti factory and drive it over to the Ducati factory and meet with the engineers and the Ex-CEO. We would visit Modena and check out Ferrari. So all this time my best friend kept telling me "I wish you would document this because it's crazy."
In any other business it would be strange to meet a celebrity or have Gene Simmons call you screaming asking where his "Tongue" Malaguti scooter was, but somehow it became the norm. Hugh Hefner thought my name was Mr. Malaguti when I met him the first time, little stories that fall by the wayside become legends. Famous European models, minor reality TV celebrities, rock stars they all seem to like motorcycles and bikes. They all want to borrow one, or get one for free. I figured if they called me when they come to South Beach looking for a bike or to have some event it made sense for the character to exist. We no longer have a store, but people still remember the Maven more than anything else.
We had our ups and downs. Business began to define what I did everyday more than other people because my job was 90% of my time. It was apparent to me at the Source Awards in 2002 when I got locked out of going to my seat because nobody knew who I was, then some guy called and said "That's the Scooter dude let him in!" Being called the Scooter Dude by several tall rappers seemed strange, but it would take a few years until people actually would walk up to me and say that's "The Scooter Maven." I think it was in Germany in 2007 when the Greek importer for CF MOTO China walked up and said "I've seen you, I know you're famous!" He didn't know my name, he didn't know what I did, but he had read about me in a magazine. I realized I was famous in a very small community. Our offices are near Telemundo, Univision, and Televisa and in 2006-2008 whenever they needed a story here in Miami about the gas crisis or scootering as a way to get around South Beach they would all come knocking at the door. By 2008 they knew to call the Scooter Maven for any interviews. The phone is starting to buss again thanks to the cost of gas going up, in a month or two after the Egypt revolution passes us they will schedule more interviews I'm sure, and next thing you know the Maven will be back on Spanish TV. To make a long story short the name began to stick and at Amerivespa in Texas last year a girl came up to me and said "Hey your the Scooter Maven!" I guess it stuck. It had finally stuck.
So I'm going to post some new videos, the original videos and talk about how it all began. So let's start with the origin and how we got into the business. The rise and fall of the US Motorcycle / Scooter Market is a constant thing and here it is from the beginning.
The origins:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ut7jYZPoMHA
Our first videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9SLfQydmww
So I've decided to start posting all my comments on the industry in general as my alter ego the Scooter Maven on this blog.
It's time to separate "The Maven" from the company and just talk about adventures, things I see that I like, foods I love, and anything related to scooters that catches my eye.
The Maven is a character that came into existence because before "Scooters" were a job they were a hobby. They were a passion, they were something I could help my family with since they were in a rut and didn't know how to market what they did. I saw an opportunity and I took it. So traveling, meeting new and interesting people became part of the everyday routine. Traveling became part of the job, but not just any traveling we would pick up a Ducati at the Malaguti factory and drive it over to the Ducati factory and meet with the engineers and the Ex-CEO. We would visit Modena and check out Ferrari. So all this time my best friend kept telling me "I wish you would document this because it's crazy."
In any other business it would be strange to meet a celebrity or have Gene Simmons call you screaming asking where his "Tongue" Malaguti scooter was, but somehow it became the norm. Hugh Hefner thought my name was Mr. Malaguti when I met him the first time, little stories that fall by the wayside become legends. Famous European models, minor reality TV celebrities, rock stars they all seem to like motorcycles and bikes. They all want to borrow one, or get one for free. I figured if they called me when they come to South Beach looking for a bike or to have some event it made sense for the character to exist. We no longer have a store, but people still remember the Maven more than anything else.
We had our ups and downs. Business began to define what I did everyday more than other people because my job was 90% of my time. It was apparent to me at the Source Awards in 2002 when I got locked out of going to my seat because nobody knew who I was, then some guy called and said "That's the Scooter dude let him in!" Being called the Scooter Dude by several tall rappers seemed strange, but it would take a few years until people actually would walk up to me and say that's "The Scooter Maven." I think it was in Germany in 2007 when the Greek importer for CF MOTO China walked up and said "I've seen you, I know you're famous!" He didn't know my name, he didn't know what I did, but he had read about me in a magazine. I realized I was famous in a very small community. Our offices are near Telemundo, Univision, and Televisa and in 2006-2008 whenever they needed a story here in Miami about the gas crisis or scootering as a way to get around South Beach they would all come knocking at the door. By 2008 they knew to call the Scooter Maven for any interviews. The phone is starting to buss again thanks to the cost of gas going up, in a month or two after the Egypt revolution passes us they will schedule more interviews I'm sure, and next thing you know the Maven will be back on Spanish TV. To make a long story short the name began to stick and at Amerivespa in Texas last year a girl came up to me and said "Hey your the Scooter Maven!" I guess it stuck. It had finally stuck.
So I'm going to post some new videos, the original videos and talk about how it all began. So let's start with the origin and how we got into the business. The rise and fall of the US Motorcycle / Scooter Market is a constant thing and here it is from the beginning.
The origins:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ut7jYZPoMHA
Our first videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9SLfQydmww
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