#MalossiGas | Scooter Cannonball Run is going to start: the most crazy race of America!

News > Malossi GAS > #MalossiGas | Scooter Cannonball Run is going to start: the most crazy race of America!
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We’re ready to present a new #MalossiGas adventure  (Great Adventure Series): the program sponsored by Malossi that prizes travel project’s and/or two wheels adventure that represent you DNA values as quality, seriousness, sense of initiative and originality.

 

Today we depart together to the US’s Scooter Cannonball Run.

 

Arrived to its 10 th edition the Scooter Cannonball Run it’s a race of resistence for scooters that has place every two years  and crosses the entire US’s North Continent: this year from Est to West, from Fernandina Beach – Florida, till toghe city of Mukilteo in DC.

The miles that teams are riding are more than three thousand: the Cannonball Run is a strength test non just for vehicles, but for riders also who have to cross the entire continent in ten days, fighting so hard to arrive until the end of the race.

When Geo Motovista’s team applied to MalossiGas with its participation to Scooter Cannonball Run we were touched by the strength of its members: the feat remembered us the mythical  travels on the US roads and we  and we thought it might be a good opportunity to tell a different way of conceiving the two-wheeled vehicles.

Most of the team participates with vintage vehicles uncovered and assembled for the occasion. Among the rules of the Scooter Cannonball Run is the initial allocation of a score based on the age of the vehicle and displacement. Starting fee: Vespa P200E 1979.

Before leaving we asked some questions to Geo, head of the team that will compete carrying around for the States Malossi colors. Here’s what he told us.

Hi Geo! Can you introduce your team?
I am Geo Motovista, #22, the principal rider in the Scooter Cannonball for our team, and the other rider is #44, Chris P. Wing. Wayne is our lead mechanic, he has been fixing motorcycles and scooters since 1973. Antionette and Sully are our support drivers.
I have been riding motorcycles and scooters since the age of 12, 44 years in total 🙂 Ms. Wing has been riding scooters for a year and a half. I’ve been working with motorcycles and scooters since 2004 and our company has been a direct Malossi importer and distributor for the States since October 2013.

What is Scooter Cannonball Run and why have you decided to take part in? Is it the first time that you partecipate?
The Scooter Cannonball Run is an endurance event (we can’t refer to it as a race) across the United States that takes place every two years since 2004. We take part in it to win. The first time we participated was in 2014, from Alaska to New Orleans. We finished 4th out of 27. The rules haven’t changed. Here is a link to the official rules: https://www.scootercannonball.com/rules/rules-2014.pdf.
For exemple: the participation is limited to scooters with an engine displacement not more than 250cc; all riders must be licensed to ride his/her scooter in their home state without time or road restrictions; the “Route” will be the preferred, but not required, path to be followed ecc.

Can you briefly illustrate how excatly the race will happen: the stops, the countries you will cross ecc.?
The event is broken up into eleven days. Each day there are three checkpoints where the rider has to take a photo. The rider also has to take a photo at the hotel in the morning before leaving, and at the official hotel at the end of each day. The rider’s time between each checkpoint is then turned into a score based on the handicap for the rider’s scooter.
We will not cross any countries other than the United States, but we will travel through Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Montana, South Dakota, Wyoming, Idaho and Washington, a total of 5804 KM and 13 US States.

How important is to go fast in the Cannonball? And, which is the most important thing to win?
The main requirements if you want to win is the ability to ride fast in all weather, snow, rain, extreme heat, and strong winds; a very reliable scooter, which is why we only use Malossi components to improve the performance; the ability to maintain your scooter on the road and getting good photos of the checkpoints. You do not have to stop the scooter to take the photos, you do not have to stay on the designated route and you can carry as much gas as you think is smart, but you do have to get time stamped photos of each checkpoint.
You have to be able to ride fast to win, and to adjust your scooter to the changing conditions. For high altitudes, you need to put in lighter roller weights, and give it a little more air. You need to be able to fix your scooter on the side of the road or in a Hotel parking lot.

With which vehicle are you going to take part in the Cannonball? How have you modify your vehicle for the long trip?
I’m riding a for riding a 2006 Vespa GT with a Malossi Cylinder kit. My reason is that this scooter has a pretty good handicap and the Malossi cylinder kit only increases the handicap by 3 points, but the increased power makes a big difference in headwinds, up mountains, and when riding long distances. The Malossi Vespa GT218 performs better than a Vespa GTS250 and just about every other scooter you can buy in the United States that is under 250cc (the size of the scooter is limited to 250ccs).

The 2006 Vespa GT Grantourismo has the following Malossi products:

It also has a carbon fiber 12 liter fuel cell that I made that fits under the seat.
Chris P Wing is riding a Kymco Dink 200i (Yager in the US) because they are very reliable, powerful for their size, and have fuel injection, which will help her navigate high altitudes when we cross the Rocky Mountains.
The 2012 Kymco has Malossi rear shocks, variator, clutch, roller weights, contra spring, K belt and brake pads front and rear.

So, let’s start our trip across the United States with Geo and his team.
Follow the Scooter Cannonball Run on the social pages
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100012595363575
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GeoMotovista
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/geomotovista/

 

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