You buy a scooter, and then comes the stuff. Riding gear, accessories, scooter-themed clothing, rally shirts, posters, patches, home decor, toys… That itch you thought you’d satisfied by leaping into the world of scootering simply becomes a slightly different itch (until you start thinking about buying another scooter). There are plenty of goods out there to help you scratch it, but thanks to modern produced-on-demand services, many products are unlicensed copies, produced in back alley sweatshops in Jakarta, or cheaply made junk offered in hopes of hooking those who will buy anything vaguely scooter-y.
With the holiday days quickly counting down, ScooterFile is here to help separate the wheat from the chaff. We’ve hand-picked a selection of goods that should bring holiday joy to any giver or recipient with a yen for scootering.
FOR THE RIDER
Abel Brown Casted Glove
Balancing style and protective features is often a challenge, but the Casted Glove brings both in spades. Knuckle, finger and palm protection are reinforced in strong leather all the way around.
Mis Nopales Scooter Calaveras Tote and Shirts
Make every day Dia de Los Scooters!
Corazzo Underhoody
Whether it’s freezing cold or scorching hot, good base layers are key to controlling your temperature when riding. With its scooterist-centric features, the Underhoody has become a favorite around the Scooter File offices, winning over contributors who have worn it on days many might consider “too cold” to ride.
Paul Michael Vespa Rings
Bling’s not our thing (and may not be yours) but the detail is impressive and the design pretty clever. Not sure you can pull a riding glove on over one without breaking one of the little brake/clutch levers, though.
Bellroy Elements Pocket Wallet
If you’ve never loved a wallet — or even thought you could love one — this might win your heart and spare your butt. The Bellroy Elements packs a lot into a slim, attractive package that slips easily into riding gear or a front jean pocket. The Bellroy carries more than just essentials — including a spare key — and is rugged enough to protect your valuables from the most extreme conditions.
Cheeky Seats Scooter Scarves
Cheeky Seats are well known for their excellently crafted seat upholstery, but they’re quietly expanding into other accessories. These scarves have a “not mass-produced, not available at the mall” appeal that comes from being hand screened by a company that’s scooter-centric.
FOR THE SCOOTER
Rokstraps
One of the things that set most scooters apart from other powered two-wheelers is the superior storage capacity, whether under the seat; in glove compartments or on footboards and racks. Hard as it may be to believe, sometimes the trusty bungee nets and cords aren’t the best things for securing that extra load. Rokstraps are the most secure and versatile tie-downs we’ve found, keeping everything from luggage, lumber and two large Dino’s pizzas safe and in place on our scooters. You’ll never have bungee marks on your seat again.
The Budget Stocking Stuffer Version: Quirky Bandits
Perfect for all those little things you need to strap somewhere, and you can chain them together for bigger things. The 10-pack retails for $8 but individual straps can be found for less, sometimes as little as $1.
Brightech Spider Battery and Jump Starter
Extra power on the road is always a good idea — you don’t want to get stranded with a flat tire and no juice for your phone. The Spider charger doubles as a portable jump starter when your battery’s drained from lots of short trips or leaving keys in the ignition, or as a boost on very cold winter mornings. Not every scoot’s lucky enough to have kick starting as an option.
TOOLS AND GARAGE
Tekton Click Torque Wrench
Sure, you can replace a nut or bolt without a torque wrench, but for some you need the proper tool to do it right — and doing it wrong can have disastrous results. The Tekton is sturdy, accurate, and easy to use. After trying and tossing four other models and types of torque wrenches over the years, I claim the Tekton as a favorite.
Custom LeatherCraft 32-Pocket Socket Tool Roll Pouch
Pockets for every tool you could need to get back out on the road are wrapped in a rugged roll made of coated, heavy-duty canvas. (No actual leather is used in this product.)
The High-Dollar Version: Duke and Sons Leather Tool Roll
(Actual leather in this product!) Made for bikes, the Duke and Sons handmade roll is crafted in the Netherlands using nothing but two types of leather and rivets.
Nebo Larry 2
The original Larry light instantly became an indispensable item in the scooter toolkit. This second-gen version features more LEDs, a laser pointer and brighter output. That late-night backyard carb job just got easier. The magnetic clip rotates 180º, shining 160 lumens anywhere you need them. The light also comes in handy for digging through your storage in the dark, finding your keys, illuminating a tent, and entertaining cats. If you get one for someone else, buy one for yourself, too.
FOR THE FUTURE RIDER
Kiddimoto Kids Scooter Wooden Balance Bike
These will make a dent in your scooter parts budget, but they’re pretty cool looking. If they came in adult sizes, we’d be scouting out hills for some reckless, no-brakes hooliganism. The Kiddimoto also comes in pink and in other designs.
The Budget Version: Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Smart Stages Scooter
It’s cute, affordable, and perhaps the recipient will “Learn Smart” enough to grow up not wanting to do crazy stunts on a grownup sized Kiddimoto.
Barbie 1997 Motorscooter
Avid scooterist Barbie has owned a Vespa ET and an LX (and some kind of generic maxi clone thing), but apparently got her start on a a ’90s cult classic, the Italjet Velocifero.
SCOOTER DECOR & MISC.
Tobi Dahmen Products on Society 6. German illustrator Dahmen is the author of the graphic novel Fahrradmod, which Google translate tells us is a memoir of growing up in a small town and becoming part of the Mod subculture. Yes, Society 6 is one of the “produced-on-demand” sites we derided in out introduction, but Dahmen’s art is original, and this duvet cover would make an eye-catching addition to the boudoir of any scooter fan. The shower curtains are just the thing to go with the 2-stroke potpourri in the WC. Dahmen’s art is also available on shirts, prints, tote bags, greeting cards, clocks, mugs, rugs, tapestries, phone covers, and pillows.
Inflatable Sock Monkeys In Scooter
If you’re that neighbor, the one who takes holiday decor a little too far, then this is just the thing to add a little style to your front yard menagerie. We suggest keeping it up year ’round.
Mickey Croissant de Triomphe Ornament
There are many scooter ornaments for various tastes and budgets but our pick for the best of 2015 is this one, based on the 2013 Disney short “Croissant de Triomphe,” in which the popular rodent and his very animated scooter haphazardly race through Paris.
Ingrid & Mika Scooter Wallpaper
Like Modernist style, this wallpaper features a minimalist design. The Vespa SS180 that comprises the pattern sports the rare front wheel fin-guard-thingy — so rare we’ve only seen it on Haruko’s SS in the scooterific FLCL anime. Double nerd points!
Is there a scooter-related gift you’re hoping to receive or planning to give this year? We’d love to know what! Tell us in the comments.
