PUHI — Despite a full calendar of competing events, true moped/motor scooter enthusiasts turned out for the first-ever moped/motor scooter show and poker run hosted by Two Wheels/Motorcycles Period, Sunday in the Puhi Industrial Park. “We’ve had our motor scooter
PUHI — Despite a full calendar of competing events, true moped/motor scooter enthusiasts turned out for the first-ever moped/motor scooter show and poker run hosted by Two Wheels/Motorcycles Period, Sunday in the Puhi Industrial Park.
“We’ve had our motor scooter for about a year, and tend to scooter wherever we can,” said Tina Cherry, who had her backseat rider, Stan, in tow. “We scooter every weekend, and have even brought this to Koke‘e, twice.”
Tina said her 2009 Kymco which she purchased through Tom Leighton at the Puhi facility, is strictly stock, but she is working on getting it personalized.
“Almost all of the decals came off within a week,” Tina said. “Now, we’re looking for someone who can paint a frog.”
The Cherrys earned the trophy for Best Paint while David Tao’s custom-painted moped earned the Best Paintjob award.
“I’ve been through about 20 mopeds so far,” Tao said. “I fix ‘em and sell ‘em.”
He said he prefers mopeds to motor scooters because of the licensing and insurance restrictions placed on motor scooters.
“You don’t need anything special for mopeds,” he said. “You just jump on ‘em and ride.”
Larry Kalani couldn’t stay long, but stayed to collect the Most Hopped Up moped for his nitrous-fueled ride, excusing himself to take in the second day of the July Fourth drag races at the Kaua‘i Raceway Park.
“He’s run this thing in the drag races and is up there in points,” Leighton said of the hopped-up moped.
Wilbert Pereira, riding his original restored Cushman, does restoration and custom work on Cushman scooters, one being advertised for sale after he spent two years reworking the ride.
Pereira, usually a regular during Operation Military Appreciation, said the blue 1958 model he rode took about four years in its makeover. He also was overseeing Leighton’s 1959 red Cushman that showed.
Pereira’s ‘58 Cushman got the award for the Oldest Moped while Lee Jeal’s 1978 Lambretta copped the Oldest Foreign Moped award.
Lance Duque of Hanama‘ulu, once featured in The Garden Island’s “Motoring” section, was bashful about showing off his wheels because of a ding sustained in an accident. He earned the Best Rat award.
Leighton said with so many mopeds and motor scooters on the road, the show and poker run was a natural for Kaua‘i where holiday attractions took out a lot of the traffic.
“I’ve been to shows on the Mainland where there are a lot of different facets to these shows,” Leighton said. “This one is a start and we’ll see where it goes from here.”
Tina Cherry said she came to meet other moped and motor scooter enthusiasts, noting that if this was in China or a country where there are more infrastructure for mopeds, this event would’ve been really big.
