July Hammerhead La Vita Update
July 15th, 2009 - Scooter-News recently had the opportunity to speak with Paul Burnett of Hammerhead about their new La Vita 150 scooter. Burnett had just returned from China on a trip to finalize production specifications and had some interesting things to say about the new scoot. The La Vita and its' smaller 50cc cousin are slated to arrive sometime in September and production is going to start in about 3 weeks. When asked about the new fuel injection system Burnett replied, "I met with the FI company from Taiwan and got the software and training for repairs and it looks to be a solid system." Fuel injection on a scooter in this price range is currently unavailable and should be a great asset to the La Vita.
Burnett also had some interesting facts about the 50cc version's power plant. He stated that "I would still like to see the Adly 2T motor in it but I’m not sure all parties can come to terms." We think it would be great to see a 2T version of the La Vita, but unfortunately it sounded like the deal was unlikely. Looking on the bright side it seemed that if Hammerhead has to go the 4T route, at least they have high standards as far as top speed and power are concerned. Burnett said that Hammerdead had already rejected several potential 4T 50cc engines due to their lack of performance. I expect the 50cc to be powerful regardless of whether it is a 4T or a 2T.
Updates to the bike since the '09 Dealer Expo include integrated rubber floor mats (pictured below) and real chrome trim instead of the chinzy plastic stuff on the Expo display bike. Overall I'd say I have to agree with Burnett (at least from what we've heard) when he said "I’m still impressed with the overall look and feel of the machine and the drive is very similar to my metal shifty scooters." We feel that if the quality is right, the La Vita could be one of the best values in the American scooter market. Stay tuned for updates and a test drive very soon.
| Related Stories: |
|---|
|
