In June, we visited the Rhinebeck Grand National Meet in Dutchess County, NY. Within the motorcycle timeline there were many beautiful and interesting bikes on display. But, one in particular seemed to draw everyone to it like a moths to a flame.
At the time that I saw it, there were no informational placards and no apparent owner present to tell you what the make or model was. I was left to go home wondering. Apparently I wasn’t the only one.
This scrappy little Motorette sat amongst old pickup truck parts, boxes of cans and other assorted vintage wares at the 2010 Rhinebeck National Meet. It immediately caught my eye with it’s cute bugish-ness.
It looks like the type of vehicle that would a) be ridden at a carnival by a tipsy, belligerent clown b) have it’s own traveling music and c) just might puff heart-shaped smoke rings out of it’s exhaust. That’s pretty much a recipe for me to like something.
Knowing exactly zero about the little 3-wheeler, I went searching around the web looking for information. That was when my mind decided to play a little game of word association.
Motorette naturally made me think of Motorhead. That in turn made me think of watching the Young Ones when I was in junior high. So, naturally I had to find the video of Lemmy and the boys doing Ace of Spades on the Young Ones. If you’re one of my Twitter followers, you already know this.
So as my brain continued to stagger around youtube, the tram car scene in Austin Powers where he gets himself wedged into a hallway came to mind. The tram and the little Motorette do kind of look like they could be cousins.
And seriously, I ask you… who hasn’t been there? Wedged in a hallway on a tram car, I mean. Not being dragged willy-nilly around the darkest reaches of the internet by your mind which incidentally seems to have… a mind… of it’s own. Righty-o. Moving on.
And THEN… I found this (cue harps). This that could only be described as the epitome of vintage girlie motorscooter fun; four dames on a Motorette careening towards greatness.
“Mabel, do you think I’ll be home in time to get the roast out of the oven? Charles simply has to have his supper and a highball on the table when he returns from a hard day at the office.”
“Oh, Betty! Don’t be such a square. We’re going riding! Weeeeeeee!“
Source: Posted by LowKat on JalopyJournal
What have we learned here today? That I probably shouldn’t be left unsupervised at my computer.
The Motorette was originally built in the mid-1940′s in Buffalo, NY. It apparently sipped gas and could crank up and cruise at a zippy 39, not 40mph. Which if you ask me seems terrifying.
For more information about this cute, little doodlebug:
When we walked through the gates of the Dutchess County Fairgrounds where the Rhinebeck Grand National Super Meet was being held, the rain was steadily falling from the sky. These three beautiful Harley-Davidson’s looked like delicious, brightly colored candy against the wet asphalt. Unfortunately, I did not see any signs or papers with information on their years and models. If you can identify them – please let me know!
Fuzzygalore.com 
