By Andrew Liszewski
I would have never considered riding a Vespa or any kind of scooter to be an ‘extreme’ activity, but apparently all you have to do is remove the seat and you’ll end up with something like the Standbike Board which appears to be an easy way to make the evening news. (In a bad way.) Powered by a 250 ccm Aprilia engine, the Standbike has a top speed of about 87 mph and it provides a unique riding experience since without a seat you need to use your whole body to brace and balance during acceleration, braking and cornering. Not surprisingly the Standbike isn’t street legal and is designed to be enjoyed on a closed track with plenty of safety gear, but there is a seat accessory that can be easily attached allowing it be used like a regular scooter on public roads.
At the moment the Standbike isn’t quite available to the public, but if you’re interested there’s a no obligation sign-up form on the company’s website and applications will eventually be filled based on the order in which they were received.