By Frankie Chee

Forget skater boys, Singapore has scooter boys. Scooters, once considered something an uncle would ride, are a cool thing with the younger crowd these days.

Not any old scooter, mind you, but funky Italian Vespas (above left), for example. Riders are also snapping up vintage bikes and heavily modifying them to make them snazzy and unique.

Process technician Yusri Sallim, 33, bought his "Siti Iffah" for $18,000 two years ago. He then spent another $8,000 on accessories and paintwork. The 1960-registered Vespa is possibly the oldest here and is named after his wife and daughter.

And national serviceman Adam Sufi, 21, got his 34-year-old one for $3,800 and spent another $4,000 on paintwork and accessories including badges and a crashbar.

"I feel satisfied when I get rare parts that are very hard to find," he says, adding that he finds his items online.

Another group that shares the scootering passion is the Runner Bikes Gilera Club (above right), which has 90 members. Gilera is a brand of sporty Italian scooter.

One member, administration assistant Fify Fuanni, 27, says: "They're more relaxing and more fun to ride because they are automatic. They also consume less petrol and are very smooth."

The two groups share the joy of making their own bikes unique. Patrick Lopez, 24, has Looney Tunes cartoon characters airbrushed on the front of his 200cc Gilera Runner.

"Most of the other bikes have racing patterns or symbols airbrushed on. It's very rare that you find cartoons," says the bartender. If you think these small bikes are good for only going to the market, think again.

Paul Nge, 33, who has a 200cc Piaggio X9, has gone as far as Ipoh on his bike. And technician Nazry Aris, 27, has taken part in races in Malaysia, such as the National Scooter Races in Shah Alam, although he prefers local roads.

He says: "It's safer to ride in Singapore. There are no potholes and there are speed limits and cameras to ensure vehicles keep within them."

This article was first published in The Straits Times on Nov 2 , 2008.

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