[imagesource: here]

Since the 1970s, Vespa, which was manufactured and distributed in Jakarta until 2001, has been a common sight on Indonesian streets.

More than 85% of the population own a scooter, making it one of the largest Vespa enthusiast communities in the world – second only to Italy, the birthplace of the iconic two-wheeler.

The earliest recorded Vespa sighting in the country can be traced back to the 1960s when an Indonesian peacekeeping mission in Africa returned to the country and was gifted Vespas by the government.

Since then it’s become such a massive part of the community that it’s taken on a cultural life of its own, expressed most impressively by the Rebel Riders, a scooter gang of sorts, who take customisation to new heights.

Here’s Great Big Story:

Lots of people ride the Italian scooters known as Vespas in Indonesia. But Rebel Riders modify their Vespas to the extreme. They use scrap metal, tree branches, anything they can get their hands on to create one-of-a-kind vehicles.

Rebel Riders love expressing their individuality through their unique rides. They also enjoy being part of a community full of people who support one another and share a passion for exploring their beautiful country.

The only mandatory component in the design is the Vespa engine.

It’s tough to determine the early history of the Rebel Rider movement, but their emergence by the early 2000s coincided with major changes in Indonesia, following the fall of the Soeharto authoritarian regime in 1998.

Indonesians were suddenly afforded more freedom and self-expression than ever before and many of them channelled this into their rides.

You have to see their creations to really get a sense of the vibe:

If you want to up your transport game with a Vespa, you can peruse their range online.

Then, when you’ve found what you’re after, drop Seth a mail at editor@2oceansvibe.com, make the subject line “Hook me up with a Vespa discount”, and he’ll do what he does best.

What you do with it once it’s yours is entirely up to you.

[source:greatbigstory]