#4673

I feel like I have to at least mention that I really like the wordplay of vespa (Italian for wasp) -> ape (little bee) for the naming convention fiasco that happened early on in the development of this class of motorised trike... or micro-van(?). Piaggio is the manufacturer of Vespas and later designed the Ape, which Valentino liked to race with friends during his childhood in Tavullia! (Cute videos to check out: 1 and 2! In the videos, it appears Valentino is racing in a blue TM P50, though I'm not 100% certain of the model. I'm guessing he was on a first-name basis with the local police based on his driving style.) Anyway! It was initially gonna be called a Vespa-car as an evolution of the company's Vespa scooter; however, they settled on a cuter name: ape, aka the little bee! Apparently, you can still visit the modified RossiApe in Tavullia :)

If Marc is a red ant, Valentino reminds me of a bee. Not quite possessing the untouchable elegance or pointed rage of a wasp. Instead, he's fluffier. Buzzy. Cute. Garish yellow and black colours. But still, winged. Sometimes united with a rowdy hive (VR46 fans omfg) but mostly solitary on-grid, where most of his relationships with fellow riders are defined by tension, animosity and rivalry. This is, of course, apart from his own little worker bees, who worship him. Sometimes, (if you're lucky) he even makes honey. But he also has a sharp sting that he threatens to use on anyone who tries to come a little too close, usually at the expense of his own well-being... (and perhaps his would-be friendships, too)