Actually, I’m happy with the mpg that my Toyota gets. Honestly, I fill up at most once per month! I haven’t considered a scooter because I live only around 6 blocks from my office, so I walk to work each day. Lately, I tend to wear out more shoes than ever before, but (phony) leather is cheaper than liquid gold!

Well I don’t like that they are high but I think they’ll go down eventually.I think motorcycles are deadly.

Love the scooter. I am 68 years old and have just purchased my first scooter. I have enrolled in a Motorcycle Safety Foundation class. I wish someone would start a MSF Scooter School. Learning to ride slowly is the most difficult thing. This ride is not fun in a downpour, but other than that, it is great sport.

I ride the largest scooter currently available, the Suzuki Burgman 650. Great bike and I average 50-52mpg. I ride daily on my commute to work and do many pleasure rides (since riding is so much doggone fun). Riding for nearly 3 years and have put almost 21,000 miles on this bike since June ‘06.

Check out the St. Louis Scooter Club here: http://www.stlscooterclub.com/ We have riders of all types and class of scooter and meet weekly on Wednesday. Also, we highly recommend that all riders take the MSF basic rider course to become familiar with not only how to control your bike, but also all the hazards inherent with riding on the road. Enjoy…….

Would love a scooter but don’t want to get run over by some fool in a gas-hog talking on a cell phone. If people are buying those things without taking a course in motorcycle riding, I’m buying stock in funeral homes.

I’m not seeing it, at least not in St Louis. A scooter on high traffic main roads strikes me as risky. A scooter on an interstate is downright suicidal. In addition, we have too many foul weather days to make a scooter a practical choice. Sure, you could have a car and a scooter both–so you could switch off–but that seems a tad redundant and the extra expense (insurance, taxes, etc.) would eat up anything you’re saving on gas. You’d sure have to stay tuned to the weather forecast! All that being said, I am noticing more of them on my daily communte. Maybe if gas hits $10 a gallon and everyone is using scooters I might rethink my position.

Sigh. I’d rather have a horse….

I owned a scooter before the current craze, I bought it because it was such a fun way to get around. After two years between two scooters, I have rode 22,000 (s)miles. I commute daily on Manchester Road and find motorist have become more and more aware that more and more 2 wheels are on the road. This is a very good thing!

Like my fellow SLSC member, Kevin, I ride a Suzuki Burgman 650cc. I also ride a 250cc by Kymco. Both very capable scooters for even highway riding. The smartest thing I did was taken the MSF basic rider safety course. It gives you so much information as well as confidence on the road. It is something the SLSC recommends to every new member.

If you are considering a scooter and don’t know what you want come out to one of our meetings and see up to 2 dozen at once with many differing types, styles and sizes to see. We love to talk about scooters and show people the fun side to owning a scooter. They are not just gas savers!

http://www.stlscooterclub.com/

I seriously looked into it about 2 years ago, and it didn’t make economic sense. Yes, now gas prices are higher, but I started car pooling. Car pooling is as gas efficient as a scooter and much safer.

Consider this: when I drive the two fellows in my car pool, my car gets 26mpg. But since there are three of us, we are getting 78 “person miles per gallon”. This may seem like an artificial number, but it’s not. In a three week cycle, I commute 15 times but only pay gas for 5 of those trips – my gas expenditure Really is 1 gallon for every 78 miles I commute.

The scooter is fine for some people, but I prefer the car pool – it’s free to start, while a good scooter is around $5,000 – before taxes, licensing and insurance. Yes, waiting on people can sometimes be a pain, but not as painful as riding a scooter in the rain – or catching a bug in the face at 60mph!

I’ve had my motorcycle endorsement for about 4 years and have had 2 different mototrcycles - both sold to new homes a year or more ago.

I’ve gone through the safety classes and have all the proper gear.

I just got a new scooter last month 250cc that handles very well on the interstate or any other road and saves me a lot in gas costs.

I will admit you have to be on top of your game and be a very aware of the drivers around you that don’t see you - but the same is true for the people that ride bicycles on city roads.

I have been seriously considering a scooter for some time now. It’s basically going to come down to whether I can afford it as a cash payment as I do not desire to finance such a purchase.

The only issue I would have is that I occasionally have to go to St Charles. I know bikes (regular man-powered bikes) are allowed on Hwy 370. Can I assume moped/scooters would be too? What about on the Page Extension?

I purchased my first motorized two-wheeler in a 2004, an old, 70s moped. After learning the basics, I moved on to a larger scooter, and have never turned back.

Currently, I commute on my 49cc scooter, primarily on Clayton Rd.

A couple of years ago, I would have heard the occasional “Get a real motorcycle!” comment while waiting on a red light. Now I hear “How many miles per gallon does that thing get?” or “Where’d you get your scooter?”

When the weather’s inclement, I take the family car. But when you’re geting 80 mpg on the scooter, the car’s not as attractive, even when it gets 29 mpg.

If you’re considering a scooter, stick with Kymco, Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, Genuine, Vespa, or Piaggio. Avoid the rinky-dink Chinese made scooters you might see advertised on craigslist.

Scooters under 50cc dont’ required the rider to be motorcycle (State) qualified. Now we have a bunch of Treetards going out buying motorized bicycles to mingle with traffic. Let’s give out children guns!

I don’t care about gas mileage. St. Louis City drivers are so bad the thing to do is put your loved ones in a Volvo and hope for the best. Motorcycles are fun toys but are too dangerous if used as regular transportation.

I am the proud owner of a 250 scooter. I had a motorcycle for five years in college before I came home and purchased a scooter. A motorcycle in college saved me a great amount of time and money by being able to park right in front of my classes. More people should look into the scooter as a form of transportation. They are easy to ride, conserve on oil consumption, and have the capability of getting you almost anywhere.

I am not at all surprised at the folks who are going through the “those are too dangerous” talk right now. It is such a misconception that riders are somehow putting a great danger upon themselves. As experienced riders, we do everything we can to keep our of trouble. Mainly I dress in bright colors and use my horn like a mad man to make sure other vehicles know I’m there. So many cars and trucks are driven by people who are more dangerous than the scooter it self. If everyone would pay attention inside their air conditioned, music blasting, cell phone using, social scene bubbles they call cars, we would have a much safer ride. I would ask everyone to watch out for your two wheeling motorists as well as that huge truck on the road. And please talk to your teenagers who pass us in the suicide/parking lane because we are not doing twenty over the limit on grand or Gravois. Car drivers are going to have to learn to coexist on the road with scooters and motorcycles soon. Gas prices are not going down!

There is a reason that so many other countries already have more scooters than cars. It’s because they already get it. Two wheeled vehicles are just a better option in cities. You can get from Fenton or Arnold or Kirkwood or Brentwood to The Arch without getting on a highway. Do you believe that!? I bet it never even crossed your mind. Highways are not the only option!

If you want gas prices to come down……you have to use less gas. So keep your SUV that you wont be able to sell for much anyway, and also pick up a scooter. Take the safety course, start slow, be aware of your surroundings, and use it as your daily ride. Do the math and you will likely find that you only have to ride it for a year or so until it pays for itself in gas savings. And that is if we actually stay around $4 a gallon. Which we all know it will not.

Scooters! Coming in large numbers to a traffic light near you.

I live near Lindell and Kingshighway in the CWE. A lot of bad drivers in big cars that tend to run the lights. I wouldn’t want anyone I cared about on two wheels at that intersection.

For me it’s no longer just about saving on gas so, I’d like to speak to a couple of issues.

First - neither scooters nor motorcycles are toys. They are very capable modes of transportation or recreation. Never underestimate the power of the bike and ease with which you can lose control even on a 50cc bike.

Second - as Marc mentioned, riding requires you to be very aware of everything going on around you. Who are the ones to worry about on the road (and we’ve all seen them)? People on cell phones top the list, then there are readers, makeup appliers, drivers turning around to talk to or discipline their kids, movie watchers, and more.

We realize the hazards that go hand in hand with each ride, and accept that responsibility. I ride year round, barring a downpour or snow, and have the gear to get me through every season. I’m on the highway everyday. Am I crazy…..possibly, but I know that riding has made me a much more responsible driver, because I am aware of the danger I can create for others. When you see a scooter or motorcycle on the road be courteous and allow a little extra room. It will make the commute or errand run that much more pleasurable for everyone.

They scare the hell out of me. Saving money on gas is not worth losing my life over.
I was driving home the other day on west bound 70 by the airport. I wanted to change lanes and I looked in the side mirror and glanced over my shoulder and saw no vehicle I had to yeild to, I then pressed the lever for the signal and looked in the mirror again and just about the time I was going to change a motorcycle appeared out of no where. The checking to make sure the road was clear took all of about 3 seconds if that long. I never saw him, I have no clue where he came from, I got that sick feeling in my stomach. If I had not glanced in my mirror again I would have hit this guy and I know he would have been the one to lose in the encounter.

Thanks kdunlap for that post. This is the common thing heard from a driver when an accident with a bike occurs “I didn’t see it.” Virtually all drivers are conditioned to look for cars when driving, not scooters or motorcycles. So while the bike in many cases is there, your brain doesn’t register it because your’re expecting another vehicle.

One of the points stressed in the MSF basic rider course is to make yourself as visible as possible to all drivers. Whether it’s by wearing bright gear, adding extra lights, or using your lane to make yourself more visible when in traffic.

Bottom line, due to gas prices there are more riders on the road. Hopefully everyone becomes more aware of our presence and drives/rides accordingly.

If you ride a bike, please make sure it is as loud as tolerable. If we don’t see you, make sure we can hear you.

Bill, I hope that you are being ironic.
Otherwise, switch homes with me for a Friday or Saturday night when all the Harley riders leave the local pubs. It’s at least a half hour of “wake the baby” noise.

Now, I love a Harley but not so much at 1:30 AM.

I just bought my first scooter this week, a Vespa 250cc. I live out in Fenton and work downtown so using the sccoter for work transportation is not in my future. Even though my top end speed is 75 mph, I can’t see using I-44 both from a traffic density side and the pavement, which is bad enough for automobiles. What I did do was buy a fuel efficient Honda Civic which gives me 35 mpg for commuting.

The scooter will be used for pleasure riding, and local trips that stay off the interstate. At 70 mpg, it’s a blast to ride and insurance with coverage equivalent to my auto’s, costs slightly over $15 a month.

Quite honestly while many scooter riders stay off of the interstates, the real hazzards are on the back roads with turning cars, intersections and all kinds of distractions to motorists. I will be taking a safety class, wearing a neon vest, and a white helmet for visibility. Yes, if you are hit, your chance of injury is greater. All the kelvar in the world won’t protect you from impact. It will just save skin. The biggest safety feature is between the ears and I’ll do my part. To those thinking we are crazy, consider the fact of what happened on highway 40 the other day. If you get into an accident with a mismatch of vehicles, the little guy loses. So do I avoid driving because an 18 wheeler can wipe me off the road in a second? No, I understand the risk. Same goes with the scooter owner. We understand the risk and I dare say that most scooter owners are probably more aware of whats going on while driving than a typical auto driver.

I recently bought a used motorcycle to save on gas, a 535cc 1987 Yamaha. I still can get about 50-60mpg with this, 1987!

My car is a 2000 Xterra, but my real means of transportation is a 07 Vespa LX 150. With the current gas prices going up and up and up this has become the greatest purchase I have made in a long time. If you are considering buying a scooter and have questions please visit the St. Louis Scooter Clubs Website http://www.stlscooterclub.com and one of our members will be able to answer any question you throw out there.

I pondered purchasing one for over a year and made the decision right before Father’s day to get one, settled on a Piaggio 49cc model. It is a blast to ride, so much so that I have to remind myself to be serious about driving while enjoying myself!

Pros on under 50cc: No special driver’s license required, no plates. 93 mpg, just a lot of fun to ride!

Cons on under 50cc: Top speed will limit you to city street driving, uphill is limited to 20-25 mph depending on grade unless you have a good running start at it.

As for the weather, I have used my kayak dry top and dry pants in the rain and now plan on getting more use of the clothing on my scooter than my kayak!

Storage below seat for full size helmet or when riding to work my lunch and fanny pack (don’t lose your wallet like I did, keeping it in your pocket!) I added a rear storage box which allows me to make quick groscery store stop on way home from work.

Instead of +$49 to fill up my Subaru every two week I spend under $6 every two weeks!

Never. If I’m riding on two wheels, it will be with enough engine beneath me to accelerate out of the risky situations in which riders find themselves due to the inattentiveness of those driving cars and trucks. Scooters can’t do that.

I ride a bicycle mostly so a scooter would be quite an upgrade for me…

I’ve only put in about $50 in gas into my car between Memorial Day and right now so the high gas prices really haven’t been affecting me personally.

It’s great for us bicyclists that there are so many more scooters and so many fewer SUVs on the roads. The “air haulers” with their Ford 250s seem to be a vanishing breed nowadays. Hopefully gas will hit $7/gallon in a few years and the only people driving behemoths will be those who need them fulltime for work.

Don’t let fear dictate your choices. Once enough people get on scooters and motorcycles, it will completely change the dynamic of our roads.

I sold my Seadoo, that I hadn’t taken out in 3 years, 2 months ago and bought a 49cc Kymco Super 9 scooter for my 4 mile commute to the metrolink stop, and for running errands close to home. It get’s 80mpg, and I fill it up for about 6 bucks every two weeks. I can’t take it on the highway, or when I need to take my 14 month old somewhere, but in the last two months, I’ve put less than 500 miles on my truck, which I drive when it’s raining.

I have seen several comments regarding the safety and do agree that two-wheeled vehicles are riskier than autos. While that is true it is is only one factor in determining the validity of purchasing a scooter.

I am a memeber of the St. Louis Scooter Club (SLSC http://www.stlscooterclub.com/) which is a group of folks bound by our common facination/obsesion with scooters. The main attitude of our club is safety first. We realize the risk of smaller vehicles mixing it up with the big boys and we constantly push our members to consider the Motocycle Safety Foundation (MSF) training. This is one way to lessen the risk by learning and practicing the excellent defensive riding techniques the MSF teaches throughout their course.

The other factor to consider is FUN. Scoots are pretty much a Hoot to ride and puts the rider in a whole new world while riding to work, running errands, or just cruising the neighborhoods!

I’m not about trying to convince anyone that they should all park their “cages” and scoot. Just want to share a few tidbits from my past 40+ yrs of cycle and scooter experience.

I took the scooter plunge a several weeks ago and haven’t looked back. My Genuine Buddy 125 is my primary means of transportation at the moment. I live in South county and travel Downtown, Clayton, Maryville etc. True, the risks are much greater on 2 wheels, however with a little common sense and personal responsibility (Safety gear) the commute to work can be fun and therapeutic. My fuel cost per week has dwindled from $70+ to a mere $5. Since I average around 95MPG’s my scooter, taxes and safety gear will pay for themselves in roughly 2 years. Genuine scooters have a 2 year unlimited mileage warranty and 1 year road side assistance. See what I mean?

All the above pro’s are just icing on the cake when it comes to being a scooter owner. I meet new people every day who enjoy the same passion as me. The camaraderie associated with scootering is one you have to experience for your self.

Shiny up, rubber down!

Docutech

Probally not.I drive up and down Grand Avenue in the Lou to get to work every day.With all the low-riders Latinos and South Side Thugz driving like total”I don’t gave a —- idiots”,I fell a lot safer driving my GMC van,than a little motor scotter.If someone get creamed in one of those they might as well throw the deceased body and scooter in the casket together.-PS-The Jeff County Busch drinking Hooziers are rolling up and down Grand Ave.to!

Sorry for reposting and definitely don’t want to hog the board but I did also notice folks mentioning that they are afraid of scooter/cycles and that they “materialize” out of nowhere.

I have to agree that there more riders who have not attended safety training from MSF (www.msf.org). Unfortunately, these people don’t know that it is THEIR responsibility to ensure cage drivers see them and NOT the other way around.

Just like a car driving in someone’s blind spots, and MSF, teaches and maps out ALL car and truck blind spots, there is no cure for that person and they are going to pay a very dear price.

As far the cars and SUV drivers gabbing on the phone instead of taking care of THEIR part of the responsibility, I ride to account for that to the best of my ability and lessen the risk as much as possible.

Ta and happy driving, riding, scooting to all…

and 7ded7, please cite the acceleration rates of scooters? A 500+cc scooter will most likely out accelerate whatever car you’re currently driving.

I don’t ride a scooter but I do ride a 500cc motorcycle. It gets around 58 to 62 MPG. I ride to work for $13.00 a week as opposed to $75.00 in my car. I’m 56 years old and have had a motorcycle for most of my adult life. I used to use it for pleasure only, around 2000 mile per year. Now I commute daily because of gas prices. You can’t forget you are on a motorcycle for a second. Catch yourself looking the wrong way and you will end up where your looking. I actually feel safer on hwy 70 than I do around town. People running through yellow to red lights are my biggest fear. I take a few seconds longer and make sure every intersection is clear before I make a turn. I recently purchased a new 500cc bike for $4410.00 out the door price. It will pay for it’s self pretty fast if gas continues to rise.

I had one for 4 years, when gas prices were low–sold it last summer. My friends made fun of me for riding it. I got ripped off when i sold it.
I only I had waited…

Where I lived at I see these young kids driving around here like total idiots on those junky Chinese scooters.They go way to fast,run stop signs,don’t have safety helmets,no respect to any driving rules.Look just like a diaster waiting to happened.

Considering a scooter. 80% of my driving is within 9 miles of my home (Kirkwood, Webster, Rock Hill….). Having a very fuel efficient vehicle to putter around the 2 lane roads makes a heck of a lot of sense. I have an old collector car sitting in my garage and will probably be selling it and getting a used scooter. I think it will increase me enjoyment also. I still will have my car for the 20% of trips that take me a long way and during winter.

Love my Kymco 49 cc scooter. It only goes around 40mph, but I’m just using it to get around the city and to work and back. Costs me about $20 a month to fill it. I still have my car for longer hauls or the highway, but it just makes sense to use the scooter on small trips. I find that some drivers are a**holes around me, but most drivers are courteous and just pass me if I’m not fast enough for them. As for bad weather, I have waterproof/coldproof gear, and I can ride in rain or cold. My scooter cost $1500 and has been well worth it for the savings in gas alone.

Just one more note on the safety of scooters. I notice that I am much more careful of a driver on my scooter, because I don’t have the distractions of a cell phone, radio, coffee, etc. I think what most people are seeing on the highways and some streets are the morons on the “crotch rockets,” as I call them, weaving in and out of traffic. Who knows if they have their motorcycle safety license? These guys give riders a bad rep, and it’s a shame. Most scooter riders and motorcyclists I see (and with less distractions and an open space around me, I guarantee I can see and smell and hear more than someone in a car) on the surface streets obey the traffic laws.

Steve M., stupid kids will be stupid kids regardless what they ride or drive. I feel more education one has before taking to anything two wheels the better off we all are. The MSF Basic course should be an absolute requirement!

b,

While there are a few very scooters with powerful engines, much of the buzz in this thread comes from one with a 49cc motor. That is way too small and underpowered for my comfort or taste.

Scooter accidents rise with gas prices, temperatures
Tuesday, July 15, 2008 3:06 AM
By Nicquel Terry

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
They’re popular, gas-friendly and stylish.

But doctors say the increasing number on the road is likely to mean more people coming into emergency rooms.

They’re motorized scooters.

Health officials say numbers on individual scooter accidents often aren’t tracked, but Mount Carmel West physician Jeffrey Thurston said he’s observed a spike in injuries from scooter accidents. Thurston, an internal-

medicine physician, said he has assisted more patients from scooter accidents recently than in previous years.

This leads “me to think we have more accident victims this year overall,” Thurston said.

Thurston’s observation comes in light of the Saturday night motor-scooter accident that left E. Gordon Gee’s son-in-law with life-threatening injuries and Gee’s daughter, Rebekah, hospitalized.

Dr. Allan Moore, 31, was operating the couple’s 2001 Vespa when it collided with a sport-utility vehicle in suburban Philadelphia. He was in critical condition yesterday in the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania with abdominal and head injuries. His wife and passenger, Dr. Rebekah Gee, 32, was in stable condition with a broken leg and other injuries.

Five scooter-accident victims have come into Grant Medical Center in Columbus this year, three of those this month, hospital spokesman Colin Yoder said. In all of 2007, five patients from scooter accidents were treated.

There is no breakdown by OSU Medical Center of its patients from scooter accidents; it combines that number with motorcycle- and ATV-accident patients.

But Steve Steinberg, a trauma surgeon at OSU Medical Center, said he expects the number of patients from scooter accidents to climb through fall.

Steinberg said rising gas prices and relatively warm weather this summer have made scooters desirable for many commuters.

“We are already over halfway to our volume (of patients on those types of vehicles) last year,” Steinberg said. “We are going to be well over last year’s (final) numbers.”

The majority of OSU Medical Center patients in scooter accidents this year were not wearing helmets and therefore suffered more serious injuries, Steinberg said.

“Some accidents are avoidable by paying attention to what’s going on around you.”

Steinberg also suggested that scooter riders wear helmets and avoid alcohol.

They also can take motorcycle-safety courses through the Ohio Department of Public Safety.

nterry@dispatch.com

Scooters are one of the most dangerous vehicles available. Think what would have happened if a “scooter” would have been involved in the accident which killed three people this week??? A person on a scooter on a highway has no chance whatsoever of surviving a high-speed accident. He is out there unprotected. No matter how safe a driver of a scooter is, it’s the other guy out there who is a threat to his safety and/or life.

Veronica
July 18, 2007

In regards to Dave Mishem, You sound like you have a good thing going with your bike. I was doing that for a long while to saving on gas and just riding my road bike. I have been doing that for the past 5 or 6 years and I gotta say cycling on the road was a perfect start for me since it got me use to being on the road only going 10 to 15 mph. If you buy a scooter you’ll find it pretty easy making the transition.

I have to agree with many other scooterist. Years ago just cycling on the road people would yell aweful things at me and I was going slower than the 49cc scooters. Now wheather I am cycling or on my Vespa people only say a.) How many miles do you get to a gallon on that? b.) I need to get me one of them? or c.) What does one of those things cost and where do I get one.

Scooter and even motorcycles are going to be increasing more and more as these gas prices spiral out of control. We all need to get use to the fact that we have to all coexist with eachother. Cars will alawys be on the roads and scooters and motorcycles will always be on the roads. Lets all just respect eachother and travel safely.

If interested in any scooter information feel free to visit the St. Louis Scooter Club @ http://www.stlscooterclub.com/ feel free to ask us any questions. Our members will be happy to talk with you all.

For anyone interested in meeting up with members of St. Louis Scooter Club, we meet at the Schlafly’s Bottle Works in Mapplewood every Wednesday at 6:15pm. It’s a fun little time. Feel free to stop by ask questions, take pictures, hang out, and possibly grab some dinner.

http://www.stlscooterclub.com/

I don’t own a Vespa/Scooter, but I love them. And am always happy to see someone riding one and think they’re a great option for short commutes or running around town on weekends. They are great on gas, easy commute, plenty of storage, etc. I’ve seen them and used them while in WDC, NYC, Europe and SE Asia, which are the more normal transporation overseas as opposed to expensive cars. While in SE Asia, I saw children riding on them by standing behind or sitting in front of their parents - yes, extremely dangerous I know but that’s their lifestyle.

My question to those of you who OWN a scooter, would you consider allowing your children to ride with you? Not on interstates, I’m sure, but to/from grocery store or in and around your neighbordhood for routine weekend errands. There are specialized seats that can be purchased, similar to a child’s car seat, and I’ve seen them used in Rome. Is this any less/more dangerous than a cart being pulled behind the parent’s bicycle?

I asked my wife and she said ,”no”. She said if I was going to get killed, then I should do it in style on my Harley.

Rob, my wife and I are planning on getting a scooter and having it as the third vehicle for right now. I think next year we will probably get rid of one of the cars - I put so little mileage on mine that it is not worth keeping it.

I went by a local dealership and the salesman told me that scooters are being sold about as fast as they come in. I’m going to stick it out until October or so to see if I can get a good deal.

It’s funny, but I’m due for a new commuting bicycle since I have so many miles on my 14 year old Trek. I looked around this year and all the bike shop owners I talked to said they have trouble keeping the utilitarian type bikes in stock since so many people are buying. I actually saw some Italian made commuter bikes with generator driven lights and full racks over at A-1, first time in 20 years of bicycling that I am seeing those types of models in the U.S.

Considering I commute 40 miles one way on 270 every day, a moped = suicide.

You guys can take all the MSF courses you want, but that doesn’t keep some distracted soccer mom in her 6000 lb SUV from knocking you into oblivion. A fender bender in a car isn’t serious, just about any kind of collision on a moped comes with an all-inclusive, free trip to the hospital.

You can’t deny physics…. 200lb scooter + 3000lb car = carnage.

I ride a Yamaha Majesty400 with tow-pac trike wheels I get about
58 miles to the gallon on my scoot
I belong to the SLSC since it started a year ago,I’m also their
oldest member I will be 80 my next birthday,I try to ride everyday
and also try to make all our weekly meeting held each Wed at 6:15PM
Schafly BW I was at the first meeting a year ago. If I do it a my age it show you age is not a factor
Visit us at our website http://stlscooterclub.com and if the Lord be willing will see you at the Wed night meeting.
And don’t ride faster than your angel can fly Wade 07/18/08

I think you might be missing the point here, JimBob. If you’re living 40 miles away from work, then move closer or get another job. That decision will be forced on you once gas gets high enough, so you might as well do it now before real estate in the exurbs becomes as valuable as Louisiana swampland.

The soccer moms driving 6000lbs SUVs are going the way of the dodo. We’re seeing more and more scooters and less and less SUVs with each passing day. Conservationists are discovering that working to increase the price of gas is an order of magnitude more efficient than education and voluntary initiatives, so don’t expect $2 gas anytime soon on the horizon. Personally I believe a “good” price for gas is about $8/gallon. When that happens, environmentalists will get everything they’re working for handed to them on a silver platter.

The “safety” argument has been one that dealers have used for years to get the scaredy-cats into bigger vehicles than they need. Once you have more scooters on the road than Hummers, that argument is extinct.

Not all scooters are small… the 400cc and up are perfectly suited to highway riding. Both easily go the speed limit and more.

It is all about educating the riders as well as motorists.

Hey Dave Mishem, do you know what kind of scoots your looking to get?

Hey Dave Mishem, if you need help with questions about the right scooter for you and your wife, feel free to drop some questions by the St. Louis Scooter Club http://www.stlscooterclub.com/ a lot of helpful people there to help you out. Of course the scooter dealer can help you with it also. You two will enjoy it though i will say that much. My fiancee and I love our new Vespa. She’s going on her first group ride when we all meet up next Wednesday.

Dave, you’re kidding yourself if you think there’s going to one day be more scooters than cars. The US is far too spread out geographically and scooters are far too impractical for most people. Besides, all it takes is one car to ruin your day. SUVs are irrelevant, I was throwing that out as an example. 6000lb SUV or 2800 lb Honda Civic, either way, you’re still going to lose on a scooter. People are buying far more small cars right now than they are scooters anyway.

I drive what I drive because I can’t afford to live in west county where I work and I refuse to live in North County or the city because of crime. My Honda gets 43 mpg, I’ll sacrifice the hit in MPG for the safety and utility of my “cage”.

I’ve buried far too many friends that were as painfully naive as some here are. In the end, it doesn’t matter if you’re the best scooter rider in the world, if someone else makes a mistake, YOU’RE going to be the one paying for it.

Instead of being force to ride some dangerous tonka toy scooters around we should impeach that war pig King GW Bush II for crimes against humanity.It was him and his cronnies that lead us into “war” against Iraq.The billions and billions of dollars wasted over there have wreck our economy.It was not about protecting America from terrorist,It was about King BushII,Chenny and his cronnies riping off the America taxpayer big time! And now grown man and women are being force to drive little kidde scooters around becaues we can’t afford $4.00 a gallon for gas.PATHATIC!!!!!!

You’d be surprised at the popularity in scooters in unexpected places. On my vacation last year, I was taking some backroads/highways in Illinois. In one little town that I stopped for a soda, it seemed as if everyone “coming to town” was riding a scooter.

Later, in Sullivan Illinois on the same trip, I saw them in abundance. It does seem popular in these rural areas for one to “scoot” to the store from the farm.

Basically I can tell by many of the comments that people have their view of a scooter as some rinky dink shriners vehicle that’s a death trap. They’re really no different than a motorcycle other than the way you sit on them or the way they look. Even on my 49cc Kymco Super 9, I have no problem hitting 45 which is more than fast enough for any road I travel, and I sit up high enough that I can see over most cars in front of me. Obviously I would never attempt to get on a highway, as it’s illegal to take on the highway anyway. I know good and well that I have to watch out for everyone else around me, but I have no problem paying attention to what I’m doing since I can’t answer my cell phone, eat a hamburger, crank up the radio, all while smoking a cigarette and sipping on a McDonad’s soda.

Obviously the number of scooter accidents will go up if the number of scooters increases. I read the article posted above about the serious accidents due to non-helmet wearers. I call that Darwin’s Theory, and I say good riddance to the morons of this world. Frankly, I’m sick and tired of our government protecting idiots from themselves. You know what that’s going to do to us as a race? Rent Idiocracy and you’ll see. On a 49cc, legally I don’t even have to wear a helmet, but you can be certain that I wouldn’t be caught without one.

The only problem I’ve had since buying my 49cc Genuine Buddy is not knowing municipal ordinances regarding licensed motorized bicycles.

I’ve read that Crestwood has an ordinace requiring a license plate on motorized vehicles using streets. So I guess I can’t scoot in Crestwood; too bad for their merchants. Now I hear the Des Peres has passed a similar ordinance. Considering that my scoot-comute to Chesterfield took me straight up Ballas, I guess I’ll have to find a new route.

Can anyone confirm that these ordinances do in fact exist and are there other municipalities that hace or are considering the same type ordinances?

Has anyone here ever been able to license a 49cc scooter and if so, how did you convince the people at the license office?

I saw a guy on one of those today, and as I was sitting in my old Volvo, I was wondering to myself, what happens if he gets hit? They’re a death trap. So my 940 gets around 25 in the city, 30 or so on the highway. I’m in a safe, cheap, reliable car. So I pay more for gas than the scooter guy does. But if you get hit or lose control, or if it rains, your dead. I’d rather be in my comfortable old Volvo.

JimBob, I understand what you’re saying but the reality is that things are changing fast. The U.S. is spread out geographically BECAUSE of cheap gas. The only reason you can live out in West County and commute in is because gas is cheap. It is very unlikely that gas will stay as low as it is now, (yes, I consider $4/gallon cheap) because global supply is growing at double digit rates. In a few years, commuting 40 miles will be a luxury that very few can afford, and people will have to start living closer to work. That’s the future, not a choice.

This is already happening in California. They had the “drive till you qualify” mentality, where people were making 80 mile oneway trips in to work. That just isn’t worth it anymore - the money you spend on gas will get you a much more expensive house closer in. Same here - no more living in Farmington and driving in to downtown every day. No one has a way to keep that from happening; all the talk about off shore drilling and opening up ANWR is just something to placate the public. It will have zero effect.

It seems as if a lot of folks are considering a scooter, and that a lot of them also would never consider a motorcycle. Is is because scooters have a more friendly image than motorcycles?…. Anyway….I am also considering a scooter, just because I have always wanted one. In my lifetime I have also owned four motorcycles, (Yamaha, Honda, BMW and Harley) but do not have one now.

Some advise I would offer to a new rider:

1. Take a safety course.
2. Stay away from the 49cc jobs and get one that CAN get out of it’s own way if need be.
3. On a nice day they are fun to ride…..on the other days they suck.
4. Never-Ever-Ever forget that you are invisible to people driving cars.
5. Because of the fact that your whole body cannot fit into the helmet, there are no minor accidents on a motorcycle or scooter.

In response to the question Heybuddy asked about plating a 49cc scooter. The answer is, “yes, you can!” You can find information regarding this on the St. Louis Scooter Club forum at http://stlscooterclub.com/forum. I, as are many others who have posted responses on this topic, am a member of the club and have found the club’s forum a valuable research for riding safety and recommendations for safety gear, state regulations and general scooter and brand specific information. I became involved in the club in late March. At that time, the club had just reached 100 members (the club had been active for approx. a year). Today the 186th member joined! This rate of membership growth is in direct relation to the increase in the number of scooters that have hit the streets. And, this is not the only club in the Stl metro area. The SLSC is in constant contact with the other clubs and new clubs throughout the area have also formed (i.e. St. Charles Scooter Club).

Your mode of transportation is certainly your choice, we scooter owners have also weighed our options for travel. So, we chose a machine that some may not be comfortable riding - does it mean we deserve any less respect on the road? As others on this blog have pointed out, if someone is driving crazy they will do it regardless if they travel by 2 or more wheels. Truth be told, most scooter owners I know still own cars or trucks or SUVs; but choose to save those vehicles for inclement weather days. And when they do drive their cages, they have a higher level of respect for all other motorists due to the fact that they have an increased sense of safety awareness that they carry with them when they move from the two wheels to four.

It’s pretty obvious scooters aren’t for everyone. I am an owner of a 500cc scooter, averaging about 30 miles a day. My other car is a mini van. I bought the scooter because I hated driving around all day by myself in the van when all the kids were at school.

I find myself much more tolerant of others, taking the long way around town and I enjoy life more. Scooterists are good people. They are by and large outgoing, friendly, and quick to help.

Safety is always a concern. I ride with full safety gear and a full face helmet. As other riders have stated, I ride as i’m invisible to the cars around me.

Peace everyone. Please be nice to each other.

I am amazed at the racist and sexist ranting on this topic. Scooters are not unsafe necessarily, bad drivers of automobiles and other vehicles are.

My wife wants to buy a scooter for her 34 mile round-trip commute to work. It would save us a lot of money and, if our circumstances were better, I would be all for it. What kills it is this: we just went through a big thread about truckers, Missouri roads, and driving. I don’t feel comfortable driving on the poorly maintained lettered state roads in a car, let alone having her be on a Devo special tooling down a narrow roller coaster roadway and then parts of the Interstate with vehicles trying to pass her or run her off the road. That completely negates the idea for us. It’s not that we think the scooters are unsafe or are not a pleasant ride, but it’s those factors we can’t control.

I wouldn’t be opposed to a scooter if the streets were wider and better lit, if she didn’t have to drive the Interstate part-ways, if speed limits and traffic laws were well enforced, and if the locals would not speed by in pickup trucks throwing their empty beer cans at her and mooning her as they passed. Perhaps someone will market one with Gatling guns. That may level the field a bit. Perhaps we’ll reconsider when more scooters are travelling a similar route out this-a-way and we see that scooter parts are not strewn across the drainage ditches. Until then, forget about it!

I have read every post. I have learned lots about motorcycling and Scootering from the owners and users. While I wouldn’t ever agree to use any scooter or motorcycles to ride for 10 miles and get it FREE, many of you have different opinions and different reasons why you like them. Go for it.

Don’t worry about me running over you while you are on either. When I drive a car, I know where every vehicle around me is, and what they are doing. I am not on a cell phone, drunk, shaving, reading the paper, drinking coffee, listening the radio. I am driving. I have never had a ticket, an accident, but I have had lots of close calls caused by other motorists…..but not one close call caused by a scooterist or a motorcyclist.

As a long-time advocate of - and religious user of - the safety features built into automobiles, it saddens me to see so many people simply abandon the wonderful safety afforded by airbags, energy-absorbing crush zones, collapsing steering columns, side-impact door beams, and - of course - seat and shoulder belts. All for a few bucks!

Well, your survivors will be able to afford a nicer funeral for you, I guess.

As for the counter-argument that “I’m safety conscious and alert at all times!” - unhappily, that means absolutely nothing when you are run over by the “other” driver. And regardless of whether the driver who runs you over was eating a big mac, talking on the cellphone, and changing lanes in his/her SUV at the instant of the collision with you, or was a hyper-vigilant safety-conscious Prius driver in whose blind-spot you happened to be, the outcome is the same: you lose, horrifically.

Police agencies report that the number one statement by the “other” driver - by far - is “I didn’t see him/her!” No amount of self-awareness or alertness on your part will overcome that…or overcome the physics of the resultant collision.

You are selling your safety for a reduced fuel bill. R.I.P.

I think scooters wouldn’t have been so de-’rided’ up to this point in this country — and, as a result, been pooh-poohed as quaint, Euro-toys — if it hadn’t been for the legal hijinks of ‘Scooter’ Libby! Thanks for holding back the Vespa in the U.S., and by default, continuing to promote gas-guzzling SUVs and Hummers! What a jerk!

Scott,

You and the guy riding the scooter pay the same for gas. Unless, maybe, if he owns a gas station, an oil company, did his homework on who’s selling gas cheaper, siphoned gas out of someone else’s vehicle, has a $2-off coupon for gas at Shell and you don’t, et. al.

Somehow I can’t picture myself on a scooter seeing that I nearly took out a car and banged up my body the last time I tried to ride a bike a few years back. How do you forget how to ride a bike? So in order to preserve my life and the lives of all other living creatures I will stick to my car and the high gas prices.

I’ve been riding scooters for a few years now and absolutely LOVE it. With any mode of transport there is inherent danger. People drive SUVs and think they are invincible and they place a lot of people in danger.

Just as you take driver’s education classes to learn to drive a car so too one should take the motorcycle safety foundation course when buying any motorized two wheeled conveyance.

My scooter is my primary mode of transport and I would not have it any other way. My scooter takes a bad day at work and turns it into a good evening just by riding it.

They’ll take my scooter when they remove my cold dead hands from the throttle.

Put it plainly and simply

SCOOTERS RAWK!

close your eyes for second relax and imagine going to work riding your bike from your home in Manchester to St.Louis. Imagine that there are millions of bike trails paved through out St.Louis. Imagine an efficient public transportation that is aided through taxes. After all in order to get something you have to pay for it right? I’m a resident in a college in Minneapolis but live in St.Louis, MO and I recently found use of Minneapolis green way which can take you all over. Many people ride it and I think St.Louis could invest in a green way system itself!! Up here scooters are common!!

Dave Mishem,

This isn’t Europe and it’s none of your d*** business what other people drive.

The United States is “spread out” because its nearly 3,000 miles from coast to coast and 1,500 miles from northern to southern border. Within that vastness, we grow the majority of the food consumed in the world.

As one goes from east to west, cities and towns become farther apart. Leave St. Louis, and the nearest cities of similar size (Kansas City, Springfield MO, Inidanapolis, Memphis) are 200-250 miles away. Go farther west, and that distance increases (From Salt Lake to similar cities is closer to 500 miles).

Travel 500 miles from nearly anywhere in Europe, and you have entered another country. Do that in the U. S., and you might only be in the next state.

People here enjoy the freedom of being able to go place to place to pursue their lives, visit friends, or enjoy seeing other places. To cover the distances, they prefer vehicles that allow them to do it in comfort.

People have used the freedom and economic well-being this nation provides to live where they choose. As they have done so, they have accepted both the negatives and the positives that accompany their choice.

Had people been happy with living in the cities where people like you would force them to remain, they would have stayed. The main reason people left cities (as half of those living in St. Louis, for example, did in thirty years) is because they disliked it, and preferred to make their homes elsewhere.

The mostly Democratic and liberal politicians that dominate nearly all our cities hate seeing those people, and especially the taxes they pay, leave, and would do anything and everything to force them to stay. Apparently so would you.

Once again, it is none of your business or theirs where the rest of us choose to live. Furthermore, you have no business dictating who, or what, should be taken from the roads in order for you to construct the utopia in which you would force all to live.

The chauvinism and prejudice that people like you display in judging who should live where, and how and when they should be able to travel or get around, is breathtaking. Those attitudes fit better in the kind of “top down” regimes found in places like China and the Soviet Union, and should remain totally foreign to, and scarce in, a freedom loving society such as ours.

If I can find one, absolutely. 56 yr old female, never driven a motorcycle before

Just relax 7dez7. All these good people are trying to do is give the rest of us some valuable information on viable transportation alternatives, that’s all. I’m sure they are quite well aware of the nature of our country and as noted, they all also own other vehicles. Nobody is trying or advocating taking anyone’s freedom away, ok? Just chill.

Think about a motorcycle instead of a scooter. Scooters are inherently unstable with small wheels and a screwy center of gravity. You may not notice how screwed up until you try to avoid an accident with a tight swerve and you can’t do it. Most scooter stores aren’t training folks in just how invisible they are on a scooter. I see so many going slower than traffic flow and that’s just asking for trouble. When I ride my motorcycle, there are many times that good acceleration gets me out of a jam. I hope folks stay careful, but I am afraid we will have more accidents as scooters become more common. They aren’t used to them here like in some other countries. Americans are SO aggressive in traffic. They are in other countries too, but at least in other countries more folks seem to know how to drive. We really drive poorly in this country. Our police chases don’t last nearly long enough thanks to poor drivers!

The problem with scooter riding in st. louis is the hoosiers. While st. louis does have a good amount of civilized urban dwellers, there’s also the same amount of ignorant non progressive truck driving hoosiers, the kind that think it’s funny when someone rides a bicycle on the street, and they honk and taunt them.

St. Louis will be the last city to adapt. Scooters are taking off in San Fran, NYC, Chicago, forcing lawmakers to make more scooter friendly streets and parking accomodations. Maybe that will happen in stl in the year 2020?

If st. louis passed a ban on hoosiers from entering the city boundaries, then I think scooter riding will take off. It’s those damn ignorant non-adaptive folks that st. louis is so famous for that’s the problem.

7de7,

Thank you for reinforcing the stereotype of ignorant white boring redneck st. louis, the kind of stereotype that sways people away from settling in the city, and the hidden cause of death and crumbling of it. To all people reading: NOT ALL PEOPLE IN STL SHARE THE VIEWS AS THIS DOUCHE.

Idiot hoosiers like you need to keep your neo-con redneck fake nationalism festus raised mouths shut.

“freedom loving”. wow. I don’t feel free at all, given the fact I have to have neighbors like you. Maybe if I had the freedom to chase you and your pathetic family out of the city, I’d feel free. Please stop making our city look bad to the rest of the world. Then maybe…just maybe…we’d have a chance at actually avoiding our city crumbling and becoming a ghost town.

Get them commies! ….1989, 7de7, 1989. That was almost 20 years ago.

It’s so funny to see all the somments of st. louisans on this board, and it makes me so happy i left that city. Despite the crossed fingers hopes of the youth that things will change, I really don’t think it will.

The city is too infested with negative pessimists and non-progressive people it’s scary. “YOU”LL DIE.” “Don’t get a scooter because people will kill you”.

I understand my comment above was about not getting one because of hoosiers, but that was completely sarcastic, trying to illustrate this lack of progression in people’s minds. Gas is increasing. Cost of living is increasing. Inflation is increasing. Commutes are longer. DUH!

Why is that cities that are actually successful are the cities that get concepts like this. People are moving closer to urban areas. Some of the arguments of why not to get a scooter (which is ridiculous…why not get a scooter) is as if these people in st. louis are trying so hard to justify themselves and their state. Why would you be “against” other people getting a scooter? So you can remain lazy and unaware on the road?

Like it or not, you big gas guzzling st. louis has beens, you’re going to have to adapt, or deal with the law suit you’re going to face because you weren’t paying attention and hit a motorcyclist or scooter rider. Share the f’in road.

People in st. louis are always trying to figure out “why” “why” why is our city declining when it is so clear. It’s the people and the culture of anti-progression, and the inability to see the obvious future. It’s the denial of the need to adapt. Darwinism? The darwinism isn’t those who ride without helmets, it’s those who lack the inability to adapt to a changing society and global economic state. It’s those who don’t have the ability to see the rest of the world, being content living in a st. louis bubble of non-progression. This thread is a direct representation with the problem of st. louis. People trying to fight against a cause (and getting angry about) a great revolution of transportation that is happening.

To all you neo con non-progression st. louisans, screw you, and enjoy your property value decline.

Anheuser-busch takeover? Hmmm, why did that happen? Think about it. Global economy. Global world. Stop being stuck in 1950. Stop the parochialism. If st. louis doesn’t realize this fact, start bowing to charlotte, NC. Jack asses.

I LOVE seeing more 2-wheelers on our roads!! The more scooters, bicycles & motorcycles, the better. Drivers will naturally become more aware of their responsibility to drive with all road users in mind, and politicians will see the need to mandate safer street designs.

Ride on!!

Ive got no problem with the scooters, I ride motorcycles myself. But I do not agree with the 49cc and lower scooters that anyone can ride on the streets, even kids. No insurance, no license, no training, nothing needed as long as lower than 49cc. So what happens when some kid turns in front of a car and gets injured or even killed? The car owner will likely be sued and have his insurance pay out the nose for someone with no insurance, no license, no experience, and no sense. I say license and require insurance and age restrictions on them all. No more scooters shooting from sidewalks to street and other unsafe driving by them. Require them to be under the same laws as all motor vehicles. Other wise, its going to be a big mess with large law suites , maybe legal action against the state for allowing them to operate in an unsafe and uninsured manner.

I love people like Jim who think scooters will cure all the world’s ills. What an absurd hypothesis, which is really kinda sad because I agree with the rest of what Jim is stating.