Gas prices got you down? A scooter could be in your future.
Scoot over gas hogs, and make way for Vespas, Lambrettas and Hondas. More motorists are giving up cars, trucks and SUVs for motor scooters that get up to 100mpg.
A story in Friday’s Post-Dispatch has discovered that many first-timers to any motorized two-wheeled vehicle are checking out these frugal conveyances.
The Motorcycle Industry Council trade group says sales are up across the nation 300% over the last 10 years – and that is before gasoline topped $4 a gallon.
Many SUV owners are paying $100 for a fill up, while in comparison, you can fill up a motor scooter gas tank for less than $8.
“People who would never want a motorcycle, because of the size and noise, will buy a scooter,” said Jeff Bach, owner of the Extreme Toy Store, a scooter and motorcycle shop in Webster Groves.
With no let up in sight for high fuel prices, have you considered a motor scooter for your in-town commute?
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.