Fuel economy driving scooter sales

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Fri Oct 20, 2006 4:13 am

Fuel economy driving scooter sales
Friday, October 20, 2006 - By ART CAREY - The Philadelphia Inquirer - thestate.com/mld/thestate

PHILADELPHIA — Ask Alicia Karr why, at 56, she bought her first motor scooter, and her answer is: “Al Gore and Europe.”

On a trip to Italy last fall, Karr, an artist, fell in love with Scooter Culture: the men in suits, the women in long skirts. Gore’s movie on the perils of carbon emissions, “An Inconvenient Truth,” sealed the deal.

And so in August, Karr bought a Vespa LX 250 in “aurora blue” — metallic sky blue. “The artist in me fell in love with that.”

She intended to use the Vespa for short trips and errands, instead of driving her SUV, thereby saving gas and fossil fuel. (Ten days after she picked up her scooter, a tree fell on her Lexus SUV, totaling it.)

More and more Americans, tired of sharing paychecks with Exxon and dealing with ricocheting oil prices, are adopting scooters as economical “second cars” or as vehicles to tool around.

“It costs me, like, $4 to fill up with gas,” said Jennica Tucker, 21, who bought her Vespa LX 150 to commute to classes at Temple University. “And that lasts for two weeks.”

When William Nickle was commuting from Elkton, Md., to his job in Wilmington, Del., in his Dodge Ram pickup, he was spending at least $85 a week on gas, his wife said. Now that he’s making the 40-mile round trip on his Suzuki Burgman scooter, which gets about 60 mpg, he’s spending only $15 to $20.

“It’s made a big difference in the family budget,” said Barbara Nickle.

Scooter makers have not been shy about pointing this out. One Vespa ad proclaims: “Gas Price Is the One High You Won’t Experience.”

The message must be registering. Sales of scooters made by Piaggio, which includes the Vespa and Aprilia brands, have been growing at a 15 to 20 percent annual clip for five years, said Kevin Andrews, brand manager for Piaggio and Vespa scooters for Piaggio Group Americas. This year, they’ll likely surge 30 percent more.

“Scooters are the fastest-growing segment in the two-wheel industry,” said Mike Mount, a spokesman for the Motorcycle Industry Council. In 2005, 113,000 scooters were sold in the United States, nearly a tenth of total motorcycle sales.

CNF2002 · #2 Unread post by **CNF2002** » Fri Oct 20, 2006 6:31 am

Seems like we have a new article on this once a week. I for one hope to see more scooters on the road. Unfortunately most people dont realize their full potential. They are rarely used and only during prime seasons and perfect days, so the consumers never really save any money. Most people would be better off weathering the storm and learning from their mistakes, buying a more economical car next time around.

freebird · #3 Unread post by **freebird** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 3:29 pm

[quote="CNF2002"]I for one hope to see more scooters on the road. Unfortunately most people dont realize their full potential. They are rarely used and only during prime seasons and perfect days.[/quote]

Maybe where you live. Here in Seattle people ride Vespas and other scooters as daily transportation year round. That is, after the average motorcycle rider has decided it's too cold or too wet and MUCH LONGER than the average Harley dude has garaged his bike for the winter. I've got heated grips on my Piaggio 500 (that's '500' as in cubic centimeters) and I ride it to work on the highway - rain, shine, or cold. There are a dozen guys/girls on the block where I live that commute daily with thier Vespas, Ruckus and Stellas.

TR7 · #4 Unread post by **TR7** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 4:17 pm

I dono, I lived in Philadelphia last year, didnt really see that many scoots. It was more of a trend, and if it looked cloudy you didnt see them.

ofblong · #5 Unread post by **ofblong** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 7:18 pm

and yet you can get a more powerful and better looking Honda rebel than most scooters for just about the same gas mileage (85mpg).

#6 Unread post by **Koss** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 9:31 pm

freebird wrote:
CNF2002 wrote:I for one hope to see more scooters on the road. Unfortunately most people dont realize their full potential. They are rarely used and only during prime seasons and perfect days.
Maybe where you live. Here in Seattle people ride Vespas and other scooters as daily transportation year round. That is, after the average motorcycle rider has decided it's too cold or too wet and MUCH LONGER than the average Harley dude has garaged his bike for the winter. I've got heated grips on my Piaggio 500 (that's '500' as in cubic centimeters) and I ride it to work on the highway - rain, shine, or cold. There are a dozen guys/girls on the block where I live that commute daily with thier Vespas, Ruckus and Stellas.

Ah that is awesome!

Locopez · #7 Unread post by **Locopez** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 2:28 am

Yep...it seems we have been seeing this article written and re-written the last year or so.

I guess I fell into this before the prices went crazy. I bought my Big Ruckus....Feb 2005....I have been riding it year round since then...along with my Harley...it never sits for a season. The scooter now has 6800 miles....rain/shine/wind.....I am there....on two wheels. i truely hate being in a cage............ride safe scooter peeps and motorcycle peeps!!!