Scooter sales are motoring

Demand for high-mpg vehicles zips by supply

By Roger Fillion, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published August 26, 2008 at 9:05 p.m.

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Photo by Linda Mcconnell / Special To The Rocky

Getting a taste of the 150cc experience, Andrew Corre, of Fort Collins, test-drives a scooter at Sportique Scooters. The fuel-efficient vehicles are in short supply.

Photo by Linda Mcconnell / Special To The Rocky

Scooter buyers run the gamut from college students to mothers to retirees, say dealers around the Denver area. Here Andrew Corre, of Fort Collins, tests the feel of one of the rides available at Sportique Scooters.

Scooters and smaller motorcycles are in short supply at dealer showrooms amid booming demand.

Blame it on high gasoline prices.

Scooter manufacturers, in particular, are finding it tough to keep up with strong demand in Colorado and across the nation.

The scooter craze - which has been accompanied by an increase in scooter accidents - comes as motorists ditch their gas guzzlers for scooters that can get 100 miles to the gallon or more.

The smaller scooters, with approximately 50-cubic-centimeter engines, cost about $2,000 to $3,000.

Scooter brands include Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, Vespa, Genuine and Kymco.

"We've run out of several brands where the manufacturers didn't see ahead," said Adam Baker, owner of Sportique Scooters, which operates four dealerships along the Front Range.

Dealers around the Denver area report that scooter buyers walking into their showrooms span all types, from college students to mothers to retirees.

"This is the first time mainstream America is viewing the scooter as a practicality, not a toy," said Baker.

Brent Flambures, owner of G-Force Powersports in Lakewood, said his dealership recently was out of scooters for 45 days. "They're hard to keep in stock," he added. "And now I'm almost out of stock again."

Motorcycles with smaller engines - particularly those below 750 cubic centimeters - also are proving popular because of their fuel efficiency.

They typically get 60 to 80 miles to the gallon and cost anywhere from $3,500 to nearly $8,000.

"I have nothing in a street bike for sale under 750cc as we speak," said Charlie Rakes, sales and finance director for RPM MotorSports in Lakewood. "Every dealer is in the same position."

According to the Motorcycle Industry Council, scooter sales in the United States in the first half of the year skyrocketed 66 percent higher than in the first six months of the previous year, to more than 49,000 scooters.

June sales alone were up nearly 90 percent from June 2007, the trade group reported. The council bases the data on member companies that participate in its retail sales reporting system. Not all scooter makers and distributors participate.

Overall motorcycle sales, including scooters, were 0.5 percent higher in the first six months than in the same period a year ago, according to the council.

Dealers in Colorado and around the nation report strong demand for the smaller motorcycles, as well as some shortages. That's in contrast with larger models.

"Fifty-miles-to-the-gallon bikes don't sell as well as 80 miles to the gallon," Rakes said.

The demographic makeup of the scooter population has been changing. A Motorcycle Industry Council survey found that the median age for scooter owners was 46 in 2003, up from 37 in 1998 and 26 in 1990.

And with gas prices rising above $4 a gallon over the summer, the median age appears to be heading upward.

"We have college kids right up to 75-year-old men," said Brady Welton, owner of Tri-City Cycle in Loveland.

Meet Brangwyn Foote, of Northglenn, for example. The 64-year-old retiree has bought three scooters in the past five years.

On a recent afternoon, she was out on her Sym Mio 50cc scooter when a reporter reached her by telephone.

"I'm glad you got me while I stopped," said Foote, who was on her way to the store to buy a birthday card.

Foote also owns a Subaru Forrester. But with high gas prices, the scooter is becoming a more attractive alternative for trips to the grocery store.

"With a backpack and under-the-seat space, you can get a lot on a scooter," she said.

The 50cc scooters have been particularly popular for reasons other than their gas mileage and price. Owners don't need a motorcycle license or an endorsement on their automobile driver's license. Also, the scooters don't require a license plate. And they may be parked at bicycle racks.

But the surge in scooter riders has also triggered reports of more scooter accidents around the nation.

Sonny Jackson, spokesman for the Denver Police Department, said the department's traffic-investigation unit is seeing more scooter accidents.

"They're kind of in vogue. And you're seeing more of them on the road," said Jackson. "In some cases, we've seen riders not wearing helmets, (which can lead to) more serious accidents."

fillionr@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-2467

Rider demographics

2003 1998 1990

Median age 46 37 26

Occupation:

Students 12% 19.5% 31.3%

Professional/Technical 18% 21.7% 18.8%

Retired 22% 13% 7.5%

Source: Motorcycle Industry Council

Motorcycle vs. scooter

Motorcycle: a motorized vehicle having a seat for the rider and designed to travel on two wheels in contact with the ground

Scooter: an on-highway motorcycle, generally with a smaller displacement engine and a step-through design; also has "full bodywork" -- so the engine typically isn't visible -- and ample storage space

Source: Motorcycle Industry Council

A selection of scooters

* Genuine Buddy

Engine size: 50cc

Mileage: 100-plus miles to the gallon

Price: $1,999

* Vespa S

Engine size: 150cc

Mileage: 72 mpg

Price: $4,199

* Honda Reflex ABS

Engine size: 249cc

Mileage: not available

Price: $6,049

Motorcycles

* Suzuki GZ250

Engine size: 249cc

Mileage: N.A.

Price: $3,249

* Honda Nighthawk

Engine size: 234cc

Mileage: N.A.

Price: $3,699

• August 26, 2008

  10:11 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  JDSalinger writes:

  This is great news. More people should get scooters. Scooters get in less accidents, are cheaper, get better gas mileage, have less of a repair bill, have cheaper insurance premiums, are better for the environment than cars. Simply put, they make sense.
  
  Best,
  Kyle Park
  http://www.motorized-scooters.net/Gas...

• August 26, 2008

  11:10 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  darkoverlordotu writes:

  "Which gets better gas mileage, a Hummer or a scooter?
  No contest.
  But which is more polluting?
  It may not be what you think.
  "It's true. The cleanest scooter is still dirtier than a car," said John Swanton, air pollution specialist with the California Air Resources Board."

  http://www.idahostatesman.com/newsupd...

• August 27, 2008

  8:37 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  Openminded2 writes:

  darkoverlordotu-

  Scooters may be more polluting per pound of emission BUT they put out far less pollution by volume. They burn one gallon of gas to go 90 miles. A hummer burns 7.5 gallons to travel the same distance.

• August 27, 2008

  9:02 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  Realitymensch writes:

  The article fails to mention electric scooters, e.g., the egoVehicle, which gets about 25 miles on ten cents of electricity. What does that work out to--about 1,000 miles per gallon?

• August 27, 2008

  9:02 a.m.

  M2 writes:

  (This comment was removed by the site staff.)

• August 27, 2008

  12:35 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  Cubs1 writes:

  Well said Kyle! I've been a scooterist since 2001 and it's really paid off this year.

  On the down side, I've noticed way too many new scooterists who don't seem to understand that a scooter should follow the exact same laws as any motorized vehicle (i.e. car, truck, motorcycle). I've see them riding in the bike lines, going thru red lights, not using turn signals. That saddens me as someone who has driven a scooter for 7+ years. I'm not sure if some of these folks just aren't educated on the law or just don't care. It's a dangerous practice and makes the law-abiding scooterists look bad. With that said, enjoy riding your scooter everyone and, if you're thinking of getting one, take a test drive. I'll bet you buy one.

• August 27, 2008

  4:11 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  JustSayin writes:

  Damn 49cc death traps should be considered bicycles, not motor vehicles. I'm surprised more folks driving them 20+ MPH in the center of 45 MPH speed zones haven't been mowed down.

  Seen them on the bike paths up here in Estes Park - mostly brain-dead tourons who are renting - right past signs clearly stating "No Motor Vehicles".

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