Archive for June, 2008

Gas Powered Scooters - Answer to High Fuel Prices?

Sunday, June 29th, 2008

MSN recently published an article regarding the high cost of fuel and whether gas powered scooters would catch on in North America, much like they have in Europe and Asia.  You can read the article here:

Is a Scooter the Answer?

Vespa Scooter

You know the old term "history repeats itself"; It's true.  Rewind for a minute to the post World War II era.  Italy was facing a fuel crisis as they tried to rebuild the countries economy after the devastation of the war.  At the time, a company named Piaggio was building aircraft for the war efforts and after their own building was bombed, they had to rethink their business strategy.  The high fuel prices at the time were hindering the growth of the economy and something needed to be done.  It was at that time that Piaggio transitioned into building economical gas powered scooters as a solution to the high gas prices.  Their idea worked and within a decade, over 10,000 of the little scooters were sold.

Today we know them as the trendy little Vespa.  Will a Vespa motor scooter or other gas powered scooter be in your future as a way to deal with high gas prices?  You may have no other choice.  It currently costs over $50 to fill up even a small car and if gas rises any further it will become just too expensive to drive a car.

Everyone Is Buying Gas Powered Motor Scooters

Tuesday, June 24th, 2008

Looking back over in history, most buyers of gas motor scooters were broke college students looking for a way to drive for very little money throughout the summer. This attitude regarding toward scooters has caused their sales to remain relatively low until recently. As gas prices continue to rise, many are viewing scooters as a viable option when shopping for a new set of wheels.  Motor scooter sales are through the roof at many scooter dealers, with many long-time automobile drivers finally getting sick of paying the huge prices at the pumps.  A trip to the gas station is painless.  Many scooters have fuel tanks that hold only 1 gallon of fuel, which means that a trip to the gas station to fill up will only set you back around $4.00 currently, versus $100 or more for many trucks and SUV's!  Recently I even read a news article where the owner of a Hummer spent $2400 on fuel in 1 month!

Vespa 50
For middle aged consumers, scooters are a more sensible option than a traditional motorcycle due to their ease in getting onto the vehicle. Because many scooters have pass-through seating which allows drivers to get on without having to lift their legs high, they are popular with those that aren't quite as nimble as they once were.
Gas powered scooters been selling fast lately due to the record high gas prices.  Gas motor scooters are one of the most economical vehicles on the road today with some motor scooters getting up to 100 miles per gallon!.  It's no wonder they are selling fast when gas price are at over $4 per gallon.  Gas scooters are now gaining the attention of many drivers who had never previously thought of driving a scooter. No longer just a vehicle for the poor, gas scooters are catching on with drivers of all stripes from business professionals to business owners.
Scooters offer a relatively smooth, comfortable ride and are fun to drive.  If you have a higher budget and are looking for a larger, full featured motor scooter that has all the bells and whistles, there is a scooter for you as well. With features like radios, windshields and large storage compartments, these big boys will satisfy a more sophisticated scooter buyer. If you are looking for a motor scooter to completely replace your car as your main transportation, I suggest looking at a Piaggio MP3 or Suzuki Burgman.  These large scooters are full of features and have larger engines which make it possible to drive at highway speeds and will be comfortable for longer trips.
As far as being green, motor scooters are one of the greenest vehicles on the road today.  Because Scooters burn very little fuel, they emit significantly less harmful emissions into the air than cars and trucks do. It's a nice feeling to know that you have chosen a transportation option that is environmentally friendly and you're saving a lot of money at the same time!