As gas prices rise, so it seems do the sales of gas-misers like scooters and small-bore motorcycles. Larger, more powerful and therefore more expensive motorcycles are doing the opposite, dropping in sales like the pickups and SUVs of the automotive realm, though surely for different reasons. Many of the pricier luxury items like that chromed-out Harley V-Twin you've lusted over for years are taking a back seat to keeping the Family Truckster filled up with gas, or even being replaced with a scooter. In fact, so far this year, scooter sales have risen an astounding 66 percent over the same period last year. Every manufacturer, from Piaggio and Vespa with their relatively small city-scoots to bigger machines like the Burgman from Suzuki, has reported double-digit gains. Instead of being ridden solely for the enjoyment of the rider, these machines are making the shorter trips and errand-runs that big SUVs were making not that long ago.

[Source: CNN Money]

Scooters first became popular in war-torn Europe after the first few world-wide spats broke loose and conspired to ruin the economies of a great many countries, not the least of which was Italy. The boot-shaped nation responded by embracing small, economical scooters, especially the wasp-like two-stroke Vespa. From there, it didn't take long for the scooter craze to pick up steam as subsequent models gained more power, more gears and, therefore, more top-speed and acceleration. By the sixties, the little Italian scooters were ready for American roads and the population here snatched them up in droves. Things got a bit out of whack as gas prices made small cars so much more useful than the two-wheelers, but all things two-wheeled are picking back up as of late, with many scooter manufacturers reporting double-digit sales increases across the board.

Despite the high sales figures of new models, older Vespas and Lambrettas are regaining much of their lost popularity as well. Click here to watch a fun and very well-done video of the current scooter action in Portland, Oregon.

[Source: King 5 via 2Stroke Buzz]

The sky-high price of gas has hit some dealerships pretty hard. A perfect example of this is Moody Chevrolet in River Falls, Wisconsin which last sold a pick up truck sometime in February. While their truck inventory sits outside and waits patiently for new homes, the Moody brothers still need to sell something and that something now happens to be scooters. They might not have the profit margin of a Tahoe or an Avalanche but they don't cost nearly as much to stock either. They have sold 20 of the two-wheeled econo-cycles so far this year and suspect they could sell a lot more if they could only get their hands on them. Apparently, the scooter supply is as short as the demand for trucks is, well, non-existent.

According to the report from KARE11 there is one scooter on the premises that's not for sale. It's the red one that Mike Moody uses to get back and forth with while his Suburban sits in a garage at home. Because of its 45 mpg disadvantage, it only gets to come out and play when it's raining. Mike seems to have a good attitude about the situation though saying, "[It's] another mode of transportation and that's the business that we're in."

[Source: KARE11]

Click above for high-res gallery of the Piaggio MP3 400 and 500

Finding yourself stuck in a truck? Gas guzzling got you down? You are certainly not alone. Though the most obvious thing to do would be to ditch the fuel-inefficient vehicle for a cheaper to run model, Fox Business has other ideas. Keep in mind that the current value of pickups, especially full-sizers, has dropped nearly as dramatically as the fuel prices have risen, so you're not likely to get what you owe, assuming you are still making payments. That's why getting out from under your purchase could end up costing you more than its worth.

If you're stuck with a gas-hog, what are your money-saving options? Umm... drive less. No, seriously. Consider public transportation and carpooling if possible. Ride your bike when its practical and even *gasp* walk. Of course, it's not always possible to walk or ride a bike to get where we need to go. Fox ends by suggesting a scooter as a second vehicle. It's worked out for lots of people already, but be sure to count that cost too before making any rash decisions. We're cycle fans who recognize the fun and low-costs associated with scooters, but safety and practicality cannot be ignored. Whatever you do, get used to it, 'cause gas isn't likely to begin dropping back down any time soon.

[Source: Fox Business]

Click on the image above for high-resolution shots of the Aprilia Scarabeo 200

There's no arguing with the fact that high gas prices have fueled an increase in motorcycle and scooter sales. As Consumer Reports shows, the overall scooter market in particular is up a whopping twenty-four percent. Still, there are many issues with using two-wheelers for everyday transportation chores, with safety being of paramount concern. As CR reports, riders involved in motorcycle crashes are thirty-four times more likely to be killed than individuals in automobiles. Interestingly, head injuries make up a very large chunk of serious motorcycle injuries, which means riders wearing helmets are considerably safer than riders who choose to go out sans head protection.

For this reason, the popular consumer guide is beginning to study the market in an effort to provide its readers with valuable information regarding this recent trend and is considering creating a special set of testing procedures for two-wheelers. Data shows that the majority of motorcycle accidents could be avoided with proper training, so we look forward to seeing what, if anything, CR comes up with for testing.


[Source: Consumer Reports]

Click above for more images of the Piaggio MP3 400 and 500

Two seventy-something year old men will soon be embarking on a 3,400 mile trip across the U.S. on the famed Lincoln Highway. The trip for Bob Chase and Bernard "Buddy" Rosenbaum will start on June 13 at San Francisco's Lincoln Park and hit fourteen different states before they end on July 14 at the Lincoln Highway's eastern end-point in New York City's Times Square. The vehicle of choice for the journey is the Piaggio MP3 500, which we recently tested in New York and found to be extremely competent. The projected fuel mileage for the trip is about 55 miles per gallon. Just so long as they obey the speed limit most of the way and don't test the ninety-plus mile per hour top speed too often, they should have little problem hitting that figure. In addition to the excellent fuel mileage, this scooter was chosen for its stability and excellent handling. We certainly wish the duo the best on their trip and look forward to following their travels.

Click on the image above for high-resolution shots of the Aprilia Scarabeo 200

There is a certain amount of truth to Peter M. De Lorenzo's latest rant regarding the recent trend of record scooter sales in the United States. For instance, while we often report on the fuel savings of the average two-wheeled means of transportation, we also advocate proper rider training and apparel. Nobody here is going to suggest that two-wheelin' is a safer choice than riding in your "cage." But, we can't disagree more with a few statements made on Autoextremist.com, particularly that riding on main city streets is a bad idea. In fact, there is no better place to ride your scooter. We have plenty of experience on the topic, and feel that a scooter can be an excellent city conveyance.

We also can't reconcile the comparison between the latent SUV craze and the current scooter craze. While there are parallels between the two, they end when the environmentally responsibleness of the subject is brought up. Unless you are packing your SUV with plenty of people and their belongings, they usually make neither economic or environmental sense. That said, we agree with De Lorenzo's claim that trading your fuel-guzzler for a fuel-sipper does not always make sound economic sense.

Now seems like a good time to remind our readers that not everyone should go out and get a scooter or small motorcycle. For some, though, they can make a fine alternative option when an a two-ton chunk of metal is just unnecessary.

[Source: Auto Extremist]

Click on the image to see more celebrity scooter riders

The list of celebrities driving hybrids - the Toyota Prius especially - is rather long and seems to be growing every day. There's another list, though, which shows that celebs often enjoy life on two wheels. The choice of transportation for famous people? Scooters. While most of these people could surely afford the latest and greatest motorcycle on the market, it seems that they prefer their open-air experience more on modern, twist-and-go style scooters. So, who's on the list? (Deep breath!) We've got Owen Wilson, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Jay Kay (front-man for the band Jamiroquai), Ellen Page (on a moped no less), British pop star Robbie Williams, Naomi Watts with Liev Schreiber, James Gandolfini from the Sopranos and a question-mark-covered Matthew Lesko. Surely this isn't a complete list of scooter-mounted celebrities, but it does show that famous people have the same choices in transportation as the rest of us.


[Source: The Scooter Scoop]

Yamaha is not the first manufacturer to tout the fuel efficiency of its line of scooters, but it is the first to go so far as to list the estimated fuel mileage on each of its website's product pages. Scooter riders will be happy to see that Yamaha is claiming 124 miles per gallon from its Zuma, though its two-stroke engine likely emits more pollutants than a comparable four-stroke. Thankfully, both the Vino Classic and C3 use four-strokers and still do better than 100 miles per gallon. If higher speeds are a necessity for you, perhaps the Vino 125 will do with its 96 mile per gallon rating and 50+ mile per hour top-speed. Moving up the line, the futuristic Morphous and its 250cc four-stroke engine manages 56 miles per gallon and is freeway capable. Yamaha's top-of-the-line Maxiscooter, the Majesty, offers a 400cc engine which still delivers over 50 miles per gallon.

The fuel efficiency of various scooter models has been under discussion as of late. Most outlets agree that 100 miles per gallon is only really possible on 50cc machines, but their larger brothers are still capable of figures which are well beyond what the average automobile is capable of. We'd expect other manufacturers to follow Yamaha's lead in making fuel efficiency a selling-point for scooters and small-bore motorcycles as gas prices continue to climb.

[Source: Yamaha]

Click on the image above for high-resolution shots of the Aprilia Scarabeo 200

There's a new term to add to your vehicular lexicon: the grudge purchase. This phenomenon usually occurs shortly after pumping gasoline into your SUV and the inevitable large outlay of cash which follows. Scooter shops seem to be benefiting the most from this new-found appreciation for high gas mileage.Motorcycle sales are also up, but are seeing a smaller upturn. According to The American Statesman in Texas, an informal poll of area scooter shops shows that all of them are citing higher-than-normal sales of gas-sippers. Especially now that the weather is turning nice in most areas of the country, we expect that the sales will keep on humming for the next few months at least.

[Source: The American Statesman via The Scooter Scoop]

Motorcycle, scooter and moped manufacturers in India are worried. Since Tata announced their ultra-cheap Nano, the two-wheeled industry is abuzz with worry that the populace will quickly abandon their old single-track vehicles for the safety and convenience of a four-wheeler if the price points get too close. This is a rational concern, and it is exactly why Tata's created the Nano in the first place.

In an effort to persuade buyers to stick with their bikes, the major manufacturers in India, including Bajaj, Honda and Kinetic, are all working on natural gas options for their various offerings. According to this article, each of these companies has contacted Energtek, a leader in absorbed natural gas (ANG) technology for help in implementing the conversion process. The advantages to using the ANG lie primarily with price, however there are also eco-benefits to be had, as natural gas burns cleaner than other fossil-fuels. We have to wonder, though, what would stop companies like Tata from using similar technology in their low-priced automobiles.

Related:

• VIDEO: Live reveal of the $2,500 Tata Nano
• Here's the $2,500 Tata Nano, the Indian peoples car

[Source: Red Orbit]

Italy is a bastion for cool old scooter finds, as classic manufacturers such as Piaggio, Vespa and Lambretta were born and bred there. These classic scooters include striking and beautiful design aesthetics as well as solid construction methods. Also in their favor are decades of sentimental value, which is hard to put a price on. Unfortunately, most of these scooters also have a dark side, and it has to do with emissions. While they are quite thrifty when it comes to fuel consumption, the vast majority of the older scooters on Italian roadways are powered by 2-stroke engines, which emit much more harmful pollutants than newer 4-stroke models. Also, when many of those scooters were manufactured, emissions laws did not yet exist, meaning there is nothing in between the combustion chamber and exhaust pipe than a straight tube ... catalytic what? To help alleviate some of these pollution generators, the Italian government has decided to offer a 300 Euro bonus to trade in your old scooter for a new model. The hope is that pollution levels will decrease as the older fleet of scooters currently on the road is replaced with a new, cleaner one. Scooter fans the world over collectively shed a tear.

[Source: Forbes via 2 Stroke Buzz]

A few years ago, Bajaj stopped making their Chetak and Legend scooters, and since then there has been a dinstinct lack of any steel-bodied, manual transmission, 4-stroke scooters on the market. Genuine Scooters has begun selling their Stella scooter again after a short absence and Vespa themselves re-released 500 of the PX150 model to the American market, but both of those machines feature 2-stroke engines. Bajaj made some pretty compelling claims regarding the emissions improvement of their 4-stroke engine as compared to the original 2-stroke powerplants like those used in the Stella and PX150, so scooter riders who feel the need to ride "green" machines have been forced to scour the used market or buy a newer "twist and go" style model. There are a few rumors circulating, though, which could change all of that. The Stella scooter is made in India by a company called LML, and that same company may begin creating four-stroke, steel-bodied scooters using an as yet unnamed 4-stroke motor ranging from 125cc, 150cc and even 250cc versions.

If LML does start making 4-stroke Vespa PX clones, we can foresee a huge market for them in the States. We would love to see Genuine Scooters offer these models alongside their current range of Stella scooters, keeping the vintage designs in dealer showrooms for years to come.

[Source: 2-Stroke Buzz]

This might be obvious, of course, but the circumstances and changes in Iraq have made its citizens more careful about using gasoline. The NYT has published a very nice article on how the perception of Iraqis towards oil has changed, when once it was even cheaper than bottled water.

To start, Iraqis now face the reality that part of their country's infrastructure is now unusable. Bridges, roads and missing traffic lights are being slowly reconstructed. Traffic in Baghdad is recognized as being a real hell. Someone quoted in the article even claims that under Hussein's rule traffic was smooth. Add in the rising cost of gasoline, which has been going up steadily and the fact that a scooter costs significantly less than a car (and don't forget that scooters show that you are not likely to be carrying a bomb), and we can see why the two-wheelers are growing in popularity. Most scooters sold in Iraq are imported from China, although Japanese brands are considered more reliable and desirable.

So, besides the security considerations, it's the cost of cars, traffic conditions and the price of fuel that is driving Iraqis to buy scooters, just like the rest of us.

[Source: NYT (h/t to Sayyad for the tip)]