Schwinn makes scooters too, sort of
Arguably one of the best ways to get around a city is a scooter. It requires zero physical effort, very little cost of entry, and very little to maintain and fuel - and in some states, it doesn't even require a special license.
Whilst perusing Schwinn's products looking for info on their new electric-assisted bicycles, I noticed that Schwinn also makes gas-powered scooters. It seems a pretty large deviation for the bike company, but nonetheless, they sell seven models. Interestingly, it looks as though Schwinn's scooter website hasn't been updated since the 2005 models were released, so whether they're still being built in any large quantity is unknown at this point, but they are still being sold. I then looked for reviews on the product and was surprised to discover that Schwinn has in fact been bankrupt since 1991, and the name was purchased by Pacific Cycle, Inc. The scooters themselves are made by yet another company in China, as are the bikes, and there is no part of the Schwinn company we knew long ago that is left. Despite that, with the exception of one or two peculiar mechanical problems reported by commenters, and low, weather-dependent top speeds from the air-cooled 49.5cc motor, owners are pretty pleased with them. What's more, you can buy the Campus model for around $1,300, which is quite a bit less than the aforementioned hybrid bikes, though most don't get the advertised 117 mpg. Remarkably, they dispense with the traditional cog-swapping transmission for a CVT, though details on it are hard to find.
So grab your matching helmet and backpack, and start saving the planet Euro-style.
[Source: Schwinn]
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