Scooter sales up 66% so far this year
Click above for more high-res shots of the new Vespa S150
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]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
as2k 12:43PM (9/27/2008)
I've lusted after a vintage scooter for a while now.
Too bad they're such awful polluters.
Oh, and that maintenance thing.
My bicycle does fine for most trips under five miles.
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Potti 4:36PM (9/27/2008)
I've got my Honda Innova: 125cc, 4cycle engine, 17inch tires.
The consumption is about 2L per 100km. What more could I want? Well maybe a softer seat...
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Ric 4:44PM (9/27/2008)
The only problem of Scooters are the inefienccy of engines. The combustion process produces more pollution than a "unpowered" small car. Some countries in Europe are forbidden these kind of vehicles to run in historical places because the nocive particles which damage the enviromment
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joshua 8:39AM (9/29/2008)
The only problem of posting comments are people who make blanket statements.
My yamaha c3 has a 4 stroke fuel injected 50cc engine...
I get 105mpg.
That's not inefficient.
That's not overly polluting.
There are more scooters like it.
It's like saying you won't drive a car because semis pollute too much.
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