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Hernando Today

Get On That Big Bad Motor Scooter And Ride

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By TONY HOLT

Hernando Today

Published: June 28, 2008

BROOKSVILLE - BROOKSVILLE - Paul Weaver parked his motor scooter outside a local bar frequented by a clan of burly bikers.

They crowded around him seconds after he strolled through the door.

The Harley Davidson owners were not about to hassle him or taunt him for his choice of ride. They had questions - namely, "What kind of gas mileage do you get on that thing?"

"They'll inquire about my scooter," said Weaver. "I'd say that old stigma is gone."

Weaver is a manager at Adventure Cycle Center, which sells motorcycles, dirt bikes, scooters and other motorized hobby vehicles. Since mid-May the store's scooter sales have noticeably spiked.

That trend is being seen across the country.

People have been more creative lately in their efforts to avoid paying high gas prices. While they might not be going as far as selling a car and buying a scooter, they are willing to add a $2,000 high-powered two-wheeler in their garage. They think the more use they get out of it, the more money they will save in the long run.

As a result, some secondary cars are staying in the garage whenever the owner goes to work or the local store.

There are those kinds of scooters that only go as fast as 45 miles per hour. But there are others (with engines up to 600 cubic centimeters) that can travel faster than 100 mph. Those vehicles also can get up to 60 miles per gallon - more than double the gas mileage of most cars.

"Most people are using them to commute back and forth for work," said Weaver. "A husband will often get one to save on fuel."

Last week, he had a customer from Eustis travel 70 miles to buy a scooter she found on the company's Web site. She told Weaver she planned to use it every day for work.

"My buddy owns a store and he said he can't get enough scooters," said Capt. Al Wofford, of the Florida Highway Patrol. "He's selling out."
Wofford serves as FHP's statewide motorcycle coordinator. He said scooter riders must obtain the same licensing and registration as motorcyclists.

Anything with a motor - from a motorcycle to a moped - is not permitted on sidewalks or bike trails. Only those scooters with top speeds of 45 mph or greater are permitted on the interstates, Wofford said.

Bob "Bell" Bennett, of the Lake City area, owns both motorcycles and motorized scooters and buys them all at Adventure Cycle Center. He recently took a cross-country trip through the East Coast and Michigan riding a 400cc Yamaha Majesty scooter that gets 60 miles per gallon.

"It was a great ride," he said.

Japanese scooter makers are creating fancier, more modern versions of the scooter and Wofford expects them to be hot sellers, particularly in the Florida market.

"The scooters they're building in Japan now are going to take off like wildfire," he said.

Not only is it a cheaper alternative to driving cars, it also is an easier ride compared to motorcycles.

"The older generation folks don't want to learn how to shift gears," Wofford said. "Everything is automatic. It's much easier."

Reporter Tony Holt can be reached at 352-544-5283 or wholt@hernandotoday.com.

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