In Praise of Motorscooters

All about Motor Scooters: faq, forum, pictures, reviews, articles, books, how-to. Sharing scooter enthusiasm and promoting the use of motor scooters in America:  Motorscooter Muse.

The purpose of this site is to broaden the use of motorscooters in America as a sensible, economical, ecological alternative to large vehicles, and this is not likely to be achieved by recommending $4000-$5000  classic Vespas and Lambrettas.  The focus here is upon quality inexpensive scooters ranging from $800 to $2000 and distinguishing between those that are worthwhile and those that are not.

Can I afford a Whole Motorscooter?

I can't afford the scoots they sell
I'll get one where the price is small
For half a Honda don't run well
And a fourth a Vespa, not at all.

One inexpensive Chinese import motorscooter is curiously labeld the TANK.  I drive one and love it, but traditional scooters enthusiasts remain critical.

My TANK 

My TANK runs nicely every day
No matter what the purists say
And how they vilify the ranks
Of those who run about on TANKs

 See TANK Motorscooters

 

In these pages and in the  Scooter Discussion Forum, motorscooter owners discuss their machines, how they perform, and where to get the best deals with support and reliabiility. 

Our Motorscooter Journal contains longer "scooter screeds" and scooter insights.    

 
In Asia and Europe, gas and electric powered scooters fill the streets.  They have become the predominant form of transportation in many places. Taiwan, with a population of 23 million has 11 million registered motorscooters -- almost one for every two citizens. It is really only in America that large, heavy automobiles are used for even the smallest errands. Scooters have several advantages over cars and motorcycles in both efficiency and convenience, but the American commuter has yet to embrace these advantages fully though inroads are being made. Figures released by the Motorcycle Industry Council show that annual sales of motor scooters have grown every year since 1999, when only 25,000 were sold. By 2004, sales had reached 86,000. Gas prices have continued to push sales even higher.

 

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Scooters in my Future?
The RoadRunner 250cc Touring is a highway scooter for two.
See Dating and Scooter Culture.

At Motorscooter Muse, our purpose is to promote the use of motor scooters in America as an economical and environmentally friendly alternative. If you are considering the purchase of a scooter, already have one, or are simply an enthusiast who would like to discuss them (see our scooter forum), this is the right place to be. If you have been here before, be sure to see our What's New Page.

Fuel economy and emission reduction alone justify the decision to use them for local commuting, but the history and image of the motor scooter are also major factors in its acceptance throughout the world and its gradual increase in popularity in the States. See Motorscooter Advantages.

How to persuade spouse, or parents that you should have a motorscooter. After about 5000 miles it will have paid for itself

-- With the payback point being what it is, a scooter is one of the most justifiable investments any driver with significant local traveling to do can possibly make. (Besides being a gas saver, it's also so much fun.)

Here's how to explain it to your spouse, parents (or children):

Each mile in an SUV costs in gas PPG/MPG where PPG is the price per gallon and MPG is the mileage of your vehicle. If the price per gallon is $3.00 and your vehicle gets 12 miles per gallon, 3/12 = a cost of $0.25 per mile.

Now calculate cost/mile for a scooter, guzzling gas by the teaspoon and getting 85 MPG (I calculated that my Tank sporty 150 gets 90mpg): 3/85 = about $0.035 - about three and a half cents a mile.

With these figures, it is simple to see that each mile on a scooter costs $0.215 less than it would in an SUV.

Thus, you can see your savings on your scooter's odometer. When it reaches 5000 miles, you will have saved 5000 * $0.215 or $1075.00. It is clear that, if you have purchased an inexpensive scooter (see Best Motorscooter Deals), before your scooter registers 10,000 miles, it will have paid for the cost of the scooter and insurance, and be keeping significant savings in your pocket - even if your car gets a good deal better than 12 MPG.  Fuel savings can be further improved through Fuel Efficient Driving. 

For help persuading spouse, parents, or children that you need a motorscooter, see Scooter Economy for an email forum that has the arguments made for you -- just add some names.