Drive Time
La Dolce Vespa
Is a scooter commute for you?
By Mark Solheim, Senior Editor, Kiplinger's Personal Finance
February 2009
You can debate the cool/not cool factor, but you can't argue with 80 miles per gallon. That figure spurred U.S. scooter sales to shoot up 51% through the end of October, compared with a year earlier. At that rate, dealers were on track to sell 235,000 in 2008.
Gasoline prices have dropped to about half what they were last summer and the weather has turned colder, so scooter sales have slowed a bit. But expect scooters to become a fixture. As recession grips the nation, the case for a cheap ride is as strong as when gas cost $4 a gal-lon (which it will again). And some people have embraced scooters as eco-friendly transportation, says Paolo Timoni, chief executive officer of Piaggio Group Americas, which makes Piaggio and Vespa scooters.
But you have to jump through a few hoops before you can trade four wheels for two. When Piaggio offered the chance to test-drive a couple of its models, I had to first get a motor-cycle endorsement on my driver's license. I signed up for a class at a local community college and spent 15 tense hours reliving high school driver's ed. To top it off, I failed the written test the first time I took it. (I swear there were questions not covered in the manual.)
Motorcycle lite. Scooters are technically motorcycles, but they're easier to operate. For example, step-through architecture means baby-boomers with joint problems (like me) don't have to fling a leg over the seat to mount them, and women in skirts can ride them to work. Scooters have the two-wheel equivalent of an automatic transmission. Top speeds range from about 40 miles per hour to 90 mph.
Prices for new scooters start at about $2,000 for the Yamaha C3 (115 mpg), which can putt along at up to 40 mph. At the pricey end of the spectrum is the $8,900 Piaggio MP3 500 (55 mpg), which can hit 89 mph. Piaggio is new to the U.S. market, but the company's Vespas, like Ferrari sports cars, are synonymous with Italian style.
Other big players in the scooter arena include Honda and Suzuki. To get buyers in the door, Yamaha was recently offering zero-down deals with 0% interest and deferred payments for up to a year.
Getting up to speed. The $350 Motorcycle Safety Foundation course I signed up for (for offerings in your area, go to ) included two nights of classroom instruction and two weekend mornings of maneuvers around a parking lot, and was a good introduction to motorcycle fundamentals. In 20 states and the District of Columbia, completing the course exempts you from at least part of the motorcycle-endorsement test.
If you buy a scooter, you'll also have to upgrade your insurance. Plan on paying between $100 and $300 a year in premiums for a mid-priced scooter if you're a middle-aged homeowner, or $400 to $500 if you're a twentysomething renter.
With my license at last in hand, I went to the dealer to pick up a Vespa S 150. It was easy to operate, maneuverable and fun -- but I immediately tensed up riding on a heavily trafficked, four-lane highway and decided to take the back roads home. The S 150's top speed is 59 mph, but I never went faster than 35 mph. Even when I was traveling faster than the speed limit, a few drivers insisted on trying to pass me. Scooters, even more than motorcycles and bicycles, get no respect from motorists.
Fair warning: The death rate for scooter riders is much higher than for car and light-truck drivers (but the motorcycle death rate is much higher than for scooters). Still, if you can handle crazy drivers, the savings on your commuting costs will be pretty cool, even if you don't look that hip.
Reader Comments (4)
Posted by: April Whitney at 01/07/2009 10:56:41 PM
Mark, Welcome to the wonderful world of scooters! We at "Scoot! Magazine" hope you'll be riding along with us for some time. I just wanted to clarify few items in your article: 1) Piaggio re-entered the market in 2000, but previously sold scooters here until 2-stroke laws drove them out in the 80s. So, I wouldn't say they are new to the US market. 2) Scooters may be easier for people to ride, mostly because of their relative light weight compared to motorcycles, and the step-through design that you mentioned. but, it should also be noted that those who don't take scootering seriously (i.e. women who wear skirts when riding) are more inclined to have more serious accidents than if they wore more protective gear. Thanks for taking the MSF safety course. It will make you a better rider and increase your ability to enjoy your ride. I also suggest that those who get into scootering check out local clubs and enthusiast groups, and attend some rallies. There is a fun, underground community if you just look for it. Happy scooting, April Whitney Editor Scoot! Magazine
Posted by: videoismylife at 01/08/2009 11:03:25 AM
".....don't look that hip"? Dang, I KNEW there was a reason I didn't get the chicks hanging off me when I ride my scooter...... :lol: Might want to mention a couple more big manufacturers; Kymco and Sym in Taiwan come immediately to mind with about 2 million scooters produced yearly between the two of them. Aprilia scooters are probably the best in terms of overall quality, IMHO, although the Suzuki and Honda owners would no doubt argue that. You might also want to mention that the Chinese knockoffs (like Roketa and their ilk) have terrible reputations for quality issues and early breakdowns.
Posted by: Brian at 01/13/2009 03:03:26 PM
Just wanted to correct the assertion in the article that Piaggio the manufacturer of Vespas are new to the US market, in actual fact bankruptcy of Vespa's American importer due to two expensive product liability lawsuits, increased competition from Japanese manufacturers, and certain states passing so-called "green laws" caused a withdrawal from the US market in late 1981.
Posted by: Nomen at 01/20/2009 10:10:33 AM
While I love little scooters they may not be the best choice for many people. The smaller wheels are dangerous on rough or slick roads. The power is minimal unless you buy a larger one. A 250cc motorcycle would make more sense for many people. It would be faster and more stable with good(60-70mpg) fuel economy. Even with less storage room the 250 will easily carry two people at highway speeds. My neighbors were bragging about their 80mpg scooters but then realized that they were only getting 40mpg average when they went riding together. That's worse than the 45mpg that I get riding with my wife on our 1100cc road bike. Scooters are great fun but have definite limits and should not be out on the main roads unless you get a larger one.