Six-Foot-One, 255lbs Elementary Teacher Rides a Vespa Scooter... and Loves It!
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 05.22.08
Commuting on a Scooter
With gas prices rising, we're bound to see more stories like this in the mainstream media. Stories about people using their bicycles to *gasp* commute, people taking the bus or buying a scooter. All very exotic to U.S. audiences.
This one from the Wall Street Journal is about an elementary school teacher (the video above isn't about him, but about Vespa scooters in general) who started commuting to his school on a Vespa GTS. "He parks free in the schoolyard, and the two-wheeler impresses his students. The kids also like 'the odd factor,' he says. 'I'm a six-foot-one-inch, 255-pound guy on a little Italian scooter.'"
Scooter Sales are Strong
First-quarter scooter sales were up 25% from a year earlier, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council.
Models like the $4,200 retro Vespa S, which recently began arriving in showrooms, can travel 80 miles on a gallon of fuel. Others, like the $2,000 ultra-utilitarian Yamaha C3, tout fuel economy of around 100 miles per gallon. Most models also have automatic transmissions and cargo compartments big enough for a briefcase or gym bag, or sometimes both.
Of course, scooters are not practical everywhere. But even in the U.S., there are many cities that are fairly scooter-friendly and where we're probably going to see more of them in the years to come.
Share Your Experience in the Comments
Any TreeHugger readers have scooter experiences to share? You can do so in the comments below.
Scooters
::30% of Americans Would Consider Riding a Scooter
::TreeHugger Picks: Commuter Scooters
::Vespa Unveils Hybrid Scooters
::The Air-Powered Motorcycle by Jem Stansfield
::DIY Electric Kawasaki Motorcycle
::Voltzilla: DIY Electric Motorcycle Made from Forklift Parts
More on Vespas and Scooters
::Born to Be ... Fuel-Efficient
Recently I was going to purchase a Vespa to help save on gas as well and I was unable to buy one because I'm not Tall enough to reach the ground where I can safely drive it. Very disappointing, but such is another day in the life of a short person. (I'm barely 5ft tall, but I have a short inseam) You can get a custom seat designed for a Vespa for those of us vertically challanged folks, but alas it still didn't allow for more length...I was very sad.
Still shocks me how motorcycles and their riders are so uncommon in the US.
I have been getting 50 miles to the gallon, a bit more, a bit less, for years.
Out in the west I figure wide open spaces have much to do with the love of the big car and week presence of motorcycles, but anyone who has been ANYWHERE else in the world has got to agree with me when I say that I am baffled that there are not more bikes in our big cities.
Maybe this all goes back to Marlon Brando, tarnishing the image of motorcycles for a generation????
Marcie, don't give up, there are many, many bikes and scooters out there, look to the Japanese manufacturers. You do not need anything more than 50 or 100cc to get around the city, good luck!
Gear up and start riding folks, motorcycles are wonderful transport and therapy, I heard someone once say that getting on their bike was like a 30 minute vacation, every time!
I commute 7 miles to work on my Buddy from Genuine Scooter Company. 80-100 mpg and about $4.25 per week for gas.
I went to battle with the wife several years ago about buying a Kymco People 150. It took a bit of work to convince her it was a good idea - and gas was under $2 back then.
Needless to say, it was a good investment - 5 years later, it costs me all of $5.50 to get to work and back for a week (about 25 miles round trip).
They were getting quite popular in Salt Lake when we moved, not as many here in Denver.
I still prefer the bicycle, but the scooter is a nice option to have.
"Recently I was going to purchase a Vespa to help save on gas as well and I was unable to buy one because I'm not Tall enough to reach the ground where I can safely drive it. Very disappointing, but such is another day in the life of a short person. (I'm barely 5ft tall, but I have a short inseam) You can get a custom seat designed for a Vespa for those of us vertically challanged folks, but alas it still didn't allow for more length...I was very sad."
Don't be sad, take a look at the Genuine Scooter Company Buddy scooter or the Yamaha Vino 125! Both of those will fit a shorter rider nicely!
UK Reality Check:
Hmmmm... Ian from the UK here. We visit Florida every August for a vacation and just LOVE your gas prices! I have a BMW X5 in the UK and it costs me over $200 to fill up (and rising daily)
I have just bought a scooter: It's a 1964 restored Lambretta SX200. I'm a bit vertically challenged but get by and I love the 70+ miles per gallon!
See the pictures at www.southofwatford.com
Keep on Hugging!
I'm a 6'4",255 lbs programmer and I ride a scooter (Genuine Scooter Buddy 125) to work. I'm limiting my job search right now to places that I can reach by scooter.
It's getting to the point, however, where I can't run errands on it because so many people stop me and ask about it!
I ride a Honda Ruckus for a 64km daily round trip commute, and although I have the weather, limited storage, and lengthy commute times to deal with, I've never felt compelled to drive my pickup truck except when ice was on the road..
Fuel, currently at $1.33/L makes yearly projections for driving the comfortable gas-guzzling truck unpalatable:
~$864 for the scooter; and
~$3066 for the truck.
Scooter wins.