FEATURES – March 2009

The Scoot Commute

Workers who travel to jobs on scooters enjoy gas savings and the thrill of openair driving.

By Karen Haywood Queen

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Bob Oller started commuting by scooter to save money and live green. John Kearse and Piller Gregerson hopped on scooters to save time. All three gained an unexpected bonus: the joy of riding.

Oller and his fiancé, Jean Monaco, each bought a small scooter in March 2008 as gas hit $3 a gallon. "We had ridden a couple of scooters at the beach, and when gas started to go up, we thought it was time to get a little bit smarter," Oller says. "We’ve ended up saving a tremendous amount on gas. A scooter goes about four or five times the distance on the same amount of gas. When gas was over $4, that was a huge savings. The green part is great too. Smaller engines put out less emissions."

Whether looking to save on gas, go green or just have fun, scooter commuters are part of a growing crowd. Scooter sales nationwide for the third quarter of 2008 were up 50 percent compared to the third quarter of 2007, says Ty van Hooydonk, a spokesman for the Motorcycle Industry Council. One million new scooters were sold each year from 2003 through 2007, van Hooydonk says.

Locally, scooter sales were great through 2007 and in the first half of 2008, says Craig Steineke, general manager of Casey Cycle City in Newport News. "When gas prices first went up, we were left with 10 bikes on the showroom floor when we had had 100," Steineke says. "We couldn’t get more from the factory." Sales slowed as gas prices went down and the economy sagged. Plus, people who wanted scooters had bought them already. "A scooter is not something you buy and throw way," he says.

These are not your child’s motorized toys—at least not in this story. The scooters discussed here fall into two categories: small scooters (sometimes called mopeds) with engines of less than 50cc, capable of going up to 35 mph; and larger scooters with more powerful engines on par with motorcycles. Costs for a new scooter range from $750 for a 49cc scooter to up to $5,000 for a 600cc scooter, says Bill Savino of Honda.

Oller often drives his scooter the mile and a half to his company, Oller Studios Inc. in Williamsburg, depending on what he has going on that day. He also uses the scooter to cruise yard sales on weekends, returning with his truck if needed for large purchases.

"We’re starting to become aware that there’s a hybrid blend of transportation," he says. "We don’t always need a station wagon, SUV or pickup truck. I can go to see clients on my scooter, especially if I’m in jeans on a photo shoot. If I’m getting really dressed up for a critical meeting, I’ll go in a car. I focus on 'what do I need today?’"

Gregerson was already being green and riding the bus when he bought his first scooter more than two years ago. But his bus options in Norfolk were limited at night and on Sundays. During the week, his threemile bus ride each way to his job at Verizon took 50 minutes by the time he factored in the walk to the bus stop, the wait for the bus, and several stops. Now Gregerson’s commute takes 10 or 15 minutes door to door.

Averaging out the cost of his scooter over three years, he’s saving money compared to the bus. Gregerson can drive 120 miles on one tank of gas, about 1.2 gallons, and each tank lasts a week or more.

"Right now, I’m spending $8 a month in gas instead of $50 a month on the bus pass," he says. "Last summer people complained to me: 'I had to put $80 in my gas tank’ and I said, 'Yeah, I had to put $8 in mine.’"

Kearse bought his scooter last spring because of the hassle of finding a parking space at Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding in Newport News. "You have to get here at least an hour early if you work in the yard," Kearse says. "Driving around in the morning until someone left a parking space would sometimes take up to an hour. Riding the scooter saves time and aggravation."

Then there’s the fun factor. Even when driving by scooter takes longer, life in the slow lane can be more fun and relaxing. Listen to the riders: Pillerson: "I had no idea how much fun it would be. "The entertainment value of riding the scooteris awesome. The freedom of the bike ... no giant car surrounding you. Going through the wind and everything else—it’s a great ride. It’s like riding a bike really fast without all the work."

Kearse: "I ride to the waterfront at lunch time. Sometimes I take a midnight ride up the waterfront."

Oller: "I’ve started thinking, is the rush really important? I’ve found that going a little bit slower on a scooter, I slow down a little bit overall. The people in a rush: I slow down and let them pass on by. Ninety-eight percent of them I see at the next traffic light. I love walking into a meeting calm and collected. My blood pressure has gone down."

If you’re ready to buy a scooter, start small, the experts say. "We recommend that if you’re going shopping for a scooter or motorcycle, start small and work your way up," van Hooydonk says. "Get some basic experience on smaller, easier-to-handle two wheelers. The big bikes are best left to folks with experience. I know guys on 250s who have gone on cross country trips." Once you’ve racked up some road time, a medium-size scooter may make the most sense. You’ll trade some fuel efficiency for higher speeds. You’ll also be able to drive for longer distances, drive on more roads, and carry more stuff.

At press time, Oller had put 4,000 miles on his 49cc scooter in about nine months and was planning to buy a larger, 250cc scooter. The bigger scooter will average about 80 mpg and hit speeds of up to 85 mph, allowing him to travel longer distances.

No matter what size scooter you get, be prepared for a lot of jokes from those who think a motor scooter is for sissies who can’t handle a 'real’ motorcycle. "People ask me if I have a pink helmet, a basket and a bell," Kearse says. "One friend bought me a flag. But when the gas got really high, the jokes stopped. I got the last laugh."

SCOOTER ESSENTIALS

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For the rest of The Scoot Commute, see the March issue of Hampton Roads Magazine-available wherever magazines are sold.

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