Scooter popularity ups with gas costs

MSU students aren’t the only ones zipping around East Lansing on their scooters as temperatures and gas prices in East Lansing climb – there also has been an increase in scooter sales as middle-aged residents begin trading in their four wheels for two.

Bruce Uhal, an MSU physiology professor, said he recently purchased a scooter from Campus Scooter, 412 Albert Ave., because of the money he saves on gasoline, not to mention the free and easy parking on campus.

“It really makes the most sense right now,” Uhal said. “It will be cheaper for making short trips around East Lansing, and the convenience of not having to look for a parking space will save me more time than driving my car.”

Tim Soule, co-owner of Campus Scooter, said the warm temperatures and the outrageous gas prices are turning more people than ever on to scooters.

“Business is tremendous right now,” Soule said. “In the past we were selling about one scooter a day, and now we are averaging about five or six scooter sales in a single day.”

The increase in sales did not come as a shock to Soule.

He said he noticed an increase in scooter sales last year when gas prices exceeded $3 per gallon.

“Now that it’s up another dollar, I knew right away I was going to see more business,” Soule said.

Not only does Campus Scooter supply scooters to MSU students, Soule said scooter sales have now reached an older demographic.

“We are seeing people in their 40s and 50s buying scooters and looking to cut down on the price they pay for gas,” he said.

A scooter gets about 100 miles per gallon of gas, and the average tank size holds 1.5 gallons, Soule said.

Campus Scooter also offers service and repair to any type of scooter even if isn’t purchased from the store, he said.

“A lot of customers buy scooters online for cheap and need help with assembly or repair,” Soule said.

“We are the only place in town that services all makes and models no matter where you get them from.”

The store offers winterization and general maintenance that keeps business booming well into the winter months.

Scooters are not the only alternative mode of transportation on the rise lately. Velocipede Peddler, 2758 E. Grand River Ave., also has noticed an increase in sales of bicycles over the past month.

“There have been a lot more people coming in looking to use biking instead of driving as a way to get around their community and get to and from work,” said Sean O’Brien, a salesman at the store.

“If gas prices continue to grow, I can only expect more and more people to be turned on to traveling by bike and not by car.”

Published on Monday, May 12, 2008