Scooter Cents
Gas prices are rising along with everything else. You’ve already gotten rid of your land line and cable. You shop at thrift stores and use grocery coupons. Now you’re thinking of ways to save money on gasoline if it actually gets to five dollars. How about a scooter?
You know that motorcycles get great gas mileage but they seem a little intimidating. They’re also a bit pricey. The step down would be a scooter. After all, they rent them in tourist towns to pretty much anyone. How difficult can they be? They’re also relatively inexpensive and get as much as 90 miles per gallon. So, is it a possibility?
WHICH SCOOTER?
First, decide if you want to buy your scooter from a dealership or on-line. You can save money by ordering one in the box and having it shipped to you. Can you or someone you know put it together properly? You can always pay to have a mechanic do it but some of your on-line savings will disappear. The other option is to go to a dealership and pay a little more to have it ready to ride. You will also have the advantage later of knowing someone who can help you with maintenance once you develop a relationship with that dealer.
Do you buy name brand or Chinese? Well, studies show that you will not realize a savings in gasoline on a name brand scooter due to the purchase cost. The cheaper the scooter, the more savings you will realize. Over all, the name brands have been found to last no longer than the Chinese models which is about twenty thousand miles. And, Chinese scooters can be as little as about a third of the cost of a name brand.
What style of scooter? Do your research and buy based on your expected use. There is body size to consider as well as the engine. Will two people ride together? How much cargo space do you need? How much power, acceleration and speed do you want? There are many choices that you have to consider for yourself. Really think it through.
DOES IT ADD UP?
Now, let’s do the math for someone who lives in the mid-west. Let’s say your scooter and accessories cost $1600. Your savings in gasoline is 15 cents per mile. Your scooter will last about 8 years. You ride your scooter an average of 20 miles per day for 130 days out of the year. With these numbers, it will take 4 years for the scooter to pay for itself. You will have another 4 years to see some savings in gasoline costs. So, in the end, you can expect to realize about $1500 in savings over the lifespan of your scooter. That averages out to about $200 dollars per year for 8 years. Is it worth it?
So, those are the cold facts, but what about the fun factor? If you think you would really enjoy riding a scooter instead of driving your car, that is an important consideration. There’s a lot to think about. To help you with your decision, visit climate-zone.com and motorscootershopper.com. Do your own math and get your own answer. In the end, if you’re having fun, maybe saving money is just the cherry on top.
