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June 30, 2006

Baby Boomers Buying Scooters

With gas prices climbing to record-breaking highs, baby boomers are starting to jump on the scooter bandwagon.

"I've seen a lot more middle-aged people coming in, looking at bikes," said Jeff Greene, manager of Honda-Yamaha Cycletown in Hermiston, Oregon. "I sold some scooters this year to people in their 60s. I think it's going to be a growing trend."

Averaging 80 to 100 mpg, scooters keep more green in your wallet. Anthony and Rebecca Loveday recently bought scooters so they could spend that green on their new toy, a 2006 Mustang GT convertible. "That swallows a lot of gas," Loveday admitted. "We economized to afford the GT." Loveday commutes to work on his 80 cc Honda scooter, and his wife uses her 50 cc model to run errands.

Easy to ride, scooters don't require special licensing in many states (check with your state's Department of Motor Vehicles). Additional savings on insurance and parking make scooters a smart choice for getting around town. Scootertronics carries a complete line of scooters to suit every taste and need. Check out the new models on our website at http://www.scootertronics.com/.

To read Dean Brickey's article for the East Oregonian, go to http://www.eastoregonian.info/main.asp?SectionID=13&SubSectionID=48&ArticleID=52575&TM=79463.96.

 


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June 29, 2006

June Closing Up Summer is Here

June is coming to close with another good month for sales of Strada 150s with the RX200 back in stock and better than ever. Our Streaker and Terminators from Primo continue to the best sellers with Avanti 150s being offered for the first time this year. The Beta 150 from Avanti is a basic 150 a great price that does the job as well as any others. With the Delta 50 being offered scooter riders now have a high performance scooter fit for commutes in traffic. A scooter that fits city drivng anog side our Classic Euro Retro.

The Strada RX200HP is back in stock with a slamming Silver color that is moving fast.

Avanti also introdues the Epsilon 150 powered by Linhai Yamaha. With digital dash and carbon body body finish thats gives this scooter the high performance look of a racer.

 

 


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June 26, 2006

Strada 150 CTE Offers Sporty Styling With Comfortable Ride

The Strada 150 Chrome Touring Edition 150 cc scooter gives you unique styling, fantastic gas mileage, and a very comfortable ride, all in one sporty package. The powerful 150 cc, 4-stroke, air-cooled Yamtai engine provides 9.4 HP (7600 rpm) of power that will achieve highway speeds up to 65 mph. Front and rear ABS disk brakes provide added safety. The Strada gets 80-100 mpg so you won't be filling up its 1.4-gallon fuel tank very often. You'll be riding in comfort with the hydraulic suspension, sport-tuned dual rear gas shocks, ultra comfort handle grips, and silk touch polyurethane seat.

On sale at Scootertronics for only $1799.99, you save 28%. The Strada 150 CTE comes with everything you need to get started: our scooter care package, DOT helmet, Black & Decker charger, even oil for the first oil change. And residence shipping with liftgate delivery is free!

Check out all the specs on this fantastic scooter at http://store.scootertronics.com/st1515sc.html. And visit our website for information on our complete line of scooters.


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June 22, 2006

Scooter Clubs Bring Devotees Together

Throttling up and down the power arpeggio, 13 scooters in close formation wowed spectators at the Ithaca (NY) Festival parade earlier this month. The display was courtesy of the Scooter Commuters, a loosely organized group of scooter devotees. Members take to the road every Sunday for coffee, scooter talk, and road trips. Word of mouth has doubled the group's membership in the past year as scooter popularity has increased.

Motives for scooter purchases range from economical to practical to just fun. "Scooters are more maneuverable than motorcycles, and since the rider steps through them rather than straddles them, they provide more protection from road crud," says Scooter Commuter Roxy Johnston in an article in the Ithaca Journal (click the link to read the article).

"It's not a whole lot different than riding a bicycle, except you have insurance, you have lights, and you have blinkers," adds Anthony DeGreif, club founder and owner of Ithaca's only shop dedicated solely to scooters. 

While gas savings bring many people to scooter riding, it's the fun factor that is building popularity. As Johnston says, "I didn't buy a scooter to be fun, but I found out it is."


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June 20, 2006

Scooter Sales Surge

The promise of high gas mileage is bringing car owners into scooter showrooms. Scooter sales surged 65% in the third quarter of 2005 as gas prices started to skyrocket, and increased by 18% overall, according to an article by Rick Popely that appeared in the Baltimore Sun online. To read the article go to http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nationworld/bal-te.bikergas18jun18,0,3709442.story?page=1&coll=bal-nationworld-headlines.

DuPage Honda-Yamaha in West Chicago, IL sold out their scooter stock last summer. "Nobody cared what the price was," said sales manager Tim Fritz, adding that sales have stayed strong. He believes baby boomers' disposable income fuels the interest sparked by high gas mileage.

"The motocycle buyer just wants to get out on the road and let the wind blow through their hair," he said. While the Easy Rider mystique hooks many motorcycle and scooter buyers, he noted the high mileage can seal the deal when its time to sell the spouse.

Whether you're looking for a way to express your wild side or are tired of feeding the gas pump, scooter owners enjoy the best of both worlds. Visit us at Scootertronics at http://store.scootertronics.com/. We offer a complete line of gas-powered and electric scooters at very affordable prices and can help you find the perfect ride.

 

 


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June 14, 2006

Buy Scooter From Reputable Dealer

Rising gas prices are not hurting scooter owners as they cruise past the lines at the gas pump. "One scooter user reported saving $50 per week on gasoline," said Robert Barton of Barton's Scooters in West Bountiful (Utah) in a Deseret Morning News article. With more people scooting around, Barton warns buyers to shop carefully and buy from reputable dealers.

"You can be deceived by the cool designs," Barton said. "You really need to buy a scooter from a full-service scooter shop."

Barton offers three steps for every buyer: compare, ride, then buy. "Every scooter rides differently." he said. Read the article at http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,640186318,00.html.

Every scooter we sell at Scootertronics has been extensively tested, both in our full-service Maryland shop and on the road, to insure that we offer you only the best, most reliable scooters. Our extensive knowledge, attention to detail and dedication to our customers has earned us a reputation for outstanding customer satisfaction. Visit our website at http://www.scootertronics.com/ for detailed information on our whole line of scooters.


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June 11, 2006

Electric Scooter Power Stations On Every Street Corner

In a move to increase the use of electric scooters, innovative German start-up SolarMove wants to redesign streetlight poles into fuel stations for e-scooters. With the slogan, "Build the right infrastructure and they will come," SolarMove is scouting several Berlin sites for the proposed "e-Tankstellen" (gas stations). They hope to convert 200 standard light poles into e-station poles, each sporting up to 4 power plugs and a chip-card billing system. Read the entire fascinating article on wired news at http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,50584,00.html.

Not content with the greening of Europe, SolarMove has global aspirations. California's zero-emissions laws make it the most enticing entry market in the U.S. If successful in California, the company is eying larger East Coast cities for potential future expansion. "Our goal is a truly 100 percent zero-emission infratructure. Power (that) comes mostly from hydro and solar energy," said Dag Schulze, SolarMove's founder. He feels the necessary infrastructure would be easy to build in American cities and could be financed by advertisements.


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More Improvements

VA Sales

Scootertronics will add a sales phone line for VA customers and the surrounding areas which will include DC. Scooters can be seen in Alexandria and picked up ready to ride. Our first shipment to ti location sold out the first weekend. Look for address and number to be posted soon with the addition of Potomac Scooters for DC area.

 We are also coming to Baltimore in the month of June.

With web traffic near records and sales to follow we at scootertronics must make some big changes. We have decided to bring a full time parts and accessories manager on and one more sales staff to keep up with phone calls. Although the phone calls are a necessary way of doing business with only one line it gets tough to get through so we will also add more phone lines so all calls get answered. We hop eto have these staff members in place by the 19th of June with our expanded office space. Also adding a sales lot here in Waldorf real soon in July.

 


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June 07, 2006

Stay Safe While Riding

Scooter safety is always on our mind at Scootertronics. Afterall, safe riders are return customers!

The Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) offers rider courses, books and videos promoting cycle rider safety. While prepared for motorcycles, the information applies to scooter riders as well. Follow these tips for safe riding:

  1. Always wear a helmet and protective clothing: gloves, boots or shoes that cover the ankles, long pants, and long-sleeved shirt or jacket.
  2. Practice in parking lots and on quiet streets (cemeteries are good) to hone your skills. Click the MSF link for information on rider courses offered around the country.
  3. Drive defensively. Be aware of the traffic around you. Keep a buffer zone between you and other vehicles to allow time to maneuver.
  4. Consult your local regulatory agencies for info on the licensing and operation of scooters in your area.

A skills test practice guide produced by the MSF is available online and can be downloaded from http://www.idahostar.org/guide/Default.htm. It has instructions for performing and practicing the most common riding skills as well as emergency maneuvers. Scootertronics carries a complete line of safety gear including helmets, jackets, and gloves. Click the link to our site at http://store.scootertronics.com/scac.html for all your scooter needs.


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June 06, 2006

Scooters: A Guy's (Or Gal's) New Best Friend

As gas prices soar, scooters might just replace the puppy as a guy's (or gal's) best friend. Scooters are turning heads at the gas pump and the corner store. Conversations that used to start at the park over the antics of your four-legged ball of fur (and often end with a slobbering kiss -- his, not yours) are getting started in the parking lot without even putting leash in hand.

"The benefits of scooters are well-known around the globe, as they are part of the daily behavior for millions of peole worldwide," Paolo Timoni, President and CEO of Piaggio Group Americas is quoted as saying in an article in The Daily Oakland Press. (To read the article, go to: http://www.theoaklandpress.com/stories/060406/bus_2006060406.shtml.)

As U.S. gas prices climb closer to the $6 per gallon rate common in Europe, scooter owners are perceived as financially savy and green conscious. In a Piaggio Group survey, if Americans drove scooters, which average 50 to 80 mpg, "they could reduce national fuel consumption by 14 million gallons of gasoline per day and reduce carbon monoxide emissions by 324 million pounds per day."

In most cases, today's scooters are as powerful as motocycles, according to Patrick DeLonge, floor manager at Kensington Motorsports in New Hudson, Michigan. Scooters "generally don't require shifting and are built more for comfort, with wide seats, foot platforms and, often, windshields. Most have additional storage space under the seat with enough room for a couple of small bags of groceries or two full-size helmets."

With that kind of storage space, there's plenty of room for kibble and you can bring the puppy along too!

 

 


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June 05, 2006

New Additions/May Ends Big

May Scooter Sales

Parts Dept

Local Dealership

With May ending and the start of summer upon us scooters have become as needed as ever in every house hold hit by the gas prices which continue to stay high. With our Primo Streaker and Terminator 150s leading the pack for 150cc scooter sales in May with the Strada Chrome edition not far behind  just proves that more and more commuters are ridding scooters to work.

With the addition of our new Expresso Retro GT and the newly revamped Metro Sport with 12" wheels dual shocks and Silverstome exhaust we will push these in June with colors in the Expresso Retro selling out in the last two weeks of May. We only have some Blue/White and Orange/White two tone colors left. The pink and the Silver models sold out right away.

Scootertronics will be adding a complete parts department this June to better serve the parts demand and warranty parts that are needed which to our luck is a very small percentage with only a very few panels being damaged in shipping. We will be stocking alot more parts for both 50cc and 150cc scooters.

With our local dealership opening in Alexandria the first of June we now will be able to better serve our local customers with running scooters and parts supply plus the ever needed service and upgrades. Customers will be able to see and touch a scooter before buying which we all long for in the INTERNET scooter sales world.  Right now customers can only set up times for pick up thru scootertronics until Potomac Scooters opens on the net. Once this happens we will post phone numbers and address on both sites by June 10. We will carry the Metro Sport, Duo, Classic and Expresso Retro plus some lesser powered 50cc scooters. No 150s until the end of summer but offering prepped 150s only for pick up with sales thru Scootertronics.

Gas prices have hit us also and some of our pricing has gone up but we are gonna make up for this by offering free helmets and scooter care packages which will include the first oil change and spark plug plus the needed battery charger.


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