Friday, May 24, 2013
Best Of 2012: Place to Buy Scooters
Yes, yes, scooters used to be for hipsters and Europeans. But listen, that's a ragged stereotype. The world has changed, and scooters have changed along with it. Sportique sales and marketing manager Jon Duvall says scooters come in all sizes these days, even "maxis" that can hit the interstate with panniers for a cross-country trip. A great range of people are interested in scooters, too, from senior citizens to recent high school grads. While often derided as "the small brother of the motorcycle," the scooter has some major differences. Unlike a motorcycle, you don't need a special license to drive it. A smaller scooter costs about $2,600, will hit max speeds of around 35 mph, and will get 60 to 80 miles per gallon of gas. "What a lot of consumers are finding is they're actually saving money and having more reliable transportation through the scooter," Duvall says. Not surprising, then, that Sportique's business is good these days — so good, in fact, that several Sportique locations have popped up around the state. (The others have different owners, but are under a licensing agreement.) — J. Adrian Stanley
