BYU NewsNet - Hot Wheels Around Town

With gas prices rising above $4 per gallon all over the nation, Utah Valley residents along with BYU students are trying an alternative - scooters.

Scooter sales have increased significantly in the past couple of months, and sky-scraping gas prices are only encouraging more people to consider this two-wheel style of transportation, said a Escape Motorsports scooter salesman in Provo.

Mike Kelly, with more than 30 years of experience in the motorcycle business, said he has never seen so many people interested in scooters before.

"Sales have increased a lot since the past two years," Kelly said.

Demand for scooters has some dealers finding it difficult to keep up with the pace.

"We are out of our big scooters now," Kelly said. "We have sold all our big scooters. We have a few of the 50 cc left, but those are also selling pretty good."

Though most of their customers already own cars, they still decide to purchase scooters in order to save gas and protect their pockets.

"We see a lot of people leaving their vehicles parked for just the weekends and using the scooter during the week," Kelly said.

Though Provo is considered a student niche, scooter dealers are seeing a wider variety of people looking into scooters, Kelly said.

Scooter fuel economy can range from 65 miles per gallon to more than 100 mpg, and their owners can spend from $6 to $10 a week, only a fraction of what car users are currently spending at the pump.

"College kids use it to and from school," Kelly said. "[People buy scooters] because the efficiency in gas mileage would pay for themselves. They are also inexpensive to maintain, inexpensive to insure, and for some of the colleges parking is a lot better."

Tyler Hair, a geology major from Colorado Springs, Colo., said he got a scooter last year just for fun, but this year he realized the great benefit it brings to his pocket.

"I have saved $110 in gas this past month," Hair said. "So I figure over the course of the summer, I will be able to save $300-400 in gas."

Melanie Barber, owner of Vespa Utah in Orem, said their provider has increased sales all over the nation with a more than 100-percent increase from the year before.

"Some dealers around the country are completely out of stock," Barber said. "So they are calling me to buy some of my inventory."

Along with other dealers, Barber is seeing scooters pass from being a trend in the past years, to a real option for transportation for some.

"It's going to get better and better for us with high gas prices," Barber said. "Once you start riding one of these, they are fun. You find yourself doing a lot more on them than just commuting to work."

Barber said they are selling approximately six to seven scooters daily. Last month, they sold more than 72 scooters.

New scooter prices can range from $1,500 listed on some Web sites to more than $8,000 at dealerships. Drivers are encouraged to wear a helmet, and a special driver's license is required to ride them.