It's likely that you've heard the buzz about motor scooters recently, given the fact that dealers are selling thousands every week. Maybe some of your friends have recently become scooter enthusiasts and are trying to convert you as well. Or maybe up until you read this headline, you had no idea that people took "scooters" seriously.



Well, here's the skinny. With gasoline inching ever closer to $5 a gallon, motor scooters aren't just for the kids anymore. And they no longer resemble skateboards with lawnmower motors screwed on.

As early as 2005, motorized scooter sales started skyrocketing in unprecedented ways. Since then, the trend has continued, and it's not hard to see why.

When you gas up your car, you pay out $30 or $40--and that's if you have a compact vehicle, never mind an SUV or truck. But put the same volume of fuel into a gas powered scooter, and at 50 to 100 mpg, you'll be commuting happily for two months or more.

But the savings get even better if you buy an electric scooter model--in which case you can say goodbye to the oil market entirely, walk away singing a happy song, and begin saving money hand over fist by recharging your scooter for cents a day, using a wall outlet. Starting to get the picture? The raw appeal of money savings are hard to resist--but there are additional reasons for the spike in motor scooter popularity.

For example, there's what I call the fun factor. I probably don't need to explain. If you've had the opportunity to jump on a scooter recently, you know what I'm talking about. Coeds use scooters to cruise across campus. Professionals commute between the office and downtown lunch meetings. Vacationers pack them up and bring them to the boat or resort. Middle school kids zip down the block. The common factor? People using motor scooters to cover distances they could just as easily walk! But why walk when you can hop on board, lean back in ergonomic comfort, and scoot? It's kind of addictive.

Add to this the fact that top makers like Yamaha, Honda, and legendary Italian scooter maker, Piaggio (the Vespa), are creating stylish and efficient new models, and the allure of motorized scooters is almost self evident--one reason that you won't see a whole lot of paid advertising for them. Today's scooters look cool, they're capable of highway speeds, can handle tough terrain, store easily, and they're increasingly fuel efficient. What's not to like?

Are you exploring at the motor scooter market? If so, you probably have a lot of questions. Feel free to give me a shout or check my site as you get started.