mpgmotors.com Blog

The Amazin’ Spring and Summer of 2008 (to be continued)

It started later in Pennsylvania than other states. The price of gasoline was climbing but it didn’t seem to get people’s attention here. It had to start sometime.

“Ride When You Can and Drive When You Have To” made too much sense.

We were loaded, we thought, for bear! We had so many scooters and bikes that we had to worry about the dreaded motorcycle dealership domino effect (trip, “oops”, boom, boom, boom…). Getting the doors closed at night was a real logistical problem.

Our sales picked up a day or two after the April 22nd Pennsylvania primary. Gas prices started their daily rise. 250cc motorcycles and scooters started selling one a day, then two and even three per day. In a couple of weeks, we set a store record - 6 in a day! We (our vendors and MPG Motors) sold out of the Hyosung GV250 Aquila first. That was a surprise, it went from very available to sold out in days! Next we went through all of the Buddy scooters we had stocked. We had a bunch but we blew them out.

Our Hyosung products just matched the requirements:

Tim (of Tim and Sara) said, “I just purchased my new Hyosung GV 250 a little while a go and absolutely love it! I am consistantly getting over 65 miles to the gallon and have no problems at all carrying myself and my wife. The bike is awesome and I would recomend it to anyone!”

Scott said of his GT250R used for a 130 mile daily turnpike commute, “I think I can get closer to 80 MPG feel free to use my quote. This bike is peforming just great….I love it.”

John said of his MS3-250 FI scooter, “This thing is a rocket!”

Customers across the nation figured out that the Buddy is the perfect match for their driving. It’s a perfect match in the Southeast PA area. 90 mpg, two year warranty, one year of roadside assistance for the price of a really used car. Consequently Genuine Scooters is having a blowout year (Philip McCaleb video)

After the Aquila and the scooters blew out, the Hyosung GT250R went next. It was getting exciting to be alive then! We got the last naked (standard) GT250 in the US, some of the last solid-color GT250R’s and two-tone GT250R’s left. They came and went! It was a “small-displacement” summer. Larger models from other manufacturers didn’t and haven’t sold. Even though our “large” 650’s get over 50 mpg, it was tough to convince buyers to spend the extra money even when we showed them it would ultimately save them money. It was an upside-down powersports summer.

Other scooter dealers reported the same - we contacted Genuine Scooter Company and Hyosung and started what seems to be a summer of calling to see if and when we could get more product. They begged all of us to stop the daily calling and went to a strict allocation program that was fair but tough for an industry used to excess product. Our vendors cranked it up. But allowing for the weeks to build additional product and the six weeks that it takes just to transit the Pacific from Taiwan or South Korea to the port in Los Angeles put powersports dealers like us at the end of July before we saw any additional product.

Credit remained an issue for many would-be buyers. The relatively tight credit markets escalated the required credit scores further limiting the larger bike purchases. Our customers responded by snapping up our used inventory. Every bike. That never happened before either.

The previously unknown Hyosung MS3-250 fuel-injected scooter started making serious inroads, we sold nine and have almost run out of the new Maxi-Luxo scooter.

We had often talked about “two-fers” - two sales at once to next door neighbors, to spouses. Yes, we had those too. It was a summer of firsts.

We appreciate all the patience our customers have shown us this year in a market where letting a customer walk out the door means a lost sale. Some terrific individuals have been hanging in with us for almost two months now waiting for their Buddy’s.

Thank-you.

As I write this, the riding year is almost over so things are slowing down.

Bull. Scratch that. This is the year that continues to confound.

I don’t think this year is done yet. Despite a drop in the price of gas, we had a steady stream of customers today. Gas isn’t back below a dollar yet. Remember why it dropped - US gasoline consumption decreased amazing the pundits. You don’t have to hit us in the head with a brick two times - we got it in April!

The Hyosung GV250 I rode in today still gets 65 mpg and my F-250 still gets 12 mpg. Insurance still is relatively cheap for our products and the cost of the MPG Motors bikes and scooters and our low equipment prices let people ride and gear-up with great products at good prices. I’ve been saying that all summer that a survey of a New Year’s Eve party last December would have found very few people thinking of riding vs. driving in the new year. A lot of them are now riding. A lot.

The year isn’t over. We’re still strictly allocated, we have one Buddy 50 Lil’ Italia on the floor, able to sell at the time I write this. We are anxiously awaiting more product from our vendors - the product is coming from now on. We’re going to push right into 2009 and we’re not slowing down. Hey, come along for the ride!

To all the new riders, be safe. Take the MSF, wear your equipment, don’t ride when it’s icy/snowy. But, keep riding if you really want to be Fun, Fast and Efficient!

The Hyosung GV250 Aquila

This bike is the best-kept secret in the 400cc 250cc class.

That’s the bottom line. This is a 250cc bike that acts like the 400cc bikes from the 80’s. We’ve sold a number of Honda CM400 from the early eighties. These bikes were the Swiss Army knife bikes - used for fun, for work, light touring - whatever you needed them to do.

250cc bikes, however, are normally reserved for the “starter bike” category. Calling something a starter bike is normally a kiss of death. Sure, it’s not bad for a STARTER BIKE.

Funny thing about the Aquila tho’, people don’t usually feel the need to upgrade later. We’ve sold about 20 of them, we haven’t traded any of them in and I can’t think of anyone that sold theirs either. Why?

Well, this article give a lot of the reasons why:

Canadian Biker - Light Duty

Aquila’s are bigger and faster because they make more power by revving higher than the competition. They weigh a bit more - most people think they are larger than 250’s. I don’t fib about stuff like that - you can if you want ;^). The GV250 presents as a much larger bike. Think of it like a 400, it’s ok, I do.

GV250’s also have the Hyosung two year, “bumper-to-bumper”, transferrable warranty - Wonderful! This is the bike that taught me about Hyosung warranty support. One of my good customers bought a GV250 and came in after a month or so. He showed me that if you pushed your hand from the front of the seat to the back, you could feel a slight increase in the foam. I said, weeellll, it’s a small ridge but when I presented it to Hyosung they said, “Pat, it’s a 2 year, bumper to bumper warranty, SEND IT IN!” So when we got the new seat, my customer asked me for the old one. Nope, I’m keepin’ it! (we have to on warranty claims…) Hyosung really supports their bikes!

Back to the motor… Note that the Aquila has almost 10 horsepower more than the Honda Rebel. It weighs a bit more but in this category, that is almost not a bad thing as bikes in this class are particularly light. End result, you can maintain legal + speeds even out on the big roads with the big dogs.

Here is the hard data. This picture shows a trip I took up the Northeast Extension. The speeds were captured by GPS and then converted by GPS Visualizer. Note that the vast majority of the trip is dark blue. The speed limit there is 65MPH and the dark blue coloring shows I was going at least 66.1MPH everywhere it’s blue. This bike will sustain turnpike speeds and then some more. Top speed of the GV250 is around 95MPH.

What about the rest? Well, looks are always subjective but people generally really like the looks of the GV250. It comes in a number of nice color combinations. Here is a link to a MS Powerpoint slideset of GV250 colors here

It’s got a very low seat height. Actually my only concern when a customer asks about a GV250 is how long their legs are. I do have trouble fitting someone with a very long inseam to this bike. I wish it was even longer than it is or had a flatter seat cause I have almost never found anyone that can’t flat foot the GV250 as delivered.

In gas mileage, my customers average 65-70 MPG in daily use. A lot of folks use these for their second (or third) cars. They drive the bikes when they can and the cars/trucks when they have to. They are cheap to keep - first, because of the warranty, the list price of $3499 and the insurance costs on a 250cc bike have to be quoted to be appreciated.

Yep, the GV250 is a great bike! And it’s way more than a starter bike!

Here’s the windup and here’s the Pitch

Customers sometimes ask to hear my “pitch”. So I’m starting tonight with the Hyosung GV650 Avitar.

The GV650 Avitar - A truly unique bike in the marketplace! Hyosung used the 90 degree, liquid cooled, V-Twin motor with an 11,000 rpm redline that is often dyno-tested between about 65-68 hp at the back wheel - IN A 500 lb bike! The unique part is the result  - a ‘performance cruiser’. A performance cruiser is almost an oxymoron in the 650cc size. You combine a motor that makes terrific power in the cruiser class for it’s size in a relatively light frame and you get a bike that Motorcyclist magazine clocked in the quarter mile at 12.75s and 99.50mph. Top speed is reported to be 120mph+.

Motorcyclist tested the Victory Hammer S and the HD Night Rod the following month. The Avitar’s 1/4 mile time beat the Hammer’s and was within a 1/2 sec of the 12.26 put up by the NightRod. I drove one 700 miles last summer and averaged right around 50mpg. Oh, there is a lot of bang for the buck in this cruiser at $6,299. Since it’s a 650, insurance costs are low as well. Last, you get a lot of looks when sitting on the Avitar!

All Hyosung motorcycles and scooters have a two-year, bumper-to-bumper, transferable warranty. It doesn’t cover wearable components - you smoke the back tire off (and it can smoke it) - it’s on you.

I can fit the Avitar to almost anyone. Usually I ask people to pick up the bike off the side stand. It feels so light you usually hear, “Wow” or “expletive deleted”. You can stretch your legs with the adjustable footpegs in the forward position or fit a shorter inseam with the pegs about 2″ back in the rear position. It takes about 45 mins to move the pegs. You get everything you need, stock, to adjust them yourself.

It handles as well. The Avitar has Bridgestone Battlax sport bike tires, triple-disc brakes and a low maintenance belt drive. Within the limits of ground clearance it’s a fun, yes I said fun, bike to ride. It is also an easy bike to ride. The clutch is light and it’s geared relatively low making it an easy bike to move off the line. I do recommend the Avitar to new riders - the clutch, light feeling, good brakes and low seat height all add up to a great first bike.

The bike has a bit of an attitude compared with, say, a Honda Shadow. You can plug it along as well but twist it and it goes. The liquid cooling works great in traffic, I sat on Rt. 309 at a standstill for 45 mins and just let it idle. Then the temp guage went halfway between cold and hot, fan comes on then, temp guage goes down, repeat.

It doesn’t feel like it has a lot of flywheel playing through a 5 speed transmission. It’s got a digital dash, a CLOCK - very nice, two trip odometers and an adjustable front suspension for both rebound and compression. The rear shocks are adjustable for preload. The Avitar revs quickly and goes quickly.

You go out, throw your leg over this one, thumb the button and take off. I predict you will do this often, I do. If you want to make a fast bike you can put in a strong motor or make it light. With the Avitar, Hyosung did both and they got it right. Want to hear it from someone else? Look at Chrissa Pedersen’s post when she took her Avitar down the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Then let’s go for a ride!

Brotherly Love

Ok, so the point here is that efficiency goes beyond using less fuel. We put nine scooters and motorcycles in the same space as the MPG Motors F-150.

We only have so much space. Population densities continue to increase in SE Pennsylvania along with many other areas. Scooters and motorcycles take up a lot less space than my truck. Now, a lot of people drive a truck like my truck. I can put a lot of stuff in my truck and I can haul a trailer, a scooter and a bike on the back. It’s a great truck! But, it’s gotta be big so I can haul all that stuff. So we rolled out all these new Hyosung’s into the spot left after I moved my big truck. Nine, nine different vehicles fit in that spot for my truck.

Here’s what I’m after - and I need your help.

First, there are spots in the average parking garage and parking lot that aren’t big enough for your basic parking spot. They have a funny shape, aren’t the right size, you have to turn too sharp to get a car in. So, it’s wasted space and it isn’t getting used.

I want pictures people! I want some pictures of places where a scooter(s) or motorcycle(s) could be parked that isn’t being used. I need the address, owner (or municipality) and a nice digital image.

Next, I want some volunteers that are willing to see if we can’t convert some of this wasted space into better deals for bikers. If a bike doesn’t take the same space as a car, can said biker get a deal on the parking? It happens in other cities, it can happen here.

Bikes and pipes

The following makes no claims of legality of modifications or the affect on warranties. It is just a discussion of the effects on the engine after piping a bike.

Piping a sport bike or cruiser is the most common question we get about upgrades for our motorcycles. That question always makes me nervous particularly if the next question is, “How much does it cost?” Owners pipe their bikes but rarely do the other things they need to do it correctly. Bad things don’t automatically occur, but you can almost never just “change one thing”!

Carbureted or fuel-injected, it doesn’t matter. If you change the exhaust for more power, to change the sound, to make it look better - you probably changed the amount of back-pressure within the muffler and the gas flow through the motor. Whatever it was, whether you like it or not, you changed the flow through the motor.

The cylinder(s) in your stock engine originally got a certain amount of fuel and air mixed together and then burned to create, among other things, exhaust gases, noise and power. The engineer was looking to achieve a ratio of air and fuel somewhere around 14 to 1.

Let’s look at what’s changed by modifying or replacing a pipe… You put in a pipe that is almost always louder and usually makes a claim of reduced back pressure. Fine, it probably does. But what did we really do by installing a pipe with less back pressure? We allowed more gases to flow easily out of the motor. That will pull in more air and a small amount of fuel too. More air than fuel, however. Also, back pressure from the muffler can hold intake gases in the cylinder effectively richening the mixture at lower rpms. Either effect, reducing back pressure and better flow, will lean the fuel-air mixture. Leaning the motor (assuming it was adjusted properly to begin with) increases the combustion temperature and can actually cost you power or take you into a bad area during acceleration like stumbles or hesitation or backfiring on decceleration. You can actually increase or decrease certain pollutants. In extreme cases you can hurt the motor by raising the temperature in the cylinder particularly around the hot parts - like the exhaust valves.

Let’s talk about where we live. In the Philadelphia area (and many areas now) gasoline is a blend of traditional gasoline and ethanol. Ethanol also tends to lean out combustion. It has an oxygen atom that adds air to the mixture. We rarely see rich fuel/air ratios on newer bikes from any manufacturer. They are generally acceptable but on the lean side of acceptable. The ethanol/gasoline in the Philadelphia area just isn’t helping. Take a bike that was running lean with the stock pipe, add ethanol blended fuel and is then piped - you just got yourself a real hot motor.

Please take a look here:

 http://www.dansmc.com/Spark_Plugs/Spark_Plugs_catalog.html

Most of your new bike spark plugs are going to look like #23 in this picture - before you put the pipe on!

I never see electrodes like 13 and 14 (some of the “best” spark plug pictures) on a bike unless the bike was made a while ago or has been rejetted already. What we would like to see is a plug like #18 in the picture.

To pipe your bike the right way, you need to consider the effect of the pipe and adjust the fuel supply to compensate for the increased gas flow through the motor. Your spark plugs give you the best indication of what is happening in the cylinder but you need to check them correctly and, to be really picky about it, at a number of different conditions.

Here is a good discussion of what this entails:

http://hmfengineering.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32

Your traditional carburetor adjustment for an aftermarket pipe is a jet kit. On a fuel-injection motor, you need a device to remap (reprogram) the unit. Both modifications will be working towards adding fuel to cover the additional air allowed into the cylinder by the pipe. The jet kits can include new jets and a different needle. It’s a job to figure out the right jet and needle when you have your new pipe on your own bike and it’s no better than an educated guess by the jet kit developer when the pipe can be one of many pipes out there - each with a slightly different character. This is why you have to do so many plug checks to get it right. “Right” can be affected heavily by the altitude where you ride, the temperature, the humidity, phase of the moon (just kidding about that one)….

There are a lot of different variables. You got to do this right or your pipe will cost you power, pollute more and maybe even hurt the motor.

Second car? First bike!

Great customers (and we have a lot of them!) teach us as much as we pass on to them. One family stopped by recently and told us they needed another vehicle. They had a shared car but their work situation had changed and now they work in two different places - not close! They decided they needed another vehicle. What they did that was generally new, neat and different was that instead of looking for a second car, they went looking for a first motorcycle. Why did this make sense for them? It was more than just one reason…

First our customer had been a motorcyclist in the past and wanted to get back to riding. The ability, knowledge and desire to ride was already there.

Second, the bike will get much better gas mileage and was less expensive than a small used car. Insurance was very affordable and they suited up with the savings getting a DOT/Snell approved helmet to go along with the bike.

Finally, the couple had a fallback option, they planned ahead - when the weather prevents riding, they’re going to accept an increased commute time and take the car or the bus and get dropped off at work before heading off to the other work destination. This makes a long commute that day, but not an impossible situation.

The Hyosung GV250 motorcycle, the Hyosung MS3-250 scooter and the Genuine Scooter Company Buddy scooters are great deals that fit this role perfectly. The MS3-250 Scooter is the most expensive of the three. It lists for $4,300. The GV250 has a list price of $3,499 and the Buddy 125cc scooter sells for as little as $2,599. All of these vehicles return at least about 60mpg, have low insurance costs and can go pretty much anywhere in the Philadelphia area. I don’t recommend taking the Buddy out on the turnpikes and large highways. It’s top speed is just about the average speed out there ~65mph. But the two Hyosung’s can easily exceed that with reported top speeds of about 90mph - plenty of speed for your commute.

So, for just about what you would pay for an older used car, you can get a new bike/scooter, save money and have fun!

Speaking of fun, VespaUSA ran a contest and gave away prizes for the best customer-created video. I love the winning video and saw Rex Hermogino (http://www.rexnfx.com) perform it at the CycleWorld show in Manhattan at the end of December! See if this doesn’t dovetail with what our customers did themselves! Then see if Rex’s song doesn’t get stuck in your head!

Electric Bicycles - Illegal in Pennsylvania!

Folks, I thought when I opened MPG Motors we would at least be able to offer an electric scooter.

EgoVehicles (http://www.egovehicles.com) has two interesting electric scooters.

However, they have not registered as a vehicle manufacturer in Pennsylvania and consequently, as a licensed PA motorcycle dealership, we can’t sell their products. Nor, have we found another brand of electric scooters that has completed the required registrations in PA.

If you see one, please let us know!

Now electric scooters are different from electric bicycles. Electric scooters are not necessarily illegal in PA. They actually can be legal as long as a manufacturer of an DOT/EPA approved electric scooter completes the Pennsylvania State registration process. This vehicle would be registered in one of these categories as a motor vehicle in PA as defined in this document:

http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/pdotforms/fact_sheets/fs-momo.pdf 

This covers, at a high level, mopeds, motor-driven cycles and motorcycles. These are the classes of vehicles we have sold here. We have sold the Whizzer (a moped) and many motor-driven cycles and motorcycles.

Our experience with building a hybrid electric bicycle in 2004 showed us that we have plenty of roads in this area where an electric bicycle would work.

An electric bicycle from a Federal perspective, when designed to operate within certain restrictions, is an electric bicycle and not a motor vehicle. This Public Law was signed in 2002 creating this rule

http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=107_cong_public_laws&docid=f:publ319.107

So, products like those offered by IZip (http://www.izipusa.com/) would seem to be allowed across the US. People that wouldn’t consider ever riding a scooter or motorcycle (they are out there!) might consider an E-Bike. States however, have the ability to further restrict the types of vehicles used on their roads and that is what occurs in Pennsylvania.

Some time ago, I approached Pennsylvania State Senator Greenleaf and in 2006 I asked my representative, Senator Chuck McIllhinney to get a reading on E-Bikes for us. I also later contacted Governor Rendell’s office. Both McIllhinney’s office and the state confirmed that E-Bikes are, in fact, currently illegal for us in Pennsylvania.

Remember, I like to ride big, fast motorcycles too! But in the middle of my town, Doylestown, you can’t go that fast and that is where an E-Bike makes a lot of sense. There are many towns with low speed roads just like Doylestown in SE Pennsylvania. Not that many people are riding scooters or motorcycles yet - we’re working on that! But, most people will use a car instead. When most people jump in cars to get from here to there - even when “there” is a mile away, it just clogs up the roads.

MPG Motors would like to see Pennsylvania law modified to allow electric bikes (E-Bikes). We have followed this about as far as we can for now but I would encourage anyone interested to contact their state representatives to move the ball forward. We know they work, we built one and tested it. But we’re not going to sell you one until we know you won’t get in trouble riding it!

Winter Commuting

There have been a number of days that I continue to ride the bike that have not been at all unpleasant because of a couple of clothing items I am using.

First, I have a windproof, armoured coat from Fieldsheer. This coat has a double seam down the front and a raised collar with velcro strips placed up and down the zippered seam. A windproof coat (check the specs) makes a *huge* difference.

Next, I use Scott gauntlet gloves that prevents any exposed skin at the wrists. They are not heated. So far, after a half hour commute, only my finger tips have gotten cold on the Goldwing - which has to be the best bike in the world for warm winter motorcycling!

I have worn both rain pants that don’t breathe to keep the wind off of my legs as well as ski bib overalls. It’s easier for me to put the bibs on and they seem to work as well with the wind and also provide some more warmth.

On my head, I have a full face HJC helmet and I wear a head stocking that extends down onto my chest and back and under the collar of the coat. I end up looking like this (below) - ready for almost any beauty contest that is near the Artic Circle…

Final note. I am riding when it is less than 32 degrees, but I am really watching very carefully for any pooled water from cars, trucks and from drains.

Winterization

Folks,

If you are done riding for the year in the Greater Philadelphia area you just about *have to* do the following:

1. Treat the fuel. Get some Stabil or other brand of fuel stabilizer. We sell Stabil but so do many other places. One ounce of Stabil will treat 2.5 gallons of gas. Pour in the Stabil, fill up the gas tank and go ride it for 20 minutes. This will make sure that you have burned out the untreated gas in the carburetors. If it turns warm and you decide to ride, just replace the treated gas with more when you are done - Add more gas to top off and some Stabil. You want to have the gas tank full. The more air at the top of the tank allows that much more moist air that will result in surface rusting of the inside of your metal tanks.

The gasoline formulations in the Philadelphia area have apparently had fuel stabilizers removed or fundamentally changed some time ago and we are seeing low speed jet clogging in as few as four weeks. The low speed jets are the smallest and clog the easiest. “Running the bike hard” after clogging rarely clears them out. There isn’t enough vacuum to do it. This will be the traditional “it runs on the choke but won’t idle” scenario.

This does not appear to be a brand specific problem and we are seeing this on a number of manufacturer’s bikes. IOW, it seems to be the gas not the bikes. The ethanol (alcohol) is apparently also bringing in moisture from the ambient air and this is causing problems with some float needles. Some have corroded in place in the float seats and we had to pull some needles out with tools to free them. That is pretty serious for your average float needle! Stabil or some other stabilizer is the best action we can recommend.

2. Charge the battery once a month and don’t let it freeze. Consider purchasing a Battery Tender and use it. The Battery Tenders are “smart chargers” and do not constantly charge the battery. They are designed not to boil off the water and overcharge the battery. When connected they do, however, constantly monitor the state of the battery and top it off when needed. They then go back to monitor mode until the battery sinks down enough to require a light charge again. They charge at a very low amperage but they have nothing else but time so the rate of charge doesn’t really matter.

3. Starting the bike up every so often is ok, but run it long enough to warm up the oil throughly. If you are not using a battery tender starting,  but not running, will really take the battery down. Batteries will charge at idle on most bikes but starting will take quite a bit of energy out of the battery in the winter. If you do start your bike ride it if you can or run it for a while.

Please do these things at least (call us if you want to discuss other things to do) so we don’t have to see you right away in the spring!

The Blended Gas Mileage Spreadsheet

We get the full gamut of concerns or non-concerns about gas mileage with our products. MPG Motors, to some, stands for Miles Per Gallon Motors. To others, MPG Motors stands for Motorsports Performance Group where miles per gallon is their last concern. Honestly, both areas are interesting to me - fast and efficient.

Having said that, I’m also a big believer in doing both things (going quickly as possible as efficiently as possible) and not just talking about them. If you’re concerned about saving gas, save gas. If you want to go fast, go fast. If you want to do both you should at least consider a scooter or motorcycle - almost any scooter or motorcycle. Even large motorcyles average well above the cars most of us drive. The Honda GL1100 Goldwing I am using as a daily driver gets 41 mpg. The Hyosung GV and GT250’s can get up to 70 mpg in commuting service. Granted, the big fuel economy advantage of most scooters and motorcycles pale when you fill a five passenger car with five people when it can get 25 mpg. But (and this is a big BUT in my experience) almost no one drives with their cars full. Carpooling is not well supported even in areas where there are special incentives in an attempt to drive acceptance. Truth be told, I’ve never been able to work carpooling into my life. Hats off to the folks that can carpool, but I’ve never had a job in my life where rigid work hours would work for me.

No, most of us drive a car or truck all the time by ourselves and wish we had a better answer. Now, at MPG Motors we try to offer solutions that aren’t slow and do improve efficiency. I get just as excited when a customer walks in the door and tells me they live in a town, work nearby (but too far to walk) and the roads they travel support travel on a 50cc scooter. I get as fired up helping this customer as I do with a person that wants our biggest bikes. When their mission fits a 50cc profile, that means to me that the top average speed of the other traffic is somewhere in the 25-35 mph range without significant hills. We have a number of towns like these in the area - Doylestown, Quakertown, Dublin, Lansdale - yep fill in your town. Transportation requirements like these allow the smallest scooters to meet the requirement to move one person to their destination and preclude the speed difference that we see with bicycles on shared roads.

MPG Motors did the Great Doylestown Gas Mileage Test back in 2006 to show the folks in Doylestown and towns like Doylestown how small scooters work in our area. They work great but that may also not be your situation. So, one of my customers said I needed a spreadsheet to quantify the gas savings in dollars from using a scooter or motorcycle to *sorta* to *almost* replace their current vehicle. Some people use their bikes *a lot*. Jan Wieck used his TN’G Verona like that. We documented his usage last year here. Other folks are more summertime only riders. But, if you get even a little better mileage and you drive the scooter or motorcycle a little, you are still using less gas than you would have otherwise. And, this is a finer point, if your focus is just not using gas (as opposed to saving money) even driving a higher efficiency vehicle a little helps.

Now there are many articles (I read one tonight) talking negatively about the long payback period of higher efficiency vehicles due to the higher purchase prices of hybrid vehicles. While not free, scooters and motorcycles present a much less expensive form of high-efficiency vehicles than the current crop of hybrid cars. How much cheaper? I made a spreadsheet that you can get here.

You’ll need to know and change to your situation the following:

• The average price of gas (I set it to $3.00)
• The number of miles you drive in a year (I put in 12,500 - the accepted average)
• The gas mileage of your current vehicle and a motorcycle or scooter

Hammer those numbers over the ones there and see what your blended gas mileage cost would be and what you would save over continuing to use one vehicle for everything.