Check out this pun-filled campaign for Vespa: like "Don't be a gas-hole." Ouch.
http://animalnewyork.com/news/2008/07/gasclown-also-works.php
Content
Headline Campaign for Vespa
Check out this pun-filled campaign for Vespa: like "Don't be a gas-hole." Ouch.
http://animalnewyork.com/news/2008/07/gasclown-also-works.php
Texans are Going Electric
A Sign o' the times for alternative transportation
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121746229279198963.html?mod=yhoofront
Watch the Video
TROFEI MALOSSI - MALOSSI DAY 2006
This is a great video for American kids looking to get into the scooter race scene.
Later in the summer we are organizing our series of Miami Races, it wont be as cool as the Malossi ones but we'll try to build it up and see what happens.
From our good friends at Scooter Maxi
Beyond the Scooter Craze
Unless of course you have been hibernating for the past half year, you surely have seen, heard and read about the scooter craze.
Beyond what’s very obvious today, we want to take a peek at what the future holds for scootering in the U.S.
The knee-jerk answer is a rosy outlook for as far into the future as we can see. The reality is that the scooter market in this country has proven somewhat fickle, and Americans have tended to accept gas price hikes more readily than change their ingrained habits. So, next year scooter importers face some very difficult decisions about how much ramping up of inventory will be appropriate. From our perspective, we expect to see a middling approach. Sharp growth in sales should continue because more people are seeing scooters purchased by the neighbors and on the streets; we are finally reaching critical mass in the U.S. Riding a scooter seen as economical transportation is now almost viewed as mainstream. At the same time, it would be unrealistic to expect anywhere near the 2008 sales growth rate as the heavy media exposure wanes and the public adjusts to higher fuel prices.
At ScooterMaxi, we have been impressed with the intelligent and reasoned conversations we’ve read on various forums regarding the craze. Even more impressive are the very reasonable and honest business principles exhibited by so many dealers who are not gouging customers despite shortages in the availability of popular models. Their admirable actions now will surely serve these dealers well in the long run.
Market Changes in the Middleweight Maxis
If you had predicted two years ago that gas would top $4 a gallon and Japanese motor companies would stop sending 250cc class scooters to the U.S., a properly trained analyst probably would have suggested sending you away for a long rest. Keep in mind that a 250cc Middleweight Maxi is a great way to get around the city and spend some time on winding country roads while sipping gas at double the MPG of your typical Prius. So, what happened? The answer is complicated, but it appears likely that a combination of import quotas related to pollution limits, stiff pricing competition and mega-dealership preferences have all played significant roles.
As far as we know, no one at Kymco, Piaggio Group or SYM is complaining. Those would be the folks who provided most of the strong pricing competition. And while we are on the subject of Middleweights, we should be looking out for 300cc units on the way to the U.S. – sooner or later. First to arrive is the SYM Citycom 300i in the coming weeks, but we expect to be seeing more models Stateside soon.
How about those slower freeway speeds?
What is making Middleweight Maxis more appealing than ever is not only their excellent gas mileage, but their enhanced ability to keep up with the traffic flow on the freeway. No, scooters aren’t going faster, but have you noticed that far fewer folks in cars and trucks are zooming by at 80 mph? The lower speeds are good news for scooterists who are finding they fit in more smoothly with the more-consistent, slower traffic flow.
Remember the old 55 mph National Speed Limit? Well, that’s not likely coming back - no matter how much of a fuel crisis we might encounter. Speed studies showed that the old 55 limit on interstates resulted in some motorists obeying the law while others preferred 70 or 75 – and that big differential clearly resulted in more serious collisions and higher fatality rates. But what would happen if we lowered the 75 maximum to 65 mph? The American Trucking Association estimates that dropping the speed limit by just 10 mph would lower fuel consumption by an impressive 27 percent. The truckers support going to a 65 mph National Speed Limit, and we agree. Not only will the slightly reduced speed save considerable fuel, but more scooterists on Middleweight Maxis would find their freeway travels accommodating and safe.
Folks are watching their fuel consumption more closely than ever, and ScooterMaxi.com is getting a lot more feedback from readers on this topic. A handful of readers challenge our scooter mileage estimates, and we review our calculations regularly. Of course, the folks who keep the closest tabs tend to be riders with conserving fuel in mind. Our estimates try to take into account all kinds of riding styles, various weather conditions, and correction for odometer error (which varies widely by make and model).
All kinds go cross country and beyond
We have some interesting cross-country tourers this year, coming from unusual perspectives. A great deal of publicity has been generated by Piaggio as sponsor of Buddy and Bob (Bernard Rosenbaum and Bob Chase) on their just-completed Lincoln Highway travels from California to NYC. The 70-something MP3 500 riders have nicely chronicled their U.S. tour at www.noagelimitpiaggio.us. The message Piaggio wants to get across is pretty darn unmistakable: you might be getting a little too old to tour on a heavy cruiser, but don’t overlook the smart, cutting-edge alternatives.
A very different tour is chronicled by Alix Bryan at www.peacescooter.com, now better than one year into her 20,000 mile journey. Sponsored in large part by Genuine Scooter Company on a Buddy 125, she was inspired by the words of Jimmy Carter. Her message is far more civic-minded than political. Her play on P.E.A.C.E. is A Patriot’s Exhibition Advancing Community and Environmentalism, on a scooter. By chance, I met her at Scooterville in Minneapolis as she was heading east toward the finish line, and came away impressed with her thoughtfulness, inclusive attitude, and gutsiness. As you might expect given the length of this grueling tour on a scooter not really designed for it, the journey has had its share of mechanical and personal challenges. Alix has an inspiring take on life.
ScooterMaxi evolves
Although we are less than a year into our existence, you probably have started noticing some changes at ScooterMaxi. Thank you goes out to the folks at August Publications for their invaluable assistance in the development of the website. In recent weeks, ScooterMaxi has gone independent, allowing more time devoted to providing quality content. You probably have noticed that Kymco is our first advertiser, with banner buys in June and July. Thank you, Rick Pawelka, for your support! New to the advertising side of it, we really needed to get on the ball with organizing the marketing of the website. Thanks for the kick in the pants, Rick.
So many industry folks have been very encouraging to us. Among them, we want to thank Glenn Hansen of Suzuki, Suzanne McIntosh of Carter Bros. (SYM), Joel Martin (who appears to be everywhere at all times) of Martin Racing Performance, Kevin Andrews of Piaggio/Vespa, and Elke Martin of Brandware Group (Piaggio). I’m sure I have missed some of you who have been helpful – please excuse me.
So many readers, riders and enthusiasts also have given us positive feedback. Thank you! Please continue contacting us with your suggestions and comments. Email: Jim@ScooterMaxi.com.
Read more »
Unless of course you have been hibernating for the past half year, you surely have seen, heard and read about the scooter craze.
Beyond what’s very obvious today, we want to take a peek at what the future holds for scootering in the U.S.
The knee-jerk answer is a rosy outlook for as far into the future as we can see. The reality is that the scooter market in this country has proven somewhat fickle, and Americans have tended to accept gas price hikes more readily than change their ingrained habits. So, next year scooter importers face some very difficult decisions about how much ramping up of inventory will be appropriate. From our perspective, we expect to see a middling approach. Sharp growth in sales should continue because more people are seeing scooters purchased by the neighbors and on the streets; we are finally reaching critical mass in the U.S. Riding a scooter seen as economical transportation is now almost viewed as mainstream. At the same time, it would be unrealistic to expect anywhere near the 2008 sales growth rate as the heavy media exposure wanes and the public adjusts to higher fuel prices.
At ScooterMaxi, we have been impressed with the intelligent and reasoned conversations we’ve read on various forums regarding the craze. Even more impressive are the very reasonable and honest business principles exhibited by so many dealers who are not gouging customers despite shortages in the availability of popular models. Their admirable actions now will surely serve these dealers well in the long run.
Market Changes in the Middleweight Maxis
If you had predicted two years ago that gas would top $4 a gallon and Japanese motor companies would stop sending 250cc class scooters to the U.S., a properly trained analyst probably would have suggested sending you away for a long rest. Keep in mind that a 250cc Middleweight Maxi is a great way to get around the city and spend some time on winding country roads while sipping gas at double the MPG of your typical Prius. So, what happened? The answer is complicated, but it appears likely that a combination of import quotas related to pollution limits, stiff pricing competition and mega-dealership preferences have all played significant roles.
As far as we know, no one at Kymco, Piaggio Group or SYM is complaining. Those would be the folks who provided most of the strong pricing competition. And while we are on the subject of Middleweights, we should be looking out for 300cc units on the way to the U.S. – sooner or later. First to arrive is the SYM Citycom 300i in the coming weeks, but we expect to be seeing more models Stateside soon.
How about those slower freeway speeds?
What is making Middleweight Maxis more appealing than ever is not only their excellent gas mileage, but their enhanced ability to keep up with the traffic flow on the freeway. No, scooters aren’t going faster, but have you noticed that far fewer folks in cars and trucks are zooming by at 80 mph? The lower speeds are good news for scooterists who are finding they fit in more smoothly with the more-consistent, slower traffic flow.
Remember the old 55 mph National Speed Limit? Well, that’s not likely coming back - no matter how much of a fuel crisis we might encounter. Speed studies showed that the old 55 limit on interstates resulted in some motorists obeying the law while others preferred 70 or 75 – and that big differential clearly resulted in more serious collisions and higher fatality rates. But what would happen if we lowered the 75 maximum to 65 mph? The American Trucking Association estimates that dropping the speed limit by just 10 mph would lower fuel consumption by an impressive 27 percent. The truckers support going to a 65 mph National Speed Limit, and we agree. Not only will the slightly reduced speed save considerable fuel, but more scooterists on Middleweight Maxis would find their freeway travels accommodating and safe.
Folks are watching their fuel consumption more closely than ever, and ScooterMaxi.com is getting a lot more feedback from readers on this topic. A handful of readers challenge our scooter mileage estimates, and we review our calculations regularly. Of course, the folks who keep the closest tabs tend to be riders with conserving fuel in mind. Our estimates try to take into account all kinds of riding styles, various weather conditions, and correction for odometer error (which varies widely by make and model).
All kinds go cross country and beyond
We have some interesting cross-country tourers this year, coming from unusual perspectives. A great deal of publicity has been generated by Piaggio as sponsor of Buddy and Bob (Bernard Rosenbaum and Bob Chase) on their just-completed Lincoln Highway travels from California to NYC. The 70-something MP3 500 riders have nicely chronicled their U.S. tour at www.noagelimitpiaggio.us. The message Piaggio wants to get across is pretty darn unmistakable: you might be getting a little too old to tour on a heavy cruiser, but don’t overlook the smart, cutting-edge alternatives.
A very different tour is chronicled by Alix Bryan at www.peacescooter.com, now better than one year into her 20,000 mile journey. Sponsored in large part by Genuine Scooter Company on a Buddy 125, she was inspired by the words of Jimmy Carter. Her message is far more civic-minded than political. Her play on P.E.A.C.E. is A Patriot’s Exhibition Advancing Community and Environmentalism, on a scooter. By chance, I met her at Scooterville in Minneapolis as she was heading east toward the finish line, and came away impressed with her thoughtfulness, inclusive attitude, and gutsiness. As you might expect given the length of this grueling tour on a scooter not really designed for it, the journey has had its share of mechanical and personal challenges. Alix has an inspiring take on life.
ScooterMaxi evolves
Although we are less than a year into our existence, you probably have started noticing some changes at ScooterMaxi. Thank you goes out to the folks at August Publications for their invaluable assistance in the development of the website. In recent weeks, ScooterMaxi has gone independent, allowing more time devoted to providing quality content. You probably have noticed that Kymco is our first advertiser, with banner buys in June and July. Thank you, Rick Pawelka, for your support! New to the advertising side of it, we really needed to get on the ball with organizing the marketing of the website. Thanks for the kick in the pants, Rick.
So many industry folks have been very encouraging to us. Among them, we want to thank Glenn Hansen of Suzuki, Suzanne McIntosh of Carter Bros. (SYM), Joel Martin (who appears to be everywhere at all times) of Martin Racing Performance, Kevin Andrews of Piaggio/Vespa, and Elke Martin of Brandware Group (Piaggio). I’m sure I have missed some of you who have been helpful – please excuse me.
So many readers, riders and enthusiasts also have given us positive feedback. Thank you! Please continue contacting us with your suggestions and comments. Email: Jim@ScooterMaxi.com.
High Rev Buggy 250cc Carb upgrade now available MRP
High Rev is a new brand on the market of Go Karts and Buggies. We're the first company in the USA to start making performance parts for them. Stay tuned for more info on High Rev Karts.
htttp://www.mrp-speed.com
Shifter Knobs for buggies and go karts by MRP
Ok, for all our buggy and go kart fans we just got some of our billet parts in and they are selling fast.
Mating the 54mm cylinder to Stroker Crank 2
This is a great video link for anyone with a DIO engine. The Honda Dio is coming back into the states thanks to all the new SYM and Kymco engines appearing which are based on this popular engine.
We have a full selection of engine upgrades for the Honda Dio from transmissions to the cylinders.
The surge in US scooter sales
SCOOTER SALES AND SCOOTER PART SALES ARE BOOMING!!!
Yeay, we're all going to be rich! No, not really. It's taking off, but the magic is in the numbers so you have to carefully analyze what's happening to see the real winners of the US scooter sales boom this year.
Sales all over the world are booming when it comes to scooters. Americans tend to forget gas is going up everywhere not just here. We're just not used to inflation. I keep thinking scooters will really take off once gas hits $5 and when you think about it America will be better off in the long run for it. We need $5 gas so that cities like Miami, Denver, LA, will invest in more metro-rails. Seriously, I would like the whole world to be covered in the Disney style monorails you take at the magic kingdom. I mean weren't those supposed to be like high tech back in the 60's and thier still the best monorails in the world. It just shows how corrupt and innefficient local authorities are in this country when it comes to public transportation. Reminds me of the whole story behind Roger Rabbit and how the auto industry destroyed the trolly system and got rid of toon town. Only toon town in Miami is city hall with its thirty years of innefficiencies when it comes to building a working monorail system.
However, we have a solution. More scooters. Yes, more scooters will make sure I'm not stuck in traffic for two hours. Miami is starting to look a lot more like a small Italian city with the number of bikes I see on the road and I'm starting to like it. I might not be importing bikes anymore, but now I can appreciate all the brands regardless of who imports them because they are not my competition. Simply put the more scooters on the road the more demand there is for MRP and our work here.
My friends in the UK are telling us that sales are up there as well. The UK has some of the highest fuel prices and car taxes in Europe right now. Their version of the MIC or Motorcycle Industry Association show that scooters are up about 20%. In the US its much higher our MIC says 28%. Our MIC only includes a handful of companies so theres no way of knowing who is really selling what. So there's no way of confirming say SYM, Lifan, Linhai, or even Genuine sales because none report to the MIC the true numbers. You can go by US customs data but that also doesnt say much because you dont know whats sitting on the dealer floors. So the US market is hard to figure out. I've tried for the last 8 years and honestly most reporters don't dig that deep they just copy whatever the Piaggio press release says or the PR agency thats pushing the annual sales increase in the US market. I should know I used to be one of the guy paying the PR agencies.
With gas currently selling at nearly £1.20 or like $8.50 a gallon sales in the UK are bound to go higher. Italy is also having a good year in sales. Scooter sales figures in Italy and much of Europe are public knowledge so its easy to see what brands are selling the best. It seems that when you look at the top ten European Scooter markets there is a huge difference with the US. What you see in Europe is basically the best selling brands are in order Honda, Piaggio, Peugeot, Yamaha, and in the Maxi range the Suzuki dominates in sales next to Honda and Piaggio group. Piaggio group has Aprilia, Gillera, Vespa, and Piaggio so they dominate most sales lists in most countries like in Spain with Derbi in the sub 125 category and in much of Europe with Vespa sales. If you look at the list closely you will see several Aprilia models in the top sellers yet in the US they only move close to 2,000 pieces a year. That's because Piaggio's main goal is Vespa and the company doesn't properly promote Aprilia. I honestly think this year they could have sold several thousand more had they had the variety they have in Europe. They took Derbi out of the market so they wouldnt compete against themselves which was another mistake. Derbi had quite a following thanks to Ozz Imports and the work Ozzy Saez did for ten years as the importer. He built the following in the USA and not a week goes by that MRP doesnt sell a belt or a cylinder kit for the Derbi brand. We still sell more Derbi parts than parts for new bikes like Daelim or Piaggio which tells me something about the passion behind the ownership of this brand. Maybe Piaggio should look into that.
There is a huge difference with the US where recently CPI has shut its sales office and Daelim is switching importers. Both these brands do extremely well in Europe. It's a shame they werent marketed right in the USA because both could have done an amazing job. Daelim has some sick looking 125 units and the new Besbi 125 is the best retro scooter I've seen. Companies like PGO hardly have any sales in Europe, but the US importer Genuine has done an amazing job in marketing the Bubu units (Buddy in the USA) but in Europe it doesnt even appear on the map as a selling unit since some countries don't have importers for the brand. I think the factory is now taking lessons in marketing from its US importer because supposedly Genuine is the best importer in the world right now for the brand. It's amazing how a small importer was able to kick Vespa's butt in their own dealerships this year.
PGO is relatively small compared to the giants in Taiwan. The main Taiwanese OEMs are Kymco and SYM. Kymco which wasnt on any top list in Europe when I first went to Spain 15 years ago now appears everywhere. You can't walk in Rome without seeing a Kymco. Both are giving Italian brands a run for the money. SYM has a top selling unit in several countries in the 125cc range and they've done extremely well with Carter this year. When I first started importing the SYM line in 2003 nobody wanted to buy them because of the price, but since then the American consumer has changed and more and more consumers are willing to pay for a quality Asian scooter like a SYM, PGO, or Kymco. These are often purchased at smaller mom and pop dealerships which now have a market for them like never before. These brands also have higher returns than say a Vespa or Honda which have almost not margins whatsoever for the American dealership.
For example these are the best selling Luxury and Sport 125 category scooters (150cc units are not popular because of licensing laws in Europe)
Luxury Scooter 125
Honda
FES 125 Pantheon
Aprilia
Atlantic 125
Aprilia
Leonardo 125
Daelim
NS 125 III
Daelim
S2 125
Daelim
SL 125 History
Jialing
JL 125 T Speedeyes
Kymco
B&W 125
Kymco
New Dink 125
Kymco
Grand Dink 125
Linhai
LH 125 Monarch
Malaguti
Madison 3 125
Peugeot
Elystar 125
Peugeot
Satelis 125
Piaggio
MP 3 125
Piaggio
X8 125 /Street
Piaggio
X9 125
San Yang
GTS 125 Voyager /Joymax
San Yang
Joyride 125
Suzuki
UH 125 Burgman
Yamaha
YP 125 Majesty
Sport Scooter 125
Peugeot
Speedfight 2 100
CPI
Hussar /Oliver 125
Derbi
GP 1 125
Gilera
Nexus 125
Gilera
Runner VX 125
Keeway
KW 125 T Arn /Matrix
Malaguti
Phantom Max 125
Peugeot
Jetforce 125
San Yang
Shark 125
Yamaha
XP 125 X-Max
XP 125 Skycruiser
Then you have the Maxi Scooters
Big Luxury Scooter 150-250cc
Honda
FES 150 Pantheon
Peugeot
Elystar 150
Piaggio
X8 150 Street
Suzuki
UH 150 Burgman
Yamaha
YP 180 Majesty
Kymco
New Dink 200 i.e.
Piaggio
X8 200
San Yang
Joyride 200
Suzuki
UH 200 Burgman
Honda
FES 250 Foresight
Honda
NSS 250 Forza /EX
Honda
JAZZ 250
Aprilia
Atlantic 250
Daelim
S2 250
Kymco
B&W 250
Kymco
Grand Dink 250
Kymco
Xciting 250 i.e.
Malaguti
Madison 3 250
Peugeot
Satelis 250
Piaggio
MP 3 250
Piaggio
X8 250
Piaggio
X9 250 Evolution
San Yang
GTS 250 Voyager /Joymax
Suzuki
AN 250 Burgman
Yamaha
YP 250 Majesty
Honda
SH 150
CF Moto
E-Charm /Ona 150
CF Moto
E-Jewel /Urban-R 150
Kymco
People 150
Malaguti
Ciak Master 150
Aprilia
Sportcity 200
Aprilia
Scarabeo 200 Street
Kymco
People S 200 i.e.
Malaguti
Ciak Master 200
San Yang
HD 200 /Evo
Piaggio
Beverly 200
Piaggio
Carnaby 200
Piaggio
Liberty 200 /S
Aprilia
Scarabeo 250
Aprilia
Sportcity 250
Kymco
People S 250 i.e.
Malaguti
Password 250
Peugeot
Geopolis 250 /ABS
Piaggio
Beverly 250 /Cruiser
Yamaha
X-City 250
If we are to assume the US market is ten years behind Europe when it comes to the scooter craze I still believe our next big area of growth will be the MAXI Scooter range. There's a reason Yamaha is unleashing the T-Max this year. They have the market data to know this is what Americans want. It also has better margins for the dealers than the 50cc units which hardly make any money for the stores.
If you look at the list above you will also notice a name like CF Moto. This is mainland China. The company is also having a great year in the USA and their numbers are impressive. So far the US subsidiary has doubled the number of stores and there are waiting lists for the V3 250cc unit. If you look at the fact that in 2 years they are on the best selling list in Europe it should say something about the future of the company in America.
I also noticed something on the list this year. The fact that Honda and Suzuki in the US have been slow to take notice of the scooter surge. They havent started importing all the cooler units they sell in other countries. I think this is a huge mistake. Companies like Kymco, SYM, CF Moto have the funding and the factories now produce in mainland China. They are building strong distribution networks in the USA. American Honda dealers neglect scooters and need training. Most of them dont offer a scooter performance or accessories center. Basically you buy your Ruckus at a Honda dealership and then you take down the street to the MRP mom and pop shop for customization. They keep loosing business and sales because their dealers arent trained. By the time they catch on and release newer models in the USA it will be too late.
Overall I'm impressed with what I'm seeing on the list in both Europe and the US. Everyone is having a great year in the USA. Im surprised some companies like Adly closed its doors and had to set up an importer. The brand is probably in better hands now that Hammerhead is the distributor. American sales teams and marketing teams tend to do better than Taiwanse management when it comes to selling to Americans (just look at what Genuine did with PGO) the same applies to CPI. The company had the ultimate scooter with the GTR. It was the bastard son of Superman and a Dragster 180. I can't believe they were unable to build a brand around such a cool looking bike. Now that both companies will have new representation I have a feeling the scooters will sell a lot better.
Compared to the cost of a new car, motor scooters are a real bargain. They are not for everyone. If you have no balance or have ADD I highly suggest you dont drive one. I sold scooters at a dealership and I saw people crash right on the test drive. I also think everyone in Florida and any other state should have to take a scooter driving class. American's arent used to drving in he rain either. Seems like the moment it rains in Miami everyone on a scooter falls off a bridge or something, so take it slow when your in the rain. That's the most important advice I can give besides wearing a helmet. It's a no helmet state and if I have to go anywhere on an open road I wear one. I might not have one in some of my videos, but I've been riding 20 plus years so I know. Whether a motor scooter is right for you depends on many questions that you need to ask yourself and your dealer.
So yes, the US market is taking off and sales are going up. A lot of dealers that were calling me in December fearing they were going to close can now make their payments on their house and are probably making a lot more money than they should. My next rant will remind them to accessorize and save for the winter. In any case I'm happy that overall the US market is doing well and there is siffucient room for growth. All the companies from Kymco, Genuine, SYM, TGB, Diamo are all reporting higher sales. That to me is progress and a good future for the US emerging scooter industry.
Ok, Hellboy is about to start but that's it for my weekly rant. If you would like to know more about the emerging US market and whats going on in the scooter world email me or read some of my articles on http://justgottascoot.com/
Read more »
Yeay, we're all going to be rich! No, not really. It's taking off, but the magic is in the numbers so you have to carefully analyze what's happening to see the real winners of the US scooter sales boom this year.
Sales all over the world are booming when it comes to scooters. Americans tend to forget gas is going up everywhere not just here. We're just not used to inflation. I keep thinking scooters will really take off once gas hits $5 and when you think about it America will be better off in the long run for it. We need $5 gas so that cities like Miami, Denver, LA, will invest in more metro-rails. Seriously, I would like the whole world to be covered in the Disney style monorails you take at the magic kingdom. I mean weren't those supposed to be like high tech back in the 60's and thier still the best monorails in the world. It just shows how corrupt and innefficient local authorities are in this country when it comes to public transportation. Reminds me of the whole story behind Roger Rabbit and how the auto industry destroyed the trolly system and got rid of toon town. Only toon town in Miami is city hall with its thirty years of innefficiencies when it comes to building a working monorail system.
However, we have a solution. More scooters. Yes, more scooters will make sure I'm not stuck in traffic for two hours. Miami is starting to look a lot more like a small Italian city with the number of bikes I see on the road and I'm starting to like it. I might not be importing bikes anymore, but now I can appreciate all the brands regardless of who imports them because they are not my competition. Simply put the more scooters on the road the more demand there is for MRP and our work here.
My friends in the UK are telling us that sales are up there as well. The UK has some of the highest fuel prices and car taxes in Europe right now. Their version of the MIC or Motorcycle Industry Association show that scooters are up about 20%. In the US its much higher our MIC says 28%. Our MIC only includes a handful of companies so theres no way of knowing who is really selling what. So there's no way of confirming say SYM, Lifan, Linhai, or even Genuine sales because none report to the MIC the true numbers. You can go by US customs data but that also doesnt say much because you dont know whats sitting on the dealer floors. So the US market is hard to figure out. I've tried for the last 8 years and honestly most reporters don't dig that deep they just copy whatever the Piaggio press release says or the PR agency thats pushing the annual sales increase in the US market. I should know I used to be one of the guy paying the PR agencies.
With gas currently selling at nearly £1.20 or like $8.50 a gallon sales in the UK are bound to go higher. Italy is also having a good year in sales. Scooter sales figures in Italy and much of Europe are public knowledge so its easy to see what brands are selling the best. It seems that when you look at the top ten European Scooter markets there is a huge difference with the US. What you see in Europe is basically the best selling brands are in order Honda, Piaggio, Peugeot, Yamaha, and in the Maxi range the Suzuki dominates in sales next to Honda and Piaggio group. Piaggio group has Aprilia, Gillera, Vespa, and Piaggio so they dominate most sales lists in most countries like in Spain with Derbi in the sub 125 category and in much of Europe with Vespa sales. If you look at the list closely you will see several Aprilia models in the top sellers yet in the US they only move close to 2,000 pieces a year. That's because Piaggio's main goal is Vespa and the company doesn't properly promote Aprilia. I honestly think this year they could have sold several thousand more had they had the variety they have in Europe. They took Derbi out of the market so they wouldnt compete against themselves which was another mistake. Derbi had quite a following thanks to Ozz Imports and the work Ozzy Saez did for ten years as the importer. He built the following in the USA and not a week goes by that MRP doesnt sell a belt or a cylinder kit for the Derbi brand. We still sell more Derbi parts than parts for new bikes like Daelim or Piaggio which tells me something about the passion behind the ownership of this brand. Maybe Piaggio should look into that.
There is a huge difference with the US where recently CPI has shut its sales office and Daelim is switching importers. Both these brands do extremely well in Europe. It's a shame they werent marketed right in the USA because both could have done an amazing job. Daelim has some sick looking 125 units and the new Besbi 125 is the best retro scooter I've seen. Companies like PGO hardly have any sales in Europe, but the US importer Genuine has done an amazing job in marketing the Bubu units (Buddy in the USA) but in Europe it doesnt even appear on the map as a selling unit since some countries don't have importers for the brand. I think the factory is now taking lessons in marketing from its US importer because supposedly Genuine is the best importer in the world right now for the brand. It's amazing how a small importer was able to kick Vespa's butt in their own dealerships this year.
PGO is relatively small compared to the giants in Taiwan. The main Taiwanese OEMs are Kymco and SYM. Kymco which wasnt on any top list in Europe when I first went to Spain 15 years ago now appears everywhere. You can't walk in Rome without seeing a Kymco. Both are giving Italian brands a run for the money. SYM has a top selling unit in several countries in the 125cc range and they've done extremely well with Carter this year. When I first started importing the SYM line in 2003 nobody wanted to buy them because of the price, but since then the American consumer has changed and more and more consumers are willing to pay for a quality Asian scooter like a SYM, PGO, or Kymco. These are often purchased at smaller mom and pop dealerships which now have a market for them like never before. These brands also have higher returns than say a Vespa or Honda which have almost not margins whatsoever for the American dealership.
For example these are the best selling Luxury and Sport 125 category scooters (150cc units are not popular because of licensing laws in Europe)
Luxury Scooter 125
Honda
FES 125 Pantheon
Aprilia
Atlantic 125
Aprilia
Leonardo 125
Daelim
NS 125 III
Daelim
S2 125
Daelim
SL 125 History
Jialing
JL 125 T Speedeyes
Kymco
B&W 125
Kymco
New Dink 125
Kymco
Grand Dink 125
Linhai
LH 125 Monarch
Malaguti
Madison 3 125
Peugeot
Elystar 125
Peugeot
Satelis 125
Piaggio
MP 3 125
Piaggio
X8 125 /Street
Piaggio
X9 125
San Yang
GTS 125 Voyager /Joymax
San Yang
Joyride 125
Suzuki
UH 125 Burgman
Yamaha
YP 125 Majesty
Sport Scooter 125
Peugeot
Speedfight 2 100
CPI
Hussar /Oliver 125
Derbi
GP 1 125
Gilera
Nexus 125
Gilera
Runner VX 125
Keeway
KW 125 T Arn /Matrix
Malaguti
Phantom Max 125
Peugeot
Jetforce 125
San Yang
Shark 125
Yamaha
XP 125 X-Max
XP 125 Skycruiser
Then you have the Maxi Scooters
Big Luxury Scooter 150-250cc
Honda
FES 150 Pantheon
Peugeot
Elystar 150
Piaggio
X8 150 Street
Suzuki
UH 150 Burgman
Yamaha
YP 180 Majesty
Kymco
New Dink 200 i.e.
Piaggio
X8 200
San Yang
Joyride 200
Suzuki
UH 200 Burgman
Honda
FES 250 Foresight
Honda
NSS 250 Forza /EX
Honda
JAZZ 250
Aprilia
Atlantic 250
Daelim
S2 250
Kymco
B&W 250
Kymco
Grand Dink 250
Kymco
Xciting 250 i.e.
Malaguti
Madison 3 250
Peugeot
Satelis 250
Piaggio
MP 3 250
Piaggio
X8 250
Piaggio
X9 250 Evolution
San Yang
GTS 250 Voyager /Joymax
Suzuki
AN 250 Burgman
Yamaha
YP 250 Majesty
Honda
SH 150
CF Moto
E-Charm /Ona 150
CF Moto
E-Jewel /Urban-R 150
Kymco
People 150
Malaguti
Ciak Master 150
Aprilia
Sportcity 200
Aprilia
Scarabeo 200 Street
Kymco
People S 200 i.e.
Malaguti
Ciak Master 200
San Yang
HD 200 /Evo
Piaggio
Beverly 200
Piaggio
Carnaby 200
Piaggio
Liberty 200 /S
Aprilia
Scarabeo 250
Aprilia
Sportcity 250
Kymco
People S 250 i.e.
Malaguti
Password 250
Peugeot
Geopolis 250 /ABS
Piaggio
Beverly 250 /Cruiser
Yamaha
X-City 250
If we are to assume the US market is ten years behind Europe when it comes to the scooter craze I still believe our next big area of growth will be the MAXI Scooter range. There's a reason Yamaha is unleashing the T-Max this year. They have the market data to know this is what Americans want. It also has better margins for the dealers than the 50cc units which hardly make any money for the stores.
If you look at the list above you will also notice a name like CF Moto. This is mainland China. The company is also having a great year in the USA and their numbers are impressive. So far the US subsidiary has doubled the number of stores and there are waiting lists for the V3 250cc unit. If you look at the fact that in 2 years they are on the best selling list in Europe it should say something about the future of the company in America.
I also noticed something on the list this year. The fact that Honda and Suzuki in the US have been slow to take notice of the scooter surge. They havent started importing all the cooler units they sell in other countries. I think this is a huge mistake. Companies like Kymco, SYM, CF Moto have the funding and the factories now produce in mainland China. They are building strong distribution networks in the USA. American Honda dealers neglect scooters and need training. Most of them dont offer a scooter performance or accessories center. Basically you buy your Ruckus at a Honda dealership and then you take down the street to the MRP mom and pop shop for customization. They keep loosing business and sales because their dealers arent trained. By the time they catch on and release newer models in the USA it will be too late.
Overall I'm impressed with what I'm seeing on the list in both Europe and the US. Everyone is having a great year in the USA. Im surprised some companies like Adly closed its doors and had to set up an importer. The brand is probably in better hands now that Hammerhead is the distributor. American sales teams and marketing teams tend to do better than Taiwanse management when it comes to selling to Americans (just look at what Genuine did with PGO) the same applies to CPI. The company had the ultimate scooter with the GTR. It was the bastard son of Superman and a Dragster 180. I can't believe they were unable to build a brand around such a cool looking bike. Now that both companies will have new representation I have a feeling the scooters will sell a lot better.
Compared to the cost of a new car, motor scooters are a real bargain. They are not for everyone. If you have no balance or have ADD I highly suggest you dont drive one. I sold scooters at a dealership and I saw people crash right on the test drive. I also think everyone in Florida and any other state should have to take a scooter driving class. American's arent used to drving in he rain either. Seems like the moment it rains in Miami everyone on a scooter falls off a bridge or something, so take it slow when your in the rain. That's the most important advice I can give besides wearing a helmet. It's a no helmet state and if I have to go anywhere on an open road I wear one. I might not have one in some of my videos, but I've been riding 20 plus years so I know. Whether a motor scooter is right for you depends on many questions that you need to ask yourself and your dealer.
So yes, the US market is taking off and sales are going up. A lot of dealers that were calling me in December fearing they were going to close can now make their payments on their house and are probably making a lot more money than they should. My next rant will remind them to accessorize and save for the winter. In any case I'm happy that overall the US market is doing well and there is siffucient room for growth. All the companies from Kymco, Genuine, SYM, TGB, Diamo are all reporting higher sales. That to me is progress and a good future for the US emerging scooter industry.
Ok, Hellboy is about to start but that's it for my weekly rant. If you would like to know more about the emerging US market and whats going on in the scooter world email me or read some of my articles on http://justgottascoot.com/
New Smyrna Beach Scooters Dealer Interview Kymco Agility
On this episode of Scooter Adventures we interview Larry Johnson of New Smyrna Beach Scooters he's a Lance, Kymco, Mojo, Schwinn scooter dealer in one of the best year round locations in the country. We also test drive the Kymco Agility 50cc scooter. He's totally sold out of product and just happened to get a bunch of scooters that week which were already pre-sold. The scooter sales boom of 2008 while the rest of the US economy has been tanking lately the scooter stores are cashing in. We also had a great time driving along the beach and eating at some of the finer locations along New Smyrna Beach. Highly reccomended for any scooter fan or tourist that happens to be nearby. To find out more about MRP our dealers and our parts visit http://www.mrp-speed.com
Larry is just one example of the scooter sales boom thats going on right now. We will be posting more stories like this in the weeks to come.
Summer 2008 MRP Scooter Racing at Miami County Line Speedway
This summer Scooter Racing night is coming back to Miami thanks to MRP. We will have both sponsored local racers from South Florida and everyone is invited. It will be open to the public at County Line Drag Way. Stay Tuned for more updates....
A message for our dealers Join the MRP nation!
Guys, this is an election year and scooter sales are up. Gas prices, the economic slowdown, and just interest in the units have sent scooter sales skyrocketing. Some say its $4 gas and the possibility of $5 gas before the end of the year, but who knows what it could be. So lots of new stores opening, lots of interest. More sales than ever before, but what about the quality of stores and stock? Are most of these new stores Just In Time stores? or are they stocking parts and accessories. We want all the new dealers to see us as their partners. I'm not saying the US should be more like Rome next week, but if you're new to the industry or if you are opening a scooter shop stock parts, sell online, and learn about what you sell. There is more to the store than just selling scooters in the store.
The Motorcycle Industry Council says nationwide, sales were up 24 percent in the first quarter of 2008, and there's no indication they're going to let up. Sales of scooters are up and so parts are going up as well, but you have to prepare and have the right suppliers. So make MRP your partner in this new project.
If you have a scooter store or your opening a scooter store give us a call.
Scootertronics upgrade
This is one of our dealers http://www.scootertronics.com
upgrading an engine with our MRP parts. They are doing an awesome job and I have to say Im glad they are putting this out there because it will really encourage more racers in the USA to pick up a GY6 scooter and hit the track.
