US drivers hop on scooters to dodge rising gas prices

[ketel0ne]

US drivers hop on scooters to dodge rising gas prices (http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/09/04/060904230354.7psrdh0w.html)

With rising gas prices an increasing number of US drivers have hopped on scooters, long a favorite in parts of the world familiar with pricey gasoline.
Karl Levithan, retired at 55, tools around the Washington suburbs on his silver Vespa from April to November while the weather is agreeable.



"Sometimes, less is more," he said, noting that fuel is often more than three dollars per gallon (3.8 liter) now. "Americans should think about more efficient means of transportation."

Scooters get a whopping 60 to 80 miles (97 to 129 kilometers) per gallon of gas compared to fuel hungry cars which average 20 miles (32 kilometers).

This year is set to mark a record in scooter sales although the streets are far from resembling traffic in Milan.

[JanGeo]

Too bad most are two strokes and polute 100 times more than a car going the same distance. I was walking home a few weeks ago and a guy pulled out of a driveway up a street that was boarded by a 12 foot stone wall - the air wasn't moving - I was choking all the way up the street as I walked.

[QDM]

I don't think 2 stroke scooters can be imported any more. The current Vespas are 4 stroke.

Many scooters are pretty elaborate and heavy, with automatic belt drive transmissions that aren't particularly efficient. Best bet for mileage are the Honda Passport scooter/motorcycles of the past. Well over 100 mpg.

Q

[Ryland]

vespa's, at least the new ones are 4 stroke fuel injected, with a catolitic converter, and I beilve meet simaler standerds as a brand new car.
I belive it's true about the stop on importing 2 stroke enignes on road vehicles, but I beilve things like chainsaws are still being imported.

there are a few scooters that have been made as 4 strokes, and only 2 true mopeds ever made and sold in the US that were 4 strokes, with the scooters, stay away from unheard of brands that are made in china, unless you only want to use it for a year as they don't work well.

scooters and mopeds are required to use an automatic tranny, or to be a single speed because they want them to be simple for less restricted licenses, because automatic trannies are horbly inefficent you are either stuck with something that robs your energy, or something that is a single speed, and there for the engine is tuned for a wide range of speeds, and going a normal crusing speed is wound almost all the way out there, burning up alot more gass then needed, and even with a two speed automatic tranny they are still running near wide open 90% of the time, mopeds sometimes get better mileage then a scooter, normaly around 100-120mpg because they have lousy acceleration, thus the peddals are very useful to get up to 5mph, and mopeds are restriced to going 30mph, and a 50cc engine, imagine if we had something like that here for cars, kind of like japan with their little car law, a 660cc engine, under a size, weight, and speed, anyway, I rather like mopeds, but the 4 stroke scooters are really appealing too if you want to go the scooter rout, but nothing beats a little motorcycle.

[The Toecutter]

Only 60 to 80? Geez, a full-size Harley will get 60. That sux!

Aerodynamic drag's a *****, ain't it? Wheras most cars see parity between aero and all other losses ~35 mph, motorcycles and scooters see it at much lower speeds. Scooters probably see more aero drag than all other drag around 15-20 mph, given a human body in bike riding position on an unfared vehicle has a Cd around 1.2. A full size Harley, at least you're in a sitting position less prone to making such high drag and on a vehicle that is slightly more aero than any scooter, hence the good FE.

[JanGeo]

Plus the harley has a big displacement bore so it has better thermal efficency and is usually geared pretty tall. The big thing with the scooter is the variable belt drive / transmission that eats up the fuel economy. If you ever push one the wheels usually don't roll too well either.

[omgwtfbyobbq]

Jezzus, a ATB/MTB has the same (http://damonrinard.com/aero/measuring.htm) CdA a Crown Vic has!

[ma4t]

I love the idea, but I'd be scared to get out of my own driveway on a scooter.

M

[SVOboy]

I love the idea, but I'd be scared to get out of my own driveway on a scooter.

M
Go for it, they're tons of fun, :p

[cfg83]

JanGeo -

Too bad most are two strokes and polute 100 times more than a car going the same distance. I was walking home a few weeks ago and a guy pulled out of a driveway up a street that was boarded by a 12 foot stone wall - the air wasn't moving - I was choking all the way up the street as I walked.

When I had my Honda CB350F, I asked my "Honda Yoda" mechanic if I could retrofit something that would make the exhaust cleaner. He shrugged and said nope. Probably thought I was nuts.

Makes me want to consider a Honda Rebel 250, but I drive too far to make it practicle (too stressfull).

CarloSW2

[Ryland]

my moped uses one quart of oil every 2,500 miles, in a car it's considard acceptable if it burns a quart of oil between 3,000 mile oil changes, burning oil that is not designed to be burnt, as opposed to the moped oil that is designed to burn clean (smokeless, low soot, synthetic 2 stroke oil).
I also have plans, as soon as I get my paper work for my new moped, to start running 10% bio-diesel insted of the 2 stroke oil, mixed with the gas, from my short turm tests last summer it didn't create any problems with my 4 stroke over the course of about 500 miles, so we will see how the compression holds up on a moped, I figure it's ideal because replacement parts are cheap and easy to get, so burning up a pistion or a set of rings might set me back $50 at the most, but I'm pretty confident that it will work without engine damage for thousands of miles.