Their “heavy metal thunder” sounds more like a coffee can full of angry wasps. Even at full throttle, the ensuing breeze going 30 mph might only ruffle a few wisps of hair. They're not likely to inspire guttural guitar anthems on par with Steppenwolf's “Born to Be Wild."
But Capital region scooter riders are making their own lifestyle statements. And the scooter user is indeed hopping a rebellious ride, shaking a metaphorical clenched fist at the perceived societal need for big scale and fast speed when traveling.
School and WorkFor
Michigan State University (MSU) freshman Tianyun “Bobby” Lan, a scooter also means never having to wait for the raised arm of a parking gate.
On a recent, gloriously sunny afternoon, the supply chain major simply disembarked from his blue
Roketa MC 02 scooter on the sidewalk and walked inside
SBS Bookstore, 421 E. Grand River Ave., and emerged a few minutes later, strapping on his helmet and scurrying away.
“The gas is cheaper than a car and I don't have to look for a parking lot,” says Lan, who uses the scooter to travel from his Abbot Road apartment to class. “I can park any place.”
The scooter is Lan's first. He bought the machine off
Ebay, paying $700 to have it shipped from Texas to East Lansing.
The Roketa model was made in China, “which really surprised me … because I bought it in Texas,” says the Beijing native with a hint of irony.
While scooters might appear natural traversing the campus arteries of MSU, they are also increasingly turning up along the corridors of commerce.
Camron Gnass, owner of Lansing-based branding and identity design firm
Vision Creative, bought a Honda scooter for the office in the spring.
The agency's headquarters, at 617 E. Michigan Ave. is a few blocks removed from
Downtown Lansing’s Washington Square and is fairly close to the
Frandor Shopping Center on the east.
Instead of going to business meetings or running errands in their vehicles, the eight staff members hop on the moped. Gnass says everyone has used it.
“People kind of giggle about it,” says Gnass, who also gets on the scooter occasionally. “[The staff] thinks it's fun to have. They thought it was a cool addition. We try to do fun stuff for the staff, and it just seemed like a good fit to offer something like this for them to have and use.”
The two-wheeler's positive environmental impact is not lost on Gnass or his Vision Creative crew, which included an interactive designer who rode his bike to work everyday regardless if it rained or snowed.
“We try to think we are pretty conscious of the environment in terms of how we act as a group,” Gnass says.
Erik Larson, executive director of
Impression 5 Science Center, uses his
Vespa scooter to commute six miles from his East Lansing home to work. Larson estimates that he logged 600 miles this summer while spending only $15 in gas.
His shrinking carbon footprint has been eclipsed by something else. “Obviously there was an efficiency piece I was looking for, but then I found I really loved riding it,” says Larson, who uses the Vespa except when there’s inclement weather.
“When I get up in the morning and I find out I can't ride my Vespa, I sort of get upset.”
Style and SubstanceItalian-made Vespas are considered among the scooter industry's elite, which is reflected in their price. An
EVT 4000e Electric Vespa goes for a princely sum of $4,799, while gas-powered classic Vespas fetch upwards of $1,200. Though not as environmentally friendly, the 150cc four-stroke cylinder scooter still boasts 80 MPG.
Vespas — along with
Lambrettas — were the favorite mode of travel among “
Mods” in 1960s England, whose fashion-driven and drug-fueled lifestyle was depicted in the film “
Quadrophenia.”
Vespa brand loyalty remained strong throughout the decades, says Brandon Scott, sales manager at
Full Throttle Motorsports in Dimondale.
“A lot of it is nostalgia,” says Scott, whose dealership sells the coveted high-end scooters. “It's a
Harley-Davidson versus a
Suzuki. Is a Suzuki just as good as bike as a Harley Davidson? Sure, but it still has to be a Harley-Davidson for some people," says Scott. “They are definitely top of the line — a premium unit. You have quality materials. You get a top shelf Italian-made scooter.”
Convenient CoolOverall, scooter sales have waned somewhat since last year when gas spiked at $4 a gallon, Scott says.
While a gallon at the pump is more in line with a good cup of coffee, Greg Martin, a retired systems engineer and occasional MSU student, still prefers his Honda scooter to navigate to the
Starbucks on E. Grand River.
The two-wheelers make sense, he says.
“I have larger motorcycles, but they're not really practical for getting groceries and things like that,” says Martin, who lives in Lansing. “What I wanted is something where I could go five or six miles at a time to have coffee or to go to classes," says Martin.
His
Honda scooter is registered as a motorcycle since the engine is larger than a 50-cubic centimeters piston displacement — one of the criteria the state uses to distinguish mopeds from motorcycles.
Mopeds are also restricted to engines of 2.0 horsepower or less and cannot travel more than 30 mph.
On the road, motorists tend not to make the distinction, Martin says.
“It's easier to find parking as well," he adds. "In East Lansing, free parking is practically non existent.”
To receive Capital Gains free every week, click here.
Larry O'Connor is a mid-Michigan freelance writer who last wrote about the Capital Area's vibrant beach volleyball scene.
Dave Trumpie is the managing photographer for Capital Gains. He is a freelance photographer and owner of Trumpie Photography.
Photos:
A Vespa at Full Throttle Motorsports
Vision Creative's (lft-rt) Jon Eslinger, Jessica Cosens, Jerod Karam
Brandon Scott-sales manager at Full Throttle Motorsports
Erik Larson
Scooters at Full Throttle
All Photographs © Dave Trumpie