Commuters turn to a humble yet efficient mode of transportationAt Motorsport Scooters in North Park, owner Alex Cohn said he has sold out his entire inventory of imported Taiwanese motor scooters – and 50 customers have put their names on a waiting list that requires a $500 deposit.
Tressa Garrison of Normal Heights checked out a Vespa scooter while salesman Eric Aker discussed its features yesterday at Motorsport Scooters in North Park. Sales of name-brand scooters such as Vespa, Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki rose 25 percent during the first three months of the year.
With gas prices topping $4 per gallon, sales have been brisk at Vespa of Oceanside. Depending on the engine, name-brand scooters range from $1,900 to $8,000.
“This is the first time in our history where we have ever been completely sold out of our bikes,” said Cohn, who has been selling motor scooters in San Diego for 16 years.
It's not much different at the Hillcrest showroom of Vespa San Diego, the Fun Bike Center in Kearny Mesa or other stores that sell motor scooters nationwide.
The humble motor scooter, a basic mode of cheap transportation in Europe and Asia, is suddenly posing a challenge to America's longtime love affair with sport utility vehicles and other gas-guzzlers.
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