Ooooh!! Pretty lights!

Well, I can no longer say that I have never been pulled over by an officer of the law. One of Manheim Township's finest took a dislike to the LED's on the front of my scooter tonight and decided to pull me over. Of course, it didn't help that I was doing 53 in a 40mph zone.

I stated that Title 75 (the PA vehicle code), states that LED pods and strips may be used for vehicle lighting, and he stated that some other longwinded piece of paper specifies that blue and red can't be used on the front. He suggested that I stick to amber. I apologized for speeding, citing that the speedometers on scooters are notorious for being wrong, and stated that I was just enjoying the wind and hadn't really been paying attention, which was true.

In the officer's defense, he was really cool about it. After detaining me for about ten minutes, he let me go with a warning, and I continued on my way.

So, even though I can no longer say that I have never been stopped, I can still say that I have yet to get a citation for a moving violation.

A Suitable Demographic

Yesterday, I mentioned that motorsports companies would do well to adjust their marketing due to the current slump in big bike sales. As mentioned before, big bikes are, by nature, a luxury item. Scooters, (traditional scooters, not maxi-scooters), are not generally a luxury item, with the likely exception of Vespa. This being the case, scooter manufacturers are in a unique position in the motorsports world. They have a product that is economical, comparably inexpensive, and a blast to ride. These three factors make scooters a surefire sales item in an unstable economy.

Consider that last year, scooter sales went up by over 60%. This was largely due to the cost of gas. With the cost of gas down under $2.00 a gallon, fuel prices are no longer as much of an imediate issue for most consumers; however, it is still in the back of many people's minds. I've spoken to several folks who want a scooter for a backup vehicle for when gas prices go up again (and it's likely they will).

As it is, there are several demographics to which scooters could be agressively marketed. I will cover a few, but I'm sure there are more out there.

The campus commuter: College students have always had two needs; money and transportation. Many college students end up with a beat up car and no money for gas. A scooter meets the need for on and off campus transportation, without breaking the bank. They even look cool, especially models like the Yamaha Zuma or the Honda Ruckus.

The rural romper: Can't afford a Harley? Still want to ride around and don't really care what kind of image your vehicle exudes? Well, a scooter is an excellent solution, though something in at least a 150cc model will be recommended. Scooters like the Kymco People series, the Aprilia Scarabeo, or the Piaggio BV series, with their 16" tires are particularly well suited to rural roads and the bumps and potholes they seem to be riddled with.

The Working Woman*: Women have traditionally been ignored by the powersports industry. This could be due to the perception that they simply are not interested in motorcycles. Whether or not that perception is accurate, it is my impression that women are interested in scooters. Scooters don't have the stigma that is often connected to motorcycles. Scooters can also be very chic, something the majority of motorcyles just don't have. For pure chic, nothing beats a Vespa, though the Yamaha Vino 125 has classic looks that rival Vespa.

Each of these demographics could be easily targeted with snappy adds in print media and on television. As suggested by KZ1000ST in an e-mail I recently received, add campaigns like "you meet the nicest people on a Honda" could be easily resurrected. Of course, new add campaigns could be launched as well, but sometimes, resurrecting classic adds can be very effective.

The fact remains, these companies have a window of opportunity they should not ignore.

*credit goes to KZ1000ST for suggesting that scooter manufacturers should market to women.

A warm thank you!

I was curious this evening, so I checked Google Analytics to see the visitor statistics for this blog. I was pleasantly surprized to see that I've been averaging about 15 hits a day and recently I've been seeing about 30 a day with reasonable regularity. Google must take Metamucil...

Anyway, I wanted to thank all of you folks out there that read my ramblings. it is touching that I actually seem to have a following. I have also recently received compliments on my writing style and I can only say that I am blessed to have had a father who taught English for nearly 40 years. He instilled in me a love for literature and writing. This is one of the reasons that, despite my nature as an artistic soul, my blog remains primarily a labor of writing, rather than photography.

Again, I wish to thank you all from the deepest recesses of my heart.

Bigger /= Better

We understand. We, who ride small displacement scooters, understand. There is something about a small engine that the big bikes just don't have. It's not mystique, no, that's not it. It's definitely not speed. Perhaps it is the freedom to simply enjoy the ride. There are side benefits, certainly, but serious scootsters soon discover that it's all about the ride. Big bikes have their advantages, but they certainly don't force one to get off the beaten path in the same way that scooters and small displacment cycles do.

The NY Times recently ran an article about Harley's troubles. As I surmized in a recent post, Harley is headed for trouble, and as one of my readers suggested, it may be too late for them to recover. Marketing a luxury item to people who've suddenly found themselves hard up for cash, well, I think you know where this road leads.

I also ran accross a rumor at Burgmanusa.com that originated in Australia. The rumor indicates that Yamaha may be working on a 750cc, three cylinder version of the T-Max. If this is true, it's likely that the scooter will find itself in a market that may not be able to afford it, especially if it has an MSRP of $10,000 or so, which is likely considering the cost of the T-Max 500. Of course, it may never show up here in the US, even if the rumor is true.

Motorsports companies are in a unique position at the moment. Almost every private industry in the U.S. is currently struggling to keep above water. The exception has been the powersports industry. Scooters and small displacement motorcycles have reportedly been selling very well, despite the current economic climate. Even off-road vehicles have been selling well from what I have read.

To survive, the powersports industry must capitalize on their successes. The door on the big bike industry is currently only open by a small crack; however, the window for scooter and small bike sales is wide open. Perhaps it is time to start agressively marketing these wonderful little vehicles to the demographics for whom they are most appropriately suited.

New Poll

There's quite a bit of buzz about Honda's new scooter offering. The biggest concern seems to be the price. I'm running a poll here and one a couple forums basically for my own curiousity. Not very scientific of course, but most polls are no more scientific than monkey farts, and just about as valuable.