TheScooterScoop

No run on scooters yet: “No run on scooters yet
Saturday, October 01, 2005
By Kenn Peters
Staff writer

The price of gas has reached record highs, and sales of fuel-sipping motorized scooters are keeping pace in large urban centers, but sales have not shown significant gains in Central New York.

‘Sales are good, but it’s not like the ’70s, when we sold a lot of motorcycles and lightweight motorcycles. My conclusion is that gas was rationed then, but it’s still available now,’ said Fred DeSantis, owner of Fred’s Sport Motors, a Yamaha, Ducati and Husqvarna dealer in Syracuse.

Nonetheless, DeSantis said he’s sold out of his 2005 Yamaha scooter models and is awaiting his 2006 allocation.

DeSantis’ take on the subject is echoed by Steve Solowy, sales manager at Thunder Alley Sports, in Fulton, a dealer of Honda and Eton scooters.

‘We see more people inquiring about scooters, but we don’t see more making that purchase yet,’ said Solowy.

But at the same time Solowy said, ‘There will always be scooter customers regardless of the price of gas.’

Nationwide, about 86,000 scooters will be sold during 2005, about double the number sold five years ago, industry officials say.”