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| Friday, 08 September 2006 | ||||||
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Moscow may not be sick with scooter mania, but every year more and more of the trendy machines are seen around town. Andrew Kinnas is a sophomore and rush chair of Delta Sigma Phi. Last year he bought a small 49cc Yamaha scooter. “In Moscow you honestly don’t need a car, you can pretty much walk anywhere. But a scooter gets you there faster,” Kinnas said. With gas more than $3 a gallon, a scooter’s fuel efficiency can save money for students. “It costs like 2 bucks to fill it up, and it gets like 80 miles to the gallon,” Kinnas said. His scooter also only cost him $900, and annual insurance costs about $100. Senior Brian Finnegan is another Moscow scooter owner, and the idea of buying one was a surprise to him. “My parents and I were driving home at the end of the year and they just said, ‘So, what do you think about getting a scooter?’” Finnegan said. They saw some around Moscow and thought it was a good way for their son to get around town. Now he doesn’t have to beg his friends for rides, and he uses it to go to classes and run chores around town. Finnegan has a Tank 150cc scooter. Unlike the 49cc scooters which go around 35 mph, the larger engine can go up to 60 mph. “I think they’re a good investment,” he said. “They’re cheap and get great gas mileage. I’m definitely a fan of them.” Palouse Country Sports on 218 N. Main is locally owned by Arlin Widman and carries the Vino line of scooters made by Yamaha. Widman has been a certified Yamaha dealer for 33 years and has owned Palouse Country Sports for 13 years. He said he has seen an increase in scooter usage in Moscow. “Every year we sell more,” Widman said. Students buy scooters because of their good gas mileage and easy parking, he said. They shouldn’t necessarily buy the cheapest scooter available. “People who buy a cheap Chinese brand for $899 try to get something repaired or get parts, you can’t find them and the guy who sold them the scooter has left town,” he said. He also advised scooterists to wear protective gear, at least a half-helmet and eye protection. Palouse Country Sports also has a repair shop and can work on most popular models of scooters. “We like to treat people right,” Widman said. “We’re here to serve you.” Scooters are relatively easy to maintain. The average price of annual tune-ups runs $25 to $50. And as Widman said, they’re easy to park. Motorcycle parking is free at the University of Idaho, and there are no plans to change that. “Mostly because there is no good way to protect the permit from being stolen or falling off,” Carla Des Voigne of the Parking and Transportation Department said. Maps of all parking types can be found at Parking and Transportation in the North Campus Center. Students with scooters should be aware of applicable laws. On July 1, 2001, a change in Idaho law lumped scooters into an all-inclusive motorcycle group. “Anything with two wheels and a motor is considered a motorcycle now,” said Cpl. Carl Womack of the Moscow Police Department. This is news to many scooter owners, who said they are able to register their scooters without showing a motorcycle endorsement on their driver’s license. Like many owners, Kinnas said, he bought a scooter instead of a motorcycle because he believed he didn’t need an endorsement. Womack said it is also illegal for anyone under 18 to ride a scooter without a helmet and for a scooter without foot pegs to carry rear passengers. He advised against driving under the influence. “You have to pay so much attention to operate one of those things, you just can’t drink and do it,” he said. But even with the hassle about motorcycle licenses, Kinnas said his scooter was worth it. “It’s just fun to ride.”  Add as favorites (20) | Views: 911
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