| Scooter Market
Report
“Scooters are inexpensive to buy and inexpensive to run, with most getting 60-plus mpg and, here in the States, people are finally getting it: the scooter is a great mode of transportation all the way around,” stated Evan Escalante of CFMOTO
Powersports. Since it doesn’t look like consumers will be getting a break at the gas pump anytime soon, offering them a money-saving alternative to their car or SUV could help you weather the declining new unit storm of 2008. We’ve contacted a number of the industry’s leading scooter companies to learn more about their latest models in this month’s Market Report.
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The latest from American New Century, manufacturer of the CoolSports brand of scooters, is its new line of electric scooters, said company spokesperson David Ling. This new line makes a great addition to your dealership as a way to offer your customers the chance to save gas, save the environment and save their wallet, said Ling. The DYMQT-1, QT-2 and QT-3 are available as 500 watt models and feature 10-20 amps, he explained. Each charge, Ling continued, will power the scooters for up to 50 miles with a max speed of 40 mph. He concluded by reminding dealers that all models are street legal and are perfect for students and in-town workers.
American New Century
www.anccoolsports.com |
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“The Saint-Tropez and the Pamplona now join the new Italia as the fastest scooters in their size class, achieving highway speeds easily and still offering 90 mpg average ratings,” stated Genuine Scooter Company President Philip
McCaleb. Also new are the Buddy International Series, which come in 150cc versions and feature an on-board cell phone charger, great storage, over 20 custom accessories and a 139 decibel Stebel air horn as standard (also featured is the Rattler, pictured on pg. 14). “The Buddy’s horn is a great safety feature … it scares automobile drivers into noticing that the two wheelers are sharing their space!” exclaimed
McCaleb. Everyone copies everyone else, he noted, and all big wheel scooters look the same and most manufacturers or distributors could care less about selling through to the end-users. “I see very few original ideas and no one that’s interested in driving sales to the dealers. The trend is to follow the brands that have the most consumer loyalty and satisfaction,” he explained. A big threat to the scooter market are the opportunists who want to make a quick sale with Chinese made products, but many of these foreign manufacturers have non-existent after-sales service, warranties, product liability and sales assistance to the dealers, McCaleb told us. He continued by saying sales are up over 60 percent year-to-date and Genuine is working hard with its existing dealers to improve their sales and margins. “The Buddy is America’s most popular scooter model right now and is taking sales from the most visible Japanese models by outperforming them and giving an equal perceived value to the customer,” he explained. Stores need to know how to project that they actually care about their customers, McCaleb advised. “They need to ask for their orders, follow up with prospects and only sell quality that ends up creating referrals, not ‘boomerangs’ that come back with unhappy people who blame the dealer, not the manufacturer,” he added.
Genuine Scooter Company
www.genuinescooters.com |
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KYMCO USA Marketing Communications Manager Rick Pawelka wanted to inform dealers about two of its latest scooter models: the Sento 50 and the Sting 50. The Sento 50 features a four stroke, SOHC engine, CVT automatic transmission, front disc brakes, 90/90-10 front and rear tires, plus it gets approximately 105 mpg, described
Pawelka. It reportedly comes with a two year factory warranty and is available in colors rose/white, light blue/white and brown/white. The Sting 50 (pictured) comes with a two stroke, 49.4cc engine, CVT automatic transmission, 120/70-12 front tire and 130/70-12 back tire, as well as a seat height of 32.6 inches, he told us. It features a 1.4 gallon gas tank, 87 mpg and comes in light green/silver, light blue/silver and rose/silver color schemes, he added.
KYMCO USA
www.kymcousa.com |
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The MF50-10D “is a fantastic large body 50cc scooter,” exclaimed MotoFino USA spokesperson Tom Simpson. “It rides two easily and is equipped with the powerful, super-quality MotoFino engine,” he told us. People are starting to view scooters as a primary mode of transportation and not just as a recreational toy, noted Simpson, and as gas prices rise, the market simply needs to answer this demand by selling scooters that are good quality, dependable, environmentally friendly and economical. “Importers who sell scooters with little or no parts and technical support” are the biggest threat to the market, Simpson added. Sales are up even in these tough economic times, he divulged, because of MotoFino’s dedication to offering supreme quality, attentive service and a professional, caring staff that goes the extra mile to make sure their product is perfect and their customers are happy. Know the products you sell and the manufacturer/ importer you deal with, advised Simpson. He concluded, “Selling scooters retail should be a partnership between the dealer and the manufacturer.”
MotoFino USA
www.motofino.com |
Slumping new unit sales and rising gas prices is bad news for everyone. But you could continue to draw in consumers by offering scooters, if you don’t already, as an economical means of transportation that will leave both you and your customers happy. We hope you’ve enjoyed this report on the latest scooter models and urge you to check out our segment on motorcycle oils and lubricants, elsewhere in this issue. |
