Scooter mania arrives in the Valley

July 1, 2007

By Will Elliott / Frontiersman

WASILLA - They're cheaper and quieter than the Harleys and superbikes roaring up and down Mat-Su Valley highways this summer, but are scooters cooler?

Hordes of Italian pizza delivery men may think so, as may a growing number of urbanites fed up with traffic and the expense of driving a car. This summer a Wasilla business owner is hoping Valley residents will feel the same way.

&#8220They're fun, they're practical and they're affordable,” said Joe Schroeder, Alaska Scooters owner. &#8220For a quick, easy ride they can't be beat.”

This is Schroeder's second year selling motorized scooters from his Fairview Loop property. Schroeder converted his garage to a showroom and lines the road front on sunny days with shiny new models. That's a big departure from the vast lots customers roam when looking for a new car. Sealing the deal is different too.

&#8220It's a painless process,” Schroeder said. &#8220It takes about 20 minutes to purchase a scooter.”

The sit-on-top, small-wheeled design originated in Italy with iconic brands like Piaggio and Vespa. Inexpensive and ideally suited to whizzing down the narrow, crowded streets of continental cities, the scooters came to symbolize youth culture there much as muscle cars would later in the United States. Around the world, scooters found just as strong a market with pragmatists, who prized their low cost, efficiency and maneuverability for short commutes and running errands.

&#8220If you can ride a bicycle, you can ride a scooter,” Schroeder said. &#8220I can't believe how many I see in Anchorage. It's really catching on.”

For the same price as a high-end bicycle, riders get a street-legal vehicle with top speeds up to 55 mph.

Smaller engines mean lower top speeds, but Schroeder said there's another way to look at it. Less goes wrong with a simpler engine and small scooters boast better gas mileage.

Gasoline is cheaper in Alaska than much of the Lower 48, but the Valley's sprawling layout makes traveling to work expensive for many owners of inefficient vehicles like pickups and SUVs. At current gas prices, a 10-mile drive to work might cost around $20 a week for a large vehicle like a Chevy Suburban. With gas mileages of 65 miles per gallon for a highway-capable model, riding a scooter would cost less than a third of that. For a Suburban owner, riding the scooter to work would pay for itself in about 12 months. Schroeder figures 110 miles per gallon for a 49 cc engine on a smaller scooter. A 2007 Ford Focus uses three times the gas.

That kind of math is familiar to bicycle commuters trying to justify new equipment. But while a number of factors make bicycle commuting difficult in the Valley, Schroeder said scooters are unaffected by many of those problems. Traveling on streets at the same speed as urban auto traffic, scooters aren't limited by the Valley's lack of bicycle paths or the narrow shoulders and taunting from drivers that can make bicycling on the road dangerous.

Often RV campers bring a bike along when vacationing. Schroeder and his wife bring their scooters.

&#8220We've taken them on the ferry to Valdez. We'll throw them in the truck and go to Seward,” he said. &#8220You just take the scooter off and go.”

Wherever the couple tours people have been interested, Schroeder said. &#8220People kept trying to buy them out from under us.”

Like many Americans, Schroeder used a scooter for transportation in high school. On trips around the world, Schroeder's seen entire families piled onto overburdened Vespas and entire parking lots in Europe filled with scooters. The scooter business was a way to reconnect with those experiences while taking advantage of a good opportunity at the same time.

Scooters cost between $1,500 and $2,500 depending on the model. Riders can add baskets for groceries, though all models come with under-seat storage. Schroeder also sells booster kits to increase performance, as well as covers, helmets and other gear.

Alaska Scooters also sells electric scooters. These stand-on scooters, which resemble a skateboard with a motor and handlebar, can travel up to 15 miles at about 10 miles an hour before recharging. Schroeder uses one to get his mail.

For more information, visit scootupalaska.com or call Alaska Scooters at 376-7262.