I bought a scooter primarily to commute to work. Reducing the amount of gas we use will help the environment and extend existing supply. But most of all, it will save $money$!
The cost of gas in Lancaster, PA is quite low in comparison to the rest of the country. You can see that on this map from GasBuddy.com. But who doesn't want to save a little more?
I have added a link, to the right of this page, to help us monitor gas prices in Lancaster. Remember, if you have a 1 gallon tank, the prices listed there represent a fill-up!
Friday, June 15, 2007
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Rent a Scooter, Tour Lancaster
There is a company I found on the internet that will rent scooters for touring Lancaster and Hershey. They are Jaboba. They will bring the scooters to you, in a trailer, complete with helmets. They rent 50cc Honda Metropolitans, like the one pictured here. Sounds like fun! Or a fun way to try out a scooter if you are considering one as commuter transport.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Some FAQ
Some of the questions I get asked, as a scooter rider:
Do you need a motorcycle license? No, not if the engine is under 50cc and has an automatic transmission. A regular automobile drivers license is all that is needed.
Do you have to wear a helmet? No, in PA, you don't have to. Eye protection is all that is required.
Do you wear one anyway? Yep. Sure do. I like my skin and bones, and the ones around my brain are some of my favorites.
What kind of mileage do you get? Mine gets about 110mpg, but that will vary with body size and weight. After all, the rider weighs almost as much as the scooter. My C3 also has a fuel-injected four-stroke. A bigger two-stroke may only get 60mpg. It's still better than a car.
How fast does it go? A 50cc scooter, unmodified, tops out at about 40mph. So you can't take it on the highway. You can buy models that will do 80mph, but you'll need a motorcycle license.
How do you get a motorcycle license? In PA, pay $10. You'll get a learner's permit, which you can renew, annually, indefinitely I believe. To get the full license, which allows you to carry a passenger, you'll have to pass a driving test. Or you can take a motorcycle safety course.
How much gas does it hold? Mine has just over a 1 gallon tank. That means that filling it up costs less than lunch. Filling up my car costs more than lunch for week.
Do you ride it in the travel lane, or on the shoulder? Right in the travel lane, just like a motorcycle.
Do you need a motorcycle license? No, not if the engine is under 50cc and has an automatic transmission. A regular automobile drivers license is all that is needed.
Do you have to wear a helmet? No, in PA, you don't have to. Eye protection is all that is required.
Do you wear one anyway? Yep. Sure do. I like my skin and bones, and the ones around my brain are some of my favorites.
What kind of mileage do you get? Mine gets about 110mpg, but that will vary with body size and weight. After all, the rider weighs almost as much as the scooter. My C3 also has a fuel-injected four-stroke. A bigger two-stroke may only get 60mpg. It's still better than a car.
How fast does it go? A 50cc scooter, unmodified, tops out at about 40mph. So you can't take it on the highway. You can buy models that will do 80mph, but you'll need a motorcycle license.
How do you get a motorcycle license? In PA, pay $10. You'll get a learner's permit, which you can renew, annually, indefinitely I believe. To get the full license, which allows you to carry a passenger, you'll have to pass a driving test. Or you can take a motorcycle safety course.
How much gas does it hold? Mine has just over a 1 gallon tank. That means that filling it up costs less than lunch. Filling up my car costs more than lunch for week.
Do you ride it in the travel lane, or on the shoulder? Right in the travel lane, just like a motorcycle.
The Lure of the Scooter
Lancaster Newspapers recently did a story about a local club, the SPB Scooter Club. The article is posted on their website, Lancaster Online.com.
Eye on the Skies
If you are going to scoot Lancaster, you need to know what the weather is going to be like. I hear that a thunderstorm at 40mph is painful, and I hope it's a long time before I experience it. So, to help us all out, I have posted the weather links I use most in the upper right corner of this blog. Check them all until you find a forecast you like!
About Your Host
I live in the City of Lancaster and recently purchased a Yamaha C3 (that's her, to the right, parked outside of Central Market). It's a 50cc scooter, and it tops out at 40mph. I bought it to commute to work, and to ride to locations around town to save on gas and parking costs. But it's also just fun to ride.
The Mayor of Lancaster, Rick Gray, is a rider too. And he has vowed to promote scooter use in the City by asking the Parking Authority to set aside dedicated space in the nooks and crannies of City lots for scooter and motorcycle parking. It's even a goal in the City Strategic Plan: "More alternative modes of transportation are seen in the City (e.g., scooters, bikes and motorcycles)." Note, scooters are first... heh.
So, where civic duty and self-interest collide, lies this blog. I want to help myself by helping my City promote scooters.
Part of my day job is making maps. I've been making them for myself, plotting out routes I can take to avoid the big roads where people like to go faster than 40mph. And I thought others might like see them also. After all, the fun in a scooter isn't in the parking, it's in the riding!
Welcome
The purpose of this site is to promote commuter and tourism use of motorized scooters in Lancaster, PA. No brand snobbery here: everything from vintage Vespas to modern Asian designs are cool here. The point is to inform people about the fun of scooter travel, spread news of scooter-friendly places and events, and give people more reasons to use scooters as a mode of transport in Lancaster. I intend to post plotted scooter-friendly (under 45mph) ride routes and bring you news of new dedicated parking in the City of Lancaster. If you hear about any of these things before you see it here, help me out by letting me know.
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