The Best Way To See
Andrew Olson
Reader Weekly
At the end of last summer my wife and I purchased two motorized scooters to enjoy the 87 square miles of
Our first goal was to find out what scooters could make it up the hills on the
The next scooter available with more umph is a 125cc-150cc scooter. These are the Vespa looking scooters that you commonly see around. With this size engine you do need a motorcycle license, and the top speed is around 55 mph. Taking the motorcycle test on this though, as I did the first day I bought it, was not too difficult. These scooters are easy to drive and fully automatic… You just hit the throttle and it goes.
After deciding that we wanted a scooter the next requirement was that it was able to seat two people. We drove around to the local dealerships and test-drove a few of the different models. The first one I drove was a Yamaha Zuma, the sporty, more masculine scooter (if there was such a thing). At 49cc it had some pep, and I was impressed (it was also black with red flames on the side).
I remembered reading in this very magazine that there was an ad for Schwinn scooters that were very reasonably priced. This led us on an adventure down some country roads near Cloquet. After being very impressed by driving a 150cc version I couldn’t go back to the lowly 49cc Zuma, fire or not! I had the need, the need for speed!
I also learned that this “Schwinn” wasn’t the same as the one I grew up with, putting playing cards in the spokes to pretend it had a motor. This “Schwinn” was purchased by a large Chinese conglomeration that produced cheap vehicles put into a shiny box with a reputable name on the front. Callahan Auto Parts from Tommy Boy was my first thought when I heard this.
I then drove back to town hooked on the power, but the only other 150cc scooters I had seen were the Vespas and their leather seats… which equaled WAY more money than I had available.
Luckily, we found the middle ground at Iron River Sports in the Mariner Mall. They had a row of Vino 125cc scooters that looked like a cross between a Vespa and a Volkswagen Beetle. It has enough room for two, and this baby cooks up the hill at half the price of a Vespa.
While researching I also learned that Vespas are made in
Ultimately, we bought the Vino 125cc scooter and have been extremely pleased. We also purchased a used 49cc 1986 Yamaha Riva for around $500, but that one has needed a few repairs and has issues (the muffler just shook lose last weekend and the carburetor had to be cleaned a few weeks ago). We had to eventually buy a second scooter because of the weight capacity for the Vino (which we slightly overran), and it is way more fun to ride together around town.
Okay, now that I wrote a novel on purchasing a scooter let me tell you about the joy of owning and riding them around in this great city.
From the
Duluth was made to be seen on a bike, but the hills are too much to truly enjoy on a single ride. A scooter is great for Duluth, and at 80+ miles to the gallon, it was made for today's economy.
From the bumpy roads of Park Point filled with the smell of lilacs to the bumpy roads around the mansions by 21st Avenue East. From the beauty of
Some bikers wave or give “the sign”…others laugh, and few kids once made noises at me while riding the little “Grand Theft Auto/Back To The Future” 1986 Riva down Park Point. The Vino 125 is slick and catches the eye. It flies up the hill, and on the UMD campus you can park for free under a building that provides protection from the elements.
Sure you can only drive a scooter a few months in
