Increasing popularity of two wheel vehicles

Gas prices spur tradeoff for 2-wheelers

As fuel costs boost lure of motorbikes, accidents are rising rapidly

11:44 PM CDT on Tuesday, July 17, 2007

By DEREK KRAVITZ / The Dallas Morning News


Soaring gas prices and a crowd of new, zippy scooters flooding the market
are causing more Texas drivers to take a daring leap: They're trading in
comfy SUVs and gas-guzzling cars for moderately priced two-wheelers.

But as motorcycle and scooter riders across the country celebrate National
Ride to Work Day today, law enforcement officials warn that the glut of chic
and nimble-looking Vespas and sport bikes on Texas roads might mean more
danger. Statewide and locally, cycle-related accidents and fatalities have
increased even as overall traffic accidents drop.

"We went through this last time – once gas hits $3 a gallon, you see a sharp
increase in the number of medium-sized motorcycles and motor-scooters on the
road," said Clif Burdette, coordinator of the Motorcycle Safety Unit at the
Texas Department of Public Safety. "But more motorcycles on the road can
spell trouble."

The number of motorcycles registered in Texas was up in 2006 for the 10th
consecutive year. That growth far outpaces Texas' driving-age population
overall: In 2006, there were an estimated 349,000 motorcycles registered in
the state, nearly twice as many as in 2000. In the Dallas-Fort Worth area,
registrations are up from 42,000 in 2000 to more than 73,000 last year.

Among the new riders are middle-aged professionals who are flocking to
scooters – motorbikes that most Americans traditionally viewed as toys for
European college kids.

"It complements my car, but I ride it whenever I can," said Andrew Caudal, a
36-year-old attorney for Southlake-based Travelocity.com who bought his 2005
Stella scooter in May. "It gets 85 miles per gallon, so it costs me a few
bucks to fill up for two or three weeks.





"I guess that excludes Boss Hoss's, Tomahawk's, Gold

Wings, Valkyries, etc.".





And it's a lot of fun."

Industry experts credit higher gas prices as a big reason for the new
popularity of motorcycles – between 2000 and 2006, the average price for a
gallon of regular-grade gas in Texas rose from $1.44 to $2.47.

"Especially with the larger trucks and SUVs, we get a lot of customers
saying they'd like to park them and commute to work on a scooter to save,"
said Kammy Raimondi, the owner of Moxie Scooters in Colleyville.

But more motorcycles on the road can cause headaches and worse for fellow
motorists, Mr. Burdette said.

"When you go back and compare earlier years of traffic patterns, it's
simple: More cars and motorcycles mean more aggressive drivers. This is not
meant to be a pun, but road rage is murder to a motorcyclist," he said.

While the number of traffic crashes reported to Dallas police has declined
more than 22 percent over the past five years, the number of motorcycle
accidents has gone in the other direction – up 49 percent.





"1.3 percent of those are mine <g>".





In 2005, a record-high 360 Texans – including 71 overall in Collin, Dallas,
Denton and Tarrant counties – died in motorcycle accidents. And preliminary
data released by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration
in May shows that despite an overall decrease in traffic fatalities,
motorcycle deaths rose more than 5 percent last year.

Nationally, more than 4,500 people died in motorcycle accidents in 2005.
According to projections, the figure for 2006 is expected to be nearly
4,800. In comparison, an estimated 38,500 people people died in car-related
crashes last year, down slightly from 2005.

For those who switch to motorcycles, savings at the pump might trump the
safety question.

Motorcycle safety training instructors in North Texas say more people are
seeking help learning to ride their new, one-seat mopeds and scooters. Chris
Litfin, the owner of Carrollton-based Motorcycle Training Center, said
business is good even though the rainy summer has kept many "fair-weather
riders" off the road.

Scooter sales have zoomed nationally – from 12,000 in 1996 to roughly
120,000 last year. The motorcycle-lite can get up to 90 mph and, says Mike
Mount of the Irvine, Calif.-based Motorcycle Industry Council, it offers "an
easy entrée into the world of motorcycles."

"And it's not just for college kids anymore. You have more women, more
professionals purchasing scooters," he said.

Among them was Elaine Thomas, a 49-year-old secretary for the Waxahachie
Independent School District. She said she got tired of paying high gas
prices for her five-mile daily commute.

On the days she wanted to save a few bucks, Mrs. Thomas would hitch a ride
on her husband's motorcycle. But that also got old after a while.

"I got bored," Mrs. Thomas said. "I wanted to be in the driver's seat."

So in April, she purchased her own beefy, silver Suzuki Burgman scooter for
$3,000. On sunny days, she rides the used scooter to work. She takes her
2000 Nissan Altima out of the garage only in bad weather.





"I wouldn't think a five mile commute, in a Nissan Altima

would use enough gas to justify buying another vehicle".





"Everyone thinks the scooter is so cool," Mrs. Thomas said. "I even take it
to church, and everyone there is mesmerized by the idea of it."

The best part? Mrs. Thomas filled up her tank for $7.06 this week, and that
should last her at least 200 miles.

Both Mr. Caudal and Mrs. Thomas say they feel safe on their bikes: They've
taken motorcycle safety courses and always wear their helmets. Texas' helmet
law requires motorcyclists under 21 and those who have not obtained an
exemption from the state to wear a helmet.

Still, most motorcyclists and scooter riders admit they have concerns about
their own safety when they're on the road.

Mrs. Thomas said she once watched breathlessly as a stove tied down to the
end of a pickup in front of her tipped over and nearly fell out onto the
road.

"I just slowed down and put some space between me and the driver. Some
people just don't pay attention to motorcycles, and that's scary," she said.

But both Mr. Caudal and Mrs. Thomas have relatively short commutes to work
and keep their cars nearby in case they need to take a long trip. For those
with long commutes, riding a low-powered scooter on a highway is both
dangerous and illegal. Many Texas highways have a minimum speed limit of 45
mph.

Many scooter enthusiasts insist scooters are safer than motorcycles – if
only because of the drivers they attract.

"You're going to get a male, testosterone-driven driver with most heavy-duty
motorcycles because of the torque and speed," said Bev Brinson, publisher of
Denver-based ScooterWorld magazine and a scooter rider.





"I'm sure there's no one like that here in this group <g>".





"Because scooters are inherently slow, you don't see the same speed freaks.
You get a wide demographic and a lot of people who are concerned about the
environment and mileage."