Timber and I took the Vespa out for a spin today. We went to Colero Reservoir and then over to Cinnabar Hills GC. Then on the way back home we picked up some fruit at a fruit stand, checked out Metcalf Road, and then got gas. All in all we rode for 1.25 hours . The Vespa milage is now up to 570. When I filled it up I put in 1.966 G @ $3.419 for a total of $6.72. I got (455 - 570) 115 miles out of my nearly 2 gallons for roughly 58.5 MPG. Not too bad.
According to this article, a study was done that showed 30 percent of americans would consider using a scooter for every day transportation needs. Oh yeah, it was sponsored by Piaggio (Vespa's parent company). I bet they are chomping at the bit. If you do the math you have 300 M people, divide that by 2 to get a rough count of working adults. Then divide that by 3 to get the number that would use a scooter. Then multiply by $3k (guess on the average scooter price) and you're looking at $150 B in scooter sales to outfit all those people with scooters. If gas hits $5 a gallon I think I'll quit my job and go start a scooter company. I'm happy to take $1B a year for 20 years or so. :-) Oh yeah, this article talks about gas prices fueling the fervor for scooters.
Here's an article about an interesting yet weird looking scooter made by Piaggio. I would definitely want to see one in person, it is just so weird looking.
For those of you out there that want a Vespa scooter without having to ay Vespa prices I give you Vino. Built in Japan but inspired in Italy it is a cute little 49 cc scooter that will move you down the road slightly faster than a road bike. Way faster than a road bike if you're as slow on a bike as I am.