Rich drivers switch to scooters
Sunday Star Times | Monday, 11 June 2007
Motorists are turning to two-wheeled transport because of rising fuel prices, traffic congestion - and a desire to be fashionable.
More than 17,000 mopeds and motorcycles were registered in New Zealand last year - a 65 per cent jump on 2004 figures. Over that same period, the price of regular petrol rose 35 per cent and diesel prices went up 48 per cent. Auckland had more bikes registered than any other region last year (7565) followed by Canterbury (2773), Wellington (2113) and Waikato (1546).
Sales manager Miles Allpress, who works at Retro Scooter in Auckland, says the rise is partly due to a bigger range of cheaper brands, many from China.
Vespa shop owner Goetz Neugebauer says students used to push sales, but the typical customer is now a high-earning professional in their late 20s to mid-40s.
"The people who come to me have got a Porsche or a big motorbike and use the Vespa for town."
Aucklander Kristian Larsen, 50, bought his 1500cc four-speed motorscooter three years ago when he moved to the inner city. He is a "dry weather scooter rider" and drives a car on rainy days. It costs $7 to fill up the scooter's tank, which takes him 250km.
"It's absolutely fantastic for commuting or doing anything in the central city because you can park it anywhere and manoeuvre it in places that you couldn't do a car."
It reaches speeds of 110km/h and can be ridden on motorways. He has avoided major accidents, although he has had "a couple of altercations" with other drivers.
"It does tend to sharpen one's survival instincts. Your attention span has to be 250 per cent."
The price of 91 octane petrol peaked at $1.76 a litre in July and August last year and has been fluctuating since then - prices reached $1.60 last week.
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