Consumer Reports and scooters

I just saw a blog posting by Consumer Reports that they are looking into scooters. I have read many, many newspaper articles which glibly and shallowly report about scooters as a means of transportation and their articles are puff pieces either pro or con. Recent posts in Harrisburg's Patriot News and Boulder's Daily Camera come to mind.

In CR 's discussion area, they are appealing for more information about scooters and riding - and I think we should share our knowledge and love of scooters.

Consumer Reports is EXTREMELY influential; a very positive means lots of sales and a negative reports can mean the demise of a model (Suzuki Samurai). Many people look to their reviews to help them choose cars, toasters, insurance, etc.

http://blogs.consumerreports.org/cars/2008/06/motor-scooters.html

And for those looking to buy, they are planning to do actual scooter reviews so look for that in the next few months.

I am not affiliated with this organization in any way - this post is to help share our grass-roots savvy with a much larger audience.

my posting to Consumer Reports:
Thank you Consumer Reports for taking a serious look at scooters and motorcycles. Perhaps the analysis is also about 'riding a scooter in today's traffic' since your blog entry wasn't about consumer advice in how to choose through the myriad of characteristics of different scooters. Although, it would be nice to have CR's in-depth scrutiny of the many brands and their qualities and sizes to point the consumer toward high quality brands and make them aware of the slew of unacceptable/fly-by-night scooter brands which ARE dangerous because they are low quality and often break during use.

"We approach these products with grave concern for rider safety and caution readers against a hasty decision to move to two-wheeled transportation without proper training and safety gear."

"Let's not be hasty." Case in point, I began my research last summer for a scooter and took the time to analyze what my riding needs were and could be. My alternatives to riding a scooter were to consider bicycling the 6 miles to town to catch a bus to a larger town, to car pool (which I already do with 2 others, mostly in the winter), to walk, and to continue driving my car. Much of my research was in safety aspects (gear, skills, attitude) and with safety statistics. After 6 months of research, taking the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's Basic Rider course, and passing it, I purchased a scooter that fit my needs (a 170cc scooter with 16-inch tires to accommodate mountain living and riding). I estimate that I can safely ride 9 months a year while achieving ~82 mpg.

Scooters, motorcycles, and bicyclers share many common characteristics, which although obvious, I hope these are remembered when Consumer Reports starts analyzing the safety of these vehicles. And, at least around here, many bicyclists can achieve speeds of 40mph+ while going downhill (and the riders are wearing a helmet usually and a fraction of the gear considered necessary to safely ride a scooter & motorcycle at a similar speed). So the 'inherent instability and dangers' are similar and magnified - are these dangers explained during CR's bicycle reviews?

Really, the safety is incumbent on the rider; and for that, I point this organization to the Motorcycle Safety Foundation who offer basic riding courses and whose materials are often used as the basis for state driver tests and handbooks.

There are dozens of online user forums focused on scooters (and motorcycles), their safe use, their quality, and characteristics, etc. Perhaps as people replace their behemoth SUVs with smaller vehicles that also hold families of 5 just fine and the number of scooters/motorcycles and bicycles increases, the visibility and acceptance of these alternative forms of transportation will also increase. Think Europe and theFar East.

I have been reading Consumer Reports for decades and appreciate the thoroughness and thoughtfulness of its reports. Current newspaper articles seem to have taken a very shallow approach either pro or con; I look forward to the balance that CR is known for.