Scooterzine  ADVERTISEMENT Petrol Price Nightmare You are asleep, dreaming of heading home for a great weekend with family and friends after a hard week at work.
Words and photography by Jason Tubnor You pull into the local service station and fill the commuting car with fuel and then go to pay at the console. The attendant hands you the receipt at which point you get "sticker shock" and wake up from your dream, soaking wet in sweat. It was only a bad dream you say - well some may say so - but in a few weeks’ time this will be no dream for thousands of people and families around Australia.
Texas crude oil has surpassed $100 USD per barrel which means the TAPIS crude that Australia trades in via Singapore will be even higher. At this rate Australians will see $1.50 per litre and above at the pump. How many litres does your car use per 100km?
The average Australian car used to commute to and from work will consume 9-12 litres per 100km in city/peak hour traffic, the average kilometres that this car will see each year will be around 14,000km (30km trip to work). Based on the latest statistics, 75% of Melbournian workers commute each day via private car. This is a lot of fuel, a lot of climate change and a lot of your hard earned money going up in smoke.
There is an alternative that will be quicker than public transport, have a seat like you do in a car, be cheaper than both and, if you have to park in Victoria, be free to park. Welcome to the hidden world of scootering.
This is not a "povvo" transport option; it is transport that has been getting Europeans and Australians around for years. It is a trend that is becoming more popular, not just because of the huge savings in fuel use, but after riding one, it will become a lifestyle choice and you will ask yourself why you didn't do it years ago.
Scooters come in all shapes and sizes, manufactured all over the world and use a fraction of the fuel that cars do. There is a scooter to fit everyone's requirements and budget. In Australia we are spoilt for choice.
Most scooters use between 2 to 5 litres of fuel per 100km so on an average week will consume 10.5 litres of fuel. At $1.50 per litre this will cost $15.75. Let’s take the car example I had above - the same distance would use (and this is being conservative) 31.5 litres of fuel which at $1.50 per litre will cost $47.25 per week. That’s a difference of $31.50 per week. Over a 48 week year you have spent an extra $1512 commuting in the car.
The average price for a 125cc scooter on the road is just under $3000 so the savings will pay it off within two years. Add to this when you discover a scooter is more than just a commuting device and start using it on the weekends as well and the savings will start to pour in. You will find that your current commuting car will become redundant very quickly.
Servicing intervals range from 2000-6000km depending on the make and model so service costs will vary. Some scooters are cheaper to service than others but may require more frequent servicing. The simplicity of scooters means that even a novice is able to perform simple servicing functions such as changing the oil. Doing what you can yourself saves a lot of money and inconvenience.
Registration in some states can be as low as $90 per annum for a 50cc scooter. In some states a 50cc scooter can even be ridden on a car licence.
Do others in Australia ride these scooter thingies? Well yes, many people do. There is a thriving community living just around the corner from you and also in cyberspace. Scooter Community (www.scootercommunity.com.au) is one of the many online resources where people with a vast range of scooter knowledge hang out including riders, retailers and importers. The great thing about Scooter Community is that it is Australian-centric and can answer queries related to the Australian market.
The answer is now clear - driving a car is the old way from getting from A to B. The best way (and the cheapest by far) to get around is on a scooter. Come and join us, I promise, we don't bite!
published 22/01/2008 |