By Eric Baxter
Editor

All Outdoors owner Ken Oleson recently opened his business to motor scooters and is now one of the few dealers in the state of Stella machines. (Eric Baxter/Manchester Mirror)

Necessity, plus a little bit of style, resulted in the creation of this hybrid. Like early motorcycles, this example of cheap transportation was cobbled together from a Trek Woody Cruiser bike and a 48cc Chinese Star-Fire two-stroke bike engine kit. The chain drive system propels the bike at speeds of up to 30 mph, though it ends up sounding like chain saw massacre at top-end speeds. It gets anywhere from 70 to 100 miles per gallon. The machine can be assembled by backyard mechanics in anywhere from two weeks to two months. These combos are popular in the south, but have made their way north as gas prices continue to rise. (Eric Baxter/Manchester Mirror)

To prove a point, Brian Ducharme spent a year commuting to his Bedford job on a vintage 1950s Spanish Derby. He kept a spreadsheet of gas expenses and proved to his wife, Stephanie, the motor scooter was more than a toy, and it was saving money.

Little did Ducharme know he would be a trendsetter. Yet as gas prices continue to rise, despite periodic dips, gas-guzzling-car options are on the rise as well. But the days of the pedal-first mopeds are over. Today’s mopeds and motor scooters use cleaner, more efficient engines and some of the top-of-the-line models include such amenities as four-speaker stereos, Global Positioning Systems and drop tops for rainy days.

“I’m a little extreme when it comes to riding,” said Ducharme, who used the scooter during the winter when the roads were clear – protected by cold weather hiking gear. “But I think more people will be using them in the future. My wife spent about $70 a week in gas, I spent, I think, $6.”

Ducharme’s statement seems to be on the money, something All Outdoors owner Ken Oleson is banking on. All Outdoors has been providing hiking and outdoor equipment from its Manchester location for more than 20 years. Oleson said they carry, or have carried, everything for “people powered” sports. Becoming one of the only motor scooter and moped dealerships in southern New Hampshire was a natural extension of the ecological ideals embodied by serious outdoorsmen.

“I was afraid of alienating customers at first,” said Oleson. “But it’s environmentally correct, economically viable and it’s a blast.”

Oleson has been a motorcycle rider for more than a quarter century and knows about the joy of the open road. But even he hesitated at the idea of a moped.

“I think moped and I think The Who’s ‘Quadrophenia’ album. They’re kind of like a weed whacker on steroids. But I was on a trip to Miami and I saw motor scooters everywhere. Everyone was riding one of these things,” he said.

With outdoor gear becoming more durable, certain parts of All Outdoors had seen a slow down. Oleson applied for a variance from the city and after overcoming a few municipal challenges, mostly because no business had ever combined motor sales with anything else, he opened the front portion of the store as a motor scooter dealership.

Within the first month his mini-dealership opened, he sold 15 scooters. And one day in August, he said, when gas prices topped $3.50 a gallon, he sold four models off the floor.

“Do the math. If someone’s paying 70 bucks for a fill-up and getting 15 miles a gallon, they can pay off a motor scooter in the saving off a dozen trips. I mean what would you rather get, 10 or 15 miles a gallon, or a 100 miles a gallon,” he asked.

All Outdoors stocks three brands of scooter – Diamo, Vento and Stella. Engine sizes vary from 50cc to 150cc. Each model will carry a rider at speeds ranging from 30 mph to more than 60 and engine types run from a twist-and-go two-stroke to a four-speed four-stroke. The main differences appear in styling and amenities.

The Stella is a twin to the classic Italian Vespa – flared leg guards, simple dash and distinctly retro styling. Indeed, the Stella factory in India is the former production location for Vespa before they moved back to Italy. India purchased the factory after the move and kept making the scooter for local sales. Within the last decade, however, more and more of the small, efficient machines have made their way to the United States.

Diamo is the top of the motor scooter heap. The Velux, which retails for about $4,000, comes with a four-speaker stereo capable of playing CDs and MP3s. The scooter also sports a full wind faring and a drop top for rainy days.

“If they could hook up something for the sides you could probably use this in the winter,” said Oleson. The Vento is somewhere between the Diamo and the Stella, a retro look with more modern components, though the Stella still meets and exceeds many of the components on the more recently produced machines.

While style is something a few hardcore enthusiasts look for, Oleson said most of his customers purchased scooters for the economy, but the option is always there to change.

“You get on one of these and try it out, twist the throttle and go and you’re hooked,” said Olseon.

Which is exactly what happened to Ducharme.

“I’ve been interested in scooters and mopeds since I was a little kid, everyone in ’70s had them. When I was a teenager, I picked up a Honda Spree and take down to Hampton Beach from Manchester,” he said.

The appeal then, and now, was a cheap mode of transport accessible to most budgets.

And the fun, of course.

“Once you start riding, you’ll never want to go back to riding in a car,” he said.

For more information on All Outdoors, call 603-624-1468 or visit www.aogear.com. Ducharme authors a scooter Web site, which can be found at www.nh-scooters.com.