XINGYUE Recalls 2009-2010 Auto Moto XY150ZK Motor Scooters for Improper Location of Rear Brake Control

XINGYUE is recalling certain model year 2009 and 2010 Auto Moto XY150ZK motor scooters manufactured from March 2009 through June 2010.

The rear brake control should be actuated by the driver's right foot and not the left hand as required by Federal Motor Vehicles Safety Standard No. 123, "Motorcycle Controls and Displays."

305 units are affected.

Check out my Motorcycle Recalls feature for more details.

Consumer Reports and Motorcycles

Well, I've been a subscriber to Consumer Reports (CR) for longer than I can remember. I even pay for subscriptions for my three adult children. Today, I saw that CR is now possibly getting into the business of evaluating entry-level motorcycles and scooters.

Here's an excerpt from an article Motorists Move to Scooters and Motorcycles to Save from the Consumer Reports Blog:

"Consumer Reports is researching this segment and is looking into developing a test protocol to evaluate scooters and entry-level motorcycles. 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."

Motorcycles and Consumer Reports. I can hardly believe it, but I'm happy at the same time. Let's hope they spend lots of time talking about Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) training and wearing proper apparel. We certainly don't want a whole new segment of riders who are only riding to save on gas money.

Motor Scooters -- Are You Ready for One?

Almost every day, I'm seeing more and more articles about the advantages of owning a motor scooter in a world of ever increasing gas prices.

Here's an excerpt from an article, Born to Be ... Fuel-Efficient, by Jonathan Welsh of the Wall Street Journal that sums up the current economic thinking about motor scooters:

"Chris Casal, a Brooklyn, N.Y., elementary-school teacher, used to drive to work almost every day, mainly because it took 12 minutes compared with an hour by subway. But rising fuel and parking costs made the trip 'kind of ridiculous,' he says. So last year he bought a Vespa GTS scooter that uses about $7 of fuel every two weeks instead of the $30 his Honda Civic consumed. He parks free in the schoolyard, and the two-wheeler impresses his students."

Of course, there are other considerations beyond the price of gas. There's the need to learn how to be safe while riding a motor scooter. Motorcycles are very hard to see as it is and motor scooters are even smaller visual targets for the average motorist.

The average non-motorcyclist has a lot to learn about riding on two wheels. I remember all the scooter accidents I saw while in Bermuda by newbie riders. I think I got a one-minute lesson before I rented my scooter.

I've just revised my article, Motor Scooters - Have Fun While Saving Gas, that summarizes all my motor scooter resources that may assist in introducing motor scooters to the masses.

Don't put your life on the line by getting a motor scooter without proper training and wearing apparel.

Have fun and save gas if you get a motor scooter but remember to first BE SAFE.

Picture ©2004 Lonnie W. Cavenee

Vectrix Corporation Recalls 2007 Scooters for Battery Pack Problem

Vectrix Corporation has issued a recall of certain 2007 Scooters. These are electric scooters.

The battery module interconnect cables can become loose at the battery terminal within the battery packs. If loose, the battery can overheat. Overheating may cause damage to the battery packs and possibly the bike which could result in a potential fire hazard.

616 units are affected.

Check out my Motorcycle Recalls feature for more details.

Motor Scooters - A Picture Gallery of Motor Scooters

Pictures of motor scooters



My previous blog entry -- done for April Fools Day -- discussed how motor scooters might form the basis of a new economic stimulus plan. Irrespective of the veracity of that article, it is a fact that motor scooters are gaining new respect among motorcyclists and the non-riding public as well. Being able to get more than 50+ mpg means a lot in this new $3-4 per gallon world.

I'm seeing more and more motor scooters on the road. The high price of gas seems to be driving both motorcyclists and regular folks to look into acquiring a motor scooter. They're relatively cheap to buy, cheap to operate, and fun to ride.

To showcase some of these motor scooters, I've just opened a gallery of motor scooter pictures as submitted by visitors to the Motorcycle Views site.

One of the biggest features on the Motorcycle Views site is Moto Pics, where visitors to the site can display and describe their motorcycles. There are some motor scooter pictures in Moto Pics. To get the new gallery going, I have extracted these motor scooter pictures from Moto Pics and from the old site.

We need your help

Are you a motor scooter rider? Send in a picture of you and your scooter. We will place it in the Motor Scooter Picture Gallery. Submit a picture and description today. These pictures will also become part of Moto Pics.

Take a look at the Motor Scooter Picture Gallery. You'll also find a link there to submit your own motor scooter picture.