Jake Sarisa bought a scooter when gas prices began to hit $4 per gallon, and he said he hasn’t regretted it.

“The money I save in gas with this (scooter) makes it worth the price,” Sarisa said.

Sarisa, a sophomore at John A. Logan College studying criminal justice, said he bought his 150cc scooter late last spring for roughly $2,500 and gets about 70 miles per gallon. Sarisa said filling up his gas tank is extremely inexpensive, especially since it only holds two gallons.

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“There’s no better way to get around,” Sarisa said. “Especially when it’s warm out, there’s just no reason to drive something that’s going to be eating at your wallet.”

In August, USA Today reported scooters made up about 15 percent of all street-licensable motorcycles in 2007, and in the first half of 2008, U.S. scooter sales rose 66 percent.

The Motorcycle Industry Council, a not-for-profit national trade association that represents manufacturers and distributors of motorcycles and scooters, reported a steady rise in scooter sales since 1997. The largest increase in sales was in 2007, when an additional 26,000 new units were sold compared to 2006, the MIC reported.

Brad Daron, sales manager at Yamaha of Southern Illinois, said scooter sales began to steadily increase in spring and summer, but even the cooler weather hasn’t brought sales down much.

“They were hot and heavy,” Daron said. “I ran out of them in the middle of July.”

Daron said Yamaha released its 2009 models early last month and had sold most of them by October. By the second week of October, Daron said only one 2009 model scooter was left in-house.

Greg Smith, sales manager at Phillips Pro Cycle, said scooter engines range from displacements of 50 cubic centimeters to 650cc, making these larger engine scooters more like motorcycles and capable of reaching higher than highway speeds. Engine displacement is a term for the total volume of air and fuel drawn into an engine.

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Smith said there was a misconception for many people about the required license for scooters.

“It’s important to know what you’re getting and know what kind of license you need,” Smith said.

Smith said, in Illinois, motor scooters are classified as anything between 50cc and 150cc, which require a Class L driver’s license. Anything larger than 150cc would technically be classified as a motorcycle, which would require a Class M driver’s license, Smith said.

But for the lightweight scooter, capable of reaching about 30 mph, Smith said just a regular driver’s license is required.

Smith said brand new scooters could cost from $1,500 to $8,000, depending on the engine displacement.

Daron said rising fuel prices could have led to the trend in scooters. Scooters with smaller engines still get great mileage, Daron said, and some scooters with greater engine power can get more than 100 miles per gallon.

Smith said business has remained steady over the past year.

“I think it’s a balance between increased interest and high gas prices and the economy,” Smith said. “They really offset each other.”

Smith said scooters could be less intimidating to a new rider than a motorcycle. Scooters are easy to handle, Smith said, and they range in size from a maximum of 30 mph to a highway-ready scooter capable of reaching more than 100 mph.

Sarah McInnis, a 22-year-old from Carbondale, said she’s had her 400cc scooter for about two years.

“I’ve seen a few more people with scooters in the past few months, but I think a lot of that has to do with gas prices,” McInnis said.

McInnis said she bought a scooter because it was easier to handle than a motorcycle. Even the larger scooters seem lightweight compared to a motorcycle, she said.

“They’re not as heavy duty,” McInnis said.

Plus, they cost very little to maintain, and the insurance is pretty cheap, she said. It’s a lot cheaper than having a car right now, McInnis said.

Mary Travelstead, a marketing representative at State Farm Insurance, said insurance rates depend on an individual’s personal information, but, in general, for people younger than 25, the insurance rates for scooters fall around $600 per year. For those older than 25, the rates would be about half that, Travelstead said.

“It’s probably a couple of hundred dollars less than if you insure a vehicle,” Travelstead said.

Sarisa said he bought his 150cc scooter because he tries to only use it to get around town.

“I have a car, so I can use that for longer trips and in bad weather,” Sarisa said. “This (scooter) is really just perfect for getting to class and running errands and stuff.”

Smith said SIUC runs a motorcycle rider program, which allows those who complete it to receive a Class M driver’s license. According to the SIUC motorcycle rider program’s Web site, the classes are free and, in the beginner’s course, motorcycles are provided for the duration of the class.

Madeleine Leroux can be reached at 536-3311 ext. 274 or [email protected].