Gas Prices Rise, So Do Scooter Sales

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com

How’s that for a predictable headline? Scooter sales always go up when the price of gasoline spikes, and the spring of 2011 is no exception.

The Motorcycle Industry Council reported today that scooters sales for the first three months of the year are up 49.6 percent over the same period last year with 6,246 scoots sold. That’s an increase of 2,070.

Street bike sales also climbed from Q1 in 2010 – up 6.9 percent. A total of 70,879 highway bikes sold, an increase of 4,557 from a year ago. Dual sport bike sales are up 24.3 percent while off-road bikes sale are off 5.5 percent. ATV sales dipped 16.1 percent.

The signs ahead look encouraging, too. Gas prices continue to climb and a breakout of March numbers from the MIC show scooter sales up 81.1 percent, dual sports up 32.4 percent and street machines up 7.1 percent.

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BMW Motorrad USA has announced that its complete lineup of 2012 bikes will come equipped with ABS standard.