The Scooter LifeStyle

Scooter Lifestyles

Commentary:  This is a fun article I wrote some time ago about Scooter Lifestyles. I attempted to associate the lifestyles with music to create the imagery of each lifestyle. Portable devices such as iPods, iPads, Blackberries, etc.. may not load YouTube tracks well.  I am making updates and refining this article.  Please think about products and services that support each lifestyle. Feel free to email those ideas to me or post them in the forums. Last update Aug 25, 2012.

Other topical articles to consider:

Who are you Calling a Euro-Sissy?
Vespa Makes GQ’s Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide!
Scooter Enthusiasts Descend on Times Square

Roman Holiday 1953

Mention scootering and many older folks reminisce about Rome with sort of a classic 1960’s La Dolce Vita thought. In their minds eye, they see black and white snapshots of Italy as picture perfect models zip along on a Vespa Classica. The nostalgic allure does have a sense of panache to many riders and has become an iconic Renaissance Lifestyle of many scooter enthusiasts who purchase a Vespa, although not the classic model. 

Spend Thrifty Fun

Meanwhile, in the more youthful spend-thrifty lifestyle of university students, a pop culture has emerged centering on buzzing around upon classic scooters under 150cc engines. They hook up with friends and get silly as captured in the July 1999 music video “You Steal My Sunshine” by LEN. The song and music video personified for many people another scooter lifestyle in  which the volatility of youthful fun and romance are a primary ingredient.

Online scooter discussion groups have many testimonials in which one gets the sense that for many people scootering has been a way of living for a vast portion of their life. Some riders in their youth mowed grass and collected soft drink bottles to raise the change to purchase their first scooter. For them, scooters were a low maintenance work around solution to the more costly automobile. In years past, most states did not regulate engines under 50cc or require licensing. Today most states regulate all motor sizes and engine operated vehicles. 

The modern scooter enthusiast has matured beyond the nostalgic notions of La Dolce Vita and spend thrifty college student. Thirty something women to professionals to seniors have become mainstream scooter riders. Everyone is riding scooters and defining their own style. Whereas, motorcycles define the rider.  For example, in 1969 Peter Fonda starred in the Movie Easy Rider which was an iconic social statement of the times. The movie stirred the America spirit of adventure framing the rough and tough carefree rider. Years later the movie Wild Hogs highlighted middle aged men attempting to recapture that sense of adventure. In these movies, the motorcycle was the star defining who the people were supposed to be. Nonetheless, defining a common scooter lifestyle is difficult because the star is the rider who selects the scooter to fit their own image and style.

Unlike motorcycles, scooters attract a broad range of folks who define their own lifestyle and express that through their scooters. The scooter enthusiast may have several lifestyles they practice and there are at least six popular lifestyles that I have been able to identify. Each lifestyle has a temporal element and serves a tradeoff between functionality and style.

Rider Styles

The sky is pitch black and the radio snaps on with Vitamin C modulating the pop song Smile. The Early Riser Lifestyle is centered on morning errands and socializations;  up and out before sunrise. After a swing by the dry cleaners they may stop in at the local bagel palace where they chat briefly while imbibing Vitamin C in an orange juice or jolting their system with coffee before they are off to the next stop. Once they return home, they may switch to another vehicle for the drive to work or they may remain on the scooter switching to another lifestyle mode.

The City Lifestyle is utilitarian. The scooter is ridden to work, shopping, and for general commuting best characterized by axiom Takin' Care of Business. Along with an aroma of exhaust fumes and a blush of heat waves from the pavement, these riders dart around congested traffic. An occasional horn blast catches one’s attention on the busy streets before the putter of a scooter passes by. The rider may be in a suit and tie, have a load strapped to the back end, or making lunch deliveries. At any rate, the day is a bustle and these riders  are busy taking care of business!   

The Metro Lifestyle is characterized by after work errands and entertainment. Glowing neon lights of diners, cafes, theaters, and comedy clubs contrast against a purple and orange sunset of the early evening. The  buzz of the evening is set by the haunting sound of the 1961 pop hit  The Lion Sleeps Tonight. The rider has shed their work clothes for a relaxed stylish appeal. That may mean the tie is in the pocket and the collar is open.

The Nightlife Lifestyle is late evening to late night frequenting of comedy clubs, lounges, dance and night clubs.  A song fades in to your thoughts from the back of your mind. "Just listen to the music of the traffic in the city, Linger on the sidewalk, where the neon signs are pretty, How can you lose? The lights are much brighter there, You can forget all your troubles, forget all your cares. So go downtown!" It is a throw back to October 1964 and the song Downtown by the joyous Petula Clark. A group of elegant women in thigh high black evening wear stand in the shadows of swanky late night club entrances awaiting a taxi. The scooter rider exudes a GQ personification perhaps in a well fitted European suit catching the attention of the ladies in the door well of whom one may just leap on the scooter in a fit-of-fun! 

The Renaissance Lifestyle is a throwback an unfettered way of life and a keen sense of style. Avoiding the cliché of popularized Italian melodies, this lifestyle is about a way of life and not a distant place. The tune Summer Wind best modernizes the lifestyle. The rider would don designer clothes and sun glasses. There is a sense of panache associated with the Renaissance Rider and people are attracted by magnetism or allure of a carefree and stylish life. 

The Action rider buzzes the scene looking for the happening spot, to socialize, or just scout out where the action is. They are the Ramblin' Man and tend to ride during the weekends for the thrill of the road and open air. They may ride to the beach, parks, malls, and out-of-the-way restaurants they come across. They may ride alone, double up, or with friends. The action rider seeks adventure.

Accentuated Lifestyles

The rider accentuates the lifestyles with products and services. They seek scooter friendly crowds and businesses. By accessorizing the scooter with a variety of features, they listen to music, carry cargo, and serve other functions for the riders. Some scooters come equipped with cigarette lighter sockets for powering devices such as  iPods, cell phone, and GPS.  

Scootering is much more than a means of transportation.  At the end-the-day the rider derives a sense of belonging to a movement or something greater than themselves. The scooter gives them a sense of fluidity and community unparalleled by other vehicles.  Scootering is a way of life for many riders who combine the many lifestyles in ways that make them individual or unique. In doing so, they retain a sense of the American spirit; adventuresome, free spirited, and on the move.