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 Let’s start with a short history of scootering. Everyone presumes the Italians were the begetters of the ‘mods’ favorite form of transportation, the motor scooter but the
United States beat them to the concept by as many as several decades with such brands as the Autoped, Cushman, Crocker, Powell and Rockola. The British even had a scooter, the ABC Skootamota as early as 1918.
Italy came to the party late when Enrico Piaggio, son of the Italiian aircraft manufacturer Rinaldo Piaggio decided to leave the aircraft industry to attempt the development of an alternate mode of transportation for his war torn country. Enrico looked to the American Cushman Scooter that he had seen so many GI’s using during the war for his inspiration. Using the machinery and materials that he had available to him oversaw the design and building of the first Vespa in 1946. This was a landmark design that brought many new, for that time, ideas to the design of motorscooters.
Since that time Piaggio as well as many other European and Asian designers and engineers have molded the scooter into the modern, dependable and economical vehicle that we have today. Today nearly all scooters use a strong tubular frame that improves handling and makes repairs both easier and less costly. Even Vespas, now have automatic CVT transmissions in most of their models and disk brakes are standard equipment.
People frequently ask where the best scooters are made. This is a loaded question, kind of like asking if that Mercedes Benz built in Alabama is better than my Canadian built Chevy Tahoe or a Mexican Volkswagen. I’ve never owned a MB but my guess is that it probably is, (though I love my completely trouble free Tahoe). My point is you have to look at the company, their reputation and the price weighed against a number of factors including the exchange rate of the currency used in getting your scooter to the United States in the first place.
Tulsa Scooters is a family owned scooter shop. Scooters are what we sell and service. We don’t deal in watercraft, motorcycles or 4 wheelers. We all ride scooters and want the rest of Tulsa to know just how much fun you can have for so little money. About 9 years ago we started asking questions about scooters. Everywhere we traveled we asked owners of the scooter shops where we would stop, what brand of scooters they would recommend if we were going to open a scooter shop in Tulsa, Oklahoma. There was only one brand that we heard 100% of the time. Over and over we were told to get KYMCO scooters. The shop owners and mechanics wherever we stopped told us it was simply the best quality scooter out there plus it was reasonably priced. Then we started to hear the name Genuine scooters more and more followed by Bajaj then a handful of other brands, mostly Taiwanese companies and a smattering of Italian companies. Regretfully Bajaj has left the US market but KYMCO and Genuine are still the brands we brought to the dance and we have never regretted these choices. Being the first scooter shop in Tulsa after many years gave us a jump on the other shops that have made their way into Tulsa since then. We have said "no" to a lot of brands for reasons of quality, price or just wanting to have too much to say about how we run our business. We turned down the European scooter companies, primarily because the price was too high for the same quality that we saw in most of the Taiwan brands. We also turned down most of the Chinese made scooters again because the price, even though quite low, was too high for the quality. As it turned out most of the scooters we chose are from Taiwan. We did our homework, did you? | |
 A little history on the beautiful, collectible Genuine Stella.
To give a correct history of our Stella, we have to start with Piaggio. Vespa/Piaggio has a long and close relationship with India. So, in 2008, when we read of Piaggio/Vespa's return to India we were not surprised. It all started in 1960 with the 14 year old company, Piaggio/Vespa, collaborating with the 15 year old company, Bajaj Auto, to produce scooters under the Vespa name. This partnership eventually ended in 1971. In 1983 Piaggio/Vespa joined the 11 year old company, India based LML (The current Stella manufacturer), to produce their Vespa brand of scooters. LML manufactured a large range of Vespa P series scooters using Piaggio/Vespa dies, forms and machinery. This collaboration ended after 16 years in 1999. In 1997 the "Star" was brought into the market. Most of the world knew this scooter as the Vespa PX150. These scooters were nearly identical. The Star/Stella/NV had everything the PX did but with some upgrades such as a reed block intake and a lower price tag. In 2002 the 13 year old company Scooterworks formed Genuine Scooters and the Stella was brought into our American hearts. For more information on this check out www.px150.com. |
Here is where we start our Taiwanese journey of scooters. Who better to start off with then the "Powerhouse" of scooters, KYMCO.
KYMCO, Kwang Yang Motor Company, was established in 1963 as a joint venture with Honda Motor Co., of Japan. They were licensed to produce two-wheeled vehicles and components. KYMCO quickly became Taiwan's leading producer of scooters and light motorcycles, and by 1983 the company's total production had passed the one million mark. By 1989 the production had crossed the two million mark. In 1992 KYMCO had prepared itself to become fully independent, and a large international competitor in the power sports industry. While Honda remained a significant shareholder in the company, KYMCO landed it's own branded line under the KYMCO name. Targeting not only Taiwan, but Southeast Asia, Latin America, Europe and North America production in 1994 hit the four million unit mark. KYMCO is the largest 2-wheeled manufacturer in Taiwan, and now the 5th largest in the world.
Don't confuse Taiwan with China. They are 2 very different countries. Quick history lesson...Up until the end of WWII, Taiwan was governed by Japan. In 1945 the mainland Republic of China took a shot at Taiwan. A couple years later the communists jumped in and the R.O.C. had to flee and they landed in Taiwan. The communists set up a new government that we know now as the People's Republic of China, P.R.C. The Taiwanese are very conscious of and want to avoid the perception of poor quality in their products. Therefore, they work very hard at being the best. The factories and work standards are very clearly visible to an outsider looking in. The amazing quality of the Taiwanese products are known not only to Honda, but are known first hand by their production for Kawasaki, Arctic Cat, and BMW (BMW's new G 450 X enduro is powered by an engine manufactured by KYMCO in Kaoshiung, Taiwan).
In March 2009, Consumer Reports, put the KYMCO People 150 up against the Vespa LX150, and Yamaha Vino 125. The People 150 and Vespa were neck in neck till speed, warranty, and price came into play. This is where the KYMCO took it's seat at the top. |
 Now for a little bit on your best friend and mine, the Genuine Buddy! PGO was founded in 1964, producing high quality parts for other companies. Vespa/Piaggio came into the picture in 1972, working together under license to produce scooters till 1982, the PGO scooters were here for good. New and innovative technology and design have been at the heart of their development throughout the years, with a consistent level of quality standards for all its products they have won many awards. They are proud to have an ISO-9001 quality certification. In 2006, Genuine Scooters partnered with PGO to produce the Buddy. What no one could predict was the cult following that took place after the Buddy 125 was introduced to the U.S. market. Everyone wanted "America's New Small Frame". With an affordable price tag, best warranty in the business, colors for everyone, and accessories abound, the Buddy is a perfect fit for anyone looking for quality and a good price in a scooter. Besides the Buddy, PGO produces the Rattler 110, and the Roughhouse for Genuine. We are proud to have these here for your enjoyment. |
 Sacha and Juniper on a trip to San Francisco. We visited Al at Bajaj USA. |
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Tulsa Scooters
3024 East 15th Street Tulsa OK 74104
Phone: 918.747.2668
Fax: 918.747.4633
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