By : motorworld
Eight wheels, minus two, can equal up to $6,000 savings, or more, in your family’s transportation budget. What the heck? Fight fire with fire, downsizing with downsizing. In light of this country’s current economic woes, the European motorcycle conglomerate Piaggio wants to help you neutralize the negative growth in your bank account and have fun in the process. Perhaps even reversing the loss, turning the low flow into a personal profit.
Eight wheels, minus two, can equal up to $6,000 savings, or more, in your family’s transportation budget. What the heck? Fight fire with fire, downsizing with downsizing. In light of this country’s current economic woes, the European motorcycle conglomerate Piaggio wants to help you neutralize the negative growth in your bank account and have fun in the process. Perhaps even reversing the loss, turning the low flow into a personal profit.
Motorcycle.com was recently invited to
see the 2009 model lineup at the fresh new Piaggio Technical Center in
Costa Mesa, CA, and we were welcomed to the new facility by engineers,
press relations staff, and the CEO and President of Piaggio Group
Americas, Paolo Timoni. Timoni was fresh from a trip to Europe and was
excited to share his growth plan with the press. The 12,000 square-foot
facility will act as a media fleet center as well as home to the
company's product testing and technical training operations, including
factory product training and classroom instruction for service
technicians from all U.S. and Canadian dealerships, as well as Latin
American importers.
Offering introductory rides on dozens of two-wheel cash-saving machines, media outlets were invited to a taster's test of the 2009 Piaggio, Aprilia and Moto Guzzi model lines (Piaggio, for those that may not know, owns Aprilia and Moto Guzzi -- Ed).
While the industry itself ails along with the rest of the world, some manufacturers are showing growth and enjoying higher market shares each year. More and more eager-to-save Americans are buying into the two-wheeled nation. Although Americans are buying (Piaggio and Vespa) scooters in greater numbers than sportbikes, the Piaggio Group is happy to report a 4-year growth of volume share of 9.2%, as reported by the MIC. Selling more scooters in the U.S. than any other OEM, Piaggio's answer to the question of how we survive on current wages while still considering the health of the globe, is to downsize (once more) and make your second vehicle a scooter.
Offering introductory rides on dozens of two-wheel cash-saving machines, media outlets were invited to a taster's test of the 2009 Piaggio, Aprilia and Moto Guzzi model lines (Piaggio, for those that may not know, owns Aprilia and Moto Guzzi -- Ed).
While the industry itself ails along with the rest of the world, some manufacturers are showing growth and enjoying higher market shares each year. More and more eager-to-save Americans are buying into the two-wheeled nation. Although Americans are buying (Piaggio and Vespa) scooters in greater numbers than sportbikes, the Piaggio Group is happy to report a 4-year growth of volume share of 9.2%, as reported by the MIC. Selling more scooters in the U.S. than any other OEM, Piaggio's answer to the question of how we survive on current wages while still considering the health of the globe, is to downsize (once more) and make your second vehicle a scooter.
According to independent testing on behalf of
Piaggio, 30% of U.S. consumers have considered adding a cheaper mode of
transportation to their garage. Were we to switch just 10% of our total
mileage to scooters and motorcycles, we would consume 14 to 18 million
fewer gallons of fuel per day, and carbon dioxide emissions could be
reduced by 324 million pounds per day. (Source ICR Survey, May, 2006)
Sounds like a win-win-win option (Piaggio, the buyer and the
environment) to that second automobile.
Hip to the idea, Americans purchased a combined total 78,000 Piaggios and Vespas last year, bolstering the market share of scooters (for all brands) in 2008 to 27.7% according to the Motorcycle Industry Council. Measured in dollars, that's a 36% increase of scooter market share, and in total, 3% of the entire line in overall market sales for Piaggio alone. Piaggio is poised and actively engaged in enabling the American public to live "in the wind" by conscious means of informing the public about motorcycles and scooters sharing the road, and reforming government rules and regulations regarding use and costs involved with owning a two-wheeler.
Hip to the idea, Americans purchased a combined total 78,000 Piaggios and Vespas last year, bolstering the market share of scooters (for all brands) in 2008 to 27.7% according to the Motorcycle Industry Council. Measured in dollars, that's a 36% increase of scooter market share, and in total, 3% of the entire line in overall market sales for Piaggio alone. Piaggio is poised and actively engaged in enabling the American public to live "in the wind" by conscious means of informing the public about motorcycles and scooters sharing the road, and reforming government rules and regulations regarding use and costs involved with owning a two-wheeler.
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