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GORDON DANIELS

Matthew Golob, owner of EZrider Motorsports of Northampton, checks a recent shipment of an FYM "Key West" moped that has a 50cc engine. Scooters have a larger engine, 150 to 200 cc's.

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GAZETTE FILE PHOTO

A row of Softail Deluxe motorcycles in the showroom at Easthampton Harley-Davidson on College Highway in Southampton.

NORTHAMPTON - Peter Rego bought his Suzuki Savage motorcycle a year ago - mostly, he says, "on a whim."

But with gas prices over $4 a gallon, Rego - who is about to venture out on his 30-horsepower machine for a six-week journey - is glad he jumped aboard.

"It would have been a problem now if I didn't buy it," said Rego, 28, of Northampton. "Gas prices just keep jumping."

Rego is one of many across the Pioneer Valley and the nation downsizing from the comfort of their vehicles for a smaller form of transportation: motorcycles and scooters.

But with increasing first-time riders venturing out onto the roads, police and hospital officials stress riders should become familiar with all safety laws and take care on the roads.

The main selling point for the smaller vehicles is that the two-wheelers get from 60 to 120 miles per gallon, cost as little as a few hundred dollars used, are less expensive to insure, and can require minimal maintenance.

Local motorcycle and scooter dealers say they have seen their inventories raided and a higher level of foot traffic in their showrooms and dealerships.

A run on scooters

"I have seen shortages of scooters and mopeds across the board," said Matthew Golob, owner of a shop called EZrider in Northampton.

The best-selling vehicle in Golob's 1,000-square-foot store has been the Fly Scooters 50-cc moped, which gets 90 to 100 miles a gallon. Cc is a measure of cubic centimeters, a term commonly used to describe the size of small engines.

"People are simply tired of the situation. They are tired of spending $75 on gas," Golob said.

Mopeds are defined by the state as a "motorized bicycle" with an automatic transmission and cylinders of 50-cc or less. They have to be registered and drivers cannot exceed 25 mph, according to the Massachusetts Department of Motor Vehicle Web site. Scooters are similar to mopeds but cannot legally exceed 20 mph speeds.

Scooter prices at Golob's store range from $1,100 to $1,499, and the increase in sales has left cheaper models out of stock.

Golob believes people are changing their vehicle choices mostly because of the economy with rising gas prices and the fluctuating job market.

Matt Meers, of Easthampton, owner of a Honda Goldwing motorcycle, said he has noticed an increase in motorcycle and scooter riders out on the roads in the last few months.

"To me it makes more sense to ride a bike than take a car out onto the road," Meers said.

Meers also owns a Ford Ranger pickup, which costs him about $70 a week to fill up, while his two-wheeler costs him about $20 to fill up.

"It's really a no-brainer," he said.

In the past, Meers would take his pickup to the grocery store to stock up on food. But with fuel and food both costing more, Meers has adopted to the situation by riding his motorcycle to the store and placing the food items in the vehicle's saddle bags.

"I take this thing everywhere," he said, gesturing to his motorcycle.

Brisk sales

Nationwide sales of well-known brands such as Honda, Yamaha, Vespa and Suzuki increased by about 24 percent so far over last year, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council, a trade group.

Steven Luzi, manager at Green River Honda in Greenfield, has already run out of this year's supply of scooters and small motorcycles.

"They are buying them all," Luzi said.

The store has seen a 30-percent increase in sales of smaller motorcycles and scooters. He has been waiting for his showroom to be restocked with high-demand items, such as 600-cc and 700-cc motorcycles and various scooters.

Luzi said he's seen a variety of people looking into motorcycles - "average, blue-collared, clean-cut people. Every type of person is trying to save."

Jake Hogan, sales manager at Valley Motorsports Inc. in Northampton, said he noticed a lot of college students and older people buying scooters in the past year.

"Everybody is buying because of gas prices," Hogan said.

His store is out of stock on many of its smaller motorcycles and scooters. Hogan expected to restock during the second week in July.

Scott Martowski, manager at Lia Toyota in Northampton, when asked about two-wheeled transportation, said this: "That's where the world is going right now."

Safety becomes issue

When new motorcyclists hit the road, they face new regulations and laws.

Motorized scooters in Massachusetts are not recognized as motor vehicles and therefore do not have to be registered. However, motorized scooters are considered motor vehicles for purposes of enforcing certain traffic laws and operators can be issued citations for violations.

Operators must wear a helmet and may not exceed 20 mph. In addition, operators must keep to the right side of the road at all times. (For more information regarding scooter rules and regulations go to www.mass.gov).

Although Cooley Dickinson Hospital officials have not seen an increase in motorcycle-related injuries in the past few months, Dr. R. S. Conway urges first-timers to not overdo it.

"I recommend they make small local trips so they get used to the new motorcycle," Conway said.

While cheap to drive and easy to park, two-wheeled transportation is less safe than four-wheeled, according to a Wall Street Journal article, and not suited to bad weather.