BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT:Wheel deal

Scooter riding isn’t just for Europeans or movie stars, it’s for Newport-Mesa residents too.

As gas prices continue to escalate, with many stations charging nearly $3 a gallon, drivers are looking for ways they can save money at the pump.

The Vespa, a scooter made by the Italian company Piaggio, gets about 70 miles to the gallon and — generally speaking — insurance rates are low. But saving money isn’t the only reason people are buying scooters like these.

“A lot of people are very impressed with the gas millage, and a lot of people want to get one because of the ease of use,” said Matthew Kopelow,operations manager for Vespa of Newport Beach.

Vespas are fully automatic and they’re “less bike” than motorcycles, Dana Point resident Jonathan Cohen said.

Cohen recently test drove the three-wheeled Piaggio MP3 scooter at the Newport Vespa showroom. The MP3 is not yet available in the United States (it will be available later this year) but Kopelow had it for a few days to show his customers. Cohen and Kopelo consider the three-wheeled scooter an easier ride.

The MP3 has ample storage space, which should make it attractive to commuters — Kopelow said Europeans who ride it put golf clubs into the back storage trunk. And, it’s held up with hydraulics. With the push of a button, the feet never have to hit the pavement, even when the scooter idles at a stop light.

Cohen plans on buying an MP3 scooter and said he loves riding scooters for the freedom.

“This morning … I took [my scooter] down to the wharf [in Dana Point] and puttered around and my girlfriend sat on back and put her arms around me — it’s just a sweet experience,” Cohen said Thursday. “I feel safer on it — it’s more maneuverable and less bike … and I’m not feeling like I’m putting my life on the line.”

Riding a scooter provides the “same experience and none of the hassle” of traditional motorcycles, especially on the MP3, Cohen said.

“It was fun…. It was very unique in the fact that you could really lean it down in the turn — I mean like really lean it down — normally if you’re on a scooter you’d be scared that you’d get crushed…. You couldn’t have believed what this little thing could do,” Cohen said. “It brought a new dimension, so to speak, to riding scooter, this thing is really banking in the turns, it was pretty cool.”

Vespa of Newport Beach underwent a management shift last year and Kopelow intends on making the Newport showroom a model for the company.

“Everything has to be clean and perfect,” he said.

The most popular models at the Newport store are the LX 150 and GTS 250 — the latter goes about 55 to 60 miles per hour and is mainly used for riding to work and running errands. The GTS 250 is more powerful and, depending on weight, can reach speeds of 80 to 85 miles per hour. It’s very popular among cruisers who might want to pack some more muscle into their scooter while driving up Pacific Coast Highway or on longer rides.

“I want to try to get people to ride more scooters in Newport and Orange County and bring that European feel down here,” Kopelow said.

For more information about Vespa, visit www.vespaofca.com or call Vespa of Newport Beach (949) 631-5105.