New Stella Models
Rumors have been circulating around The Cybernets on various forums that Genuine Scooters (makers of the Stella) where going to release two new models this year. I was hoping they were going to simply do a couple of new vintage body styles, perhaps a 90cc small frame or something like that.
Instead we get the Buddy & the Blackcat. They're cool, the best looking plastic scooters on the market IMO, but plastic?
To be fair to Genuine: its conventional wisdom in the scooter industry that you make your money on plastic, volume, 50-125cc automatic scooters. They're incredibly cheap to produce and your margin, along with your volume, is a degree or two of magnitude greater than the vintage or performance part side of the business.
I'm worried though that by jumping into the plastic market, in direct competition with TNG and well, everyone else, Genuine is going to dilute their brand, taking business energy & momentum away from what they do well. Is there a market out there for plastic scooters that isn't being tapped by TNG etc.? Clearly you've got a market for the Stella & vintage; has it been exhausted?
Anyways, its got me scratching my head.
Scooters | By Josiah Roe | 10:51 AM
Comments
the buddy looks cool, but wow, that blackcat is quite cheesy. or is it campy? yikes.
Posted by: bobw at March 9, 2006 11:02 AM
The blackcat is in no way cool. It would be like making a cocacola scooter that was red and said 'cocacola' all over it. The other one is pretty cool and if its dirt cheap then they could be pretty popular. But the black cat is the lamest thing this side of myself.
Posted by: holton at March 9, 2006 12:00 PM
That is why you need the Kymco Vitality. If you have to get a plastic, then go Korean. Seriously though, my brother is taking the "Blue Korean Demon" to Flagler College in the Fall.
I remember when I was in Korea for 2 summers and scooters were massively modded for speed. It was kind of like what Ricers do to their Hondas, except it was scooters that had massive springs (ala dirtbikes) or 50cc engines scooters that could hit 70mph.
It was quite a sight to see some idiotic Korean guy weaving in and out of traffic at high rates of speed with a girl on the back holding on for dear life. I always wondered about the mortality rate of young Korean men with scooters (or the girls on the back for that matter).
Posted by: joebrodie at March 10, 2006 10:07 AM
I like the Black Cat
Posted by: Garth Henkins at March 10, 2006 10:18 AM
Phil Waters, from Pride of Cleveland scooters ,just completed some loop..(can't remember..lake erie maybe) , some 600 plus miles, in like 12 hours on a(pink) Genuine Buddy 125. I saw a pic of the speedo on the scoot at over 65 mph. He won the 125 class, and was behind the overall winner who was on a 200 cc Honda motorcycle by just under 2 hours. By all accounts, the new Buddy is a screamer for a 125. Also, and in the long run, 4 strokes are going to be where it is at. When you talk about the economy you get , balance it out with what you pay for a can of premium 2 stroke oil. I've seen some of the higher line stuff at nearly $8 a quart..that kinda messes with that economy equation. All that said, I very seriously love everything about the Stella except not having one. But being a flaming liberal, and concerned with the environment, I may have to opt for a four stroke and hope that POC scooters comes out with some hop up parts.
Posted by: mike at June 23, 2006 11:09 PM
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