'Every unit is sold': Mini motos a big trend amid surging gas prices
The price of gas is causing a small niche group to become more mainstream.
Mini motos – small motorcycles and scooters – are surging in demand as people grapple with the high prices of gas in Manitoba and across the country.
Andrew Lacarz said he finally bought a Honda Ruckus in June after trying to get one for several years.
"In previous years, I've been on waitlists for the last two summers and I never got my name in early enough to get one," said Lacarz.
He said he uses the scooter to commute to work and do errands and it costs under $10 to fill the gas tank. He says that was a major reason he bought it as he has other cars that cost much more to run.
"Some of them needing premium, it's about $150, closer to $200, to fill," said Lacarz about his other cars.
Some mini motos don't require motorcycle licenses to drive, and their price tag - $2,000 to $6,000 – has helped create a tight knit community of riders according to Sebastian Selver, who drives a Yamaha scooter.
"Many people specialize in them or just people want to go riding. You can find a big variety of people from, ages of 15, the youngest you can ride them, to people over 60-years-old who are riding scooters all the time," said Selver.
With the popularity of the vehicle growing, they are becoming hard to find according to WSL Sports and Leisure.
"As of right now every unit is sold. I think we have one Grom that's coming in that is available, but yeah, as of right now we're kind of waiting until either we get allocated August stock or even next year," said Taegan Linnell, a salesman at the store.
Both Lacarz and Selver said saving money on gas is nice, but these vehicles are also fun to drive.
"It's fun and it's definitely cheaper on gas than my other vehicles," said Lacarz.
"For the amount of fun you can have for the cost, it makes sense why people are buying them and you can't find them anymore," noted Selver.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
2 teens charged in Halifax homicide: police
Two teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder in connection to an alleged homicide near the Halifax Shopping Centre earlier this week.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.
ByteDance prefers TikTok shutdown in U.S. if legal options fail, Reuters sources say
TikTok owner ByteDance would prefer to shut down its loss-making app rather than sell it if the Chinese company exhausts all legal options to fight legislation to ban the platform from app stores in the U.S., four sources said.
12-year-old hippo in Japan raised as a male discovered to be a female
When Gen-chan arrived at a zoo in Japan in 2017, no one questioned whether the then-five-year-old hippopotamus was a boy. Seven years later, zoo staff made a surprising discovery: Gen-chan, now 12, was female.
Here's why Harvey Weinstein's New York rape conviction was tossed and what happens next
Here's what you need to know about why movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction was thrown out and what happens next.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.
Legendary hockey broadcaster Bob Cole dies at 90: CBC
Bob Cole, a welcome voice for Canadian hockey fans for a half-century, has died at the age of 90. Cole died Wednesday night in St. John's, N.L., surrounded by his family, his daughter, Megan Cole, told the CBC.