'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
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.