The Addison Cafe

I could feel the rush of wind against my face, the sun on my neck, and the adrenaline racing through my heart; I felt truly alive. And at 25 mph no less. Oh the joys of scooting. I never thought much about scooters until I got on one for the first time. Sure, I came close to hitting a curb, falling over, and almost running into a parked car, but I knew I had found a new friend.

I am now on my second scooter, a 2006 SYM HD125cc that only cost me about 2,800 bucks brand new and gets upwards of 80 mpg (btw way, even though my first scooter only went 25mph, this one goes 70mph; they aren’t all slow). Even using premium it only costs about $6.50 to fill the tank and off that I can go to work 8 times. Per month my gas bill is around 15 big ones. What’s yours?

When it comes to scooters, you won’t find me complaining about the ease of parking, financial savings, enjoyment of riding, or the cool factor (go ahead and laugh skeptics…I know you’re out there. I am comfortable with my scooter masculinity). I won’t lie to you; scooting was no small help in attracting my future wife in college either (it’s kind of a James Bond thing; girls dig dangerous guys).

In all seriousness, check out the following math on scooter savings. If you buy a new scooter at 3k over 36mo, at our current low rate (depending on your credit) of 4.74% your monthly payment would be 90 bucks. Insurance for a year is around 100, and for this example we will just say 120 (which comes out to 10 bucks a month). 90 per month for the loan, plus 10 for insurance, plus 15 for gas = 115 bucks per month. If you own your scooter, then it is only 25 per month. Sometimes people don’t buy a scooter because they don’t want to spend 3-4k on the purchase, when in reality their monthly expenses will actually go down due to gas savings alone. Everyone is different…run the numbers and see what you come up with. You could save a bundle and have fun doing it.

PS: I live in Mountain View, Ca and have searched for a scooter gang in the bay area but found none. Anyone game?

PPS: If you are thinking of buying a scooter, do some research. Stay away from some over the overseas off-name brands that are cheap. You are pretty safe with anything that is Kymco, Honda, SYM, Vespa, Aprilia, Daehlim, Piaggio, Suzuki, and Yamaha. There are probably some others, but those are the big guns that tend to be pretty reliable. (I also recommend taking a motorcycle safety course, it could save your life).

I remember walking into the stale office. My breathing was shorter, heart rate was accelerated, and my legs were like jello. What was going to happen? Would what it be like? Would it hurt? The nice man smiled at me and said, “don’t worry, you won’t feel a thing”… Several hours later it was all over. I was groggy, exhausted, and didn’t feel like myself. And my appetite was completely gone. Some of you might think this post will be about the horrors of oral surgery, but you’re wrong (that will be another post). I’m actually talking about the first time I bought a car (ok, he didn’t say “you won’t feel a thing” but he might as well have).

Buying a car from a dealership can be a fabulous way to lose A LOT of money and feel good doing it (not a good combo). These guys spend 40hrs a week for years trying to figure out how to MAKE YOU buy a car at the highest price possible. (Note: I know some people that are completely honest car salesmen and whom I trust completely. I even applied to sell cars at one point. This post is stereotypical so take it with a grain of salt). My first time in a dealership I told the friendly gent in the suit I would give him 14,000 and my old 1993 rattling Toyota Tercel for a used Scion Tc marked at 14,300. He stroked his stubbly chin, emitted a low “Hhmmm” and ran off to “get it approved”. Skipping happily back to me 15 minutes later he shook my hand vigorously while repeating “14k and the Tercel for trade”. I was stoked. “Ha” I thought, I really showed them. I, the great master negotiator, had pulled it off and gotten the car on my terms. Shoot, that was easy. I wondered why everyone else complains about buying a car…they must not be as clever as I was. Hmm (yeah right). Halfway through applications and paperwork the sales guy comes back and says “ssoooo, anyways, about that price…finance says they can’t do that, they will only give you 100 for your trade”. Heart rate goes up again at this point. I should have puffed up my chest and told him what would happen to him if he didn’t get me the price he deceptively quoted me while shaking my hand, but being young, naïve, and 6 inches shorter than him, I stuttered “uh, oh-ok”. Then he led me to the bottomless pit (the finance office) where the finance manager tried ripping me off on some 2,500 dollar warranty. I told her I wouldn’t be needing it because Scion was made by Toyota and Toyotas don’t break down (LOL). She looked like she would eat my children for dinner if I didn’t buy it (I don’t have children, but if I did…). After arguing for several minutes on the mechanical reliability of Toyotas with her she finally conceded and wrote up the contract. Another hour later and I was finally free to leave in my new car. I have heard worse stories, but the experience was still enough to frustrate me. In case you are thinking of buying a car soon, here are a 5 ways to save yourself some pain at the dealership (things I learned the hard way):

1. They need you more than you need them. YOU have the power. There are plenty of other cars out there. You can walk away.
2. Learn about the extra products like GAP and warranty before hand, you could save a bundle. For instance, we offer the same stuff as dealerships and a lot of it is WAY less.
3. Don’t act excited. If they think you like the car they are going to have a much easier time getting you to buy. Make them get on their knees and beg you.
4. They know they will end up selling it under sticker price. Barter Barter Barter. Unless it is a Saturn or a Scion (smart companies that set the price so you don’t have to deal with deceptive handshakes).
5. Take someone with you who knows the game. This can make all the difference in the world!

What car buying nightmares have you ran into?