In these times of too many business and personal financial struggles, nothing more exciting than to have to report about the interest that the new California Scooter Company venture is generating in Shows and Conventions. As I reported in my article of October 8, 09, California Scooter Company (CSC) is an LLC of Pro One Performance Manufacturing, decided to bring back the spirit of the American Mustang Scooter and to offer a new mean of cool transportation for business and pleasure. When I was informed and wrote about it for the first time, I felt quite good about these motorbikes, their chance to be appealing to a very large audience of bikers and non-bikers, men and women, almost from 7 to 77 years old…
The look is pretty cool and the price is right (starting at $4995) for a crossover between the junk plastic Asian scooters and the big American V-Twin that we love. Steve Seidner, the man behind the resurrection of this true “American Attitude Scooter” wanted to offer a line of motorcycles with the handling and style that belongs uniquely to its big cubic inch brothers. Inspired by the original American Mustang lightweight motorcycle developed during the 1940s in Glendale CA, California Scooters provide a kind of transportation renaissance: affordability, economy, easy handling and a lot of thrill wrapped into pure biker attitude.
During these last months California Scooters has traveled the country to introduce itself and its models both to the public and to a selection of dealers, and the response was overwhelmely positive, each client finding its own reasons to find them extremely appealing. And the range of stated justifications to own and ride one is very wide. For some, it’s because they find them perfectly adapted to urban, suburban or even rural transportation. For new bikers and women, it’s because they don’t feel intimidated by size and power, finding them extremely “friendly” to look at and perceiving them as very easy to control in traffic situation. Others, money conscious, are seduced by the ratio power/economy or by the fact that being long time bikers they want to add a 2-wheel piece of fun in their garage or simply initiate their children to the art of riding and of easy motorcycle tinkering. Etc…
That California Scooters models like the Classic, the Greaser and the Baby Doll stir up such an excitement is quite refreshing because it demonstrates, contrary to what many have said when overall new motorcycle sales collapsed during these last 3 years, that there are huge numbers of untapped enthusiasts ready to access the sport of motorcycling or to expand their fleet of bikes if a fun, economical, practical bike is proposed to them. I have witnessed the constant crowd around the California Scooters booth during the first leg of its exhibition and demonstration show tour. I have heard the questions asked. I never had any doubt that the spirit of freedom and of individualism is well, alive and will survive any calamity thrown at us. This spirit can be expressed in many ways on many types of motorcycles. Because of the economy it was not translated in as many new motorcycle sales as before. But what I learned is that the resurrection of the Mustang style scooter can generate enough enthusiasm to unlock many wallets and create new easy motorcycle sales. Probably a lesson for our big manufacturers looking to adapt, diversify and adjust their lines to a new world of motorcycling.
Personally I just regret that the word “scooter” is being used in the company name because these machines are much more that what people perceive as being a scooter. Maybe calling them :American Scootzs” or something like that to differentiate them from who you know? California Scooter Company is already offering a line of custom accessories to personalze its rides and will be continuing its display across the US during the following Cycle World International Shows (located in the “Marketplace” with a seminar ‘The Right Bike for Right Now’ located in the convention at The Hub): Washington DC Jan. 15-17, New York NY Jan. 22-24, Cleveland OH Jan. 29-31, Minneapolis MN Feb. 5-7, Chicago IL Feb. 19-21 and Daytona Beach FL Mar. 3-6. You can also see the models, accessories and prices at California Scooter Company. And also on Facebook.
Looks like a lot of relatively cheap fun. May buy one for me and my wife to use in the streets of dowtown Houston.
Yeah, their looking better all the time. Seat looks comfy.
Agree with Cyril. It can be a big hit, the only success story during all these recession years.
Would like more tech info on these scoots.
Can be fun to give to a teen to customize. Not enough accessories on their site to do it. Or maybe some big twin accessories fit on them.
It may give Harley some incentive to design their own “first” motorcycle. Something inciting teenagers, new men and women bikers to access the sport. I agree that Scooter is not the best way to describe these mini motorcycles. Scooter is too much an Italian Vespa image.
interesting HellBe – your comment reminded me of my first “Harley” in 1977 i bought an AMF Harley 125CC 2 Stroke – pretty much a scooter but with bigger wheels!
I saw these at the Int’l Motorcycle Show in Seattle last month. These could be a fun crossover bike. I have real vintage scooters, vintage motorcycles and modern motorcycles in my garage and this is something entirely different from all of them. The engines & transmissions are Chinese knock-offs of a Honda design. 150cc 4-stroke, 4-speed manual with a top speed of around 50 MPH. Low HP means hills and wind will slow you down so these aren’t meant for touring or freeway riding. Real Honda parts do not fit, so ignore those rumors. CSC says they have plenty of parts, which you will need if the engines hold true to Chinese form.
Cap’n,
Maybe you misunderstood T.K at the Seattle show regarding the engine on our bikes. The engine is a 150cc 5 SPEED, 4-STROKE. As you probably know, it’s not designed for freeway use. We don’t claim it is for freeway use as many states require a 250cc or bigger. On average it will go about 60 mph, or possibly faster with a lighter rider. Also, the engine is not a Chinese mfg motor, it is manufactured in Taiwan, as we’ve stated in the past. In fact, NOTHING on the bike comes from China. The “China” rumor is something that has been going around on the blogs and but is incorrect.
Further, all our bikes are assembled at our factory here in Pomona, California.
We welcome any questions or comments and want our customers to have the correct info.
Free free to give us a call anytime for more info and also feel free to stop by the factory if you’re in the neighborhood.
GOOD FOR YOU CAL SCOOTER!
HUGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TAIWAN AND MAINLAND CHINA.
I WILL BE SENDING YOU MY DEPOSIT FOR MY GREASER –
CAN’T WAIT TO SEE MORE ACCESSORIES ON YOUR WEBSITE.
OldSkool
I know one thing—–If you do wear out the engine on one of these, or maybe just don’t like it, it would be easy to adapt the engine of your choice. They are all over Ebay. I personally love the look of a Honda 305 twin engine on a Mustang, so I’m sure the same look would work on the CSC. Everything else is very cool, new, and up to date. I know I would love to have one of them to fool with.
If Ridley was not bankrupt, California Scooters would have put them out of business. At least, these junior motorcycles have good looks and attitude. For 1/5th of the price!
The Greaser model looks pretty cool.
Will we see the bikes at the V-twin expo?
Another question. Are they legal on the road in all states?
Hi Justin,
Yes, they are 50-state legal.
One of Ridley’s 3/4 models would smoke one of these. The Ridley’s had 600cc engines. No comparison. But very cool looking scoot.
Yep, good luck Mr Seidner. We need success stories like yours. A dealer in Seattle to check your scoots?
“Ask the man that owns one”!..Me!..The workmanship is Show Quality! As hard as I look, I can find nothing negative to state!..A ton of fun!..
Pro One, Berts and Seidner’s all good places to deal with here in the SG Valley. I’d like to see a larger engine. Say 151cc 🙂
California Scooter Co;
the engine is not a Chinese mfg motor, it is manufactured in Taiwan,
The “China” rumor is something that has been going around on the blogs and but is incorrect
I am curious. Why is Taiwan better than china? Is the stuff coming out of Taiwan really all that much better? If so why. Is it not really just a case of 6 one way and a half dozen the other way?
IF YOU KNOW THE SEIDNER FAMILY AT ALL, YOU KNOW THE EXTREME HIGH QUALITY OF ALL THER BUISINESS UNDERTAKINGS. THESE BIKES WILL NOT BE JUNK, IF THEY WERE, THEY’D NEVER HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED BY THE SEIDNER BROTHER STEVE. CAN’T WAIT TO GET MY HANDS ON ONE. THANKS FOR ANOTHER SUCCESS STORY. R.W.
Is there some kind of official scorecard where I can look up where our jobs are supposed to go and where they’re not? You know, Taiwan OK, PRC not, Pakistan bad, India good? South Korea, Japan, etc. Are we supposed to move to these countries or something?
Woody only you are supposed to move to those countrys. Please go now please. also tell me what kind of car or truck you drive.
Little Joe,
Ford F150 (MO) & Pontiac Solstice (RI) Honda Valkyrie (OH), why do you ask?
“Why is Taiwan better than china? ”
Well it’s a democracy, you know kinda like the one we have here in the US. Taiwan is where people of Chinese decent who were fighting against the new Communist Goverment fled to in 1945.
Taiwan has been an ally of the Unites States ever since then.
They produce about a billion small engined vehicles a year.
Personally, I like their stick in your face China attitude.