Scooter Alternative?

SCOOTER ALTERNATIVE?

Hit hard by the rollercoaster economy? Don’t despair; good times are just a pedal stroke away. Oklahoma City’s Ridley Motorcycle Company (www.ridleymotorcycle.com), best known for its medium-weight fully automatic motorcycles, is “bringing back the fun, ease and vintage styling of the 1900s.” We’re talking bicycles with clip-on engines. Unlike the ’40sera Whizzers and Ducati Cucciolo, which were four-stroke powered, the five-model Ridley lineup-1903, Boardwalk, Desert Patrol MP, MP Limited and Twin-uses EPA-compliant two-stroke propulsion. There are two displacements: 49 and 70cc, good for claimed top speeds of 24 and 33 mph, respectively. Housing the otherwise-identical, rubber-mount engines are modified beach cruisers purchased from Felt (www.feltracing.com), a popular maker of road and mountain bikes founded by former Honda race mechanic Jim Felt. Bikes and engines are actually sold separately, the former retailing for $1440, with the latter going for $559. Add $175 for shipping, for a grand total of $2174. Beats riding the bus... -Matthew Miles