The Motor Cycle Industry Association claim that motorcycle sales have hit their highest figures in 18 years.

Year 2000 sales for both motorcycles and mopeds/scooters reached a staggering 170,072, which is up 217 per cent compared to five years ago.

And for the first time in recent history it was a 50cc moped-scooter that was the best selling bike in 2000 - The Peugeot Speedfight. I decided to see why the Peugeot Speedfight is so popular and to discover the reason why people are opting for two wheels instead of four!

Gloucester-based Fraser's Motorcycles let me loose on the Speedfight 2, the updated model of the award winning Speedfight. With little experience of being on two wheels, I reluctantly got on.

I was surprised how easy it is to handle a scooter, no wonder people often refer to them as 'Twist and Go's', because they really are that simple and lots of fun to use.

Britain's busy roads and unreliable train network really cheese me off, so I do see the Scooter as a viable, cost effective alternative. They enable you to combat traffic congestion by queue hopping which in turn will shorten your journey time at minimal expense - hence the demand and soar in sales.

The Speedfight has earned itself a fabulous reputation by creating a sleek, stylish, meaty machine that is practical and features anti-lock front suspension and factory fitted immobiliser as standard.

Perhaps that's why it won the Motorcycle News award 'Scooter of the Year' 2000.

I am sure if rail disruption continues, or fuel costs rise again, scooter manufacturers like Peugeot will see yet another substantial increase for sales in 2001.
 
Author Rebecca Nicholls
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