Scooter store propelled by urban lifestyle
When Troy Daniels bought his son his first car, he said that would be the only one he would buy. Little did he know that decision would send him on a new business venture – selling scooters.
“We bought him a car, and said we’ll buy the first one, it’s not a nice one but it’ll get you there,” Daniels said. “Take care of it, and when it’s torn up, whether it’s your fault or not, you buy the next one.”
About three years ago, while driving and talking on his cell phone with his mom one day, DanielsÂ’ son totaled the car.
Their son wasnÂ’t seriously hurt, but Daniels, a Fort Worth native, and his wife, Leslie, stuck to their word that they wouldnÂ’t buy their son another car. However, because their son couldnÂ’t afford to buy one and they knew he needed some kind of vehicle to get to and from school every day, they began doing research on other forms of transportation.
Daniels came across information on motor scooters and started to investigate the two-wheeled vehicles that generally have small displacement engines, full bodywork and step-through design.
Daniels took such an interest in motor scooters in 2007 he opened his own business, Sundance Scooters LLC at 1311 W. Magnolia Ave. The store has been in operation for about nine months, but held its ribbon cutting on Feb. 7. Today, Daniels, his wife and son all drive scooters.
“What we’re trying to bring to Fort Worth is an alternative mode of transportation that will be fun, affordable, economical and environmentally friendly and also take up less room on our roads,” Daniels said.
With their compact designs and fuel efficiency, scooters are ideal for people who live and work downtown and want to save money on transportation, according to Daniels.
Scooters have become popular in recent years with sales increasing from 96,000 units in 2004 to an estimated 131,000 in 2007, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council, an Irvine, Calif.-based industry group.
Aside from Sundance Scooters, Fort Worth has another scooter retailer, Vespa Fort Worth that sells the popular Italian brand.
Daniels sells four models of Sundance Scooters, in several different colors. The models come in retro, sporty styles and are named Tango, Raptor, Route 66 and Sierra. The scooters have 150cc engines and 250cc engines, get between 60 and 80 miles to the gallon and travel up to 80 miles an hour. The scooters hold between one and two gallons of gas.
Daniels has had customers tell him the scooters get more than 80 miles per gallon, but he said that depends on how much weight is put on the scooter on average and how fast a person drives it.
All of DanielsÂ’ bikes have automatic transmissions and four-stroke motors, so the engine doesnÂ’t mix oil and gas.
Scooter prices range from $1,799 to $2,499, which Daniels said is low compared with many competitors. Another advantage, according to Daniels, is that his shop has a completely stocked parts and service area, so if something goes wrong with one of his scooters, a customer can bring it in and have it fixed right away.
The process of buying a scooter is much different from buying a bicycle, and customers often donÂ’t know that, Daniels said. When buying a scooter, a customer goes through the same process and paperwork as buying a car, because the scooter is a street legal vehicle just like a motorcycle or a car, he said. During a purchase, a scooter has to be inspected and go through a title process. The process takes a few hours, he said.
A friend working in engineering in Shanghai helped Daniels find a scooter manufacturer in China to build the Sundance Scooter models. After getting some ground work done on the partnership with the manufacturer, Daniels went on a business mission trip to China with the Fort Worth International Center in spring 2006.
The International Center coordinates the business mission trips once a year, but is moving towards having two trips per year, said Ana Montanez, international marketing coordinator for the center. The trips are cheaper through the International Center than they would be if the business arranged a trip itself, she said.
The International Center picks a country that several Fort Worth businesses have shown interest in, and plans a trip, she said. The main two requirements for the trip are for a business to be located in Fort Worth and have ties to another business in the area they are traveling to, she said.
Between 15 and 20 businesses go on the trips each year, which last just a few days, and each business owner has their own personal itinerary to follow. The international center coordinates the flight, hotel, meals and translators, and the business owner is responsible for the rest of their schedule.
For more information on the International Center, go to www.fwic.com. For more information on Sundance Scooters, go to www.sundancescooters.com.
Contact Wimmer at lwimmer@bizpress.net
