Scooter Help Around St. Louis

[monty57]

There are many motorcycle dealers and some high end scooter dealers in St. Louis but I haven't found a lot of Chinese dealerships. One that I did explore over the long weekend is Brad's Scooters on highway 94 In St. Charles, MO. I stopped by because I saw what I believed to be a bright yellow Helix as my wife and I rode past his shop. I had to stop and see what made these scoots so notoriously comfortable and uniquely loved even though they are said to have a distinct lack of beauty. As we walked up, out came the owner, Brad to show off is wares. Itactually was a Qlink Commuter. Much better fit and finish than some of the imports I have seen.

We began to talk and I told him I also had a RR 250 TLX and he asked several other questions and before long we found we knew some people in common. He soon asked if I would like a tour of his small shop and I said sure. He showed me the different brands he stocked and was very honest. These are the good one and these are the not so good but there are some people who want the low priced units when they come in and so I keep some on hand. He said he has to compete with the INTERNET on many items and I found his prices to be very competitive. Even on his better units. These units are fully assembled and adjusted. I was impressed that he actually has a trained cycle mechanic on staff and what really impressed me is the fact that he stocks several units simply to have a supply of the harder to get parts. Here is a guy trying to bring the Chinese scoot market up to par with some of the Japanese dealerships.

Another thing that impressed was a phone call that came in to check if a part that had been ordered had arrived. Not only had it come in but Brad told the caller there would only be a shipping charge even though the callers scoot was out of warranty. That's a guy trying to build customer relations.

He stocks mainly 50cc to 150cc but will order 250cc upon request and he sell several brands but says he prefers scooters made by one well known manufacturer. He also stocks ATVs and mini- choppers. If you are looking for an alternative to the INTERNET for you scooter purchase, Brad may be your answer.

He is also willing to work on scooters he as not sold and he is currently talking to a couple of INTERNET dealers about possibly doing their warranty work. Finally some real help.

I truly enjoyed the time at Brad's shop and I am planning on visiting again. Who knows, I may need some repair someday or may want to add to the fleet.

Brad's Scooters is located at 3315 Hwy 94 N. St. Charles, MO 63301. e-mail is [e-mail] . His web site is www.222motors.com . Go by and visit. It is a scooter lovers "candy store". ;D

[WarrenS]

Did you sit on the Commuter?

[monty57]

Yes, i thought it was very comfortable. My wife sat on the rear seat and thought it was too far forward. I also thought the foot brake was a unique touch. I am going to try and spend some more time with Brad and hopefully take a drive on it. I was very impressed with the over all fit and finish.

I also looked at a couple of 50cc he carries. He seems to prefer models from Bashan. They do seem to put together very well and have a lot of nice touches like cast rather than stamped wheels, nice trunks with backrest, chrome exhaust and several other thing I have not found on other 50s.

But back to the Qlink. It had some great trunk space but the overall appearance does have to grow on you. I would like to see how the 244 CF Moto drive responds in that body configuration compared to RR touring style.

He also showed me a couple of piece on two new motorcycles he is going to carry next year and a watercooled 250cc ATV. all neet looking rides.

[monty57]

I have been thinking about another small 50cc scoot so I thought I would make a visit to Brad's Scooters in St. Charles. I hadn't been by his shop in quite while and wanted to see how things where going and what was new. Things seem to be getting better. He has rented some new warehouse space and he is growing his inventory nicely. Several new models and even a new 250 with Linhai motor. I noticed a sold sign on the display and he told he had several more coming in but they were all sold. Seems the demand might be up.

Brad again impressed while dealing with a young lady who needed some parts he had ordered. He seemed more than willing to discount the price on the part to help her out. Again showing a willingness the work with his customers.

One thing he did tell me is he still has to try to compete with the Internet sellers he has had to start charging for some of the service work he had previously done for free. That seems to be an issue I see often with many of the scooter crowd. I realize many of us on very tight budgets and we have to save where ever possible but we also have to understand something called overhead. Whether he likes it or not, any seller who operates from a building has to build in the cost for that building and utilities into everything he sells or he won't be in business long. I guess what I'm saying is we have to be willing to pay for the luxury of seeing, touching and checking out our merchandise before we buy. One of the biggest pluses of buying from a B & M store is there is no shipping damage and it has been assembled and ran. That has to be worth something. I had a pretty good Internet experience but thees pages are full of others who didn't so it may be worth a little extra for that piece of mind.

All in all it was a good visit and I enjoyed talking to Brad and seeing his new inventory. He says his goal for next year is to expand once more and bring his warehouse, assembly, service and sales all together under one roof. I hope he makes it as China Scoots are going to be more of a part of our life as we move further up the oil price chain and we will need a place to go for what we need to keep them happy and purring.