Monster Scooter Parts: A Scooter Part Story

We are Monster Scooter Parts. That's a fairly descriptive company name. Much more so than McDonald's, Walmart, Amazon.com, or ExxonMobil. A descriptive long company name is great for telling the world what you do just be reading the name, but we get called by many different names that are similar, but different, than Monster Scooter Parts all the time. Three words are easily confused. Not Monster, but the scooter parts part of it. Monster Scooters, Monster Scooter, Monster Motor Scooter, Monster, etc. And often we're called these names by close relatives! Ouch.

But getting back to our name, it is only descriptive if you know what those three words mean. Monster, yes, we know that one. Parts, yes, we know that one. But what exactly is a "scooter" anyway? And what is a scooter part?

That simple word, scooter, has guided Monster Scooter Parts to where we are today. A scooter part can represent different things to different people. Let's look through the world of scooters for a minute.



Looks like a scooter to me, an electric Razor E300. This is an easy one, you see this in any neighborhood on a nice sunny day. Monster Scooter Parts has a scooter part for that one.

Also a scooter. Not electrically driven though, powered by kicks; a kick scooter. Monster Scooter Parts has a scooter part for that also.

Yes, some also call this a scooter. Looks a bit different than the Razor E300 though. An electric mobility scooter. We have a scooter part for that one.






Many also call this a mobility scooter. Others would call it a powerchair, or power wheelchair. But take a look through Craigslist ads, and you'll quickly see that most of the classifieds for "mobility scooters" are actually powerchairs just like this Jazzy Select. Monster Scooter Parts has a powerchair part, or scooter part, for this powerchair.




Now this one, this surely isn't the same beast as that Jazzy Select is it? Also a scooter. We at Monster Scooter Parts have had great debates about the terminology of this vehicle, here the example is the great Honda Helix. Street Scooter, Motor Scooter? But we have a scooter part for this Honda Helix.

As an aside from this discussion, the Honda Helix is the latest darling of Monster Scooter Parts. In production off and on for 20 years, it's funky, it's a bit odd... it's awesome! Another blog post on that, but we're adding a huge list of OEM and aftermarket Honda Helix parts, just click the link below to take you there:

HONDA HELIX PARTS

Besides being a beautiful classic Honda Cub 50 and the highest production motorcycle in history, a scooter this is to our company historian. Me, I'd call it a motorbike, but back in the day I'm told it was known as a scooter. Not a CVT transmission like today's modern scooters, but a scooter to some. Monster Scooter Parts has a scooter part for this one also.



So what a slightly odd mix of products that we provide service to. But if you didn't know what the world called them, scooters, you may wonder how a company like Monster Scooter Parts ends up selling scooter parts for both a kick scooter, a Jazzy powerchair, and a Honda Helix. What? We put ourselves out there, and customers come to us with their definition of a scooter part, and a need, and we step in to fill that need. We've been doing that for the last 5 years, and will continue to do so in the future. Just don't call us Monster Scooter dot com. We are Monster Scooter Parts.

Glenn
glenn@monsterscooterparts.com
http://www.monsterscooterparts.com/

A Scooter by Any Other Name

The boss collects old scooters. His latest aquisitions -- a fairly recent KYMCO Agility 50 and a People 150-- got our collective juices flowing. KYMCO makes great scooters, but sometimes finding the right replacement parts can be challenging. Even locating the correct size 16" tires for the People and People S series scooters is often difficult as many local tire stores may never have even heard of 100/80-16 rubber. My buddy Mike, the official Monster Scooter Parts mechanic and subject matter expert extraordinaire, tore the Agility 50 and People 150 down to their proverbial nuts & bolts and made a rather interesting discovery about parts compatibility. Although almost every other scooter manufacturer in the world uses AC CDI modules, KYMCO scooters require DC CDI modules! It took some doing, but we have located a source of supply for replacement DC CDI modules and are now awaiting the shipment. If you need a DC CDI and are frustrated with trying to get parts from a KYMCO dealer, give us a call. Among some other identified replacement parts that we have in stock for the KYMCO Agility 50 scooter: 19 mm Carburetor with Electric Choke Ignition Coil 12 Volt Electric Starter Motor Clutch Shoe Assembly Automatic choke unit Tires, spark plugs, throttle cables, CVT belts, bulbs and more. It came as a surprise a while back to find out that KYMCO scooters were from one of the top five makers of scooters and motorcycles in the world today, along with Piaggio (Vespas, Aprilias, et al.) and the Japanese Big Three (Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki). KYMCO (Kwang Yang Motor Company, Ltd) actually got its start as the subsidiary engine parts supplier to Honda. Unlike some of the generic (or best left unmentioned) scooter manufacturers on the Chinese mainland, the Taiwanese KYMCO continue to uphold Honda's high standards of quality control and assurance. A Scooter by Any Other Name "O, be some other name! What's in a name? That which we call a Grand Dink by any other name would smell as sweet." -- William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, 1600 Well maybe the Bard's young Miss Capulet wasn't really pining away for her KYMCO Grand Dink scooter, but the sentiment remains the same. Of all the major scooter makers in the world, KYMCO evidently had a marketing crew with either the greatest sense of humor, or the least understanding of branding for the American scooter market. Scooter models with names like Yup, Top Boy, Bet & Win, Dink and the ultimate curiously (but very nobley) titled Grand Dink are all examples of KYMCO's undeniable silliness with the English language. In my mind I can hear the voice of an American public relations expert taking the KYMCO Vice President of International Marketing aside and saying; "uh sir... I don't think the folks here in the US will be all that enthusiastic about a scooter called the Yup. You may want to rename it into something that sounds a bit zippier like maybe 'the all-new KYMCO Sting 50' or something like that. Now about that Grand Dink thing..." So other than the Bet & Win models, KYMCO naming in the USA is often quite different that that used in other parts of the world. I am still waiting to see the definitive cross reference listing of all the KYMCO scooter models, along with each of the various & sundry names used in different countries and when it was that they used them. Maybe not great literature for the casual reader, but for the die-hard scooter enthusiast or the student of international marketing it might make for more than a few raised eyebrows. www.monsterscooterparts.com

New Scooter Tires and More New Scooter Tires

Scooter tires are getting bigger, and Monster Scooter Parts carries the larger size rubber for the bigger rims on today's heavier motor scooters. We have recently expanded our tire inventory to include the often hard-to-find 13", 14", 15" and 16" sizes found on the up-scale Aprilia, Derbi, KYMCO, and Piaggio models. Adding to our range of Innova, Kenda and Michelin scooter tires, we now have the Shinko and Vee Rubber brands in the larger sizes as well. Additionally, we have added a new Michlin series, the Michelin City Grip Premium Scooter Tires. The City Grip replaces the manufacturer-discontinued Michelin Gold Standard and Pilot City series. We still have a few Gold Standard and Pilot City tires left in our warehouse stock, but once these are gone there may not be any more to be had for love or money. Small + round = agility, big + round = gyroscopic stability Back in the early salad days of scooterdom, the 3.50-8, 3.00-10 and 3.50-10 tires were the industry standards rolling underneath those classic old Lambrettas and Vespas that came buzzing out of Italy like a swarm of wingless wasps. Offering the exceptional agility needed on the venerable streets of Rome and boulevards of Paris, these little tires were best suited for the 49cc and 125cc relatively low horsepower 2-stroke engines of the day. As time went on and motor scooters became heavier, faster and more powerful, the qualities of enhanced nimbleness in the smaller wheels were negated by their lack of directional stability at high speed. Think about a gyroscope here; the bigger the wheel, the better it is at maintaining its forward direction. Two very aesthetically pleasing lines of modern scooters are the Aprilia Scarabeo and KYMCO People series. Combining that great "wasp-waisted" body style with big 16" tires, these scooters are finding global favor with urban commuters world-wide. Good looks, fun to ride, and the undeniable safety and smoothness of bigger wheels all make for a winning and popular scooter combination. Another innovative 21st Century design is the unrivaled Piaggio MP3 series. Using three big wheels in a reverse-tricycle arrangemment, these robust maxi-scooters definitely turn some heads when they pass by. The earliest big-wheeled scooters that I personally remember are the Honda Cub C50 and Cub C70 that used 17" tires. And yes, Monster Scooter Parts stocks those classic sizes as well. The boss and I debate about whether Honda Cubs were called scooters back in the day, or were properly termed as "motorbikes." As I am the elder by almost two decades, I stand on the experience of my (sometimes misplaced) memory. As the signer of paychecks, he stands on an even greater authority. Also in his favor is a contemporary 1960's pop tune where it was refered to as a "groovy little motorbike." www.monsterscooterparts.com/

Account Registration at Monster Scooter Parts

Monster Scooter Parts recently revamped our account registration feature on our website to enhance your shopping experience. This new feature allows you to register for an account and log in to our site. Once logged in, you can view your order history, save your shipping and billing information, track orders that are in-process, and create lists of your favorite items.

If you are just window shopping at Monster Scooter Parts, feel free to create an account so that you can save the items you are looking at in your favorites for future reference. If you are placing an order, please create an account so that you can come back later and easily view your order information and save your shipping and billing information for future orders.

We are excited to provide these additional conveniences to our customers and we hope to continue to provide you with an exceptional buying experience.

Kevin
kevin@monsterscooterparts.com
http://www.monsterscooterparts.com/

New Look for Our Scooter Service & Repair Center Map

If you are trying to locate a service center or repair shop in your area to help you diagnose a problem or to install the new part you just purchased from Monster Scooter Parts, we have just recently upgraded our Service Center Map with a fresh new look to help you find the right one closest to you.

Along with the new look is a new way to search for a repair shop in your area. Now you can search the many repair shops that have registered with our site by the type of scooter you have and the state you live in. Just click on the tab at the top of our site labeled Service Centers . Once you get there, select the type of scooter you have in step 1, and then select your state in step 2 to view a list of service centers near you. We are always adding to this map as more service centers register with us. If you don’t find one in your area, please check back with us often for updates. Please note that scooter service centers listed on our map are independent repair shops and are not affiliated with Monster Scooter Parts.

If you are a scooter service center or repair shop and would like to be added to our map, please e-mail us at AddToMap@monsterscooterparts.com and include your shop's name, address, phone number, e-mail address, and website (if you have one). Please include what types of scooters you service (mobility, recreational, or street scooters) so we can add you to our map. Service & repair centers that register with us are eligible to receive special discounts and promotions.

This is just another way that Monster Scooter Parts is here to help you with all of your scooter parts needs.

Deanna C.
www.monsterscooterparts.com

Spring Fever

Spring is definitely in the air here at Monster Scooter Parts. It’s time to pull those scooters out of storage for some warm weather fun. Before the kids hop on to go for their first ride of the season don’t forget to make sure your scooter batteries have a good charge. It’s always a good idea to test them with a battery tester or multimeter to make sure that they are putting out the 12, 24, or 36 volts that your batteries should be putting out. If they do not test well, then it’s time to replace your battery with one of our replacement battery packs such as the 36 Volt Battery for the Minimoto ATV, Go Kart, Jeep Dune Buggy, Maxii 400, and Motocross XRF500 .

If you have misplaced your battery charger and can’t seem to find it since last fall when you last used it, we also have a variety of scooter battery chargers for your needs. Also, don’t forget a fresh set of tires and inner tubes such as the ever popular 3.00-4 (10'' x 3'', 260 x 85) tire and inner tube set that fits on the Razor Pocket Rocket as well as the X-Treme X-500 and dozens of other electric scooters. This will keep the kids riding smooth and safe all season long.

Deanna C.
www.monsterscooterparts.com