*** Pocket rockets are flying off the shelves ***

Syracuse, NY (AP) -- 07/29/2004
For T.J. Wilson, the idea of having a motorized
bike to get from point A to point B is intriguing.

"Be kinda nice not have to work hard to get somewhere,"
he said.

That's one of the reason little motorized bikes are such a big seller.
Pocket rockets, whizzers, E-Z bikes -- they're all flying off the
shelves a bit faster than the twenty miles-per-hour they average
on the roads. In fact, the Target at Fayetteville Towne Center is
all sold out.

"We've carried this product since early June and sales have
responded very, very well," Steve Jordan, Target Team Leader said.

These days, it's all about the need for speed -- and demand is high.
The makers of those motorized scooters aren't alone. Companies
that make the traditional pedal-powered variety, like Schwinn, are
coming out with models like this one, modeled after the motorcycles
from the Orange County Choppers on the Discovery Network. But
regardless of whether your bike is powered by pedal or by battery,
there's a couple of things you gotta know.

"Anything that's powered by some type of motor has to be
registered according to the Department of Motor Vehicles in
order to be operated on public roads or public sidewalks,"
Lieutenant Shannon Trice, Syracuse Police said.

Some scooters, like the Italian import Vespa, have been cleared
for use in many metro areas. But bikes like the Voy haven't,
especially in Syracuse.

"We will tow it, we will ticket you... for basically what would
be unregistered, uninsured operation as well as weather they
have a driver's license," Trice said.

"Until we found out that you have to be over sixteen and they're
not street legal, we went, "Uh oh, we can't do that, I guess!"
Erin Salvetti said.

But if there's any good that's come out of the explosion
in sales, buyers are also picking up safety gear.

"Yep, they come in and they want to make sure they get anything
they need to ride safely, so it's been a big win for the store and a
great item for our guests as well," Jordan said.

If a motorized bike is in your future, make sure you're clear
about the laws in your community -- in other words, buyer
-- be aware.

Most stores are warning buyers about the legalities of owning one
of the motorized bikes. But again, the responsibility of knowing the
law falls in your hands.

CC - The Associated Press (AP) Wire.

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