High gas prices are prompting some Iowans to look at cheaper modes of transportation. Mopeds are growing in popularity, mostly because of their gas milage.
Mark Belden sells Honda scooters in Des Moines. Belden says the moped he sells get about 100 miles a gallon, "They have a one-point-three gallon tank, so it doesn’t cost a whole lot to fill it up." Belden says everyone from teens to college students to retirees are stopping in for a test drive.
"A lot of youth are getting (a moped) to run around town and adults are riding them instead of getting out a big truck or car," Belden says, "especially if they’re going to work and it’s only a couple miles away." Belden insists that mopeds aren’t just for kids.
"They’re popular on college campuses," Belden claims, "and people are buying them for the back of motorhomes so they can just hop on a scooter to head to town, instead of pulling around a big RV." Belden says the mopeds he’s selling range in price from $1,800 to $7,000.