Today's gas prices are a constant worry for people of all walks of life. If you haven't noticed a lot of people are looking for alternate modes of transportation, and often times the choice comes in the form of a two wheel scooter. Now not to discriminate, but as a car enthusiast and a motorcycle enthusiast the mere thought of riding a scooter puts a real chill up my spine. Scooters can be fun, but lets face it they tend to be slow and very basic transportation. Much like buying a Segway it may seem like a great idea and a lot of fun, but do you really want to be seen on one all the time? This opinion of mine changed completely when a friend showed me a photo of not just any scooter, but a Honda Ruckus(and it was modified to boot). I never thought I would enthusiastically use the words "scooter" and "cool" in the same sentence.

So what is the Ruckus about? Honda is causing a sensation with this fun and practical vehicle, and its popularity is continuing to grow all over the U.S. The Ruckus is a very basic almost military like scooter with a metal frame, semi-off road looking tires, and a surprisingly responsive 49cc water-cooled engine. Plain and simple these things are tuned to be functional, easy to ride (automatic), and highly efficient modes of transportation. The Ruckus gets insane mileage nearly 100mpg, and that means fill up the almost two gallon tank and go anywhere you want. The fact that the Ruckus has a 49cc engine means that no insurance or registration is required so once you buy one its pretty much going to pay for itself if you ride enough.

What's giving the Honda Ruckus such a cult-like following is the fact that there is a large amount of aftermarket support and custom products available. Everything from exhaust systems to extended swing-arm kits make these things the scooter of choice for those who want to have something unique.

If Honda was looking to recapture the hit they had in the 60's with the Honda "Dream" then the Ruckus is off to a great start. If you are looking for a scooter that you can ride with pride the Honda Ruckus is a clearly a great choice. Just a warning, a lot of others are beginning to realize this too making the scooters nearly impossible to find and in many places they are already sold out and selling for over the retail value of $2000. The custom parts also aren't to cheap, but hey nobody said being cool was going to be easy.