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European motorcycle and scooter enthusiast Jeff Bottrell turned his passion into a profitable business after he opened Detroit Eurocycles and its subsidiary, Detroit Vespa in Eastpointe.Local spotlight
Scooters run up sales at Euro motorcycle site
The Eastpointe firm offers European cycles and accessories for urban commuting trend.
A Vespa Grandturismo is one of many European brands offered at the shop.
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EASTPOINTE -- When European motorcycle and scooter enthusiast Jeff Bottrell opened Detroit Eurocycles in December 2002 and launched its subsidiary Detroit Vespa in July 2004, he worked to create a niche market in Eastpointe that offers high quality European motorcycles, scooters and accessories.
"I saw a need in this market for a full service European dealership that puts an emphasis on customer service," Bottrell said
The dealership carries the Moto Guzzi, MZ, Piaggio, Vespa and Aprilia scooter and touring brand lines that range in engine size from 50cc to 500cc. Their product is exclusive from countries such as Italy, Austria and India. With the launch of their distinguished Vespa brand, whose history dates back to 1921, Bottrell offers a slender line of scooters once used by the Italians after World War II because they were economical on gas and traveled the narrow roads of Italy with ease.
The shop was good news for Don Kuwik, who used to marvel at the Moto Guzzi cycles. The Italian motorcycle sparked his interest so much that when he found one for sale six years ago, he bought it, joined the Moto Guzzi Motorcycle Club and hit the road.
"They looked interesting. I'd never ridden a Motor Guzzi before I bought one ... they handle well, the instruments work well and they're fun."
Kuwik, an Eastpointe resident, said there aren't many dealerships, so finding products was difficult until Detroit Eurocycles & Vespa Detroit opened its doors.
"They're not real popular, they're unique ... when Eurocycle opened I went there. They have all sorts of clothing and accessories. They have parts, tires and stuff that you'd need for the bike."
Despite offering approachable scooters such as Vespa and touring motorcycles, Bottrell found that many communities were against having a dealership in their neighborhood because of negative stereotypes about motorcyclists. Bottrell said the negative perceptions almost made him give up opening business until the city of Eastpointe welcomed him. The business has done well, he says; they grossed more than $1 million last year.
Today, European scooters are making a resurgence in American because they're economical, said Gennaro Dell Corte, Los Angeles district sales manager, Piaggio USA. "The public is starting to see the benefits of the Vespa in their style, price, and ease of use because they're fully automatic. As a commuter vehicle, they're just better because they're quick through traffic, easy to ride ... the average Vespa gets 55 to 65 miles to the gallon."
Geoff Cardoza agrees that the American buyer will continue to see scooters impact the market. The business manager for Anderson's in Bloomfield Hills said Japanese mopeds and high-end scooters such as the Honda Ruskus and Metropolitan are also impacting the market.
"The major Japanese market has had a resurgence in the mopeds that are less than 50 cubic centimeters with kids because they only need a moped license, it's a step up to their first car and they're fun."
Bottrell said customers purchase scooters from Detroit Eurocycles & Vespa Detroit because they promote an enthusiasts lifestyle.
"The nature of the European scooter scene is more of a lifestyle with the clubs, events, gear and dedicated riders keeping scooters alive and well more so than ever."
Lolita Standifer is a Metro Detroit freelance writer.
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The Detroit News.
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