Where to buy a scooter on STT
I'm moving to St. Thomas in March and wondering if there is a dealership that might sell new or used scooters?
Do the places that rent out scooters usually have some for sale?
Do you have to get a motorcycle permit to drive the scooters on the street, and if so can you get them at the local DMV?
Thanks!
Check the Island Trader first thing when you arrive, as season residents will be starting to head back to the mainland within a month or two from your arrival. You'll see more vehicles of all kinds for sale then.
The scooter rental shops do regularly sell their older vehicles; check with all of them -- and especially, talk to them about how easy it is to maintain what they sell (some will help you do repairs, some won't). If you can't find what you're looking for on STT, check with Beach Scooters on STJ.
[steps on soapbox]
You do not need a motorcycle license to operate a scooter, although IMO it should be required. They have all the same dangers as a regular motorcycle, and you'd do well to take a safety class before you buy a scooter anyplace, particularly on STT. Night driving is especially dangerous on a bike, because in addition to all the drunks you have to watch out for, you'll be facing left-hand-drive car headlights, which are calibrated for driving on the right. So, because we drive on the left in the USVI, everyone's headlights will point directly into your face. This is dangerous for any driver, but especially on a bike, when you can't afford to either take your eyes off the road OR be blinded.
If you don't have motorcycling experience, get some before you even think about riding a scooter on STT. And buy a full-face helmet to bring down with you. A few hundred bucks is nothing compared to what you'd be spending on medical care to get your face rebuilt after an accident... assuming you could get to a proper hospital in time, which might even mean a flight to PR or the States depending on how bad the injuries are...
[/soapbox]
If you do have motorcycling experience and training under your belt -- then there is no better way to enjoy the islands!
Search this forums for "scooter" for more info on this topic (and it'll probably pull up my other rants, too. *-)).
--" then there is no better way to enjoy the islands!"
Search this forums for "scooter" for more info on this topic (and it'll probably pull up my other rants, too. *-)).
Except for that part great advice!! Get a Jeep--- BUT be safe no matter what.
I wanted to thank lc98 and Exit Zero for the excellent answers to the scooter question and more importantly the direction to NOT get a scooter. My son is going to go to UVI and I was thinking of buying a scooter for him to get around. Thank you for not letting me put him in danger.
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