Looking for a new ride? Moxie Scooters, a family-owned business in Grapevine, has been selling and servicing scooters for 20 years. Started by husband and wife duo John and Kammy Raimondi, the company sells and services a variety of scooter brands for any lifestyle.
John Raimondi said the business started as a way to have a second stream of secure income. Today, Moxie Scooters has 20 years of business under its belt and offers friendly faces and experienced technicians to anyone who comes into the store.
After 18 years at 4117 Colleyville Blvd., Moxie Scooters moved to Grapevine and is now located at 503 W. Northwest Highway, which John Raimondi said ended up being a great thing, as he and his wife are Grapevine residents.
Moxie Scooters carries a variety of gas and electric scooter brands, including Vespa, Piaggio, KYMCO, Lance, SYM Scooters, NIU, and Genuine Scooter. John Raimondi said the most popular brand they carry is Vespa as the brand has international recognition.
While Moxie Scooters offers a range of scooters, the company does not sell or service micro scooters. However, the business can do repairs on the rubber tires for micro scooters.
“We [only] work on the rubber part of [micro scooters] because they're all so different,” John Raimondi said. “All brands are different, and unless you actually sell it and have access to the parts from the distributor, it's really tough to try to repair something [like that]—they're pretty sophisticated and complex.”
In addition to being fun to ride, John Raimondi said getting around on a scooter is also an economical form of transportation. The scooters that go up to 40 miles per hour, get the best mileage at about one hundred miles per gallon. In addition, it's less expensive to insure and upkeep the vehicle.
For those concerned about storage space, John Raimondi said the seats usually open up, offering concealed storage. Individuals can also add more storage space by adding a case to the back of the scooter.
What some individuals may not know is that they’re able to drive scooters on regular roads. For scooters that have top speeds between 35 to 40 miles per hour, individuals don’t need anything other than a car driver’s license to operate the vehicle.
For roads with speed limits between 30 to 35 miles an hour, a slower scooter with a 50cc size engine will do just fine. If most of the roads individuals want to drive on are posted at 40 miles per hour or above, they’ll need a fast scooter with an engine size of 125cc or larger.
To operate the faster scooters with top speeds reaching 70 to 80 miles per hour that can drive on the highway, individuals will need a motorcycle endorsement which they can earn in a two-day course.
Raimondi said individuals can sign up and take the course over the weekend, and the course instructor provides the scooter. At the end of the two days, the instructor becomes the examiner, so individuals don’t have to worry about going to the Department of Motor Vehicles—they can demonstrate their skills right then and there.
On the Moxie Scooters website, prospective customers can look through the store’s inventory to see all the scooters available as well as check out gloves, jackets and helmets, which Raimondi said he highly recommends.
One unique thing Moxie Scooters does is hold a monthly group ride ride event that features scooters, scones and coffee. Raimondi and his wife provide the scones and coffee, and the ride is made to be friendly with scooters that don’t go as fast. The next monthly cruise is March 30.
When customers shop with Moxie Scooters, they are getting service from knowledgeable technicians and a friendly sales staff. In addition to setting customers up with new scooters, the business can also repair vehicles after an accident.
“This August will mark 20 years in business,” Raimondi said. “Our longevity is good, and we’re going to be there for you.”
For more information about the local Grapevine business, visit the Moxie Scooters website at www.moxiescooters.com.
The above story was produced by Senior Multi Platform Journalist Summer El-Shahawy with Community Impact's Storytelling team with information solely provided by the local business as part of its "sponsored content" purchase through our advertising team.