Scooterworks Chicago is the oldest scooter dealership in the city and now serves as a pillar of the scooter community

Situated in a large warehouse on the quiet corner of N. Damen and W. Balmoral, just south of the Rosehill Cemetery, is one of the few vespa-style motor-scooter repair shops serving Chicagoland: Scooterworks Chicago. 

The warehouse has, over the years, lost any of the daunting industrial nature it once might have had, and now peeks out toward the street charmingly between a few trees. The service entrance sits to the left, a few old scooters and signs sit rusting on a patch of grass in front of a short asphalt drive leading to the garage. A light dusting of snow covers the ground, and a few vines poke their way up, climbing the yellow-brick façade of the building. 

Inside, the warmth is a welcome break from the cold and the smell of two-stroke oil and gasoline is immediately present in the air. It’s nostalgic for those of us who grew up surrounded by old cars that barely ran and boats that didn’t, and welcoming. Lines of scooters and motorcycles decorate the floor forming colorful hallways to the service desk in the back and the sales counter to the right. Banners denoting the company’s brands and services hang from the ceiling. 

Founded in 1989 as a scooter parts, repair and accessories supply shop, Scooterworks has a rich Chicago history. Originally, the company was run out of the building next door to the present-day warehouse, with the warehouse originally serving as a workshop and office space. When the company moved to create an in-house brand of scooters in 2002, Genuine, the original building became too small, leading to the purchase of a much larger warehouse at Grand and Western. At this point, Scooterworks Chicago was born, as the local dealership wing of Scooterworks USA.

Nathan Oakes, the general manager of Scooterworks Chicago, who has been with the company since 2017 when he started as a junior mechanic, called the company the “hometown heroes, as far as scooters go.” The hometown charm of Scooterworks extends beyond the brand success, also, he said. 

The scooter-riding community — having popped up in Chicago, like in most larger cities, due to bad traffic and high gas and vehicle prices — is very important to Scooterworks. The company organizes group rides and gatherings in addition to providing a space for community members to get advice and help with their projects. Despite the sub-zero temperatures, there are some still scooter-riders coming in to get routine service done and chat, Oakes said. 

A typical winter decline in ridership is to be expected, but the overall trend in the number of people riding scooters has largely not changed, according to Oakes. However, recently there has been more of a shift to favoring electric and electric folding scooters, like the Lime and Spin varieties that regularly decorate street corners which have become an alternative to the CTA. “The rental scooters, of course, you see people treat them like they would an Uber except with their own freedom to go where they will,” Oakes said. Over time people see the costs of renting the scooters add up and consider buying their own, he added. Scooterworks now offers some repairs for personal folding electric scooters and Genuine sells a model of their own. 

Folding electric scooters can provide a cheaper alternative to cars or larger scooters and are convenient to carry and store. The scooter community as a whole is also generally welcoming to electric-scooter riders, Oakes said. “It doesn’t really matter what you ride as long as you’re having fun and being safe,” he said. However, the small scooters can be dangerous and riders can often be seen ignoring traffic regulations and leaving the scooters in unsavory places such as in people’s yards or lying across the sidewalk.

In addition to lower cost folding electric scooters, there is also a strong second-hand market for older gas scooters, which can be an affordable introduction to the community, though the costs to get foregone maintenance up to spec can be daunting. Scooterworks is often willing to help with these tasks, even as just an advisor. “We answer questions,” Oakes said. “If somebody has a project they’re working on, I love weird stuff. I love custom projects and things that are being modified beyond what the factory had ever intended.”

The doors to Scooterworks, Oakes said, are wide open. “Come one, come all. Bring your scooters, bring your projects, we’ve got something for everyone.”

Header by Elliot Alison