Can one get to know Lake Geneva better by getting out of it? Not a riddle. It’s reality.
“The city of Lake Geneva is as beautiful as it gets and there’s plenty to do,” says Sherm Lindsey, owner of Lake Geneva Scooter Tours and Rentals. “But most tourists don’t realize that the surrounding area and roads – Lyons township, Williams Bay, Linn township, and Fontana – have so much else to see, and roads are so incredible to ride on. We insist you get out of town and see it.”
The company has the scooters to make it happen, five sets of maps and two special routes for rustic roads and along the lake, taking visitors through back country terrain. Tours can be staff -guided or taken alone for the more adventurous. “You’ll hit so many other parts of the lake country enjoying your two-wheel ride but also exploring areas you have never seen before,” he told us.
Lake Geneva Scooter has two locations. Sherm calls the downtown site along Main Street his “billboard store.” Customers there can rent Ebikes and electric golf carts, but for scooters the place is 7036 Grand Geneva Way, by the resort’s Mountain Top ski complex. That’s where Lake Geneva Scooter keeps its fleet, trains riders and equips them with safety gear.
“That location is fantastic,” he said. “We train people at the Mountain Top where there’s a huge parking lot. It’s the easiest transition to learn a motor scooter from that parking lot to the Grand Geneva grounds to the back country roads. That’s why we say it’s the best scooter rental in the country because our set-up is so perfect.”
The business rents two sizes of scooters in its fleet of 25 two-wheelers. Most are 55cc. In Wisconsin, that’s classified as a moped and requires only a valid driver’s license. Three 125cc models also are available. The larger model can ride a passenger and requires a valid motorcycle license. Reservations can be made online at the shop’s website (lakegenevascootertours.com).
Along with his family, Sherm has been in the two-wheeler business for many years. His father – a noted motocross competitor – started Midwest Action Cycle in Illinois during the 1970s, selling motorcycles and growing to become a top American parts distributor. The business relocated to Lake Geneva in the 1980s. The family sold it last year.
“I was riding way before anybody would even consider riding a two-wheel bicycle,” Sherm told us. “It was definitely in my blood line.”
In 2006 the dealership added Vespa, the iconic Italian scooter line. “We really started to embrace that. We realized what a perfect fi t that was for Lake Geneva and this area,” he said. “We all purchased scooters – parents, brother, wife – and absolutely fell in love with it from that day on.”
Customers quickly caught the scooter bug as well. “We started selling them like crazy. We realized Lake Geneva is a tourist town,” he said, which generated a business concept. “Let’s rent them. They’re so easy to ride. The original idea was to help sell scooters, you rent one for an hour, fall in love and then you buy one. But the rentals took off on their own.”
The popularity of the sport resulted in Lake Geneva hosting the prestigious AmeriVespa rally in 2012, bringing hundreds of scooter enthusiasts to town. Organizers enjoyed the experience enough to spark an encore rally in 2019.
“They took a chance on Lake Geneva” and loved it, Sherm said. “If you come to Lake Geneva you have to ride a scooter. It’s like if you go to Vail, you have to ski.”
Could there be a third rally in the future? “I told the Vespa Club of America we’re like the London of the Olympics,” he said with a smile. “If there’s ever a little hiccup or the host city is not prepared, come on back to Lake Geneva and we’re ready for it. There may be a chance, but it’s rare that you ever get it twice. And we’ve had it twice.”
His interests, both business and civic, go beyond two-wheelers. With his brother, RJ Lindsey, he operates Lindsey Medical Global, which helps medical providers with difficult wound care situations.
He’s a founder of the Geneva Lakes Whiskey Club, and with his partners – Dana Trilla and Brie Pacey – initiated Wee Whiskey Fest, which just completed its second event. “The second year was immensely successful,” he said. “We expect this to be the premier event of its kind in the Midwest for years to come.”
The Lindsey Fund of Geneva Lakes is the philanthropic arm of the family, committed to helping kids with special needs.
Still, scooters are closest to his heart. “What brings me the most joy is being able to provide this experience to people who have never ridden two wheels before,” he said. “Seeing someone when they come back and the joy that it brings them is what this is all about. Being able to share my number one passion with others is why this business will never go away and why I love it.”
