Ok. It became time to tune up my Aprilia Mojito 50. And I decide I want the good spark plug for my scooter. The NGK part number is BPR8HIX. These are the Iridium plugs that are supposed to kick ass. So first, I try my local Aprilia service shop, Moto Mechanica in Santa Rosa, CA.. They don’t even stock the regular plug, part number BPR8HSA. So this may be a portend of things to come when I want to get my scoot a full service from them.
Anyhow, then I call the local scooter dealership in Santa Rosa, Revolution Moto. I give the girl on the phone the IRIDIUM part number. She asks the details of my bike, and I recite them to her. After a minute on hold, she comes back and states that she has them. HAPPY DAY. I think to myself "Who says these spark plugs are hard to find!". So I jump on my trusty Aprilia Mojito 50, and scoot on down to Revolution Moto, where the bike was purchased new. As I arrive, I tell the girl that I’ll take two of them, just in case someone else discovers this treasure and buys them all up. So the sales girl goes to the cabinet and proceeds to pull out two spark plugs, part number BPR8HSA. OOPS!. I politely ask if they have any of the Iridium plugs, part number BPR8HIX, which I had inquired about on the phone. "No we don’t." she replies. "Besides, these are the plugs for your bike,I looked them up" I think "Ok, well my Mojito needs a tune up anyway, so I’ll just make do with the lesser plugs." I tell her I’ll take two.
She presses a few buttons on her computer and states "That will be $18.80" WHAAA? HUH? I ask "Nine dollars per spark plug?" she replies "That is the price. I looked it up" To this statement I reply "I ’m sure you looked up your price correctly, but that is WAY too expensive. Goodbye."

I know retail markup can be high, but this is a 300% markup AT LEAST. I want to support my local scooter shop, and I have been since they first opened, struggling for those first few years selling a vespa here or there. But they are RAKING in the cash now, with scooter sales through the roof. This markup is absurd, and I know that you can get most of the items they sell online cheaper, even with the added shipping costs.

Long story short, I jump on Ebay and find the Iridium plugs for the correct price, about $7, and end up paying under $18.80 including shipping, for two of the plugs I really wanted.

The valuable lesson I learned: Don’t waste time looking in Santa Rosa for parts for my Aprilia Mojito 50.