| A scooter is a motorcycle with
step-through architecture and either a platform for the operator's feet
or or footrests integral with the bodywork. Elements of scooter design
have been noted in some of the earliest motorcycles, and motorcycles
identifiable as scooters have been made from 1914 or earlier.
Regional developments were made in Europe and the United States between the World Wars. The global popularity of scooters dates from the post-World War II introductions of the Vespa and the Lambretta. Economic and political factors, including competition from other vehicles, have shaped the evolution of scooters and have caused the development of different variations of scooter. Underbones are often sold in the West as scooters. Underbones have step-through architecture but feature footpegs similar to those used on conventional motorcycles. The underbone design is based on the 1958 Honda Super Cub, the best-selling motor vehicle in the world. The Super Cub had semi automatic transmission before any form of automatic or semi-automatic transmission was used by Vespa or Lambrettas.
Scooters were originally intended for low-power personal transportation with engines between 50 and 250 cc. It is still very widely used for this application. However, maxi-scooters, with engines from 250 to 800 cc, have been developed for Western markets. The popularity of scooters as a form of personal motor transport is partly based on their low cost of purchase and operation and their convenience in parking and storage. Licensing, registration, and insurance requirements for scooters have been made less difficult and expensive than those for cars in many parts of the world. |
