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"A scooter is a style of two-wheeled motor vehicle with certain design characteristics such as a
step-through frame, small wheels, automatic transmission and small engine. The definition is evolving as motorcycle designs change
over time. Historically, a scooter was noted for a small engine, small wheels, a step-through design, a forward fairing with floor boards,
and possibly under-seat storage. Modern scooters cover a broad spectrum of designs: step-through or step-over frames, small or large
wheels, front fairings or floor boards, under-seat storage or not, and manual or automatic transmissions. Most scooters today feature
automatic transmissions.

At one end of the current market, the Vespa LX series reflects the scooters' historical antecedents: small wheels, floor boards,
front fairing, inner fairing storage. At the other end, the Honda Big Ruckus featured no bodywork, floorboards or step-through
frame, but was still classified as a scooter. The Piaggio MP3, with two front wheels (three wheels total) reflects the fluid nature of
the scooter classification. Modern scooters have a wide range of engine displacements, from under 50 cc to over 799 cc, and
some have engine locations in stark contrast to classic scooter design (e.g. Yamaha T-Max 500, Suzuki Burgman 650, Gilera GP800).

In many parts of the world, such as Asia and Europe, motor scooters are a popular form of urban transportation due to their low
cost and easy driving position. In fact, in many nations in Asia, scooter sales growth outpaces automobile sales growth.
For many people, a motor scooter is the family vehicle until sufficient funds to purchase an automobile are amassed, although in
crowded cities, scooters can be preferred over automobiles regardless of cost, due to parking, storage, and traffic issues.

According to the Motorcycle Industry Council, sales of motor scooters in the United States have more than doubled since 2000.
The motorcycle industry as a whole has seen 13 years of consecutive growth. According to council figures, 42,000 scooters were
sold in 2000. By 2004, that number increased to 96,000.

Maxi-Scooters

Another trend in the USA and elsewhere sees larger scooters, called maxi-scooters, with engines ranging in size from 250 cc up
to the latest 839 cc machine (the Gilera GP 800) and using larger frames than the normal size scooters but not necessary big
displacement. This trend began in 1985 when Honda introduced the CH250 Elite/Spacy, and continued with the 1999 introduction
of the Suzuki Burgman 400. A few years later, Suzuki launched the Burgman 650. Honda (600 cc), Piaggio, Yamaha, Aprilia,
Kymco (700 cc) and others have also introduced scooters with engine displacements ranging from 400 to 850 cc. Honda's
PS250 or Big Ruckus defies common scooter classification in that its step-through is high and the bike features no bodywork but
rather a motorcycle-like exoskeleton.

The more advanced (and expensive) maxi-scooters differ from traditional scooters in that the engine is mounted on the frame,
as opposed to the swing-arm. This arrangement can improve the handling, by allowing the centre of gravity to be moved forward
and making fewer demands on the rear shock absorber(s). A final drive is necessary to connect the clutch assembly to the rear
wheel. This trend toward larger, more powerful scooters with fully automatic transmissions is matched by an emerging trend
in motorcycle design that foreshadows automatic transmission motorcycles with on-board storage. This is exemplified by the
Aprilia NA 850 Mana automatic-transmission motorcycle that provides built-in storage for a full-face helmet."


This information found:

Wikipedia Encylopedia

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