Scooter (motorcycle)

A scooter or motor scooter, is a motorcycle with an underbone or step-through frame, a seat, and a platform for the rider's feet.

Many scooters typically have a design that focuses on an easy method of operation and fuel economy. Hence common (but non-defining) traits of scooters can include: bodywork (so the mechanicals are not exposed like a conventional motorcycle), motors combined with the suspension or wheel (rather than attached to the frame like a conventional motorcycle), leg shields, an alternative to a chain drive, smaller wheels than a conventional motorcycle, and a transmission that shifts without the rider having to operate a clutch.

Elements of scooter design were present in some of the earliest motorcycles, and motor scooters have been made since at least 1914. More recently, scooters have evolved to include scooters exceeding 250cc classified as Maxi-scooters.

The global popularity of motor scooters dates from the post-World War II introductions of the Vespa and Lambretta models in Italy. These scooters were intended to provide economical personal transportation (engines from 50 to 150 cc or 3.1 to 9.2 cu in). The original layout is still widely used in this application. Maxi-scooters, with larger engines from 200 to 850 cc (12 to 52 cu in) have been developed for Western markets.

Scooters are popular for personal transportation partly due to being more affordable, easier to operate, and more convenient to park and store than a car. Licensing requirements for scooters are easier and cheaper than for cars in most parts of the world, and insurance is usually cheaper. The term motor scooter is sometimes used to avoid confusion with kick scooter, but it can be confused with motorized scooter or e-scooter, a kick-scooter with an electric motor.