Scooter (motorcycle)


A scooter or motor scooter, is a motorcycle with an underbone or step-through frame, a seat, a transmission that shifts without the operator having to operate a clutch lever, a platform for their feet, and with a method of operation that emphasizes comfort and fuel economy. 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. The original layout is still widely used in this application. Maxi-scooters, with larger engines from 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.

Description

The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary defines a motor scooter as a motorcycle similar to a kick scooter with a seat, a floorboard, and small or low wheels. The US Department of Transportation defines a scooter as a motorcycle that has a platform for the operator's feet or has integrated footrests and has a step-through architecture.
The classic scooter design features a step-through frame and a flat floorboard for the rider's feet. This design is possible because most scooter engines and drive systems are attached to the rear axle or under the seat. Unlike a conventional motorcycle, in which the engine is mounted on the frame, most modern scooters allow the engine to swing with the rear wheel, while most vintage scooters and some newer retro models have an axle-mounted engine. Modern scooters starting from the late-1980s generally use a continuously variable transmission, while older ones use a manual transmission with the gearshift and clutch control built into the left handlebar.
Scooters usually feature bodywork, including a front leg shield and body that conceals all or most of the mechanicals. There is often some integral storage space, either under the seat, built into the front leg shield, or both. Scooters have varying engine displacements and configurations ranging from single-cylinder to twin-cylinder models.
Traditionally, scooter wheels are smaller than conventional motorcycle wheels and are made of pressed steel or cast aluminum alloy, bolt on easily, and often are interchangeable between front and rear. Some scooters carry a spare wheel. Many recent scooters use conventional front forks with the front axle fastened at both ends.

Regulatory classification

Some jurisdictions do not differentiate between scooters and motorcycles. Though some jurisdictions classify smaller engine scooters as moped class vehicles rather than motorcycles, meaning these scooters often have less stringent regulations.

United States

For all legal purposes in the United States of America, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommends using the term motorcycle for all of these vehicles. However, while NHTSA excludes the term motor scooter from legal definition, it proceeds, in the same document, to give detailed instructions on how to import a small motor scooter.

California

, California has a regulatory system for 2- and 3-wheeled vehicles. It classifies vehicles with fewer than four wheels into the following categories:
  • Motorcycle: a motorcycle is any 2- or 3-wheeled gas operated vehicle weighing under. with an engine displacement greater than or equal to. Operation requires an M1 class license, and such vehicles must be registered with the state and carry mandatory insurance as well as bear a motorcycle license plate. Motorcycles may travel on any public roadway, including freeways, and may carry a single passenger in addition to the driver. Helmets are mandatory.
  • Motor-driven cycle: a motor-driven cycle is 2-wheeled gas operated vehicle with an engine displacement of 149ccs or less that does not qualify as a moped and is capable of traveling greater than. It has the same licensing, registration, insurance, license plating, and helmet requirements as a motorcycle, though it may not travel on freeways. Such vehicles are commonly referred to as "scooters".
  • Moped: a moped is a 2- or 3-wheeled device with an automatic transmission capable of traveling no more than, with either a gas engine displacement of less than with built-in pedals like a bicycle for human operation, OR, if powered only by electricity, it must not produce more than four gross brake horsepower. There are no registration or insurance requirements for the device, but the operator themself must have an M1 or M2 class license and must personally carry the minimum state automobile insurance and the moped itself must bear a special moped license plate. A single passenger is permitted if the vehicle is fitted with a specific seat and footrests for same.
  • Motorized tricycle/quadricycle: a motorized tricycle or quadricycle is a 3- or 4-wheeled vehicle propelled by a gas motor not capable of traveling greater than and with a gross brake horsepower of 2 or less.
  • Motorized scooter: a motorized scooter is a 2-wheeled vehicle not capable of traveling greater than with a floorboard designed to be stood upon while operating. They do not require a license plate or insurance, and may not be driven on a roadway with a posted speed limit greater than. A valid class C driver license is required, as is a bicycle helmet. Passengers are prohibited. They may be operated on a bikepath or bikeway but not on a sidewalk. If a given roadway has a bicycle lane, the motorized scooter must travel within it, and can only make a left-hand turn by dismounting and crossing an intersection as a pedestrian.
  • Electric bicycle: California recognizes three classes of electric bicycles. A class 1 electric bicycle is a bicycle with pedals whose electric motor only assists the rider when using the pedals and stops assisting when the bicycle reaches ; a class 2 electric bicycle is a bicycle with pedals whose motor can drive the bicycle entirely on its own, but will not assist the rider above ; a class 3 electric bicycle is identical to a class 1 electric bicycle, but is capable of traveling up before the engine stops assisting the rider AND is equipped with a speedometer. No electric bicycle requires insurance, a license, or any form of registration or license plate as it is not considered a "motor vehicle" by the state.

    Emissions

The emissions of mopeds and scooters have been the subject of multiple studies. Studies have found that two-stroke 50 cc mopeds, with and without catalytic converters, emit ten to thirty times more hydrocarbons and particulate emissions than the outdated Euro 3 automobile standards. In the same study, four-stroke mopeds, with and without catalytic converters, emitted three to eight times more hydrocarbons and particulate emissions than the Euro 3 automobile standards. Approximate parity with automobiles was achieved with NOx emissions in these studies. Emissions performance was tested on a g/km basis and was unaffected by fuel economy. the United States Environmental Protection Agency allowed motorcycles, scooters, and mopeds with engine displacements less than 280 cc to emit ten times the NOx and six times the CO than the median Tier II bin 5 automobile regulations. An additional air quality challenge can also arise from the use of moped and scooter transportation over automobiles, as a higher density of two-wheeled vehicles can be supported by existing transportation infrastructure.
In Genoa, Italy, 2-stroke engine scooters made before 1999 are banned since 2019. In some cities, such as Shanghai, petrol scooters/mopeds are banned. Only liquefied petroleum gas or electric scooters are allowed to be used in the city due to air pollution.

History

Predecessors

Scooter-like traits began to develop in motorcycle designs around the 1900s. In 1894, Hildebrand & Wolfmüller in Munich, Germany, produced the first motorcycle that was available for purchase. Their motorcycle had a step-through frame, with its fuel tank mounted on the down tube, its parallel two-cylinder engine mounted low on the frame, and its cylinders mounted in line with the frame. It was water-cooled and had a radiator built into the top of the rear fender. It became the first mass-produced and publicly sold powered two-wheel vehicle, and among the first powered mainly by its engine rather than foot pedals. Maximum speed was. The rear wheel was driven directly by rods from the pistons in a manner similar to the drive wheels of steam locomotives. Only a few hundred such bikes were built, and the high price and technical difficulties made the venture a financial failure for both Wolfmüller and his financial backer, Hildebrand.
In France, the Auto-Fauteuil was introduced in 1902. This was basically a step-through motorcycle with an armchair instead of a traditional saddle. Production continued until 1922.

First generation (1915–1930)

The motoped entered production in 1915, and is believed to be the first motor scooter. They were followed that year by the Autoped, whose engine was engaged by pushing the handlebar column forward and whose brake was engaged by pulling the column back. Autopeds were made in Long Island, New York from 1915 to 1921, and were also made under license by Krupp in Germany from 1919 to 1922, following World War I.
The number of scooter manufacturers and designs increased after World War I. The British - ABC Motors Skootamota, the Kenilworth, and the Reynolds Runabout debuted in 1919, with Gloucestershire Aircraft Company following with its Unibus in 1920. The Skootamota was noted for being practical, popular, and economical, the Kenilworth for its electric lights, and the Reynolds Runabout for its advanced specifications, including front suspension, a two-speed gearbox, leg shields, and a seat sprung with leaf springs and coil springs. The Unibus also had a two-speed gearbox, but it is more notable for its full bodywork, similar to that which would appear of second- and third-generation scooters.
The reputation of first-generation scooters was damaged by a glut of unstable machines with flexible frames, and more substantial examples like the Reynolds Runabout and the Unibus were too expensive to be competitive. The first generation had ended by the mid-1920s.