Motorized Scooters: A Good Alternative to Motorcycles

A motor scooter is a safe and economical mode of travel. It is very famous amongst college students and new drivers, as it is cheaper in price compared to other two wheelers, and is also considered safe by parents due to their inability of achieving high speeds. Most of these scooters have a smaller engine as compared to motorcycles, from about 25cc to 300cc. Currently, China is the biggest producer of these machines.

Such scooters have a step through frame, with a flat floorboard to rest the rider's feet. The scooter engine and the drive system is either attached under the seat or to the rear axle. These scooters also have storage place, either hinged to the front leg shield or under the seat.

The origin of the motor scooter can be traced back to the year 1902-1903, when the first of its kind was made by Cushman and Salsbury. These vehicles were first used during the World War II. Another iconic scooter used during and after this time was the Vespa, from Piaggio. This type of scooter had basically come up from the dire need of cheap transportation during the World War II. In fact, the original concept was derived from air-craft designs.

Perhaps the most famous of all motor scooters was and will always remain the Lambretta. The Lambretta was an iconic traveling companion in the seventies and eighties. The first Lambretta hit the roads in 1947, and was ceased to be produced in 1971. It was since then been used extensively in Far-east Asian countries like Spain, India, Argentina and Chile.

Ironically, India achieved their independence in 1947, the same year the Lambretta was launched. Another revolutionary scooter of that time was the Vespa by Piaggio. Vespa is still a common favorite amongst college students and people looking out for a cheap traveling mode. Motor scooters are much more durable than the motorcycle, or even a four-wheel vehicle. Many an individual scooter has been known to be in good condition for almost thirty years, making it not only a good traveling option but almost a family heirloom.

What makes the motor scooter tick as compared to the motorcycle is its economic cost, its fuel efficiency, and a larger storage space. Also, the former offers greater protection to the legs of the rider, due to its unique body frame.

Traditionally, these scooters, like all other vehicles, used to run on gasoline. However, with the massive increase in the price of gasoline, people started looking for cheaper and better alternatives to gas. Therefore the power of electricity was tapped and the 'electric motor scooter' was born. It soon became a popular alternative because of its economical nature. These are considerably cheaper than the gas-powered ones. Also, they have zero emission and are almost noiseless.

Though electric motor scooters may be very useful generally, there are some basic disadvantages too. One of them is that the scooter takes a considerably higher amount of time to be recharged, instead of just being filled with gas. Also, electric scooters are known not to be able to take as high speeds as a gas powered motor scooter.

While older motor scooters were seen as staid and non-creative in their body structure, the ones of today have been highly upgraded in look as well as technology. For example, these scooters had two stroke cycle engines and were air-cooled until recently. However, more scooters today have a four stroke engine, and are water cooled. Also, while older scooters had smaller wheels, the modern scooters have bigger wheels, almost equal to the motorcycles, so that it maintains its balance well on the roads.