Gas powered scooters have been around since around 1900, right around the same time as cars were first starting to hit the market. They were pretty crude machines. They resemble what we think of today as a Moped because they were really just bikes with small motors attached to them. For the time they were awesome.
Boy, how they have changed today! Today's scooters range from the smaller 50cc versions that will get you around town or around campus, all the way up to 600cc bad boys that can go on the freeway and find speeds of well over 100 mph. That, my friend, is a fast gas scooter!
With the economy being not so hot and the price of gas hovering in the $3.00 range, these scooters are becoming a popular source of transportation in all walks of life. It's easy to see why:
o They are very affordable compared to a car
o The are incredibly fuel efficient
o They are not hard to repair and the parts are usually inexpensive
o It's easy to find parking when on campus or in a big city
Here is a look at some of the scooters available to you right now.
#1 Honda
Honda had produces more brands of scooters than anyone of the years if we are looking worldwide. In fact, the Honda Super Cub, which came out in the late 1950's, is the best selling two wheeler of all time. They currently are selling 5 trim levels in the USA:
o Metropolitan - 50cc
o Ruckus - 49cc
o Elite - 108cc
o SH150I - 150cc
o Silver Wing - 582cc
Did you see that last one? The Silver Wing is pretty flipping fast!
#2 Vespa
After WWII, the Vespas kind of became the gold standard for scooters in Europe. They sell a full line in the USA now and are popular because of their 'retro scooter' look. They can be a little more expensive than others, but the quality warrants it. Here's a look at their line up: (the number is the cc of the engine)
o LX 50 and S 50
o LX 150, S 150, and LXV 150
o GTS 250 and GVT 250
o GTS 300 Super
#3 Suzuki Scooters
Suzuki tends to build more traditional motorcycles cruisers and off road bikes, but they do have 3 power scooters available in the US.
o The Burgman 400
o Burgman 650
o Burgman 650 Exec
#4 Yamaha
Yamaha has long been in the motor sports game with a full line up of very popular motorcycles and ATVs. They are current offering a pretty good selection of scooters as well:
o C3, Vino Classic, and the Zuma - 49cc
o Zuma 125 - 125cc
o Majesty - 395cc
o TMAX - 499cc
#5 Kymco
Kymco is the largest scooter manufacturer in Taiwan, and currently exports to 86 countries worldwide. They are very popular here in the USA and have over 15 different models ranging from 6 50cc models all the way up to the Xciting 500Ri. They are definitely a player and worth taking a look at.
Scooters have come a long way over the years. If there are 2 things that stick out to me about scooters it is this:
1. Fuel Efficiency: Most of the 50cc models get over 100mpg and the larger ones usually get over 50mpg.
2. Affordable: The smaller models can start, BRAND NEW, for under $2000. The larger models can be a little more expensive, hitting the $9000 range, but still an excellent value for what you are getting.
Fun, affordable, and efficient. Oh, yeah, and pretty cool too.
More fast gas scooter info, just click here.
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