Scooters & Mopeds
Economical On-Road Motorized Vehicles
Less expensive than motorcycles, scooters and mopeds are favored by riders who want affordable get-around-town transportation.
What is a scooter?
Scooters are designed for on-road use, but are generally smaller than a standard motorcycle, with step-through frames, and are economical in pricing. Scooters have headlights, tail lights, turn signals, mirrors, horns and DOT approved tires. Most scooters do not have manual transmissions.
Typically, scooters are designed for easy commuting with cost-efficient gas consumption. Depending on the manufacturer, storage can range from small to big. They are powered by single cylinder and inline engines. A motorcycle license is needed to ride a scooter in most instances. Examples of manufacturers that make scooters are Piaggio, Benelli, Vespa, Kymco, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, BMW, and Qianjiang. Engine sizes range from 50cc to 850cc.
What are Mopeds?
Mopeds are motorized bicycles designed for lower speed on-road use. Unlike scooters which have pegs, mopeds have pedals. Mopeds are street legal and have headlights, taillights, mirrors, turn signals, a horn, DOT approved tires and a step-through frame. Mopeds can be operated by those without a motorcycle license in most states, but the rider may need to have a motorcycle license or endorsement, moped or valid driver’s license in some states. Typically, mopeds cannot reach speeds more than 25mph and are limited to a 49cc or smaller engine.
Examples of manufacturers that make mopeds are Tomos, Velosolex, Puch, and Benelli.