What makes it a scooter.

[blue]

When a scooter gets bigger like over 100 cc why is it not a motorcycle. Is it the step threw look that keeps it a scooter.Because some of the tomos mopeds they stell call scooters and they have the tank in front of theam.and they are 50 cc . Just wondering what makes it a scooter and when does it start to be a motorcycle.Some even say a scooter is a bike that gos under 50 mph because it just scoots along.....

[Fogie]

I've always considered a scooter to have it's engine mounted on the swing arm, as opposed to a motorcycle having it's engine carried by the frame. A scooter engine (along with the rear wheel) travels up and down with the rear suspension, whereas the motion of a motorcycle engine is independent of rear suspension activity.

[ScooterCommuter]

To my mind, it's a combination of factors. A step through design is one, engine on the swing arm is another along with relatively smaller wheels, automatic transmission and the fact that your left hand operates a brake not a clutch.

Not every scooter has all these features, and I'm sure folks can point to one or two motorcycles that may exhibit one or two of them, but you won't easily find a scooter that doesn't exhibit most of them or a motorcycle that does.

[08087]

To me a scooter is a step through design with auto trans eng under seat set up.

IMO super scoots 300cc and higher are more motorcycle then scoot in some ways while still kind of a half and half blending of the better qualities of both.

My people's 200 is certainly a scoot to me but a motorcycle to the gov.

I'll go with this (barrowed) quote: "Nudity can be art and porn, I can't tell you what makes a picture/painting art or porn but I know it when I see it."

[Vivo]

All of them are classified as motorcycles...

Mopeds are those with Motors + Pedals (like a bicycle)

The term "scooter"  evolved from a child's scooter to a motorized scooter, etc.

This is the true and original scooter..... the similarity between this scooter and a motorized scooter is the floor board...

[08087]

All of them are classified as motorcycles...

Mopeds are those with Motors + Pedals (like a bicycle)

The term "scooter"  evolved from a child's scooter to a motorized scooter, etc.

This is the true and original scooter..... the similarity between this scooter and a motorized scooter is the floor board...

I had one of them as a kid, kck stand and all! How cool it was.

[houndguy]

To make it even more interesting is the line continues to blur.  Motorcycles used to be exclusively clutches and engines on the frame.  They had more power too!

Scooters were automatics (mostly) and step through frames.   Generally smaller cc's 

Today were getting scooters in the 800cc range and motorcycles with automatic transmissions.  I don't see it as a bad thing but I do think it confuses the issue to the general public. 

[Vivo]

Just like cars... now you have SUV's, Compact SUV's, AUV's, Crossovers, B-Segment Crossovers, and a lot of other classifications....   

[ScooterCommuter]

All of them are classified as motorcycles...

Mopeds are those with Motors + Pedals (like a bicycle)

The term "scooter"  evolved from a child's scooter to a motorized scooter, etc.

This is the true and original scooter..... the similarity between this scooter and a motorized scooter is the floor board...

No pedals required to be a moped here in mn. The legal definition is 50cc or less, no more than 5hp and not capable of more than 30mph. A machine fitting those spec would also qualify as a moped in every jurisdiction over ever visited. A restricted agility 50 is a moped. Derestricted it becomes legally a motorcycle. Not that any of us ever re-registered them after swapping out the variator boss,  main jet and slicing the cdi of course.

[Vivo]

No pedals required to be a moped here in mn. The legal definition is 50cc or less, no more than 5hp and not capable of more than 30mph. A machine fitting those spec would also qualify as a moped in every jurisdiction over ever visited. A restricted agility 50 is a moped. Derestricted it becomes legally a motorcycle. Not that any of us ever re-registered them after swapping out the variator boss,  main jet and slicing the cdi of course.

Hmmm... another confusing definition of MOPED...   So, what if it's an electric scoot? We have electric scoots in our country and they don't require registration...

[ScooterCommuter]

Hmmm... another confusing definition of MOPED...   So, what if it's an electric scoot? We have electric scoots in our country and they don't require registration...

If it's restricted to 30 mph you can register it as a moped and drive it without a motorcycle tag on your license (still need to have a regular diving license for a car) and park it like a bicycle. If not, then it's legally an "electric motorcycle" and you need a motorcycle tag on your license to drive it and it is subject to all the same parking rules as a cage, just like the guy down the street with his Harley cruiser.

[Vivo]

Hmmm... interesting...

Here's one of the first motorized scooter....  note again... the floor board...






Let's confuse things a little bit more....







Some call this a scooter, some call this a motorcycle, some call this a Cub.....  we call them "Underbones" ...





and another.... If the Piaggio MP3 or Peugeot Metropolis  are called  SCOOTERS.... what is a Can-Am Spyder?







and the T-Rex?



or the Peugeot 20CUP?...




how about this?...

[ts1]

This Reitwagen ("riding car"!?) had floorboards: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Daimler_Reitwagen_color_drawing_1885_DE_patent_36423.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Daimler_Reitwagen.JPG

With this vehicle the appellation "motorcycle" was born: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ZweiRadMuseumNSU_Hildebrand_Wolfmueller.JPG
Note: step through design

[naughty lee]

Ts1 are you from Middlesbrough ?

[ts1]

Until just know I didn't even knew about Middlesbrough.
I live in Germany.