What you need to know about scooters
By Astrid Bidanec

Everyone is looking for an alternative solution to ever rising gas prices. Short of walking to work or using public transportation, there is only one other feasible option: the motor scooter. Of course, there are factors one should consider before switching to the two-wheeled motor bike.

One of the great advantages about the scooter is the compatibility to all age and style groups. While motorcycles are certainly not a good fit for everyone, the scooter on the other hand can easily be used by young and old, as well as across all groups of society.

Scooters do not only differ in style, but also in price. Ranging from $1,500 to $8,000, the scooter categories offer an affordable means of transportation for various income levels. Quality and reliability are not necessarily tied to the price. While Italian and American brands are significantly more expensive than their Asian competition, the features are mostly the same all across the board.

Italian brands like Piaggio, Aprillia, Lambretta and last but not least, Vespa have been well established and enjoy great popularity all across the world as high end scooter brands. Their Asian cousins on the other hand, have applied the newest technology developments to scooter design and built at a fraction of the cost. In some cases this may lead to deficiencies in quality and reliability. Most well known Asian brands, like Honda and Yamaha, do live up to their excellent reputation and deliver first class scooters to the world market.

Even though all scooters are very economic on gas usage, some models stand out thanks to their emission reducing technologies. The label of being environmentally friendly is applied to models like Honda’s Crea scooter for example. If you don’t want to use any gas at all you can opt for an electric scooter powered by a battery, like the Zappy, the Flyer, and the eGO. Scooter performance depends on battery size.

Most scooters can be driven with a regular driver’s license. Only the bigger models with an engine size of 50cc or more require a motorcycle license, or a motorcycle endorsement on your regular license. Of course, it would be smart to take a motorcycle safety class before taking your scooter on the road since the same rules apply to all motor bikes regardless of size and speed. For scooter riders under the age of 16 this course is a requirement in most US states.

You should definitely try before you buy and test drive all scooter models of interest, just like a car. Each model has its own feel to it and it is important that you are comfortable on it. Shopping on the Internet may seem convenient and sometimes even cheaper. At the end of the day, however, when the shipping charges and tax have been added the price difference to the local scooter dealer becomes marginal or disappears altogether even.