Motor Scooter - Style and Language of Scooters

Executive Summary by Jon L Martin & AJ Vanderhoorst

A motor scooter can be divided into four types of models: Sport, Classic, Maxi, or Vintage. Whatever style and/or model you choose is dependent upon your needs and lifestyle choice.

sport scooter

Sport
The sport style of motor scooters began in the early 1980 when Yamaha and Honda designed a motor scooter with sharper lines and fiberglass moldings.

Classic

The classic scooter is characterized by having a scooped front leg, shield with a round light on top, rear fenders that are rounded and a single cylinder engine. The retro model of motor scooters can be found in nearly all modern scooters.

Maximum

These motor scooters are built for performance and can reach speeds of over 100 mph.

Vintage

As the name implies, the vintage style of motor scooters are classic scooters. They are typically more than 15 years old. Examples of this classic style would be the Cushman of the 1950s and Vespa of 1960.

classic scooter

Do You Speak the Language of Motor Scooters?

Maybe you’re just getting started in the world of motorized scooters. Maybe you’ve been riding scooters for awhile, but you need to brush up your basic terminology. Either way, this quick and dirty list of common terms and questions should help.

What is a two-stroke and four-stroke scooter engine?

In the past, gas powered scooters used two-stroke engines because they were cheaper to build and faster. Their power-to-weight ratio was higher than four-stroke engines. Meanwhile, four-stroke engines weren’t used in motorized scooters. However, this has begun to change in the last decade, as manufacturers have started utilizing the more sophisticated technology of four-stroke engines (four movements of the piston to accomplish vital operations).

What does “CC” mean in reference to motor scooters?

“CC” is an abbreviation for “cubic centimeters,” which basically describes engine size where motor scooters are concerned. Therefore, the bigger the CC measurement, the larger and more powerful the motor. This is useful for determining scooter type and usage.

What is a hybrid motor scooter?

hybrid motor scooter

As you’d guess, a hybrid scooter uses both gasoline and electricity, and offsets the weaknesses of both fuel sources. Hybrids are still being tested and developed, but all indications are that they will be even more economical and fuel-efficient than electric or gas powered models.