Comparing Popular Motor Scooters

By Sally Johnson

Vespa scooters are one of the oldest names in the scooter business. They have been manufacturing motor scooters since 1946 and their models are in great demand world wide. There are several popular Vespa motor scooters that range in size from 50cc to 200cc.

vespa px 125

The Vespa Granturismo has a 200cc engine which is the biggest, fastest and most powerful Vespa ever made. It has a 4-stroke 4-valve engine that is liquid-cooled. With its powerful engine it has the ability to pull away from almost any kind of traffic you could encounter. Even with its larger and more powerful engine it is still a very quiet motor scooter and emits exceptionally low levels of pollution. The Granturismo has 12 inch wheels and both front and rear hydraulic disc brakes. Plus it has some good storage space. Two open face helmets can be stored under the seat plus a few extras in the glove compartment.

Other popular Vespa models are the LX, PX 150, PX 150 Limited Edition and some top motor scooters in their Piaggio line. The LX motor scooter comes in either the classic 50cc or 150cc versions. The LX scooters are made for commuting. They aren’t as powerful as the Granturismo, but they save on gas.

The PX 150 motor scooter is 150cc of classic Vespa. It comes complete with manual gears and a rear foot break. This is the original, the legendary, the classic PX. It’s available in the United States once again after a 20-plus year hiatus. These scooters are brand new, but maintain the original design. It comes with a 4-speed gear shift, manual 4-speed transmission, rear foot break, 150cc engine and a standard spare wheel.

Vespa also makes motor scooters under the Piaggio name. They have several popular models that are very powerful machines. The BV series boasts large 16 inch wheels and dual shock absorbers for the smoothest ride in scootering. Plus, there is plenty of room for a passenger. They also have lockable storage compartments under the seat for helmets or groceries. These are great gas powered scooters for city driving.

Piaggio also has other models such as the FLY150, which is a smaller cheaper model with 12 inch wheels. It’s not quite as powerful as the bigger models, but it maneuvers around town very well and gets better gas mileage.

Honda is a very popular scooter manufacturer and has many wonderful models to choose from. Among the most popular are the Silver Wing, Helix and Elite. The Honda Helix also has room for two and has a built-in trunk with plenty of storage room. It has 244cc of pure power, a liquid-cooled four-stroke engine and has been an extremely popular model for many years.