What makes a scooter

Scooters usually have a small engine, from 50cc to cc, though there are cc and even cc scooters, so engine size doesn't define them. While most are limited in speed, scooters with a larger engine can exceed mph and cruise easily at freeway speeds, so speed isn't a defining characteristic either. So what is a moped then? That's a little trickier, but the working definition for most DMVs is a motorized two wheeled vehicle with an engine of less than 50cc capacity.

Again we can also look at Wikipedia for a definition: Mopeds are a class of low-powered under 50cc displacement motorized vehicle, generally two-wheeled. A Moped is driven in an upright position with the rider's back perpendicular to the seat. From a practical point of view, in most jurisdictions mopeds can be ridden without requiring a motorcycle license a car license is sufficient. They may be speed limited by design, but even if they aren't, the small engine size usually limits then to a top speed under 40mph maybe 45mph downhill with a tail wind.

In the United States the definition and regulation of mopeds differs from state to state. Again calling on Wikipedia Legal terms and definitions of low-powered cycles vary from state to state and may or may not include "Moped," "Motorcycle," "Motorized Bicycle," "Motorscooter," "Goped," "Motor-Driven Cycle," and or others.

Three broad terms that cover a wide range of two-wheeled machines — but what are the actual differences between them? All scooters and mopeds are motorcycles, but not all motorcycles are scooters and mopeds: a motorcycle is simply any two-wheeled motor vehicle, regardless of design, regardless of engine size. This covers cruisers, roadsters, supersports, off-roaders, tourers — the whole lot. Mopeds and scooters are just different enough, in their own ways, that they are usually kept separate from other motorcycles by name.

But these two terms are so often used interchangeably that the specific differences can be a bit confusing for the uninitiated. However, powered electric push-bikes have become a more common sight on the road lately, and some of them even look a lot like the old pedalled motorcycles of old. Although they can produce a similar amount of power, they are not classified as mopeds. Now, a moped is legally defined as any low-powered motorcycle with an engine capacity no greater than 50cc, and a max speed of 28mph.

They can legally be ridden on the road with L-plates once you have passed CBT training, rather than needing a full motorcycle license. Not all mopeds are scooters, but the most common type of moped you will see on the road nowadays is likely to be a scooter. Despite the fact that you will almost never see a non-scooter moped on the road anymore, they have a very distinct definition.

A motorcycle rider must learn to accelerate by operating the vehicle's manual transmission while simultaneously using a clutch lever and shifter pedal, but a scooter rider enjoys an automatic transmission and simply twists the hand-grip throttle to increase speed. In addition, the heavier weight of a motorcycle makes it challenging to learn safe maneuvering techniques at slow speeds, while a scooter's lighter weight gives riders the ability to go slower without tipping over.

Scooter engines are much smaller and less powerful than motorcycle engines. A typical scooter engine size ranges from 50cc to cc, but the smallest motorcycle engine usually starts at cc. Although some of the largest modern scooters have cc engines, they cannot compete with the acceleration and speed capabilities of a typical motorcycle; attempting to do so puts the rider at risk since the scooter's lightweight body isn't as stable at high speeds as a heavier motorcycle.

Even with the scooter's smaller engine size, you can safely ride it on roads with little traffic, but riding a scooter in heavy congestion or at highway speeds poses a serious danger to the rider. Scooter engines cannot keep up with the flow of traffic at the same rate as a motorcycle.

Motorcycles are safer at faster speeds than scooters, while scooters are better able to handle slower speeds because of the distance between their wheels and their tire sizes. Motorcycles have longer wheel bases of up to 70 inches, depending on the model, as well as larger tires; a longer wheel base enables motorcycles to safely ride on fast-moving roads with better stability and and balance than a scooter.

While the shorter wheel base and smaller tires on a scooter gives riders better turning and maneuverability at slower speeds, it also creates an unstable situation when scooter riders accelerate to highway speeds.