Vespa engine is part of rear suspension, drives small wheel directly.

However, many modern machines accepted as "scooters" may actually be based on the superficially similar 1958 design of the Honda Super Cub "step-through", a design with many of the same features but an engine between the riders feet (ie fixed into the frame and fully sprung), with large wheels. Even from their inception, these models featured a semi-automatic gearchange, while modern scooters commonly feature continuously variable transmissions. A few trike scooters such as the 1969 Ariel 3 and Piaggio MP3 have been produced and are commonly accepted into the same legal classification.

While the scooter classification was originally intended and is very widely used for low power personal transportation with engines between 50 and 200 cc, some models are much bigger, e.g. Yamaha T-Max 500, Suzuki Burgman 650, Gilera GP800.

The claimed advantages of scooters over other forms of personal transportation include their low cost of purchase and operation and their convenience in parking and storage. Licensing, registration, and insurance requirements have deliberately been made less onerous than those for cars in most parts of the world.

Regulatory classification

Scooters worldwide meet highly varied regulatory climates. The classifications vary from country to country, France and Italy for example only allow up to 125cc with an automobile license.

In the United States the term "scooter" is rarely stipulated as a motor vehicle classification — which usually are based on characteristics such as number of wheels, sitting configuration, engine size, power, and maximum speed. In the U.S. and Europe, scooters fall into either "motorcycle" or "moped" category depending on their engine characteristics and sitting configuration, and each subject to laws for their respective category.

The United States Department of Transportation defines a scooter as having a platform for the operator's feet or has integrated footrests, and has a step-through architecture.

The term scooter and motor scooter lead to much confusion. For all legal purposes, the NHTSA recommends using the term motorcycle for all of these vehicles. The government itself is also a little confused as they are excluding the term motor scooter from the legal definition but proceed to give detail instructions on how to import a small motor scooter. See the NHTSA article

In Victoria and New South Wales in Australia, scooters are classified as motorcycles and require appropriate motorcycle permits to ride.

Description

1956 Allstate Scooter The classic scooter design features a step-through frame and a flat floorboard for the rider's feet. This design is possible because the scooter engine and the drive system transferring power to the rear wheel is attached to the rear axle or under the seat. Unlike a motorcycle, in which the engine is mounted on the frame, this front-hinged arrangement allows the engine to swing vertically together with the rear wheel. Most vintage scooters and some newer retro models have axle-mounted engines with a manual transmission and the gear shift and clutch controls built into the left handlebar. Most newer scooters use a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT).