Gas scooters

Although many people may think of a scooter as a kid-toy that’s little more than a running board with wheels and handle bars, the truth is that gas scooters have been around since the end of World War II.

Back then, Enrico Piaggio, inheriting the Piaggio company from his father, turned the company’s vision towards getting the Italian people back on their feet. Roads, pitted from bomb and mine explosions were impassable even for those who still had an automobile. Piaggio looked for an affordable way to provide his people with the ability to travel the war ravaged roads. His focus resulted in the development of the “Vespa” gas scooter. Vespa, which means wasp in Italian, was an apt name for the first gas scooters. Although named for the shape similarity to the insect, after its release in 1946, Vespas could be seen buzzing along the roadways as Piaggio’s dream became reality and the Italian people saw a return to mobility. In the following year, 1947, the company Innocenti released its scooter, the Lambretta. Competition between the two companies spurred innovations and improvements in performance and design until the early 1970’s when, faced with financial problems, Innocenti took the Lambretta off the market.

In the 80’s, manufacturer’s like Honda and Yamaha brought new life to the scooter market with new gas scooter designs and amenities that brought a resurgence in the popularity of gas scooters and were the forerunners of today’s modern scooter designs.

Today’s gas scooters come in two, three, and four wheel designs just like their electric counterparts. The gas scooter is typically powered by a two-stroke or four-stroke engine and gas models generally are faster and more powerful than their electric cousins. Of the two engine types, two-strokes are more popular, probably because they are cheaper to run and offer quicker acceleration. However, it can be argued that the four-stroke engine is more durable, quieter, and gives more miles to the gallon.

Gas powered models are more easily modified with available parts than their electric relatives. Finally, gas scooter devotees love the “attitude” of the waspish rides. Hundreds of scooter clubs thrill to the buzz of customizing, riding, and racing gas scooters.