Scooters

• Scooters have a long history. Extremely popular throughout Europe and Asia for their small size and low gas mileage, they have become such a part of the infrastructure of countries such as Thailand that the roads are built with considerations for scooterists in mind. They have inspired subcultures (including the mod and scooterboy subcultures of the United Kingdom), films and magazines. One such magazine, Scootering, has been published since 1985.
  
  

Advantages

• Scooters have low gas mileage and generally cost less than most other automobiles, offering a key advantage over many other forms of transportation. Smaller scooters are classified as mopeds in the United States, which means fewer restrictions on driving them. Their small size makes them much more convenient than cars and trucks; it's not unheard of for scooter owners to simply push their machines inside their homes instead of having to park outside.
  
  

Disadvantages

• While the scooter is ideal for urban living, rural scooter owners may not find them to their liking. Some jurisdictions require small scooters to be kept under a certain speed (as low as 20 miles per hour). Even when there is no law against driving the vehicle at a certain speed, the scooter itself may simply be too underpowered to exceed a certain speed. Although some disadvantages can be avoided by simply purchasing a larger scooter, all scooters are small enough to be subject to theft; it is much harder to carry away a motorcycle or a car than it is to carry away a Vespa.
  
  

Considerations

• Before purchasing a scooter, one should be mindful of the legal requirements of the area. Some states classify scooters as motorcycles, meaning that a special license (and in most areas, motorcycle insurance) will have to be obtained before you can drive one legally. It is also a good idea to purchase locally, if at all possible. Not only will this mean being able to speak face to face with the dealer, but the dealer will be able to offer advice on finding experienced technicians in the event something does go wrong.
  
  

Maintenance

• Vehicle maintenance is explored in much more details in other articles, but there are several key points to keep in mind. First and foremost, change the oil regularly every 500 miles. Do not overfill when changing the oil; it is better to have a little left in the bottle than to put too much in the tank. Once a year you should disconnect the brake and throttle cables, add a few drops of WD-40 to the cable and then reattach. It should go without saying, but do not drive with the brake cables unattached.