photo credit: lucac4

50cc scooters are a very popular type of scooter and is made by virtually every scooter maker out there. There are many reasons for this but the prevailing reason is the great gas mileage that these scooters get. Many can get over 60 mpg and even some may get over 100 mpg. Compared to other vehicles that only get 35-47 mpg at best, driving 50cc scooters is a great way to save money. Not only that, you can modify one to go quite fast. The fastest 50cc scooter that you can reasonably modify is about 60-64 mph.

Another reason that they are so popular is that they are very reasonably priced. You can at most expect to pay $5,000 for one. And on the lower side only $1,000 for a new scooter. The most expensive scooter is only about half of what you would expect to pay for a new car. Also upkeep required is much lower and motor scooters can be acquired for not all that much. Scooters are also able to be repaired by most knowledgeable individuals with few tools.

When many people think of a motor scooter, they think of Vespa.  The movie Roman Holiday kicked off the Vespa scooter craze with the scene of Audrey Hepburn racing around Rome on a Vespa.  Produced by the Piaggio company, the word Vespa means "wasp" in Italian. It was reportedly named by the company's owner Enrico Piaggio. Upon hearing the engine he said "It sounds like a wasp". Piaggio originally produced train cars and locomotives but, during World War II the company switched to making airplanes.  After the war Italy's infrastructure (and Piaggio's factories) had been damaged by allied bombing.  Piaggio set out to produce a vehicle that was thrifty on gas, inexpensive, rugged and easy to use, and could travel over damaged roads.  The designers used their experience in producing aircraft during the war to design such a vehicle.  The Vespa, with its rounded engine cover and front cowling is reflective of that aircraft design.  Since then it's been the scooter of choice for Italians and many other people all over the world.