One of the first things that needs to be discussed before you decide what the best scooter for city driving happens to be, is what is the actual difference between a scooter and a motorcycle. This is a debate that can go back and forth for an endless period of time. To make it simple, a motorcycle is straddled, like a bicycle or a horse. Typically you have to uses both your hands and feet to work the clutch, gear shift, front brake, and rear brake. A scooter on the other hand, has you sitting on a seat that is similar to a chair. Your feet are together on a floor board. With the exception of when you stop, at which time you need to put your feet on the ground, you don’t really use them at all. All of the controls are on the handlebars. While there are many different types of scooters (gasoline and electric powered to name a few). Usually you won’t have to change gears, so no clutch is needed and your brake is a simple lever (think bicycle or the front brake on a motorcycle). Scooters are very strait forward. All you need to worry about is paying attention to your driving, other people, and keeping your balance. If you move on to the next topic, the answer to the best scooter is actually very simple. What are you actually going to use the scooter for? Do you plan on taking it out of the city for weekend excursions? Is it merely a very fuel efficient means to commute to work? When you do commute, do you stick to surface streets or do you get on expressways? Even with expressways, because most people go to and from work at the same time, you get what is known as rush hour (which ironic because no one is actually rushing anywhere). What does this boil down to? You don’t need a vehicle that is capable of doing 180mph. With the other cars, the stop lights and stop signs, you will never, ever get anywhere near that kind of speed. If you have a vehicle that is capable of doing 40 maybe 50 mph, you should be just fine. While commuting, fuel consumption is a major concern. Scooters, because of the very small engines, get extremely good gas mileage. This is one of the benefits of using them. Another is the ease or operation. Most of them don’t have transmissions that require you to shift. The more throttle you give it, the faster it will go. This makes them much easier to ride in city setting. Which one is the best for in city driving? That is a very broad question. The answer doesn’t lay in a brand name. As far as it is concerned, it is the type of performance that you want. The name plate on the front or sides don’t make a bit of difference. Safety is the key issue. As with any kind of two wheeled vehicle, you want to wear the proper riding gear. More than anything, this includes a helmet and eye protection. Since city driving consists of mostly stop and go in traffic, this is something that you need to take into consideration. Unlike a traditional motorcycle, many times you are working with a single gear. While this makes for an easier ride, it does have drawbacks. Your scooter will either be geared low (which will give you power on take off) or mid to high gearing (which will give you higher top speeds). As mentioned earlier, in a city environment, you don’t need to have speeds that are in the 60mph range. So what is the best scooter for city driving? One that is easy to operate. It needs to have mirrors that let you see around you as much as possible. Good acceleration to keep up with traffic when the lights change and VERY good brakes so you don’t rear end the cab that decides to slam on the brakes in front of you. Having a luggage rack or something similar will be very useful. Many models have a “trunk” area under the seat just for this purpose. On a last note, because people are people, remember that scooters are very light. Lighter than a motorcycle. This means that they are even easier to steal. Invest in a good/great chain style lock. This is not the place to try and save money. When the scooter only weighs a couple of hundred pounds, it doesn’t take much to put one in the back of a truck (or the trunk of a large car for that matter). Remember to stay safe. You are on a small vehicle in a world of much larger cars. On a scooter, you are only slightly larger than a pedestrian. Stay on the defensive and you will have a quick, extremely fuel efficient, and fun way to make your commute to work or just to run to the corner diner to get some lunch. Category:Home › Other • Pomegranates: A newly discovered superfood • Where did the joke why did the chicken cross the road come from and why is it funny? • Can mothers diagnosed with bipolar disorder make good parents? • Spiritual evolution of human consciousness • Tips for getting a college basketball scholarship • Living with Pseudotumor cerebri (PTC) • Caring for the caregiver • Technologys impact on society