Top 15 Best High-End Scooter Brands & Manufacturers

A SCOOTER or motor scooter is a motorcycle with step-through frame and a platform for the rider's feet. Elements of scooter design have been present in some of the earliest motorcycles, and motorcycles identifiable as scooters have been made from 1914 or earlier. Scooter development continued in Europe and the United States between the World Wars.

The global popularity of scooters dates from the post-World War II introductions of the Vespa and the Lambretta. These scooters were intended to provide low-power personal transportation (engines from 50 to 250 cc or 3.1 to 15.3 cu in). The original layout is still widely used in this application. Maxi-scooters, with engines from 250 to 850 cc (15 to 52 cu in) have been developed for Western markets.

Scooters are popular for personal transport, partly due to being cheap to buy, easy to operate and convenient to park and store. Licensing requirements for scooters are easier and cheaper than for cars in most parts of the world, and insurance is usually cheaper.

Scooter News, Reviews & Resources

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• 7 Best Electric Scooters 2020, According to Experts - The Strategist | New York Magazine.
• 10 best motorcycle & scooter designs of 2021 - Designboom.
• 2024 STILRIDE 1 E-Scooter Has Entered Production - "STILRIDE Finally Reveals Its Folding Origami-Framed E-Scooter."
• Airwheel Urban eScooter - "The ideal partner for daily commutes. With its compact design and its record autonomy (30Km), will suit even the most demanding users."
• An electric scooter is the perfect vehicle for quick jaunts - engadget.
• BMW’s CE 02 electric scooter sets sights on urban mobility - "The company expands its EV lineup with two wheels and stylish HUD glasses."
• BMW's futuristic electric scooter is straight out of anime - "It's a truly wild design concept made real."
• Electric Scooters Are Causing Havoc. This Man Is Shrugging It Off - The New York Times.
• French actor Gerard Depardieu 'arrested for driving scooter drunk' in Paris - Daily Mail.
• French President François Hollande on his scooter in Paris - Paris by Scooter.
• GOLDEN AGE: AN ART DECO BMW FROM NMOTO - "A year ago, NMoto caused a stir with its C400-based ‘Golden Age’ concept. The machine is finally in production, and despite the high tech underpinnings, the styling has taken a big leap backwards - in a good way."
• how the scooter became muggers’ vehicle of choice - The Guardian.
• JackRabbit review: If a scooter & an e-bike had a baby - "If you don’t want/need a full-size bike and you find scooters uncomfortable or impractical this is a refreshing alternative. Throw in the fact that you can also cover terrain that scooters can’t (or fit places where most bikes won’t) and the JackRabbit really does make a good, if specific, case for itself. The fact that it’s wildly fun is just an added bonus."
• Kymco’s new electric scooters could be the sign of a coming boom - The Verge.
• List of scooter manufacturers - Wikipedia.
• Maxi-Scooter - or touring scooter is a large scooter, with engines ranging in size from 250 to 850 cc (15 to 52 cu in), and using larger frames than normal scooters.
• Nashik Engineer Quits UK Job to Build EV Startup, Launches E-Scooter With 160 KM Range - "Kyte Energy, a Nashik-based electric mobility startup, launched the latest instalment of their Magnum electric scooter series in late October 2022. Called the Magnum Pro, it’s a high-speed electric scooter and has thus far received thousands of inquiries from prospective customers."
• Scoot makes its new single-seat mopeds available in Los Angeles - "It's providing an alternative to Bird's two-wheelers."
• Scooter - Wikipedia.
• the original hoverboard maker is back with another weird self-balancing scooter - The Verge
• Vespa - Wikipedia.
• Vespa’s first electric scooter will arrive in 2018 - engadget.
• Will electric motorbike sales take off across Asia? - "The term 'electric vehicle' in the UK immediately conjures up images of a Tesla, or another similar car, but across Asia the battle for EV dominance is being waged on motorbikes."
• Yamaha will release two electric scooters in 2022. Here’s what they’ll look like - "When Yamaha announced that the company would unveil two electric scooters for both the European and Asian markets next year, they also shared which concepts the new scooters would be drawn from. It turns out that the Yamaha E01 and E02 electric scooter concepts will both be headed for production."

China

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• CFMoto 150NK - since 1989. "Experience more on the upgraded 150NK featuring Continental anti-lock braking systems (ABS) designed to help drivers retain steering control by preventing wheels from locking up during an episode of heavy braking."

France

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• Peugeot - founded in 1898. "Each Peugeot scooter has been designed and manufactured to the standards and with the attention to detail characteristic of French quality. Although the vision of the perfect scooter changes from country to country and from user to user, Peugeot Motocycles allows everyone to plot their own route thanks to a wide range of models, from 50 cc to 400 cc, with 2 or 3 wheels, with an electric or thermic engine."

Germany

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• 2024 BMW C 400 GT - "Across the city and far beyond." A vibrant metropolis. Novelty around every corner. You have unlimited options with the C 400 GT: climb on, set off, enjoy and just keep going – even beyond city limits. In doing so, you will conveniently reach your destination thanks to the new Ride by Wire and optional BMW Motorrad Connectivity including Navigator. Your radius increases and you discover your world in a new dimension.
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• 2024 BMW CE 02 - "BMW Motorrad USA is proud to present the new 2024 BMW CE 02. It’s electric, designed to appeal to young people and it’s neither an e-motorbike nor an e-scooter. It’s an eParkourer, created for the urban environment. Nimble, practical, tough, and reduced to the essentials in terms of design. Large wheels meet the demand for robustness and at the same time ensure riding fun on many differing terrains. The 2024 BMW CE 02 will arrive in the U.S. with an MSRP of $7,599 plus Destination."
• BMW’s CE 02 electric scooter sets sights on urban mobility - "The company expands its EV lineup with two wheels and stylish HUD glasses."
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• 2024 BMW CE 04 - "The silent revolution." You move around the world’s cities and metropolitan regions exactly at the point where each neighborhood represents the first step towards the next new idea. And you are also always on the move. We are familiar with this captivating dynamism as we have been applying it for over 10 years to develop solutions and concepts for urban electromobility, something that means far more now than just getting from A to B. It is from this long-term innovative leadership that the BMW CE 04 is launching into a new era of design, to seamlessly integrate into your everyday life thanks to its intelligent connectivity solutions - from navigation to clothing. Quite simply.

Hong Kong

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• Hero Two Wheelers - since 1984. "From commuter bikes to zippy scooters to sporty motorcycles, your favourite Hero two-wheeler is just a click away. Go ahead, choose one and vroooom!" All models.

Italy

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• APRILIA - since 1945. "Aprilia, agile scooters with a sporty look with strong references to the racing world." All models.
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• BENNELLI Zafferano 250 - since 1911. "Zafferano 250 is the ultimate expression of Italian scooter design. Sleek, stylish, functional, practical, powerful and beautiful, the Zafferano 250 is Benelli’s flagship scooter for good reason. Think of this as a totally new way to travel: not just getting from one place to another, but experiencing the trip in supreme comfort, style and safety - even with a friend. In terms of comfort, storage, ease-of-use, dependability, handling, braking and smoothness, the Zafferano has no equal in the scooter world."
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• Lambretta - (1947-1972). The brand name of mainly motor scooters, initially manufactured in Milan, Italy, by Innocenti.
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• PIAGGIO - since 1884. "Scooter and urban mobility." Discover on Piaggio.com all the models, promotions and news from the world of Piaggio, an Italian icon in the world of scooters and urban mobility.
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• VESPA - "An Italian style icon since 1946." All models.

Japan

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• HONDA - since 1948. "Fun Comes in Many Sizes." Street smart. The scooter has come of age. And in this climate of high gas prices, not a moment too soon. For almost half a century, Honda has been committed to making transportation powerful, dependable, sophisticated, and, above all else, fun. Find out why you still meet the friendliest people on a Honda. All models.
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• KAWASAKI J300 - since 1896. "An innovative urban transport solution, the J300 seamlessly blends sport, control, comfort and convenience, and wraps it all in a distinctive design that makes it instantly recognisable as a Kawasaki. The result is a package that will appeal to sports-minded riders looking for daily dose of fun from their commute."
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• SUZUKI - since 1909. "From morning commutes and downtown nights to weekend rides on your favorite roads, the Suzuki Burgman scooter is crafted to keep your life in motion. Their comfortable seating, luxurious amenities, and generous storage are just the beginning. These cornerstones of urban mobility deliver full motorcycle power and handling with exceptional maneuverability, all packed into a sleek and sporty package. No matter what speed your lifestyle takes, the Burgman delivers all the performance you’ll need - and then some." All models.
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• YAMAHA SCOOTERS - since 1955. "Revs Your Heart." All models.

Sweden

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• STILRIDE - since 2019. "The Next Generation of Electric Mobility | The Future of Electric Mobility." Evolved and iterated from our SUS(1) prototype, the STILRIDE 1 is the game changing next step in the electric mobility revolution. Striking a perfect balance between advanced sustainable manufacturing technology, stunning form-follows-function aesthetics, and impeccable ride quality, the STILRIDE 1 encapsulates the future of electric mobility.

Taiwan

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• Kymco - since 1963. "Let's Go..." All models.

U. S. A.

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• Genuine Scooters - since 2002. "Rule the Road." Home of America's best motor scooters and favorite scooter company! Genuine Scooters has a full line of modern scooters inspired by classic, vintage Italian scooters. All models.
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• NMOTO - since 2018. "Nmoto is excited to announce its newest model – the Golden Age. Harkening back to the halcyon days of pre-war motoring when transportation was equal parts speed, style and skill, the Golden Age captures this sentiment in a modern incarnation."