Scooter

Scooter Premium Content

100 Years of Scooters: Appreciating the World’s Most Popular Vehicle

In the late 19th century, American towns were abuzz with the kinetic energy of children whipping along sidewalks on homebuilt push scooters. The primitive contraptions comprised of a wood plank and skate wheels, with a handlebar flimsily nailed on.  The potential in a similar vehicle for adults—augmented with one

Mar/Apr '18

Review: 2018 KYMCO Xciting 400i ABS

Suburban Mobility > Small displacement two-wheelers are the preferred method of transportation in most cities around the globe, except here. Wide lanes and no particular shortage of space, along with certain perceptions about scooters have kept them off our roads to a large extent. Bigger is not always better, however,

Sep/Oct '17

2018 Kymco New Model Lineup: Smaller Displacement, Still as Fun!

> Now in its 54th year of manufacturing, Kymco continues to be a global leader in producing scooters and small motorcycles under its own name, and engines for the likes of BMW and Kawasaki. The last few years, the Taiwanese company has sold many side-by-sides and ATVs and has even

Nov/Dec '14

Comparison: 2014 BMW C 650 GT vs. 2014 KYMCO MYROAD 700i vs. 2013 Suzuki Burgman 650 ABS

> With their short-stroke suspension, 3/4 scale wheels, and middleweight engines, has the scooter market caught up with the motorcycle market? Or has the right machine for the job finally become the right size for the task at hand? Let’s find out. They’re inexpensive compared to most

Nov/Dec '13

2014 Kymco MYROAD 700i: The New King of the (Scooter) Hill

> Lately, there seems to be a displacement war going on in the most unlikely of motoring segments: scooters. There are now at least five companies in the U.S. selling scooters with displacements of 500cc and up, but there can be only one displacement king. And here it is—

Jul/Aug '13

2013 Kymco Xciting 500i ABS: Scooting Redefined

> Most scooters are designed with one task in mind—urban commuting, and it is a role that suits them well. There are, however, some scoots that are capable of much more, even some for whom words like “highway” or “tour” aren’t so dirty. One of these is the

May/Jun '13

2012 BMW C600 Sport & C650GT: Two Ways to Scoot

> Last season we attended a press event in Spain to give us a first impression of BMW’s two new maxi-scooters—the C 650 GT and the C 600 Sport (July/August ‘12 issue). We finally got an opportunity to test these scooters in the U.S., and our

Nov/Dec '12

2013 Honda PCX150: City Slicker

Scooters are great for urban rides, so I borrowed Honda’s 2013 PCX150 for a day. Starting at California’s Huntington Beach Honda, I take the long way to the Lyon Air Museum near John Wayne Airport, stop for lunch at Memphis Soul Café in Costa Mesa, and then take

Nov/Dec '12

2013 Honda Metropolitan NCH50: Nifty and Thrifty!

After a multi-year hiatus, Honda’s 50cc Metropolitan scooter returns completely revamped with fresh styling and a new fuel-injected engine. Appearance changes include updated bodywork, a new headlamp and gauge setup, plus a different handlebar and taillight, all of which give the diminutive machine a clean modern look. We had

Jul/Aug '12

2013 BMW C 600 Sport and BMW C 650 GT: Versatile Meets Fun

> With a design philosophy to create a machine that has the functionality of a scooter and the riding pleasure of a motorcycle, BMW introduced their two new “Maxi-Scooters” recently in Madrid, Spain. Centered on the same frame architecture and sharing a common power plant, the C 600 Sport and

Jan/Feb '12

2011 Honda PCX 125

> Honda’s recent addition to its scooter lineup is a fun alternative to driving to the office or around town in a car, and the 125cc engine is the heart of this sporty-looking commuter. The quality seat is firm and comfortable, and the passenger seat sits higher thanks to

Sep/Oct '11

2012 Kymco Scooter Lineup

> With an already long list of models available, Kymco has added five new scooters to its lineup, and I tested four of them. Charleston, SC, provided us with plenty of city and country riding, and the cobblestone roads gave us a feel of the scooters’ suspensions, especially after some

May/Jun '10

Kymco XCiting 500 2010 Models

> This past fall, Kymco USA debuted their entire 2010 product line in Asheville, North Carolina, and RoadRUNNER was there to get a first-hand look. Though the Taiwanese company's offerings range from 50 to 500cc, we naturally gravitated toward their flagship model, the machine most suited for the

Mar/Apr '10

2010 Honda Elite 110

> Times are tough and money's tight. You need to get to work or school and run errands. Choice A is to spend three grand on a beat-up, gas-guzzling car that's long out of warranty, and will probably break down at the worst possible moment in

Nov/Dec '09

2009 Yamaha TMAX 500

> Right after a rider on a black-and-orange, big-twin cruiser scoffed at the bike I was on, we both took off from the traffic light onto the highway, his blaring, straight exhaust pipes no doubt saving many lives as we whisked ahead. Only much to his mortification, the TMAX scooter

Sep/Oct '08

2008 Piaggio MP3 400 & 500

> It takes a lot to catch the jaded eye of a typical New Yorker. But here we are in the metropolis astride Piaggio's second wave of funky 3-wheeled MP3 scooters, drawing long stares everywhere we go. One urban hipster eyeing the passel of Piaggios exclaims, with just

Jul/Aug '08

2008 Honda FSC600A Silver Wing

> As I rattled over the fir-plank bridge to Westham Island, a vast flock of snow geese swept overhead, darkening the sky and filling the air with surround-sound honking. In the filtered sunlight, their feathers took on a lustrous gray color, almost silvered. Silver Wing. What a great name for

Scooter

Ciao, Bella

Until the advent of the Vespa and Lambretta, most motorcycles were essentially heavyweight bicycles with an engine mounted in the middle of the frame. While perhaps the optimal arrangement from an engineering standpoint (the basic concept remains unchanged to this day), it left something to be desired in ergonomic terms.

Jan/Feb '08

KYMCO's Xciting 500 Scooter

> The Kwang Yang Motor Company's roots in the powersports industry can be traced back to the Taiwanese company's founding in 1963. Today, it manufactures over 500,000 motor scooters, motorcycles and ATVs each year at five plants in Asia, and exports products to over 70

Sep/Oct '07

Honda NSS250A Reflex®

> I'd be lying if I said working for RoadRUNNER wasn't a great gig. Riding motorcycles for a living is a terrific way to make a buck. But the traveling and great events are only part of the equation. I'm still expected to meet

May/Jun '07

Super-sized Scooter

> In the burgeoning maxi-scooter market, Piaggio's BV500 is more classically styled than the company's X9 or other more sportbike-inspired competitors. The front exhibits classic scooter design cues, but the rear has been transmogrified into a touring motorcycle. Is this the ingenious creation of an enlightened

Jan/Feb '07

Conveniently Cool

> There's something fascinating about the lore and lure of San Francisco. Think Steve McQueen catching air in his '68 Mustang and Dirty Harry demanding to know if luck is in the offing...Well, is it? And let's not forget about Alcatraz, Lombard Street, Chinatown,

Jan/Feb '07

Breaking the Mold

> The view from the top of the "steepest road in Texas" is, well, OK. San Antonio lies out there somewhere in the hazy distance, as an early October sun pegs the thermostat at 90+ degrees. Riders from similarly "mountainous" states  -  like Kansas and Delaware

Sep/Oct '06

Kymco People 250

> Let's see, my driveway is right at ten miles from the parking lot here at the palatial RoadRUNNER towers. Simple math indicates that I'll ride Kymco's People 250 right at 100 miles every week just to get to my keyboard. Throw in a

May/Jun '06

Honda FSC600A3 Silver Wing

> Remember the original Silver Wing? It wasn't a scooter; it was a motorcycle. Honda used the CX 500 transverse-mounted V-twin platform to launch their version of a slenderized touring machine, the GL500 Silver Wing Interstate. A sort of Gold Wing "lite" if you will. After