A scooter is a motorcycle with step-through architectonics and either a belvedere for the operator's anxiety or footrests basic with the bodywork. Elements of scooter architectonics accept been acclaimed in some of the ancient motorcycles, and motorcycles identifiable as scooters accept been fabricated from 1914 or earlier. Regional developments were fabricated in Europe and the United States amid the Apple Wars. The all-around acceptance of scooters dates from the post-World War II introductions of the Vespa and the Lambretta. Economic and political factors, including antagonism from added vehicles, accept shaped the change of scooters and accept acquired the development of altered variations of scooter.

Underbones are generally awash in the the West as scooters. Underbones accept step-through architectonics but affection footpegs agnate to those acclimated on accepted motorcycles. The underbone architectonics is based on the 1958 Honda Super Cub, the acknowledged motor agent in the world. The Super Cub had semi-automatic manual afore any anatomy of automated or semi-automatic manual was acclimated by Vespa or Lambrettas.

Scooters were originally advised for low-power claimed busline with engines amid 50 and 250 cc. It is still actual broadly acclimated for this application. However, maxi-scooters, with engines from 250 to 800 cc, accept been developed for Western markets.

The acceptance of scooters as a anatomy of claimed motor carriage is partly based on their low amount of acquirement and operation and their accessibility in parking and storage. Licensing, registration, and allowance requirements for scooters accept been fabricated easier and beneath big-ticket than those for cars in abounding genitalia of the world.