A scooter is a motorcycle with step-through architecture and either a platform for the operator's feet or footrests integral with the bodywork. Elements of scooter design have been noted in some of the earliest motorcycles, and motorcycles identifiable as scooters have been made from 1914 or earlier. Regional developments were made 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. Economic and political factors, including competition from other vehicles, have shaped the evolution of scooters and have caused the development of different variations of scooter.

Scooters were originally intended for low-power personal transportation with engines between 50 and 250 cc. It is still very widely used for this application. However, maxi-scooters, with engines from 250 to 800 cc, have been developed for Western markets.

The popularity of scooters as a form of personal motor transport is partly based on their low cost of purchase and operation and their convenience in parking and storage. Licensing, registration, and insurance requirements for scooters have been made easier and less expensive than those for cars in many parts of the world.

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