Planning on purchasing a scooter? Between local laws, brands and types of scooters it may be more confusing that at first glance. Scooters come in many varieties, including petrol and electric, 50cc to 150cc and greater. To make it even more confusing there are various types of scooters within those choices. For instance there are touring scooters which are 150cc and above and have a raised seat, like a motorcycle; luxury scooters which are 150-250cc racing scooters, and then the basic scooter which is what most people are interested in buying.

The 50cc scooter, which is often a petrol scooter, usually top speeds at 35mph which allows it to be driven without a license or typical auto insurance. Instead they often have special driving requirements and insurance needs in every jurisdiction.

In the USA each county, city and state may have its own requirements for licensing. It's important to check at your local motor vehicle department. Additionally, your insurance requirements must be checked before purchase if you wish to save money. There are some scooters which actually may cost more in insurance than they are worth owning. Be sure to shop around on the internet for the best insurance quotes. When choosing a brand of scooter, the insurance cost depends on not only the engine displacement (cc), but on the brand of cycle. As some brands are known to be less safe, insurance companies may charge more for those types. Better brands tend to be Piaggio, Yamaha and Peugeot as well as Aprilia and Gilera.

In Europe laws differ in terms of owning and driving a moped/scooter. For instance, in Spain, Italy and France an automobile license is all that is required up to 125cc, otherwise a special cycle license is required. In other parts of the EU, a regular automobile license is all that is needed up to 50cc, and after that a cycle license is required. In Sweden no license is required for a 50cc scooter that has max speed of 35mph.

Some of the benefits of owning a motor scooter is saving on gas money, insurance costs and not having to worry about parking spots. Some of the disadvantages may be the lower speeds, not being able to drive in harsh weather and, for lower speed units, not being able to drive safely on city streets.

Be sure to check into all the local restrictions for your scooter before your purchase.