You should check out this article, if for nothing else at least their take on the different scooter types and a list of world scooter manufacturers (which is also pasted at the bottom here).
Italians invade US, Scooters are Back!: “Motor scooters exist only in fiction for many Americans. Long distances, cheap fuel, and air pollution laws that preclude the use of two-stroke fuel mixtures have rendered them almost permanently into the history books. But now as the century begins in 2001, the scooters are back.
They never completely left. When the two-stroke ban kicked in, the cool scooters (the Vespas) went away and all that was left were the four-stroke, plastic Hondas and Yamahas. Short on style and rather un-cool, they didn’t sell in sufficient quantities to make their presence felt. The re-introduced Italian Vespa line up, however includes a 50cc two-stroke that actually passed the pollution test and is legal in California.”
Manufacturers by country.
Italy
Aprila
Atala (Cesare Rizzato)
Betamotor
Malaguti
Piaggio
Vespa (Piaggio)
Benelli
Italjet
Gilera (Piaggio)
B.M.W. (of Italy)
Taiwan
Adly (Her Chee)
Aeon
Kymco (Kwan Yang)
Kawata (CPI/Shang Wei)
Moto-Rama (Her Chee)
P.G.O. (Motive Power)
S.M.C. (Standard Motor Co.)
Sym (San Yang)
Rovigo (S.M.C.)
T.G.B. (Taiwan Golden Bee)
C.P.I.
Japan
Honda
Suzuki
Yamaha USA Japan
China
Easy Rider (Jialing)
Jianshe
Sundiro
There could be a few I left out here.
There may be more in here somewhere.
22. September 2005 at 2:17 pm
Sort of a contorted and narrow view of what’s around and so forth but interesting that there are more and more articles every day about scooting.
22. September 2005 at 2:36 pm
Right. I wonder if all the press will finally rub off the scooter stigma.
A couple of years ago I was doing a lot or research on the Smart (Dalmer/Chrysler/Benz) and heard time and time again, “You’ll get killed in that thing! That’s why I drive a (insert large vehicle name here ie. Hummer, F350, Ford Exorbitant, UniMog)”.
I knew that American brand of flawed logic would ONLY be removed if you hit ‘em where it counts… in their wallet. A nation of humans bred for consumption cannot be convinced with things like “It’s good for you”, or “It’s good for the environment”. But if you say “Walmarts got it and their ROLLLLLLLIN’ back prices!” You’re singing their song.
Now that gas is settling at over $2.50 (will prolly go up on Friday with Hurricane Rita), Americans are starting to forget that scooters are “sissy”, and “death traps” and they are starting to realize that scooters are cool, cheap, fun and really as safe as the driver wants them to be… Who knows? They might even buy one, unless a hybrid Hummer comes out soon.
I apologize for the soapbox moment.
22. September 2005 at 6:22 pm
There’s a PGO 125 parked at the next building to mine. Its a darn nice looking scoot with a monoshock design and electronic fuel injection… From their website they are huge in Europe. We have two dealers for them locally.
Same GY6 motor design as my Phantom. I wonder if I could make the EFI work instead of my always struggling carburetor…