Motorcycles have become especially popular in our country over the past 10 years. If in Soviet times a motorcycle was considered primarily a rural transport, now this stereotype has been dispelled. Motorcycles are actively used in cities, because it is very convenient in urban traffic, economical and quite simple and cheap in service and repair (if you do not take the expensive models of motorcycles).
However, if a person chooses a two-wheeled vehicle, it should be taken into account that motor vehicles are divided into two main types – motorcycles and mopeds (scooters). These vehicles differ from each other, despite the similar principle of action. Therefore, before buying two-wheeled transport, many people have a question – what is better: a motorcycle or a scooter?
What is the difference between a motorcycle, moped and scooter?
Before we figure out what the main differences between mopeds and motorcycles, first we need to figure out what a moped is and what a scooter is. A moped gets its name from the original design of a bicycle with a motor. Therefore, its name is deciphered as “MOTOR + PEDALS”. The old mopeds were indeed equipped with pedals, not a kickstarter, and mopeds with a kickstarter foot were called “Mokik”. However, this name has not caught on, and the name “moped” is used much more often.
A modern moped is very similar to a motorcycle, but inferior in performance, smaller in size and carrying capacity. In addition, mopeds have less engine power than a classic motorcycle. Machinery with an engine capacity of up to 50 cm3 can be considered a moped. Management of such transport on the road is carried out both by hands and feet (gearbox switching, foot brake).
Scooter is a vehicle similar in characteristics to a moped. The engine volume here is also 50 cm3. However, the design here is different. First, the gearbox on the scooter is not a foot, but a variator. The transmission uses a V-belt, not a chain, as on a moped or motorcycle. That’s why you don’t have to change gears with your feet. The brakes are made in the form of handles. Therefore, during the ride, you can control it only with your hands. In this regard, the scooter has a special design in the form of a convenient platform for the feet. So, is a scooter a moped or a motorcycle? In terms of power, the standard scooter can rather be compared to a moped. However, there are models, the engine volume of which exceeds 50 cm3. If the question concerns the category of rights, here everything depends on the volume of the engine.
A motorcycle is a vehicle with larger dimensions, larger wheel radius, and more power. The engine displacement exceeds 50 cm3. The engines on motorcycles may also be two-cylinder, while mopeds and scooters use exclusively single-cylinder engines. In addition, some models of motorcycles have mounts for attaching a side trailer (so-called “sidecar”). In this case, however, you will need a different category to legally drive them.
