Which is Best For You: Motorcycle or Scooter?

When you’re on the hunt for two-wheeled, economic, efficient, and fun transportation, one of your first choices is going to be between motorcycles and scooters. Despite the vast differences between them, you may find it’s a more difficult choice than it seems. We here at RideNow SoCal want to help you get the perfect ride, so we’ve put together a brief comparison between the benefits of scooters and of motorcycles. To learn more, or to see the motorcycles and scooters we have for sale, contact our store in Vista, California, today!

Main Differences

Your first step is learning the precise differences between these vehicle types. Motorcycles tend to be larger and have more power, with engine sizes ranging from 150cc to over 2,000cc. Scooter engines more often fall in the 50cc to 250cc range, and engine size is actually how they’re categorized. Motorcycles, on the other hand, are defined and categorized by how they’re meant to be ridden, like cruisers, touring bikes, and sportsbikes.

Motorcycle seats are also more varied. Some feature upright sitting positions, similar to most scooters, but others have forward-leaning sitting positions to various degrees.

Scooter Benefits

While you may not look at scooters with awe and see the instant cool-factor that motorcycles tend to evoke, it’s important to remember that they do have their advantages.

Affordable

First and foremost, scooters are typically going to be more affordable than motorcycles. That’s partly because they’re smaller and less complex, meaning there are fewer materials and difficult construction techniques used to make them. However, they’re also cheaper to ensure, register, and maintain, making them better for your savings long-term. They also have better fuel economies, so you spend less at the pump less often.

Ecologically-Friendly

Because scooters have much better fuel efficiency than motorcycles, they put less pollutants into the air per mile.

Control

It doesn’t matter whether you’ve got years of experience riding around on two wheels or if this is your first go at it: scooters are easier to control. For starters, they typically use automatic transmissions, so you won’t have to learn to shift gears manually. They’re also more compact and have a smaller footprint, making them more maneuverable and easier to navigate traffic in.

Motorcycle Benefits

That said, no one can deny that motorcycles have their own benefits.

Thrill

Motorcycles are powerhouses with massive engines and incredible torque. That tends to make them a more thrilling ride than scooters, which in turn makes them a more exciting way to explore and commute.

Limits

Scooters, with their smaller engines, may sometimes struggle to achieve and maintain the speeds you need to safely drive on larger and busier roads. Highways alone are a no-go for most of the smaller models on the market. But any motorcycle designed to drive on a road is going to be capable of driving on any road there is, no sweat.

For more information, or to see our motorcycle and scooter selection, contact us at RideNow SoCal. We proudly serve San Diego and El Cajon, California—let us serve you today!