That’s right, Consumer Reports has tested two groups of scooters (50cc and 125-150cc) and a pair of 250cc motorcycles. Last summer, there was tremendous reader interest in two-wheel commuting alternatives, inspiring our auto team to develop a test program for evaluating affordable and entry-level choices.

The tested scooters include the Honda Ruckus, Motorino Allegro from China, and Vespa LX 50 from Italy. The larger engine class included the Kymco People 150 from Taiwan, Yamaha Vino 125, and Vespa LX 150. For motorcycles, we tested two popular, entry-level choices, the Honda Rebel and Kawasaki Ninja.

Scooters and motorcycles require different skills to operate than cars and provide nowhere near the safety of even the smallest car. (See our video scooter buyer’s guide.) Best proceed with caution and carefully consider if the compromises and costs are worth the potential fuel savings, parking convenience, and admittedly, the fun.

Scooters and motorcycles

Last year, sales of motor scooters and small motorcycles skyrocketed as consumers went looking for economical transportation. Readers, too, have been clamoring for information, so we decided to conduct our first evaluation of two-wheelers since 1981.

We tested six scooters and two similarly priced, entry-level motorcycles and found that their fuel economy is impressive, ranging from 60 to 100 mpg at a steady cruise. The prices are also attractive, ranging from less than $1,000 to $4,400. And the best are fun to ride.

But the most fuel-efficient scooters can be ridden only up to about 35 to 40 mph, and no scooter with less than a 250cc engine is suitable for freeways. Only two scooters had better gas mileage than a Toyota Prius in city driving. Carrying capacity is very limited. And weather and road conditions greatly impact the riding experience.

There’s a high probability of serious injury with motorcycles. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2006 motorcyclists were about 37 times more likely to die in a crash per driven mile than someone riding in a passenger car.

The basics

Novices will find scooters easier to ride than motorcycles. They’re simpler to get on and off, the riding position is similar to sitting in a chair, and their transmissions don’t have to be shifted manually.

We tested two groups of scooters. One group included three entry-level models (available to subscribers) with small 50cc engines: the Honda Ruckus, the Motorino Allegro from China, and the Vespa LX 50 from Italy. Prices ranged from $995 to $3,299. With limited power, those models are easy to handle and are among the least expensive. And in some states, they don’t require licensing.

The other group (available to subscribers) included three models with 125cc to 150cc engines: the Kymco People 150 from Taiwan, the Yamaha Vino 125, and the Vespa LX 150. They have more reserve power and higher top speeds, which benefit them in traffic. Prices ranged from $2,799 to $4,399.

Our two motorcycles (available to subscribers), the Honda Rebel and Kawasaki Ninja, have more powerful 250cc engines, making them suitable for highway riding. But their manual transmissions and higher performance require more skill to handle well. They also sacrifice practicality by having no storage. Prices were $3,399 and $3,999, respectively.

Bottom line

Scooters and motorcycles require different skills to operate than cars and provide nowhere near the safety of even the smallest car. But they can be a fun and fuel-efficient way to get around town when weather permits. Parking is easy, and gas mileage is far better than that of most cars. To minimize risk, professional instruction is a must for new riders, as is protective gear. Registration and licensing laws vary by state, so check before buying. Also, make sure parts and service are easily available.

SOURCE: CONSUMER REPORTS

The incentive for motorcycle and scooter manufacturers to produce electric and hybrid two-wheelers is less obvious than with cars. Already they’re making many small capacity machines with an everyday economy of more than 100mpg. The emissions regulations are easier too, with no imminent requirements to sell a certain percentage of low-emission vehicles across a product range, and less strict exhaust emission rules for individual machines than is the case with cars, although these are converging.

Perhaps the biggest problem is the packaging, particularly with regard to battery storage.

Then there’s cost: £10,000 of batteries in a £60,000 car might sting a bit, but with £1,500 scooters there’s little financial scope for pioneering, and therefore expensive, technology.

Even so, progress is being made and we’ve highlighted the state of play of alternative fuels for bikes and scooters with four examples: one on sale now, two about to go on sale and one still at the prototype stage.

Piaggio MP3 Hybrid

This is a development of Piaggio’s radical but conventionally powered three-wheeled MP3 which is already proving a major hit in many markets – especially Italy – more for safety reasons. The pair of front wheels is better for braking and allows it to remain stable even when the scooter starts to slide.

The MP3 Hybrid combines a four-stroke engine and electric motor with increased battery capacity. The relationship between the two is complex and controlled by a system in which the electric motor aids acceleration from low speeds while the petrol engine recharges the batteries. Piaggio claims up to 170mpg and 40g/km of CO2 emissions, and the MP3 Hybrid can also be used on electric power only in zero emissions zones, although its range will be restricted.

It’s due in showrooms in May or June. No price has been announced but with current MP3 prices ranging from £4,000 to £5,000 (with 125cc to 400cc engines) it could well cost more than £6,000.

Piaggio UK: 0800 203010, www.uk.piaggio.com

Vectrix

The most credible of the all-electric scooters currently on sale is an American maxi-scooter built in Poland.

It is claimed to have a range of up to 55 miles and the performance of a conventional 400cc scooter, although in practice 30 miles is more realistic – and while acceleration is strong, if you use it on the full, the range is significantly affected. The top speed is 62mph, the same as a 125cc scooter.

The Vectrix’s nickel hydride (NiH) battery is charged from a domestic electric socket, but needs replacing after two years. While the range is restrictive the real barrier is the £7,000 price, which is four times that of the 130mpg Honda CBF125.

Vectrix Europe: 01962 777600, www.vectrix.co.uk

U+S Style

This Vespa-like, all-electric scooter is smaller and more manageable than the Vectrix. Because it uses higher capacity, laptop-type lithium-ion batteries it should offer a superior range.

The company importing the Style, Urbanites + Scooters, claims up to 90 miles and a 55mph top speed, although not together: that claimed range falls to 31 miles at 55mph, although this is still better than the Vectrix at the same speed. The Style tries much harder to be a fashion statement but realistically the claim is only for zero tailpipe emissions.

We haven’t ridden this machine yet but will do in the spring, and it should be available in a few months. Despite the more costly batteries, the Style is half the price of the Vectrix at £3,350.

U+S: www.urbanitesandscooters.com

Suzuki Crosscage

The Crosscage is a working hydrogen-powered fuel-cell concept, which does away with the limitations of battery-powered machines. It features a cryogenic fuel tank and uses fuel-cell technology developed by British company Intelligent Energy, which says it is working towards a production-ready, hydrogen-powered motorcycle in the near future in conjunction with Suzuki.

Distinctive features such as the unusual frame and single-sided front suspension are likely to be dropped, but the Crosscage concept promises a much more practical range than its battery-powered rivals and, therefore, could be seen as the most realistic future of the “real” motorcycle.

For more details, visit www.intelligent-energy.com

SOURCE: TELEGRAPH.CO.UK

The Cycle World International Motorcycle Show stopped at the Jacob Javits Center in Manhattan earlier this month. The traveling show carries a load of new models across the country, making weekend-long stops in major cities, so the New York edition had only a handful of unique touches to offer:

• Honda officially unveiled its new Fury, the company’s latest effort to sell custom-bike looks to riders who might be wary about the reliability, safety or cost of a custom machine. The Fury, which Honda said has the longest wheelbase of any motorcycle the company has produced, does look very clean, and it showcases a classic — if slightly generic — chopper look, with a 38-degree rake. At a glance, the bike could be mistaken for something built in a garage, but a second look makes it clear that it’s a factory product. It seems clear that the point is not to win over the editors of Easyriders, but to attract bikers who want a look that’s more extreme than a Shadow cruiser, with about the same risk of being stuck on the side of the road.

The unveiling was accompanied by a 90-second video teaser and a blaring metal soundtrack in which the bike’s features were revealed at a striptease pace. (Thrill to the Fury’s, um, bullet-shaped headlight.) A skeptic might point out that the Fury embodies the spirit of rebellion to the same extent as Mountain Dew and Axe body spray, but it’s a bit childish to deride the bike for its big-company origin. Depending on the base price, which Honda has not announced, the Fury could find its niche in a market in which sales of large motorcycles have been consistently down.

• The most striking bike at the show had to be the Victory Core concept:

Victory said the bike is intended to show what a performance cruiser of the future might look like. While it shares much of its architecture with the Victory Vision, the Core concept carries no visible bodywork on its cast-aluminum frame, with the fuel tank, battery box and electrical system tucked out of sight inside. In case you’re wondering, the seat is made of mahogany.

• Piaggio showed the Vespa GTS 300 Super:

The company said it’s the fastest Vespa in its American lineup. The GTS 300 Super is the bigger brother of the company’s GTS 250, with a slightly larger engine and some racier styling. Paolo Timoni, the chief executive of Piaggio Group Americas, said he expected Vespa’s American sales to improve in 2009, even after a year of substantial growth in the United States. Through the first three quarters of 2008, American sales of Piaggio’s scooters (which include Vespas as well as Piaggio-branded models) were up 61 percent, Mr. Timoni said. The GTS 300 Super will go on sale in March at a suggested price of $6,199.

• Vectrix Electrics, which has been selling its VX-1 electric scooter for a while, unveiled two new models: the VX-1E, which is a cheaper, trimmed-down version of the VX-1, and the VX-2, which is cheaper and less powerful, with a lower top speed.

Cutting the price is a big deal: the top-of-the line VX-1 tops $10,000, with the VX-1E coming in at $8,495 when it arrives in April. The VX-2 will cost $5,195 when it arrives in June. The company said the range of each of the vehicles is 40-50 miles, depending on conditions and riding style. They recharge with a standard household outlet.

The company’s spokesmen said that Vectrix isn’t pitching its scooters as a solution for all kinds of driving, but they seemed confident that the new models will expand the company’s customer base. About 1,000 VX-1 models are on the road, they said, and there are 84 dealers, including Gold Coast Motorsports on Long Island.

The motorcycle show will stop in Cleveland, Chicago, Minneapolis and Greenville, S.C., in February.

SOURCE: THE NY TIMES