Scooters: What the hell?
I'm kind of glad this topic came up, because I worked selling scooters at a very scooter-intensive dealership in San Francisco, a very scooter-intensive city. I sold hundreds of the things (well, 160 or so) and I've noticed a thing or two about people's attitudes.
People are unthreatened by scooters but very threatened by motorcycles, even though there is no reason for it. Sure, scooters can't go on the freeway (at least the 50cc ones can't), but they can, will, and do hit up to 50-60mph on straightaways. In a crowded urban environment, that's more than enough speed to get you in a world of hurt. And scooters don't stop as well as motorcycles at those speeds. But uninformed consumers don't think about that. All they think about is Roman Holiday and how cute they'll look on their scooter. They ask questions like, "Do I need a helmet (or jacket or gloves) on a scooter?" But it's basically the same thing. You're hard to see, like a motorcycle, have zero impact protection, like a motorcycle, and will fall over if unbalanced, like a motorcycle.
At least the California legislature got sensible in 1995 when it ended the policy of not needing a motorcycle endorsment for motorcycles (or "motor-driven cycles" in California) under 50cc. Why shouldn't you need a specialized license for a scooter when you need one for a motorcycle? Operating a scooter at 45 mph on the bumpy, SUV-infested, pachinko-like arena of San Francisco's city streets is trying for experienced motorcyclists, and must be daunting for someone with no skills or experience at all!
Not requiring a license for 50's is an absurd policy. One example of the absurdity is when a guy from out of state called me. Seems he had his license suspended because of his boozin' and drivin'. His solution? He wanted to purchase a Derbi GPR50R (
http://www.derbiwest.com/GPR Flat Silver 3.jpg) and install a 70cc kit. A kitted Derbi uses a small two-stroke racing motor and can hit 80mph in the straights! (Just ask the 50 or so guys on big sportbikes and cruisers I passed on Highway One today if you don't believe me.) So now there's a guy riding drunk on a 200 pound GP bike with no helmet, registration, license or insurance. Not required for 50's in a lot of states!
Is that logical or sensible? If so, then licenses shouldn't be mandatory for ANYTHING, not cars, trucks, busses, helicoptors, space shuttles or heavy equipment. Scooters are like anything else- potentially hazardous to an untrained or careless operator.
California has answered the question at hand already with rare sensibility, and I heartily endorse requiring the same license for motorscooters and mopeds as for a motorcycle in other states as well. Stamping a number or labeling something "scooter" doesn't change the dynamics of two-wheeled locomotion, nor does it magically negate the need for the operator to have the basic skills and knowledge to operate a vehicle through traffic safely. After all, the majority of motorcycle accidents happen on city streets at under 50 mph, not on the freeways.
Who likes things the way they are? The motorcycle industry, of course! Scooters are cheap enough to pay for with a credit card, and are often impulse items. It would seriously reduce sales if customers had to go and get their licenses before buying a scooter. Over half my customers NEVER get an M1 endorsement, sometimes after 10 years of riding!
And yet...scooters are a fantastic way to get folks on two wheels. Their friendly, fun, easy nature can be used to introduce a new generation of riders onto motorcycles. But we need to require motorcycle licenses in every state, and offer free, on-demand basic skills training to all who seek it.