Touring or Super or Maxi Scooter?

Ok.. it seems a lot of us call our scooters by different names. I personally call them touring scooters since they are such comfortable touring bikes. Some call them super scooter and some maxi scooter. I don't really like "Super Scooter" as much since it sounds like these are "Super Man Scooters". I also don't like Maxi either for some reason. It just seems to make more sense, to me, to refer to my scoot as a "Touring Scooter".

So, what do you all like to call your scooter? I go on different sites and it seems some refer to these scoots by all 3 names. Many still refer to the Maxi name but it seems they are shying away from that too. So, I'm just curious and maybe I will put a poll question up just for fun. Thanks.

Of those choices "Touring Scooter" is how we'd go. We often call them our motorcycles or bikes. Jeff, like you, I don't care for the term Super Scooter, not so much for the comic book hero connotation although that is troubling. I dislike it becaue it is silly and seems to denote a bit of a self image problem, especially with those who are militant about it.

Maxi Scooter seems to be the industry title and it doesn't bother me much. I've used it as a reference in conversation since if someone is interested in finding out more about these bikes they can perform a web search on that term and find lot's of links. Disclaimer - I have no objective proof that a web search using Maxi Scooter will return more hits than any other "____ Scooter" web search.

Touring Scooter does seem more appropriate. As to your ticket and any comments regarding your bike as a moped - It would seem that on the face of it you should be able to fight that ticket - I defy anyone to locate the pedals on my SilverWing. By definition a moped has pedals and generally a speed limitation.

If someone calls it a motorcycle ... I then use the "and a scooter".
If someone calls it a scooter ... I then use "and a motorcycle".

Because each has it's own connotations to the person speaking ... the person seems to pickup on the statement.

To me it is more than just a single catagory.

Hi All,
I really am new to this scooter/cycle world but it seems to me, that (for lack of any 'other' word) "Maxi" scooter is the best fit I've seen for a name of this type of 2-wheeled vehicle so far; not that it's any great shakes. Even Super scooter doesn't bother me much but that or any classification should be officially established by some qualified entity just to make the whole thing simpler.

Seems to me that 600 cc's and the ability to run 105 mph would qualify it as a 'motor'cycle regardless of it's shape (the step thru and slightly smaller wheels being the only "real" difference). I'm surprised that the legal folks haven't come up with an official designation (I think they are mostly satisfied with motorcyle). Personally, I never call it a scooter; I just call it a "bike", or motorcycle, if anyone asks or even cares.

How about Sscooter(for Super scooter; 2 esses too hard to pronounce?). Or Tscooter(for Tourscooter; Ts like in tsetse fly? enunciation again?) Or even, Scootercycle? Then there is 'scycle' (as in sky-cle) and or 'scoocle' (as in skoo-cle) Well, as you can see, I have way to much idle time on my hands. But it's zero degrees outside at 9:45 PM and this looked like something to have some fun with. :D

Anyway, that's just my proverbial $0.02 worth.

To me Maxi-scooter seems the best. Why, you might ask?

Super, is like saying mine is superior to yours. Mine is superior to me as yours should be superior to you. No one likes to hear that my ride is better than theirs.

Touring, sounds like the main reason for this size scooter is for the open road. Most people I know won't ride their touring motorcycle in the city. I know for a fact my scoot can tour with the best of them, as well as be a great city scoot.

Well thats my 3 cents..... inflation you know...

Have a great day
bob

I guess I never thought much about it...I sort of like Maxi-Scooter. I guess when I tell people I ride a scooter they ask if I can go up on the sidewalk with it They think it is a 50 or something. When I say I can ride on the highway and go 55 they look so shocked.
At least if I say Maxi they will guess it has some power..who knows.

jdeereanton wrote:

...I defy anyone to locate the pedals on my SilverWing. By definition a moped has pedals and generally a speed limitation.

I agree (in my heart) with that definition; I started my PTW* career on an NSU Quickly!

But legally that's no longer the case - at least internationally. The UK and EU have "moped" definitions by cc, power (in kilowatts) and attainable speed; most of those definitions are - largely - silent about pedal power. I thought - correct me if I'm wrong - that the definitions also varied by state within the US?

Best, B

ps*PTW = Powered Two Wheeler and is the official "catch all" term for motorcycles/scooters/mopeds in the UK - though I doubt that >10% of riders have ever heard it!

You’ve got me on that one. My response was in fact not a legal one, but I must confess, an emotional one. I’ve never looked into the legal definition of a moped in my state (Alabama), and I’d assume that each state would establish their own definition if there were a need to do so. Much like each state establishes the licensing criteria for motor vehicle operators and individual motor vehicles registered within the state. Oddly some states do not require registration of motor vehicles with a displacement of 49cc and less – South Carolina comes to mind. The locals refer to these little bikes as “liquor-cycles” for the following: Individuals who lose their operators permit (aka: driver’s license) due to driving or operating under the influence of alcohol or drugs will purchase and use these little machines for transportation since they do not need an operators permit to ride them on public roads.

Disclaimer time: Some of what I’ve written here could be conjecture as I’m going from personal observation and anecdotal evidence, not research of law or statute. – I could be so wrong that I will be ashamed of my ramblings :D .

I still think that the terms Maxi-Scooter and Touring-Scooter are most appropriate for describing the SilverWing and I'd guess I probably use the term Maxi-Scooter much more than any other. Although, I really like the term Touring-Scooter.

I really like "liquor cycles" :D

But there's nothing (with a motor) that you can legally ride here (UK) without a licence...not going to get myself in trouble by adding a :D or a

Not so in Europe where I rode a real moped legally in France at 14 with none of those boring things like registration documents/number plates/licence/road tax/helmet.

Best (& I hope you never need a liquor cycle) B