Scooter

History

The first vehicle being connected with a scooter was manufactured in 1902 by the French mark Car-Armchair . In 1903, the first scooter have also their ancestors in the United States, when Cushman and Salsbury created some one of the motorized first two wheels which incarnate the modern scooter. Salsbury produced the first automatic scooter with a continuous variable transmission (TVC). Light Cushman, collected and not very practical, was uses by the forces armed with the United States in the body of parachutist like conveys terrestrial during the Second world war.

The Vespa, originally produced by Piaggio after war quickly popularized the engine scooter when a sparing means of transport was necessary. Built containing parts of Plane S with aeronautical techniques and removing the Belt by installing the engine in the wheel axle leading to a redefinition of the vehicle for 35 years. In spite of the supremacy of Vespa on the market of the scooter, there was competition with Lambretta, which offered models competing with those of Vespa.

In the Années 1980 of new versions of scooters were launched on the market, with certain popular successes, particularly with the Japan and in the Far East. This new wave of scooters started to be packed while becoming more sportsmen, by improving the cycles parts, until today. With the exit of the Honda Ruktus a new tendency avant-gardist was proposed. The traditional style of the Vespa remains very popular. On the other hand, there remains most common and more copied of all the drawings of scooter. Practically, all the manufacturers today propose two styles in their range, retro other plus sport and modern.

The border between scooter and Motocyclette tends to grow blurred, bus of the techniques resulting from the world of the motor bike are gradually adapted to the scooter: tubular frames, large rims, halogenous optics, etc…

The legislation also evolves/moves: the European standards lead the manufacturers to adopt four-stroke engines instead of traditional two times, catalytic pots and electronic injections are installed to reduce the gas emissions pollutants, to answer the standard EURO III, in delay of one decade on the standard conveys Euro4 (Ademe May 2007). The consumption and emission of CO₂ of one 125 competition that of a car. The unburnt pollution emission, Carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons , is 3 to 10 times higher.

Popular image

The scooter incarnates the softness of living with Italian, i.e. a concept of freedom, pleasure and independence, but also the Mods (contraction of modernist ), an English youth movement - more precisely around Brighton resulting from the Années 1960 - 1970 - used the scooter like a true sign of recognition. They moved in pack, and had the characteristic to decorate their vehicles of several rear view mirrors and headlights.

In the film Quadrophenia inspired of the album Éponymie of the Who, one sees that the scooter is in the center of this rebellious youth which is thirsty for independence.

Models

The most known models of scooters are perhaps the Vespa and Lambretta, launched respectively in 1946 and 1947.

See too

Piaggio MP3
Goped Electric Scooters
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http://www2.ademe.fr/servlet/getBin?name=70E56DDB38011B525873761D6F8162D91178890491105.pdf

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