World's 10 Best Motor Scooters in 2023

In a larger sense, especially when used with the word "motor” in front of it, the term "scooter" is meant to define a type of motorized vehicle on two wheels, with the engine mounted at the rear (or electric motors to drive the wheels), and a step-through frame.

It's these motor scooters we're here to discuss today, as we venture into what this segment has best to offer to people in the market for a two-wheeled vehicle that is not a full-blown motorcycle.

Before we dive into it, I should let you know this list only contains the ten most high-profile motor scooters currently available on the global market. Because they are relatively easy to make, these kinds of vehicles are extremely varied in terms of producer, style, type, and so on.

Yet, given how most of them are made by companies you've probably never heard of, and used in countries that don't necessarily set the trend in the industry, we'll leave the less high-profile ones out, at least for a while longer.

10. Kymco CV3

There's a good chance many of the scooters presented on this list ring a bell or two even if you are not exactly a rider of such things. And there's an equal chance the name Kymco does not.

Kymco is a company based in Taiwan that may gain notoriety in the motorcycle industry over the coming years thanks to products such as the VSR 125, a naked learner's bike that looks a lot more aggressive than what it can actually do.

But it's in the scooter business that Kymco is best known, thanks to a lineup of no less than ten models currently offered to European riders. Of this happy bunch the CXV3 stands out not only thanks to price, but capabilities as well.

Just like the Peugeot Metropolis SW and others you'll read about later on, it is a three-wheeled lean machine. It is powered by a 550cc engine horizontal-twin engine and allows for a lean angle of up to 40 degrees.

To target as many potential customers as possible, Kymco's CV3 comes with a braking foot pedal to make it easier for car drivers to adapt to the requirements of riding a scooter.

The Taiwanese scooter can be had in many European countries for prices that are equivalent to $13,600.

9. SEAT Mo 125

Not many carmakers do business in the motorcycle segment too, and fewer still are involved in producing scooters on top of that. Yet the Spanish from SEAT decided to skip a step when launching the Mo electric scooter.

The ride is intended for "those looking to take on the city with ease" as its electric powertrain is only good for 87 miles (140 km) of travel on a single charge. Yet, because it is designed to look more like a motorcycle than a scooter, it travels all of them in a pretty decent style.

The Mo 125 made it onto our list not only on account of the above, but also thanks to the fact it managed to smash through a Guinness World Record last year.

Taken out on the Zuera International Circuit in Zaragoza (how many scooters can brag about taking to the track?) it became the best there is in terms of distance covered in 24 hours: 1,430 km (888 miles), in both relay and solo modes.

The scooter is available to European buyers as the equivalent of a 125cc class scooter and sells for the equivalent of about $6,200.

8. Yamaha XMAX

If you are in the market for a dependable motorcycle, one of the first names you should consider is Yamaha. Whether you are in the market for a sports bike, or a naked, or a touring, or even a motocross machine, there's nothing these guys don't have. Oh, you're into scooters? They've got that too.

Granted, there are just two models to choose from, the XMAX and the Zuma 125, but really, who needs more than that? The XMAX is the more capable of the two two-wheelers, hence the one that went into our little list here. Contrary to what you might believe, especially this time of the year, XMAX does not stand for Christmas, but for the category this scooter plays in: maxi.

The ride gets its punch from a 292cc single-cylinder engine run through a fully automatic transmission that makes it "exceedingly simple to ride." Despite being the poorer cousin of a full-blown motorcycle, it comes with traction control and ABS, a 4.2-inch TFT display, and LED lights.

The cheapest you can get yourself a Yamaha XMAX is $6,199, making it one of the most solid, affordable, and reliable such machines on the market. As you'll see below though, all that is not nearly enough to secure it a higher place in our list.

7. Aprilia SR GT

Aprilia is one of the most respected names in motorcycle making. Born just after the Second World War ended, in 1945, it has grown into such an industry powerhouse that there is no listicle of the best two-wheeled anything one can put together without including it. Including a list of scooters, naturally.

Best known nowadays for RS or Tuono motorcycles it makes, Aprilia has one scooter in its portfolio as well. It's called, in the usual aggressive style of the motorcycle maker, SR GT, giving the impression it's either something other than a scooter, or at least a very potent one.

Despite being the poorer cousin of Aprilia motorcycles, the SR GT tries to live up to the name of its maker by displaying aggressive styling, with the bodywork wearing the colors of the Italian company, and a single-cylinder i-get engine at the back that gives it up to 17 hp and 16.5 Nm of torque on the top-of-the-line version.

Speaking of versions, the ride is offered in two engine configurations, 125 and 200, and no less than eight variants with various equipment levels.

As for pricing, the SR GT is probably the cheapest new Aprilia you can get your hands on. Although exact pricing can only be learned by talking to a dealer, it revolves around the equivalent of the $5,000 mark.

6. Suzuki Burgman 400

The end of the 1990s brought to the scooter table a machine made in Japan that soon became one of the pillars of the industry: the Burgman. Made by Suzuki, it is one of the most popular models of its kind, both on account of what it has to offer and thanks to its capabilities.

The American market has two Burgmans to choose from at the time of writing, the 200 and the 400. It's the latter that is at the top of its food chain, and as such the one that made it into our list.

Suzuki describes the two-wheeler as being "unmatched as the sport's premium scooter," and that's in no small part owed to the 400cc engine installed in it, the cast wheels (15 inches front and 13 inches rear), and of course to the styling that makes it an instantly recognizable presence on the roads.

The Burgman 400 sells on the American market from $8,699, but that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to how precious this two-wheeler can become with all the extras on.

On, and there's this little peculiar thing about this Suzuki: people, especially the ones over in Texas, just love to turn it into a trike.

5. Peugeot Metropolis SW

At the time of writing French carmaker Peugeot is preparing for a return to the American market, under the umbrella of Stellantis, the same group that owns local carmakers Jeep, Chrysler, Dodge, and Ram. And, who knows, maybe with Peugeot's cars returning, maybe so will its scooters.

Peugeot likes to describe itself as the oldest manufacturer of scooters in the world. Established in 1898 (that's 125 years ago), it has grown into a powerhouse of the segment, currently selling anywhere but the U.S. nine different models.

At the top of them all sits something called the Metropolis SW. The thing is so impressive you might as well consider it the limousine of the scooter world.

Officially a tilting three-wheeled scooter (the most technologically advanced of its kind, according to Peugeot), the machine works thanks to a 35.6 hp engine also capable of developing 38.1 Nm of torque. But it's not the engine that necessarily makes the ride special, but the many features it comes with.

The Metropolis SW is the limousine of scooters because it has anything from driver backrest and windscreen adjustment to smart key start and plenty of storage space.

Like any limousine, this one is at the top of the list when it comes to price as well. In the UK, for instance, the thing sells from 9,499 pounds, which is almost $12,000 at today's exchange rates.

4. Piaggio MP3

Piaggio is a company so old it outshines all the others. The crew was born in Italy in 1884 as a maker of locomotives and train cars, then moved to making boats, airplanes and seaplanes for the military, until it finally settled on scooters.

In the meantime the company grew so large and wide that it became a corporate behemoth that now includes Vespa, Aprilia, Moto Guzzi, Gilera, and Derby. It still sells scooters made with its own name (just four of them), and the MP3 is our choice for this list of ours.

We chose it not only because its name reminds us of an audio file format from when we were young, but also because, well, the thing is not far from being an actual car, at least in terms of the features it comes it. Believe it or not, the list of hardware included on the scooter includes stuff like reverse gear, a backup camera, and cruise control.

The MP3 too is a three-wheeled lean scooter, powered by a rather big 530cc engine. Up front the rider gets access to important info about the machine and the ride through a 7-inch full-color TFT screen (the largest in the category the scooter plays in), there's a USB socket for charging phones and the likes, and LED lighting all around.

As a result of all of the above, the Italians are asking for the MP3 a price suitable for a full-blown motorcycle: this Piaggio starts at $11,999.

3. Vespa 946 Bunny

French company Peugeot may be the oldest manufacturer of scooters in the world, but there is no question about it that the Italians from Vespa are the most famous. In this business ever since 1946, this crew has always made popular, uniquely designed scooters, and sprinkled them with a touch of luxury you'll find nowhere in the industry.

For the U.S. market Vespa presently offers no less than six scooter ranges, namely the GTV, the 946 Bunny, the Primavera, the Sprint, the GTS, and the Elettrica. We chose the 946 Bunny for our list because, really, it's the wackiest of them all.

Built to last, with a steel plate monocoque and rocking a single-cylinder four-stroke engine inside its body, the 946 is a sight to behold anywhere in this world, especially given its unique shade of green.

The scooter is a "homage to Asian culture" (2023 is the year of the rabbit) that wears the bunny not only its name, but also literally drawn on its rear and front ends, but also on the matching helmet.

Americans can ride their Vespa 946 Bunny in exchange for $12,499, a steep price for a scooter, but something we're used to from a Vespa.

2. Honda Motocompacto

A superficial look at our story here is enough to reveal the fact that, no matter which scooter we are talking about, they all have basically the same major design cues. All but Honda's wacky Motocompacto, a contraption so weird it probably feels like riding a home radiator.

Ok, maybe not that weird given how this folding scooter, although new, traces its roots back to the equally bizarre Motocompo of the 1980s.

The Japanese bike maker let loose the contraption earlier this year, in September, as a last-mile transportation solution, or one you could use when going around the university campus. So, not exactly something you can rely on for long distances, but interesting enough to make it in our selection of best scooters you can get your hands on in 2023.

The Motocompacto, like many other vehicles of this kind made recently, is electric, and relies on a battery good for just 12 miles (19 km). Owners can either recharge it or swap it for a fresh one, but no matter the path chosen, the thing's electric motor won't push it past 15 mph (24 kph).

The two-wheeled Honda may have reached such a high spot in our list thanks to its unique design, but the price helped with that too: it's the cheapest vehicle you'll read about here. Sure, its limited capabilities more than justify the $995 asking price.

1. BMW CE 04

About a year ago German bike maker BMW Motorrad ventured into the world of electric scooters with something called the CE 04. It was the production incarnation of previous concepts like the C evolution.

Although technically a new electric scooter is not something that gets our blood pumping, BMW's contraption surely did that. I mean, just look at the thing: isn't it the most aggressively styled such machine you've seen in a long time? A futuristic-looking means of transport, available in our day and time.

The German scooter with sports motorcycle styling is innovative when it comes to the hardware it packs as well. The battery of the thing is not installed in plain sight, but hidden in the underfloor. It's big enough to keep the CE 04 rolling for as much as 81 miles (130 km), more than enough to take care of the rider's daily needs.

The wheels spin under the influence of the 42-hp electric motor that needs just 2.6 seconds to push the scooter to a speed of 30 mph (48 kph), right from a standstill.

All of the above are reasons why BMW's scooter made it to the top of our list. Another would be the fact it comes, even in stock form, loaded with features: a keyless system, TFT display, ABS, emergency call, and ride modes, among others

Such a solid package can't be as cheap as other scooters presented here. Owning a CE 04 will set you back the money you'd otherwise pay for a full-blown motorcycle: $12,790. Is it worth it? I'm pretty sure it is.