A scooter or motor scooter has a step-through frame and a platform for the rider's feet. Elements of scooter design were present in some of the earliest motorcycles, and scooters have been made since at least 1914. Scooter development continued in Europe and the United States between the World Wars . The global popularity of motor scooters dates from the post-World War II introductions of the Vespa and Lambretta models in Italy. These scooters were intended to provide economical personal transportation ( engines from 50 to 150 cc or 3.1 to 9.2 cu in). The original layout is still widely used in this application. Maxi-scooters , with larger engines from 150 to 850 cc (9.2 to 51.9 cu in) have been developed for Western markets. Scooters are popular for personal transportation partly due to being more affordable, easier to operate, and more convenient to park and store ...