So I decided I'd think a little more seriously. To do that, I had to decide which scooters I thought I might want to consider.

I took stock of what brands were out there, and ignored a few, such as Piaggio, CPI and Vespa. Between looks, local dealer support, and product reputation, I figured Honda and Yamaha were the best around here. The models that looked like "retro" scooters were out, just based on appearance. So that left us with the Honda Ruckus (4-stroke 50cc) and te Yamaha BW's (2-stroke 50cc).

The Yamaha, being a 2-stroke, would have better low-end torque, I figured, and that would be a good thing. Also, the Yamaha's under-seat storage is enclosed, rather than the frame-only Ruckus. The Ruckus was also said to do a top speed of 60km/h, and I wanted a little more, if possible. The Yamaha BW's was therefore the model I'd most serious consider.

Now to start looking at the market ot determine how much one of these costs...