Gone are the days when we used to have limited options while shortlisting a two-wheeler. The rise in demand for personal mobility has resulted in manufacturers offering two-wheelers catering to customers' specific needs. For someone in the market looking for a two-wheeler, it has become a tedious affair to boil it down to just one vehicle. With several options available within the same cubic capacity, the customer has a wide choice, which is good generally but can sometimes add to the confusion. Then there is the age-old battle between a gearless scooter and a motorcycle. While the two varieties of two-wheelers have their set of differences, the decision-making process between a motorcycle and scooter can sometimes become a little daunting. This guide will help you in the selection process, listing the advantages and disadvantages of both varieties of two-wheelers.
Let's have a look at the areas where motorcycles have an advantage over scooters-
1. The Appeal
Motorcycles have a sense of romance about them. They have always been the definitive form of two-wheelers representing freedom, speed and thrill to the enthusiast. It’s not without reason that the fastest, most agile form of a two-wheeler is a motorcycle, and that’s also why the fiercest, most daunting motorsport battles like the Dakar Rally are fought with riders aboard a motorcycle. There’s a certain appeal to motorcycles that gearless scooters find hard to match. Sure, modern-day scooters like the TVS NTORQ have become more powerful, feature-laden and have their share of appeal about them. However, the feeling a performance motorcycle evokes is still relatively unmatched.
2. More Performance
While most of us, especially here in India, consider two-wheelers as just a medium to get from one place to another, if you want to spice your commute with a bit of pinch of performance, motorcycles definitely have an advantage. The concept of performance-oriented scooters is slowly catching on. However, it’s still the motorcycles that offer the best quantifiable numbers in terms of acceleration and top speed for any given cubic capacity. Also, the moment you want a genuinely performance-oriented machine, motorcycles offer a wide variety of options, while the scooter segment begins drying out beyond the 125-150cc segment in India. If you are into two-wheelers more for the thrill than practicality, then motorcycles are the way to go.
3. Long Distance Touring
Long-distance touring comes naturally to motorcycles. They have more performance on tap and a larger fuel tank to go the distance. In addition, high capacity motorcycles are equipped with hardware that can take on the challenges thrown in with punishing conditions in a more enduring manner. Better performance, handling, braking and the capacity to continue at higher speeds for more prolonged durations make motorcycles the better choice if travelling interstate often is what you wish to do with your machine. While small gearless scooters are unmatched in terms of convenience, a purpose-built motorcycle outshines them when it comes to long-distance travel.
4. Better Handling
If carving corners excites you, then motorcycles should too. With more capable frames, bigger wheels and manual gears offering a more granular control to riders, motorcycles are generally better at carving corners than scooters. They also have a more potent powertrain and other mechanicals to make you go faster around a bend. Modern-day motorcycles also come equipped with certain rider aids like a slipper clutch and other electronics to make your experience sweeter and safe at the same time.
5. Better Brakes
It’s great to see modern scooters coming equipped with disc brakes at both front and rear ends. Scooter braking has improved significantly over the years, but if you are looking at dropping the anchors real hard, the brakes on performance-oriented motorcycles still take the cake. Moreover, motorcycles, mostly equipped with a manual transmission, allow you to summon engine braking, which is a great secondary way to regulate vehicle speed and ensure a more controlled ride, especially while going downhill.
6. More Fuel Efficient
While modern gearless scooters are pretty efficient compared to their older counterparts, the manually geared motorcycles still manage to eke out better fuel efficiency for any given engine capacity. As a result, a motorcycle compared to a scooter powered with a similar displacement engine generally delivers more kilometres to the litre.
7. Diverse Portfolio
While some modern scooters have a sporty appeal to them, most scooters excel primarily in the urbanscape and are essentially designed for practicality or aesthetic appeal. On the other hand, motorcycles come in a wide variety of flavours - naked streetfighters, retro-cruisers, faired supersport, commuters, cruisers, adventure-tourers, enduros - you name it! Furthermore, the purpose often defines the purchase, and there’s simply a much wider variety of built-to-purpose motorcycles than scooters. So if it’s a specific objective you wish to buy your two-wheeler for, e.g. touring, track riding or off-roading, there’s simply no way a scooter can fill in for a motorcycle.
8. Better Stability
Bigger wheels on motorcycles translate to better stability and control, not just around corners but over broken roads and potholes as well. Motorcycles, as a general rule, tend to have bigger wheels as compared to gearless scooters. Most gearless scooters make do with a 10-inch or 12-inch setup, while most motorcycles utilise a 17-inch or bigger wheel setup, which makes the latter inherently more stable.
Now, with the advantages of motorcycles having been listed out, you might lean towards thinking that motorcycles are better than scooters in almost all departments. Such is not the case, and scooters have their strengths that make them unbeatable in specific scenarios. It’s not without reason that we are witnessing scooters being sold in more numbers than ever before. Let's see what makes scooters such a popular class of two-wheelers.
1. Effortless Twist-and-go Convenience
Motorcycles tend to tire you out faster in bumper-to-bumper traffic as compared to scooters. Pressing and releasing the clutch lever frequently and changing gears repeatedly can be tiresome in the slow-moving, stop-start traffic conditions prevalent in most cities. With their automatic transmission, Gearless scooters shine in this department as one has to control only the accelerator and brakes while riding them. Just press the ignition button, twist the throttle and zoom away! Simply put, scooters are the most convenient way to travel in traffic conditions.
2. Storage Space
One of the areas where gearless scooters are incomparably better than motorcycles is in terms of storage spaces. It becomes particularly difficult to go grocery shopping on a motorcycle when there’s no space to keep the grocery, right? Sure, you can carry a backpack around, but you can do that on a scooter as well. Wouldn’t it, however, be easier if you could just put all the stuff in the under-seat storage? Most modern-day scooters come with ample under-seat storage with a volume of as much as 22 litres. You also get a front storage space with additional small spaces to store stuff like cell phones and water bottles on some scooters. And then there are the hooks on both ends of the floorboard to tie your bags up with and let them rest on the floorboard securely as you zip through the traffic.
3. Easier to Manoeuvre
Gearless scooters, thanks to their smaller wheel sizes, shorter turning radius and lighter weight, can be manoeuvred more efficiently, even by more petite riders. Also, the twist-and-go functionality allows the scooter to be moved fore and aft in tighter spots with relative ease than motorcycles.
4. Perceived Safety
Motorcycles are an exciting piece of machinery and can put a smile on your face with the performance they have on tap. However, in inexperienced hands, motorcycles can be quite a handful. On the other hand, most gearless scooters accelerate in a linear, controlled and predictable fashion and have a relatively lower top speed. As a result, the scooters aren’t prone to accidental wheelies or a mistimed downshift, which are common noob mistakes on a motorcycle. This lends a perceived sense of safety to scooters, making it an ideal choice for parents who don’t want to let their kids ride a two-wheeler too fast or too dangerous for a limited-skill rider. This also makes scooters relatively safer for those intimidated by the size and/or the complexity of manual gear shifts on a motorcycle.
5. Lower Cost of Purchase
For any given cubic capacity and set of features, scooters are relatively less expensive to buy than similarly positioned motorcycles. The entry point for basic scooters is lower than the corresponding motorcycles, and this makes scooters the ideal choice for those looking for a two-wheeler on a tight budget.
6. Scooters Are More Gender Neutral
Unlike motorcycles, which are purchased and ridden predominantly by a male audience, scooters are preferred by both men and women in equal measure. Users who care for qualities such as ease of riding, lightweight, automatic transmission and functional storage areas gravitate more towards scooters than motorcycles. Interestingly, this feature set is desired by a significant percentage of riders who want a two-wheeler primarily for city use across genders. Of late, we have been witnessing an increasing number of women showing interest in motorcycles, which is a refreshing change.
7. Lower Seat Height
Gearless scooters generally have a lower seat height as compared to motorcycles. In addition to the complexities involved with operating the clutch and gears, most people find motorcycles relatively intimidating because of their higher saddle position and weight. A gearless scooter is more approachable in this regard with its low seat height. In addition, shorter riders, especially first-time riders, find it easier to ride a gearless scooter than a motorcycle.
