Did you know that Laverda made scooters? I sure didn’t. In 1959, Italy changed their highway code, allowing for riders without licenses to finally use ‘mopeds’ without pedals, as long as they were limited to 40 km/h. Laverda immediately started building a 4-stroke scooter with a 49cc engine.
Parascooter – 1944 Cushman Model 53
Post-Sale Update: This Model 53 sold for $7,631. The Cushman Model 53 is probably as cool as a scooter gets. 4,734 of these bikes were produced to serve the US in World War II. These bare-bones scoots were intended to primarily be messenger bikes, helping to increase the mobility of troops and assist in communications. Their diminutive size was supposed …
Centaur Folding Scooter
When it was released, the Centaur was claimed to be America’s only “full-size” folding scooter. It was marketed as a portable transportation solution that could be carried on a boat, plane, trailer, or car.
1920 Briggs & Stratton Scooter
In 1919, Briggs & Stratton acquired the patent and manufacturing rights for the Smith Motor Wheel. What they learned from that engine led to development of the ubiquitous Briggs & Stratton motors seen in lawnmowers and all kinds of small equipment, but before that the company used the motor wheel to power vehicles like this (restored) scooter, which won the …
1982 Honda Motocompo
Post Sale Update: This Motocompo sold for $3,400 after 21 bids on eBay. Yes, I just featured a Motocompo, but cut me some slack – these things are cool and they so rarely come up for sale!
1983 Honda Motocompo NCZ50
Post Listing Update: This Motocompo did not meet reserve despite 11 bids up to $3,262. Sold for only 3 years, the Honda Motocompo was a tiny 50cc folding scooter designed to fit into the trunks of the subcompact cars Honda was making at the time, like the City. In fact, the City’s trunk was designed specifically to house the Motocompo. …
Folding Scooter – 1971 American Doni Bike
Well, here’s something I’ve never heard of before – the American Doni Bike.
Needs Some Work – 1957 TWN Tessy
Here’s a Tessy scooter from ‘the other Triumph’ that the seller calls “well used.”
1947 Salsbury Imperial Rocket
Back in 1936, a man named E. Foster Salsbury co-developed the Salsbury Motor Glide, a scooter with an enclosed drivetrain underneath the seat. His later development of the first CVT to be used on a scooter made his product such a success that he even tried to license the design internationally. This design defined the second generation of scooters worldwide, …
Ending Soon – 1943 Excelsior Villiers Welbike
View PostEnding Soon – 1938 Moto Scoot Model B
In 1936, Normal Siegel created Moto Scoot with all of his assets and three employees. When Siegel served in the Amry for WWII, the company was taken over by financiers in Chicago who changed the name to American Moto Scoot. It would go on to be the nation’s most popular scooter for a few years, bigger than Cushman or Salisbury.
1956 Heinkel Tourist 103 AO with Steib Sidecar
Post Sale Update: This Heinkel sold for $8,550 after 42 bids on eBay. Heinkel started as a German aircraft manufacturer that found themselves without a product after the Allies banned them from making planes after World War II. They moved on to bicycles, a microcar, and scooters like the Tourist to help Germans who couldn’t afford a car but needed …
1962 Puch DS50
This cute little scoot was produced between 1959 and 1981 – the DS refers to “double seater shell frame” and the 50 represents the approximate displacement.
WWII – Gest Motor Scooter
6-17 Update: Now this Gest is on eBay, with no reserve! Someone’s getting a weird scooter – get your chance here on eBay. Based out of Philadelphia, the Gest Motor Scooter Manufacturing Company made a variety of scooters that were marketed as economical forms of transportation.
175 Miles – 1979 Honda Express II
The second generation of the Honda Express, the NA50 was sold between ’79 and ’81. It shared the 49cc two stroke and automatic transmission of every other Express model, but featured a slightly bigger gas tank and a more comfortable seat and handle bars.