Low gas consumption, lightweight, and ease of use are the main reasons most people opt for scooters, but then what is the average weight of a scooter plus what can they carry?
The weight of a scooter is an essential factor that determines how easy it will be to drive a scooter. The heavier the scooter is, the harder it is to ride it, and the lighter, the easier it will be to ride the scooter. Lightweight scooters are easy to maneuver around heavy traffic and bend.
On average, the weight of a scooter is 254 pounds or 115 kilograms and varies primarily based on the size of the scooter and the materials it is made of.
Factors That Determine The Weight of a Scooter
The weight of a motor scooter is dependent on several factors, and here are a few:
Engine Size
The size of the engine or the engine displacement capacity is a factor that determines the weight of a scooter. The larger the scooter’s engine size, the heavier it will be and vice versa.
The average weight of scooters mentioned above is mainly for scooters with 125cc engine displacement. Scooters with engine sizes that are lower than this should ideally weigh less than 254 lbs. However, scooters with larger engines will weigh more than 254 lbs. Larger scooters weigh between 400 lbs and 500 lbs.
Materials used
The materials used to produce the frame of scooters also determine their weight. The materials used are very important, and they not only determine the weight of the scooter but also determine the sturdiness of the scooter. Some scooters like Vespa, which are produced using steel, unibody frames are much heavier than scooters whose parts have more plastic.
How Heavy Is A Vespa?
Due to the frame of Vespas being manufactured from steel, they will naturally be heavier than other scooter brands whose frames are made from plastics. Vespa scooters weigh between 254 lbs and 348 lbs, depending on the model and engine size of the scooter.
Although Vespas are heavier than other scooters, this should not be a reason why you should not get a Vespa scooter. You do not have to be a strong person to ride a Vespa scooter effectively.
Vespas with engine sizes of 50cc or 125cc have lighter weight than those with higher engine displacement.
The lightest Vespa models are those with a 50cc engine – currently the Primavera and Sprint.
A perk of driving the lightest Vespa will certainly be better gas mileage. A 50cc will get you around 95 miles per gallon (mpg) whereas the biggest 278cc (300 GTS) versions will get 73 mpg.
How Much Does A Moped Weight?
Mopeds have pedals, and 50cc gas-powered motor scooters are not mopeds. However, 50cc versions tend to be called mopeds.
The small engine size defines it as the smallest of the motor scooters available, and in general, this means the weight of a moped will be lighter than that of larger engine-size scooters.
In general, the average weight of a moped is 214 pounds. The SYM Mio 50cc comes at at the lowest 194 pounds, and the Vespa 50cc Primavera and Sprint the heaviest at 254 pounds.
More on differences between scooter types
Motor Scooter Weight Limit
Motor scooters are designed to handle a particular load weight. One of the reasons scooters do not come with large storage space like vehicles like cars and trucks is a weight limit.
Check your scooter manual to be sure of the exact weight limit of your scooter.
The weight limit of scooters varies with different models and brands of scooters. The weight limit of a 50cc model will differ from that of a 250cc scooter.
Vespa engine size and their weight limit
The engine size is a big factor that determine the weight of a scooter and this, in turn, determines the weight limit of a scooter. Sometimes the scooter is just larger overall, but the components certainly weigh more as the power they can output increases.
A 50cc scooter can only carry a load that weighs a maximum of about 90kg. If any load that has a larger weight is placed on the scooter, it might impede the efficiency of the scooter or eventually cause the scooter to break.
The maximum weight that a 125cc scooter can carry is 150kg
The weight limit of a 150cc scooter is about 160kg, while that of a 250cc scooter should be around 180-200kg.
A Vespa scooter will have a higher weight limit when compared to other scooter brands whose scooter frames are made of plastic.
If any of these scooters take more than their weight limit, it will result in a low speed and poor mileage and might cause issues for the motor with a continuous strain, as well.
