We’ve had it. No longer will we publish the horsepower ratings for scooters. They’re confusing and pretty much meaningless. The only reason we wanted to publish horsepower was so that a rider could do an apples to apples comparison between scooters and get some idea about which one had more poop - you know, giddy up. That’s what horsepower is all about isn’t it?

Well, after doing a lot of research, and trying to figure out why many scooters with more horsepower did not perform as well as scooters with lower published horsepower, we’ve come to the realization that, due to a lack of standards, confusion abounds. Published horsepower is next to meaningless.

Horsepower can be measured in many different ways in addition to the SAE and metric differences. Different manufacturers will publish different horsepower and different rpm. We found we were looking at web sites and owner’s manuals and often trying to compare the incomparable. (If you want to know more about horsepower we strongly recommend looking it up in wikipedia for some excellent information.)

Until there is a better standard, horsepower rating comparisons are bullshit. Get on the scooter and take it for a test ride. See how it performs off the line. What about at the top end when you wind it out? How is it going up hills? How is performance with heavier or lighter riders or when doubling? These are the things you want to know. Depending on the power of the engine and how the scooter is set up will make a lot of difference.

Let the test drive guide your decision and not the stat sheet.