The world is in a bit of turmoil at the moment, with the economy feeling the effects of the new surge in cryptocurrency, the global pandemic raging, and working from home becoming the preferred norm. It’s confusing, it’s stressful, and it’s wearing away patience and compassion at an alarming rate. What this world needs, then, is some two-wheeled therapy!
Thankfully, a lot of manufacturers have also realized this. It is a great time to be a scooter enthusiast, because ever since 2020, there have been exciting announcements, fast tracked prototyping, and lots of new models announced both this year and next.
Turns out riding a scooter to commute, get groceries, or even just for the hell of it is a great way to both stay within the mandates surrounding the pandemic and get that much needed motorized meditation.
As such, we’ve looked at all the models coming down the production pipelines, the ones that have been announced as 2022 models, or those that have recently been released in August or September of the previous year. We’re also not being judgmental on engine size, scooter size, or even scooter types. As long as it’s a scooter and has a valid reason for being on this list, we’ll put it on this list.
2022 Honda ADV 350
Quick Specs:
- Engine: 330cc four-stroke single
- Power: 29 HP
- Reason To Be Here: the perfect crossover
Our first candidate for best upcoming scooter is the 2022 Honda ADV 350. For now, it is a European and UK model only, but rumors have been circulating that it will cross the pond to North America in late 2022 or even early 2023.
The biggest thing about this maxi-scooter is that it sits perfectly at the crossover point between a scooter and a motorcycle. The twist-and-go throttle, CVT automatic transmission, and underseat storage all peg it as a scooter, but the suspension and handling of the ADV 350 come from the Honda ADV lineup—including the eponymous Africa Twin and the more sedate CB500X and NC750X offerings.
This is a maxi-scooter that is perfect for the person that commutes Monday to Friday, yet wants to visit their friends and family out of town that live down a short bit of dirt or gravel road. It’s not truly meant for full on ADV riding, as it has just under 6 inches of ground clearance, and the suspension reflects that with rugged-but-not-high-compression, shocks and forks. Honda does not expect you to go scrambling with this maxi-scoot.
An EPA-estimated 70 MPG, a tank that is just over 3 US gallons, and a comfortable ability to cruise at freeway speeds of 70 MPH (thanks to the gutsy, hardworking liquid cooled single), all place it at the top of both our “Hey, that’s an off road scooter” and “Wow, that’s a perfectly placed crossover scooter” lists.
As an aside, for those that want to buy in on the ADV scooter style, there is a model available right now for North America in the 2021 Honda ADV 150. It’s not as capable or as powerful as the ADV350, and is squarely set as an urban scooter with very mild ADV capabilities, but as the little brother of the ADV350, it still has most of the same DNA running through its fuel line.
2022 Honda Ruckus 50
Quick Specs:
- Engine: 49cc four-stroke single
- Power: 4.3 HP
- Reason To Be Here: the urban naked scooter returns
We were as surprised as everyone when the Honda Ruckus (or more officially, the Honda NPS50) quietly exited stage left at the end of 2020. While not the most sleek, stylish, or even practical of scooters, the Ruckus does one thing very well, which is being one of the few naked scooters out there (and one of the most popular at that). For 2022, however, the Ruckus is back!
So, what happened to it during its model year vacation in 2021? First of all, it visited the paint booth, now available in 3 distinct colorways of white/metallic blue (pictured above), all grey, or “Midnight Blue” with tan accents. Next, it had a quick trip to Japan, where it went through Honda’s performance center to be tuned and certified for Euro5 emissions standards, which was incidentally the biggest reason the Ruckus skipped a year.
It now provides 4.3 HP and 3.35 lb-ft of torque, both at about 7,600 RPM. It has had a tiny bump in top speed from 40 to 41 MPH. The biggest effect of the Euro5 tuning, however, is that the already excellent 95 to 100 MPG from its 1.3 US gallon tank has seen a massive increase to 115 to 120 MPG average.
The new gas tank gives you, if you round off all the decimal places, just about 150 miles of expected range. That is easily enough to take this little naked scooter out for some motorized meditation or two-wheel therapy—or to actually use it as the little cargo scooter it was originally designed to be with a little shopping.
In other words, for the common man, this little fan favorite scooter is back and better than ever. Plus, it’s already available, having been released in August 2021 as a 2022 MY scooter.
2022 Piaggio 1
Quick Specs:
- Engine: direct drive brushless DC electric
- Power: 2 to 4 HP equivalent depending on submodel
- Reason To Be Here: the first real attempt at an electric scooter that makes sense
Piaggio, as many already know, is one of the, if not the, biggest motor company that deals with scooters (along with some motorcycles). Vespa, Aprilia, and Moto Guzzi are just a few of the names under their gigantic umbrella, but it is the main brand that is being used as the vehicle, if you’ll pardon the pun, to push forth what very well may be the first real attempt at a sensible, usable urban electric scooter.
Sometimes stylized as the Piaggio One, there are three sub-models currently set to be released in 2022. The base model is, of course, the 1, while an extended range version will be named the 1+. The top of the line scooter will be the 1 Active, with more power but slightly reduced range because of that power.
All three of the scooters will use a removable battery, and Piaggio’s engineers were forward thinking by building the charger and its cord into the battery. All you need to do is plug the battery into any 120V (USA/Canada) or 220V (EU, UK) socket and charge it overnight.
Power, top speed, and range all fluctuate because of multiple ride modes (Eco and Sport), different demands on the powertrain, and the Ah rating of the three separate batteries. In simplest terms, the 1 can go 30 miles at 28 MPH in sport, the 1+ can go 44 miles at 28 MPH in sport mode, and the 1 Active can go 40 miles at 38 MPH in sport mode.
All models also have an underseat helmet locker that can hold a 3XL open face helmet, and come with the almost-needed-to-be-considered-a-scooter bag hooks inside the front fairing for backpacks, grocery bags, and everything in between.
To review so far, you have: realistic ranges, intelligently designed removable batteries, and modes and sub-models to suit your needs. Yet, one thing that has plagued the electric motorcycle market to date is that electric bikes of any type are heavy because of their battery cells and the amount of copper used in the brushless motors.
This is where Piaggio is pushing into the future, as the heaviest of the three, the Sport Active, weighs in at just over 205 lbs. To give a point of comparison, that’s as light as a 125cc motocross competition bike, and is why we consider the Piaggio 1 as the first real attempt at an intelligently designed, usable urban electric scooter that actually rides, feels, looks, and goes like… well, a scooter!
Pricing and availability is expected to be coming in Q1 2022, with shipments tentatively set for Q2 2022.
2022 Vespa Super 300 GTS
Quick Specs:
- Engine: 278cc four-stroke HPE direct injection single
- Power: 24 HP
- Reason To Be Here: classic Italian style smashes into cutting edge features
Vespa, in terms of the brand name, have been around since the mid-1940s, and haven’t really varied their style all that much in the intervening 75-odd years. You still get the raked back front fairing, the sweeping lines and gentle curvature of the rear of the scooter, and a seat that is both as plush as you would expect it to be, but also holds you in a typical Italian way of being ready for fun and speed at any moment.
The biggest draw of the new 2022 version of the Vespa Super 300 GTS is that its gutsy little single has taken a trip over to another Piaggio brand company who had a little play with it. That company is Aprilia, makers of some of the best sport bikes and supersports in the motorcycle market.
What came back to Vespa was a 278cc four stroke, four valve, direct injection high performance engine single that puts out a mighty 24 HP, or as they themselves say, “the most powerful motor ever installed on a Vespa.” This allows it to blow past previous Vespas while going at its electronically limited top speed of 80 MPH, which is the fastest legal speed in the US for scooters and mopeds that are not considered maxi-scooters or full on motorcycles.
The improvements don’t stop there, with full LED lighting now standard, including both driving lights and high and low beam headlights. In place of the traditional gauges, a new, bluetooth-enabled 4.3 inch TFT display.
If you get the Tech version, sometimes called the SuperTech 300 GTS, you also get interconnectivity between your smartphone and the scooter via Vespa’s new “Mia” app, allowing you to use GPS navigation, music, and other media features on either Android or iOS, directly on the dash.
As the dash has dual bluetooth channels, you can also connect a helmet comms system in as well to listen to your music, hear turn-by-turn directions, and basically get the best of the best modern features in a classically-styled Italian scooter.
Oh, and because of its trip to Aprilia, it’s also boosted its fuel efficiency to 73 MPG with a 2.24 US gallon tank, giving it a range of just over 160 miles per fill-up.
2022 Kymco Super 8 50X
Quick Specs:
- Engine: 49cc four-stroke, two-valve single
- Power: 2 HP
- Reason To Be Here: quite possibly the best bang-for-your-buck option in 2022
Kymco, or more properly Kwang Yang Motor Company, is approaching legendary status in their home country of Taiwan for the Super 8 series of scooters. This is not because the Super 8 50X is the most technically advanced, nor is it the fastest scooter in the 50cc class. What it is, however, is unbelievably reliable.
This is mostly because their engine design hasn’t changed much since the introduction of fuel injection in the late 1990s. That makes sourcing parts for maintenance (or even an entire replacement engine if you somehow, some way, managed to damage one) extremely easy.
Because of its massive popularity across South and South Eastern Asia, the Super 8 50X also has no shortage of choice in performance parts and/or modifications. In fact, the modding scene for these scooters is so prevalent that there are even “Cars & Coffee” type events where it’s more of “Scooters & Street Food”, and owners will proudly show off the modifications they’ve made to their little 50cc monsters.
At $2,029 USD, you really can’t go wrong with a Kymco as a good bang-for-your-buck scooter. Maintenance costs are low, and they are extremely cheap to run, insure, and gas up. They are highly modifiable, and there is a huge third party and aftermarket industry based around Kymco and other Taiwanese scooters.
Lastly, if 50ccs and 2 HP isn’t quite enough, there is also the Kymco Super 8 150X for $2,399 USD, propping the power up to 10.5 HP while keeping all the great aspects of the 50X intact.
The Scooter Market Is Ripe with Deals Right Now
A lot of scooter companies are currently preparing to clear out their 2021 stock and have already started to bring in the 2022 inventory. In the colder parts of North America and Europe, moving out that 2021 stock has also become a priority because inclement weather and freezing temperatures mean that scooters can’t really be stored outside.
This means it is very likely that many powersports dealers that sell scooters will be having 2021 inventory clearout sales, with preseason sales popping up in January or February. With some haggling, waiting for the right moment, and then jumping on the deals you see, you could very well come away with a new scooter for MSRP (or maybe even under, if it’s one of the last few scooters in a 2021 model range).
On the other hand, if you’re wanting a Honda ADV 350 or a Piaggio 1 and are in the USA or Canada, it’s fairly likely you’ll be waiting for most of 2022 and following the news about when they are going to accept orders and start shipping to North America. Of course, the best place to follow these announcements is right here on MotorScooterGuide, because we’re already checking every day for those announcements ourselves!
