What are the main differences between a motocycle and a scooter?

engine size, wheel size, gross vehicle weight? What are the technical features which differentiate between the two?

Here are a couple of things that were over looked. Scooters have smaller wheel sizes and less suspension travel.
-The smallest scooters have wheel sizes of about 10" & small motorcycles have 15"
-Larger scooters have about 12" wheels and larger motorcycles (500cc and up) have wheel sizes of 17"
-Suspension - scooters 2" of travel & motorcycles 4-5"
-Wheel sizes and suspension travel have a BIG difference on handleing characteristics. The small size wheels will get swallowed up by pot holes in the road, throwing the scooter nearly out of control while large wheels just roll over them.
-Suspension works the same. Small amount of travel makes for a bumpy ride. More travel gives a more smooth ride.

Motorcycle is bigger. You have to step on that thing on your foot to make the engine run. Scooter is smaller, like you're just riding a bike. Easier to drive, lighter.

One is for supposed tough guys and the other is for overt sissies.

Size, power and the man on a Harley......~p~

scooter engine is small, motorcycle can go faster

So far it looks like no one knows. There are several differences so I will wait and see if you out there know. Read later.

Motorcycles are faster whereas you can only "scoot" around on scooters.

Motorcycles have gears that you change manually (with clutch and shifter). Most scooters I've seen are automatic - I've yet to see a scooter with gear shifters.

The controls on the scooter are different because there is no gear shifter. On bike, left hand is clutch, right hand is front brake.
On a scooter - left is front? right is rear brake? something like that.

The biggest difference is that scooters have a step-through design. They've got the handlebars and a wheel up front, the seat and motor in the back, and a set of floorboards connecting the two. Motorcycles, by contrast, have the frame (and usually the engine and gas tank) out in front of the rider, so you have to throw a leg over one to get on.

Also, nearly all scooters have automatic transmissions, and nearly all motorcycles have manual transmissions. The controls are also a bit different.

Beyond that, scooters are *usually* smaller and less powerful than motorcycles, but there's some overlap. A Suzuki Burgman 650, for example, is a scooter, but it's larger and more powerful than a Honda Nighthawk 250, which is a motorcycle. And except for a few European oddballs, scooters usually have smaller wheels and tires than motorcycles.

A scooter is usually 49 - 125 cc's,Your feet rest on a floor and not pegs,usually 2 cycle,has very small wheels,AND is a automatic transmission (no gears to shift)

the spelling