In the last two years, the Indian auto segment has undergone a tremendous change. The influx of foreign multinationals like Honda, Piaggio has really made the Indian two wheeler sector sit up in concern. In the recent past, there has been a sudden change in the mindset of the Indian consumer. Because of the mileage and styling offered, there has been a drift and an inclination towards the four stroke motorcycles from the traditional scooters offered by companies like Bajaj and LML. This is largely due to companies like Hero Honda which brought about this sudden change in the traditional mindset of the Indian consumer.

In the last survey carried out in the month of November-December 2000, the sale of two stroke scooters had come down to nearly 35 per cent, and forced these companies to change their models from two stroke to four stroke engines.

Traditional two-wheeler scooter companies like Bajaj and LML have shifted to manufacturing four stroke motorcycles. Bajaj shaking hands with Kawasaki, LML joining hands with the Korean firm Daelim, and of course the old warhorse TVS joining the race. With production volumes reaching the sky and Hero Honda touching a figure of nearly a lakh bikes per month, has the scooter segment reached its climax?

Well, opinions differ. There is a certain advantage in changing from two stroke to four stroke engines. "Two-stroke" engines burn the gas and lubricating oil together as part of the combustion process, which results in greater lower end torque, fewer moving parts and greater fuel efficiency. Unfortunately, this also means they pollute more, as unburned oil fumes exit the exhaust system. This is why two-strokes are being banned in many industrialised countries concerned with air quality. Virtually all classic scooters are two-stroke. The oldest models require "pre-mixing", which is simply pouring pre-measured oil into the gas tank when fueling. Newer models have eliminated this by adding oil injection systems that mix the oil and gas automatically. Vespas built after about 1978 typically have oil injection, but all Lambrettas are of the pre-mix variety alone.

"Four-stroke" engines are more closely related to car engines, in that they keep the lubrication and fuel systems separate, which keeps emissions down considerably since there is no oil burned in the combustion process, unlike with "two-stroke" engines. Most modern scooters utilise four-stroke engines, like the models of Piaggio and Honda, though many modern scooters also use two-stroke engines, especially in 50 cc models.

One major disadvantage of four-stroke engines is that they are prone to getting overheated when run at maximum speed over several hours, leading to serious internal damage. Two-stroke engines do not have this limitation.

The engine design may be either water or air-cooled, though most two-strokes are air-cooled and most four-strokes are water-cooled. But still scooters have their own advantages. The smaller wheels give faster turning response and many scooter designs mount these smaller wheels on one side only, making removal extremely easy (unlike most motorcycle wheels) and making it feasible to carry a spare tyre. The smaller tyres also allow enough room so that underseat storage is possible for one or more helmets.

Scooters by their nature also have far more bodywork available for custom paint schemes, and therefore lend themselves more to personal expression in their customisation. Scooters also typically are easier to learn to ride than many motorcycles and scooters which often have a more acceptable social image.

Scooters also protect the rider from hot engine parts by use of extensive body panels, which also make it easier to customise the scooter to suit one's personal taste. The same body panels also typically protect the rider better from road debris and keep passengers away from the rear wheel, which on scooters rarely have spokes anyway. Newer scooters are even easier to operate, as most are now electric start and have automatic transmissions, which furthers the scooter tradition of making an affordable vehicle that is extremely easy to operate.

Surprisingly, despite the fact that motorcycles are sold on much larger scales all over the world, Piaggio has relaunched its Vespa model in the USA and Honda is about to launch it’s four stroke scooter in India. Bajaj Auto of India has created a new American subsidiary called Bajaj USA to sell three models (including two 150 cc metal-bodied scooters styled like the Vespa PX150) beginning spring or summer of 2001.