Two wheels and a plank. It would be a modest beginning for a mode of transportation characterized by peaks and troughs in use and popularity unrivaled by any other contemporary human-created vehicles. Nowadays scooters have become one of the very popular vehicles. Since the appearance of the first scooter on a century ago or rather 1915 ago and did you know that the world's first scooter is called the Autoped.
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The Autoped was seemingly well-publicized in its day, and contracts were gained with the U.S. Postal Service as a delivery vehicle and police forces as a patrol vehicle. It clearly performed its tasks as advertised, as this was a significant public expenditure. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/32JKdtq) |
As quoted from Newatlas, this scooter was initially used by people in New York, United States, and then spread to Queens, Manhattan, and Brooklyn. The first scooter is considered quite efficient because it has a small size and has no rider's seat.
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Besides ridden by US Postal service delivery men, traffic officers, the Autoped also was seen using by high society in the time. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2KhQo1E) |
The world's first scooter maker was Arthur Gibson through his company named The Autoped Company of Long Island City. Initially, this vehicle is intended for children by using a 155 cc engine and able to ride with a maximum speed of 48 km/hour. Initially, this scooter was also made because it was inspired by the needs of public service providers, such as the U.S Postal Service and Police forces.
With its small dimension, thus allowing the scooter to pass through small aisles in the country. And to do the braking, the rider who rides it in standing position just needs to pull the handlebars a little downward to slow down the speed of the Autoped.
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Schematics for the Autoped were patented and awarded to inventor Arthur Hugo Cecil Gibson in 1916, although it would seem that Joseph F. Merkel - creator of the Flying Merkel motorcycle - played a large hand in the Autoped’s completion. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2KhQo1E) |
With the development of this vehicle, and coupled with the transfer of ownership of the company which was previously owned by Arthur Gibson, and in 1918 the company was bought by the famous battery company, Eveready. Since then, the product changed its name to Eveready Autoped and also equipped with batteries and coil.
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The Autoped with optional seat licensed and offered by the German industrial giant Krupp. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/32JKdtq) |
Finally, the use of the scooters expanded and in Europe, there's great acceptance and the Autoped was manufactured by the giant Krupp company in Germany under license from 1919 to 1922. The idea then grew and received significant international support when the German industrial giant Krupp licensed and offered an Autoped with optional seat.
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1919 ABC Scootamota, a seated, single-cylinder, 123cc rear-wheel powered scooter with a top speed of 15mph. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2KhQo1E) |
Other companies would enter the scooter industry following the Autoped, prominent among them ABC Motorcycles, a British motorcycling outfit that sponsored several moto films of the early 20th century some of which starred by an American famous actress at the time, named Shirley Kellogg. In 1919, the company developed the Scootamota, a seated, single-cylinder, 123 cc rear-wheel powered scooter with a top speed of 15 mph that was manufactured between 1919 and 1922.
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1919 ABC Scootamota, a seated, single-cylinder, 123cc rear-wheel powered scooter with a top speed of 15mph. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/2NZUMVn) |
The 1930s was seen an increase in the use of motorized scooters around military bases, airports, throughout urban areas, and even in many Hollywood film studios, and, in the 1940s, featured usage as a low-energy mode of transport during wartime fuel rationing.
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The next scooter such as the Cushman Airborne Scooter then known becomes one of the Lambretta and Vespa scooter design references made by Corradino D'Ascanio for Innocenti SA and Piaggio & Co. S.p.A. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/32JKdtq) |
Thus it is no exaggeration if the Autoped is called the ancestor of all motorscooters with its DNA has proven in Italy (Vespa and Lambretta) scooter craze of the 60s and Honda's rise to become the number one motorcycle manufacturer in the 70s. To this day, there are more scooters than motorcycles sold globally.
Kept spur your adrenaline on the power of the two-wheeled monster and stay alive with true safety riding. May God will forgive Your sins and so does the cops...... *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | NEW ATLAS | UNAGI SCOOTERS | WIKIPEDIA]
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