> BTW, I've a friend who works for a car and motorcycles magazine here in Milan, doing the road tests and writing the reports...
>
> AP.

Does he call that "work?"

As for engine size, my opinion is that anything over about 250 cc's belongs in a motorcycle with big wheels and lots of insurance. My Benelli has a 50 cc engine and does quite well with 185 pounds of flab on board. Cushman engines have large displacement, by motor scooter standards, but not much horsepower. They are also heavier than modern scoots and therefore too slow for 21st century traffic. That's why I use the Vespa when I really want to go somewhere.
Howard