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According to Autocar, Audi is in the process of developing a two-wheeled vehicle, either a scooter or motorcycle, which is interesting news considering the recency of the company’s purchase of Ducati. Promised not to be a Ducati with an Audi badge, there are not many other details about the news, though intelligent conjecture would imagine the project is along the same vein as the BMW C600 scooter.

Automakers are currently obsessed with the “last mile” concept of people transportation, which foresees ultra-small cars, scooters, and other two-wheeled vehicles doing the bulk of urban transportation in the coming future.

The maxi-scooter scene in Japan borders on the lunatic fringe, as the two-wheeled segment is over-saturated with trendy young riders, as full-size motorcycles are too prohibitively expensive for 20-somethings in the island nation. This has created a vibrant tuner and modder community for scooters in Japan, which has spurred some of the most audacious builds we have ever seen. It doesn’t surprise us then to see the zecOO from Kota Nezu of Znug Design.

In the US, you’d be hard pressed to hear someone say that scooters are for the cool kids. The Diet-Coke of motorcycling, scooters get a bum wrap in the two-wheeled world because of their low horsepower, walk-through seat, and their snooze-fest urban practicality. Despite being the perfect way to get around a city like San Francisco, riders looking to make more of a statement usually opt for something along a different train of thought. Ask around your local bike night, and you’ll hear that scooters are only good for new riders, girls, or men who wear pants so tight you can tell their religion.

Well, if that’s been your experience too, then you probably don’t know Boulon. A product of the south of France, Boulon certainly knows how to make scooters look hip (is that the word kids are using these days?) as he shreds this skatepark on his personal transportation device. A well-shot video of some hooligan fun, our only complaint would be the lack of a helmet. Come on Boulon, you have to set an example for the children. Video after the jump.

As fuel prices continue to go up, you might be considering another way to go to the movies, meet your friends for coffee, or run a quick errand. Such is the case in an urban city like San Francisco, and, If you’ve ever visited my beloved city, you know how impossible it is to find parking on a Friday night in a trendy neighborhood like the Mission or the Marina. And if you’re lucky enough to find parking after circling the block for 30 minutes, what if your car doesn’t quite fit that awkward spot between two driveways?

Imagine pulling up on a scooter, parking within minutes, and walking right into the restaurant without worrying if you’ve made your reservation on time. You leave your helmet and gloves in the storage compartment under the seat, and sit down to dinner a minute or two early even. If that sounds like a better alternative to the usual metropolitan shuffle, a nimble little ride like the Zuma might be the perfect choice for you.

BMW is latching like a lamprey onto the idea of urban mobility in a big way. In addition to debuting the Husqvarna Concept E-go, zie Germans also launched the BMW Concept e at the Frankfurt International Motor Show today. An electric variant of the BMW Concept C we brought you last year, BMW realizes that when it comes to urban people-movers, the electric power train becomes a ripe contender.

Announcing that it will debut two maxi-scooters by the end of 2011 that address the needs for transportation in urban environments, with the Concept e being the electric component to that two-pronged solution. Though we are certain that the BMW Concept e is an electric maxi-scooter, we should note that BMW’s press release makes conflicting statements about the eletric Concept e, which sees the media communication also state that BMW would debut two maxi-scooters that feature a twin-cylinder internal combustion motor.

Ducati Motor Holdings Product Chief Claudio Domenicali set the internet on fire last week when he mentioned that the famous Italian brand was working on a maxi-scooter offering. But before Ducatisti can begin sharpening their pitchforks, Ducati CEO Gabriele Del Torchio has put the kibosh on the idea, stating that Ducati is “concentrating on the next project for the sports market…We have no maxi-scooter in mind.”

The “sport market” project del Torchio refers to is of course the 2012 Ducati Superbike, which our sources have confirmed will be a quantum leap from the current generation 1198 Superbike, and more importantly will be Ducati’s anchor as it dives deeper into non-core segments.

Want further proof that the maxiscooter segments is poised to move in the next five years? Honda has also released its own take on the crossover market segment that sits between scooters and motorcycles, dubbed the Honda Mid Concept. With the upright and feet-forward sitting position of a scooter, but the 17″ wheels, dual-clutch transmission, and Pro-Link suspension of a Honda motorcycle, the Honda Mid Concept is another stab at looking for vehicles that fit the wants and needs of future motorcyclist and commuters.

It seems pretty apparent by now that motorcycle manufacturers foresee gasoline prices increasing over the coming years, as the finite resource becomes increasingly scarce. With transportation in urban settings already drastically changing (try driving into downtown London sometime), motorcycle companies are looking for practical, yet sophisticated responses to our transportation needs. Enter the maxiscooter segment.

There is a joke in motorcycling about the two things you don’t want your friends to catch you riding, with the second part of that punch line involving scooters; and while we like to stay open-minded about our two-wheeled vehicles, there’s a reason you don’t see them covered that often here on A&R. All that goes out the window though if the scooters of the future look like this BMW Concept C Maxiscooter, which was released at EICMA this week.

Proof that the Bavarians can make a good looking two-wheeler (although they usually muck-up the end result after showing an attractive concept), the Concept C is the German company’s exploration of what will likely be the growing segment in the motorcycle industry. As gas prices continue to increase, people are going to have to become more practical about their forms of transportation (this statement goes two-fold for us Americans), not needing/wanting a full-sized motorcycle, the maxiscooter segment could be the answer on how to travel practically while not compromising on performance and image.

After teasing us with some sketches of the MINI Scooter E Concept before the Paris Motor Show, MINI has finally taken the wraps off its two-wheeled excursion. Showing a variety of flavors, MINI has tried to synthesize the unique elements of its automobile brand into scooter form with the MINI Scooter E Concept. Styling and features come straight from the cars, although they don’t share a common parts bin, while the general ethos remains: an individualistic, yet practical, form of transportation that has the urban commuter in mind.

The important part about the MINI Scooter E Concept though isn’t its fun styling or urban-hipster appeal, but instead the fact that OEM’s are coming out of their holes after weathering the recession’s storm, and getting serious about electrics and electric motorcycles. The fact that a small automobile manufacturer is considering an electric two-wheeled vehicle should send a message to the traditional motorcycle OEM’s and electric startups alike.

BMW subsidiary MINI is set to debut an electric scooter concept at the Paris Motor Show later this year in October. Dubbed the MINI E Scooter Concept, the bike will likely be shown along with MINI’s rumored electric car, or MINI E Concept, which has been testing in New York and Los Angeles. The pairing of electric cars with electric scooters is becoming the go-to strategy for the German automakers, as Mercedes-Benz is expected to unveil an electric scooter along with an all electric car at the Paris Motor Show, both under the company’s Smart brand.

There’s so many things going on in this video, we’re not certain where to begin. Filmed on Mulholland Highway by the same fine folks who brought us video footage of the guy who crashed in front of a CHP officer, this new saga takes a different approach to riders exceeding their limits on city streets.

Take an unsuspecting white Honda Elite scooter, a pair of Crocs shoes, and some invisible knee pucks, and you’ve got all the ingredients for a bizarre Sunday morning lowside that could have been much, much, much worse.

While we’ll give bonus points for good dirt-tracking technique, be sure to check the slow-mo footage for the exact moment the rider’s shoes depart humanity, and dive over the cliff. Video after the jump. Thanks for the tip Jelly!