RE: Scooters/mopeds
Remember, anything over 50cc requires a motorcycle license and endorsement.
I would advise getting one of the older ones with pedals. The only current company that makes one is Tomos. The Targa LX is a great bike.
Here is the run down on mopeds.
Tomos - Power can be had cheap, and easily upgradeable.
Puch - Endless aftermarket kits, pipes, and parts. Stick with the E50 motor.
Sachs - Powerful, high compression engines. Not easy to mod, and the clutches are weak, but there are very powerful kits out there.
Motobecane - Expensive to mod, but worth it in the long run, as they have a high resale value to the right buyer.
Piaggio/Vespa - Only two models. The older Grande, and the newer Kinetic. Engines are hard and expensive to mod, but seem to last. Kinetic has a weak subframe.
There are others, but these are the main ones. Do not buy a scooter... you might as well wear a pink dress if you do.