Genuine Scooters
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Motorscooter manufacturing |
| Founded | 2002 |
| Headquarters | Chicago , United States |
| Products | Scooters (Buddy, Stella, Roughhouse, Blur, Hooligan, Rattler, Brio, Urbano), motorcycles (Genuine Motorcycles G400C) |
Genuine, also known as The Genuine Scooter Company, is a motorscooter manufacturer headquartered in Chicago, recognized for its popular Buddy and Stella models. The brand distributes scooters and related accessories through a network exceeding 240 dealers throughout the United States. In 2018, the company broadened its product range by introducing a 400cc air-cooled, single-cylinder motorcycle under its affiliated label, Genuine Motorcycles.
History
Established in 2002 as a branch of Scooterworks USA—specialists in vintage Vespa and Lambretta scooters and parts—Genuine initially launched the 150cc two-stroke Stella, produced by LML in India. The Stella’s market success paved the way for a 2006 collaboration with Taiwanese manufacturer PGO Scooters to create the automatic Buddy scooter, which came in engine variants ranging from 49cc (moped-class) to 170cc equipped with fuel injection.
Later additions to the lineup featured the Roughhouse 50, characterized by a more aggressive design, and the Blur 220i, a now-discontinued fuel-injected model capable of highway speeds. In 2010, Genuine refreshed the Stella with a California-compliant 150cc four-stroke engine and introduced a fuel-injected Buddy powered by a 170cc engine. After the economic downturn in 2008, Genuine obtained further funding through investment firm Livingstone Partners. The debut of the Stella 125 Automatic in 2014 marked the first Stella model to incorporate a CVT transmission paired with a redesigned high-performance 125cc engine.
Genuine periodically issues limited-edition scooters, including British-inspired GB150 Stella, the Black Cat Fireworks Roughhouse edition, performance-focused Psycho Buddy 125 and Riot Buddy variants, as well as collaborative models like the Atomic Fireball Stella and Lemonhead Buddy 50. The company also commemorated a decade of the Buddy scooter in 2015 with a special diamond edition.
In that same year, Genuine introduced Chicago Scooter Company, a sister brand aimed at competing within the budget-friendly segment dominated by Chinese manufacturers. By 2019, Chicago Scooter Company’s portfolio consisted of two models: the Go. and Go. MAX, both featuring 50cc four-stroke engines.
Products
As of January 2025, Genuine Scooters’ product range includes:
- Buddy 50 (50 cc, two-stroke)
- Buddy 125 (125 cc, four-stroke)
- Buddy 170i (170 cc, four-stroke, fuel-injected)
- Buddy KICK (125 cc, four-stroke, fuel-injected)
- Hooligan 170i (170 cc, four-stroke, fuel-injected)
- Roughhouse 50 and Roughhouse 50 SPORT (50 cc, two-stroke)
- Rattler 125 (125 cc, four-stroke)
- Rattler 200 (169 cc, four-stroke)
- Brio 50 (50 cc, four-stroke)
- Urbano 50i (50 cc, four-stroke)
- Urbano 125 (125 cc, four-stroke)
- Urbano 200i (169 cc, four-stroke)
The Genuine Motorcycles lineup as of January 2019 consists of:
- G400C (400 cc, single-cylinder, fuel-injected)