That's me on my scooter in Tainan, Taiwan circa 2006. I liked that scooter. It may not have been pretty as it was used, but it worked great and it was powerful. It had a four-cylinder 125cc engine. A four-cylinder engine is typically more powerful and it pollutes less than a two-cylinder.
I used to drive that everyday from my apartment in Tainan to my work in Alian in Koahsiung county. Ahhh, it was a trustworthy scooter. I briefly had a couple of other scooters, a near new one and an old beater one, but this one was good. I can't remember how fast it went, but it went fast enough. And I even drove that over the mountains in the center of the island on my sweet tour of some of the most beautiful parts of Taiwan.
It went from sea level up to around 10,000 feet (over 3000 meters). To drive a scooter in Taiwan you need a helmet and a license (to drive legally). You also might want to wear a mask as the streets can get filthy.
It may not be very nice and it may have a trail of exhaust coming out of it, but you can get a used scooter for as little as a few hundred dollars. I payed around $14,000NT for that one which is close to $500.
Scooters are fun, efficient and convenient. Take care though as they can be dangerous. I have heard of deaths and knew a teacher who badly damaged his leg.
Here's a funny drawing I did about scooter pollution.
You can find more articles on Taiwan here.