Over the past few years, a Chinese manufacturer by the name of CFMoto has carved out a reputation for building bikes that punch above their weight. The brand has brought solid engineering, strong performance, and more tech than you’d expect for the price. From aggressive nakeds like the NK series, to capable adventure bikes like the Ibex 450 and 800, they’ve managed to chip away at brand bias with product alone.
And now, they’re applying that same formula to something a little more laid-back but no less deliberate: a retro scooter called the 150 Aura.
Now, a vintage-style scooter isn’t exactly groundbreaking. But what makes the Aura stand out is how cleanly it nails the retro vibe without going full caricature. It leans into the 1960s silhouette, with wide body panels, a bench seat finished in tan leather-look material, and round mirrors perched over a circular LED headlamp. The lines are soft, balanced, and just bold enough. It’s the kind of styling that doesn’t scream for attention—but gets it anyway.
The 150 Aura strikes me as something similar to what Yamaha did with the Fazzio, and Honda with the Giorno; not a Vespa imitation per se, but very much inspired by vintage scooters.
Now, it would’ve been easy to stop there. But CFMoto gave this thing quite the decent spec sheet, too. The Aura is powered by a liquid-cooled 150cc single-cylinder engine good for 15.8 horsepower and 10.5 pound-feet of torque. It’s paired to a belt-driven CVT for twist-and-go simplicity. The scooter weighs just 291 pounds, has a seat height of 30.3 inches, and rolls on 12-inch wheels with disc brakes front and rear. Dual-channel ABS comes standard.
So yes, it looks good. But it also works in the real world. This isn’t some flashy style piece you only roll out on Sundays. There’s keyless ignition via NFC, a 6.2-inch TFT display, fast-charging ports, and even tire pressure monitoring. There’s also native action cam support and full-screen nav through the Motoplay platform—stuff you’d normally find on a full-size adventure-touring bike, not a city scooter.
That’s what makes the 150 Aura interesting. It wears vintage clothes but thinks like a modern commuter. In a space where scooters are often either bland or gimmicky, this one manages to be fun (looking, at least), functional, and sharp enough to turn heads at the coffee shop without sacrificing rideability.
Of course, whether or not we will see this scooter outside of China remains to be seen. But given CFMoto’s aggressive global expansion, actually seeing this in the US market might not actually be too far fetched. Would you ride a retro-inspired scooter like this on the daily? Let us know in the comments below.
Source: CFMoto
