Cologne, Germany - Amid renewed world interest in thrifty little motor scooters, the world's biggest motorcycle trade show, Intermot, opened Wednesday in the German city of Cologne.

"There is a gigantic boom going on in scooters," said Thomas Alber, a motorcycling specialist at Germany's national motoring club ADAC. In Germany alone, new scooter registrations soared 14 per cent this year.

Buyers in Europe have tended to the more powerful models, with at least 125 cubic centimetres (cc) of cylinder capacity.

A 250-cc scooter uses only half as much fuel as a small car, according to Germany's motorcycle industry federation. Scooters also evade traffic jams better and are easier to park in crowded cities.

The 1,057 manufacturers from 37 nations at Intermot are exhibiting motorcycles, motor scooters, helmets, biking clothing and accessories until Sunday.

"We've succeeded in attracting all the market-making manufacturers, including the well-known Italian makers, to Cologne," said Oliver Kuhrt, chief executive of the fairs company Koelnmesse.

A test track at the fairgrounds enables some of the 200,000 estimated visitors to try out the newest machines. (dpa)