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Have been mulling the idea around for a while. They seem like ideal commuters, and I’m not gonna lie...it would be nice to put my knees in the breeze again.
I thought about some 150cc gasoline scooters, supposedly good for up to 55mph which is the highest speed limit in the city I just moved to. I can easily stay off the freeways and not push speed too hard. Plus with fuel at well over $4 at the time of this writing, getting double of what even my Civic can do in MPG sounds appealing.
But as I looked around, the affordable scooters are mostly Chinese and are accompanied by reports of short lifespans and lack of support for parts or service. Plus putting it away for the winter wouldn’t be a peach and would probably do more to kill it than anything else.
This got me thinking: would an electric scooter be a better choice? Seems like there are plenty of those too.
Location: In a perfect world winter does not exist
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Agree with the PCX150 being a good choice. I have a 17 PCX150 and it gets 90mpg to 100mpg no matter how fast you twist the throttle and it handles like a go cart. It’s a Honda you can’t lose.
I was kinda hoping to stick to around ~$1k. Honda’s are (deservedly) more expensive than that. I can’t even attempt to economically justify a $2-3000 vehicle when that’s what my current car cost and gets 43-48mpg on the regular.
So that’s kind of where I’m asking, take a chance on a Chinese scooter, or go electric?
I actually owned an early electrified version of an Alitalia scooter (branded as the Oxygen Lepton in 2000). The original Italian manufacturer made courier and delivery scooters but completely retooled from ICE to electric as more and more urban zones in the EU started banning ICE vehicles. They tested the waters in the USA with just a few and I got one of them through an electric racing motorcycle dealer in CA. The few of us who drove them loved them.
It was virtually silent and a real pleasure to ride. No exhaust fumes either. Silent to the point I needed the horn a lot! Kept startling people and animals. Batteries of various forms weren't hard to get and charging was straightforward on household current. Tip: if you commute with one make sure your employer is OK "refueling" your ride. Depending on your commute, it might need a charge before your return trip. Some ICE car commuters who pay their own way may complain.
Things to consider about e-scoots include whether you need to ride a very long distance at speed or in hilly country. Hills eat range. You also need to consider winter operating temps. Cold eats range too. You need to make sure what you consider buying can be licensed and operated in your area. Not all of them can, especially someone's used bike.
Where I live now, the roadways aren't suited for an e-scoot and neither is the weather, so I sold it. As far as I know its still running fine at age 22. If I wanted a scooter I wouldn't buy an ICE.
Do research on electric motorcycles to find active communities that may offer comparisons of various Asian e-bikes. Some are definitely better/safer than others.
Last edited by Parnassia; 04-07-2022 at 09:18 PM..
I actually owned an early electrified version of an Alitalia scooter (branded as the Oxygen Lepton in 2000). The original Italian manufacturer made courier and delivery scooters but completely retooled from ICE to electric as more and more urban zones in the EU started banning ICE vehicles. They tested the waters in the USA with just a few and I got one of them through an electric racing motorcycle dealer in CA. The few of us who drove them loved them.
It was virtually silent and a real pleasure to ride. No exhaust fumes either. Silent to the point I needed the horn a lot! Kept startling people and animals. Batteries of various forms weren't hard to get and charging was straightforward on household current. Tip: if you commute with one make sure your employer is OK "refueling" your ride. Depending on your commute, it might need a charge before your return trip. Some ICE car commuters who pay their own way may complain.
Things to consider about e-scoots include whether you need to ride a very long distance at speed or in hilly country. Hills eat range. You also need to consider winter operating temps. Cold eats range too. You need to make sure what you consider buying can be licensed and operated in your area. Not all of them can, especially someone's used bike.
Where I live now, the roadways aren't suited for an e-scoot and neither is the weather, so I sold it. As far as I know its still running fine at age 22. If I wanted a scooter I wouldn't buy an ICE.
Do research on electric motorcycles to find active communities that may offer comparisons of various Asian e-bikes. Some are definitely better/safer than others.
Wow, excellent, thanks. I just moved to a place with fairly harsh winters and am winter-sensitive myself, so now is the earliest I’d consider getting on one to ride. It’ll be put away for winters. It’s pretty flat here so hills are not a concern; speeds might be. Range to get me through the day would only be 30 miles or so. It’s a commuter I would take when it’s a viable alternative to my cars, so as a 3rd vehicle I’m flexible on options as far as taking what’s appropriate to do what I need to do.
Wow, excellent, thanks. I just moved to a place with fairly harsh winters and am winter-sensitive myself, so now is the earliest I’d consider getting on one to ride. It’ll be put away for winters. It’s pretty flat here so hills are not a concern; speeds might be. Range to get me through the day would only be 30 miles or so. It’s a commuter I would take when it’s a viable alternative to my cars, so as a 3rd vehicle I’m flexible on options as far as taking what’s appropriate to do what I need to do.
I don't know what the ranges on the newest e-scoots are these days but 30 miles is pretty demanding! The speed you will need to maintain in order to keep up with traffic safely will also be a big part of the equation. Because the scooter is a lot smaller than any car, it can't carry nearly as much battery capacity. Ranges and power are much more limited. You'll need to find out at what temps the range starts to decline. You may need to put the bike away for more of the year than you think. IIRC, my e-scoot's battery started showing effects of lower temps at around 50F. You'd need to research that about any e-scoot's battery pack. Definitely check with the DMV for licensing/operating requirements. You could run into a catch-22 problem with one being too underpowered/slow to be licensed as street legal but also not permitted in non-motorized bike lanes. Of course there are electric handicap scooters but they may get out from under registration issues because the rider is eligible for disability/accessibility provisions. Then of course, your commute might not offer the realistic route options you'd be confined to. Good luck with your search!
Last edited by Parnassia; 04-08-2022 at 12:33 PM..
The problem with those Chinese scooters will be getting parts for them. I have a Kymco and even that is hard to find parts sometimes.
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