Thoughts on E scooter?

mr_eddy
mr_eddy Posts: 830
edited September 2017 in Commuting general
I am seriously considering getting a electric scooter (think a 50cc ped but electric). Has anyone got one or had chance to try one?

Do you think it would be a viable option? Not that I need an excuse but here are some anyway:

My main reasoning for giving it serious consideration is that I live 10 miles each way from work and on a few occasions already this year I have had to endure properly s**t weather. I have spend 15 years commuting by bike through all seasons and to be completely frank I am just sick getting wet/cold/sweaty/hot etc. I still love biking but the rubbish days are staying to strain my love for cycling.

My theory is that a electric scooter can be used for the really nasty days (think sideways strong wind with ice cold heavy rain etc) and because I would not be expending any energy on the scooter I could wear full waterproof gear and thick gloves - Wearing this gear on a bike is both impractical and just turns me into a sweaty mess within 2 mins!

My other thought is that given my cycle route essentially has to be on main roads with very little cycle path or bus lane options meaning I am forced to mix it up with traffic doing 15-30 mph and in foul weather people tend to drive like tw*ts, Had a few near misses recently. As a result I suspect I would be far better off from a safety point of view on a electric motorbike wearing full helmet and leather gloves etc compared to my road bike with cycle helmet and lycra. I would rather crash at 20 mph in a biker jacket and full face helmet than crash at 20 mph wearing my plastic bike helmet.

Of course besides the purchasing costs I would have to pay for insurance although a cursory check with CTM shows cover would be under £100 a year, obviously being an electric motorbike it is tax free and charging is free (removable battery can be charged at work).

Thoughts? Any other considerations i have missed.
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Comments

  • mr_eddy
    mr_eddy Posts: 830
    I should point out that because I got my DL in 2000 I don't need a CBT.
  • mr_eddy
    mr_eddy Posts: 830
    Another thing I forgot to add is that an E-Bicycle is NOT an option as it does not remove the requirement to pedal so pedaling in full waterproofs would still be just as impractical.
  • What's the cost difference between that and a petrol scooter? Those 50cc things can't use hardly any petrol, surely.
  • mr_eddy
    mr_eddy Posts: 830
    Its about practicalities. A petrol scooter has more stuff that will fail in wet weather (corroded exhaust / seized piston etc) whereas the e scooter I am thinking of has the motor completely sealed from the elements. Also the petrol scooter has road tax and they are quite often stolen. The e Scooter has zero road tax and because you remove the battery when you park it there is no power source for it to be stolen (not ridden away at least). Also on a personal note I friggin hate the sound of those 50cc petrol scooters - They sound pants whereas the electric version is totally silent. My neighbours would thank me.
  • mr_eddy
    mr_eddy Posts: 830
    Top speed is the same as a 50cc give or take , The one I am looking at is £1095 with a 5 year warranty and does 45kph max (plenty fast enough in rush hour traffic). It has a realistic range of 40 miles and takes around 6 hours to charge on a standard socket so I could stick it on charge at work (comes with a 3 pin adapter) then when I leave its full again.

    Would be nice on the days when i have a cold or man flu kicking in as well.

    Normal people would get the bus on the really bad days but I live in a village so getting to work by bus actually requires the use of a tram as well and it takes 90 mins and costs £7 a day!

    At some point we will move house but can't afford to do that for a little while yet.
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    Blimey that sounds cheap. Does this count as an n+1 ?
    Do wiggle sell them ?
  • daniel_b
    daniel_b Posts: 11,906
    cougie wrote:
    Blimey that sounds cheap. Does this count as an n+1 ?
    Do wiggle sell them ?

    Agreed - a quick google, and all I found was something for about 2.5K!
    Felt F70 05 (Turbo)
    Marin Palisades Trail 91 and 06
    Scott CR1 SL 12
    Cannondale Synapse Adventure 15 & 16 Di2
    Scott Foil 18
  • mr_eddy
    mr_eddy Posts: 830
    The company is called eriderrides.com - The price has jumped back up to £1295 and the warranty has dropped back to 2 years but I suspect they will be back on sale again soon. Even At £1295 its pretty good for a newly registered electric scooter - Presumably if I ordered now I would get a 67 plate bike :)
  • daniel_b
    daniel_b Posts: 11,906
    mr_eddy wrote:
    The company is called eriderrides.com - The price has jumped back up to £1295 and the warranty has dropped back to 2 years but I suspect they will be back on sale again soon. Even At £1295 its pretty good for a newly registered electric scooter - Presumably if I ordered now I would get a 67 plate bike :)

    Finally found the site after a bit of hunting - assuming this is the actual site, and product you are considering?:
    https://eriderbikes.com/model-30-city/
    Felt F70 05 (Turbo)
    Marin Palisades Trail 91 and 06
    Scott CR1 SL 12
    Cannondale Synapse Adventure 15 & 16 Di2
    Scott Foil 18
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    A friend has one of the cheapish Chinese e-scooters, build quality is horrendous and after 2 years every chromed part is rusty and the battery life (range) seems to be getting worse daily. If you get one, get a decent one OR budget on it being worth little more than scrap in 2 years.

    You can get throttled e-bikes with no need to pedal.
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.
  • cooldad
    cooldad Posts: 32,599
    You can get a decent second hand motorcycle for that.
    I don't do smileys.

    There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda

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  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    My daughters step through scooter cost £550 (6 year old Kymco), after 18 months we sold it for £525.
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.
  • cooldad
    cooldad Posts: 32,599
    As an ex hairy leather clad biker, I hate scooters.

    Tiny wheels belong on tricycles.

    But on the assumption that your daughter is neither hairy nor leather clad I can forgive.
    I don't do smileys.

    There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda

    London Calling on Facebook

    Parktools
  • I use a motorbike for wet days for the waterproof issue you mention. So the logic is sound.

    The issue is that electric motorbikes aren't really there yet. I was having a look the other day after realizing the London T charge will mean my motorbike commute won't be viable when that kicks in. There is a BMW maxi-scoot thing, but really expensive £15k. Cheap chinese crap scooters and some other no-name motos that might be the future, but are a risk (e.g. Vectrix scooters went bust a few years back).

    I can see why people override ebikes to get throttle and extra power. Maybe future legislation will allow ebikes (with throttle) limited to 20mph and a max weight to be classed as bicycles (so can use cycle paths, park at sheffield stands, go on trains etc).

    Larger electric motorbikes to be classed as motorbikes. Licenced, plates, insurance, require a driving licence etc.

    The mobility scooter model is like this. 4mph can go on pavement. Higher speed capable ones can go on road with licene plates etc.
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    mr_eddy wrote:
    Its about practicalities. A petrol scooter has more stuff that will fail in wet weather (corroded exhaust / seized piston etc)
    Total rubbish, seriously, your bias is blinding any logic!

    A petrol scooter will do about 75-115mpg depending on usage, and produces less CO2 than a cyclist (although a cyclists energy source is mostly renewable).
    I can see why people override ebikes to get throttle and extra power. Maybe future legislation will allow ebikes (with throttle) limited to 20mph and a max weight to be classed as bicycles (so can use cycle paths, park at sheffield stands, go on trains etc).
    Certain parts of Europe already have that category, sub an E-scooter/motorbike but faster than an e-bike. Require registration though.
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.
  • mr_eddy
    mr_eddy Posts: 830
    I don't agree about the latest post - Co2 is only 1 factor in being green. If you have watched the Mythbusters episode in which they looked at emissions from internal combustion motorbikes they found that whilst Co2 was low other emissions were SKY HIGH this was for No2 / Hydrocarbons and Carbon monoxide. Also whilst a cyclist produces CO2 that is by virtue of being a human being!

    Also even if a petrol scooter does 100mpg that is still infinitely worse in terms of running costs that £0 per mile which is what it would cost me as I can charge at work (someone else's electric bill).

    Just one particular link worth a read - Maybe you should look at this before posting a reply indicating that a petrol scooter is some how more efficient than a e scooter:

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science ... rries.html

    The fact is that a petrol scooter for me has several draw backs - Firstly they sound like a bag of angry bee's / They require trips to the petrol station (rather than conveniently charging at work) , They are more likely to get stolen by being ridden away (The E scooter I like allows you to take the battery with you) you also have to pay road tax (albeit a small amount).

    Also re the reliability I can't see how a electric scooter with effectively 1 moving part CANT be more reliable than a cheap petrol scooter. For my price range I could either get a cheap scooter new (which all seem to be universally poor) or a 2nd hand scooter with 10'000 miles on it.
  • mr_eddy
    mr_eddy Posts: 830
    Just to back this up in case you don't read the link. This is research done and vetted by the university of Cambridge.

    They found that along with other nasties the output of the chemical Benzene (with a documented link to cancer) was 3 Grams per KG of Fuel compared to 0.04 for a diesel lorry.

    Quote from Markus Kalberer from the university of Cambridge:

    "We showed that, in contrast to the general belief, scooters can be a DOMINANT source of air pollution, including soot and organic particles, in urban areas."
  • mr_eddy
    mr_eddy Posts: 830
    Grams of Benzene per KG Fuel for an electric scooter = 0
    Organic aerosols = 0
    N02 = 0
    C02 = 0
    etc etc etc.

    An e scooter is WAY WAY WAY more enviromentally friendly that ANY petrol scooter. Its cheaper to run , Cheaper to insure, cost nothing to tax, has less moving parts so I stand by my original reply that an e scooter is a BETTER option for me.
  • cooldad
    cooldad Posts: 32,599
    Sounds like you've convinced yourself, and that's all that counts.

    It doesn't matter what other rational people think about cheap, nasty, potentially dangerous machines.

    (I've had some close looks at crappy Chinese motorcycles - materials, components and assembly are all dire. I'm sure cheap and nasty electrics are no different.)
    I don't do smileys.

    There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda

    London Calling on Facebook

    Parktools
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    mr_eddy wrote:
    I don't agree about the latest post - Co2 is only 1 factor in being green..
    Which bit didn't you agree with? CO2 is lower was all I said (and it's true), of course there are lots of other considerations, but I didn't mention them either way so how can you disagree with something not mentioned at all?
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.
  • mr_eddy
    mr_eddy Posts: 830
    Just to clarify - Again don't want to nit pick but a cyclist does NOT produce more Co2 than a scooter:

    This source states that an average cyclist (riding a very heavy bike) produces 21g Co2/KM
    https://www.eta.co.uk/2011/12/13/co2-em ... -revealed/

    Compared to a typical scooter at 101g co2/PKM:
    http://shrinkthatfootprint.com/shrink-y ... -footprint

    The above is based on per person per KM
  • mr_eddy
    mr_eddy Posts: 830
    Also I took as an inference from you mentioned CO2 (which I had not even mentioned in any of my posts) that you were taking on board green credentials of a petrol scooter compared to that of my e scooter idea. If this inference was misguided then I stand corrected.

    I do however stand by notion that a e scooter WILL be more practical than a petrol equivalent when taking ALL considerations including emissions into account be it cost of running / insurance costs / ease of use / amount of noise etc etc.
  • Let us know if you were right.
  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,743
    cooldad wrote:
    As an ex hairy leather clad biker, I hate scooters.

    Tiny wheels belong on tricycles.
    It worries me that I seem to have quite a lot in common with you.
    A friend bought a cheap Chinese fake Vespa, the electrics failed and it's only done 300 miles. whilst the electric motor may be reliable the switchgear and everything around it will be rubbish. This applies to petrol or electric.
  • cooldad
    cooldad Posts: 32,599
    Under £1,000, 12 month MOT, serviced, proper wheels and space for your girl/boyfriend on the back. And it has Ninja written on it.

    Screw the rainforests.

    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Kawasaki-ZX6- ... SwOzxZrAXv
    I don't do smileys.

    There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda

    London Calling on Facebook

    Parktools
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    mr_eddy wrote:
    Just to clarify - Again don't want to nit pick but a cyclist does NOT produce more Co2 than a scooter:

    This source states that an average cyclist (riding a very heavy bike) produces 21g Co2/KM
    https://www.eta.co.uk/2011/12/13/co2-em ... -revealed/

    Compared to a typical scooter at 101g co2/PKM:
    http://shrinkthatfootprint.com/shrink-y ... -footprint

    The above is based on per person per KM
    the study I had access to (unpublished) was carried out by a UK research establishment and measured the Co2 produced by the cyclist pedalling versus a scooter rider and scooter on a typical urban commute, the numbers I had were different to yours.
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.
  • If you want to buy an electric scooter here is a good review article of electric scooters
  • If you want to buy an electric scooter here is a good review article of electric scooters

    It's an old thread, so the OP might be sorted by now.

    He has visited recently, so is still around to tell us.
  • alan_sherman
    alan_sherman Posts: 1,157
    Thread resurrection! Apparently ebike sales are booming in these COVID 19 days. it'd be great if there were a change in the law that allowed ebikes to use the throttle only up to 16 or 20 MPH. A 700c wheel is so much more stable than the little wheels on those electric stand on scooters.
    Still no decent cheap electric motorbikes available. The Vespa electrica is quite expensive for what it is, the Zero motorbikes are nice but expensive. the supercoco is the only realisticly priced motorbike. reliability still TBC.

    On a slight tangent, I wonder if we will see a growth on London streets of the green transport known as the mobility scooter? Class 3 scooters have maximum speed of 8mph for use on the road. These heavier-duty scooters come fitted with a full light kit and tend to have larger wheels, better seating, suspension all round and a much longer range – up to 45 miles per charge. no insurance or licence required! You can even get enclosed ones with heaters!
    https://www.careco.co.uk/item-s-ms03079/abilize-kondor-cabin-scooter/

    No - not a cool look, but corona virus free?

    Let me know if you spot a city worker commuting in one!
  • Cargobike
    Cargobike Posts: 748
    edited May 2020
    Sorry, but it wouldn't be great if e-bikes could be ridden on the throttle only at 16-20mph. At the present limit of 15.5mph they move at roughly the same speed as other bicycles, apart from going uphill. Having another form of transport travelling at it's own speed would just make it more difficult for everyone on the roads.

    Motorised vehicles, when observing the speed limit in cities, are generally moving at around 30mph, bicycles around 15mph. Having e-bikes moving at 20mph will just cause confusion.

    As for e-scooters, they'll disappear within 12 months, too unsafe. There's already been one fatality with them in the last month. Their wheels are far too small to manage our potholed roads. Death traps waiting to happen.

    Let's stick to active travel rather than standing on a glorified electric skateboard. At least with a bicycle or e-bike you get some exercise. What exactly does an e-scooter offer?