Electric Scooters?? By kz1000st (Read 2,560 times)

[kz1000st]

www.motorcycle-usa.com/22/12398/Motorcycle-Article/2012-Vectrix-VX-2-Electric-Scooter-Review.aspx

I don't know. I could ride my Cub Clones for pennies a day, have nearly the same performance and they'll last longer than that scooters batteries.

[larrball]

No kidding, and more than 400 pounds in a form factor that small.. ..
I'll pass as well thank you.

[Bashan]

Very cool though! This is the motor. Rich

[jct842]

It is going to be long after I am dead and gone that an electric scooter is going to be practical. I would love to have one that was just equal in cost and performance with a gas powered model. The vectorex 2 battery won't even last a year for some one who rides every day. The gas cost would be way less that the battery alone along with out figuring charging costs.

[mike6736]

I have had several electric bikes and cars... None of them ever got the range they saide they would. I still own and use a 2000 GEM Car for local use and play, and it is a eye catcher. They demand so much on the batteries they do not hold up long. I replace mine every 2 years on the little truck, cost a little too, it is a 72 volt system. I built 2 trikes a few years back with dual hub motors, 24volt systems and wow, what a drain on the batteries

Mike

[bigkahuna427]

There are a good many people who will buy on the edge of emerging technology and not always for the reasons of saving money. The Toyota Prius is an amazing car have been around long enough with little bad press. The Prius easily goes 440 miles on a full 10 gallon gas tank and gets better around town milage than highway. While the car is a hybrid the engine is pretty much serves as a generator. Like squeaking the most out of a gallon of gas I am sure that getting the most out of a full charge would require changing some driving habits.

On a performance note an electric motor has almost no "power band". An electric motor achieves it's full torque in almost an instant. Most electric motor driven vehicles have some sort of controller that among other things will hold them back. If you take a good sized electric set up and put it into a light framed vehicle the acceleration can be really violent. Actually could be perfect for drag racing... Here is an early 1970s Datsun.

[sprocket]

My favorite electric 0 to 60mph 3.7 seconds...

www.teslamotors.com/roadster

[jct842]

21ST CENTURY PERFORMANCE

Premium electric sedan
Up to 300 miles per charge
Deliveries begin mid 2012
Starting at $49,900 USD * realistically maybe 150 or 200 miles and what if it is 25 miles further to grandmas house? john

[justbuggin]

the batteries are the main draw back on all electric vehicles

[runningslow]

I've been tempted by this:
www.zeromotorcycles.com/zero-s/

The range would be great for my needs and then some. Only drawback is the price tag.

[sprocket]

Wait 6 months there will be a Chinese copy for $2500 ;D

[bigkahuna427]

Only much lower quality......

[kz1000st]

Mar 7, 2012 17:42:35 GMT -6 bigkahuna427 said:

Only much lower quality......

Only important to people who need the imagined benefit.

[sprocket]

bigkahuna427

The Chinese quality rap is unfair...

I get tired of the China bashing...scooters exported to North America are built for a low end cost, stipulated by the importer in many cases. But I defy you to find more value in transportation other than your sneakers.

Hondas, Sym, Piaggios, Vespas, Kymcos and many other high end scooter are also built in China...

If it wasn't for a Chinese scooters most of us would be walking , taking the bus , or in hock up to our ears to General Motors...

Hey.. Chinese scooters are like the Model T...simple and affordable...built to sell for a specific price that most people can afford.

Ok .. I will get down from the soap box...before Bashan pokes me with a big stick!

[bigkahuna427]

No I get it and have a few chinese scooters myself. They are unquestionably inexpensive. However, they are also built inexpensively. I just believe you have to be at least handy to keep one going and careful buying one. I have three chinese scooters that I own and have less than $700 into all three after purchase and repairs. All of these people gave up on and that is why I have them so cheap. I have skills and that is why they are so inexpensive to fix up. One a 2008 has 2200 miles on it. The other two are 2003 have 200 and 350 miles on them. I also have a Kymco YUP50 I think its a 2002. It is absolutely beat and has 9000 miles and even has the original belt on it. I have that one stripped down to the frame and if the missing parts aren't going to kill me I hope to have it on the road this summer.

If you guys are working on this stuff you know what I am talking about here.... Plastic panels you can hardy get off without breaking at least one thing. Connectors crumbling in your hand. Wires backing out of connectors. Buy a new one and you should spend an afternoon on it replacing stuff before you ride it. How about a cylinder kit I bought recently for one. A chinese sourced part it had a piston to cylinder wall clearance of WELL over .010 INCHES! I could even convince the seller this wasn't right because every one he had on the shelf measured the same. Not a small company either.

Now to me they are an incredibly good value but I have had decades of experience and training working on stuff and these things are relatively simple to me. To a consumer who just wants to buy a $700 scooter because it looks just like the Honda and assumes it's going to last just as long I have my concerns about their expectations. I know the chinese products vary and some are better than others. This is evident in the products they are manufacturing for other companies. So, the chinese really can build a better product. Really they don't and in part it is the consumers fault because they want cheaper product. People feel they can have a scooter shipped to them in a crate do some minimal assembly and their off. It's brand new so no problem, right?