if so what is it, how is it behaving and would you get another one?
anyone out there running an electric scooter?
- Thread starter Michael R1150GS Adventure
- Start date
it appears perhaps not 
I would hesitate to ride one in the urban areas. I suspect that you'll be permanently crapping yourself that someone's about to step out into your path.
Greg
Greg
no, I am asking about electric scooters...
Anyone?
Anyone?
no, I am asking about electric scooters...
Anyone?
I know but its pretty obviuos youre about 20yrs too early
if so what is it, how is it behaving and would you get another one?
Micheal
I had a Vectrix on extended loan for a week about 2 years ago.
My problem was the range. It was about 18 miles each way from Harrow to Canary Wharf. With my driving style I was getting about 45 miles per charge.
This meant that I either had to look for a charge during the day, or could ONLY go to work and back. No side trips for a bit of shopping for dinner, or an extra stop for a pint etc.
I found this a bit limiting.
BUT the newer Vectrix has a better range, and I have moved office so can get a charge no problem. So if it wsn't £9k I might look at one again for commuting.
The bike itself was great. Nice bit of go, cheap to run, easy to understand etc.
Hope that helps
Steve J
Not quite a scooter but, I had to surrender my license for year, so built an electric bike using a kit from China. Used a cheap mountain bike and fitted a 1,000watt motor with a big Lithium battery. Top power allowed legally is 350w so it's technically for off road use only. It'd do 30mph (f'kin scary) and had a good range.
If you're interested I'll dig out some pics.
If you're interested I'll dig out some pics.
As requestede by PM,
This is the kit from China, bought through eBay
cost I seem to recall was around £350 with postage, but prices may have changed now.
this was the 1,000w motor, with controls.
It's basically a f'kin great big rear hub built into a wheel, containing a brushless motor, i.e. - no moving parts. It shifted me at 95Kgs at close to 30mph. Don't sound much but on a mountain bike it's bloody scary.
This is the donor Mountain Bike with motorised rear wheel fitted.. Cost £100 new from eBay, but any old bike will do I guess.
This is the Heath Robinson affair I concocted to hold the batteries.
With a little more thought it could have been done far neater, but I'm not one for aesthetics and it worked fine for me. Also the panniers were knocking around so I used them.
The batteries cost around £300 each, but with hindsight I found that one was enough, can't remember the range now, but I think around 35 miles on a charge.
keep in mind that anything over 350w (or 300w depending on UK or EU rules) is classed as a moped and needs to be road registered. But as far as I know these things aren't even on the police radar. So I figured that if ridden sensibly then the risk of being pulled was negligible.
So after purchase costs the running costs were only what's required to charge the batteries, i.e. - next to fukk all.
Lots more pics on here if you're an insomniac
http://s14.beta.photobucket.com/user/drillam/library/ebike
This is the kit from China, bought through eBay
cost I seem to recall was around £350 with postage, but prices may have changed now.
this was the 1,000w motor, with controls.
It's basically a f'kin great big rear hub built into a wheel, containing a brushless motor, i.e. - no moving parts. It shifted me at 95Kgs at close to 30mph. Don't sound much but on a mountain bike it's bloody scary.
This is the donor Mountain Bike with motorised rear wheel fitted.. Cost £100 new from eBay, but any old bike will do I guess.
This is the Heath Robinson affair I concocted to hold the batteries.
With a little more thought it could have been done far neater, but I'm not one for aesthetics and it worked fine for me. Also the panniers were knocking around so I used them.
The batteries cost around £300 each, but with hindsight I found that one was enough, can't remember the range now, but I think around 35 miles on a charge.
keep in mind that anything over 350w (or 300w depending on UK or EU rules) is classed as a moped and needs to be road registered. But as far as I know these things aren't even on the police radar. So I figured that if ridden sensibly then the risk of being pulled was negligible.
So after purchase costs the running costs were only what's required to charge the batteries, i.e. - next to fukk all.
Lots more pics on here if you're an insomniac
http://s14.beta.photobucket.com/user/drillam/library/ebike
araspitfire
Registered user
I have an electric scooter. Kriedler E hiker amaze.. bought 2 years ago.
I absolutly love it.. It's got a 3kw motor on it, which gives nice acceleration, larger tyres than the girly scooters, and realy decent brakes.
The riding experience is awesome for my commute to work (10km each way)
It is, however, a piece of chinese crap, I expect to need to work on it quite a bit starting now.. the brake material is quite soft, so you need to replace the pads every 3000 kms (how they get the good stopping power). The supplied batteries were really bad.. Got a year out of the first set, then 8 months out of the free replacement set.
I've bought decent batteries, and repleced the charger because I figure at 60.5 V (4 x 12V batteries per pack) it was charging a little hot.
They state on the advertisement that it cost 60 cents per 100km... this is true if you look at electricity used... but after you replace the batteries... the cost is a lot more...
I still love it though.. the look on people's faces as I wirrrr past at 37km/h is good fun (I have blue plate here in NL, which means I ride with the bicycles on the pike paths, and don't need a helmet).
Al...
I absolutly love it.. It's got a 3kw motor on it, which gives nice acceleration, larger tyres than the girly scooters, and realy decent brakes.
The riding experience is awesome for my commute to work (10km each way)
It is, however, a piece of chinese crap, I expect to need to work on it quite a bit starting now.. the brake material is quite soft, so you need to replace the pads every 3000 kms (how they get the good stopping power). The supplied batteries were really bad.. Got a year out of the first set, then 8 months out of the free replacement set.
I've bought decent batteries, and repleced the charger because I figure at 60.5 V (4 x 12V batteries per pack) it was charging a little hot.
They state on the advertisement that it cost 60 cents per 100km... this is true if you look at electricity used... but after you replace the batteries... the cost is a lot more...
I still love it though.. the look on people's faces as I wirrrr past at 37km/h is good fun (I have blue plate here in NL, which means I ride with the bicycles on the pike paths, and don't need a helmet).
Al...
As requestede by PM,
This is the kit from China, bought through eBay
cost I seem to recall was around £350 with postage, but prices may have changed now.
this was the 1,000w motor, with controls.
It's basically a f'kin great big rear hub built into a wheel, containing a brushless motor, i.e. - no moving parts. It shifted me at 95Kgs at close to 30mph. Don't sound much but on a mountain bike it's bloody scary.
This is the donor Mountain Bike with motorised rear wheel fitted.. Cost £100 new from eBay, but any old bike will do I guess.
This is the Heath Robinson affair I concocted to hold the batteries.
With a little more thought it could have been done far neater, but I'm not one for aesthetics and it worked fine for me. Also the panniers were knocking around so I used them.
The batteries cost around £300 each, but with hindsight I found that one was enough, can't remember the range now, but I think around 35 miles on a charge.
keep in mind that anything over 350w (or 300w depending on UK or EU rules) is classed as a moped and needs to be road registered. But as far as I know these things aren't even on the police radar. So I figured that if ridden sensibly then the risk of being pulled was negligible.
So after purchase costs the running costs were only what's required to charge the batteries, i.e. - next to fukk all.
Lots more pics on here if you're an insomniac
http://s14.beta.photobucket.com/user/drillam/library/ebike
I like that and I have an old mountain bike - what's the recomendation on the battery for say a 20 mile range
Is this the kit?
Check out the second vid clip. I see what you mean about scary! Looks like fun though
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/26-48v-10...1182209330?pt=UK_Bikes_GL&hash=item3a7ba05932
Check out the second vid clip. I see what you mean about scary! Looks like fun though
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/26-48v-10...1182209330?pt=UK_Bikes_GL&hash=item3a7ba05932
Sorry can't remember. I know it was a 48v, big heavy fukker, maybe 20Ah, I THINK.
This is one of them with the controller in the pannier.
The electrickery with it is to stop the motor from draining it too much as they get damaged if run down too far.
Is this the kit?
Check out the second vid clip. I see what you mean about scary! Looks like fun though
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/26-48v-10...1182209330?pt=UK_Bikes_GL&hash=item3a7ba05932
Yeah looks like they're being imported to UK by traders now, which is good for end users as you don't have to worry about the possibility of customs sticking their greedy mitts in yer wallet. Also returns are easier if any problems.
The headlight and controls and suchlike are a wee bit on the flimsy side, but to be fair I used mine for a year just about every day and had no problems. It'll take you up the steepest hills, it's a real powerful bugger.
If you're looking for a daily commuter within a 30 mile or so round trip range then I'd say go for it.
BTW
Didn't watch all of the video - only bits of it, but it seems like the guy riding is a thoughtless wanker.
Riding at those speeds besides pedestrians and other bike riders will only bring this kinda thing to the attention of the cops and before you know it they'll be clamping down.
BTW
if you're seriously thinking of building one then don't put the batteries at the rear like I did, you want the weight better distributed. Mount them between the frame rails, in that big triangular section.
With the weight of the rear hub and the batteries I had to be careful pulling off as it'd wheelie real easy, I kid you not. Near shit meself the first time it happened.
If you look at those pictures in the link I posted you'll see an attempt to build some ally battery boxes down on the front wheel pannier frames. I split one of the batteries so I could slip half in each box, but by that time got my license back and abandoned it. The batteries are bloody heavy.
12.9Kg
I think this is the one I used.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Powerful-...US_Rechargeable_Batteries&hash=item1c2bc5175b
They configure it to different dimensions to suit the customer, so I got it in a more flat - ish shape.
if you're seriously thinking of building one then don't put the batteries at the rear like I did, you want the weight better distributed. Mount them between the frame rails, in that big triangular section.
With the weight of the rear hub and the batteries I had to be careful pulling off as it'd wheelie real easy, I kid you not. Near shit meself the first time it happened.
If you look at those pictures in the link I posted you'll see an attempt to build some ally battery boxes down on the front wheel pannier frames. I split one of the batteries so I could slip half in each box, but by that time got my license back and abandoned it. The batteries are bloody heavy.
12.9Kg
I think this is the one I used.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Powerful-...US_Rechargeable_Batteries&hash=item1c2bc5175b
They configure it to different dimensions to suit the customer, so I got it in a more flat - ish shape.
that looks intersting - thanks for posting the pics - now then. ebay!
your welcome, good luck.
Yet another "BTW"
I'm sure there are advantages and disadvantages with going for either a scooter, or a bike like I did, but one reason I went for the bike is that if you do run out of battery power then at least you can still pedal home, albeit a wee bit slower due to the extra weight.
Yet another "BTW"
I'm sure there are advantages and disadvantages with going for either a scooter, or a bike like I did, but one reason I went for the bike is that if you do run out of battery power then at least you can still pedal home, albeit a wee bit slower due to the extra weight.
vette
Registered user
Proper electric scooters now selling very well in our local supermarket.
£150
http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.10.48.a6kHcD&id=16143339730
£150
http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.10.262.a6kHcD&id=14999733394
Gra.
£150
http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.10.48.a6kHcD&id=16143339730
£150
http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.10.262.a6kHcD&id=14999733394
Gra.
Attachments
Followed a Vectrix into work today , me on my T Max , he was making good progress , fast away from the lights and found the range about 58 miles . He's had it from new 2008 , no problems 10p to charge . I will be looking at the BMW E Scooter next year if they sell them , but looks like they will be lease only . I was involved with the Launch last year and each prototype was £400000
yamonda1
Registered user
same down this end too ..
silent death as they hush past on the pavement and of course nobody uses the lights
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