Idea to save fuel costs for Van Dwellers in the city... - Scooter.

[SoulRaven]

Camper-van-man, what brand is that? I'm curious about a full suspension 18 speed folding bike. How much was it and do you have a link? thanks!
Bob

Greetings Bob!

It says it's a Foldango in the manual, nothing on the bike itself. My guess is it's a cheap Chinese knock off. I actually bought it at a little shop in Seattle that had several, but it wasn't a bike/scooter shop, more like an import shop, even though I think the sign might have said liquidators or something like that.

I've had it for about 5 years now, and I think I paid either $499 or $599... If I remember right, it was originally $499 but it only came with an AC charger, they also had a single speed model, that had an AC/DC charger, and we were able to swap out the battery & charger, and I wound up paying the higher price.

I was originally concerned about cost vs. longevity, but now, after 5 years, and still going strong, I must say I'm impressed. The manual doesn't say what type of batteries it has, unless it's in Chinese...

I ride it quite a bit on warm summer evenings, and even the steep Seattle, Tacoma, and San Francisco hills don't slow it down. I don't really take it off road, even though it resembles a BMX or mountain bike...

The suspension consists of a spring arm arrangement, right behind the folding point, just ahead of the pedals, and a shock absorber in the seat pole mechanism. Very comfortable ride actually. Shimano shifters & derailleurs. 20" x 2.25" tires, and disc brakes.

I occasionally drop into "discount" or "liquidation center" type stores, and they turn out to be these cheap Chinese knockoff stores, and they frequently have electric bikes similar to these at pretty cheap prices, along with a fair amount of camping type goods, lots of other stuff too...

When I return to Seattle I'll try to make a point of checking to see if that place is still there, and what they have. I enjoy having a list of things to do in case I get feeling bored sometimes. If I return to the neighborhood I was in, that would make a nice bike ride on a pleasant day.

Cheers!

The CamperVan_Man

 

[Jack Grit]

"What about a small car?"


84 mpg highway!

"Elio is not a fling. It is not a novelty.

It is the product of a mobile society naturally evolving to a more efficient and practical form of transportation.

Let’s look at the facts and realities of the world we live in:

Gas today is at an all-time high
Space is becoming a smaller and smaller commodity and we’re being crowded off our roads and bumped and dinged out of our parking lots
Cars cost more than the average house did only a few decades ago

Traditional personal transportation isn’t working like it used to. We need a new way of getting around.

That’s when a car enthusiast, a visionary, a man with a dream named Paul Elio got an idea. A simple, brilliant idea. To create a vehicle for today’s generation of drivers that addressed their transportation needs and the world’s new realities."

If everything the company claims turns out to be true this will stir up a lot of pots!

http://www.eliomotors.com/

 

[Belinda2]

Jay, Margie, and sweet, soft Bindi,
The scooter is still probably my first choice, though I also just may keep the vehicle I have now and use it as a TOAD (tow vehicle).

 

[WheelEstate USA]

Jay, Margie, and sweet, soft Bindi,
The scooter is still probably my first choice, though I also just may keep the vehicle I have now and use it as a TOAD (tow vehicle).

I'm thinking of building another motorized bike. I bought the kit online, took a day to put it together. Rode that thing all over Tucson for close to 2 years. Muffler finally got loud and I fabricated a new one. For about $300 and a day's work I had a cool bike that cruised at 35 MPH with my skinny butt. It wasn't my main vehicle, but I used it several times a week.

Its neat that there's so much fun stuff out there for us to choose from

 

[flying kurbmaster]

Scooters are great but don't be fooled that they are cheap transportation, even if they use small amounts of fuel. They are not that cheap to maintain, purchase and insure. Once you figure all that into them for the amount of miles you put on them, their longevity, they don't work out much cheaper then a small car, this is especially true once you get into the bigger cc scooter above 50cc. I think scooters are great fun, perfect for getting into congested areas, easy to park, and practical for running to the store but after owning 14 of them over many years they are not in my opinion a big money saver, mile for mile. Personally I think you are better off with a bicycle.

 

[GrayWhale]

I would be boondocking fulltime, so the scooter would be in my van and I'd be smelling fumes without a vent for stealth. I'm not so sure I shouldn't just get a minivan and have less space for overall better fuel economy.

A 50cc scooter is huge. It's going to take up a lot of space inside a full size van. You'll probably have the same amount of room with a minivan w/o the scooter than with one in a big van.

Just the smell of rubber tires is horrible enough in an enclosed space. I can't imagine what it would smell like with gas, burnt gas, oil, dust, dirt, etc. and then there's the filth. I had a folding, electric bike that I wanted to keep permanently in the back seat of my car, but the constant smell of the rubber tires made me take it out. Lugging a scooter off and onto a van is going to blow a lot of stealth. They're pretty heavy even with ramps. Seems like a big pain having to set up the ramps, get the scooter down then put away the ramps, twice a day.

 

[WheelEstate USA]

Front racks work pretty well for some who carry scooters/bikes. It leaves the back doors free for use. They're really not that hard to take off and on once you learn the tricks.

 

[Where~the~wind~blows]

this is a great thread, I have been considering a scooter for a year now, I will get one but am stuck in the "which is better for me" conundrum, I usually have the more is better attitude but more what? the 50 cc gives more gas milage, but larger engines give more speed... so do I want speed or mileage? I keep thinking middle ground, something that will go 45-55 mph and get about 75 mpg... still looking... I am also considering a possible tent trailer, some are light enough for these scooters, but then I have the dogs to tow as well... I have thought of side car motorcycles and a small tow trailer/camper.... talk about downsizing!

 

[akrvbob]

The problem for me was that the little 50cc bikes are too slow to safely take on many roads. I spent a year watching all my campsites and less than half the time would a 50cc be usable, so I bought a 250cc. Where I am now is a 10 mile drive on the freeway to town. My Rebel handles it fine but a 50cc would be illegal and very unsafe.

But I boondock and if you live in a city then you probably can find a longer way around on slower roads.

My Rebel gets an honest 70 MPG and that's plenty for me!
Bob

 

[minimotos95]

one thing i have noticed from owning a few non highway capable bikes is there's almost always an alternative route, especially in cities or regions with a lot of farm land. once you get into the mountains or forests the alternative routes are either too far out of the way or are gravel/dirt but they are there. i know of a couple that rode across canada 2 up on a 50cc so i guess you could do anything if you were dedicated, but i don't like having to plan out every new trip on google maps and earth before gearing up.

for myself i only see 2 options a 50cc or a bike that's fast enough to cruise at 65-70mph. in between the two it costs as much as a big bike but you can only go 10-25mph faster than a 50cc only giving a couple more route options. i haven't found anywhere i could go on my 55mph 120cc that i can't on my 33mph 50cc. of course a bicycle is cheaper to run and can go anywhere if you don't mind riding in the road or pedaling up a mountain.

i see the new honda grom as possible option but it's not interstate capable it will go 65 for short 15-20 mile stints and gets 120mpg. i know a couple guys who are crazy enough to ride them on interstates. the aircooled dual sport 200-250s top out about the same but are much better offroad at the expense of fuel economy.
however a 250 that will cruise at 70 like a rebel, ninja, cbr, nighthawk, virago, hyosung, crf-l, wr-r or klx-s just makes more sense to me.

the 50cc scooters that will do 50+mph get horrid fuel economy and rarely last 10,000 miles without at least a top end if not a full rebuild. so i don't consider them an option at all.

i was thinking about that sidecar and trailer idea a while ago too but riding(driving?) a sidecar is completely different than a motorcycle/scooter,, from what i hear it's a steep learning curve if you have been on 2 wheels for years, they eat tires and burn gas worse than a civic, a ural 650 gets around 30mpg without towing anything.

 

[GrayWhale]

In general, under 50cc, you don't need insurance and registration, but then limited to certain roads only due to them maxing out at 32-34mph. Some people get away with riding a scooter with a big motor w/o plates and ins, but they keep it under 32-34 MPH to not give themselves away, but then, they can't go on fast roads nor freeways neither w/o giving themselves away.

In my county, all scooters of any size are now required plates and insurance. It's like a $400 fine. The residents are sick and tired of the noise and their city or town being overrun by this:





Bicycles with gas motors will be targeted also. Riding them on the sidewalk with the motor off is also $400 in fines. I've heard the same for electric bicycles as they're technically mopeds and now can't be on sidewalks, and they max out at 14-18 MPH.

 

[Spirituallifetime]

I have been considering a small motorcycle for transportation and sight seeing. Had a 250 nighthawk several years ago and enjoyed riding it. I don't find many small motorcycles that I like, most are the racer type with a leaning forward riding position. I sat on a rebel and it felt too small to me, I'm waiting for Hondas new cb300f to come out this fall and see how I like it.

 

[PeterG]

Another option I have been reading about is a motorized hub conversion for a regular bike. This consists of a hub and wheel which replaces your regular bike wheel along with a battery. It assists you while you ride your bike, allowing you to either coast on motor power or have it assist when you pedal. No extra bulk in/on the van other than the battery on the bike and charging it. Lots of people who use bikes for their normal mode of transport and/or ride cargo bikes use them.

Here is a quick video showing a cargo bike with the electric hub motor.

[video=youtube]