SUNL Electric Scooter
Lisa Greene
I usually walk to my job which is about eight blocks away but the
office will be moving in a few months and the journey will be
approximately 16 blocks. I've been toying with the idea of riding my
bike but securing/locking it up and leaving it outside doesn't appeal
to me. So I'm thinking about buying a SunL Electric Scooter. The
advertisement says it can be folded and stored 'in any trunk'.
(see http://onlyscooter.com/products/escppter-10-alluminum.htm ).
Before paying nearly $300 I was wondering if anyone else has purchased
one of these electric scooters and can give me some advice on whether
or not they are worth the price. Are they reliable? Will it go up
hills? (It's all downhill for me to get to work but uphill on the way
home.) How portable is that folding they claim? Could I fold it up
and carry it, say like a brief case or in a large shoulder bag or back
pack and store it right at my desk? How about replacement parts? Are
they expensive or hard to get?
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
Lisa Greene
John Valenti
Sorry, I don't know much about these. I would be concerned about battery
life and it is still ~45 pounds to lug around. Also, are they legal to
ride on the sidewalk? Maybe no one would complain, but maybe it would
be OK for a few months and then you would get hassled.
I would suggest buying a junker bicycle and spending twice as much on a
lock. (I'm in Michigan and can usually pick up old 10 speeds for free)
But take this advice with a grain of salt, since I don't know your
climate, etc.
Ummm, how far is 16 blocks? (I live in a rural area)
Dean Kamen would probably say you should have a Segway, but those are
~$3000 and some cities are objecting to them.
-John
Lisa Greene
John Valenti <val...@msu.stopspam.edu> wrote in message news:<bo4730$p6m$1...@msunews.cl.msu.edu>...
> hi Lisa,
>
> Sorry, I don't know much about these. I would be concerned about battery
> life and it is still ~45 pounds to lug around. Also, are they legal to
> ride on the sidewalk? Maybe no one would complain, but maybe it would
> be OK for a few months and then you would get hassled.
The site's information says the battery is good for ten miles and will
travel as fast as 10 miles per hour. Yahoo Maps says it is 2 miles or
20 blocks from my front door. I currently travel 8 blocks to work so
the increase is 12 blocks.
In SF we have bike lanes so I wouldn't be riding on the sidewalk. I
see other scooter riders often and believe an electric (as well as a
small gas) scooter is considered legal to ride.
As for the weight, I'll be pulling out of my garage and using the
handicapped ramp at the new office to enter the building where I'll
slip into an elevator to the second floor (our new office). If need
be, I could recharge my scooter at my cubicle.
I live in the lower Nob Hill area which is a slight incline downhill
all the way to the office. I want to make sure there is sufficient
power in the little scooter to get me back.
I have a co-worker who purchased an electric scooter last year for
nearly $600. He is going to bring it into the office and let me try
it out. It is not as powerful as the scooter I'm considering buying
but it will give me an idea how what to expect.
> I would suggest buying a junker bicycle and spending twice as much on a
> lock. (I'm in Michigan and can usually pick up old 10 speeds for free)
> But take this advice with a grain of salt, since I don't know your
> climate, etc.
I have two very nice bikes and I bike to the office now. I could ride
the bike but it would mean having to lock the bike up on the street
(there are bike racks secure to the sidewalk) and I'm not comfortable
with that even though I've had the seat post welded to prevent theft
and the pop locks on the wheels removed (which would require a thief
to use a set of wrenches to remove the wheels/tires. I've riden bikes
for years and have learned how to protect it. It's just that the new
area we're moving to is not in the greatest part of town. Now I could
park the bike in the underground garage but that becomes a hassle
getting in and out, showing badges, waiting for electronic security
gates to open. I come home for lunch every day and want to continue
doing so. I have one hour for lunch. It now takes me ten minutes to
walk the 8 blocks home. 20 blocks walking to/from would surely exceed
my lunch hour. A bike or scooter would cut that down to probably 10
minutes both ways.
> Ummm, how far is 16 blocks? (I live in a rural area)
It is actually 20 blocks according to Yahoo or 2 miles.
> Dean Kamen would probably say you should have a Segway, but those are
> ~$3000 and some cities are objecting to them.
They are banned on sidewalks in SF but you can use them in bike lanes.
Again, thank you for your response. I hope others respond with
additional advice and information.
rach
news:2097a2bf.03103...@posting.google.com...
Hi Lisa,
I really don't know too much about these, but I'd be really surprised if it
would go up 2 moderate SF blocks. And if it did, I'd be surprised if it did
so for 6 months.
What I do know is these scooters seem to be made in China normally and fall
apart after a few days riding them. I'd definitely at least wait till you
can test ride your friends scooter, and make sure this outfit has a money
back guarantee, and find out the warrantee length. My guess is it's 30 days
tops - and you will have to pay shipping and handling both ways. If I were
you, I'd try to buy local so you can take it back if something does wrong.
As an aside: gosh I wish I lived it SF! :-D Early next year I'm going to buy
an actually scooter either a Bajaj or A bigger Suzuki or Aprilia. I know
parking a big scooter will be way harder than a go-ped, but I hear SF is
starting to change and relax law for motorcycle parking in the city.
Good Luck Lisa!
Rach