Electric-Bikes.com
Gas or Electric Scooter? - You Decide!
If you want a scooter but are still deciding between gas and electric, ask yourself the following questions. The Go-PedŽ, the most popular gas-powered scooter, is used for comparison.
1. Will I need to carry this scooter around a lot?
A Go-PedŽ with fuel weighs about 22 lbs. Electric scooters range in weight from about 40 lbs. Although some are small enough to fit in a duffle bag, many are not.2. What about flat tires?
A Go-PedŽ has solid wheels, so no flats. However, the tires do wear out relatively quickly when ridden hard everyday. One college student reported that the rear tire lasted about two months. Electric scooters generally come with pneumatic (air-filled) tires. (The electric Go-PedŽ ESR 750 Sport has solid wheels.) Squeezing hole sealant, such as Slime (available at bicycle stores), into the scooter's pneumatic tires will prevent most flats. Inserting a shortened bicycle tire liner is even better protection.3. Do I want to ride in the rain? Offroad? Under icy cold conditions?
Riding a Go-PedŽ in rain is a bit "iffy". "Drive spindle splipping on the wheel" is the report. Offroad on a Go-PedŽ is also "iffy", once again due to small solid wheels and friction drive. Some users report that if it is freezing outside, and you hit a puddle of water, it may ice the spindle. Electric scooters with their drive belts or chains provide positive traction in the rain, cold, and offroad.4. Do I want to modify my scooter?
If you like to tinker and "soup up" your scooter, Go-PedŽ may be your best bet. Many aftermarket accessories are available, even water cooling kits!! Although fewer items are available for electric scooters, the selection of available options and accessories continues to grow.5. Do I need to bring it indoors when I get to where I am going?
If so, you may have problems with a gas-powered scooter. Due to 2 cycle fuel and the smell of burnt rubber from the spindle, a Go-PedŽ often smells. You may want to leave it outside or in a hallway when visiting friends. Electric is clean, legal and accepted inside.6. Do I (or my neighbors) care about noise?
If left unmodified, the Go-PedŽ puts out about 82 decibels at full throttle when
tested from 50 feet away. (With a special intake muffler, 72 dbA is achievable.) That is the maximum allowed to motorcycles in the California vehicle code. (The maximum 50' dbA allowed are: 82 dbA for a motorcycle under 45mph [CVC §23130], 77 dbA for a motorcycle in a 35mph speed zone [CVC §23130.5], and 82 dbA for an off-road motor vehicle [CVC §38370].) The complaints of neighbors prompted one man to confiscate his son's Go-PedŽ. Electric is clean, quiet, and neighborly.7. Am I willing to pay for performance?
If so, consider an electric with enhanced performance such as the Go-PedŽ ESR 750 line of scooters. Many electric scooters offer quicker acceleration than gas-powered scooters.