Buying A Electric Scooter: A Good Idea?

[ghost]

At my wifes hospital they refer to them as DonorCycles. Get a real bike or Hummer but don't be a target. We like you.

 

[mariano-BCN]

I don't get the point of calling them DonorCycles...euh? why be a target?

 

[ghost]

I don't get the point of calling them DonorCycles...euh? why be a target?

You will once you ride an underpowered bike among the buses and other wackos on the streets here. They get about 14 per night in the ER, 6 are potential donors, 3 are harvested.

 

[French jurist]

If you drive a motorcycle, you need to accept, in advance, that you might get a leg or arm broken, if not worst.

Got about 30 bikes in my life, drove likely a total of 200.000 kms (but all my accidents occured when I was pre-25, I drive less now and don't take as much risks of course):
- 2 broken wrists
- broken thumbs
- 1 broken ankle with leg broken (got the ankle screwed)
- knees are ruined
- many burns
- should have died (or wheelchair) with my last accident (Paris, 1990s)
- know people who died (at least one, oil spill on the road in a curve, fell, truck arrived...)
etc.

I still drive though, especially in summer, but I know I can have an accident at any time, even if I'm careful & I really love and know bikes.

Havin no "punch" to accelerate if there's a risk is a no-no (only motorcyclists know that: you need to accelerate at times to save yourself).

An off-road bike, 250 cc up to 400 cc is perfect: light, powerful enough, etc...

Even better a Honda CR500 (rather a motocross bike) converted in a Supermotard (street style). King of the road (give me this with a GoPro in BsAs and you have a hit on Youtube lol)!

 

[French jurist]

Soy un campeon
Vamos Schumacher

(a classic)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lu8gp84eAM

 

[nlaruccia]

Try a bicycle.

Smart. Even slightly more dangerous than a scooter.

 

[French jurist]

At least with a bicycle you can take the dedicated lanes, not with a scooter (even electric)

 

[ajoknoblauch]

Smart. Even slightly more dangerous than a scooter.

Depending on where you ride, there are fairly safe bicycle lanes in the city and its suburbs.

 

[nlaruccia]

Depending on where you ride, there are fairly safe bicycle lanes in the city and its suburbs.

I've trained in cycling everywhere including highways like Aceso Oeste, Panamericana, Ruta 5 and in areas like Tigre, Benavidez, Lujan, and all over Capital. Cycling in the streets is very dangerous, and I know a few people who've had friends killed by cars while riding their bicycle. The bicycle lanes are a vast improvement, but pedestrians don't respect them and cyclists spend a lot of time avoiding hitting people strolling across the street that aren't looking. Scooters are easier to see than bicycles.

 

[gpop]

At least with a bicycle you can take the dedicated lanes, not with a scooter (even electric)

Not so Frenchie. I've been at waived through check-points where motorcycles were getting ticketed for using the bike lanes on Independencia. They ask "es electrica?"-"si"-"sigue".

I took my 800 watt scooter (sports a total of 4 lead-acid batteries stored in 2 battery cases that can be removed) from V. del Parque to Puerto Madero everyday for a year. Takes anywhere from 30 -45 minutes each way; so 1 - 1.5 hours. The same trip by bus in the morning and at night burned anywhere from 4 or 5 hours of my day and usually in a crowded uncomfortable bus ride. I used to get home at 9 or 9:30. Once I got the scooter, I was home by 6:40. In clogged traffic, i was passing by cars easily. Not fast, but pretty steady... and instead of powerful acceleration, i found that my scooter is really good at stopping quickly.

I've had one accident when a jeep cut me off when it tried to use the bike lane to get by clogged traffic... it's hurt when i fell, but nothing broke, not at the speed I was traveling. You would need to be absolutely suicidal to drive here without some reserve, but you also want to get to where you are going, so riding assertively, making sure that people see you, and that you pay attention to the buses, taxis and texting drivers. Shit happens whether you're on a bike, scooter, or a car.
I have nothing to donate, never been moving so fast that an accident would have killed me. I've heard all the arguments before and don't regret getting my eBike. I also don't ride like those crazy MOFOS on powerful bikes on BA streets. It's not a motorcycle, and should not be considered as such. Don't expect speed and power; expect low cost city transportation without a lot of hassles, expect not to be stuck in traffic, expect to have more time because you're not stuck in a car or bus trying to get home.

EDIT: also, expect to get wet when it rains this is where my sailing gear pays off