Is this a motorbike or a powered bicycle ?

Perhaps I'm being pessimistic, but if the thing does 10 miles on a
charge, I'll be pleasantly surprised.

Perhaps because they can't get one to go more than 10 miles either? At
least, not at that price.

 

It does look interesting for a city commuter and electric scooters
really are big in China (though rather less sophisticated than the one
advertised), but the range in real-world use will be a lot less than
that claimed, and notice the fact that the battery only has an 8 month
warranty - it might not be a traction-rated battery and it might
degrade fast with deep discharge cycles.

This, along with the fact that the electricity to charge it still
mostly comes form fossil fuels, somewhat dents its green credentials,
if that matters.

despite my negativity, I think that electric scooters do have their
place, though I doubt that I'd have one.

 

Well that's true, but battery technology is improving all the time.
Solar scooter? Heh.

Well I wouldn't expect one of the "big four" to come in with something
priced around a grand, strikes me there's an opportunity for somebody
here, Vespa? etc. The fact that it is electric will be attractive to the
greens[1], and it's attractive to me because it's cheap to run, there's
no fuel stops and the turn key and go is going to be attractive to those
with no mechanical knowledge. Hey - maybe next time Darsy has a "wtf do
I buy" thread.... <thinks> Just put a massive battery on the pillion and
Petel could start a new project.


[1] nods to later poster, yes it's still generated by fossil fuels, but
one step at a time...

 

I had a letter from SWALEC today as my fixed rate tariff ends this month.
Apparently, I can have a tariff where all my electrons are generated by
hydro-power. Now, how do they sort them out from those electrons generated
in that nasty shit that keeps Bonwick in beer?

 

They certainly do: at the base of Beachy Head, on the massive rusting
pile of CG125s that have just reached their maximum velocity ever.

 

*Shrug*. My SH50 works on that principle.

 

http://www.brompton.co.uk/

 

Well alright, you have to charge it, but stopping for petrol can be a
pain in the arse as more stations close and more turn into f*cking shops
that means people leave their cars at the pumps for longer.

 

Don't get it myself. If I was going to use a pushbike I'd buy something
suitable for the length of the journey, I don't want to be carrying a
bike on the train and then through the underground.

The in-laws have folding bikes for their hols in Europe and love them to
bits, but I've never seen any commuters using them.

 

I don't have a problem here. Someone leaves their car at the pump: I
stick my bike next to it, behind it, beside it, whatever, and fill up.

 

Not allowed in some of our local garages, Laura got a telling off when I
moved my car to let somebody in behind me before she'd queued to pay and
they wouldn't allow any petrol to that pump for the new customer.

 

What are these, then? You're not allowed to take a folding bike onto
trains at certain times? How can they tell what's in the bag?

 

I'd tell them, politely, to **** off, and write to the petrol company.
I've lost count of the number of times I've moved my vehicle (car or
bike) in order to let someone in behind me, while I pay and maybe have a
pee, buy a cup of coffee, or whatever; anyway, do something that make
take more than a minute or two.

Fucking outrageous of them to behave like that.

 

Oh, right, yes that makes sense.

 

How are they supposed to know that you're moving your car just to be
polite rather than busy scarpering without paying?

 

I've just done exactly that this morning. If a small (but busy) 4-island
filling station /shop in rural Ireland can cope with it and your local
one can't, it speaks more about the level of staff competence at yours,
imo.
Fwiw, I've never had any neg comments from filling station staff about
that, and I've been doing it for years, here and over there.

 

As I see it, they can't unless you disappear without paying. But then
they have CCTV and will have your registration number.

And how are they going to stop you from just moving your vehicle,
anyway?

To bollock someone for an act of politeness is fuckwitteryt and little
Hitler-ism in itself. To then refuse to serve fuel to the person behind
is beyond words.

 

I can almost see their point. A little while ago I filled the bike, then
moved it aside whilst I got some money out of the cash point. When I got to
the till and said pump whatever, the attendant asked me for forty-something
quid. Seems like the guy in the car behind me had filled up and got to the
till before me and had paid for my twelve quid's worth, leaving his purchase
outstanding on the till. It was okay (for me) because it was obvious I
couldn't have got that much in my tank but I suppose they'd given me a
harder time if I'd been in a car.

I wonder if they went after him...

 

Well, I seem to be spending at least a day every fucking week in London
over the last few weeks and can confirm that fuckers are getting off the
train with these bloody contraptions; and none to concerned who they
swing them into.

 

I had a 70s Vespa for a while and that had lights, horn and indicators
with an odd magneto system.