Ask Lemmy

Hi I'm a weirdo who lives in a Philadelphia suburb and whose main transit mode is 50cc scooter (even in this fuckshit cold ass weather).

Some advice:

• practice tight and quick turns without tipping over
• wear helmet and high vis always
• ride like you're invisible. assume that nobody sees you
• wear bandana/scarf tucked into bottom of helmet & collar of shirt/jacket. insects can get sucked up into your helmet otherwise...
• get anti fog helmet shield and if you wear glasses get some anti fog cleaning wipes
• get a cover and use it (i store mine in the seat trunk)
• make sure you know a mechanic who can work on it if you can't do it yourself
• have backup transit for dangerous weather (I'm lucky to live in an area with bad but usable public transit and Lyft)
• don't underestimate wind
• put high octane gas in it. it's such a tiny engine that the extra energy density makes a noticeable difference in acceleration

I spend $2/week on gas, $240/year on insurance, and have spent less than $200 on mechanic's fees (oil changes, etc.) in 3 years of owning it. I have been crushing my debt with the money saved not having a car. It's a powerful way to save money if you're willing to sacrifice comfort, item/passenger transport capacity, and to some extent reliability

Why not an eBike? I'd always prefer that over a moped personally.

I’d say depends on where you are and what you plan to use it for.

In my state, at least, I considered it, but I wouldn’t be able to use it to the fullest because you can’t legally ride them on some highways because it can’t keep up with the speed and I often needed to use those highways. Without using those, I would either get stuck somewhere, need to take a longer route, or illegally use the highway which could be dangerous.

So I opted to just get a motorcycle instead of a scooter for my situation.

But if it’s just around a city or town, a scooter would do the job just fine.

Depending where you live and your financial situation. It’s good for picking up girls at that age, or impress the boys. Don’t get one if don’t need one. Don’t get one if you can’t afford one. And if you get one, take 49cc because the insurance is cheaper.

At 50cc I would get an e-bike, mine can travel at similar speeds and it's a fun ride, very maneuverable. I consider a scooter only if I could afford one that was reliable, preferably stylish and could hit 45 mph easily because then it could comfortably run on the 35 mph streets around here.

But sure, if you want one and it fits your transportation needs, why not?

What about ebikes?

If you're in a city sure. Those tiny scooters have been pretty popular it seems. Out in the corn fields less so, when every little hub of a few small shops is at least 5 miles apart that might get a bit annoying.

I just got back from thailand and i definitely want to get one for getting around my city

Depends on your location. Some cities are downright hostile to vehicles with fewer than 4 wheels and you put your life on the line every time you go out. Make sure your city has adequate road infrastructure and driving laws that take 2-wheel vehicles into account.

Where you are makes a huge difference. The last city I lived in was actively hostile to bikes of any kind. The medium-sized city I live in now has over 200 miles of dedicated bike paths, many of them completely separate from roadways. The community matches the infrastructure and is quite friendly to bicyclists.

we call them mopeds here, too

There is a local perception that people only ride these things when they can't get a license for whatever reason. The common term is "liquorcycle" (with cycle pronounced like sickle).

And don't worry. If an American war-rig mangles your body because the driver was going a little too fast, or not paying attention, they'll probably get a ticket.