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bobber205

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Nov 15, 2005
2,183
8
Oregon
Some time in the next year, I won't be living at home and will probably have a need to get some kind of personal transportation. Today my bus was freakin' 20 minutes late again so it got me thinking.... (at least 20, I got my dad to drive me to school instead. Cost like 3 dollars just in gas)

I will likely be living in a medium city next summer (Reno Nevada). Are "scooters" a good way to get around? They seem like 3 wheeled motorcycles.
The ones I've looked at get like 100 miles a gallon. I calculated today that it would cost me 20 cents to get to school AND back if gas was 6 dollars a gallon!

What about safety too? I know they're not as safe... but I still think it's worth the risk?
 
Scooters are great and very economical, although not so great when it's raining .. :(

Sorry, I don't suppose you get much rain in Nevada .... Dohhh
 
Just make sure the one you're looking at is legal to drive on the road in Nevada. Personally, if I liked Motorcycles (my grandfather was killed on one by a guy who ran a stop sign) I'd just go with one of those. They're a LOT more affordable than cars, they can go the speed limit where most scooters can't and they get outrageous gas mileage.
 
They have electric scooters and bikes.

Though there are 3-4 different gas powered bicycles running around the neighborhood.
 
there are some scooters with powerful engines out there, but they lose out on the gas then.

its quite a realistic way to get around. might want to get a two seater at least though in case you have one person going with you, or have a big bag on your back. etc.
 
I just got a kick scooter to try and get around. Hope it makes up for the dorkiness of riding a kick scooter.
 
50cc scooters are great for short commutes <10 miles
any commute longer than that, get a bigger scooter or a motorcycle.

I have this one http://www.yamaha-motor.com/sport/products/modelhome/608/0/home.aspx and my wife has the same one only grey

two bad you're in Oregon, I'm going to be selling both of them. I now mt. bike to work and my wife never rides her scooter anymore. Both less than 500 miles on them, they were bought on a whim two years ago :(
 
My bro has 3 of them sat in the garage, keep meaning to ask him for one :D

Yea they're quite good. About as safe as a motorbike, very economical. Wouldn't be too good for me now since I need something for long distance travelling but they would have suited me to the a T for my college years.
 
I used have one, upgraded to a bigger motorbike since though. Great little contraptions, especially when limited because you know you can't break any speed limits :D

They are as dangerous as the driver IMO. You just always have to keep a look out for what the other idiots on the road are doing :D
 
Scooters are incredibly polluting. Take the bicycle or a car, since cars (at least if you are not driving a diesel SUV) are less polluting than scooters.

Some scooters are even more polluting than trucks due to the fact that they are inefficient at combustion because of the construction of the engine.
 
Scooters are incredibly polluting. Take the bicycle or a car, since cars (at least if you are not driving a diesel SUV) are less polluting than scooters.

Some scooters are even more polluting than trucks due to the fact that they are inefficient at combustion because of the construction of the engine.

The quoted reply is mostly correct for engines older than 1982...
 
You can get electric scooters which will be even more environmental friendly. I don't think scooters are that dangerous, they are probably safer than bikes and plenty of people ride bikes without getting into accidents. As long as you keep an eye out and be vigilant on the road, you should be fine. However, you'd have to take the bus or something when it rains/snows.

Not to derail the thread, but what's the difference between a scooter and a motorcycle? I always thought they looked the same.
 
The quoted reply is mostly correct for engines older than 1982...

Unfortunately i was reading lately that he is more or less correct. The catalytic converter in cars that reduces the amount of harmful emissions is too big/heavy for most bikes.

However i'm not convinced that bikes are more polluting per mile, maybe for the same amount of petrol used.


Not to derail the thread, but what's the difference between a scooter and a motorcycle? I always thought they looked the same.

A motorbike is generally bigger and has gears, a scooter is usually smaller and automatic. Plus they have a different shape.
 
The ones I've looked at get like 100 miles a gallon. I calculated today that it would cost me 20 cents to get to school AND back if gas was 6 dollars a gallon!

If you did your math correctly, you should be living less than two miles from your school. Do you really need a motor vehicle for that? Take a bicycle, it's equally fast over these distances and good for your health.

And if you are really tough, walk!
 
The quoted reply is mostly correct for engines older than 1982...

Sorry to "disappoint" you, but the basic two-stroke engine is incredibly polluting and even four-stroke engines are more polluting than cars because scooters don't have catalyzers.

In addition to the polluting factor, scooters produce more microscopic dust than trucks do, which is quite detrimental to your health.

I'm no health or "green" freak, but for distances below 10 km I use my bike. It's better for me and for the environment.
 
In Colorado (and I would suspect in Nevada as well) scooters with engines that are 50cc or larger are considered motorcycles and require a motorcycle license and corresponding insurance. If you do decide to get a scooter even with a 49cc engine, I would strongly recommend you take a motorcycle riders safety course. You'll learn a lot of valuable information that will make you safer both to yourself and others people you share the road with.
 
or walk...

if you're moving to a new city, consider a great location to rent. My brother lives in downtown Ottawa and for his needs, walks everywhere.

The savings from owning a vehicle/scooter can be used towards rent and you'll be getting great exercise too.

Europe, thanks to history, is way ahead of north america. They walk everywhere (ok, so maybe not in between major cities, but within cities...)
 
Yeah, not so great when raining and not very safe.. but otherwise, good way to get around. Especially downtown.
 
And if you are really tough, walk!

Rollerblading or skating is faster and more fun.:) Check out the local ordinance though, some places ban rollerblading/skating/skate boarding because a bunch of stuffed shirt old geezers can't stand the thought of kids having fun.:mad: *Rant On* Not everyone who uses rollerblades or skateboards do so to perform stunts. Not everyone is a Tony Hawks.*Rant Off*
 
If you did your math correctly, you should be living less than two miles from your school. Do you really need a motor vehicle for that? Take a bicycle, it's equally fast over these distances and good for your health.

And if you are really tough, walk!

It's all extremely up hill. About 1000 meters uphill. ;) And it's about 3 miles.
 
It's all extremely up hill. About 1000 meters uphill. ;) And it's about 3 miles.

3000+ feet in three miles? That's a 19% grade. :eek: Unless it's a forestry road, I don't think that could be right; US highway standards pretty much are limited to 6%, maybe 8% in short stretches. What school is this & what road do you take? (Figuring I'm bound to end up there sooner or later, and want to make sure I rent a Hummer at PDX!)

Even if that is right, I don't think a scooter's got the oomph fer that! :p
 
I'll have to double check. It's a large amount. At my house it's 4000 somethign meters. At the school gym it's 5000 something meters. On second thought maybe 700-800?
 
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