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Scoots are cheap as chips and handy about town, but personally I prefer to have bigger wheels under me as you get more manoeuvrability and you're less affected by poor road surfaces. A nice 125 motorcycle would be ideal - low fuel consumption better safety, but fast enough for a bit of fun.
 
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*

And not everyone drives cars down the sidewalk, but that's illegal too.

So blame the bladers/boarders that are creating the need for the ordinances, instead of the folks just trying to walk or drive without being hit or hitting one of those fools. ;)
 
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.

it was precisely because of 2 stroke engines that I said that recent engines are not as pollutant. Google for scooter+catalyzer and you will find different results with names of various models from the main manufacturers which do have catalyzers. (try scooter+catalyzer+yamaha, then suzuki, then honda if you want to find more examples).

If you want to take your research further, try looking for "scooter + EUR + emissions". You will find that even cheap SYM scooters have 2-stroke engines that comply with EUR2/3 emissions standards.
Big brands like Honda also make less polluting engines than in the past (oh, the shock): http://www.honda.co.uk/brochure/download/bikes/Honda_2006_Scooters.pdf


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

I'll believe this if you provide credible sources to back it up. I find it difficult to believe that an engine with 50 to 600cc pulling an overall weight of under 500kgs (with 2 riders) needs to burn more fuel and produces more by-products of such combustion than a truck engine. I can be wrong but this is very counter-intuitive...

Another remark: when you say that scooters are more pollutant than cars except diesel powered SUVs, this may not be right as diesel engines of today have more effective combustion than their petrol counterparts. All car ads have to show CO2/Co emission levels and for the same engine displacement, diesel engines emit less CO/CO2.

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.

no doubt about that. pedal power FTW. I did it when visiting Belgium and the Netherlands, you can go try it in Lisbon or Athens and your fitness will improve significantly ;)
 
Why not get an electric bike?
for the up hill part let the engine do work
for downhill just pedal.
or just get conversion kit to modify normal bike.

they are extremelly popular around my neighbourhood. and at my Uni which is the highest point in the city (seriously who builds a school on top of the mountain?)

I am thinking of getting one - my rule is under 5km I walk, 5-10km bike, over 10km Bus. walking is too slow though.
 
for downhill just pedal

I don't think that would be necessary ;).

and at my Uni which is the highest point in the city (seriously who builds a school on top of the mountain?)

One of our local university is on a mountain too. I think they wanted the isolation so students won't spend their days partying and shopping downtown. The scenery is nice though, and I imagine the cost of land is a lot less. Although the cost of the transportation of the building materials must've been quite a bit.
 
1000 feet of elevation difference and your afraid of a bike.. and only 3 miles... i mean cmon thats nothing! plus remember if you have to climb your going to do down hill sometime so eh its all the same
 
Another remark: when you say that scooters are more pollutant than cars except diesel powered SUVs, this may not be right as diesel engines of today have more effective combustion than their petrol counterparts. All car ads have to show CO2/Co emission levels and for the same engine displacement, diesel engines emit less CO/CO2.

Diesel emissions standards have gotten plenty strict. So much so that Caterpillar will cease to make on-road diesels when the new regulations go into effect in 2010.

'09 is the last year to get a big kitty in your new Pete.
 
Scoots are cheap as chips and handy about town, but personally I prefer to have bigger wheels under me as you get more manoeuvrability and you're less affected by poor road surfaces. A nice 125 motorcycle would be ideal - low fuel consumption better safety, but fast enough for a bit of fun.

Nothing like a good old Honda Varadero :D
 
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