Recommend electric folding scooter for end of commute (Mod Note Post #1)

eagerv

Article in today's Irish Times:


https://www.irishtimes.com/news/consumer/electric-scooters-could-save-time-and-money-but-they-remain-illegal-1.3832654

beauf

Overheal wrote: »

They don’t have bike reflectors on them?

Good picture here.

https://electric.travel/electric-scooters/xiaomi-mi-365-electric-scooter-review/

Overheal

Seems apropos to me

cojomo2

beauf wrote: »

See them all over. Phoenix park at night no lights, back country roads no lights. City all over. They think that toy light on the rear is enough. It isn't.

I see the same with bicycles. Scooters aren't the problem, its the riders that choose to ignore common sense.

beauf

cojomo2 wrote: »

....
I see the same with bicycles. Scooters aren't the problem, its the riders that choose to ignore common sense.

It's a legal requirement for bicycles. Hardly ever enforced.

Anyway my point is if people think the inbuilt little light on the back is good enough. It definitely isn't.

Overheal

beauf wrote: »

It's a legal requirement for bicycles. Hardly ever enforced.

Anyway my point is if people think the inbuilt little light on the back is good enough. It definitely isn't.

It is street legal though in the vast majority of cases. Just can't go screaming around country bends at night.

beauf

Lol Street legal...

Overheal

beauf wrote: »

Lol Street legal...

Welp, the reflector is. It can be applied to a bicycle.

beauf

My point is its a pin prick of light way out of the line of sight and invisible if you have to see it against on coming headlights.
Everytime I've encountered one of these scooters, at night on an unlit road, against traffic its been almost impossible to see.
Yes just like cyclists who do the same thing. But I suspect many scooter riders haven't experience of cycling on the roads.

SteM

Anyone who picked up the Kugoo S1 have an update? Are you happy with it so far? I'm really thinking of picking one up soon.

quarryman

Hit the the 1k KM mark yesterday....

quarryman

SteM wrote: »

Anyone who picked up the Kugoo S1 have an update? Are you happy with it so far? I'm really thinking of picking one up soon.

That scooter looks almost identical to my Zoom Stryder except for half the price!

And my Zoom was worth the money so the Kugoo definitely is IMO.

Markcheese

beauf wrote: »

It's has a tiny back light. Very low to the ground. On dark road against oncoming traffic they are invisible from behind.

Get a helmet with a built in back light... At least its at the right height... 😀

SteM

I was cycling in traffic from Fleet Street through the bottom of D'Oiler Street onto Townsend Street this morning, we had the lights. I saw a lad on a scooter coming out from Hawkins Street, where the Luas comes from, through a red light and he couldn't seem to stop the scooter (or didn't realise until the last second that he was going to break a read light and go out into heavy traffic). The look of panic on his face as he jumped off it and tried to grab it as it went into traffic was scary.

Markcheese

SteM wrote: »

I was cycling in traffic from Fleet Street through the bottom of D'Oiler Street onto Townsend Street this morning, we had the lights. I saw a lad on a scooter coming out from Hawkins Street, where the Luas comes from, through a red light and he couldn't seem to stop the scooter (or didn't realise until the last second that he was going to break a read light and go out into heavy traffic). The look of panic on his face as he jumped off it and tried to grab it as it went into traffic was scary.

To be honest, that's more or less the same with a bicycle... (If you havent really ridden one before),
I kinda wish most people riding a bike had to do a half day training course before they were unleashed on busy city streets.. Just things like road position, signals, safety, and how to not cycle like a tit...

antodeco

SteM wrote: »

Anyone who picked up the Kugoo S1 have an update? Are you happy with it so far? I'm really thinking of picking one up soon.

Using mine daily. No issues at all with it. I upgraded the rear wheel to a pnuematic tyre and made a massive difference!

...Ghost...

Big improvements on an electric scooter would be:

(1) Bigger back light. The back lights are pathetic. The entire mudguard should be a back light. Would be a lot safer.

(2) Side repeaters. Put these on the handle bars with ergonomic spring switch.

(3) Manual cruise control. On the M365, you have to maintain the same speed for a number of seconds before c/c kicks in. This makes it much harder to signal right (because the throttle is on the right and needs to be held down).

(3) Twist throttle. Miles better than the thumb throttles they use.

site_owner

Watch out... Garda crack down underway it seems

https://m.facebook.com/groups/328007928040192/permalink/375551593285825/

Casshern88

Looks like there is a craic down at moment in Dublin city center on these hearing lots of reports of gaurds taking them even the variety than need a kick start to begin.

I think they are great, I don't have one my self but was thinking of purchasing a xiaomi 365 or k1 but with this recent news I think I will have to hold off. I dont fancy the headache of getting one confiscated after spending a few 100 quid on one.

I'm actually in Thailand on holiday at moment and have seen scooters left all over main citys which can be used on a pay as you go basis and you unlock through a app. This service is also common in European city's as far as I know.

Typical of Ireland to be years behind the rest of world on things like this. Hopefully we get some solid news on this soon

quarryman

site_owner wrote: »

Watch out... Garda crack down underway it seems

https://m.facebook.com/groups/328007928040192/permalink/375551593285825/

Link doesn’t work. Requires log in.

beauf

quarryman wrote: »

...
Link doesn’t work. Requires log in.

Basically someone with Electric Scooter Kugoo S1 riding in a cycle lane stopped by Garda and scooter seized. €125 release fine. Something about tax and insurance also but unclear. Claim mono wheel (unicycle) stopped also.

antodeco

I've gone passed Gardai on mine and hasn't been an issue (without jinxing it). But in fairness, I normally throw my foot down and scoot along if going passed people, as it's safer. Straight down the canal off the road, I'll scoot straight along. Going passed people etc I'll slow down and scoot my foot along.

Also, I will say that always take these stories with a pinch of salt. Messing about and going through lights will 100% get the attention of the Gardai.

In the story they also say they pulled someone over who was riding a unicycle. I've never seen a unicycle on the roads!

beauf

antodeco wrote: »

...

In the story they also say they pulled someone over who was riding a unicycle. I've never seen a unicycle on the roads!

I think they meant electric Mono Wheel/Unicycle. I've seen a few of them in city center. Fairly rapid.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STxpbFtIAHI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VDuW8MnRkA

...Ghost...

site_owner wrote: »

Watch out... Garda crack down underway it seems

https://m.facebook.com/groups/328007928040192/permalink/375551593285825/

The guy from goosed.ie made it clearer saying "He was stopped by a Garda when riding in a bicycle lane on the Templeogue Road, near the Terenure Library. The Garda had parked his motorbike in the bicycle lane and had already stopped a rider of an electric unicycle.".

Full article here

I am guilty of not wearing a helmet myself, but then cyclists are not required to either, so I disagree with the authors view on grounds for seizures (not wearing PPE).

Johnboy1951

I disagree with the premise that pushing to start is a reason the device cannot be classed as an MPV.

Are there, or were there, any other vehicles that required manual intervention to start, but yet are/were classed as MPVs?

What about a real light scooter or such, with a kick start and no electric start?
Should they not both be under the same regulation?

...Ghost...

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

I disagree with the premise that pushing to start is a reason the device cannot be classed as an MPV.

Are there, or were there, any other vehicles that required manual intervention to start, but yet are/were classed as MPVs?

What about a real light scooter or such, with a kick start and no electric start?
Should they not both be under the same regulation?

The difference between an e-scooter and a scooter/bike with a kick start is the former needs to achieve a minimum speed by manual propulsion before the motor will engage.

As this thread has shown, there are polar views on the subject. What we urgently need is clarification.

The interesting thing is that of all the seizures I am aware of, it has always been a Garda on a motorbike.

Johnboy1951

...Ghost... wrote: »

The difference between an e-scooter and a scooter/bike with a kick start is the former needs to achieve a minimum speed by manual propulsion before the motor will engage.

Yes, about walking pace.
Scooters/bikes can be started in that manner also ...... so a scooter without a kick start would comply as well as an e-scooter?

The difficulty in clarification is that it is as likely to warrant MPV classification as not, which would effectively ban them.

What is required is a real

As this thread has shown, there are polar views on the subject. What we urgently need is clarification.

The interesting thing is that of all the seizures I am aware of, it has always been a Garda on a motorbike.

...Ghost...

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

Yes, about walking pace.
Scooters/bikes can be started in that manner also ...... so a scooter without a kick start would comply as well as an e-scooter?
l

No.

Cars can also be started with a push, but unless there is a mechanical fault, the engine keeps running and the car can move off again under the power of the engine alone. This is not the case with the majority of e-scooters. Once you come to a stop, you need to manually push off before the motor will engage. If you were able to get moving again after coming to a stop, it would be an mpv under the current definition.

cojomo2

https://news.escoot.ie/stopped-by-garda-on-my-m365/

Garda stops M365 and acknowledges its not an MPV after closer inspection.

beauf

...Ghost... wrote: »

No.

Cars can also be started with a push, but unless there is a mechanical fault, the engine keeps running and the car can move off again under the power of the engine alone. This is not the case with the majority of e-scooters. Once you come to a stop, you need to manually push off before the motor will engage. If you were able to get moving again after coming to a stop, it would be an mpv under the current definition.

You mean the way a car need you to push the accelerator to get a car moving, or put it into gear using a clutch. It won't move on its own. So its not a MPV either. The engine will stop if it has stop start. Same with electric cars. Same with petrol powered bicycles or non Pedelac eBikes.

Only scooters are different. Makes perfect sense....not.