Does anyone have any experience keeping one of those cute little gas-powered scooters on board as shore transportation? It might be a practical way to get around when you come into a strange new area. You can get a seat and cargo basket for one and they have large tires for climbing up rough boat-yard driveways.... They are not significantly more expensive than a folding bicycle and look like a lot of fun (if responsibly handled by adults). It won't be too heavy (30 lbs) or too awkward to store and unload-- they fold up to about the size of a folding stroller. And if you have an outboard you've already got the right fuel on board for it. (Might be a good way to get the kids to run errands too.) I wonder if anyone would like to share ideas or experiences. JC 2
Scooters
- Thread starter jcherubini
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I have thought the same thing
Those little scooters would be great to get around on. I have done some checking on them, they will go about 30 and cost about $600, and like you said they fold up very small! Real Neat!
Those little scooters would be great to get around on. I have done some checking on them, they will go about 30 and cost about $600, and like you said they fold up very small! Real Neat!
Ther're great,
Lots of fun to ride, and would probable work well as you describe. I, too, looked into them. Biggest "But" is that many of the components on them will rust if the scooter is kept on a boat. You will have spent $600 for a cool toy that in a year's time will be a hunk of rust (or you will have to frequently try to coat it with anti-rust stuff, which probable will still be only partially effective). I finally decided to go w/ folding bikes.... but I still (secretly) want a scooter.
Lots of fun to ride, and would probable work well as you describe. I, too, looked into them. Biggest "But" is that many of the components on them will rust if the scooter is kept on a boat. You will have spent $600 for a cool toy that in a year's time will be a hunk of rust (or you will have to frequently try to coat it with anti-rust stuff, which probable will still be only partially effective). I finally decided to go w/ folding bikes.... but I still (secretly) want a scooter.
Maybe This
Try this site http://www.edgesports.net/html/bike_engines.html- looks like they have bikes designed for marine use. No experience. A friend used a motor kit to power a bike and as far as I know never had a problem.
Try this site http://www.edgesports.net/html/bike_engines.html- looks like they have bikes designed for marine use. No experience. A friend used a motor kit to power a bike and as far as I know never had a problem.
Bike for Starters
What are these scooters everybody is talking about? Is there a link available? Last fall I bought a Honda NC50 (moped circa early 1980) and had thoughts of straping it to the push pit and using it for ground transportation. After lifting it a few times and visiting a bike shop this spring I decided to buy an aluminum frame mountain bike. The bike has a full-size aluminum frame with quick release on the seat and the two wheels. The frame fits easily in the lazarette and I throw an old blanket over it and spot the two wheels on each side. It assembles or brakes down in a couple minutes. Materials are aluminum and rust resistant alloys and cost was $265 (Raleigh SC40) I've ridden all over the place in Vancouver BC, Victoria, Pender Harbor, Sidney, Olympia WA, etc. this summer visiting places I would never had gone to otherwise. No gas required, no starting problems, no parking problems (most major grocery stores and shopping centers seem to have bike racks). In communities with more forward-looking public transit facilities one can even transport it on a local bus. In places where roads get really tight and the traffic is bad one can often take to the sidewalk without raising the ire of the police. A lot of communities here are really pushing "non-motorized" transportation so bike travel is really improving quickly. Our county is paving all shoulders whenever the road is resurfaced which is really adding to the availability of safe bike routes. http://www.kitsapgov.com/pw/bikeplan.htm Bike tours in Kitsap County is really big and getting bigger. Last spring there were over 3,000 cyclists from the Seattle side that came over on one weekend. There were so many they charted a ferry which held about 1,000 cyclists. When I talked to some of the cyclists they said this was one of their favorite areas to tour. Map of planned main bike routes in Kitsap County WA: see link below. Don't mean this to be a bike vs. scooter post as they both serve a purpose and fulfill a need for transportation and provide the ability to travel beyond where one can reasonably walk.
What are these scooters everybody is talking about? Is there a link available? Last fall I bought a Honda NC50 (moped circa early 1980) and had thoughts of straping it to the push pit and using it for ground transportation. After lifting it a few times and visiting a bike shop this spring I decided to buy an aluminum frame mountain bike. The bike has a full-size aluminum frame with quick release on the seat and the two wheels. The frame fits easily in the lazarette and I throw an old blanket over it and spot the two wheels on each side. It assembles or brakes down in a couple minutes. Materials are aluminum and rust resistant alloys and cost was $265 (Raleigh SC40) I've ridden all over the place in Vancouver BC, Victoria, Pender Harbor, Sidney, Olympia WA, etc. this summer visiting places I would never had gone to otherwise. No gas required, no starting problems, no parking problems (most major grocery stores and shopping centers seem to have bike racks). In communities with more forward-looking public transit facilities one can even transport it on a local bus. In places where roads get really tight and the traffic is bad one can often take to the sidewalk without raising the ire of the police. A lot of communities here are really pushing "non-motorized" transportation so bike travel is really improving quickly. Our county is paving all shoulders whenever the road is resurfaced which is really adding to the availability of safe bike routes. http://www.kitsapgov.com/pw/bikeplan.htm Bike tours in Kitsap County is really big and getting bigger. Last spring there were over 3,000 cyclists from the Seattle side that came over on one weekend. There were so many they charted a ferry which held about 1,000 cyclists. When I talked to some of the cyclists they said this was one of their favorite areas to tour. Map of planned main bike routes in Kitsap County WA: see link below. Don't mean this to be a bike vs. scooter post as they both serve a purpose and fulfill a need for transportation and provide the ability to travel beyond where one can reasonably walk.
Gas Scooters Suck...
gas, stink and make noise (like jetskis). Small two-stroke engines are the most inefficient and worst polluting motors ever devised by man. However, rechargable, electric scooters are quiet, non-polluting, and very cool. Check out the link below:
gas, stink and make noise (like jetskis). Small two-stroke engines are the most inefficient and worst polluting motors ever devised by man. However, rechargable, electric scooters are quiet, non-polluting, and very cool. Check out the link below:
Di Blasi - works well for me.
The small Di Blassi works well for me. It's small enough I can keep it below, it folds up to a very small package. Corrosion so far hasn’t been a problem, but there are plenty of metal bits that could rust if it were left uncovered on deck. They do offer the "MARINER" which has stainless steel bits, although mine is the standard model-I've had it about 5 years now. I keep fuel preservative in it, it always starts and hauls my ample 6'2" frame around with no trouble. It's not cheap. Link is below.
The small Di Blassi works well for me. It's small enough I can keep it below, it folds up to a very small package. Corrosion so far hasn’t been a problem, but there are plenty of metal bits that could rust if it were left uncovered on deck. They do offer the "MARINER" which has stainless steel bits, although mine is the standard model-I've had it about 5 years now. I keep fuel preservative in it, it always starts and hauls my ample 6'2" frame around with no trouble. It's not cheap. Link is below.
Go-Ped
I think the gas scooters referred to are called Go-Peds. I looked into one a while back as an alternative to diving the the train station. It is basically an old-fashioned type(but modern construction) scooter that has a small 2 stroke engine attached to the rear. The motor drives a spindle that rotates against the rear wheel. They are pretty noisey, but I think you can get better mufflers. I know there are several models, including an automatic transmission (the engine on the regular stops when the rear wheel stops; start it by paddling the scotter skate-board style) and an off-road model with fat tires and shocks. They all fold up into a pretty small package. Top speed is 20-25 MPH I think they have parts like a seat and trail too, which might be handy when shopping in-port. I think they are cool (it does have a certian novelty and geek factor), but if you are considering this, just remember that they are not legal to operate in public places in many areas. New York state specifically forbids them from operation on public streets. Brad
I think the gas scooters referred to are called Go-Peds. I looked into one a while back as an alternative to diving the the train station. It is basically an old-fashioned type(but modern construction) scooter that has a small 2 stroke engine attached to the rear. The motor drives a spindle that rotates against the rear wheel. They are pretty noisey, but I think you can get better mufflers. I know there are several models, including an automatic transmission (the engine on the regular stops when the rear wheel stops; start it by paddling the scotter skate-board style) and an off-road model with fat tires and shocks. They all fold up into a pretty small package. Top speed is 20-25 MPH I think they have parts like a seat and trail too, which might be handy when shopping in-port. I think they are cool (it does have a certian novelty and geek factor), but if you are considering this, just remember that they are not legal to operate in public places in many areas. New York state specifically forbids them from operation on public streets. Brad
Gas scooters
Small two-cycle gas engines may be theoretically inefficient, but they're most of our outboard engines, dirt bikes, snowmobiles, chainsaws, and jetskis-- and even more widespread in Europe. The reality is that even with such deficient techinology the 2-cycle scooter gets phenomenal gas mileage-- 50 miles to the litre or 3-1/2 to 4 times the best mini-econobox car out there. The kids in my neighbourhood drive them up and down the street all the time. At first I thought they were maniacs who need to be locked up but after observation I realised they were simply pragmatic-minded kids using their transport pretty responsibly (right side of the road, looking both ways, yielding to traffic, etc.). I have no doubt that in more urban areas the inherent risks involved with increasing numbers of young people using these things will soon separate the morons from the responsible ones. Fear is a practical teacher. I'd commend any teenager who got himself to school every day on something like this. We've already got several experienced MoPed riders now where I teach. The one I am considering is the Cobra which seems technologically superior to any of the others I have seen and is less than $100 more than the apparent junk. Check it out. As for keeping it on board I think I would opt for some kind of zip-up bag for a variety of reasons. You could keep a few large bags of desiccant in it if you cared to minimise rust. JC 2
Small two-cycle gas engines may be theoretically inefficient, but they're most of our outboard engines, dirt bikes, snowmobiles, chainsaws, and jetskis-- and even more widespread in Europe. The reality is that even with such deficient techinology the 2-cycle scooter gets phenomenal gas mileage-- 50 miles to the litre or 3-1/2 to 4 times the best mini-econobox car out there. The kids in my neighbourhood drive them up and down the street all the time. At first I thought they were maniacs who need to be locked up but after observation I realised they were simply pragmatic-minded kids using their transport pretty responsibly (right side of the road, looking both ways, yielding to traffic, etc.). I have no doubt that in more urban areas the inherent risks involved with increasing numbers of young people using these things will soon separate the morons from the responsible ones. Fear is a practical teacher. I'd commend any teenager who got himself to school every day on something like this. We've already got several experienced MoPed riders now where I teach. The one I am considering is the Cobra which seems technologically superior to any of the others I have seen and is less than $100 more than the apparent junk. Check it out. As for keeping it on board I think I would opt for some kind of zip-up bag for a variety of reasons. You could keep a few large bags of desiccant in it if you cared to minimise rust. JC 2
We use the "manual" one.
When we go the the Vineyard, Nantucket or Block we always carry 5 scooters. Small razors for the younger and lighter set and larger one for me. The excersise is great after a long sail. Can cover lots more distance than walking and easyer to store than 5 bikes. Easy to carry on buses also. RREgge S/V Allie Kat
When we go the the Vineyard, Nantucket or Block we always carry 5 scooters. Small razors for the younger and lighter set and larger one for me. The excersise is great after a long sail. Can cover lots more distance than walking and easyer to store than 5 bikes. Easy to carry on buses also. RREgge S/V Allie Kat
Some Observations
The scooter does look interesting - especially at *only* 500 bucks. Couldn't find the weight anywhere. Another reason to keep it covered besides avoiding rust is to avoid oxidizing the aluminum. While aluminum doesn't rust (by definition) if it isn't anodized it will really oxidize in salt air. This is probably a Chinese import so I wonder if it's designed for use as regular transportation like a Vespa type scooter. If you opt for one be sure to give us a test report. I almost commented about inline skates too. In Vancouver BC there are a lot of inline skaters and what's interesting is they can do a pretty fair job of keeping up with cyclists. They use the same paths as cyclists but they are quieter and sneak up from behind easier. Skates have merrit if one sticks to hard surfaces but I don't think they'd do very well if the surface wasn't hard.
The scooter does look interesting - especially at *only* 500 bucks. Couldn't find the weight anywhere. Another reason to keep it covered besides avoiding rust is to avoid oxidizing the aluminum. While aluminum doesn't rust (by definition) if it isn't anodized it will really oxidize in salt air. This is probably a Chinese import so I wonder if it's designed for use as regular transportation like a Vespa type scooter. If you opt for one be sure to give us a test report. I almost commented about inline skates too. In Vancouver BC there are a lot of inline skaters and what's interesting is they can do a pretty fair job of keeping up with cyclists. They use the same paths as cyclists but they are quieter and sneak up from behind easier. Skates have merrit if one sticks to hard surfaces but I don't think they'd do very well if the surface wasn't hard.
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