Segway? Motorcycle? - Page 5

brunoffrance · 05-15-2008, 03:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Foiled Again

So cost of gas/diesel is only going to get worse.

Thinking about something economical to drive around town.

Anyone out there actually own a Segway? How far can you go on a single charge? Weight limits? What about traffic.... I think you'd be required to "walk it" through intersections like a bike. Ideas? Practical or a toy?

OK other choice would be a small Honda Motorcycle.

I want something I can load in the bed of my truck.

Paula

If your choice is turning to a car and if you're only two, the BEST choice in economic and safety car is made in France and sold in USA, engine is made by Mercedes-benz and it's a SMART:

see the US web site : smart USA - open your mind to the car that challenges the status quo

I've gotten one in cabriolet version

Bruno.

DFDureiko · 05-23-2008, 07:52 AM

We just bought our first Segway and will be at Bozeman. They are coming on the used market now, we got ours for 1995.00 a 2004 i167, which seems a reasonable price (as opposed to over twice as much for a new demonstrater i2). We'll get another if it works out.
Batteries, the NiMh that we have are no longer made, they can be rebuilt at a cost of 390 each, (there are 2) a new LIon set is 1600.00, this will give you 24mile range as opposed to 12 with the NiMh.
keep in mind that if you get the "off road" XT or iX, the huge knobby low pressure tires cause a 12 mile range on the LiOn batteries.
it takes about 2 min to get going on it, 10min to feel reasonably comfortable. The more you glide the better you get.
you go giding on a seg, not riding..........at least that's what people at SegwayChat call it:0
Dan

Folkie53 · 05-23-2008, 10:01 AM

We take our segways with us everywhere we camp. We have two i2's and I can put them inside the trailer for travel or safety. We have a 34 foot excella so getting them in is not a problem. The only problem I have had is everyone wanting to stop me and talk about them and how they work. You give up a certain amount of privacy with them.
Some here have called them "toys" but I use mine in the city to go shopping, get the mail, and do other tasks. There are even trailers to hitch on the back for larger loads. Rather than fire up the beast I glide along at a stately 12 mph and wave to the customers waiting to fill up at the pump. Last diesel I bought here was $4.56gal which is cheap compared to some places in the country. The Segways get, according to the factory, 656mpg. Don't know if I believe that but; I know that by useing the Segway to and from the post office I can save enough in fuel for two first class stamps. Not a lot but every little bit helps.

wagnerda · 05-23-2008, 10:05 AM

My choice is for the motorcycle, now if I could just get the weight distribution right.... The Harley with the big 96 cubic incher gets just over 40 mpg on the hwy, not sure what it will get while towing though...

I don't think my 750 lb weight bars are going to work... Maybe if I had a Hensley... I have always heard they can do wonders...

But it would be a nice looking rig coming down the road...

regards, Dave

mrmossyone · 05-23-2008, 10:48 AM

2,000-5,000 for a machine that will only go 12 mph ( my feet will beat that) with a range of 12-24 miles. Definitely different strokes. You can get a scooter for 2,000-2,500 that will do 30mph with a range of 300-500 miles ( it gets 100 mpg). Cost's less to keep it fueled than to charge the batteries on the Segway. Just my take on it, no criticism to the Segway folks.

**jcanavera** · 07-09-2008, 10:51 AM

I'm looking for a fuel efficient alternative vehicle. Here a small one line description of it. Anyone want to venture a guess??? I won't keep you in suspense long.

"pressed steel monocoque chassis"

Jack

vswingfield · 07-09-2008, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jcanavera

I'm looking for a fuel efficient alternative vehicle. Here a small one line description of it. Anyone want to venture a guess??? I won't keep you in suspense long.

"pressed steel monocoque chassis"

Jack

Hi Jack,

A Honda 50/70/90 with Earles fork?

Macfrodge · 07-09-2008, 11:26 AM

I just got an awesome Vespa GTS 250ie scooter and am very happy! Having never ridden a motorcycle before, I was hesitant to get a motorcycle. To be honest, I've always loved scooters - so Euro cool.

I'm enrolled in a MSC (safety course) and in the meantime, I'm taking it very easy, cruising around on the side streets, getting the feel for it.

One thing I'd like to mention about scooters is that for the most part, they are motorcycles. But many people don't consider them as such - they think they're more of a toy for some reason. I see people on scooters without the proper footwear or jackets etc... Do they think that if they fall off a scooter at 40mph that they're impervious to injury? Doesn't make sense.

At any rate, I believe my scoot gets something like 70mpg, which is a darn sight better than any of my other vehicles get. So we use whatever vehicle we have for the purpose it's suited for. The Jeep Liberty (about 16-20mpg) gets to cart the kids/dogs around town. The F-150 (13mpg?) gets the honor of pulling the beautiful Airstream as well as hauling carpet rolls and tile boxes for the business. The wee Honda Civic si satisfies my husband's need for speed while sucking less gas (20-30mpg?). And the new scoot (her name is Gigi) is for my commute to work once I get more confident on the bigger streets.

We need a bigger driveway though...!

**jcanavera** · 07-09-2008, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Macfrodge

I just got an awesome Vespa GTS 250ie scooter and am very happy!
We need a bigger driveway though...!

Bingo!

This is Vespa's 200 cc version that I'm looking at. Just like yours other than you have 50 more cc's, fuel injection, and a metal rack on the back. I drove it yesterday at the local Vespa dealer. These little guys have become hot property and his sales are up over 35% this year. I just called for an insurance quote and Foremost told me $15.25 monthly. Add 70 mpg to that and this becomes an interesting alternative....and yes that quote earlier regarding the monocoque chasis was for this...

With a ramp I could get this in the back of the van. It would be a nice campground companion to scout out the local area.

http://www.vespausa.com/Products/GT.cfm

Jack

vswingfield · 07-09-2008, 11:41 AM

The Vespas really are getting popular.

As for the Honda I guessed, I saw a tourcoise 70 like the 50 at this link http://vaiden.net/the_honda_50_2.jpg recently here in Little Rock. It looked absolutely new. I had always been garaged. It was attracting more attention than one of those television custom choppers.

Macfrodge · 07-09-2008, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jcanavera

Bingo!

This is Vespa's 200 cc version that I'm looking at. Just like yours other than you have 50 more cc's, fuel injection, and a metal rack on the back. I drove it yesterday at the local Vespa dealer. These little guys have become hot property and his sales are up over 35% this year. I just called for an insurance quote and Foremost told me $15.25 monthly. Add 70 mpg to that and this becomes an interesting alternative....and yes that quote earlier regarding the monocoque chasis was for this...

With a ramp I could get this in the back of the van. It would be a nice campground companion to scout out the local area.

Vespa Granturismo 200

Jack

Great-looking scoot! Are you going to get the grey one? I'm not sure how much cooler we could get, seeing as we're already Airstream owners... But it doesn't hurt, right?

And your insurance quote is insanely low, compared with what I've been quoted up here in Canada. The lowest quote I've gotten is $35/month, but most of the quotes came out at about double that. (my driving record is spotless btw, so I can't use that as an excuse for the higher prices...!).

Foiled Again · 07-09-2008, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vswingfield

The Vespas really are getting popular.

As for the Honda I guessed, I saw a tourcoise 70 like the 50 at this link http://vaiden.net/the_honda_50_2.jpg recently here in Little Rock. It looked absolutely new. I had always been garaged. It was attracting more attention than one of those television custom choppers.

Unfortunately I am old enough to remember when that Honda 50 WAS new. My mother nearly had a cow when I bought a used Honda 160 two years later so I could go back and forth to college (Kent State University which was six miles away). The principal of my high school saw me on it once, gave me the famous "I know she's sold her soul to Satan" look - and never spoke to me again. Of course since I'd always thought he was the south end of a north bound horse, it wasn't a terrible loss to me.

This shows you how much things have changed - in 1966, the year I bought my scooter it was a scandal for a woman to ride a motorcycle. I became a "biker chick" on a HONDA... what a joke.

As I recall the "50" got almost 200 mpg - and it's top speed was 35 mph... or of course 32ft per second per second accelleration due to gravity if you drove it off a cliff!

Fond memories....

Paula

vswingfield · 07-09-2008, 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Foiled Again

This shows you how much things have changed - in 1966, the year I bought my scooter it was a scandal for a woman to ride a motorcycle. I became a "biker chick" on a HONDA... what a joke.

Fond memories....

Paula

Hi Paula,

Remember, "You meet the nicest people on a Honda."

I remember when they were new, too.

Wish you could have seen that 70 in person. Even the seat was perfect, including the white sides.

**jcanavera** · 07-09-2008, 05:40 PM

We used to be able to rent the Honda 50's back in the late 60's. I think they sold for about $300 or so. $5.00 an hour to rent. No motor cycle license requried. They showed you how to drive it and off you went. That was the last thing I had ridden up until last weekend when I tried out a Honda Silver Wing, and yesterday's Vespa.

Jack