Now, I need some of these....
TreeHugger links to a nicely done faux-ticket to put on SUVs. Anyone have a recent real ticket for the Bay Area, so I could Photoshop-together a restyled version that would look appropriate for the locals? I'd love to make up a stash of these, stick magnets on the back, and slap them on the SUVs stopped at stoplights when I'm out riding my cough 60mpg scooter. Too bad I so rarely lane split, imagine how many vehicles I could tag at a busy intersection!
It mentions that 1 in 15 vehicles (I presume, in the UK) are SUVs. Sure seems higher around here.
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Comments
Interesting thing.
A BMW 650 motorcycle gets an even higher gas mileage than your 50 cc scooter. And it's a hoot to ride. :-)
Posted by: Jim Wang | July 18, 2006 03:59 PM
Yeah, I don't doubt it. I've had it variously explained to me that the 50cc size is a little too small to be as efficient as it should be to the task.
I'm sure a 650 is more fun to ride, but I'm still grappling with the safety concerns. With 50ccs, it's hard to make any decisions that you'll end up regretting - you just can't go that fast. OTOH, it's hard to beat the traffic if the traffic decides to be antagonistic.
Right now, I'm kind of hoping for Vespa to hurry up with their hybrid - if you could get much better mileage, plug-in/electric-only usages(at least for entering and leaving residential neighborhoods at night), and also improve the mileage, without having to be all-electric and dealing with the implicit range limits, I'm all for it.
Posted by: bp | July 22, 2006 11:27 AM
On a motorcycle, I always wear gear - full face helmet, jacket, boots, and gloves at the least. Pants if I'm feeling ambitious that day. With a scooter, you have the idea that you can just hop on and go.
I'm actually of the opinion that more horses is safer, not less.
You have the brakes and power to squirt out of bad situations. Also, the larger wheels prevent you from getting cause in rain grooves or potholes.
Also, what are your opinions on hybrids? Consumer reports said that you could never hit the break even point on a hybrid, due to lower resale costs and higher purchase prices. Also, have they figured out a good way to recycle NiMH batteries?
Posted by: Jim Wang | July 28, 2006 10:36 AM