Josh Ilott and his team at Ride Scooters are pleased to announce that we are moving our scooter machine shop to  Victoria. Expert tuner, Josh Ilott, is a well-known and respected name in the Canadian scooter industry for over 15 years. He and his team are trained and experienced in modern automatics to vintage classics and everything in between. Ride Scooters is the name behind countless show-winning restorations and currently holds the coveted title of ‘fastest scooter in Canada’ (0-100kmph in 5.88 seconds). Josh’s work is a staple in the private collections of serious Scooter enthusiasts.

Ride Scooters will be open for business on March 1^st, 2012. From mild to wild, Ride Scooters offers dependable, knowledgeable and personalized service in the BEST tooled scooter machine shop in Canada.

Services offered:

·      Regular service to all makes and models, automatic to classic

·      Economy tuning

·      Machine shop services (cylinder porting, nikasil re-plating, aluminum welding, boring, honing, crank building, etc.)

·      Super tuning  (nitrous conversions, reed conversions, component lightening and more)

·      Concours restorations and custom work

·      Quality parts

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jBvaa7GlVo

Contact ridescooters@gmail.com for more information.

Miles then approached the folks at eZee Bike Canada who agreed to set him up with an eZee Torq electric bicycle, several batteries, and chargers which would be required for his long distance trip. The eZee bikes have proven their endurance in Africa on the Katima to Cape ride in 2009 and the folks at eZee were eager to test their product on a grueling ride in Canadian conditions where hills, cold & wet weather, and heavier loads were going to be encountered.

Miles will be blogging on http://blog.ezeebike.ca Follow his progress and check out one of his musical dates.

Code: 7VXAHGCCEZUZ

This is an electric bicycle. Electric bicycles are usually based on traditional bicycle designs but they incorporate a battery pack, controller, and an electric hub motor on the front wheel, rear wheel, or both wheels.The electric bike can function pretty well as a bicycle even without having any battery power. If you want a bit of exercise, just turn off the power or leave the battery at home for a charge. Storage is usually accomplished by the rider wearing a backpack or attaching saddle bags, bungee cords, or other storage device to the rear carrier (panniers). Electric bicycles typically do not incorporate built-in alarm systems. In most jurisdictions, they are treated just like bicycles and they are allowed on bike lanes and commuter trails. Electric bicycles are available in a wide range of prices. Our advise: Unless you are spending at least $1,500US, stay away from electric bikes.

This is an electric scooter. Electric scooters look like their gas scooter cousins except they are battery powered. Virtually all electric scooters have much smaller wheel diameters than electric bikes. They are designed as “twist n’ go” so that you just have to turn the throttle. They make lousy bicycles and the pedals are really for emergency use only.Most electric scooters have lockable and waterproof storage under the seat. Many electric scooter models have a built-in alarm and immobilizer to prevent theft. The electric scooter offers a bit of protection from rain and wind. Depending on the jurisdiction, the electric scooter may encounter more restrictions than the electric bicycle. To date, most electric scooters seen in North America have been Chinese imports and are at the lower end of the quality spectrum.

How do you choose between an electric bicycle and an electric scooter?

Let me point out some pros and cons, and some personal biases. From there, you can decide which fits your needs better.

Electric bike pros

• Much like the bicycle you grew up riding but a bit heavier due to the battery pack and motor
• Often have high quality bicycle gears and brakes form companies like Shimano and Magura
• Many of the parts are readily available at bicycle stores
• Two main propulsion technologies to choose from:
  • Pedelec = rider pedals. Motor input is only activated while pedaling. It feels like cycling with “tail wind”
  • E-Bike = Motor input is activated by turning a handlebar throttle
• We find that, on average, the quality and ease of maintenance of electric bikes is better than electric scooters
• No license or insurance required in most jurisdictions (subject to speed and wattage)
• Treated just like a bicycle for access to bike lanes and commuter trails
• ease of service and replacement parts
• large tires are usually better on rougher surfaces and trails
• no plastic panels to damage in the event of a mishap

Electric Scooter Pros

• very low seat height and step-through clearance
• provides some protection from rain and wind
• USUALLY does not require a license or insurance (subject to speed and wattage)
• USUALLY allowed on bike lanes and commuter trails
• often has a built in alarm system and steering lock
• has lockable, waterproof storage under the seat
• often has a rear cargo box for additional lockable storage
• simple “twist ‘n go” operation
• small tires are very maneuverable

At this point, I have a bias toward electric bicycles over electric scooters. They are a more bulletproof design and many brands, such as the eZee bike, Sanyo eneloop, a2B, and kits by eZeebike and Bionx, are of superb quality with widely available replacement part components.

Here is a customer comment expressing his preference for an electric bike:

“I like the fact that I can ride to work using plenty of “assist” so that I don`t arrive at the office all sweaty. This is particularly appreciated by my co-workers since we do not have showers at work. On the way home, when I want to get a work out, I can use less assist or none at all and get some much needed exercise. With the electric scooter, it must be driven in `twist n`go`mode all the time since pedaling is more of a cruel hoax on these babies. The versatility makes the electric bicycle a preferred choice in my opinion.”

There are probably many customers out there who will give you a great counterpoint argument for the electric scooter.

Hope this helps.

Please leave your comments! Very helpful to the electric bike community!

Motorcycle and Scooter Battery Maintenance

Your scooter or motorcycle battery is one of those maintenance items that should be checked on a regular basis so that your ride is ready to start and perform the way you expect. If you are leaving your scooter or motorcycle for any period greater than a couple of weeks without riding, it’s a good idea to get a battery tender to keep your battery in optimal condition.

Scooter or Motorcycle Battery Basics

12-volt batteries are not really 12 volts. Twelve volts is just a nominal, convenient term used to distinguish one battery from another. A fully-charged 12-volt battery, allowed to “rest” for a few hours (or days) with no load being drawn from it (or charge going to it), will balance out its charge and measure about 12.6 volts between terminals.

When a battery reads only 12 volts under the above conditions, it’s almost fully depleted. Actually, if a battery’s resting voltage is only 12.0 to 12.1 it means only 20 to 25% of its useful energy remains. It’s either a goner or it has been deep cycled, and a battery can only be deep-cycled a limited number of times before it is indeed dead.

12-volt batteries supply useful energy only through a limited range — from over 14 volts (when fully charged and unrested) down to 10.5 volts in use/under load (when lights dim, your motorcycle is hard to start). No 12-volt battery will remain at over 14 volts for more than seconds unless it’s being charged. The lowest limit is 10.5 volts (used in testing) and obviously unsatisfactory in practical use.

NOTES: Keep in mind that listed voltages are “Resting” Volts.
Table Courtesy of www.TotalMotorcycle.com

Maintaining Your Battery

If your scooter or motorcycle will not start, you usually do not have to look much further than the battery for the source of the problem. A little checking and periodic maintenance goes a long way. Many riders are deterred because on some scooters and motorcycles, the battery can be in an awkward location to readily access – time to get out the manual.

A few minutes of monthly maintenance will keep your battery working perfectly and also help to ensure a long battery life. Keep the battery charged to 100%, recharging when the lights dim, your horn sounds wimpy, the starter sounds weak, or the battery hasn’t been used in more than two weeks.

Here’s a good simple battery maintenance procedure:

Monthly battery maintenance will extend battery life and will make sure your motorcycle or scooter will be ready to start when you want to go.

Step 1

Put on  rubber gloves and protective glasses or goggles

Step 2

Removing the battery from the scooter begins by spraying the battery with battery cleaner such as Krylon #1336.

Using your screwdriver, disconnect the negative (-) wire on the battery first. Remove the positive wire (+) and remove the battery strap or belt. Pull the battery out SLOWLY, so the overflow tube does not catch.

Step 3

Take the disconnected battery to a clean space and place the battery on some newspaper. Clean the battery top to keep free of dirt and grime prior to opening the caps on the battery chambers. If the terminals are corroded, take a wire brush and brush them clean, wipe filings and dirt away with a dry cloth. Spray battery cleaner onto a lint free cloth and wipe the terminals.

Step 4

If the overflow tube appears dirty, kinked, or clogged, remove the overflow tube and clean it by spraying battery cleaner through the tube. Run the tube under hot running water until it’s clean. Used compressed air to blow out the water and re-attach.

Step 5

Check the fluid (electrolyte) level in each chamber. On the front of the battery, see the fill level in each cell; they should all be just below the “High” fill line. If they appear lower than this level on a flat surface, you should fill them up. To fill the cells, pull off the filler cap for that cell with a pair of needlenose pliers. Most filler caps pull straight out; however, some are threaded, so twist them in the direction marked first. Look inside for excessive sediment, and sulfation. Top up only with distilled or deionized water (NOT TAP WATER). Tap water has minerals which will reduce battery effectiveness and life. Replace the filler caps.

Step 6

If your battery was severely discharged for some reason (signals not working, horn quiet or tail light not coming on when the key is turned), charge it up with a motorcycle battery charger (never more than a 2 amp charger). Make sure you have the charger set on the correct voltage for your battery (6 volt or 12 volt). Also check the fuse in the your bike while the battery is out. The fuse is usually held in a clip-on holder on the left-hand side of the battery platform. If the fuse is blown, replace it before installing the battery. Check for any rust or corrosion inside or outside the fuseholder. If it is corroded replace the fuseholder without delay.

Step 7

Re-install the battery in the reverse order or removal making sure that the overflow tube goes back in the correct position. Check cables, clamps, and case for obvious damage or loose connections. If the rubber strap is broken, replace it. If the wires to the battery are corroded, clean them with that wire brush and carb cleaner. If you need to replace a battery connector, get a similar one from you local scooter or motorcycle shop.

Finish up by testing the battery with either a hydrometer or voltmeter if you have these available

Battery Storage

Storage can be hard on batteries. In fact, non-use can leave them unable to hold a charge.

Store your scooter or motorcycle in a place that is always above freezing temperatture. If your bike is outside remove the battery from your bike and store it in a location that is always warmer than freezing. This will insure that your battery does not freeze and crack.

If you remove the battery from your bike DO NOT store it on a concrete or metal surface, place the battery on a wood or other non-conductive surface. Batteries stored on concrete or metal will discharge over time.

Place a charger on your battery. Trickle charge your battery at least once a month with a quality battery tender. A battery that is fully charged will have a longer life.

Safety when working with your Scooter or Motorcycle Battery

Always wear a face shield or safety goggles.

Wear rubber gloves to prevent acid burns. An apron or smock will protect your clothes.

If you accidentally get battery acid in the eyes, flush for several minutes with water and seek immediate medical attention.

If you get battery acid on your skin, flush with water or a mixture of water and baking soda.

Clean up acid spills immediately using a water and baking soda solution to neutralize (1 lb. baking soda in 1 gallon of water).

Battery Charging Safety

Properly connect the charger to the battery: positive charger lead to positive battery post and negative charger lead to negative battery post. Unplug the charger or turn it off before you disconnect the leads, which will cut down on the chance of sparks.( + or red is  positive and – or black is negative.)

Charge your battery in a well ventilated area. A buildup of hydrogen and oxygen in the battery or in the charging area can create an explosion hazard.
If the battery feels hot to the touch during charging, STOP. Allow the battery to cool before charging again. Heat damages the plates, and a battery that is too hot can explode.
Make sure the vent tube isn’t kinked or blocked. Otherwise, gases could build up and explode.

ABSOLUTELY NO SMOKING, SPARKS OR FLAMES AROUND CHARGING BATTERIES. Charging gives off hydrogen and oxygen, which explode if ignited.

Interesting diagram shows the impact areas on crash-involved motorcycle helmets.

(Source: Dietmar Otte, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Abteilung Verkehrsunfallforschung, Germany.)

Note that 35% of all crashes showed major impact on the chin-bar area. This means that if you ride with an open-face helmet, you are accepting only 65% of the protection that could be available to your head.
If people ride with a shorty or half helmet, they are accepting only 39% of the protection they could obtain. They are literally throwing away 61% of the protection they would have had had they chosen a full-face helmet.

At Scooter Underground we always recommend a full face helmet as your main helmet, especially the one you may be using for daily commuting.

A recent study by the Seattle-based Sightline Institute shows that in 2009 British Columbia binged on fuel consumption. Per capita gas consumption rose by 10% – the highest year-over-year consumption increase in the last 30 years.

Rationalize this in any way you want, it just shows that British Columbians, by and large, just don’t seem to give a damn about the environment and conservation. The economy goes into a bit of a dive, gas prices get cheap, and we just give up on more fuel efficient means of transportation.

A couple of years ago, the economy was good and gas prices were high. Scooter and electric bike sales were skyrocketing. You would like to think this was due to a heightened awareness and caring for the environment but now, seeing the 2009 figures, there are serious doubts. We’re still just a bunch of gas guzzling idiots as long as the price is not too high.

Thankfully, the BC government had the foresight to introduce a carbon tax. Prices may be driven to the point where people will consider conservation. One hoped that people would act based on environmental consciousness and not just economics – but 2009 gas consumption statistics show otherwise.

In the days ahead, we hope federal, provincial, and municipal governments will look at innovative measures to encourage transportation modes such as scooters and electric bikes. These are important, and somewhat overlooked transportation modes that fall in between the bicycle and the automobile. Cheaper parking, purchase incentives, allowance in HOV lanes, etc. will all help to encourage more sustainable transportation modes. We also need to get more innovative in insurance and licensing requirements.

Licensing. Scooters up to 150cc should be able to be ridden with a standard driver’s license. Currently, motorists are restricted to 50cc scooters unless they have a motorcyclist license. By doing this, the scooter would be a much more viable commuting mode for  British Columbians who need the ability to commute at up to 80 kph. It is also safer to be able to drive a scooter that is able to keep up to the traffic flow. Many scooterists buy a 50cc scooter even if they are heavy, have hilly routes, or double ride – they cannot keep up to the traffic flow, The 50cc licensing rule causes them to buy a scooter that is not as safe as a larger one that is no more difficult to ride( and still no speed demon).

Since scooters are all automatic (no gears to shift), and the brakes are just like a bicycle, they are simple and safe to ride. BC’s own accident statistics bear out that scooters are a very safe mode of transportation.

Parking. Come on people..let’s get with it. Allow a scooter to pay a small annual fee for a parking decal that allow them to park in a number of designated areas, meter, and even some sidewalk areas. Cities like Toronto and Portland have done these things with great success. And for property developers – maybe the addition of scooter parking stalls may get you a variance on the number of expensive parking spaces you have to have in your project.

Insurance must get cheaper to allow multi-modal commuting. If you have a car, you should be able to pay a small additional insurance fee to also cover a scooter as long as it is not being used at the same time as the car. We need some innovative ideas to allow commuters to be multi-modal – choosing the best tool for the job on any given day.

So what can we do to get governments to push us in the right direction?  Clearly, if  left to our own means, we’ll just keep on being a bunch of gas guzzling idiots.

As always – we invite your comments.

In an unprecedented move, CMI Motor, the Canadian Distributor for SYM and Peugeot Scooters in Canada, announced today that they will offer a 5 year warranty on any SYM or Peugeot scooter purchased between April 1, 2010 and May 31, 2010.

These have always been known as great scooter brands, but one year or two year warranties are the norm in the scooter business.

It’s no secret that 2009 was a sluggish year in the scooter business after 3 years of rapid growth. CMI is hoping to stimulate the spring 2010 selling season and instill consumer confidence with 5 year warranties.

CMI has SYM and Peugeot dealers across Canada. Details of their models and a dealer locator can be found on their websites www.symcanada.ca or www.peugeotcanada.ca

We are always on the lookout for research on the environmental impact of scooters, motorcycles, and electric bikes.  This is a very interesting article by Brad Templeton http://www.templetons.com/brad/transit-myth.html

It seems that many forms of mass transit are not very green due to both the technologies being employed and the utilization factors. For example, full buses are very green but buses that average 9 passengers are very dirty. Ditto for cars. In a carpool with 4 passengers they are pretty good but that is seldom the case.

This article provides a lot of neat statistical information based on some US data. It stimulates a lot of thought. The short story is that mass transit is good, but only if we can get the utilization up. Scooters and motorcycles are one of the greener forms of transport for commuters.

We encourage your feedback and discussion below. Come on – get involved in the discussion!

We will be conducting hands-on reviews soon so stay tuned.

Some early specs:

SYM SYMBA SPECIFICATIONS
Engine: Air-cooled 4-stroke Single cylinder
Displacement: 101.4cc (will require a motorcycle license in most Canadian jurisdictions)
Transmission: 4-speed Semi Automatic (no clutch to operate – very simple to change gears)
Fueling: Carburetor
Front Suspension: Telescopic Fork
Rear Suspension: Swingarm, with adjustable shock
Front Brake: 130mm drum
Rear Brake: 110mm drum
Tires: 17 x 2.5 front/rear
Seat Height: 29.9 inches
MSRP: $3,195

AVAILABLE COLORS
Black / White
Blue / White
Red / White

See what SYM Canada has to say

Yike Bike Electric Bicycle - The Wheel Reinvented

At Scooter Underground, we are always on the lookout for cool new urban transportation products and there is really nothing newer or cooler than the YikeBike www.yikebike.com

The brainchild of Kiwi entrepreneur and inventor, Grant Ryan together with friend and co-founder Peter Higgins, the Yikebike is a very interesting and, in our opinion, a very misunderstood product.

So, when is it coming to Canada, and what do we think of it?

We have spoken to the people at YikeBike and Canada is not on the radar at the moment and that is probably a wise decision. They want to pick the worldwide markets where it has the most potential and focus their sales and customer service efforts there without diluting them with a shotgun approach. All we can say, is that if and when it comes to Canada, Scooter Underground will be the place to find out about it.

What do we think about it?

We hate reviewing products that we have yet to see or touch but with regard to the Yikebike, we have done a lot of homework and we feel that we understand the market niche this product will fill.

You can go to their excellent website for a lot of the detailed stats, YouTube videos, and FAQ’s, but here is the meat and potatos:

Weight: 9.8 kg (21 lbs)
Speed: 20 km/hr
Range: 9-10 km per charge
Recharge time: 30 minutes
Carrying capacity: 100 kg (220 lbs) rider and cargo
Price: 3,500-3,900 Euros ( $5,200 – $5,800 CDN) est.

Grant Ryan admits that one of the inspirations for the Yikebike was the Segway (yikes). The Segway was a very cool product that was announced to a lot of fanfare and turned out to be a huge marketing flop. Now, I don’t know Grant Ryan, but based on his past accomplishments I am assuming he’s no dummy and he has learned a lot from studying the Segway. Both the Yikebike and the Segway are  very cool, relatively safe transportation products.

However, due to some great engineering and the use of high tech materials, the YikeBike weighs 9.8 kg (21 lbs) – about 4 times less that the weight of a Segway. It also folds to a fraction of the size of a Segway or most folding bikes and is so nice and neat in its folded design that there are no bits and pieces sticking out to scratch and snag things.

Who is it for?

Let’s start with the estimated market price. Currently the Yikebike is priced at $3500-$3900 Euro (that’s about $5,200 – $5,800 CDN). At those kinds of prices, this is going to be a real niche player initially. The folks at Yikebike admit that out of the gate they are targeting to be “Porche and not Toyota”. Their design and materials are all first rate. Most of the frame is black carbon fibre (initially the only color available). They have also chosen state-of-the-art  LiFePO4 fast-charge battery technology but opted for a relatively small battery size to keep the weight down.

The Yikebike is really not an urban transportation product like an electric bicycle or a scooter – rather, it is an elegant and uber cool solution to “the last mile problem”. In large cities, there are thousands of commuters who ride trains, subways, busses, or even cars but they still have a bit of a jaunt to get to their final destination point. The Yikebike, due to its, slick design, light weight, and portability allows it to link in with these other modes of transportation to get the commuter to where they want to go and not have all sorts of storage and security problems when they get there. Even if you take a car to work, you may want the freedom to run errands at lunch without the drudgery of fighting traffic and finding parking spaces – the Yikebike could liberate this type of urban commuter.

Many readers looking at the Yikebike balk at its lack of range( 9-10 km). The trade-off was made between battery size and weight and the range should be adequate for most purposes. That’s about a half hour of riding before you need to spend another half hour charging – this bike is not meant for those who are commuting 10-20 km to work each way. A more traditional electric bike like the eZee bike is better suited to that purpose. Just like a carpenter has many tools and chooses the best one for the job, the urban commuter has to look at the task they have at hand and choose the right product – for many of them the Yikebike may be just right.

The Yikebike would be an ideal way to get around a large campus but at the current prices, only the people on the Microsoft or Google campuses will be able to afford them.

Summary

What’s hot

• Super cool and innovative design
• Top quality materials and built like a Porche
• Light weight
• Elegantly folds into a small package in about 20 seconds
• Take it with you – no parking or theft worries
• Fits a wide range of rider sizes

What’s not

• Like the Segway, the Yibebike does not offer the rider any exercise – you stand on a Segway; you sit on a YikeBike – no pedaling
• 100 kg capacity may limit it for many North American sized males who want to carry books and a laptop
• Hill climbing capability may be limited compared to an electric bike due to small battery and no pedals
• In a regulatory “no man’s land” – where will you be able to ride it is uncertain – like the Segway
• Price is sky high initially but that is sure to change. The initial models are like luxury prototypes. I am sure that if the concept catches on, they will be able to use a high quality production facility somewhere like Taiwan where they are still obsessed with quality but have lower production costs than New Zealand.