My friend has been looking into getting an electric scooter or motorcycle to commute to work. In the search, we came across this Vectrix Electric Motorcycle: http://www.vectrixusa.com/index3.html It looks awesome, but high price tag--~$8000! Not even sure if they are available in the US yet. darrelldd, you like?
Awesome concept... It's like the missing link between high end scooters and motorcycles... The range isn't soo bad all things considered... Most bikes need to stop for gas around the 115 mile range. I seems like it would be a great extended "around town" vehicle... The top speed is a little low, and I would imagine you can't sustain that for 68 miles... We'd really be talkin' something if the top speed was 100mph, thereby giving it enough "oompf" for highway travel...
I just noted the weight on this thing: 436lbs... that's SERIOUSLY heavy, even for sportbike standards... I guess a lot of that is battery... For comparison, a big, heavy, sportbike like mine is around 440lbs, dry. Most sportibikes today are around the 320-50 ish range.... So it's like a really big and heavy scooter...
Sorry to be dragging all these up after all this time. But now I actually have some information! <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(slortz @ Mar 27 2006, 12:03 PM) [snapback]230955[/snapback]</div> Yes. I do like. Very much. The price is higher than the $8k you quoted... and I think the $11,800 is a bargain for what you get. Here is my recent page on the Vectrix: http://evnut.com/vectrix.htm <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mystery Squid @ Mar 27 2006, 01:58 PM) [snapback]231030[/snapback]</div> Yes, it has some weight. But unlike your svelt sport bikes... the weight is much lower. The center of gravity is awesome on this thing. You get the odd sensation that if you just step off the thing, it will stay standing on its own. Riding it, you can really tell the low center of gravity. If you push it, it feels heavy. If you ride it, it feels "right." It is nimble and quick. Confidence inspiring is a great way to describe it. And since the thing even has a "reverse" you won't get it stuck nose-down against some curb. Nice feature.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mystery Squid @ Mar 27 2006, 03:58 PM) [snapback]231030[/snapback]</div> Most maxi-scooters weigh at least this much... (dry weight... tack on another ~30-45lb for fluids) Suzuki Burgman 400 weighs 440lbs Yamaha Majesty 400 weighs 456lbs Burgman 650 weight 525lbs Honda Silverwing (600cc) ~500lbs even the little 250cc machines Honda Reflex 375lbs Yamaha Morphous 408lbs The Vectrix is built like like the these maxi scooters, with the weight all down low. Another poster mentioned above that it's like the scooter wants to stay upright, and it's true. The behemoth Burger 650 is only heavy if you have to physically move it (like pushing around in the garage)... other than that, it's nimble like a cat. Unfortunately, I find the price tag for the Vectrix much too high for what you get. Top speed is not enough to use safely on the freeway (you need a little extra oomph to get out of the way of the bigger vehicles sometimes). I'd be happy to pay a 'premium' if it was like buying the Prius (i.e. I paid more than, say, a Matrix, but I get better mpg and haven't had to sacrifice any range or anything that my old car provided), but unfortunately it isn't. This scooter is pretty much limited to around town usage, and maybe country roads. For those types of errands, a Xebra would be more practical for the same money, IMO.
That's quite some bandwidth you've got there, Darell. I downloaded the video from your site, and the download box just barely blinked and it was done. I'd want one of those, if i could ride a bike.
