Ego scooters and alternatives July 30, 2005, 12:44:04 am Yahoo Message Number: 56261Hello all,I've been lurking for quite a while as I've waited and weighed he various kinds and types of RV's. I'm de-cloaking now to weigh in with some first-hand input on the Ego electric scooter and the alternatives.I rode a brand-new Ego a few hours ago for the first time. My local (Portland, Oregon) Vespa dealer also carries them. On inspection, the bike seemed well designed and constructed - if a bit crudely finished (specifically, the welds along the side of the deck and at the base of the front post were left rough). Paint, the large expanses of anodized aluminum and brightwork all appeared well finished and executed.Operating the bike was easy and intuitive. Turn the key, rotate the right grip and you're off. Acceleration was quite brisk right up to the top speed. Brakes and handling seemed fine. The ride was comfortable enough for the three or four miles I covered.I was on residential streets and sidewalks in a quiet area of the city - so I wasn't trying to mix with traffic. I think it would have been comparable to riding a bicycle in traffic. Overall, the performance was fairly comparable to a moped without the noise, smoke and smell.I think they could be used as a replacement or equivalent of the bicycle in the Rv world. They'd be fine tooling around a campground, or rolling down to a nearby store or restaurant. As a replacement for a toad, they seem marginal. The dealer had a rack that fitted to a receiver hitch and could hold two Egos (or one Vespa - they use one to deliver scooters). It has a ramp that folds down so you can roll the bike up, and not have to lift the 125 lbs.An alternative I've been considering is the Honda CT 70/90/110 series of motorcycles. These haven't beeen sold in the US since 1984, but are reasonably availble on the used market. These are the "Trail" types that still have a devoted group of fans and users. And, your friendly neighborhood Honda dealer still has parts and can repair them if necessary.These bikes seem to last forever, are extremely versatile, and operate very cheaply. They have two rear sprockets that give them eight speeds for on and off road use. Top speed is around 50-55. They are also pretty good light-duty trail bikes - i.e. they can do anything any reasonable person would want a motorcycle to do off road - short of jumping through the air, or clambering over boulders. For youraverage fire road or game trail they're fine.I have lots of links for both if anyone wants more info, and would be glad to talk/write drectly to anyone who wants more information.Rick Lewis
Re: Ego scooters and alternatives Reply #1 – July 30, 2005, 06:52:03 am Yahoo Message Number: 56268Rick, Thanks for the informative Ego report. That's interesting about the ramp on the carrier.How much does the Honda CT 70 weigh?Barry 01 r rb tx at