- Joined
- Sep 6, 2013
Electric vehicles still need maintenance and when they break down they are much more expensive than an old internal combustion powered engine. Finding tires and replacement parts for these things can be a hassle and if they die you are just out of luck.
Don't get me started on the whole internal combustion versus electric thing. Suffice to say I.C. engines require more ongoing maintenance, but you can basically keep them running forever if you know what you're doing. Electrics require a lot less ongoing maintenance (though not zero), but once they're fucked, they're basically fucked. It's a lot easier to patch up a fuel tank than resurrect an expired battery.
However Chris wouldn't bother maintaining either. He'd just trash any vehicle the moment it stops working, so an electric would probably last him longer.
First, I can totally see Chris getting the Tao Tao Pony just because it has the name "Pony."
That's basically what I was talking about. They've gone up in price. I remember when they (or similar anyways) could be had for less than $500.
As for electric mopeds, I am not quite sure. Even the top of the line moped the Vespa Elettrica has a top speed of 70 KPH (45 MPH) although this is far out of Chris' price range.
But we're talking about scooters, not mopeds. Chris isn't much on the pedaling.
IIRC the Elettrica is a 4kW machine, but has issues with battery life. I think Znen used to make a 500W electric that could do 20mph on the flat. I don't know if they're still making it or what it costs, but it also used to be below $500. Since Chris would be limited to 35mph without an endorsement, he'd be looking at the sub 1kW options anyways.
With all this being said, Chris would need to buy gloves, a motorcycle jacket, motorcycle (kevlar) jeans, and a helmet.
He would only get a helmet. This helmet. I doubt it's certified, but then he might write DOT on the back in crayon. Or simply not care.
Mopeds are just motorized bikes (the "ped" comes from "pedals").
I'm not talking about mopeds, though, but, while we're on the subject, they're a little bit more than just a motorized bicycle. They're more like scooters (or motorcycles depending on the frame) with pedals. A lot of them removed the pedals in the late 1970s (making then nopeds) when moped speed limits were imposed.
Regarding stroads, it's not so much a stroad issue, but a highway issue,
Regardless, rural Virginia is not pedestrian friendly, and vehicles that are too big to qualify for bike lanes but not beefy enough for the motor lanes have issues too.
Could Chris even manage riding a moped?
There's only one way to find out…
Place your bets!
Chris is never gonna ride a motorcycle or a moped or a bike because you can't transport large Lego sets home with them.
How large are these lego sets?