Fig 1)
us riding around

Fig 2)
see, douches tape notes to my scooter in our own parking spot!

Go Scooter Review

So far I would say that my experience with the Go scooter is mixed.  It’s my first one, and I’ve only had it for a few weeks (and gotten to drive it even less), but here goes.

First Experience

Riding around with your girl behind you hugging you is just the best experience ever. (Fig 1)

Purchase

I bought mine used for a pretty good price  – apparently the only place to buy it here in Boston is at the Scooters Go Green people, who advertise a $600 offer or something like that, but by the time you walk out of the door with it, it is almost $1,400.  So I’d advise buying used, but still in a new condition.

Handling

It doesn’t handle like a bicycle or even a motorcycle as far as I can tell — it is quite bottomheavy and feels unstable.  minute variations in your own weight positioning, or in the steering can produce wildly different trajectories.  It could just be because I’m a beginner relatively, but as a beginner, it is something to be very aware of, especially as you will be sharing the road/sidewalk/bike path with other traffic.  So if you are on the bike path/sidewalk, it is very easy to run into people if you are aware and being careful.  On the road, it’s easy to run off the road, or into other cars, and bumps make it worse.
Similarly, the engine/clutch seems to have two states — no power to the wheels, and ALL power to the wheels, and the transition between them is not entirely deterministic.  That is, plenty of times I will turn the accelerator to full on, and absolutely nothing will happen.  The engine sounds like it’s thinking about going, or stalling, or who knows what, and like 10-30 seconds later, it will suddenly engage and propel you full speed into whatever you’re facing.  This seems worse when it is very cold/sub 30 degrees.  But it means that driving on the street is a bit scary concerning.

Traffic

Cars do not see you.  Bicyclists yell at you.  Drivers will pull over into your lane, pass you, park in a parallel parking spot, and open their doors right into you.  Even when you aren’t going fast.  It is very dangerous.  I’m not saying that in a parenty type of way, like my parents are wont to do to me, just boston drivers are notoriously unaware.  ESPECIALLY during rush hour/nighttime.  I get quite uncomfortable driving back at night.  They also don’t watch when coming out of driveways, side streets, or anywhere else.  Sometimes I just want to drive with a shotgun in my arms, chk-chk, POW! I feel that way when driving my car too.

Other experiences

  • The windchill on the scooter is like 5x worse.  30degrees feels like -30degrees.  It’s not a surprise, it can get up to 35-45mph on straightaway, and windchill at that airspeed if you were just standing would be horrible.  Hands freeze fast.  I end up wearing two layers of gloves.
  • You have be hyper aware. I’m a bit adhd, and not always fully brain-active, so there are days I feel uncomfortable driving since my reaction speeds are too slow and my vision isn’t clear.
  • Get a helmet and gloves. seriously, don’t drive without them. Both the air is too cold, and I see/narrowly escape my death at least 5 times per trip.
  • Other people are jerks. Seriously, a scooter under 49cc qualifies as a “moped” under MA law, and if you register it for $40 at the RMV, it means that you can ride bike lines, you are not counted as a motorcycle. BUT STILL douchebags feel it is their god given right and responsibility to come and yell at you for using the bike lane. Nevermind that you cannot travel nearly as fast as a car, only maybe 15% faster than a bicycle. That includes pedestrians and bicyclists. I had this one girl pedal up behind me and start yelling at me, telling me to be more careful, because she felt she was cut off from 50 feet away. Some people cannot discern or judge distance. I just drove off while she was talking. That was great. But because you are “open air”, that makes the scooter driver much more approachable to douches. Even neighbors start bitching about your parking, even when you are parking in your own PAID spot. (Fig 2)
  • MPG is pretty great, but I don’t think it is near the advertised value. Maybe I just weigh too much, or haven’t learned how to maximize efficiency yet. I haven’t measured it though, so it’s more of a feeling than anything actually empirical.
  • The Go scooter can only “barely” carry 2 people. I would say 2 people if you are both sub 5’7″, but I’m 5’10″, and my girl is 5’9″ — she doesn’t quite fit on the scooter too, especially with winter clothes on.
  • PARKING is the reason I got the scooter. Every day I can spend an hour circling around campus looking for parking, and mit parking lots have become a major ripoff. $200 for the year plus $10 a day. There’ll be less depreciation on the scooter over a year and I can park in bicycle spots, so says MA law.