Last week I got my first chance to try out motorised two wheel transport. As a keen cyclist, I’m used to being a vulnerable road user and taking to two wheels around the test arena at the Ecovelocity in London actually felt like quite a natural transition to me. But is it enough to make me make the switch to two wheels?
My first experience of two wheels came courtesy of the Get On campaign, which is designed to encourage more people to try scooters and motorbikes. I actually got to try Yamaha’s new and yet-to-launch EC-03 electric scooter as my first ride. As a novice, I can’t really accurately compare it to anything, but what I can say is that it felt like bags of fun despite packing just 9.6 Nm maximum torque-the least powerful thing I have ever steered in my life by a long way.
Getting on and getting riding
With time limited and space tight, my experience of two wheels was brief, yet in just a few laps of the arena, I already felt my confidence grow. At first, the co-ordination needed to ensure you close the throttle first, before separately applying front then back brake before easing to a stop and putting your feet down sounds as difficult as mirror, signal and manoeuvre does when you first get in a car. After a couple of laps it seems much more natural though.
One thing I really loved was having mirrors, something that is absent on my bicycle, and with the instructor’s advise to turn my head in the direction of travel, I found travelling around bends much easier on the scooter than on my bicycle, as I could check what was behind me as I turned my head in the direction of travel. Often when I cycle and encounter a parked car, turning my head right to check it is safe to move out and around it, can leave me feeling unbalanced and blind to what might happen ahead (such as if the driver in the parked car, suddenly decides to pull out without warning)-this is where mirrors come in handy, and indicators too. I admit this action of turning my head right back means I often don’t bother to indicate at all when turning or moving out on my bicycle, especially if the traffic behind me is far away, as I would unbalance myself for no benefit. However I often fear that motorists interpret this as a typical, haphazard cyclist action, where we go where we want, with word or warning. In truth, I’m protecting myself as a vulnerable presence on the road. However bikes and scooters don’t have that disadvantage.
Another great advantage of motorbikes and scooters is that you can keep up to speed with the flow of the traffic, allowing you to possess your bit of the road, unlike on a bicycle, where you tuck yourself to one side, where hordes of drivers line up to overtake you, often far too fast and close.
Finally the last advantage has to be that you save your legs! Although personally, I enjoy the opportunity to stretch my legs after a long day in the office. But when the weather is bad, I’m faced with a steep hill and strong winds, there is nothing more I’d like than an electric motor to hurry me to my journey’s end.
Such modes of transport have other benefits too; if more of us used two wheels; there would be less traffic congestion, less emissions and less wasted time.
Take the EC:03, as an electric model, its impact on the environment is even further diminished. Featuring a 50v lithium ion battery, Yamaha’s venture into the world of electric scooters (watch out Vetrix) is capable of a top speed of 30mph and achieves a range of around 30 miles depending on the road conditions and rider weight. A full charge takes around 7 hours using a domestic power point, so it’s only really going to appeal in inner city environments. Yamaha is estimating a retail price of around £2,500 when the model reaches dealers. Although the famous motorbike firm is still in the throngs of sorting out distribution for the model, it is expected to arrive in the UK by spring next year, and a little sooner on the continent. Due to the niche nature of its electric scooter, Yamaha is also looking at distributing the ec:03 in other channels, maybe through eco vehicle specialists, rather than solely through motorbike dealers.
Savings stack up
What will really appeal to hard-pressed motorists considering to switch to two wheels will be the chance to cut through traffic and pay a fraction of what you currently pay in fuel. In case you are curious, head to the GetOn.co.uk (http://www.geton.co.uk/motorcycle-savings-calculator) website and try out the travel saving calculator; you could save hundreds of pounds switching to a motorbike or scooter through reduce fuel bills, insurance costs, road tax, parking and road tolls, savings averaging nearly £1,000 a year-and that’s compared to a petrol motorbike rather than an even cheaper-to-run electric scooter. Plus the charity says you could save an average of one and half hours commute time per week compared to travelling on the train or car. That’s 78 hours a year! With most of us travelling to work alone, it makes sense too and would slash your carbon footprint.
If you too fancy a free test ride, then visit GetOn.co.uk to book in. Despite being a committed motorist, I have to admit them two wheeled vehicles sure got a lot going for them, even if I’m not quite ready to make the switch just yet.
Faye Sunderland
P.S In case you are wondering why there is no photographic evidence of me riding the scooter, I exhausted the battery in my camera by the time I had trawled around Ecovelocity and got round to the Get On stand. Major fail.
