Alright, if you’ve been following my blog, you may remember a scooter that I bought about a year-and-half ago. It was an electric scooter. It was cute, priced well, and seemed so enticing for a first-time scooter buyer. Well, what a fiasco! You can read all about that experience here. While the scooter is actually okay, the company was another matter. If nothing else, I hope that my experience saves someone else from making the same mistake. Now, I’m ready to try again at scooter love.
There are some must-have features for the scooter of my choice. It has to have a low seat height since I’m short, it has to be affordable, and it needs to not be a hunk of junk. Oh, and the company needs to be legit. I don’t need a fast scooter since I’ll be riding it on residential streets 90% of the ride to and from my workplace, which is less than two miles from my house. So, a 50-cc is fine for my needs.
If you live in a state that doesn’t require a motorcycle license for a 50-cc scooter, then that makes it even more enticing. Here in Illinois, even a 50-cc scooter requires a motorcycle license and registration. So, I’ll be taking a motorcycle course in a couple of weeks at the local community college. Maybe someday I’ll graduate up to a higher speed scooter, but for now I’m okay with a top speed of 35 mph.
I thought a scooter would save some wear and tear on the car. It seems silly to drive a full-size vehicle for such a short commute. Plus, riding on two wheels is fun! I’d love to ride one of my electric bikes, but there isn’t a safe route for a bicycle. I have to cross a busy street and navigate heavily traveled roads full of distracted morning commuters. Riding along the side of a road and hoping to be seen isn’t my idea of fun. I also wouldn’t have anywhere to securely lock the bike once I got to work.
My search for the perfect scooter for my needs included electric scooters, but I never found one at a price I was willing to pay and/or provided the range that I desired. Yes, I have a short commute, but I still don’t want to charge my ride so frequently. Range anxiety is a real thing with electric vehicles. It’s not like you can just fill up a battery in five minutes at the corner gas station and be on your way.
In the future, I’d love to switch to electric, since electric scooters have far fewer parts to break. Unfortunately, there just isn’t much offered in the United States right now.
A couple of electric scooters that I think might be worth a look at are from CSC Motorcycles and that’s their cool vintage looking Monterrey and their higher speed Wiz electric scooter. I might try out the Monterrey in the future because I think those larger wheels would be great for the lousy roads in my city, and it rides more like a bicycle. NIU is also a reputable brand, but they’re pricey.
Okay, so why did I pick the Bintelli Escape? Probably the biggest reason is that I think I’ll be able to control the bike well. It’s small and light, which is ideal for a first-time rider. The 29-inch seat height should let me flat-foot it at stops, and the low center of gravity makes the Escape safer to ride, especially for beginners. I also just like the looks of it.
The price was a big factor. It will be shipped free to my door for $1699. Of course, I’ll have to pay registration fees and taxes at the DMV when I register it in my state, but it’s still very affordable. I couldn’t find anything local that came near to the price.
Do I have any reservations about Bintelli as a brand? Yeah, some. Bintelli has been in business for several years, and they specialize in upgrading scooters made in China with better quality parts. If you buy a cheap scooter off of Amazon or elsewhere, you better be prepared to upgrade the carburetor, belt, tires, spark plugs, lights, and other components. Bintelli has already done this work. You may be able to find a Bintelli dealer near you, too.
I’m also reassured by the amount of parts that you can buy from Bintelli. They sell all parts you should need for your scooter, even replacement panels, and well, everything. That’s what sold me. I don’t want to be stuck with a scooter that I can’t find parts for in the future.
If I were to advise anyone on buying a scooter, I’d recommend going to your nearby dealer and purchase a Honda or other well-known brand. You can get local service and not worry if something goes wrong. But, you know me. I have to be different. I like supporting the underdogs, and that has gotten me into trouble more often than you could know, but I’m the eternal optimist.
Anyway, my Bintelli Escape should be arriving within a couple of weeks, and I’ll let you know how it all goes down – The good, the bad, and the ugly. I haven’t found a single customer review of the scooter anywhere, so again, I get to be the guinea pig, but that’s okay. That’s what I’m here for.
