I-Scooter: Going 100 miles and beyond on a gallon of gas

With gas prices soaring to over $3.50 one can only wonder how long before we all start using other alternatives. It was my turn to search for other economic alternatives and honestly there were only two other options a road bike or a moped, as it turns out I opted for the latter option of “MOPED”.

After searching for lot of models I decided to go with RoadRunner I-Scooter 50cc moped with a retro look. Can’t get any nerdy I guess!!!!. Of all the websites out there the one with a relatively lower price was http://www.ritz-e-rides.com/. It offers the moped I was interested in for around $800 including shipping and a nominal charge for a helmet. Provided the unit comes partly assembled and is delivered by mail, I wouldnt recommend it for people who just want to kick start and drive right away. Being a novice in motor mechanics I was very reluctant to take any chances. On the other hand, buying the same scooter from near-by showroom would have cost about $1050.

I called Jeff Ritz, owner of the site http://www.ritz-e-rides.com/. Jeff was really helpful in offering his thoughts about owning a moped. He also helped me (over the phone) with a stepwise detail of how to assemble the moped. The bike installation is about 1-3 hours process with 2 people working on it. Belive me, it takes about 5 hours for one person and at the end you are in for a sore back and frustration. It is much easier and fun with two people. All the necessary tools to assemble the moped come with it [Note: Read my next blog “Step-wise guide to assemble an I-Scooter”].

In certain states of the US, mopeds do not require extra insurance, parking permit or additional driving license. All you got to do is get the moped registered and enjoy the ride.

The best part of owning a moped is about finding a parking spot during busy class hours. Previously, I used to wait to find parking spot and spend about 20 minutes or so in the search process. This was very frustrating especially if you had to rush to a class or a meeting. But with I-Scooter I can park it in regular bike rack. This saves me ton of time. Moreover, the bike racks are very conviniently located right next to most of the buildings, so it’s a win win situation.

The real deal of I-Scooter is its mileage. Once you fill the tank about 1.1 gallons, you can rest assured for next 130 miles. With a maximum speed of about 40mph, street riding has never been so much fun. Word of caution though, do not attempt to go over 30mph for first 100 miles or so. It will result in unpleasant engine sounds and could ruin the transmission. For the first 200 miles you might feel the ride on I-Scooter to be still new, but believe me after that it gets better.

I-Scooter comes with storage trunk and automatic lock, emergency alarm and remote start. Which are very cool for a moped huh!!!!! However, word of caution again, do not leave your keys in rain or moist places. Like any other electronic device the remote can malfunction due to water.

I live in a small college town about 4 miles of diameter, so it takes me about 10 minutes to go to the farthest place, at about 1/5th of fuel as compared to fuel efficient car. I-Scooter may not be one for you if you want to muscle your way on a street but it is a wise and economic choice given the soaring gas prices. On a personal note, I would like to acknowledge efforts of Jeff, owner of http://www.ritz-e-rides.com/ for his advice and customer service.

Now you know how to get 100 miles and beyond for a gallon of gas………. Go ride on.