Toronto's Got the Right Idea...

jeeff: 14th Nov 2005 - 20:57 GMT

hooray! i've noticed a lot more bicycles in the city too in the last few years. sometimes on college, dundas and queen there's 'bicycle gridlock'.

Peter: 14th Nov 2005 - 21:35 GMT

better bicycle gridlock than auto gridlock anyday, if you ask me, heh. i just wish we could have similar legislation here re: scooters so i could park mine on the sidewalk without fear of getting a ticket, as parking it in the street usually means it gets knocked over by people who dont know how to parallel park...

new york, if you ask me, is way behind in 21st century traffic planning...

hool: 14th Nov 2005 - 22:11 GMT

unfortunately most cheaper scooters are two stroke engines, which pollute far, far worse than any car. typically scooters are not subject to the same emissions standards as cars, so they can get away with it. vespa does make a clean(er) four stroke engine, and if you have a nasty two stroke scooter you can reduce the pollution by using biodiesel.

Peter: 15th Nov 2005 - 00:49 GMT

I get 110+ miles/gal on my vespa (above). its been tuned and modded with a specialty exhaust system such as to minimize pollution and maximize effeciency/output-per-unit of gas.

it may be 2-stroke, but it sure beats a suv, eh?

but yeah, you make a good point. my point in posting this was more out of love for a piece of "progressive" legislation (as opposed to here, where the opposite seems to be happening, unfortunately) than for scooterlove...

but yeah. there's no easy answer.

Peter: 15th Nov 2005 - 00:51 GMT

also: biodiesel? on a gas-and-oil burning 2 stroke? tell me how and I'm soooo there :) (id search now, but I'm on mobile)

hool: 15th Nov 2005 - 02:13 GMT

no worries peter, i didn't mean to accuse. here you can find biodiesel home-brew recipes: http://www.dancingrabbit.org/biodiesel/makeit.php

in toronto, there's a biodiesel pump created by a renewable fuel retailer. you can find info about them here: http://www.alternate-nrg.com/

jeeff: 15th Nov 2005 - 06:39 GMT

also if you attach electrodes to your temple you can run it on brainwaves.

jeeff: 15th Nov 2005 - 06:40 GMT

unfortunately brainwaves aren't an unlimited fuel source either. truly there is no easy answer.

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Cosmo: 30th Aug 2006 - 01:16 GMT

hool, I will soon be trying to search the 'net for myself, but I want to ask you since you might be able to narrow my search: can we just dump biodiesel straight into the tank of a conventional 3-stroke scooter, or will engine mods be needed?

I'll ride my scooter a lot more if I find I can convert it to biodiesel! =-D

Cosmo: 30th Aug 2006 - 01:17 GMT

ack ... I meant to say 2-stroke scooter...didn't want anyone to think I have a new exotic machine here...

Cosmo: 30th Aug 2006 - 04:13 GMT

Okay, returning to sweep up my own mess here...turns out any talk of using biodiesel in a standard two stroke scooter engine is just rumour. I may be falling for a prank here, asking for help with such a thing. I'll table the biodiesel ideas until I actually own a vehicle that has a diesel engine in it. ;-)

sam: 24th Jan 2007 - 13:49 GMT

i agree with the whole designated parking or parking 150 and 50cc's on the wide sidewalks where there are bike lock up posts; since they only weigh 200 to 250lbs. they are fairly light which can make them an easy target for theft as well as being damaged by other vehicles especially SUV's that don't see them.
the 50 and 150cc's are fairly narrow as well as small and is the same width as a mountain bike (handle bar to handle bar).
i have in the past locked mine to the bike lock up posts (by pushing it onto the sidewalk, not riding) for security purposes after witnessing one being lifted into the back of a van by two people. that's another story. =^)

Robert: 13th Feb 2007 - 21:46 GMT

Well, yes two stroke are bad...but honestly, i don't believe a SUV puts out less pollution per tank of gas then a vespa?

carlos: 10th May 2007 - 01:15 GMT

Motorbikes emit less carbon dioxide than cars on average but more nitrogen oxides and much more hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide pollution. A 1997 124cc Piaggio Vespa emits 36 times more CO per kilometre than the average car, 141 times more HC and 1.7 times more NOx, but 6.3 times less CO2 than the average car.

Source: Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research 2006

A: 29th Oct 2007 - 03:59 GMT

UMMM...actually a 2 stroke doesn't beat an SUV, it pollutes many times more than an SUV for the same miles traveled and is a major source of pollution worldwide. REALLY. Get a 4 stroke they actually ARE really low emission vehicles.