r/ElectricScooters 4d ago

General Why do people buy super expensive e-scooters when you can get a quality bike for the same price???

0 Upvotes

53 comments sorted by

10

u/Different_Target_228 4d ago

"Why do people like things???"

9

u/Far_Zone_9512 4d ago

Why even ask this question? It makes no sense. I have 4 scooters, 2 bikes, 2 cars, and 2 motorcycles. I like to have fun on all different kinds of transportation. Plus, bikes are boring. At least for me.

1

u/rayark9 4d ago

Now get an euc

1

u/Far_Zone_9512 4d ago

Im 47... lol, I'm good

1

u/rayark9 4d ago

I'm 49. Picked up a onewheel 2 years ago and a Euc last year. Barely touch my dualtron thunder or gotrax anymore.

1

u/Far_Zone_9512 4d ago

Damn you.

9

u/lucioboopsyou 4d ago

Throwing my scooter in the bus is easier than strapping it to the front of the bus. That’s really my main reason of going with one over a bike.

1

u/WishTrick524 🛵Navee S65💨Segway D18w 4d ago

And if the front rack is already full then you’re really sol

7

u/Aboriginal_landlord 4d ago

In Australia electronic motorcycles are motorcycles and you cant ride them on the sidewalk or road without a license and registration. I can ride my scooters anywhere. 

7

u/Zealousideal_Oil4571 4d ago

My scooter takes up less space. I can fold it and take it with me.

8

u/badsheepy2 4d ago

Because they want to. 

7

u/Leek5 4d ago

If I wanted a really fast bike I would get a motorcycle. Which I have.

4

u/WishTrick524 🛵Navee S65💨Segway D18w 4d ago

Scooters are just way cooler with there little motorcycle tires. They’re like a 1960’s mini cooper on 2 wheels 🤭

And I rode bikes to death as a kid im over that

3

u/Sypsy Vsett 8 4d ago

Why not both?

Ebike you can exercise and go further with pedal assist.

eScooter you can bring into a store and put a shopping cart on the deck.

1

u/Siritosan 4d ago

I can do same with escooter. I just my right feet for assist.

2

u/tacotacotacorock 4d ago

Sorry but no way your getting a similar workout on a scooter vs bike And it's going to be a lopsided workout and could cause issues down the road. Bicycle is some of the best cardio/workout. Ideally recumbent And swimming trumps most far as full body+ cArdio. Plus standing for long periods isnt great for you. Scooters are great but no way you can hold an argument about similar workout 

1

u/Sypsy Vsett 8 4d ago

It's not like a normal kick scooter (which I have) so you end up bending down way more than a manual, it hurts my old body

1

u/FrontEconomist4960 4d ago

and spend 10x the amount of effort

1

u/Siritosan 4d ago

Yeah. I ran out of charge you expect me to walk with a heavy scooter 😆

1

u/FrontEconomist4960 4d ago

ive been guilty of this before and ive noticed with my scooter that its easier just to walk it. for me at least

3

u/Farting_Chick (3) Nami Klima Maxs / (3) Fluid Mosquitos 4d ago

I’d rather not get the attention of police would be my biggest reason outside of size.

3

u/DarthDridge 4d ago

I own both. The scooter is infinitely more fun to ride.

4

u/DalinsiaValkyrPrime Varla Pegasus, Varla Eagle One V2.0 4d ago

Why do some people buy Rolex and Cartier watches when a $15 watch from Walmart does the same thing?

Why do some people buy $10,000 mountain bikes when a cheaper one can work?

Why do some people buy Ninja H2s or YZF-R1s when a sport bike with 300-500cc is probably enough for someone to be one and done with a bike?

People like shit, that’s why. People can spend their money how they want.

Also, you’re forgetting just because you have one doesn’t mean your options are gone for another. You can have both at the same time.

4

u/munchbizkit 4d ago

Portability. Fold it up and store it anywhere.. which offers many benefits. Less chance of it being stolen. Charge it anywhere in your house. No worries about the weather or if it'll get damaged etc etc.

1

u/borrachochronicles 4d ago

Exactly. I can bring a scooter inside a city bus or subway. Carry it up flights of stairs. Takes up very little space.. etc

As someone who has owned e-bikes (super heavy and big), and still own several high end bikes, the e-scooter is the best in portability.. You are not carrying a surron up and down stairs everyday or into a packed subway car.

0

u/Soft-Stranger-635 4d ago

You can take the battery out of a eride pro/surron/79bike/talaria etc to charge it inside of your house and the battery weighs less. Also emotos are definitely more waterproof and dust proof

2

u/Some-Face2634 4d ago

They’re way more compact so people can easily fit them inside of vehicles, work space etc and don’t need to worry about locking them up outside and having them stolen anyways.

2

u/mrracerhacker 4d ago

Id guess less space, folds so can fit on public transport, sure bikes do fit someplace but alot more hassle, myself just ride a ebike did scoots before but not the best option for long distance say 18 miles, some just enjoy it as a hobby but do also agree bikes usually better unless city dweller

2

u/Signal_Fun_5603 4d ago

Im confused, is that still true today? Last I remember, you had to pay a lot more for an ebike of similar capability.

1

u/Soft-Stranger-635 4d ago

A Nami burn e3 max can be bought for 3200 usd. I can also get a talaria sting r mx4 for 3200 usd. They cost the same and talaria is much nicer all round. I have a wolf king GT pro with 6k miles and after I got my Mx4 Id never touch a scooter at all

2

u/FrontEconomist4960 4d ago

dude a good scooter is like 200-500 bucks

1

u/Signal_Fun_5603 4d ago

I see. Looking at listings for both of those it seems that Nami goes about 10mph higher.

-2

u/Soft-Stranger-635 4d ago

Talaria sting r mx4 goes only about 5 mph faster. But it’s so much easier to speed and ride fast on a bike because of the large wheels, better torque, and better suspension which makes the mx4 have more useable speed and power

1

u/_Rexholes 4d ago

I have both a hyper scooter, talaria. Totally different beasts. I can get away with anything on a scooter, the mx5 grabs attention in the worst ways. Scooter has double the range too.

1

u/electromage Nami Klima Max 4d ago

Well depending on where you ride, there are different rules for each. Where I live, class 3 e-bikes (pedal assist, up to 28MPH) are not allowed on mixed-use paths, but foot scooters are. Throttle-only bikes (no pedals) are limited to 20MPH. All are banned on sidewalks, I wouldn't be comfortable riding in the street at 20MPH while cars are doing 30MPH+.

2

u/_genepool_ 4d ago

Smaller. Fits in my vehicle.

2

u/Chancedizzle 4d ago

Mobility and compact, i can catch a ride home if the party gets too good, scooter in the trunk.

2

u/W4DER 4d ago

If people wanted a bike... they would buy a bike... no? Not everybody wants to deal with pedals and stupid bike size... 🤷‍♂️

and tbh i hate bikes on the road!

2

u/Lubbadubdibs 4d ago

I have really bad knees from being run over on my bicycle.

-2

u/Soft-Stranger-635 4d ago

I’m not talking about regular commuter e-bikes I’m taking about emotos like 79bike/ventus/surron/talaria/eride pro etc

3

u/Lubbadubdibs 4d ago

I have a motorcycle (Harley Davidson) for when I want to actually go further than the store. Also, many scooters are far cheaper than a Surron.

-2

u/Soft-Stranger-635 4d ago

But why do people buy very expensive e-scooters when you can get a emoto?

2

u/electromage Nami Klima Max 4d ago

Because they want to stand up and use less space? Can you bring a motorcycle on light rail or tuck it under a table in a restaurant?

2

u/Krimsonkreationz 4d ago

Because they want a scooter, such a simple question to answer.

2

u/funcentric 4d ago
  1. They’re different beasts. People get each for different use cases. Also some folks don’t really want to deal with the burdens of bike ownership.

  2. Much better value for a scooter. You get way more for your money with a scooter than an ebike.

  3. There’s also a wider range in performance (not quality) with a scooter. E-bikes are capped by legal limits whereas scooters fall more under the radar.

2

u/torukmakto4 SNSC 2.3 4d ago

Direct blunt answer: Because they want to stand on a deck, not sit on a seat (the only mandatory/defining difference between a scooter and a bike). Case closed.

But, further elaborations:

Why do people buy super expensive e-scooters when you can get a quality bike for the same price???

As a general rule, without cherry picking examples that happen to be on the market where vaguely "equivalent" in whatever ways you define that bike and scooter builds cost the same or the bike less... You can't, as long as what you mean is a prebuilt bike. Prebuilt ebikes are often really inflated. The more you go toward "Consumer" market, or worst of all electric stuff with brands on it from "traditional" pedal bike component vendors, the more enshittified and overpriced it gets.

This also isn't fairly tied to either scooters OR bikes (because full size scooters exist and pocket bikes do also), but the stereotypical scooter/bike decision is between the usual 26" (or larger) tire traditional bike, and a "goped" type scooter with 10-13" tires. These are different form factors and radically different levels of bulk for storage, transport and maneuvering through confined spaces, around people, etc. Riding a big wheel bike or full size scooter, even slowly being a good citizen, through a chaotic, dense pedestrian/obstacle filled area is awkward, made worse by the usual shakey behavior and difficulty of keeping seated bike upright at low speed and when turning severely. A goped-style scooter mostly disappears under the normal footprint of the rider as "person with wheels underneath", handles much better and is much less snaggy/cumbersome in such situations than a full size bike with pedals, and is a much better overall "super pedestrian" platform. A full size bike or anything similar is perhaps too awkward/clumsy to not park outside when entering buildings, meaning cases where you take your scooter with you will now have your locked bike unattended and exposed to theft and vandalism.

But the only reason a discussion can even be had about examples of arbitrary/illogical sale values of things in this field, "who the hell would buy x when you can get y for less?" wonderings, etc. is that mostly market values of things are somewhat logical in this field. With CARS, that is NOT the case. The whole market is MOSTLY arbitrary valuations (late vs. early models, collector/hype train things with huge demand and huge values, and the inverse, etc.) and if you aren't interested in playing those games with any of those intangibles and just want parameters, functions or results, the behavior of most people comprising the "free market" is obviously unhinged/irrational.

0

u/PackGodd 4d ago

Both is best that’s why

4

u/PackGodd 4d ago

The only ones that complain cant afford it