Looking for a street legal Electric Scooter/Moped

[AF7JA]

I have, what is essentially, the same question as the OP. I am looking for an electric scooter. At the present, I have a home built e-bike with a mid-drive which I use for commuting. I am looking at various electric scooters.

My biggest concern is the VIN, title, and certificate o origin. In other words, I need to be able to license it.

I have looked at a few, such as:
CSC Monterey Electric Scooter
Zoom
ZEV (but, this one is a lot more expensive than I would like. At this price, I would look closer at the electric Vespa)
Flux EM1

Does anyone have experience with registering any of these or any suggestions for similar scooters?

I am also thinking of the Vespa Elettrica, while it is expensive, I feel it will "last" the best.

 

[Jordan325ic]

While not being a big player like Vespa, CSC is the most established importer of Chinese scooters/motorcycles in the US. I think you shouldn't have a problem registering a bike from them. Also they sell something nearly identical to the flux, so if you want that style I would go with them.

Also the Zoom is clearly just a knockoff of a much more established brand NIU, which makes high-quality stuff. The NIU is what the Revel rideshare company uses for their rental fleet, very robust for the price. I'd go with the original. There are US dealers (scooter stop I think?)
https://www.niu.com/en/m/n-series/

 

[cheapcookie]

there are quite a few options for street legal electric 2 wheelers in the USA. In my opinion the best bang for the buck is the surron, which you can get from BestBuy. I woulnd't buy one, because It's halfway between bike and moto.(which is an advantage for some) but it looks decent with great upgrade potential at which point you're probably in Emoto spending territory. in Either case you can also get the Ninebot c80 from Bestbuy as well, yet another bicycle on steroids. Vadim from powervelocity.com has managed to fit 9kwh in one of those CSC Egrom, which I would buy from QS motors if I were you. Denzel has some pretty cool stuff. You can also find various Emotos on craigslist and ebay. Good luck!

 

[Jordan325ic]

there are quite a few options for street legal electric 2 wheelers in the USA. In my opinion the best bang for the buck is the surron, which you can get from BestBuy. I woulnd't buy one, because It's halfway between bike and moto.(which is an advantage for some) but it looks decent with great upgrade potential at which point you're probably in Emoto spending territory. in Either case you can also get the Ninebot c80 from Bestbuy as well, yet another bicycle on steroids. Vadim from powervelocity.com has managed to fit 9kwh in one of those CSC Egrom, which I would buy from QS motors if I were you. Denzel has some pretty cool stuff. You can also find various Emotos on craigslist and ebay. Good luck!

He did say street legal through... Not that the SurRon or other high-powered ebikes can't sneak in under the radar, or in some states be made to be road legal, but they're not 'street legal' (IE titled and registered for the road) out of the box.

 

[cheapcookie]

there are quite a few options for street legal electric 2 wheelers in the USA. In my opinion the best bang for the buck is the surron, which you can get from BestBuy. I woulnd't buy one, because It's halfway between bike and moto.(which is an advantage for some) but it looks decent with great upgrade potential at which point you're probably in Emoto spending territory. in Either case you can also get the Ninebot c80 from Bestbuy as well, yet another bicycle on steroids. Vadim from powervelocity.com has managed to fit 9kwh in one of those CSC Egrom, which I would buy from QS motors if I were you. Denzel has some pretty cool stuff. You can also find various Emotos on craigslist and ebay. Good luck!

He did say street legal through... Not that the SurRon or other high-powered ebikes can't sneak in under the radar, or in some states be made to be road legal, but they're not 'street legal' (IE titled and registered for the road) out of the box.

Name one state with issues riding a surron legaly please

 

[Jordan325ic]

Name one state with issues riding a surron legaly please

My biggest concern is the VIN, title, and certificate o origin. In other words, I need to be able to license it.

They're not asking for a street legal ebike, clearly. They're looking for something that can be titled and licensed as a motorcycle or scooter. A Surron does not have a VIN nor a title.

 

[cheapcookie]

I mean it takes some work to make it street legal but not impossible, which state are we talking about?

 

[AF7JA]

I mean it takes some work to make it street legal but not impossible, which state are we talking about?

I talked to the state inspector for SW Kansas. He made it pretty clear that he was not passing stuff from China. So getting something, then making it legal, is not going to happen.

I was wondering because I was interested in some of the higher power e-bikes, that are not e-bikes at all. They don't meet the definition. The only way it was going to happen was if I built the frame myself. Frankly, I don't feel good enough about my welding skills to want to be travelling at something I built, at 45mph, while slamming into a pothole.

I will probably go with the CSC Monterey. Yes, I would prefer mid-drive, and a bit more power. There is nothing I can do about the mid-drive. As far as the power, later on, I can put a bigger hub motor on it if I feel a need to do so. Yes, I am aware of their "city slicker" option. I just like the look of the cub clone enough to look past the lack of mid-drive.

Most importantly, this meets my needs. I can put it on the front of my travel trailer without going over my tongue weight limit. I will also have something that I don't need to be worried about being cited for riding it or having it fall apart if I hit a bump.

 

[cheapcookie]

I mean it takes some work to make it street legal but not impossible, which state are we talking about?

I talked to the state inspector for SW Kansas. He made it pretty clear that he was not passing stuff from China. So getting something, then making it legal, is not going to happen.

I was wondering because I was interested in some of the higher power e-bikes, that are not e-bikes at all. They don't meet the definition. The only way it was going to happen was if I built the frame myself. Frankly, I don't feel good enough about my welding skills to want to be travelling at something I built, at 45mph, while slamming into a pothole.

I will probably go with the CSC Monterey. Yes, I would prefer mid-drive, and a bit more power. There is nothing I can do about the mid-drive. As far as the power, later on, I can put a bigger hub motor on it if I feel a need to do so. Yes, I am aware of their "city slicker" option. I just like the look of the cub clone enough to look past the lack of mid-drive.

Most importantly, this meets my needs. I can put it on the front of my travel trailer without going over my tongue weight limit. I will also have something that I don't need to be worried about being cited for riding it or having it fall apart if I hit a bump.

Have fun! wear a helmet :lol:

 

[Jordan325ic]

I mean it takes some work to make it street legal but not impossible, which state are we talking about?

I talked to the state inspector for SW Kansas. He made it pretty clear that he was not passing stuff from China. So getting something, then making it legal, is not going to happen.

I was wondering because I was interested in some of the higher power e-bikes, that are not e-bikes at all. They don't meet the definition. The only way it was going to happen was if I built the frame myself. Frankly, I don't feel good enough about my welding skills to want to be travelling at something I built, at 45mph, while slamming into a pothole.

I will probably go with the CSC Monterey. Yes, I would prefer mid-drive, and a bit more power. There is nothing I can do about the mid-drive. As far as the power, later on, I can put a bigger hub motor on it if I feel a need to do so. Yes, I am aware of their "city slicker" option. I just like the look of the cub clone enough to look past the lack of mid-drive.

Most importantly, this meets my needs. I can put it on the front of my travel trailer without going over my tongue weight limit. I will also have something that I don't need to be worried about being cited for riding it or having it fall apart if I hit a bump.

Just have to throw this out there: If you like the Cub look there is a pretty slick plug-and-play e-cub kit sold by Shanghai motors.
https://www.sh-customs.com/store/product/47
If you found a titled Cub in a barn somewhere you'd have a pretty cool project. Of course it would end up more expensive than a CSC Monterrey, but obviously, much cooler.