A special request to our readers:

We want to hear from you about your machines. Please provide detailed descriptions of your ride and how you use it. We'd like to make those available to our customers to help them choose the right scooter or bike. Besides, we just want to know how y'all are doing out there!

Send your user review via email to
info@nycewheels.com

And the winner is . . . .

Bill Seplowitz, of Brooklyn, NY won the NYCEwheels raffle and is now the proud owner of the Lee Iacocca E Scoot.

Congratulations Bill!!

...here's Bill with his new e-Scoot!

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In this issue:

1. Bert reviews the Vego SX600

2. Eye on E-Commuting: Media Man

3. International Motorcycle Show

4. That DARNED Groundhog!!

Bert reviews the Vego SX600
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And now, this month, something completely different!

An Actual Review of An Actual Scooter by none other than BERT HIMSELF.


Around here we call Bert all sorts of things:

... Mr. President (that’s his favorite),

... Perbert (Handsome Ron made that one up . . .don’t ask, I never did)

... Big Boss Man (that’s what I call him, I feel it creates the illusion of respect).

In case you didn’t know, Bert is Austrian (no, not the land down under), and has a bit of an accent. As you read the following, think Arnold Schwartzenegger, 'cause that is how our Bertie sounds. For instance, “Mr. Bert” sounds like “Meestah Baht” and “throttle” sounds like “troddle.” But enough of me, without further ado, I give you Meestah Baht

(IMPORTANT NOTE: BERT IS THE ONE ON THE LEFT!)

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"Ah, vell...today I rode the brand new Vego SX 600 electric scooter. It is an awesome machine. I went from the store here at 84th and York down to 68th Street, then crossed over to Madison, then up to 114th street. I came back on Lex and there on 103rd street there is a big hill. Yah. I never been in San Francisco but this is what I think their hills might be like, you know? The Vego SX 600 went up the whole way at about 10 m/p/h (note how I put the slashes in the miles per hour? That is because I am from Europe). The only other scooter I ever tested that made it all the way without stopping is the Charly. The Vego SX600 is an awesome machine. It really looks like superior quality – I have the prototype model here now - if the production model is anything like it, it will be one of the best electric scooters ever made. We just wait and see!"

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Eye on E-Commuting
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We had soooo many WONDERFUL and EXCITED reactions to last month’s Eye on E-Commuting Interview with Handsome Ron, and we know he really is Handsome because head shots are typically NOT airbrushed and really do look like the ACTOR in real life. Thank you Handsome Ron!

Right. Well. Anyway . . . on with the interview!

This month I sat down and talked with one of our most loyal parts purchasers and scooter enthusiasts, MediaMan. For the sake of his humility, he will remain anonymous.

Nyce Kim: My main man, MEDIA MAN, thank you soo much for the time and a bit of your e-scooting wisdom. I know you are an avid e-scooterist, but for our friend’s out there in TV land, or internet land, as it were, describe your commute and how your electric scooter fits into it.

Media Man: Well, I usually drive about 15 miles to Long Island City Queens, park (several blocks away from the train station) and then scoot into Manhattan or, when it is totally freezing and snowing I take the train. Believe me, and I know you do, if I could scoot the entire distance I would. But, you know how heavy all those battery packs can be and there comes a time when extra batteries cancel out range, due to weight.

Nyce Kim: But those batteries aren’t too heavy for YOU, Media Man!

Media Man: OK, stay focused there, Nyce Kim. As I was saying, I take the scooter in the car with me to the parking area. Since I drive on the highway to the parking area and use the scooter for city traffic, I don’t feel THAT bad about it.

Nyce Kim: Well, its like you have a hybrid car even though you don’t – you know, gas on the highway and electric power in the city. Pretty Cool!

Media Man: That’s very PERCEPTIVE, Nyce Kim! But, back to my commute. The one-way distance in to my office on 42nd street is 5 miles or so and takes about 20 minutes depending on how well I catch the lights. Plus or minus a minute, this is a consistent commute time. The train, as all New Yorkers know, is NEVER consistent!

Nyce Kim: Ain’t that the truth. But, go on, tell us more about your e-scooting round this fabulous town.

Media Man: Well, I’d be glad to, Nyce Kim. Working in midtown isn’t all fame and glory, especially not when it is time to run errands during the day. I use my e-scooter that way a lot. Every two wheel rider knows it beats all other forms of transport for getting around mid town crowds, packed and slow trains, and constant traffic jams.

Nyce Kim: Not to be redundant, but Ain’t that the truth. What are some of the reactions you get from people around town:

Media Man: Always a thumbs up, "Hey guy, that is the way to go!” "Wish I had one of those!" "Now that’s what I call the smart way to get through this (traffic)", "Hey, why don't you get a real bike (usually from someone stuck in traffic)" "Now this guy's got the right idea." As well as the all too common, "Where do you get those?" "How much do they cost?" "How far can you go?" "It doesn't use gas!!???" "Do you need a license?" "Where are the batteries?" etc...

Nyce Kim: Awesome! Hey, any advice for future e-commuters?

Media Man: Make sure you have an open electrical outlet under your desk! Depending on the size and fold-ability of your scooter, you may have to use the freight entrance/elevator to get into your building. As far as Manhattan goes, it is the best way to get around town. There are a few venues that don't mind you bringing the scooter inside. Offices work out pretty well (that is, I have had no objection from my boss.) Scooting to work is great. I just wish there was more opportunity to do it!

Nyce Kim: Well all right then! Thank you soo much! I think that is all I have for Media Man -- Tune in next month for an exciting edition of Eye on E-Commuting, NOT in New York City!

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New York City International Motorcycle Show
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The weekend of January 10th our trusty NYCEwheels volunteer, Mikael, (my husband), and I, (nyce Kim), moved into the Jacob Javits Center for the NY Motorcycle show. What started out as an intimidating experience quickly proved to be a lot of fun and not so intimidating after all. You may be thinking “intimidating” is an odd choice of words to describe a family oriented event, but in place that hosted groups like “gasoline Ally” and “Gas Gas” brand motorcycles that is how I felt wheeling in our electric motorbikes.

Exhibitors included Harley Davidson, Kawasaki, BMW, Honda, Ducati, Aprilia and more. They had a live dirt bike demonstration every hour right there, inside the Jacob Javits Center. I have to admit, I watched the dirt bike show 2 or 3 times – it was pretty cool! It would have been cooler if the bike was electric but that’s just my opinion. And to be honest, the whole NYCEwheels crew sat on a few Harleys, BMWs and even a Ducati. There were also tons of leather clothes for sale, bike accessories and, what was for me a new type of entertainment, several groups of crazy bikers who made videos of themselves wiping out on bikes, doing handstands on the handle bars at 110 miles per hour, doing donuts in luxury automobiles, etc. My favorite (in other words, the most endurable) was the Wheelie Boys, but Mikael loved the Get Loose or Get Lost guys from Newark. (Bert actually BOUGHT a DVD from them!!)

NYCEwheels had a great space in the center of the exhibition hall...



We were just across from the huge Kawasaki display and adjacent to some custom choppers, complete with flames and leather tassels, from Long Island. Reactions to our display, which included the Lepton, the Voloci and the Pacelite, were “who needs oil anyway?” “what does that run on?” “is it really on? I don’t hear anything!” All in all, pretty positive stuff – in fact, I am pleased to report that for many of the leather clad bikers and scantily dressed ladies it was the first time they’d ever considered an electric powered vehicle, much less even seen one! Sure there were a few creeps there, but for the most part everyone was really cool and open to the idea.

We weren’t selling anything (the whole idea was to expose gassers to electric powered bikes), but we could have. One man claimed the Pacelite would be perfect for his helicopter and another thought the Voloci would make an awesome pit bike.

A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE INTERESTED!

Will we go back next year? Of course! And hopefully we'll have our own version of the "Wheelie Boys" video to sell! Anyone want to burn rubber on a NYCEwheels demo and co-star (Handsome Ron is the STAR) in our video?? C'mon up!!

That DARNED Groundhog
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Crawled out of his little cave with his little ground hog furry self and saw his little ground hog furry stupid shadow. What’s this mean for us? 6 more icky weeks of winter and freezing face riding weather. It is snowing now as I write this. Everyone stand up in your cubicle, living room, or wherever you are as you read this and sing the following as you spin round 3 times:

Snow, Snow, go away, come back again another day. Snow, Snow, go away, come back again another day. Snow, Snow, go away, come back again another day.

If anyone says something to you, tell them to BE NYCE and mind their own business.