garygid's XM-5000Li eScooter Experience

On the "good to buy" list, I would probably add the following:
- Tire Repair kit
- Bicycle pump (if the repair kit doesn't come with something like CO2 cartridges for pumping that tire back up after you repair it!)
- Pouch to carry tools (the 3500Li cam with a plastic pouch that wasn't very good. I added a better screwdriver, wire ties, electrical tape, a spare circuit breaker, wire cutters, needle-nose pliers and a voltmeter into my tool kit, beyond what the bike came with.)
- Extension cord!!! (you never know when you might need it to get to that hard to reach plug for your charger!)
- Rain gear (I have some by Frog Togs that are lightweight and roll up pretty tightly so they pack well, breath decently, since heat can be an issue here, and they can act as a windbreaker in a pinch)
- Some bungee cords (you never know when you might need them and they come in handy for all kinds of reasons.)
- Brake Cleaner (you don't need to keep it on the bike, but it can be useful to use it every now and then to keep things tip-top.)
- Small pack of glass/plastic wipes and/or lint-free rags for keeping that face-shield and mirrors clean (and having gloves with a squeegee on the left index finger, or a separate squeegee you can just put on your finger or over a glove, is useful as are pockets in the gloves for those wipes if the weather is such that you would need gloves.)

On the "nice to have" list:
- First aid kit (not overly important for an urban commuter, but you never know.)
- Luggage case (I got a hard tail Givi case for my 3500Li to hold my laptop and I got it with the taillight option, which is also nice to have that extra light up high for when you hit the brakes.)
- Cool/cold weather clothing, if you live someplace you might need it.
- Conversely, warm weather clothing, particularly if you are going to protective gear you may want to make sure you get stuff that breathes well enough if you're going to wear it out in the heat or that converts with liners and/or zippers to open to let air thorugh (that goes for your helmet, too. I think it helps to have one with some vents you can open to help dissipate some of the heat, but realize that since you are looking to a full-face helmet they will always get a bit hot. Of course for a bike like this you probably won't be on it for an extended enough time for it to matter too much, but it's something to be aware of.)
- Touch-up Paint (you will inevitably need it, trust me.)
- GPS
- Cup holder (it makes those few times when you might take your ride out to grab lunch or coffee or something a little easier to deal with.)
- Loktite (or superglue or whatever you want, to keep some of those screws and such in place if they seem loose or you take things apart. And it can be generally useful for some improvised repairs if you really need it.)

That's all I can think of for now. Definitely check your top speed before you think about taking that scooter onto a freeway, though. Top speed and acceleration are going to be paramount considering how little room for error you have on that compared to a car.

I'm not sure on the different lines of Frogg Toggs, really. I found a line that had reflective piping, though, and I like those. I've also had their cheaper brand before, i think they are called Dri Duks (something like that) and they work just as well but are very plain jane in design.

Helmets... that's a hard call. Some folks say that if you have a cheap head, buy a cheap helmet... but there are plenty of midrange helmets that I think work well enough. I have a shortie from Vox (I think it was Vox... all shorties seems pretty much the same to me, though) with faceshield, which is cooler (lots of airflow, no venting on top, but it doesn't really need it) but the wind noise is a bit annoying and the style isn't something I like, but it was the only helmet I could get right away when I got my my XM-3500Li. I also got an AFX helmet (http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/5/15/151/5801/ITEM/AFX-FX-4-Lightforce-Helmet.aspx) but I'm not overly fond of it. It has some venting holes on the front that are closeable, but it's a bit bulbous and a little cheap feeling. I haven't worn it in a while, but suffice to say I don't really like it. My main helmet is a similar style to that AFX, it's the Zox Bino Scooter (http://www.zoxhelmets.com/86-25041_en.html) but with removable ear pieces (that I leave in place) and it's a lot nicer design overall. It has four venting zones that you can open or close very easily, even with gloves on with just the press of a finger so you can have a tiny bit of extra heat removal if you need it. (The venting doesn't seem to add a LOT of cooling, or anything, but it does help a little.) None of those are full face helmets, though. With a faster bike you may want to consider a full face if that's what you prefer. You probably get a little less updraft in your facemask with a full-face (and also less cooling), but you may have more problems with fogging as well. Some kind of anti-fog faceshields and/or wipes might be good to add to your nice-to-have list as well, although I think the full face helmets also have a built in "brath box" to direct your warm, moist breath down and away from the shield. Just make sure you get one with at least a face-shield that flips up so if it does fog (more likely when you are not moving, I've noticed) you can lift it up to let it clear up. If you skip the full-face you might want to consider grabbing a schamba or something to cover your lower face and neck for cold weather as well.

None of those have any built-in speakers and that is getting into a higher price-range than I was looking at for helmets anyway. Not to mention most of the built-in speakers like that tend to be set-up with a microphone and such for full Bluetooth communications, which can be convenient, but is pricey and the range is low enough on these bikes that the full comm functions seem a bit like overkill, to me (unless maybe you need to connect to a Bluetooth cell phone or something, maybe). I just got http://www.whitehorsepress.com/product_info.php?products_id=4987 instead. (Although I just found http://www.helmetaudio.com/ which might get you something better... these speakers are a bit tinny sounding.) They work fine and the wire to my GPS stays well out of the way and I still get tunes if nothing else. Still, something better quality would probably be good but for something under $20 they work fine.

For protective clothing... that may be a bit more subjective. I tend to wear a leather jacket, but a rather plain-jane one. You can get ones with zippers for ventilation and liners and such. Personally I just wear the jacket and put on a hoodie underneath it if it's a lot colder. I don't wear anything particular in pants, other than whatever pants I'm wearing or the Frogg Toggs, but I do have one set of overpants that I wear for colder weather. I can't say I can recommend them over anything, though, as I don't have anything to compare them against, but they are the same as any others as far as I know.

I don't usually wear boots, but I do have some comfy Wolverine "work shoes" that actually have steel toes. Remember that I mostly use this bike as a commuter, so having to change clothes in the parking lot is something I'd rather avoid. But most motorcycle magazines and articles I've read suggest over the ankle boots. I have some combat boots from when I was in the Air Force that wear if I feel the need to wear boots. I would also add that here in Louisiana I did not need to get a motorcycle endorsement for the HP rating of the XM-3500Li (it's rated under 5hp) so I didn't have to wear boots for any driving tests or anything. I will need them whenever I finally get around to taking a motorcycle safety class, though. (I really need to do that.)

For gloves, right now I only have gloves for when it's cold or raining, but don't otherwise wear them. I do highly recommend gloves with removable liners, pockets on them can be nice and I really, really, really like the ones with a little silicone patch on the left index finger that you can use as a squeegee to wipe off your face mask. I don't like to let rain stop me from riding, so having that is a lot nicer than just trying to wipe your face with your glove or hand (and it keeps your palm relatively dryer which is better for your grip.)

EDIT: On the Givi case. I have the 450. I don;t really use the quick release much, but it would be helpful is you needed to take the case off and strap something else there for some reason. To be honest, though, I'd go with the bigger size (470, was it?) If you look on my "Just got my XM3500-Li" thread, some other folks talk a little about the one they got. It seems to me like you can never have enough storage space. Sometimes there's nothing in there, but other times you just find you needed those few extra inches. The Givi is a quality case, though. I really love it. The "colored" ones is just a shiny paint job in that color. It looks great (as compared to the all-matte-black ones) but the paint does seem to get scratched up inadvertently and it's just a white plastic underneath so on my painted black one those scuff show up pretty readily (and thus one of the reasons for the touch up paint and clear coat!) I can't speak to the other trunk you were looking at though. I'm only familiar with the Givi. Lots of folks seem to rave about Givi, though, if that means anything.

Thanks fort the tips guys. I just got my givi and I like it,but it seems a little over priced. I was disapointed that for $250 for the shiny case it comes with no LEDs. Guess I'll just have to rig them.Can't wait to hear more about the 5000. Sounds like it's what I thought I was getting in the 3500li.

I just remembered a couple of things to add you your "things to carry" list.

On the "Must Have" list:
- Flashlight. If you are ever out at night and need to look at anything on the bike, this is definitely a must carry. Just something small, but it helps if it's at least somewhat powerful. Even during the day it can be helpful if something happens and you need to look around inside anything in the bike more closely.

On the "Nice to have" list:
- Chamois. If the bike is ever outside when it rains or when the temperature hits the dew point your pants and rear end (unless you are wearing those Frogg Toggs, but even then...) will thank you. You can always cut one down to make it smaller if you like, but just having something to at the very least soak up moisture off of the seat is always nice to have.

I broke my elbow in a lowspeed (about 20 mph) lowside (sand in a curve), so some kind of protective gear is a good idea. I have a Joe Rocket fabric suit with soft body armor in the shoulders, elbows and knees. I've had it a while, but I think it was about $300. I went with the ballistic nylon because it's less expensive, warmer and breathes better than leather. I fortunately haven't crash tested it yet, but I feel safer (and warmer and dryer), and I think if I had it on in the lowside, I would have been fine (and saved about $2000 in medical fees). I have no association with J.R., I just like the product. You can check the mainstream motorcycle mag ads for alternatives.

hi. is all this gear put in a back up truck that follows you round when you go out and about
kev.????

Yes, the straight-up conversion is 6.705 horsepower. The 5000 watt figure is probably input power, so assuming the motor is 80% efficient the output would be more like 5.4 hp. A bit less at the wheel due to drive-train losses. Your best bet would be to find a shop with a dyno and have it tested.

Gary..
Can you meet me with your new powerful XM5000Li
in an acceleration contest with my new Escooter ???
I'll meet you Feb 15th, 16th, or 17th anywhere you want.
It will be caught on video
And I am sure all on this forum would like to see that video.
Your the only one in the L A area.
Please respond
We're all counting on you
Sincerely;
proton
pm me also