On http://visforvoltage.org/forum/4399-xm3500-role-call#comment-25654 I asked about whether the XM 3500 can have trunk/luggage capacity enough for four bags of groceries.
I've been thinking about this for awhile with my motorcycles. My goal is to replace 90% or more of the usage of my car. This summer I've managed to avoid driving my car for almost everything but for about 5 days out of the whole summer. There's a couple kinds of things people use cars for that are difficult with a motorcycle
- Grocery shopping and other large item transport
- Long trips
- Trips in the rain ('weather')
- Carrying lots of passengers
For my grocery shopping I'm using a bicycle with a trailer. Long trips are where I've been driving the car, also on days where I'm running late enough that I need the speed the car gives me.
How do others handle these kinds of issues on a scooter or motorcycle? Or, in general, how do you do this without driving a car or otherwise without using gasoline?
With myself I gave up my van a year and a half ago and do most of my shopping via E-bike.
What I use are a set of motorcycle saddlebags. These ones are expandable to double their size. It is possible for me to put 3 sometimes 4 bags of groceries in each bag. If I need extra additional storage I have a duffel bag that can be secured across the back off the seat. These bikes can be work horses as well as transportation. If you check their roots you will know what I mean.
I also carry an assortment of bungees and tie downs for various situations.
E-Bike Advocate
Bike: 2008 Volt Canada Dream Ryder
I assume you're meaning the kind of thing I see in India when I go there... A large portion of the vehicles in Bangalore are the same sort of scooter, though they don't have pedals and are 99.999% two stroke gas burning. In any case these are typically the only vehicle a family will own and they do everything with it.
I've seen them carrying stuff on the floorboards, and carrying 4 or more people on a scooter. One that sticks in my mind had Dad driving, 10 yr old son standing on the floorboards maybe with some cargo, and 6 yr old sister in the back, carrying (and/or playing with) 2 yr old sister, none of them wearing helmets .. crazy. Another that sticks in my mind was a scooter carrying a huge oversized load of, uh, sticks, with the rider kinda lying on top of the sticks barely holding onto the handlebar.
Yeh, what you said, workhorse...
- David Herron, The Long Tail Pipe, davidherron.com, 7gen.com, What is Reiki
My solution is a bit excessive. I bought an additional scooter (http://scootersnbikes.com/cs-600s.html) for my husband. Using the trunk, the seat storage and a Baggallini backpack,we can each carry 3 bags of groceries. Bungi cords can also strap on an additional cloth grocery bag in front of the trunk if needed. And, 20 lbs of dog food have been strapped on the floorboard between my feet (one of the advantages of this style of bike).
I am pleased to report that I have only driven my car 3 times this summer. Twice for work where I needed to drive to a conference, and the third time to take the dog to the vet. We absolutely LOVE taking the scooters out shopping.
I do yard sales on Saturday and Sunday almost every weekend. This is pretty much how I do my shopping for almost everything except for food, I do score on some coffee, tea or other dry products though. I'm not trying to save the world or anything, I just love getting things for five or ten cents on the dollar and screwing the government out of taxes. It's quite a bit of fun meeting new people all the time, especially the girls when the weather is hot!
I always take one of my mopeds. For storage I always have my backpack and I usually have side bags on the moped. If it comes down to needing more storage, I get a cardboard box at a yard sale and bungee it down. I even carted off some things I should not have. Surfboard, shelf unit and other things that I balanced on my bike. Right after 9/11 I even came across a old WW2 practice *%&^ that they used to drop from airplanes for target practice. It was like three feet long and a foot in diameter. It was pretty funny as I pulled up to other yard sales and see the people expressions. I was kinda worried what would happen if I ran into a cop, I was glad that did not happen. "Hey son where are you going with that device"?
Deron.
I kinda cop out and use the car. One day a week I drive it to work so I can bring all the construction materials I'll need to the job. So that day I'm carrying bags of cement mix, lumber hardware, etc. If it won't all fit in the car, i end up bringing the one ton truck, which hopefully drives less than 100 miles a month. On the way home, I do the same thing for the house, so after that all I need the rest of the week can fit in my messenger bag.
Back when I had a moped, I put a milk crate on the back of it. The ammount of stuff that fit in three standard grocery bags would fit easily in it, and back then I only had that much cash once a month. I garage sale a lot still, and like to go to only the nearby ones on my trike. A grocery store close enough for the trike is being built, but it won't open till next year, or maybe longer if the economy really tanks more.
I'm down about 80% on my car use, for daily routine travel, and no plans to go far this year till October. Big oil blew it this time, I'm done buying 200 gallons a month of gas.
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