So I want an XB scooter

Personally I would suggest staying away from any of the XB-5## models. I've been having quite a few customers having quality control issues with them lately. Save your money for a larger one - it'll be worth it.

I'd suggest an XB-600. If you're going to start modding it, you're going to want the extra overhead that a 600 Watt motor provides.

As for replacing the batteries with car batteries for extended range or whatever you asked, that's a dead end for several reasons. Firstly, a battery's volume and weight to a great extent dictates its WHr capacity. It'd be rather difficult to add in a lot more capacity for distance without changing the battery chemistry. Also, keep car batteries away from anything that requires constant deep cycling (like an electric scooter). Car batteries are designed to provide more CA's (cranking amps) so their lead plates have a greater surface area (they're kind of like a sponge in form). A deep cycle battery (like what you would use in an electric scooter) has less surface area on the lead plates so it has less instantaneous amperage but the plates are more robust and less prone to breakage over a larger number of cycles.

Wow, that was a long digression, but I'll just reiterate, get an XB-600 and get it from someone reputable like www.basestationzero.com .

Haha, now you're talking sense. My guess is that a DeWalt battery pack is NiMH chemistry. If you switch to NiMH you're going to get better range as the batteries have a greater power density (more Whrs per lb/kg). Though, i would cautioin that using DeWalt packs may not be the best idea. One thing I thought about is using AA or C or D rechargeable NiMH (probably D's as you'd need a lot less of them) and fashioning a battery pack from that. Just food for thought.

Though, I think you'll find the stock range of the SLA's in the XB-600 ample for your commute. My plan (and I think that of many others) is to use the stock SLA's for a few years until they wear out then mod up to something more exotic (read: expensive) at that time.

It all comes down to speed. How fast do you want to go and what are you willing to do to go that fast?

I recently purchased the xb700-Li mostly because of the battery life. Just a day or two after riding the bike, I realized distance wasn't the problem for me, I had the need for speed. The distance was so incredible that I immediately decided to take it on a 20 mile plus intra-day commute to a satellite office 2 or 3 times a week. The only bad part is the speed limits on the route are on average 45mph. I can thump 45kph on a full charge for a few miles but then drop back to 42kph for the remainder of the ride.

You need speed. Trust me.

Plot your average commute. I've gone 44 miles easily on the xb700-Li without (seemingly) a dent in the charge. But if you want speed, at least more than 45kph (which ain't much when you get out there with the guzzlers) I say spend the extra 3k and get the xm-3500 even though everyone's bitching that it won't do the published 55mph or 63mph depending on what post you read. Whatever, 45mph is a definite with the xb-3500 and you can certainly blend in with the mass of traffic at 45mph.

As far as modding something to 60v or 72v, this sure looks like fun, but if you're going to mod something, don't bother modding the xb-600 like so many admirable posters have done. From what I've read, these are certainly some brilliant guys doing some amazing things to the xb-600 but at the end of the day, they're going 36mph. To me, the cash for the xm-3000 or the xm-3500 will get you beyond 36mph off the truck and although certainly less fun than modding, the cash will get you going faster... faster. (members, please don't bother shredding me on this thought! i love the xb-600 mod sagas and read them daily, religiously!)

I wouldn't worry too much about the registration part of the xb-3500 either. I've seen gas scooters blow by me at what can only be in upwards of 45mph and they're not registered. The stats on the bike are so amorphous, it would be tough to prove what it is anyway.

In the end, I'd spend the extra cash to get the speed even if it's not the outrageous speed published by x-treme.

I'm not sayin' don't buy it. Just be very aware that if you have a minor problem, it'll probably get taken care of pretty quickly. If you have a *major* one, however, you're going to be . . . uh . . . well . . . frustrated. Haven't given up hope on getting my XB-500 fixed yet, but my catastrophe happened on May 25th with no resolution. Many here have not had problems and neither have any of the people I contacted before I bought my XB-500.

in regards to speed, onemanprotest is right. Make sure you look into the speed limits along your path to see if its worth it. About 90% of my driving (from my house to school and work) is in 25-35mph speed limits, so the XB-600+mods made sense for me... but if you have to drive on roads faster than 35mph you are not going to like this bike.

I've had my 700Li for three weeks, drive 5 miles r/t to work on roads that range fron 25 to 45 mph. I'm 6'200 and have had no battery power problems or keeping up with traffic. I usually meet the SUVs at the next red light and slide up next to them. I don't plan on any mods at this time as speed isn't a factor. However, I'm looking into an air-horn as I just about go T-boned yesterday by a nini-van driven by a mini-brain who was yacking to her passenger as she turned in front of me. Good luck and hope to see you on the street.

Your weight dictates that you get at least 750 watts. Otherwise, you won't make it up any inclines. Adding more batteries adds weight also, unless you go with lithium ion batteries, which will up your cost by $400 or more. I wouldn't suggest anything less than the XB-700li. Remember this about your investment, You'll be paying less than 1/2 cent per mile for fuel, so for every mile you drive this thing, you will save at least 20 cents.