Thanks for the detail! I suspect our use cases are different, though: I use my bicycle and motorcycle for different use cases, the former to transport myself, the latter for myself and another passenger. For going places, I prefer the bicycle, as you get free exercise as a bonus. For going somewhere with someone else, or going far, I'll need something closer to the motorcycle form factor, which necessarily will have to be much more expensive and elaborate.
I'm glad to see that e-bikes have become so good, though. My use case is very niche, because I live right at one end of a bike lane that spans the entire city, so going to any of the busy areas is just biking next to the sea, on a level road, for max half an hour, which isn't really hard enough to warrant an e-bike...
I can't really offer advice on how good e-bikes are, but I can say the costs have come down, yes.
Our use cases are definitely different. If you want a replacement for the motorcycle to carry another passenger, you probably won't be able to use a scooter. You could grab something like the XPedition Cargo eBike which can carry a passenger. It's got a 750W motor and weighs only about 70lbs when unloaded. It's only $1400 and there is a one-year warranty on the motor. However, they do not sell replacement motors even if you have money, so expect the bike to last only the one year. (In my experience, regardless of industry, the length of the warranty is usually a relatively accurate indicator of how long the product actually lasts in practice.)
Huh, that looks very interesting, thank you! The motor not being available to buy separately is a concern, but I'll evaluate my risk profile on this, thanks again!
If you want more options, Reddit's one of the best places to find organic product recommendations from real users. It's also where people go to complain whenever they get screwed over. Reddit's where I found someone recommending the XPedition, so both treat my recommendation with the appropriate level of salt, and also feel free to make the same search I did to find more options to evaluate.
It's kind of annoying that the web is so bad that reddit is the best place to get recommendations, but you're right, that's where I do all my research nowadays. I'll look there, thanks!
I'm glad to see that e-bikes have become so good, though. My use case is very niche, because I live right at one end of a bike lane that spans the entire city, so going to any of the busy areas is just biking next to the sea, on a level road, for max half an hour, which isn't really hard enough to warrant an e-bike...