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We have something similar in Germany. The Schwalbe scooter was built in Easter Germany from the the 60s to the 80s and has achieved a sort of cult status. One

by lower 8y ago

We have something similar in Germany. The Schwalbe scooter was built in Easter Germany from the the 60s to the 80s and has achieved a sort of cult status. One still sees them today, even in the west. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simson_Schwalbe https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simson_Schwalbe There is now a new electric scooter that looks just like the original: http://www.myschwalbe.com/en/ http://www.myschwalbe.com/en/

hwillis 8y ago
80 kg, oof. I bet you could crash that into a tree at 30 mph/50 kph and once you got out of the hospital you'd only need to hammer the dents out.
- lower 8y ago
  Wait until you hear that the new electric one weighs 120kg (one battery) to 135kg (two batteries).
adrianN 8y ago
They have a cult following because they can go 60km/h but are treated tax-wise and driver's licence wise like a modern scooter that is limited to 45km/h. (The regular speed limit in cities is 50km/h)
- lower 8y ago
  Yes, but it must also be the looks of the thing. The Simson S51 is newer, has the same sort of speed, is legally treated as a scooter, but does not appear to have the same cult status. I see the new electric Schwalbe quite often in city traffic and the acceleration of the thing seems insane.
  - vetinari 8y ago
    In 80's Czechoslovakia, S51 Enduro was the thing that cool teens had :).
  - mgv11 8y ago
    In Berlin you can use a scooter sharing service (Emmy) that has those Schwalbe scooters. If you change the ride-mode to boost the acceleration is very nice indeed, not quite motorcycle fast, but faster than most of the cars.
jseliger 8y ago
I wonder when Electric Vespas: https://electrek.co/2018/08/27/electric-vespa-the-elletrica-production/ https://electrek.co/2018/08/27/electric-vespa-the-elletrica-... will finally be widely available. Genze has been shipping inexpensive e-scooters for a while: https://www.genze.com/e-scooters https://www.genze.com/e-scooters.

by lower 8y ago

hwillis 8y ago

80 kg, oof. I bet you could crash that into a tree at 30 mph/50 kph and once you got out of the hospital you'd only need to hammer the dents out.

lower 8y ago
Wait until you hear that the new electric one weighs 120kg (one battery) to 135kg (two batteries).

adrianN 8y ago

They have a cult following because they can go 60km/h but are treated tax-wise and driver's licence wise like a modern scooter that is limited to 45km/h. (The regular speed limit in cities is 50km/h)

lower 8y ago
Yes, but it must also be the looks of the thing. The Simson S51 is newer, has the same sort of speed, is legally treated as a scooter, but does not appear to have the same cult status. I see the new electric Schwalbe quite often in city traffic and the acceleration of the thing seems insane.
- vetinari 8y ago
  In 80's Czechoslovakia, S51 Enduro was the thing that cool teens had :).
- mgv11 8y ago
  In Berlin you can use a scooter sharing service (Emmy) that has those Schwalbe scooters. If you change the ride-mode to boost the acceleration is very nice indeed, not quite motorcycle fast, but faster than most of the cars.

jseliger 8y ago

I wonder when Electric Vespas: https://electrek.co/2018/08/27/electric-vespa-the-elletrica-production/ https://electrek.co/2018/08/27/electric-vespa-the-elletrica-... will finally be widely available. Genze has been shipping inexpensive e-scooters for a while: https://www.genze.com/e-scooters https://www.genze.com/e-scooters.