Sit-down gas scooters are generally underpowered and noisy, but do offer a cheap and nimble way to navigate urban streets. Electric scoots are cleaner and quieter, and the latest from CSC Motorcycles comes with classic looks, can zip to 53 mph and has a range of 68 miles.
The ES5 electric scooter features a 5-kW mid-motor (8-kW peak) running a belt to the rear wheel for 240 Nm (177 lb.ft) of torque and a top speed of up to 52.8 mph (85 km/h). That means you won't be able to catch the striking Zapp i300 on the straight, but you probably won't see one on US roads anyway.
Providing the juice for urban adventures are three-group 1,860-Wh Li-ion batteries for up to 68 miles (110 km) at 31 mph (50 km/h) – that's about in the same ball park as Segway's recently announced E300SE, though we've no word on US availability of that model either.
The CSC scoot is built around an aluminum alloy frame, features a double-padded seat, a full-color TFT dash, there's a USB port for topping up mobile gadgetry while out and about, Bluetooth audio is cooked in, and an integrated trip recorder has been included too.
It rolls on a 14-inch aluminum wheel out front and a 13-inch rim in the rear, each wrapped in tubeless tires, upright shocks to the front and dual coils at the back should help smooth out uneven terrain, and stopping power is provided by disc brakes front and rear – with CBS available for single-lever operation of both.
The ES5 is up for pre-order now for much less than you'd need to spend on some ebikes or eMTBs, and you get to ride through town without needing to pump away at pedals. The pre-order sale price is just US$4,995, with availability expected in October or November. The suggested retail price will be $5,295.
If you've got a bit more cash to spare and would rather ride an electric motorcycle, CSC's 112-mile RX1E model is available now for $8,495.
Source: CSC Motorcycles via Electrek
