Are electric scooters legal in NYC?

Are portable electric scooters that are NOT gas powered legal to ride on NYC Streets?

• Answer:

  Yes. There are even electric scooter dealers in New York city. One is called NYCE or something. NATIVE Z6 Electric Scooter Impressions and 450 Mile Opinions and Views – Product Review with LIFEPO4 battery GOOD POINTS Regen braking does 90% or more of braking – however, the twist throttle must be turned back slowly, otherwise the regen braking does not engage. 35 mile range in real-world driving to 100% drain; 25 mile range allows for 70% depth of discharge which is suggested for optimum battery longevity. Low center of gravity – good balance and side-wind resistance. An infrared thermometer shows that all components stay under 50 degrees Celcius including disc brake, controller casing, motor casing, batteries, and Battery Management System circuit. Good headlights. Foot board allows for different sitting positions comfortably. Excellent (durable-looking) quality materials throughout. Motor does not draw high amps at low speed (in contrast to the Ego electric scooter, and most other brushed DC scooters) Tires stick well to the road in dry and wet weather. Good acceleration. Very good brakes. Fun to ride! Looks great. Excellent ride characteristics once the rear shocks has been tuned for softer riding by an experienced motorcycle mechanic. BAD POINTS Fuel/energy gauge sits at full, or near full, until the very last mile. No storage unless an after-market box is added (from $50 or more) Manufacturer did not provide a user guide or service manual. The said manufacturer of the BMS in California does not answer their phone, and this company has no contact info on the Internet, should something go wrong. Surges (controllably) at very low speeds. NUETRAL POINTS Battery charger has a cut-off relay “kludged” with fragile-wires that will need attention if not handled very gingerly. Brake lever does not disengage motor. Like most other electric scooters, without modifications to ruggedize and weatherize the Native Z6 Lithium, weather and durability issues will likely crop up by 1000-2000 miles, and may be hard to diagnose due to lack of service and maintenance information. No motion-sensing alarm, but an aftermarket alarm can be added. Manufacturer states that motor brushes may need to be replaced at 4,000-6,000 mile intervals. INFORMATION FOUND ON THE INTERNET ABOUT THE Z6 (snipped text) We are advised that the Electric Motorsport (made by Native Cycles?) Native Z6 requires motor terminal re-torquing at 300 miles and yearly intervals. (No user manual from the company, unlike their GPR-S. A look at the Z6 electrical terminal shows that there is no lockwasher. Fairly hard to reach one terminal which is underneath the chassis. Might be impossible to reach with a torque wrench --- only a long thin piece of wood can be inserted far enough in my exerience. Do you think that using thread-locker liquid on the nut would hold it, and prevent slippage? Since this appears to be a brushed/brush motor, we're thinking of vacuuming the brush dust every 500 miles -- does this seem reasonable? Chains -- to lubricate every 300 miles. I oil the non-O-ring chain on my GPR-S every 100 miles and have only had to adjust the chain slack once within 1200 miles. I recommend oiling the chain more frequently than 300 miles if it is not an O-ring design. My 2009 GPR-S manual (which I can send to you if you PM me) has little advice about maintenance. I also have the Tiger Boxer owner's manual (which I can also send you) and it also has almost no maintenance advice. There is no information about changing brake fluid, changing fork fluid, greasing and adjusting steering bearings and swing arm bearings, removing and replacing the wheels and brake calipers, etc. Chassis maintenance is left up to you to figure out. There is also little in the way of torque values for the chassis fasteners available. The recommendation is for you to take it to a local motorcycle dealer - whom I am sure would not touch the bike with a ten-foot pole for liability reasons. These bikes are designed for hobbyists who will have do their own maintenance and repairs, in my opinion. I lubricate the chain of my Brammo Enertia every 200miles and tighten the chain every 1k miles. I also inspect brake pads and tire tread at 1k intervals.