Wednesday, April 21, 2021

You can wait for the Honda e-CUB, or get this electric "Monterey" from CSC in California!

 

CSC Monterey Scooter









OK, I know it's not a genuine Honda. It's made in China. The top speed is only 32 MPH, and the range is pretty modest (20+ miles).

BUT BUT BUT

Just look at the thing!  Its pretty, it's correct, it's classic.  Wire wheels, LED lighting, a rear rack with passenger seat.

Price:  $2,195 plus $410 dealer prep. They'll ship it anywhere in the Lower 48 for $350 to $500 (depending on distance).

Here's a review by electrec

Here's the CSC website

Note: If you order, I'd suggest the first thing you do when the bike arrives is remove the plastics covering the front part of the frame where the fork meets the down tube, and inspect the welds. If they look at all dodgy, take the bike (or frame) to a metal shop and have the welds repaired or redone.  This is important - you don't want that part of the frame to fail, and, sorry to say, some made-in-China motorcycles have been found to have dangerously defective welds.

Also, keep in mind that warranty support and parts availability won't be up to Honda standards.  I don't have any experience with CSC but their website specifies the warranty as 12 months parts only. They do have a network of authorized service centers.  Might be a good thing to check it before you buy.

One other thought - the stock battery in the Monterey is 60V 23Ah.  You can find higher Ah rated batteries for sale online (such as Amazon) that are suitable for 1.5KW motors such as that on the Monterey.  A 30Ah battery, for example, should add about 30% more range to the bike. So, the minimum range would go from 20 miles to 26 miles. Of course, you'd have to wire that new battery into the motor controller, and the connectors might not be the same. You'd also have to use the charger that came with the battery instead of the one that came with the bike.  Also, make sure any battery you buy comes with a BMS (battery management system), or else it won't last very long!