New Motorized Bicycle Arrived

In the early days of the internal combustion engine, there were lots of fairly simple vehicles powered by the new motors. One of the first was also fairly cheap. Bicycle shops all over the place took small gasoline engines and regular bikes, creating hybrids (human/gasoline) long before Prius fever swept the nation.

1902 Motorbike Advertisement

As Henry Ford's Model T came on to the scene, the attention shifted to vehicles that could transport the whole family, more cargo, etc. World War II vets brought interest back to 2 wheeled motorized transportation. However, by then, the engines got much bigger and eventually led to the Harley, Honda, and other full-sized motorcycles that you see (and hear) heading down the road.

Today, there's lots of interest in getting from Point A to Point B with as little of the liquified dinosaurs as possible. Heck, if you're looking for a new drinking game that will get you drunk by noon, just take a swig every time someone starts a paragraph with the following phrase:

With gas at $4.00…

There are reports at dealerships selling mopeds, scooters and motorcycles that sales are up by as much as 40% over this time last year. The appeal of vehicles that get 75, 100 or even 150 miles per gallon is obvious if you've ever seen the gas pump fly past $70 as you fill the tank.

Personally, I've been interested in alternative forms of transportation for a while. Heck, I distinctly remember sitting on the riding lawn mower at the age of 10 daydreaming about whether I could take the mower into town. I dreamed up a way of putting a sort of tent over it so I could ride in the rain.

More recently, I've tinkered with an electric bike. That project is sitting in the garage, taunting me. I would love to tackle it again and have that option available in my transportation arsenal. However, the pragmatist in me realizes if I wait for that day to come, I'll just keep driving my truck.

So, last fall, I began thinking about a way to expand my options for getting around without using a gallon of gas for every 20 miles I drive. Shelly's new job has provided one option and we're now carpooling several days per week. However, I wanted something that makes the short trips to the store, library, etc. better as well as the commute.

Since Minnesota requires an extra endorsement on one's driver's license to ride a motorcycle (and the time to take the class/test is in short supply), I did a bunch of digging into the gas-powered options with engines smaller than 50cc's. That size avoids the motorcycle endorsement and slides into a fairly unregulated category.

I looked at the "normal" mopeds a bit, but they didn't really catch my interest. Then I ran across a company called Spookytooth Cycles. They build motorized bicycles in the style of the original motorcycles from 1902. With several models under $500, they are providing cheap transportation to lots of people.

I was intrigued and made a note to look into getting one this spring. About a month or so ago, I finally took action and ordered one of their bikes, called The Dresser.

Spookytooth Dresser (what I bought)

I ordered it and have spent the last month waiting for the build and shipment process to finish up (that's their normal lead time FYI). Today, FedEx delivered a couple of boxes containing my new motorized bicycle. While I ordered it "fully assembled", there is some assembly that needs to happen in order to cut down on shipping costs.

So, I still have a minor project to finish before I can ride it (plus the rain has to stop before I'd want to). However, the shiny new vehicle is sitting in the garage right now and I'm looking forward to taking it for a spin when I get a chance.

With mileage in the 150 mpg range, it's definitely an option worth looking at if you're trying to cut down on transportation costs or just want to cruise down the street with the wind in your hair.