After a short holiday we’ve returned – and with a cool new toy:

Our M2 scooters now come with a 60 volt battery system! This means you’ll go further and faster than ever before.

Set an appointment, take one for a test ride, and experience the awesome power yourself.

Spicy Motors will be closed from June 4th to June 13th. 

If you want, you can email us but we won’t be able to answer calls or respond until the 13th. 

Apologies in advance for any inconvenience.

Spicy Motors will be CLOSED around the upcoming Dragon Boat Holiday, from May 21st, 2009 to May 31st. 

During this time we’ll NOT be answering the phone, checking email, taking orders, or able to help with repairs. 

We will reply to all unanswered emails upon return from holiday. 

We apologize in advance for any inconvenience. 

Winter is leaving. Spring is returning. Summer will soon be here. And guess, what? There’s no better time to drive a scooter around Shanghai than when the sun is shining and the sky is blue. Meaning – right now! 

We’re taking orders again, so come check out the M1 and M2 scooters.

Hi everyone! A couple of notes for the holidays:

First, we have two slightly used M1 scooters in the showroom. These are priced for the holidays and would make great gifts. Both are 1000w, black, with front disc-brakes. Send a note if you’d like to learn more. 

Next, we’re closed for the holidays, Dec 24th to 28th.

Lastly, we hope everyone has a safe, warm, and fun holiday! Be careful out there – ice is common on Shanghai streets, especially in the mornings. And Shanghai scooter drivers tend to be a little more crazy when they’re wrapped in four layers of clothing!

Did you know that the faster you drive your scooter the shorter the distance you will travel? If you want to get the maximum range from your scooter it’s important to keep this fact in mind. To illustrate the point we have this Shanghai-centric animation:







 

Please note: The image and range are NOT to scale. On average you can expect to get between 30km and 50km from your scooter on a single charge. The faster you drive, the shorter the distance.




The ideal speed for maximum distance is between 15km/h and 25km/h. And your results will vary depending on a variety of factors including, road surface, hilly roads, weight/cargo, temperature, and wind speed. So, if you want to go far, go slow, and enjoy the ride.

If you leave your scooter in the rain (shame on you!) your metal bits might rust. This can happen on the M1 or M2 models and effects the handle bars as well as the rear rack. Rust is unsightly, but won’t do any permanent damage to your scooter. And removal of rust is easy:

1. Buy some “fine” sandpaper. Sand paper is rated by “grit”, and you want at least “100 grit paper” (higher is OK to). The sandpaper should feel smooth, not bumpy. Bumpy sandpaper will create uneven scratches. You only need one sheet – and it shouldn’t cost more than a few RMB.

2. Tear off a small strip you can work with easily (15cm x 5cm is OK). Wrap the strip around the bar and pull it back-and-forth with light pressure until the rust is removed.

3. Apply a coat of light oil using a paper towel (even kitchen oil works) to protect the freshly sanded metal.




You can find sand paper at almost all local hardware shops. “Sha zhe” is how you say “sand paper” in Chinese) – which literally translates to “sand” and “paper”.

After some much needed R&R (research and rest) in Japan, we’ve returned to Shanghai. Upon arriving home we’re greeting with a mountain of emails, much interest in the scooters, and some new product ideas.

First off, the emails: Many questions from people interested in the scooters. We’ll be updating the “Frequently Asked Questions” section of the site to provide answers to some of the more frequent queries. If you have suggestions for things you’d like to see answered on the site, please let us know. Questions or suggestions about your existing scooter? Also, let us know.

Next, for those of you writing to express interest in test driving or purchasing a scooter: We’re answering your emails as quickly as we can. Since the “That’s Shanghai” article was published, we’ve been overwhelmed by the response. As we’re still a small business with a tiny staff and always striving to give the best quality service to our existing and new customers, you might have to wait a little while. We appreciate your interest and promise to respond as quickly as possible.

Finally, we’ll be offering some cool new helmets and accessories as the weather turns chilly. Be sure to visit the shop or check the website for the latest in helmets, gloves, and scooter protection.

We’re in Japan from Oct 1st to Oct 12th – researching the scooter phenomenon here, checking out the latest scooter fashions, and bringing cool stuff back to China. Until our return, please feel free to email – but we won’t be answering the phone!

Hope everyone is having a fun, fast, and electric Chinese National Holiday!

With wet weather upon Shanghai we thought to send out a friendly warning about one of the deadliest perils on Shanghai streets: 
 

White Traffic Lines (of slip and die)!!!!

These lines are everywhere – marking the border between car lane and bike lane, serving as the “zebra stripes” that denote pedestrian crossings, and otherwise criss-crossing and bisecting the road surface we put under the wheels of our Spicy Motors electric scooters. 

Driving a high-powered electric scooter on wet roads isn’t much of a challenge – they aren’t quite that powerful (unless you’re driving one of our 1500+ watt models). Just remember your emergency stopping distance will be greater, and your turns should be taken slower. Common sense stuff. 

Another common sense thing is to put “friction material” into the paint used to create street lines. This could be sand, plastic grit, or other materials – which gives the paint a sandpaper-like surface quality. Why? So when your car, scooter, or bicycle wheel contacts the paint surface it maintains traction similar to the normal street surface. Without a friction material added to the street paint it would would become dangerously, insanely slippery. Like melted butter on ice.

And guess what the city of Shanghai “forgot” to add to all the new street paint on the streets we navigate. Yep, you guessed it – friction material.

The result is a super hazard for scooter and bicycle drivers. Hit this murder paint at the wrong angle, while turning, or while braking, and you’ll be skidding along the street on your ass – much to the delight of local onlookers.

So, when the streets get wet, remember this critical driving rule:

When it rains, avoid slippery street paint like the plague.

If your wheels must traverse it (which they inevitably will) then make sure they do so at the most stable ride angle, with minimum de/acceleration, and lightest braking as possible.