I appreciate your perspective. Riding motorbikes in the city for over forty years, I've always felt safer in the middle of the lane moving at the rate of traffic than on a bicycle sandwiched between moving and parked vehicles. Ironically, my preferred routes on the motorbike are ones without bike lanes, as they offer greater opportunity to bypass lines of stopped traffic. That has caused me to take notice of the proliferation of bike lanes, which has led to the current line of thinking that switching to an ebike makes sense for the riding I currently do, while adding access to places where the motorbike cannot go, as you point out. It's a very different perspective on urban transportation, and I realize that posting on this forum is speaking to the choir. Thanks again!

Point taken that a ebike cannot do everything a motorbike can do (and vice versa). In considering a swap I am taking into account the riding that I do--inner city only, never more than a few miles, never on the highway. In that situation, the ebike makes a lot of sense, and opens up possibilities that don't currently exist for recreation and exercise. It has not been lost on me that even non-ebikes on the bike paths generally keep up or even surpass my progress in traffic, and I'm attracted to views of the city that one misses from the roadway.

Having both somewhat negates some of the things I am looking to accomplish with the switch, e.g., save on maintenance and insurance, free up space in the garage, perhaps decrease the likelihood of an accident, though I'm on the fence about that. After 40+ years on motorized two-wheelers (actually a three-wheeler MP3 right now) it's a bit poignant to think about giving it up, and if that feeling persists, I'll probably jump back in, but I'm hoping I don't look back. There is an element of full circle, as I started my two-wheel journey on a Puch moped in San Francisco in the 1970s. Technology has come a long way!

Your comments are very helpful. I have noted the large number of people who swear by the Mini. At the moment the RAD rack is unavailable with no estimate when it wii be again. I know there are alternatives. My plan is to mount a motorcycle top box and it appears to me that it would fit better on the integrated rack, but perhaps that's just a perception based on pics. All the dithering could be ended by ponying up the difference for the Plus, but at this point it feels like I'm paying $400 to get the suspension unless the gears are more helpful than I anticipate them to be. But if I immediately regret cheaping out, that's false economy.

And on the top level is whether I will regret giving up the speed and comfort of a Vespa for a bike—for the amount of riding I do I can't justify having both. A first-world problem to be sure, especially with the world in its current state.

The delay in Canadian shipping has given me lots of time to weigh one model against another, changing my mind multiple times, and to ply RAD with questions, which they have answered patiently.

The Mini clearly offers the best value with all the features of the Plus except the rack, with the additional benefit of folding, for $500 less even after adding a rack. (CAN$ including tax) Foldability is not a concern now, but one never knows if the day might come.

I value the size and strength of the integrated rack and I prefer the overall look of the Runners. I actually prefer the stripped down aesthetic but form must take second place to function, so that has me doing a cost/benefit examination of the features on the Plus, which come at a substantial price differential of $675 after tax. (Americans may smirk.)

SEAT
The passenger seat is of no use to me, and in any case it is currently offered as a free bonus on the Runner.

GEARS
I believe I would be one of those who finds the single speed perfectly fine for my short and mostly level city riding, and I am attracted to the simplicity that comes with it. My usage is transportation, not recreation, and battery life is not a concern, so I am fine to use motor assist as necessary.

FENDERS/DISPLAY
I'm on the fence with both of these. I prefer the look of no fenders, but I assume I'll change my mind when I hit the first puddle. I suspect I'd be fine with the LED, but even if I add both fenders and display, the Runner is still $400 less than the Plus.

SUSPENSION
This is my biggest unanswered question. I anticipate no off-road use, but there are plenty of potholes and bumps to contend with on city streets. To what degree would a suspension post and seat mitigate the loss of a fork suspension?

I'm thinking out loud, and I know everyone has their own needs and preferences, but I'm happy to hear opinions. I guess I'm most interested from anyone who bought the Runner and regretted not buying the Plus.   

When delivery will resume in Canada remains a mysterious unknown, and I'm unwilling to hand over money until that answer is clearer. The website suggests that purchasing it preassembled may bypass the issue, but the cost of $250 is high to begin with, and adding a single accessory doubles it!

First post from someone considering the move from a 250cc Vespa to an e-bike for city transportation (Toronto). Trying to assess the relative benefits/safety of access to bike lanes to the middle-of-road, speed-of-traffic position of a motorbike. Any thoughts from those who've made the transition?

I have some Rad-specific questions and will post them separately.

Edit: I just noticed the recent post on this topic, but I'm interested in the perspective of city riders especially.