Yea, I use Type II cassettes to record on my Tascam 246. I did an experiment where I recorded a track I made digitally to tape and then back into the DAW. I A/B'd them and struggled to differentiate. That being said, I have used some really poor quality Type II tapes, where the difference was obvious.
I would love what you describe. Producers would have to design and manufacture like this from the outset (like you said) but also open source their CAD files.
There's already a market for these things. But the prices are often crazy high because the supply is limited to the parts that people are able to get from scrapped vehicles. For example, see this $200 plastic radio bezel for a 1995 Toyota: https://www.ebay.com/itm/264805497008
> a bit of shopping, to see your local communities
It's possible that's exactly what you're doing on the scooter. Maybe your destination is a local establishment to meet up with friends and you don't want to be a sweaty mess upon arrival.