Which electric scooter are you getting?

Soldato
Joined
7 Feb 2004
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3,070
I thought we could do with a thread for those of us looking at buying an electric scooter and not get bogged down with whether they should be allowed or not and other opinions of them.
I've been looking at reviews since the announcement and can't decide yet which one to buy. I've got a couple of hills on my commute and want something with a bit of power so looking at a Zero 9 but not sure if it will be powerful enough or maybe a Zero 10 but that's getting a bit too heavy as I've got a flight of stairs at work to carry it up. The Kaboo Mantis Lite looks pretty good as well.
The E-Twow Booster GT 2020 seems good for speed, weight and reviews but I really dislike the idea of only one rear drum brake and solid tyres.

What's everyone else looking at?
 
Associate
Joined
2 Sep 2007
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1,966
I thought we could do with a thread for those of us looking at buying an electric scooter and not get bogged down with whether they should be allowed or not and other opinions of them.
I've been looking at reviews since the announcement and can't decide yet which one to buy. I've got a couple of hills on my commute and want something with a bit of power so looking at a Zero 9 but not sure if it will be powerful enough or maybe a Zero 10 but that's getting a bit too heavy as I've got a flight of stairs at work to carry it up. The Kaboo Mantis Lite looks pretty good as well.
The E-Twow Booster GT 2020 seems good for speed, weight and reviews but I really dislike the idea of only one rear drum brake and solid tyres.

What's everyone else looking at?

I did have the standard M365 for around a year now have the Pro. Great scooter especially as I managed to get it £380 new.
 
Man of Honour
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Just bear in mind that using them on a road is still illegal and you could get 6 points +£200 fine for no insurance plus driving otherwise in accordance with your licence and have the vehicle seized. The government are consulting on a change, but up until something changes you're still risking your licence.
 
Caporegime
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Is anything being done to legislate these things? Some seriously dangerous people riding on them. I'd love to get one but like @happy_2008 I'm not keen on getting screwed on one.

Once legislated I really hope the police enforce the rules to keep the idiots off the road too. Honestly some of the things I see make me wonder how these people have managed to stay alive for so long.
 
Soldato
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5 degrees starboard
Is anything being done to legislate these things? Some seriously dangerous people riding on them. I'd love to get one but like @happy_2008 I'm not keen on getting screwed on one.

Once legislated I really hope the police enforce the rules to keep the idiots off the road too. Honestly some of the things I see make me wonder how these people have managed to stay alive for so long.
There was an electric scooterist riding through the town square yesterday, he was sat on a seat fitting and must have been doing over 20mph. All four sides of the square are pedestrianised with people and kids strolling along. If not for them, I would have lobbed my coke can at his head.
 
Soldato
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Scooters are for those who can't balance :p
The real fun is riding electronic unicycles. I love mine, i just wish I spent a bit more and got one that goes faster. Always excuse for another purchase I suppose.

When I was using it for commuting to work it was a really fun way to get in. Went by police on my way in and home each evening and never had a problem with them.

Best thing about it, especially in the winter was that you have both hands free so when it was cold I'd have my hands in my coat pockets keeping toasty and warm and it left my hands free for using my phone if I wanted to change what I was listening to.
 
Soldato
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I did have the standard M365 for around a year now have the Pro. Great scooter especially as I managed to get it £380 new.

My brother also went from the M365 to M365 Pro for commuting and finds it a really good balance of speed/power etc.

The kids M365's are still going well and the best thing with the Pro is not only is a nice upgrade to the motor etc, but it's officially sold limited to 15.5mph/25kph which is no coincidence that the current eBike top speed (with assistance) is 15.5mph/25kph, so all it takes is them dropping the 'with assistance' aspect and all is well.. even the motor (300w sustained) is close to the current eBike 250w limit. Of course if you wish to defeat the speed limiter etc it can be done for those more rebellious, but at least it's designed to be fairly compliant so less 'obvious'..

And for £380, I would say, legalities aside, it's the right VFM to surely make it a serious contender.

Is anything being done to legislate these things? Some seriously dangerous people riding on them. I'd love to get one but like @happy_2008 I'm not keen on getting screwed on one.

Once legislated I really hope the police enforce the rules to keep the idiots off the road too. Honestly some of the things I see make me wonder how these people have managed to stay alive for so long.

As mentioned, the M365 / M365 Pro are within the 'envelope' of performance and power limits for eBikes, so from a common sense point of view you would like to think these are far more likely to be candidates for being made legal.

Honestly 15MPH on these seems absolutely fine, very very stable and they will deal with road defects fairly well (not that far off the small wheel fold up commuter bikes which many easily manage!).

Of course you can derestrict them (the Pro certainly has more headroom, the non pro not so much).
 
Soldato
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Honestly 15MPH on these seems absolutely fine, very very stable and they will deal with road defects fairly well (not that far off the small wheel fold up commuter bikes which many easily manage!)..

The only thing I dislike with the 15.5mph limit is when you're trying to overtake someone it feels like you could do with a little more oomph. My next wheel I get (something like a Segway Ninebot Z10 or Kingsong KS16X) will be able to do 28mph which I feel is probably too fast but a good speed for being able to overtake other cyclists and then go back to cruising at 15mph comfortably.
 
Soldato
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The only thing I dislike with the 15.5mph limit is when you're trying to overtake someone it feels like you could do with a little more oomph. My next wheel I get (something like a Segway Ninebot Z10 or Kingsong KS16X) will be able to do 28mph which I feel is probably too fast but a good speed for being able to overtake other cyclists and then go back to cruising at 15mph comfortably.

I stand by the idea of buying something that technically is 'limited' to 15mph (a far better position to be arguing from should the inevitable happen) even if you've derestricted it to allow a bit of overtaking etc.

Going for a very overpowered eScooter has two main considerations
1. It's too overtly illegal to not have to seriously consider if it's worth the risk of having it confiscated and / or huge fine/ points on licence etc.
2. People going too far with it is just slowdown legislation being changed.. if people do want it changed, be sensible and show how it can work, not reinforce all the issues that get dragged up every time there is a debate on it.
 
Soldato
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Bristol
I stand by the idea of buying something that technically is 'limited' to 15mph (a far better position to be arguing from should the inevitable happen) even if you've derestricted it to allow a bit of overtaking etc.

Going for a very overpowered eScooter has two main considerations
1. It's too overtly illegal to not have to seriously consider if it's worth the risk of having it confiscated and / or huge fine/ points on licence etc.
2. People going too far with it is just slowdown legislation being changed.. if people do want it changed, be sensible and show how it can work, not reinforce all the issues that get dragged up every time there is a debate on it.

I agree with you for the most part that 15.5mph is perfectly fine. I seem to overtake most cyclists on my way home as it's a good pace the problem is, more so on a wheel than a scooter, is when I get to 15.5mph it starts to push me back in order to slow me down. Which is fine but it feels like to stay at a constant 15mph I have to be balanced in a perfect place. I just want something to go that little bit faster just so that I can overtake a bit easier and also so that I can cruise at the 15.5 limit without the constant beeps or pushing me back

I expect on a scooter because you don't lean you just stay at the 15.5 speed constantly which is why it's probably not annoying.
 
Soldato
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I agree with you for the most part that 15.5mph is perfectly fine. I seem to overtake most cyclists on my way home as it's a good pace the problem is, more so on a wheel than a scooter, is when I get to 15.5mph it starts to push me back in order to slow me down. Which is fine but it feels like to stay at a constant 15mph I have to be balanced in a perfect place. I just want something to go that little bit faster just so that I can overtake a bit easier and also so that I can cruise at the 15.5 limit without the constant beeps or pushing me back

I expect on a scooter because you don't lean you just stay at the 15.5 speed constantly which is why it's probably not annoying.

A good point, something I wouldn't have figured if buying a unicycle.. Yes, especially with cruise control activated, the scooters are ridiculously easy to ride.
 
Soldato
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A good point, something I wouldn't have figured if buying a unicycle.. Yes, especially with cruise control activated, the scooters are ridiculously easy to ride.

It's a minor complaint about the wheel really. They are really fun to ride though, once you learn, even a simple trip to the local corner shop was fun. I did about 900 miles on my wheel and if it wasn't due to moving house I would still be riding it today. It's just where I am is that little bit too far and I think I could do it quicker cycling.
 
Caporegime
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There was an electric scooterist riding through the town square yesterday, he was sat on a seat fitting and must have been doing over 20mph. All four sides of the square are pedestrianised with people and kids strolling along. If not for them, I would have lobbed my coke can at his head.

Being a bell end on a little scooter justifies assault then does it? I agree that what he was doing was wrong, but flinging a can of coke at him wouldn't have made you right.
 
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