Alright... I’ve got my Moroccan Mint Tea, sitting back, and trying to recall all the mental notes I’ve been making, and after a month, I’m ready to proffer a preliminary review for you.
Out of the box & assembly: I’m sure you’ve seen the horror stories here. Gotta say, I was nervous. First impression, not overly impressed with the packaging, presentation, and wasn’t at all sure I was the first to see this scoot. Upon further, and painstakingly close inspection, I was convinced that I was the first to see this particular scoot, but the packaging (while unimpressive) fulfilled its role of protecting the unit.
Assembly: Very easy. Intuitive. Hardware was sufficient and all components (including brakes) seemed properly adjusted. I had absolutely no issues with any aspect of assembly. Very pleased.
First ride: Full disclosure, first time ever on a scooter. I’m 5’11” 204# and been on a LOT of fast two wheel vehicles (BMW 1200 Sport, Indian Vintage, Kaw Vulcan, Triumph American, Harley Road Glide, and my GF’s Vespa). Not since that damn Vespa have I felt so ill at ease on two wheels. Fortunately that was a fleeting feeling made better by the unusually wise decision to not go flat out as fast as possible just starting out.
I found the deck very narrow. That took some getting used to, now I wouldn’t want it any wider as I love the small storage footprint.
With a little experience: After about 40 miles on it I can say that the three solid Pros are 1) longevity of charge 2) sturdiness of the unit (no small plus) and 3) the controls that turn on the unit & switches modes is very user friendly.
Some Cons that while I’m not happy about, we’re not enough to lower my rating. 1) The “headlight” is crap. Only because at a leisurely speed you are easily out driving your visibility. Order a new headlight now! 2) The thumb throttle seems like someone’s idea of a bad joke. After going for about 10mi or so, that little insult wears thin. Meaning I find it uncomfortable and begin losing feeling in my thumb. I have to see if that thing can be adjusted to start higher. 3) Would it kill the manufacturer to have a chip in the controls that would convert from metric to US Standard for speed & distance?! It’s 2020 people! There are toys that have this convenience! 4) The charge cord, in my opinion, is too short. Most people probably wouldn’t have a problem with this, but my outlets are higher than most and it’s an engineering marvel what I have to do to get the scoot up to the outlet.
Other comments: The ride can be jolting. Know this going in. Meaning if you travel on cobblestone (or live in NYC or Chicago where road repairs is a distant and fond memory told to you by your grandparents) you are in for a very jarring ride. The App is not very intuitive and certainly not robust. In fact, for some unexplained reason, more times than not it seems to believe I flew in a straight line from some random point in my trip back home. Yeah... that could be better. Finally, according to the documentation, this can’t get wet. No rain, no puddles. This, for me, is something I think I’d have liked to know before the purchase & would be my biggest issue since there’s no work around. If you know of one, let me know.
FYI, I didn’t get this for a daily commute. I live on a sail Cat and I needed a mode of transportation that could store small, fit in a dinghy, and have a fairly long range if needed. This was the best option for the price and that wasn’t in some way new or experimental.
Bottom line: If the operating parameters matches your use, I’d say go for it. I’d recommend it, and in fact, we may be getting one for my wife.
You may want to consider the following accessories: 1) Get the headlight 2) maybe a strap/should sling. I also got 3) a little bar that mounts on the handlebar so the headlight and 4) phone mount will fit. 5) and a little bag to carry a lock, the cord, & stuff. (That oddly was waterproof)
UPDATE 2/2021: I did end up getting my wife one & she loves it! They improved the Bluetooth link that brings every aspect of initial startup process to near perfection. While I only intended to use this while at foreign ports it’s simply too much fun and way too easy to use for local errands and getting about.
Let me know if this was helpful ????????
Philip Jean
Doc