Electric Scooters are new in our society. Laws and regulations about them are different from place to place. We suggest a quick check with local authorities about the legality of Electric Scooters in your area. Contact your city or county’s legal office. Here are some suggested questions:
Consider the uses you will have for your new e-scooter. Will you be commuting or off-roading? What do you do now?
Consider the cost of your current method of transportation. There may be gas, maintenance, Bus and train tickets, parking, etc. Uber fees?
Time is the most valuable thing we have. Do you wait on the Bus? Do you have to find a parking spot? Do you get stuck in Traffic?
Are you happy with your present method of travel? Is it Fun? Because e-scooters are really fun.
WHICH ELECTRIC SCOOTER FOR ME?Like above, this question is predicated on your usage model.
• If only for recreation, you may decide on a standard e-scooter that can cost between 600$-1000$
• If used for commuting to school or work, or for everyday rides, you should consider an e-scooter with a higher build quality and solid reliability. Failure of a commuting e-scooter can become a real problem. We would recommend an e-scooter in the 1500-3000$ Range
• If used for frequent group rides of long-distance or off-road activity, consider a powerful e-scooter with a strong support frame. Expect a cost between 2000-4000$
WEIGHT LIMITRider weight is one of the most important factors in the choice of an e-scooter.
The weight of the rider will affect every facet of riding from the top speed of the e-scooter to its ultimate range.
Safety too, is important as a heavy rider on a small wheel is taking a big risk.
Evaluate the upper limits of rider weight when considering an e-scooter and understand that speeds and ranges are given with the average rider weight in mind. Your personal values might be different. If you have questions, reach out to us.
BATTERYAn incredibly important part of the e-scooter is the battery. This is the ultimate power source for your vehicle.
Batteries will affect every part of the vehicle. Look for an e-scooter with an adequate battery to fulfill your needs. Again, reach out to us for more information.
SCOOTER FRAMEThe support frame of the e-scooter is the thing that will support you. It is important that the frame be both well made and solid. The frame and the wheels stand between you and the pavement.
Cheaper e-scooters can skimp on the metal of the frame resulting in problems later. Or worse, a fall.
SUSPENSIONSuspended e-scooters have many advantages. While they tend to be more expensive, they are also easier and safer. The suspension will smooth out the ride and relieve the riders’ knees and ankles. The stress on the feet will be much lower resulting in a more enjoyable ride.
However, the safety aspect is the real reason to look at suspended wheels. The suspension takes the shock out of hitting bumps in the road so the wheels are more stable. Much more than this, when the e-scooter moves over bumps at speeds of 15 – 25 mph, the wheels can shortly lift off the road. While in the air, the wheels have no turning or braking friction with the road. A suspension system actively pushes the wheels downward minimizing this effect. On an uneven road surface, a suspended e-scooter will have better turning traction and stopping traction than a non-suspended e-scooter.
BRAKESIt is obvious that brakes are a highly important part of any transportation system.
Electric scooters can come with disc brakes and ABS systems. Cheaper scooters can skimp on the braking systems. (Not a good thing). Again feel free to ask us.
Electronicse-scooters are electric vehicles controlled and supported by electronics in the form of a circuit board. There can be much variance in the quality of such boards. FreeMotion has experience in many of these types of e-scooters and can give you guidance on which ones have been the most reliable.
LIGHTSVisibility is another important consideration. The headlight illuminates your path and lets you see obstacles before they affect you. Sidelights are fun but they also increase the visibility of the e-scooter.
Lights can be both built-in or added after purchase. Ask FreeMotion for more information.
Protective (Safety) GearWhile the PEV is both useful and fun, it also transports humans faster than they can run. In some cases faster than a bike can travel.
There are some pieces of gear that are absolutely essential and no one should ride a PEV without. These include:
In addition, FreeMotion recommends adding
The choice of a brand name in the e-scooter market can be both important and confusing. Many people feel real allegiance to the manufacture of their e-scooters and give apologies for shortcomings.
FreeMotion sells most major e-scooter brands and sees the day-to-day issues that arise and how the various manufacturers respond to these issues. FreeMotion stands behind our customers.
WARRANTYe-scooters are useful and are powerful. But they too can fail. Be sure your e-scooter is covered by at least a one-year warranty. Also, be aware that many e-scooter vendors depend on the dealer to be their warranty contact. That means your choice of dealer can be more important than the choice of brands.
FreeMotion is happy to provide the names of existing FreeMotion customers who will vouch for the quality of our warranty support.
FreeMotion’s advice
Do your homework. If you know real-world riders ask them. Google e-scooters and their reviews but be aware that there are many paid reviews of these devices. Many of these guys get kickbacks for a sale.
When it comes to buying an electric scooter, there’s no “one-size-fits-all”. Just like with cars, or bikes, there are a variety of different choices based on your intents and purposes, not to mention just personal preferences. So how do you know what to look for, and choose the right one for you?
Well get your pencils and notebooks out, because we’re going to answer: The Top 5 Most Asked Questions Before Buying An Electric Scooter!
It’s an age-old question: which scooter is right for me? Well, as old as electric scooters are anyway. First, figure out what your needs are.
Are you looking for a fun toy to escape on during weekends? A power-commuter to get you to the office and back while keeping up with traffic? Or maybe an ultra-light portable scooter to throw in the back of your car, or take with you on the metro to finish that last leg of your trip.
This is a question that only you can answer, but it’s important to narrow this down in the beginning so you know what category of scooter you’re looking for.
Typically the categories are as follows:
There’s your budget electric scooters, which are mostly the smallest and lightest scooters, and can cost up to $500USD on average. These scooters are compact, and light, with minimal features and specs. These scooters are great for fun joy-rides around the block, or just as a back-up option for short rides. But they typically won’t take you very far, or carry you very fast, and are best used on smooth flat ground.
Then there’s your mid-tier category, which ranges from higher-end entry-level scooters, to power-commuters, and can even start to hit the threshold of beginner performance scooters.
These scooters are slightly bigger, with more range and speed, while still being relatively portable. They can cost anywhere from $500USD to $1500 and you can expect more features like suspension, better brakes, and bigger batteries and motors.
Lastly, there’s the high-end performance “hyper” scooters. Scooters in this category will cost around $1500USD on the low end, and can get as high as $3000 or more! If you’re considering this category of scooter, you’re probably already a scooter tech-head or experienced with personal motor vehicles and want the best.
Drums or discs? What about hydraulics? How do you know which braking system is best? Well there’s no clear cut answer.
Drum brakes are the basics, typically found on budget scooters, or slower commuter scooters. They may even offer dual-drum brakes. Drum brakes are great as they require little to no maintenance, and will almost never lose braking strength.
Then we move on to disc brakes, which can be broken down into two categories: mechanical or hydraulic.
Mechanical disc brakes are cheaper than hydraulics and are perfectly suitable for most scooters in the mid-tier.
Functionally, there’s not much difference between the two, however hydraulic brakes do provide a smoother braking experience and are more efficient. And while they do usually require less maintenance over time, you may need to occasionally bleed and refill the hydraulic fluid, which can be a pain if you don’t know how.
There are also more and more scooters coming out these days with a dedicated regen brake, which helps regenerate your battery while riding. Regen brakes are great in that you much more control over customizing the braking strength and don’t have to get your hands dirty.
When we say IP54, what does that actually mean? No, we’re not talking about your Internet Protocol. When it comes to IP rating, we mean the Ingress Protection. Or, how sealed your scooter is from the elements.
When talking about the IP rating, there’s usually two numbers listed. The first number is related to solids, and can prevent ingress of objects as big as a hand, to as small as dust particles.
The second number is related to liquids, and varies in protection from: vertically falling drops of water, to completely waterproof and can be completely submerged and withstand pressure for periods of time.
Most scooters in the industry are usually around IP54, on average. You might get higher ratings on higher end scooters that are more weather sealed, but for the most part, IP ratings tend to be in that middle level.
So what does that mean in the real world? Since these scooters are not wholly waterproof, it’s not recommended to ride in the rain or through puddles, although they can withstand some damp conditions.
It’s also important to note that most scooter companies do not cover water damage in their warranty, so if you do ride in the rain, be sure to do so with caution!
How many different scooter tires are there, and is there one that’s better than the others?
There are basically 2 main categories of tires: solid and pneumatic. And within each category are different variations.
Each type of tire has different pros and cons, and we’ll do our best to explain the differences for you.
Pneumatic tires with inner tubes are the most common type of tires on electric scooters and are exactly like what you might find on your bicycle. They are great at cushioning the scooter against bumps in the road and help make your ride more enjoyable. They also have better grip on the road due to the softer rubber.
Solid tires are great in that regard in that you will never have to worry about tire pressure or getting a puncture.
There are also self-healing pneumatic tires, which are air-filled tires but have a layer of thick viscous gel that works to quickly seal any punctures in the tire, effectively “healing” it and allowing you to continue riding! These tires are great, but are usually a little more pricey, and do not work on split rim designs, which most scooters have.
A scooter is only as good as the warranty it comes with, especially if it’s one you buy online.
While most manufacturers will offer a basic 6 month warranty, look for companies and retailers who offer a year or more, plus any other kind of post-purchase protection.
These are complex vehicles with many moving parts and you can expect lots of wear and tear. While wear and tear is not usually included in the warranty, some companies will offer replacement parts at discounted prices.
Understanding what is or isn’t covered under your warranty will help prevent headaches later on, and can help prepare you for the worst.
It’s also good to learn how to do basic maintenance on your scooter, which can prevent potential warranty claims or expensive wear-and-tear repairs, and minimize the time your scooter is not on the road.
We’ve said this time and time again, but keeping your scooter clean and well maintained is vital when it comes to scooter ownership, just like owning any other vehicle.
Hopefully one day we’ll be able to take our scooters down to the local repair shop for any fixes you might need, but until then, you should know, at a minimum, how to do some simple brake adjustments, and how to change a flat tire.
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