Electric Kick Scooter Comparison, History, Racing and Laws

I spoke with Sam from Myron’s Extreme Machines, home of the Electric Bicycle Center in Fullerton California about the history of electric kick scooters and he told me about some of the oldest models from Goped including the Hoverboard (a full suspension hard tire scooter) all the way to the ESR750 electric scooters which use chain drives. BladeZ is another that we looked at (made in Taiwan offering good quality) and compared with the Razor scooters and ScooterX which have followed the design that they developed. Eventually a person named Jay Sung created the EcoReco and launched on Kickstarter which resembled the GoMoto board that Sam has carried (along with some aftermarket parts). The GoMoto only weighed ~20 lbs and offered regenerative braking! The issue was that controllers would get ruined if you rode with regen. John Lynch and Dave Roth were running GoMoto moving from sealed lead acid to nickel metal hydride to lithium ion which increased the price (that was a bit high for the day). People who buy kick scooters tend to live in high density areas like Chicago, New York or even in neighborhoods like Irvine where it’s okay to ride on sidewalks. Electric kick scooters tend to go slower at ~15 mph so they are legal in more places and they are also very quiet compared to gas powered scooters. Electric power is easier on the knees and can be more fun compared with unpowered Razor, Xootr, No-Ped and Grow-Ped scooters. We also looked at the Etwow (youscooter), the Glion and iMax T3 and S1 which is a powerful 500 watt and 48 volt scooter. Sam mentioned the e-JOE Momas which has not yet launched. I learned that Razor followed Goped with the scrub style brake (where the fender creates friction coming in contact with the rear wheel to help you stop). Sam showed me the YikeBike which isn’t exactly a kick scooter but it was fun to see, they were created in New Zealand. Sam talked about what he calls “sidewalk surfing” based on his sideways body position when riding on some of these kickscooters. Many of the new models now have suspension in addition to inflated tires. Some of his customers have used the scooters for going into hospitals and other places with large parking lots. Sam recommended bringing your scooter inside with you verses trying to lock it up and talked about battery safety on airplanes. We also talked about some of the laws governing electric scooters (you have to be at least 16). Sam was involved with gas scooter racing back in the day and talks about where this was done and how it progressed.

[Knapweed]

Fascinating history and told with such enthusiasm, I could have watched it for another hour. It's great to see somebody who really knows what they're talking about, still enthused by their chosen profession. Kudos to both of you.

[carlossg]

Hello from Spain! Really nice talking with an expert. Love your channel, I thought I was alone in this electric scooter world, since I bought my Raycool 800w in 2010. But it makes me really happy to see how the industry is going up and now I'm looking for my new electric 500w hub motor scooter.

[RCDevotee]

Great information from someone who clearly loves the industry and knows his stuff. I have owned the Glion and Ecoreco M3 and currently ride the E-TWOW S2. I live in San Francisco and have to commute from my house to BART (1.5 miles). I then take BART to Union City BART station. I then get on the S2 for the 5.8 miles to work. I have 1600 miles on the S2 and it has been the ultimate last mile solution. In addition, I can store my scooter in my gym locker so I don't have to bother locking up a bike. I can also just trolley the S2 around when I go shopping. It is also easy to keep with you in BART since it folds so well. The rear brake on the S2 is a must since you can't always rely on the motor to stop. The combination of power, weight and ability to fold very compactly makes the S2 the best electric for most urban and last mile needs.

[gunta.]

Great Interview: Good questions and perfect answers from Sam and it's great to see all the Scooters sidy-by-side and moving around the glion or compparing the tires a little bit. Keep it up - I would like to see more videos like this :-)

[wb]

I love to listen to Cory and sam, they are so smart and helpful. .thanks guys

[tommyp]

Great Just bought the imax could not be

[OMGwtfBS]

This Sam guy is full of electric scooter knowledge

[kellyvtec]

I'm absolutely checking this shop out when i'm buying my e-scooter

[yafy.]

Great show, Greak talk and very useful information!

[phototristan]

My favorite, and the one I ended up with is the Glion. Great company and product.

[creepycarpet]

just found this channel and i love it!

[rickdeckard]

You asked a lot of good questions, about a Slime for flats, lock for scooters he wasn’t much help.

[ForbinColossus]

Preferring bikes, I had no interest in the e-scoot topic but your interview with Sam made it great

[SuperMaccoi]

with the current 2016-2017 sets of e-scooter + the upcoming eon and new ecorecco... what would you recommend in terms of durability, affordability and functionality? :)

[TheTwistedStone]

The one with the dolly wheels for transportation, I'm wondering why they didn't just use the scooter wheel ?

Just thinking with the KERS and regenerative motors, are they missing a trick here where you could charge the scooter by simply pulling it around between rides ?

[thegiantpaperpanda]

Awesome video. I'm having trouble choosing between the Glion and the Zoom Stryder EX. I really LOVE the portability of the Glion, but I hate the lack of range. And my complaint is vice versa with the Zoom. Anyone have any insight? Decisions...decisions... I totally want to replace a car to ride freely around in my city.

[kenmckechnie]

Also fantastic for running your dog's.. I have a husky and she been pulling my arms off for years... Now we go for long runs all over she gets exercise and I have fun!!!

[bloodravelle]

Hi, enjoy your reviews so I purchased an I Max S1 Scooter, which I would like to take with me to travel the world, so my question is this:
1 can I travel with it on an airplane?
2 what happens if I try charging it with the electricity available in different countries being that the lithium batteries are so sensitive?
thank you

[mamiku]

Is there any shop in San Diego where I can see some of electric models?

[net]

I'm 280 ilbs 6'3. Which has enough foot space and can handle my weight for the distance?