I bought a used 1plus s10 scooter from a co-worker. My ride home is about 5.1 miles and hilly. Going up the hills I was only getting to about 5-6 mph. Also I'm about 190 lbs with a backpack on.
I bought the Niu 200f and same ride home I get around 13-15 mph on those same hills.
Too me it was worth the upgrade. I paid $529 for it. I was averaging around 18- 23 mph on flat surfaces. Driving strickling on asphalt. Each way is 5.1 miles. Going to work is flat or downhill. Coming home is flat and uphill.
I've only had it about 2 weeks now but I'm satisfied with it.
I recently got the Niu KQi 200F. I haven't had any issue. It is very safe and rides smoothly. Max speed is around 19 and battery like is preety good. It is onsale for 529 now. My second choice was a Segway and if the Niu wasn't on sale would probably get a Segway.
cut the range in half and don't expect any aftermarket/replacement parts available. Commuting? Maybe. Hills? Nope, unless you're as light as a feather 🪶
that being said, NIUs are also ugly as sin, (seriously, who's in charge of design?) but the quality is good, better than the average unknown brand scoot for sure.
in the end I vote: NO
Niu Kqi 100p or 100f (or if the price is right a 200 or 300) and a sticker pack. Just sticker the hell out of it and make it as cute as you like. I wanted a scoot for quick trips (a mile or two tops), and I didn’t want to spend a ton on something I’d use once in a while. Basically I wanted an alternative to rentals, I figured I might as well own one. The Niu scooters kept coming up as one of the only worthwhile options well under $500. There are always open box deals to be had, I scored mine (Kqi 100f) for $240 shipped and it was brand new, hadn’t been out of the box. At full retail, it’s $379 I believe. Decent brand, suspension, 9.5” inflatable tires, 17mph and 18mi range. (The 200 and 300 models are 20mph + 30mi range) That’s all I needed, and at under $300 I’m super happy with it. Doesn’t feel cheap or shoddily built at all imo, Niu makes a bunch of much more expensive scooters and the 100 seems built like just a base model of its pricier siblings.
That is a well written summary. The biggest difference is range and power, and the right choice very much depends on your use case and what range you need for daily commutes and whether there are any hills in your area.
Same is true when you go from the KQi200 to KQi300, bit more range and power difference.
\-Inmotion Climber
\-VMAX VX2 Hub or wait for the new VX2 lite
\-NIU KQI 100F/200F/Air
\-Ninebot F3 pro
High torque scooters with good acceleration is good for city travel to go from one stop to the next. To that end, dual motor scooters like Inmotion Climber or high torque single motor like the VMAX VX2 Hub are more fun and get you through the city faster than weaker ones like the NIU and Ninebot.
Suspension is useful if you can't avoid rougher streets or trails. But if your city is well maintained it's not really necessary with 10" pneumatic tires.
Weight of the scooter is important if you need to lug it up stairs. But if you don't, it's actually not that necessary to fold the scooter, as it already takes very little space for storage. I hardly ever fold mine as I don't find myself needing to carry it on stairs. Only when I very occasionally put it in my car do I fold it.
hsri-seldon
