NIU - KQi3 Sport

RS6 ultra 2900. What I bought. Upgrading from a Nui Kqi

niu kqi3. I had the last model too and they've both been consistently reliable. Same scooter for over 3 years and I've ridden about 2k km and she's doing great apart from one flat tire replacement.

As a fan of AliExpress since before Amazon sold more than just books, I still wouldn’t buy a rideable from there. You want some level of reliability and good reputation. For your budget, you’ré looking at Niu kqi or Inmotion products. Way less maintenance and better value than any ebike or diy kit. I use all the PEV’s and generally recommend an escooter for most people thinking they want an ebike. If they can get away with the range, escooter is way better value. For $1,000, you get a junky ebike but a pretty good scooter. Feel free to use my coupon code, Funcentric if you decide to go with an Inmotion product.

Isn't the KQI a pretty good one with decent speed and build? NIU gives me the impression that its a higher quality brand than Kukirin (who can't even get their naming right, Kukirin vs Kugoo Kirin, Kugoo). keep in mind there is no app for Kukirin so you aren't gonna get any OTA updates. I got a Kukirin G2 Max. The display died before even 1000km. The company sent me a new one but not before doing some tests, like reseating the connections. But the worst part was they made me open up the scooter which meant ripping up some of that rubber mat and then they wanted me to check the voltage on the battery and charger. I'm half handy so I was willing to do this, but WTF? You want a customer to check voltage with a multimeter? When I checked the charger it gave me a HUGE spark. Naw fk that. I enjoy the scooter but, the design decisions are weird. I bought new shocks so I disassembled the front. And to my surprise the bolt and the nut on the front axle don't use the same size socket! In a sense it meant that I could use a socket wrench on both sides when tightening/loosening the nut but its just weird. It made it feel like its put together with whatever parts they could find. Not sure if other scooters are like that? G2 Master would just rip with those motors. too fast for me to be comfortable on those tiny wheels.

Its not necessarily bad, but it has the same specifications as the cheaper KQi2 Pro, but in the scooter body of the KQi3. The KQi3 Pro and KQi3 Max have higher specs (i.e. more powerful motor, bigger battery, etc.). So if the KQi2 Pro is cheaper than the KQi3 Sport, its better to get that, unless you really like the design of the KQi3 more.

This isn't helpful. The person asked a very popular question and you responded with a condescending, "you need more money" tone. You could have referred them to this very question on the escooter sub. There are scooters out there that aren't "pieces of junk" at this price point. HiBoy, while having poor customer service, is a decent suggestion. Buy the extended coverage plan if you order from Amazon or wherever you order from just to be safe. They also sell extra parts which can be difficult to track down for other brands. NIU KQi2/3 is a great, budget friendly scooter which is recommended in the "escooter" sub and is the only "budget" scooter they recommend. The Ninebot model from Segway isn't the most popular, for quite a few reasons, but I certainly wouldn't consider it a piece of junk. It's a 70/30 chance you'll get your full money's worth, 400 dollars is still a good deal of money, which I think OP and I both understand; although to some who can afford better quality products for commuting there are obviously far better options. If you want to just get around for a little while look into these models. Stay away from brands like GoTrax or Volpam or those who primarily sell on Amazon and create fake reviews etc and you have a better chance of getting a decent life on these. My car was stolen and didn't receive enough to make a down payment on a vehicle, so I have tried each of these scooters. I will say the one I went with was the HiBoy, despite the NIU having a better track record and some better features. A review of that for a later time. At the end of the day, yes--you get what you pay for. But, as I said, this is still a decent chunk of change that will get you from points A to B (assuming your commute is primarily campus or city-based). Do not neglect the idea of looking for refurb's or used on FB marketplace and the like (!!!!) Don't get it wet/ride in the rain. Basic stuff. Look out for potholes and crazy drivers/stay safe and you will be good for a bit until you're able to save up for a nicer model. Hope this helps.