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Recommend electric folding scooter for end of commute (Mod Note Post #1)

goz83

Mod Note: I've discussed with site admins, due to the current legal situation recommendations cannot be made for use of electric scooters on public roads in Ireland, but can be made for use on private property. However, we will allow discussion of e-scooters for purchase for use on private property, and other jurisdictions such as France/Germany where they are legal for use. This restriction will be lifted as soon as the legal situation changes, which will hopefully be soon.

I was thinking of getting one of those xiaomi m365 folding scooters to cover the last 5 kilometres of the journey as I come into the city and traffic gets mad. I am looking for peoples experiences with them.

I understand they are in a bit of a legal grey area, but you need to push this scooter to get going, so technically it doesn’t operate on mechanical power alone which is what the rsa site mentions as the definition of an mpv.

I’ll be travelling about 15km each way from urban to city. Due to a back injury, I can’t spend an hour stuck in traffic twice per day. I can’t tolerate public transport and it would be much more expensive (over €100 per month, compared to about €5 per month in my Leaf and m365).

So, my plan would be to drive about 10km and park the car before hitting the city centre. Parking would be free as I would be well outside the cc. I would then scoot the rest of the way to my destination and do the reverse on my return journey. I wouldn’t be stuck in traffic for too long and the range of the scooter should easily cover the return journey without destination charging. The scooter will cost around €400 to buy and claims 30km per charge...I am expecting 15.

What do you think?

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beauf

In some countries many people have Personal Liability Insurance which covers things like cycling, but also pedestrians and other things

goz83

ted1 wrote: »

Why should it be compulsory?

It’s compulsory for Motor vehicles because the nature of the accidents means that the claims are beyond the financial means of the party who caused them.

Bikes are about 7-20Kg and carry little momentum, the accidents that they are involved in have some financial loss which generally isn’t beyond the Means if the person involved.

I believe that your desire to have them, have compulsory insurance is more out if begrudgary than solid reasons

Here’s the link :
http://www.cyclingireland.ie/page/membership/insurance

While a cyclist is unlikely to cause the financial damage a motorist would, they can still cause damage way outside of their means. The bike might be only 20kg, but the cyclist might be bring that load up to and above 100kg.

I witnessed a cyclist a few years ago break a red light at speed on the Malahide road and mowed down a pedestrian crossing in his twenties. The bike, cyclist and pedestrian were on the ground for a while with the cyclist having at least a fractured arm and the pedestrian definitely had a broken wrist. I don't think anyone thought about insurance details and no info was swapped in the time I was there. Cyclists can and do cause serious injuries and damage, so yes, I think insurance should be compulsory....but it should be just a small flat fee with a reasonable excess.

It's not out of begrudgery at all. Cyclist pose a high enough accident risk to justify insurance. That's a solid enough reason for me.

beauf

If the insurance companies get a whiff of insurance for bikes, you can be sure it will be gouged out of existence.

[Deleted User]

I can see it now, bike insurance for a 50 Km/h bike 800 euro's in Dublin !

goz83

Deleted User wrote: »

I can see it now, bike insurance for a 50 Km/h bike 800 euro's in Dublin !

They have that already for mopeds :pac:

Johnboy1951

beauf wrote: »

If the insurance companies get a whiff of insurance for bikes, you can be sure it will be gouged out of existence.

It might take cyclists off the road

dr.fuzzenstein

goz83 wrote: »

They have that already for mopeds :pac:

Absolutely sickening. Total joke.
Mofa insurance in Germany is done via a numberplate that you buy for €50. Buy it, shlap it on, off you go.
That is you registration, tax and insurance in one. Valid for up to 50cc and 50 km/h.
It even covers small cars that are limited to 45 km/h.

[Deleted User]

Ah but the even bigger joke is the E.U want all ebikes to have insurance, and the paddy government will bend over and do everything that the E.U dictates without even questioning how ridiculous it is. heading for a totalitarian society, slowly but surely.

goz83

Scooter arrived today. Came half charged. Required only the assembly of the handle bar and it was good to go. I ran it for 10klms throughout the day. Not a bother on my back and I even used it on the grass which was a bit bumpy. It’s good fun and not too fast. It touched on 25km/h on a cycle lane but I mostly cruised at about 15......it has cruise control

The built quality is very good and it managed to carry me up and over a train bridge.

[Deleted User]

Super well wear, post a pew pics and remember not to store this scooter in the house if you can at all, and if you have to charge inside charge in a room with smoke detectors.

Johnboy1951

goz83 wrote: »

Scooter arrived today. Came half charged. Required only the assembly of the handle bar and it was good to go. I ran it for 10klms throughout the day. Not a bother on my back and I even used it on the grass which was a bit bumpy. It’s good fun and not too fast. It touched on 25km/h on a cycle lane but I mostly cruised at about 15......it has cruise control

The built quality is very good and it managed to carry me up and over a train bridge.

That is good news indeed!

Well wear!

Ginger83

ted1 wrote: »

Enough of this mph , we use kilometres !!!
I cycle through the the city 60km each day*, I’m well aware what it’s like. * ( currently off the bike as a result of s dislocated shoulder from coming off said bike )

Thats about 40 miles

I do the same ordering timber...gimme 16ft lengths....you mean 4.8M...no i mean 16ft like i asked.....then i get 15ft 9 :rolleyes:

RHJ

This post has been deleted.

[Deleted User]

RHJ wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Your quotes in bold text are a great reason why people should not charge or store lithium batteries inside the house !!!

Should be safe but the issue is a failure of any part of the BMS which could allow a single cell into a thermal runaway state causing a chain reaction, a dodgy cell that a BMS can not save etc, Certainly not worth the risk from any manufacturer , it is a genuine risk that is not worth risking lives and it's as simple as that.

My Bike battery was made by Bosch using, I think, samsung cells, I still would never charge it unsupervised and without smoke alarms. Same goes for any lithium packs, they can't be trusted because the consequences of failure can be catastrophic.

A battery that provides traction power has far more energy than any mobile phone battery with just one single cell, which can still go wrong but stringing many cells together increases the risk of failure.

Remember battery fires are chemical fires and you should never use water if one catches fire, also the smoke is highly toxic.

beauf

What scooter is it again?

goz83

beauf wrote: »

What scooter is it again?

The Xiaomi M365.

I charged it to 97% last night an unplugged before going to bed. The scooter does have a BMS with lots of safe guards, but you can't be too careful.

I took a couple of snaps.

Battery envy

I added the little bag hook myself.

I downloaded the APP and it lets you control a few features. You can even set the regen level to 3 levels. I have set the rear light to be always on too. And if you don't want the kids using it, the scooter can be locked with the APP. The brakes are applied and the scooter makes an annoying beep when you move it.

The M365...like all things comes with its little faults. Thankfully these come with simple mod fixes, most of which I ordered separately.
*No storage :pac:
so I added a little hook for a bag....which already came in handy when dropping stuff to my Brother.
*The folding mechanism lock wears down quickly and causes vibration through the shaft, leading to hand fatigue.
This is fixed with a 3D printed rubber part which slots into the mechanism and prevents wear. It was an easy fix.
*Brake light wire chafing from rear tyre contact.
I have yet to install the fix for this. It's just a rubber grommet type part that replaces the existing one and acts as a guard for the wire.

I plan to upgrade the battery cover. The upgraded ones are thicker, protect the screws and can come with foam tape to better secure the battery pack on bumpy rides. Aside from that, I might put a phone holder on it.

It's possible to get bigger battery packs to increase the range, but I don't know what else is needed to do this.

Ginger83

goz83 wrote: »

The Xiaomi M365.

I charged it to 97% last night an unplugged before going to bed. The scooter does have a BMS with lots of safe guards, but you can't be too careful.

I took a couple of snaps.

Battery envy

I added the little bag hook myself.

I downloaded the APP and it lets you control a few features. You can even set the regen level to 3 levels. I have set the rear light to be always on too. And if you don't want the kids using it, the scooter can be locked with the APP. The brakes are applied and the scooter makes an annoying beep when you move it.

The M365...like all things comes with its little faults. Thankfully these come with simple mod fixes, most of which I ordered separately.
*No storage :pac:
so I added a little hook for a bag....which already came in handy when dropping stuff to my Brother.
*The folding mechanism lock wears down quickly and causes vibration through the shaft, leading to hand fatigue.
This is fixed with a 3D printed rubber part which slots into the mechanism and prevents wear. It was an easy fix.
*Brake light wire chafing from rear tyre contact.
I have yet to install the fix for this. It's just a rubber grommet type part that replaces the existing one and acts as a guard for the wire.

I plan to upgrade the battery cover. The upgraded ones are thicker, protect the screws and can come with foam tape to better secure the battery pack on bumpy rides. Aside from that, I might put a phone holder on it.

It's possible to get bigger battery packs to increase the range, but I don't know what else is needed to do this.

Best of luck with it.

Would a helmet or hi vis vest be a good idea?

Johnboy1951

@goz83

What was the final cost to you including purchase, delivery, customs charges, VAT, the extras you bought to overcome small bugs etc etc?

I read there is custom firmware available which boosts the speed, but apparently disables regenerative braking ..... so does not sound very desirable. Have you considered trying different firmware?

Interesting review (don't think it was previously posted?)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=375&v=jbjNsYzqt_s

goz83

Ginger83 wrote: »

Best of luck with it.

Would a helmet or hi vis vest be a good idea?

A helmet yes. I would rather avoid extra attention, so a hi-viz is out.

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

@goz83

What was the final cost to you including purchase, delivery, customs charges, VAT, the extras you bought to overcome small bugs etc etc?

I read there is custom firmware available which boosts the speed, but apparently disables regenerative braking ..... so does not sound very desirable. Have you considered trying different firmware?

Interesting review (don't think it was previously posted?)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=375&v=jbjNsYzqt_s

So the scooter was €450.
Delivery, VAT & what they call "Customs insurance" cost €60.
Then the extra bits (fixes) cost €15. So €525 altogether.

I bought from lightinthebox so it came from the NL. It was the europe version which comes with an english manual AND two spare tyres and tubes.

I'm aware of firmware upgrades, but I will leave what I have on it. Changing it to custom firmware risks burning out fuses.

marcosmb25

I am thinking in buy one,

Did you find any problem with the garda so far?

goz83 wrote: »

A helmet yes. I would rather avoid extra attention, so a hi-viz is out.

So the scooter was €450.
Delivery, VAT & what they call "Customs insurance" cost €60.
Then the extra bits (fixes) cost €15. So €525 altogether.

I bought from lightinthebox so it came from the NL. It was the europe version which comes with an english manual AND two spare tyres and tubes.

I'm aware of firmware upgrades, but I will leave what I have on it. Changing it to custom firmware risks burning out fuses.

beauf

goz83 wrote: »

T....I plan to upgrade the battery cover. The upgraded ones are thicker, protect the screws and can come with foam tape to better secure the battery pack on bumpy rides. ....

Might not be the same thing, but on the Kids, Micro Scooters (the larger high end ones) they wore down the screws underneath from scraping, when I replaced the decks, it was another complications. Every part of the Micro scooters is order-able and replaceable.

I assume you'd be a bit more careful with an electric one though, might be less of an issue.

beauf

Ginger83 wrote: »

Best of luck with it.

Would a helmet or hi vis vest be a good idea?

Note that a skateboard helmet (or BMX) is quite different to a cycling helmet. You'd want the former I'd expect.

https://www.livestrong.com/article/221820-bicycle-helmets-vs-skating-helmets/

goz83

marcosmb25 wrote: »

I am thinking in buy one,

Did you find any problem with the garda so far?

I haven't come across any yet. I've used it a few times now and so far, it's great. Scooted to the local Lidl which is just over 1km away on a main road. Locked it to the trolley bay with U-Lock. Shopping went into bag-pack and scooted home. Quicker than taking the car.

beauf wrote: »

Might not be the same thing, but on the Kids, Micro Scooters (the larger high end ones) they wore down the screws underneath from scraping, when I replaced the decks, it was another complications. Every part of the Micro scooters is order-able and replaceable.

I assume you'd be a bit more careful with an electric one though, might be less of an issue.

It's an unlikely possibility with the screws, but I think the improved cover is worth it for the extra protection and cushioning to the battery pack.

beauf wrote: »

Note that a skateboard helmet (or BMX) is quite different to a cycling helmet. You'd want the former I'd expect.

https://www.livestrong.com/article/221820-bicycle-helmets-vs-skating-helmets/

I think a bike helmet will suffice and I already have 1.

goz83

was driving through Dorset street today. Spotted a guy cruising on his M365. Makes me a lot less concerned seeing other people using them, especially in an area with plenty of cops around.

For the moment, I am just enjoying my short trips to the shops on mine.

Oafley Jones

I've had one of these in various baskets (Tomtop, Banggood, Gearbest) on and off constantly for the last 6 months and it was only just before re-opening this thread that I saw it on Lightinthebox. I'm slightly wary of all these companies, but seeing Goz's experience puts me slightly at ease. If seen the mods on youtube but wondering where you sourced the parts.

Also, just saw these. 45kmph. It'd be the worst idea in the world for someone as uncoordinated as myself, but I'm fascinated...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwoF1K-omHM

peaceboi

Cannot play the video!
Is it working for everyone?

Oafley Jones

peaceboi wrote: »

Cannot play the video!
Is it working for everyone?

Original video wouldn't embed. Changed to above.

grogi

Oafley Jones wrote: »

I've had one of these in various baskets (Tomtop, Banggood, Gearbest) on and off constantly for the last 6 months and it was only just before re-opening this thread that I saw it on Lightinthebox. I'm slightly wary of all these companies, but seeing Goz's experience puts me slightly at ease. If seen the mods on youtube but wondering where you sourced the parts.

Also, just saw these. 45kmph. It'd be the worst idea in the world for someone as uncoordinated as myself, but I'm fascinated...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwoF1K-omHM

Don't think about it. You'll loose a knee ligament before you successfully ride it.

I am ok with my body, but air wheel was a complete disaster. And even if you ride it, it is rather difficult to control and do emergency stop.

[Deleted User]

Lol those look rather cumbersome, are you sure those are Ninebot ?

I'm only familiar with these Ninebot Mono wheels, check out the video near the end where he has 2 kids, one on each shoulder, mad !

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzDYQXBqiog

I think these are far better but accidents can still happen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wc94QziTeFY

Watch out for the mono wheel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVbc57tAbo

Another mono wheel, not sure if it's a nine bot but I still don;t think these are safe, I remember hearing about a 15 year old boy in London on a hoverboard who fell out under a buss and was killed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsbGQejMPL8

Oafley Jones

Deleted User wrote: »

Lol those look rather cumbersome, are you sure those are Ninebot ?

I'm only familiar with these Ninebot Mono wheels, check out the video near the end where he has 2 kids, one on each shoulder,

The Zx is Ninebot’s hardcore range, the z10 has over three times the battery capacity and power output (1800w) over the likes of an e+.