Electric Bike Action - October 2016

BREAKING IT DOWN

All of the models fold down. If you’ve ever broken down a Razor scooter, you know how easy it is and how small they become. They are easy to store in your closet or pack in your trunk so you can ride them wherever.

I-Max scooters fold up in almost the same way, but perhaps slightly more complex. The T3 scooter has one lever at the base of the head tube that has to be pulled towards the standing platform, then a thumb lever on the side. Be careful when you are doing this, as it can come down and hit you on the head as it collapses. We can tell you this from personal experience. Opening it back up is similarly easy—press the thumb lever down, fold the head tube back out until it clicks, then flip the larger lever back up until it stops. If you want to further break it down, both sides of the handlebar can fold down by simply sliding the locking ring out and folding the bars down. We worried about this at first, wondering if the bars would ever accidentally slip while riding. They never did, and it wasn’t because we were being gentle. We raced around the office parking lot, rode them in the streets, and there may even have been some bunnyhopping involved!

SPECS

I-Max T3

Price: $999

Motor: 250W hub drive Battery: 36V 10 ah, 360 Wh Charge time: 3 hours Top speed: 18 mph

Range: Up to 15 miles
Brakes: Mechanical discs
Controls: Monochrome LCD with
trigger throttle
Fork: Mono-suspension, spring
Frame: Aluminum, folding
Weight: 33 lb.

Color choices: Metallic Gray, white I-Max S1+ Price: $1299

Motor: 500W hubdrive Battery: 48V 10 ah

Charge time: 3 hours Top speed: 20+ mph

Range: 15 miles

Brakes: Mechanical discs
Controls: Monochrome LCD with
trigger throttle

Fork: Aluminum

Frame: Aluminum, folding Weight: 36 lb.

Color choices: Black with green or wood deck

Website: www.magnumbikes.com

The S1+ scooter folds up similarly, but with only the main lever. When you have the bike fully set up to ride, check the nut on the other side of the lever. We found that to actuate the lever it had to be loose, but once ready to ride, there was some play in the mechanism. Turning it finger-tight will alleviate this. You just have to remember to back it off again to get it to open. The handlebar folding procedure is the same.

We like that scooters store quite small and easily, but they’re not light. At 33 pounds for the T3 and 36 pounds for the S1+, carrying one isn’t easy, while carrying two is challenging to say the least.

THE VERDICT

Both of these scooters are a blast, but they’re also very useful. One of our fellow editors wants to get a set for his parents, as they can’t walk long distances but were able to get around quite well on these scooters. They have a decent range, easily 10–15 miles on a charge. If you’re over 150 pounds or regularly have to go up steep hills, we recommend going for the more expensive S1+ model. ■