Quietest Fun on Two Wheels
Vmoto Emax review by Dale Clemons
I have just done a test ride on the new Vmoto E-max electric scooter and was left completely disappointed. disappointed that I had arranged to only have it for an hour. After all, it was only a scooter. What I had completely overlooked beforehand was how much fun it provided. The moment I left the dealership in complete silence I had the biggest smile, a regular feature over the following 60 minutes.
I will get to all the technical bits in a moment, firstly I just want to stress the sheer riding pleasure this scoot generates, an open-air pleasure in 3-D by being able to enjoy the sights, smells -- and now sounds.
Sure, there is no blipping the throttle at the stop lights, no throaty roar to attract the attention of those in the car next to you to make them jealous of what you are straddling, but the trade-off is peace in your helmet, no vibration through your arms and backside and the knowledge that you are making little impact on the environment.
Of course you can also thumb your nose at every petrol station you pass. Based on specifications, comparisons between electric and petrol power are a little difficult. The E-max has a 4000W high torque motor mounted inside the rim of the rear wheel. A similar scooter which falls into the same category in which riders only require a normal car licence, would most likely be powered by a 50cc motor producing a maximum of about 3.3Nm of torque. The advantage of electric is that the motor provides the same power and torque over the complete rev range.
Having ridden both, the E-max is no slouch. It can be ridden in three modes Eco, Normal and Max. The performance at each level, of course, is largely determined by the weight of the rider or riders. The maximum recommended load is 150kg. For this test, let's assume the rider is about 70kg. At least it was the last time i looked. Eco mode will get you along at a top speed of 40kmh and struggle up even the slightest bill, Max will runup to 65-70kmh and take most hills around the Bunbury suburbs with ease, Normal lies somewhere in between. Given that it only takes four to six hours to charge up and has a quoted range of 90km at 45kmh. Most riders, I suspect, would just stick with Max mode and enjoy the acceleration and easy-to achieve speed. The savings in fuel costs are obvious and if recharged using solar power it would be nothing but the real savings show up come service time. With no oil, no spark plugs, no valve clearances and no gearbox servicing costs are about a third of the petrol engined equivalent. Another little feature which at first appeared to be of novelty value was reverse. At the press of a button and twist of the throttle, the scooter backs up great for reversing up a slight incline out of a parking spot or if you headed up a sand track thinking it was a good idea and it wasn't.
Most people would be interested in how the E-max goes, but how it stops is pretty important too and in this area it is fourstar. Tried out in the Back Beach car park and put to the test in Victoria Street when a vehicle close in front hit the skids, the brakes were a confidence booster. Quirky in its quietness, easy on the environment, kind to the pocket the E-max is just a lot of fun on two wheels.
