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ByEric Sparenga

Kaabo Mantis King GT – Off Road review

Casa Grande, Arizona

Hello everyone! So I was fortunate enough to go on a ride in Casa Grande Arizona with some PEV friends recently. I was in for a surprise as our approx 32 mile ride was full of off-road adventuring! So not only was this my first off-road session with the Kaabo Mantis King GT but my first off-road session on any electric device! And I was very happy with the experience!

Terrain: Green-level trails. Mostly packed dirt with some sand patches. No declines (due to my off-road newb status), some inclines.

Pros: Adjustable suspension! I rode the whole ride with my suspension more on the default setting but at the end of the ride the “terrain park” type of area I did check out the adjustable suspension and it does make a great difference! If your wanting a scooter that can handle the normal roads and go off-roading a little bit, this one definitely can handle it!

Cons: I didn’t notice any on my 1st experience. Any negatives would be more in relation to my own off-road familiarity or skill level. The scooter itself handled very well I’d say. The 10-inch hybrid tires are definitely nice for off-roading. There were some sand patches that the tires would sink in, so i’d have to walk it out of. But a more experienced off-road rider may possibly have been able to navigate through them.

Tips:
Even if you have to walk it up a incline, use the throttle to move it along, verse just pushing it.
In sand patches it may help to put more of your weight on your back tire to help prevent the front tires from digging in.

Update: 2/19/2023

I went on another off-road adventure. This time is was still green-level terrain but little more build up of dirt. The Kaabo Mantis King GT still went through it like a champ! I was cruising through going about 13-15mph. Slow pace but no issues getting through!

ByEric Sparenga

Kaabo Mantis King GT – Review

Hello all! This is my review of the Kaabo Mantis King GT electric scooter. Keep in mind my scooter experience started with the
Turboant X7 Pro then on to the Emove Touring (Love it) and the Emove Cruiser (love it more except going through 2 controllers in 1 year). What do I think of the Kaabo Mantis King GT?

WOW!! That’s what I want to say. Simply wow! Very exhilarating in a smaller package! This review is after riding it for 27 miles total so far. I took it out for a 4 mile test upon opening it. And yesterday finished a 23mile ride that included some off-roading.
This thing is quick! Before getting this scooter I was wondering if the Emove Cruiser was the “only scooter I needed” as it’s called. But I’m very glad I now have this scooter! And will be using this scooter every chance I can get!
If you want a light-weight mid to high performance scooter I would 100% recommend the Kaabo Mantis King GT.

Comparison: I’d compare this to the Vsett 10+ scooter. I thought very hard on which one I preferred. I went with the Kaabo because of the slick Red/black looks, the sinewave controller as well as the newer TFT display. The Vsett 10+ was also little too big physically and too high off the ground for my liking. But the height of the deck can help clear objects or reduce bottoming out for heavier riders. I just prefer to ride closer to the ground.

Pros:
Weight – For 45mph max scooter it is lightweight at 77lbs even if it may not sound like it. I’m 5’5 195 lbs and I am easily able to lift it into the trunk of my Nissan Versa Note Hatchback!


Agility – I had this assumption that moving up from the Cruiser to a 70+ lb scooter with dual motors would make it more stiff on steering. But even with the built-in steering dampner the scooter is very agile. It may even be more agile then the Cruiser.


Quickness- This scooter rivals the performance of the bigger scooters. While I was on the Emove Cruiser during group rides I felt myself often times lagging behind. Now while riding the Mants King I like to think “IM IN THE GAME!”
Now be humble. You won’t go beating the likes of the Wolf’s or the Nami’s or similar type of high performance scooters, but you will be able to stay within a reasonable distance.

LED Lights: The lights on the side are so cool for night-riding! Nuff said!

Cons:
Rear Fender Noise – The rear fender does smack the back tire like the Youtube reviewers mention. It doesn’t affect the riding itself its just annoying to hear.
My order DID NOT arrive with the shorter rear fender to swap out and avoid this noise.

Who is this for?
This scooter can be for any riding level. The speed settings allow you to ride it with very slow acceleration and max speed, up to quick at 30-45 mph max speed. If you don’t want the weight or bigger size of a high performance scooter, this will give you a good feel of one without those.

Tip: leave the password off. It gets to be annoying.

Will look to review this scooter again after longer use.

ByEric Sparenga

Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro

Pros:

Great sound, call quality and features for the money!

Cons: Little loose for my ears, and very slippery!

Hello all!

I’m writing this review after having the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro for about 4 months.

Let me start this by saying the ones I bought were refurbished and on-sale for a whopping $70!

There listing for brand new at the time was $199.

What led me to these Samsung Galaxy bluetooth earbuds were that my last earbuds had pretty decent sound but when a phone call came in only 1 earbud would work. I believe that is due to the earbuds being early bluetooth technology as multiple bluetooth headphones I tested at that time had this same issue. I have a samsung phone so I wanted to stay with Samsung. And when I saw this sale I immediately jumped on them as I refuse to spend over $100 on headphones.

What I have found with these headphones is that they are very enjoyable to listen to music to as well as handle phone calls through! Even with them being refurbished I have not had any hiccups or issues so far in the 4 months that I have worn them.

My use of them is daily from monday-friday at the gym as well as throughout the day. The noise cancellation on them I found very good in blocking noise. These are my first pair of “noise cancellation” headphones so I can’t compare them to others but I will say that in walking through a very loud wharehouse daily, that it is NIGHT AND DAY between having the noise cancellation off and on!

As for my only gripe with them is that I find the case to be very slippery when taking out of my pocket or picking up. I have often times dropped the case causing the earbuds to fall out and I’ve had to actively search to find them! But on the plus side even tho I have dropped them more then a few times they still work just as good as before! I need to put something on the case so that its not so slippery!
I mentioned they fit little loose in my ears but even though they “feel loose” i’ve never had them fall out while walking, working out, jogging on a treadmill or even hiking! So they are secure they just “feel” little loose to me.

Conclusion: For the normal price of $200 I can’t give a good comparison, but in general and especially if you find them under $100 they are pretty amazing!

ByEric Sparenga

Scooters 101 – Social riding groups

Riding my Emove Cruiser.
3 lights on there for night riding,
and my Sony Action Camera for recording rides.

To start, what are social riding groups? So on Facebook and Discord and probably other social media sites there are public groups that fall into 3 categories:
1) General scooter groups to share all scooter information with each other – Ex: Electric Scooter Guide Group
2) Groups more specific to a brand such as my group that I started titled – Turboant X7 pro/Levy 7/ HX X8 related scooters.
3) Local groups for riding! – Phoenix eRiders for example!

I’d like to break this down into talking about posting into groups and then finish by talking about the 3rd group.

Regarding the general or brand specific facebook groups I want to discuss 2 topics.

First, If you want to know what “scooter” to buy, it might help to know that there a ton of post about that same question. Probably every 2-3 days someone joins and asks that question or similar. I would suggest joining a group and then reading their posts first as there is a good chance you will find that question answered.
But very importantly, if you do decide to still ask that question make sure to include the following:
1. Your weight (this is important as your weight does greatly affect the range you will get)
2. What you want the scooter to be capable of (maybe you want dual suspension, or off-road trails or lightweight, etc)
3. Budget (do you want scooter within $800-900, $1500-2000, 3-4000, whats your max, is it firm or can you go higher)

Those are 3 very important topics to mention in your post. If you don’t include those answers you will get a wide range of replies recommending scooters that may be anywhere from $500-4000!!
Without providing the 3 answers above you may not get very helpful answers to your specific situation.

Now that I’ve taken care of that, on to the more fun discussion. Local groups! So upon getting my 1st scooter a friend led me to a facebook group specifically for the Phoenix electronic community here in Arizona. This group is called Phoenix eRiders are is a mix of scooter riders, onewheel riders, ebike riders, etc…

Through this group what I have found is that “the more the merrier” rings true! In these groups you can find people looking to ride at anytime day and night and setup group rides! I can’t speak for other groups but I would argue that they are probably similar in that everyone seems to be pretty welcoming of each other no matter if you have a top notch scooter or a beginner budget scooter. The mentality seems to be, be safe and have fun! I definitely would say to check Facebook, Instagram, Discord, etc.. to see if you have local riding group!

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Emove Touring 2021 Review
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ByEric Sparenga
, , ,

Emove Touring 2021 Review

Good Day everyone! Today I am reviewing the 2021 Emove Touring electric scooter!

Review

So in February/March I was able to obtain a used Emove Touring for a whopping price! I won’t discuss the exact details but I paid less for this then I did for my Turboant!
Upon buying this scooter I was informed by my scooter mentor (yes my very own scooter tutor haha) that for my weight ~240lbs I should expect about 20miles. And based on other reviews I had read previously I was expecting 25mph max.
Let me say that my first initial rides I was a bit weary. This electric scooter has dual suspension but smaller 8inch tires that worried me a little bit. So although the ride was smooth I was pretty nervous going over speedbumps and over grass and back onto curbs. But now after riding it for more then 70 miles total I really am starting to enjoy and appreciate this scooter. Its not too heavy to carry for a commuter scooter, and I’m able to lead the way on smaller rides with friends or keep a closer pace with faster riders on group rides! No longer being left in the dust! lol.
This scooter easily hits 25mph on flat road with my 240lbs on it. As for distance, I have completed a 18 mile round trip ride on it and had just went down to 1 battery bar left on the screen when I finished.

Pros & Cons


Pros: Fast acceleration! If your not looking to challenge cars for speed, this scooter has fast acceleration to 25pmh max.
Not heavy to carry. You can carry it one handed as its 40lbs. There are lighter scooters but they won’t provide the max speed or acceleration.

Cons: For the price point I dont see any other then the 8inch tires. I’m a pretty conservative rider, don’t jump curbs, don’t really go off-roading other then little bit in grass, but still wish it had 10 inch tires. If you are riding at night, look to get more lights for visibility.

Who is this scooter for?

If you already had an entry level scooter experience then this is a worthy upgrade if you find a great deal on a used one. If you already have a scooter that goes 20mph and want more speed or only interested in buying brand new then i’d say skip it as although it does ride well, the 25mph max speed still may leave you wanting more speed & power. I myself am looking for something that can go 30-35 mph now. And I ain’t no speed demon! This scooter is for riders that wanna go for a nice 15-20mile “tour” regardless of their weight.

Emove Touring
ByEric Sparenga

Scooters 101 – How much to spend?

Riding my 2nd scooter – Emove Touring

So your embarking on the hobby known as Electric Scooter Riding are ya! Your curious what to buy, how much to spend, who to ask questions to? I’m here to give you a good intro to all of that information in my segment Scootering 101 starting with this article so that you can make a good choice for yourself and get you headed in the right direction to have a good ol fun time riding!

Warning: Even tho above I say I will get you the info for the questions and may make some suggestions I will NOT tell you which one to absolutely buy as that is personal choice and every scooter can be fun in their own right!

Question 1: How much to spend?
So this question again is personal choice. Basically there are 2 thought processes here.
1) Buy entry level and if you find you enjoy scootering then save up and move up to a more higher priced higher performing device.

2) Spend more with first purchase so that you get more of a “top notch” experience rather then a maybe “underwelming” experiencing if your a thrill enthusiast.

Pros of #1:
Cheaper initial cost. If you don’t like it or decide that you want to try another device or hobby, then you haven’t spent a lot of money.
The entry level devices can help you see what the riding experience is like without being as “intense” as the more expensive devices. Get your the feel of riding it, carrying it in your car, the overall feel of going uphill/downhill or on grass or dirt with scooters.

Cons of #1:
If you decide to sell your entry-level device and move up, then you may lose some money during your sale.
Example: If you buy a $500 scooter then you probably can’t ask for $500 when selling it. Because of this you may end up spending more overall if you buy 1 and later buy a 2nd one, instead of going for that 2nd model first!
If your more of a thrill seeker then you may find fairly early on that you want/need more power then the entry level’s provide.

Thought process #2
Pros: Your getting a higher performing scooter right off the start! Possibly something with dual suspension, wider deck for your feet, better performer for going uphill, better experience if your a heavier rider

Cons: If you find you don’t like scootering then you spent more then you wanted and can’t return is. Will have to sell it used and take a loss. Also better performing scooters are often heavier. Entry level scooters may be 20-30lbs while the more beefier 30+ mph scooters can go from about 50-100+ lbs!
May be harder to fit in your vehicle or carry up stairs.

Conclusion:
I think the best conclusion with cost is to spend what your comfortable spending. If you can go for a higher model then definitely do it and enjoy! Keep in mind that just because you have a higher performing scooter does not mean you have to go full throttle with it right from the start! You can still learn and take it slow. You just may have more of a learning curve because of the quicker acceleration and more power behind it. Luckily, pretty much all scooters have settings that you can dial back to make it more beginner friendly.
Now if you can’t afford a higher priced scooter but want a electric scooter now to try out, then go with the entry level-priced devices! There are some fine scooters out for smaller budgets! As a 240+lb rider myself my first scooter was the Turboant X7 Pro. I do have some posts about that experience. And even with that scooter being only $500 I really enjoyed it and even now after moving on to higher priced scooters, part of me still misses the ease of use on that scooter! It was lightweight, still showed me what riding an electric scooter felt like and I had fun with it!
*For group rides go for a scooter that has a least 25mph. Will explain this more in next article.*

Kaabo Mantis King GT – Off Road review
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Turboant V8 ! 2 batteries?

Welcome everyone to this preview of the new soon to be released scooter by Turboant the V8! I’ve became a fan of Turboant since riding the X7 Pro. Now they are coming out with not only a new X7 model, but this V8 model! (Price unknown)

V8 E-Scooter

Here’s a quick rundown of what the V8 is offering:
Specs:
50 mile range
2 7.5ah batteries (one in the stem, one in the deck) with on screen battery levels for each one
450 watt motor
20 Mph Speed
Rider capacity up to 275 lbs
10 in pneumatic tires
Dual spring rear suspension
20 inch handlebars vs 16.5 on the X7 models

First, I’d like to talk about the battery setup as this is a new one to me as well as the Turboant lineup! The common setup on scooters is to have the battery in the deck. Turboant has gone a little different in putting their battery in the stem as well as making it removable. On the Turboant V8 they have combined those 2 setups to give us a range of up to 50 miles! The stem battery is still removable while the deck battery is fixed. The batteries are each 7.5ah which I admit is a little low but this setup allows for 2 things:
-Longer range
-Shorter charging (4 hours to charge both)
The fact that you can charge for 4 hours and potentially go up to 50miles is pretty unheard of in scooters.
Now keep in mind that battery testing is often done in “optimal” situations. No wind, no inclines, and a rider not over 180 lbs usually.

Let me move on to the next feature I like with this scooter is that having just written my preview for the new X7 Max model that is coming out, seeing this features/specs is very exciting! Whereas the X7 Max I said is not much of an upgrade type of scooter, the V8 appears to be that upgrade! One spec I’d like to start out with is the 20 inch handlebars! That is great to see. As much as I loved the X7 Pro the handlebars were a bit narrow. It made adding accessories a little tough without the use of an extra handlebar. The handlebar on this V8 looks to be roomy enough for a phone and a extra light for night riding! The length will also just help with overall balance and comfort.

One thing I love about Turboant is that although their scooters are more in the “Budget” range of scooters (under $800) each one has 10 inch pneumatic tires! From personal experience I would rather have 10 inch tires with no suspension then 8 inch tires with suspension just makes me feel more secure while riding over bumps or on grass…and guess what! This scooter has both! 10 inch tires and rear suspension!
Love it! Dual suspension would be nice but can’t get too greedy!

Last but not least the motor of this scooter is 450W. The other Turboant models have been 350W so it’s nice to see Turboant going for more performance here. This should help on inclines, acceleration, and better range for bigger riders such as myself. This scooter is not yet available, Pre-release sales are available on July 21st.!
Click the link below to purchase the V8 Scooter!

Get your Turboant V8 scooter here: https://bit.ly/3O15YfX

*All pictures provided by Turboant*

ByEric Sparenga

New Model from Turboant! Turboant X7 Max (Preview)

Hey everyone! As you recall I did a previous review of the Turboant X7 Pro electric scooter that I purchased late last year.
Well now Turboant is coming out with it’s next model for the X7 lineup.
The Turboant X7 Max!

The Turboant X7 Max will be available for presale on July 21st!. Looks can be deceiving with this one as the scooter is almost a mirror image of last years model with the noticeable battery in the stem but per the website has a range of 32 miles verse 30 on the Pro as well as a couple different.. . This new model will continue to use the 350W motor, 10ah battery, and 10 inch pneumatic tires that the X7 Pro used. The difference is “refined drivetrain hardware and software” to allow the X7 Max to go further then the Pro did although at the same speed as the listed max is also 20mph for the new model. As for the differences in the new model there are 3 that I noticed in the information.

First, the deck setup is changing! I think this is a great decision by Turboant to raise and widen the deck! The X7 Pro had a deck of 5.7 inches wide and was 4.5 inches from the ground. The new X7 Max is 5.3 inches from the ground which gives little more height for bumps and curbs for us heavier riders and a width of 4.7~6.7 inches. The width is listed as 4.7~6.7inch as the deck starts out narrow near the stem but then widens towards the back as shown below. I appreciate the wider deck as even for my smaller feet the X7 Pro’s deck felt a little narrow on longer rides.

Narrow at the front, wider at the back fits the riding style of one foot behind the other.

Second, the X7 Max battery will now have a lock with 2 keys so that if you were to leave your scooter somewhere, the battery can no longer be easily removed. I like that change as now you won’t have to feel the need to remove the battery each time you leave your scooter. Can remove the scooter if you prefer, or just leave it locked nice touch!

Lock provided on right side of stem with 2 keys

One last change with the X7 Max model is Turboant has moved the stem lock from the back of the stem to the front while also no longer having the 2nd lock that went over the stem lock. Perhaps the new stem lock is secure enough to not require the additional lock. (fingers crossed)

(Last years on left, this years on the right)

In closing the Turboant X7 Max seems to be more of a “improve on last years model” verses a “upgrade” from the X7 Pro model. This model should offer a more enjoyable experience for those looking to the Turboant X7 Max for their 1st scooter purchase! Click the link below to view the X7 Max!

Get your Turboant X7 Max scooter here:https://bit.ly/3O15YfX

*All pictures provided by Turboant*

ByEric Sparenga

TurboAnt X7 Pro Review – Pros & Cons

Pros:
Specs say up to 20mph, and at 245lbs I can get to 20mph on flat surfaces.
Not too heavy to carry for things such as into a place to grab a bite to eat.
I would say that on inclines it does was I hoped it would do which is successfully carry me up even most that i’ve tried even if it is around 4-8mph on the climb.
The bell – It’s what a call a “cute” bell. People hearing it may expect it to be a kid coming up but at least its easily heard.

Cons:
Acceleration is really slow.
The battery does make the stem a lot wider which I’m finding now makes using a storage bag unlikely. If your a DIY person then you can probably make it work but as for just buying a bag and attaching it, it doesn’t really work out well.

*I’m still not certain if the “range” is a pro or con yet. From talking with others there are a lot of factors that can affect range such as weight, speed you ride at, amount of inclines and steepness of inclines, wind and temperature. So I will need additional rides before I can make that judgement.

Summary:
I think for $500-600 this scooter is definitely worth buying. If your more flexible and can go higher then the better scooters will start around $900. But as a “budget scooter” i’m definitely happy with this scooter!

The scooter can be purchased at the link below:

https://bit.ly/3ok5VBJ

ByEric Sparenga

TurboAnt X7 Pro Electric Scooter $500 (ongoing impression)

Hello everyone! Welcome to my first review in the Portable Electrical Device arena or whatever it would be called! So little background on this situation. Each time I see a scooter for rent along the streets the last few years I’ve always been tempted to want to ride them. Seeing them reminds me of the “gopeds” from my youth! Finally I went to San Francisco and was able to ride 3 different scooters. 1 Unagi Scooter and 2 rentals: Lime and Spin brand. And boy were they fun! So that sealed the deal for me on wanting to get one! Now that I have one here is my first ongoing review of it!

Nov 29th – After about 2 weeks of countless reviews both articles and youtube videos, I decided to give the TurboAnt X7 Pro a try. The reasons?
1. Rider weight – I found most scooters have max rider weight of 220lbs and i’m a tad over that so I wanted one that was higher. X7 Pro list at max weight of 275lbs.
2. Speed & Range – In my research I found that the listed speed & range is not what you will get in real life unless you more closer to the 165 lb range that most testers seemed to be listed at. But still the X7 Pro had a listed speed of up to 20mph with a range of 20-30 miles whereas I found most other scooters in the $500 range to have 15-20 mph and 10-20 range. My hope being 245 lbs was 15/15.
3. External battery – One feature that seemed unique to the TurboAnt is the use of a removable battery. I like the idea of bringing a 2nd battery with me and swapping them out for additional range.

Initial experience – Upon getting this scooter I charged it for about 1-2 hours and then took it for a spin around the neighborhood. I was pleasantly happy to see if actually get to the max speed of 20mph! Great! After a few small rides of maybe 0.5-2miles round trip I decided to take it on a longer ride. The ride was about a 10-11mile ride one way, so about 22miles round trip. The first I completed with 3 bars left whereas the way back going into the wind I ended up dying after about 9 miles. Regardless this trip left me with the impression that I would possibly get 15-20 miles for range!

1/11/2022 – Now I have ridden the scooter a few more times in the ranges of 3-8 miles for each trip. I think it’s only natural to always want more hehe, so I do find myself wanting a little more performance . But I will say I still very much enjoy riding the TurboAnt X7 Pro. It is comfortable to ride, I haven’t had any issues with it yet as I”m currently up to 50 miles total on it. For speed, yes up to 20 is doable even for heavier riders. Although I’m actually most comfortable around 15-16 mph for my cruisin! For range i’m still not quite sure on it yet. The more I ride it the more I think I myself may get range closer to 10-12 miles. But will see on that. I will continue an ongoing review of this scooter as I ride it more!

2/13/22 – Todays review will feature a new battery I purchased! So finding that my scooter for my size (240lbs) seems to get about 10miles for the riding I do (light dirt, some grass, some inclines & declines) I decided to invest in a 2nd battery to enhance my range. I decided to go with the Levy branded 12.8aH 3-pin battery. I did confirm with Levy that it was compatible before buying. So I took my X7 Pro out on a 6 mile/12 mile roundtrip ride today. For those familiar with Tempe Arizona I went from Tempe Town Lake to Mesa Riverview Park and back. On the way there I used my normal 10aH provided TurboAnt battery and was traveling around 10-15 mph the whole way . When I arrived at my destination I had 2 bars left. Rather then riding it til it died I decided to just switch batteries for ride back and see how they compare if any. I will say I think the new Levy 12.8aH battery gave me a little more acceleration! Further testing is required but I felt it did get up to 15 little quicker. For the ride back there was less foot traffic and I was going 15-20mph for most of it and when I finished I had 3 bars left!
So that was nice to see an expected improvement. Again further testing needed to confirm and compare their actual max distance for me.

At this point now after putting 70 miles on my scooter I think it still rides well and I myself am getting more comfortable on it as my 1st electric scooter.
In riding side by side with onewheelers it does perfectly fine to keep up but when riding with EUC riders or e-skaters then I find myself wanting more speed and range to keep closer to them.

The scooter can be purchased via link below:

X7 Max Folding Electric Scooter

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