Final month, I had the possibility to go to Los Angeles and attend Micromobility America, a yearly business tradeshow specializing in e-bikes, e-scooters, and different small-format automobiles. To get across the metropolis for just a few days, I borrowed a VMAX VX2 Excessive from VMAX’s Los Angeles distribution middle and it made all of the distinction in navigating a metropolis that’s notoriously onerous to get round.
My common readers and viewers will know I’m an e-bike first man, however that I received’t say “no” to any type of micromobility. I’ve ridden virtually all the pieces, so you possibly can wager that I depend electrical scooters in my steady, too, even when it’s predominantly comprised of e-bikes. And I have to say that there’s one thing good about having the ability to stash your scooter within the trunk of an Uber or below a prepare seat when needed.
Whereas in LA, I used to be excited to lastly get an opportunity to assessment a VMAX scooter, since I’ve adopted the corporate’s US growth with curiosity over the past 12 months or so. As a Swiss-based firm, VMAX first discovered success in Europe earlier than increasing into the US with bigger and extra highly effective fashions.
The corporate let me borrow a VX2 Excessive electrical scooter, which is a 25 mph (40 km/h) scooter that’s surprisingly highly effective. It doesn’t look a lot larger than a dirt-cheap GoTrax or related price range scooter, but it’s a lot quicker and extra highly effective—to the tune of 1,600W of peak energy.
You possibly can see the way it rides in my video assessment beneath, or preserve studying for the entire story.
VMAX VX2 Excessive Video Overview
Turning into a scooter man in LA
LA is infamous for being tough to navigate, and even if in case you have a automotive, that doesn’t imply you’ll be getting anyplace shortly. Relying on who you ask, the general public transportation system is both a trainwreck or considerably respectable, although nobody will let you know LA has well-developed public transit.
That’s why I knew I needed to have the ability to rely as a lot as doable alone unbiased transportation whereas within the metropolis, and a scooter made sense. With the VMAX’s 25 mph prime velocity, I may sustain with most metropolis site visitors, but I may nonetheless simply stow it to slot in the trunk of a rideshare automotive or stash it in my lodge room with out drawing a lot discover from the entrance desk.
My journey began with visiting VMAX’s distribution middle in downtown LA, which had me taking a 30-minute stroll that was each refreshing and an awesome reminder of how gradual it’s to get round a large metropolitan space on foot alone. Don’t get me mistaken – I like strolling and I additionally use jogging as my main type of train. However a pair of footwear simply isn’t a really quick or environment friendly transportation technique in a giant metropolis.
After attending to tour VMAX’s giant warehouse and see how they fulfill buyer orders from all around the US (in addition to get a have a look at a number of totally different fashions they provide), the group let me borrow a VX2 Excessive and despatched me on my manner. My subsequent cease was an occasion down in Costa Mesa close to Irvine, which Google Maps informed me could be a 43-mile (69 km) journey from Downtown LA, and which simply so occurred to be the precise vary of the longest vary model of the VX2 Excessive scooter (it comes with three battery choices of between 28-43 miles of vary relying which battery dimension you select).
Nevertheless, these vary scores are not often on the scooter’s most velocity and energy degree, which I meant to be rocking for a lot of the journey. However Google Maps urged to me that it will be a straightforward prepare trip as a substitute, with only a couple miles of scooting to and from the prepare station on both finish. Superior!
I scooted on over to the prepare station and arrived simply in time… to overlook the prepare by two minutes. No worries, again dwelling there’s a prepare each 10 minutes or so. I checked the prepare schedule and to my horror, the subsequent prepare wasn’t scheduled for greater than two hours from now. Thanks, LA.
I didn’t have that form of time – I’ve bought a micromobility convention to get to! So I needed to swallow my pleasure and order an Uber. Luckily the scooter folded up and match simply within the trunk together with my journey backpack and my digicam backpack. That’s not one thing I can usually do on my e-bikes!
Forty-something miles later, I used to be in Costa Mesa with time to spare, which I spent fortunately burned by scooting round. It was my first likelihood to spend greater than a few rushed minutes driving the scooter extra pleasurably to get an actual really feel for it. The VX2 Excessive doesn’t have suspension however nonetheless felt fairly good on the town streets, even when hopping the occasional curb or velocity bump.
The construct is clearly fairly strong, with out giving me the rickety feeling I get on cheaper high quality scooters. And the ability is surprisingly potent. Once I put the scooter in its highest energy setting, referred to as Beast Mode, I might typically by accident wheelie it whereas beginning, since I are likely to preserve my rear foot on the board and push off with my entrance foot. These wheelies have been enjoyable, however I made a decision to principally scoot round in a single notch beneath the best energy mode, as that felt extra affordable for on a regular basis driving. However it’s good to know you’ve bought extra energy than you want, as a substitute of merely maxing it out 100% of the time.
Because the winter solar set shortly, it gave me my first likelihood to take a look at the lighting and switch indicators on the scooter. These flip indicators are literally fairly vivid throughout the day, lighting up the handlebar finally ends up excessive for higher visibility, in addition to motorcycle-style flip indicators down low on the rear of the scooter. The rear flip indicators are flexibly mounted, which means they will bend and bounce again into place as a substitute of breaking once they inevitably hit one thing.
The flip indicators have been weirdly spectacular. You possibly can see within the picture above how the decrease ones gentle up the street and the higher ones are fairly seen by protruding to the edges on the handlebar ends.
Usually, I deride most e-bike and e-scooter flip indicators as a result of they’re usually diminutive and unclear, principally serving as a flashing gentle so near the automobile’s centerline that they don’t obtain their purpose of truly indicating path. However VMAX has completed an awesome job with these, as they’re each attention-grabbing and clearly point out that you simply’re about to show—which is essential when shortly driving round vehicles at night time.
I additionally discovered the velocity of the scooter to be each a blessing and a curse. I forgot that LA climate isn’t at all times “Santa Monica in June”, and I used to be completely freezing in my hoodie – the one garment with lengthy sleeves that I had packed.
Flying quick at 25 mph down broad Costa Mesa roads wasn’t serving to, with that airstream cooling me even additional. I needed to determine between going quicker to get to dinner sooner on the threat of turning into an icicle alongside the way in which or slowing down to chop the windchill. Sadly, the battery was so giant that I couldn’t use the effectivity argument to encourage me to decelerate, so I simply continued bombing it all the way down to the Balboa Peninsula at 25 mph, assembly up with associates to supply freezing chilly handshakes and high-fives. Dinner was nice, however the trip again was even colder. I believed I would go slower climbing the hills on the way in which again from the coast, however the dang factor zipped up the hills quick sufficient to maintain my fingers feeling like they have been encased in ice. However hey, at the least the quick velocity meant I may shorten the journey as a lot as doable!
The following day, I scooted to the present within the morning and located that the fairgrounds the place it was hosted have been closed off at most entrances. I suppose they do that to restrict how vehicles can enter (and guarantee everybody will get charged to park), however I used to be an elitist with my very own right-sized transportation and never about to let issues like site visitors management cease me!
Some scooting throughout the weeds and carrying the 45 lb (21 kg) scooter over a pair barricades later, I used to be in! I’m not saying it is best to trip in locations you aren’t allowed, however simply that there’s a bonus to having the ability to take artistic routes when the automobile you drive weighs as a lot as your leg.
I locked up at a motorcycle rack and made it to the present in report time, taking full benefit of the truth that micromobility automobiles typically assist you to chart your personal path.
That was how I bought round for subsequent two days, placing round 30 miles (50 km) on the scooter. I charged it every night time at my lodge, however I by no means used greater than 30% of the battery, so I’m undecided I actually wanted to cost all of it.
In the end, the VMAX VX2 Excessive scooter proved to be a perfect strategy to navigate the town. I took it on many rides, each for my morning and night commute, in addition to to satisfy up with associates and easily scooting round for pleasure. It at all times provided me greater than I wanted, each when it comes to energy and vary, and felt snug whereas doing it. The ten″ tubeless pneumatic tires have sufficient squish to provide me some consolation on rougher patches and are giant sufficient diameter to deal with all of the sidewalk cracks and minor potholes I threw at them.
Principally, I used to be fairly darn pleased with it. In fact you pay extra for such a well-built scooter from a Swiss firm, to the tune of $899, nevertheless it appears fairly truthful to me. It’s a protracted vary and extremely highly effective scooter that hides in a surprisingly transportable bundle, straightforward sufficient for me to toss in a automobile or carry over a series barricade. And with the additional options like security lighting with flip indicators, the 1,600W of peak energy, the simply readable 4″ shade TFT display screen, the weather-sealed drum brakes mixed with electrical motor braking, and the steady folding design, the scooter handled me higher than effectively for my three days driving it round central and southern LA.
VMAX has different much more inexpensive fashions ranging from round $400, however I’d say the VX2 Excessive is a superb Goldilocks choice that provides extra energy and vary than most individuals want in a transportable bundle at a good worth.
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