A scooter is something childish, frivolous, only if we are not talking about the Inmotion L9. Not transport, but rather a toy, entertainment. This point of view has existed for many years (and was true), but with the advent and spread of electric scooters, it seems that it finally lost its meaning. Modern electric scooters are also sometimes called electric scooters – and in this case, such a convergence does not seem excessive.
This is a large, powerful and serious model, even if it is foldable – it is designed not only and not so much for the road “to the metro” and “from the metro”, as for operation, including near public roads. Power – 500W, weight – 24kg, range of 50km – no other electric bike can compete with the Inmotion L9 in terms of capabilities. Let’s get to know him better.
Appearance and design features
Inmotion L9 makes an impression, even when packed in a box — it’s a hefty, heavy thing that is difficult to associate with what we used to call the word “scooter”. However, it is quite possible to unpack and remove the device alone, even if it requires some physical training. I repeat what is said in the introduction-Inmotion L9 weighs 24 kilograms.
At the same time, in its format, this is a fairly typical folding electric scooter. The steering column “breaks” at its base and can serve as a” handle ” for carrying the scooter. However, it is impossible to say that it is somehow convenient to do this: the maximum way to transport the Inmotion L9 in folded form is to roll it on one of the wheels. It is not very comfortable to carry it through the turnstiles in the subway and turn it around on the stairs. In this regard, the Inmotion L9 is closer to folding bikes, but still remains more comfortable due to its smaller dimensions.
The length of the Inmotion L9 is just over 1.3 meters, and the height, in turn, is just under 1.3 meters (to be precise, 127.5cm).
Of the operations that you need to perform with your hands during the first assembly — only fixing the steering wheel with bolts and installing a hook under it, which the steering column is fixed in the folded position (you will need a hex screwdriver, it is not included). In general, the Inmotion L9 is ready to work right out of the box. The large size and heavy weight are compensated by a serious chassis. The Inmotion L9 received shock absorbers on both the front and rear wheels, as well as a disc brake on the rear wheel. At the same time, there is also recovery, but the usual method of braking for lighter models by pressing the wing to the wheel is not provided — on the rear wing, on the contrary, the mark “Do not touch”.
In general, the design is quite simple and traditional, without any surprising and seemingly inappropriate elements on the scooter. The headlight is mounted in the steering unit, there is also an information screen and a single button that is responsible for turning the scooter on/off (long press), for turning on the headlight (single press) and switching the operating modes (double press).
At the right handle is the accelerator trigger, at the left-the classic brake handle.
Of the non-obvious things, I will note the charging connectors — there are two of them at once. An unusual shape, the absence of any pictograms and poorly executed rubber covers, which are almost impossible to properly insert into place (you have to drive down the street with loose plugs, risking flooding the port with water). They are also not located where you would expect-below the foot pad in the front of the scooter, next to the footrest. The footrest, by the way, is also executed so-so – the fixation is not the clearest, it tries to “break” a little.
What is natural for a scooter that can be used on public roads — there is a full-fledged brake light that lights up when braking, and not the usual retroreflector, as on scooters of a simpler level.
There are no questions about the quality of performance and materials for the Inmotion L9 — metal frame, rubber coating of the foot pad. The platform itself is quite large, both legs fit on it without any problems — including two legs of the 44th size, like mine. The weight is distributed well — the batteries are not hidden in the steering column; at least, not all of them. The center of gravity of the scooter with a clearance of 85 mm without load is eventually low, the stability is normal. I will note an unusual detail in the design of the Inmotion L9, which, by the way, is typical for a company that has made a name for itself on bright monowheels — LED strips are stretched along the foot platform, which glow blue at rest or when driving straight and red when cornering.
User Experience
The Inmotion L9 is equipped with an electric motor mounted in the front wheel. Its rated power is 500 watts, but the manufacturer also declares a peak power of 1000 watts. Very serious.
The scooter can operate in three speed modes: economy (E), normal (D) and sports (S). They differ, in addition to the load on the battery, in dynamics and maximum speed. In sports mode, the Inmotion L9 accelerates to a very serious (and prohibited, for example, in Germany for scooters) 30 kilometers per hour. However, the device does not allow you to accelerate significantly above this threshold, even downhill, starting to slow down the engine and keeping the speed at 30-32 km / h. In any case, this is just the same level of the already mentioned electric bicycles, and not “children’s” scooters. It is also worth mentioning the “help” mode, when the scooter takes on only part of the dynamic load, allowing you to push off and kick, but this mode is activated only through the app. And taking into account the height of the foot platform, it seems rather pointless, it is simply inconvenient to push off with your foot. But there is a convenient cruise control function for the route — it is also launched from the app.
The dynamics are very good, although the Inmotion L9 reacts to the touch of the gas handle with a slight delay — it’s still not a sports model, it does not “tear”from the spot. Nevertheless, the scooter accelerates to 20 km / h in a matter of seconds, slightly losing dynamics closer to the “maximum speed”. Be that as it may, the scooter provokes you to go fast — both with its solid construction and dynamics. Withstands Inmotion L9 weight up to 150 kg — at maximum load, the speaker, of course, will fall.
Fortunately, everything is fine with the brakes. There is also a recuperative system that starts working when you release the throttle lever, and returns some of the energy to the battery, and a sensitive disc brake on the rear wheel. It works very sharply, you need to get used to it, but it is very effective, at maximum pressure, the scooter stops almost instantly, the main thing is not to fly forward with your nose.
The wheels of the Inmotion L9 are large, 10×2.5 inches — the scooter feels quite confident not only on asphalt or a special bike path, but also on tiles or on strong ground. It passes shallow puddles normally, almost without “swimming in”. The double suspension performs well on uneven surfaces. On the Inmotion L9, you can even skip low obstacles on the move and fly on low curbs — this is hinted at, among other things, by the sloping foot platform in the front part. And in general, driving the Inmotion L9 is very comfortable. Still, the double suspension is great.
The battery here is also very serious — 675 Wh (12500 mAh, 54 V). The manufacturer promises a mileage of up to 50 kilometers on a single charge — and this is not far from the truth, if you use the scooter in economy or normal mode. In sports, you should rather count on 35-40 kilometers, which in any case is very serious for this type of transport. On the Inmotion L9, you can safely ride from home to work and back, even if you live in the near Moscow region (and if you are an extreme person who is not afraid to rush along the highway on an electric scooter), while not charging the device in the middle of the day.
The Inmotion L9 is charged in 7.2 hours when using a single complete charge. But it’s not for nothing that there are two ports at once — you can buy the same one and arrange simultaneous charging sessions, which will reduce the time by about half. You can charge the scooter either on or off.
The manufacturer does not name any specific standard of moisture protection, limiting itself to the words about the battery, dashboard and controller protected from moisture. As I mentioned above-you can safely drive Inmotion L9 through puddles. What will happen when using the scooter in the rain, I can not answer, the test was not conducted in conditions that suggest rain.
Inmotion L9 supports working with mobile devices with Bluetooth communication: with the help of a proprietary mobile app, you can control the cruise control of the scooter, track the route, check statistics, and receive notifications. The program allows you to adjust the lights and headlights, turn the engine on and off, set the speed limit if required by local traffic rules. The application is quite functional, but suffers from incomplete and not always correct Russification.
Conclusion
Inmotion L9 is not so much a scooter as an alternative to an electric bike, and it is quite complete. Both in terms of dynamics and power reserve, he argues with many of them, and even surpasses them. At the same time, remaining relatively compact — and in the trunk of the car will take up less space, and in the subway with proper physical training, it is quite possible to drag it. The only problem here is the weight of the same bike. Briskness and small dimensions combined with high speed allow you to count on the Inmotion L9 as a completely adequate means of transportation in a city congested with traffic jams. At the same time, the cost is quite reasonable — and again it is compared with the cost of electric bicycles, which in this price category are inferior to the Inmotion L9 in terms of power and power reserve.