In month I tested Bluetran Lightning, I only had to charge it once. Once. That’s after a roughly 40-mile ride (at varying speeds below 30 mph). This electric scooter never fails to go up steep hills, its hydraulic brakes are excellent and its suspension is like a magic carpet. It’s a whole new world.
Well, sort of. Only other escooter I have tried can match this performance is MiniMotors Dualtron Victor. Interesting facts: Bluetran are a new sub-brand of MiniMotors, so they are effectively manufactured by the same company. They feel very similar and both start at the no-nonsense price of $2,699. I tried the most expensive version ($3,099), which has a larger capacity LG battery for extended range.
Speed of light
Photo: Bluetran
Whenever I rave about the amazing power and range of an electric scooter, I immediately have to show my enthusiasm for two main factors: weight and… law.
First off, this escooter weighs a crazy 88 pounds, 15 more than the Dualtron Victor. It hardly requires any setup, but I almost threw it out of the box. (I recommend laying the box on its side, taking out the Styrofoam and rolling it out. Also, give your delivery driver some cookies.)
This weight acts on everything. I’m moving into a new apartment with stairs, and it doesn’t matter to me that I have to regularly take this vehicle up and down the narrow stairs. Forget hopping on public transport in case you get caught in the rain or run out of battery — unless lifting 88 pounds sounds like nothing to you. (You can fold the stem down and lock it to the deck for “easier” carrying.)
Then there are local speed laws. Bluetran Lightning can reach 47 miles per hour. I don’t recommend it. It is illegal in most cities and states, and too fast. You’re basically a broomstick wizard, except at least they have weird potions and spells to heal or regrow bones. Like any car, make sure you follow local speed laws and you’ll gain more range than I did. (I mostly cycled deep in Brooklyn on empty roads to test speed, handling, and braking.)
On its default settings, Lightning is generally too fast for me. The 5,040-watt dual hub motor kicks in so hard your body wobbles backwards (it’s even more powerful than Victor). But there’s a solution: Go into the scooter’s settings via the display on the handlebars and you can tweak its performance. I’ve cut the output down to 50% and it’s still fast but much more manageable. (These settings are listed in the manual.) There are three gears on the scooter and after I adjusted the settings, gear 1 is now effectively going about 15 mph, which is the limit. Legal in New York City.
