Eight points to check when buying an adult scooter

Eight points to check when buying an adult scooter

Kickbike Australia managed to get hold of one of our competitor’s footbikes and we were surprised to find that there are eight things that were quite different, and should therefore be considered, before buying your adult scooter.

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This is a Kickbike. Kickbike is a trademarked brand name. The generic term for these types of machines is “footbike”, the same as Giant is a brand of bicycle.
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This is not a Kickbike, it is an unbranded footbike recently given away as a prize in a promotional competition, and they advertised it as having a retail value of $600. They called it a “Kick Bike” but, sadly, it was not.
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This is the critical difference between a real Kickbike, and one that is not.  On the left you will see some holes in the frame.  These are the entry points for Kickbike to weld three additional tubes together inside the main frame tubing that you see.  This is a patented system that we believe is necessary to ensure that the frame has the strength to last, and to easily take 120kgs on the plate.  We believe that they will take a lot more, but they stopped testing at 120kgs.

If you look at any bike that doesn’t have triangulation to give it strength, then the price is usually a lot higher than a standard framed bike.  Kickbike has done the right thing by making sure the frame has more than enough strength to last, and the reason they put a two-year warranty on the frame. The model on the right gave an expiry date warranty from the competition close, equivalent to eight months.

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Notice the rear brakes on the Kickbike are the same width as the plate, and therefore a lot less likely to be kicked and damaged, as the ones on the right. Let alone the damage to your ankle, which would be the contact point with the brake assembly.
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The brake levers and all the brake mechanisms on the Kickbike (left) are Tektro branded, far higher quality than the one on the right. In fact the one on the right is not branded at all.
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Again on the front brakes, notice how much wider the brakes sit, making it very easy to damage them with your knee when kicking through, let alone actually hurting your knee in the process.

Also the Kickbike has its own individual serial number. Not so on the other footbike.

The front tyre pressure on the Kickbike is 80psi, while the other is maximum 50psi. This has a major effect on handling and cornering characteristics.

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The handlebars on the left are Promax branded, and the ones on the right are not. The steering cap on both are branded, but it’s interesting that it’s the only item on the right that is actually branded. 
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The Kickbike on the left has the legal Australian requirements, including six reflectors – one rear, one front and four side. The mudguards are also all metal, rather than the plastic holders on the right.

Both the front and rear tyres on the one on the right are also unbranded. The rear tyre pressure on the Kickbike is 80psi but on the other it’s only 35psi.

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The rear brake does not have a protective guard to stop you standing on it. It means that it will be easily damaged through normal operation.  In fact, the model we inspected already had the brake scraping along the back of the plate, limiting smooth brake operation.

Again you can see the V-brake arms protrude a lot further past the side of the plate than those on the Kickbike.

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The spot welding on the right looks, well, it’s self-explanatory really. We don’t need to say any more here.

In summary, the things to look for are, that the frame is going to be strong enough to last, that it has two brakes, both front and rear, that it is a recognised brand for warranty purposes, and make sure that all the right accessories are included.  Remember that in Australia a bell that works is a legal requirement, and it’s also nice to have mudguards to help keep your clothes clean.

 

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