Hi Jim. I couldn't make out what you were saying on part of the test ride because of the wind noise (you seem to be going pretty fast!). Excellent review apart from that - many thanks.
Thank you, even with various wind screens (homemade and dead cats) it is difficult to eliminate wind noise so I had to reduce the volume during that portion. There is a mic that looks good but it's quite expensive. Thanks for the comment!
@@howardfowler2255 I was trying to get the sound of the motor to come through, i'll keep working on the presentation and figuring out ways to make the videos better, thanks for the feedback!
@@pl1753 the batteries we use are from one of the most respected battery manufacturers in China. They are certified and I have the test papers. They are quite good. Not as good as LG but it keeps the scooter price affordable.
Sweet review as always. I still have no idea what to buy. Especially now the m365 pro has been released (hoping to see a review). This thing just looks a little too bad ass. Rekon the rozzers will be all over me in London with that suspension and fat wheel. How does she cope with the hills? Is it alot better than the zoom hill wise?
@Lee E, thank you! From the few pictures I see of the m365 pro it still is without suspension, for me suspension is a must have. Also the weight is listed at almost 32 lbs, which is surprising. The Zero 8 has no issue with hills. When i go over the range tests i'll make sure and mention the top speed on the few hills in my area. It does climb much better than the Zoom, honestly all of the scooters I've tested have been good on hills, if it slows down I just kick a little!
@ Lee E, I also wanted to mention that displays that are not integrated in the stem are easier to maintain or replace, like the ones on the Zero's, EcoReco, etc. They aren't as clean looking but perhaps a factor to think about when looking at the M365 Pro.
@@ElectronSurfer thanks for the detailed reply. I will tune back in for the range test! I have found a retailer in london for the zero so may pop around and take a look as i am still on the fence.
After a couple of weeks with this impressive scooter,I' d like to offer a few observations. First,the t bar keeps slipping down from full extension even after tightening the quick release clamp assembly. My solution is to use an 11 1/2 inch by 3/8 inch dowel next to the vertical stem secured by two Velcro straps. This prevents slippage of the vertical stem . Second point is that the display icons are difficult to read in full sun. It's better in the shade. I'm still looking for a solution to this problem re: the display readout in full sunshine. One extra point is that when you almost drain your battery ( I recharge at one bar) and then connect the charger to it,make sure the light on the charger is red,not green.If it's green,it won't charge because you've hooked up the charger the wrong way as I found out the on my first charge. Other than these ,this is a classy and capable e scooter well worth the price. This video sealed the deal for me. Thanks Jim.
I'm glad you are enjoying it, I'm surprised at the stem clamp issue though, I haven't had that at all. Every display I've seen is tough in the sun, I leave mine just loose enough to tilt which seems to help. Good clarification of charging!
I was looking forward to this review. This design is very similar to the Eco Reco model. I noticed these tires appear to have air? what're your thoughts on that vs ones without air? For me I'm usually in a rush and go mode, having to lift the handle bars and tighten to go is another step I don't really care for, not a big deal I guess, I'm just so used to Eco rico's model. Eco Rico also tops out under 20mph on flat terrain, and has the same break handle as the zero. the zero appears to weigh less? I'm finding so many comparables between these two models, which is exciting.
@embazle, the Zero is about 10 lbs heavier. With that you get much better braking, customization potential, full lighting, and higher top speed. The I would say the only thing the EcoReco does better is the weight. The Zero 8 has an air front tire and solid rear.
@e c, I have thought about trying to do the same on mine. I would get some high quality silicone caulking, you could even get black. If you caulk anywhere wires go into the deck you should be pretty solid, or course if you get water damage it won't be covered by warranty. I'd also use a phone dry bag or plastic bag to cover the LCD display. Best of luck.
Hi Jim! You say that RevRides is the north American distributor but there's another store in Victoria, Canada that also distributes the scooter. Its called Ride The Glide. Just figured I'd point it out (since maybe it's just the American distributor)
Danielle Murray, thanks for that. I made sure I said West Coast distributor in the Zero 9 video. There are also some twins to the Zero's, i think they are called Dart coming out too. I appreciate the clarification!
I just picked up some Ergon GS-1 grips from REI for $25 hoping to test them out soon. I did find the stock grips to be a bit lacking and they do twist out of place for me. I'm hoping these grips are much better since they have a tightening ring on the ends. I also put in a bar end mirror which is really nice for seeing what the cars are doing behind me.
@Dave K, I picked up some similar generic grips, I like the ways its working, the bar end mirror is a great idea. I'll cover the upgrades I did in a following Zero 8 video.
For your own safety wear some light weight leather gloves just in case you happen to fall off, protect your hands the tar mac hurts a lot, you could even go for summer motorcycle gloves with knuckle protection.
Re P15 Controller cutoff voltage on the Zero 8. As you know, default it 39. I think you mentioned upping it to 41 to prevent the battery from fully depleting? I ask because I need to travel 23.5 miles tomorrow (the most I have got out of the Zero 8 was about 21 miles). I will probably have to walk a little way or kick it along.
@JellyMonster1, 39volts is basically completely dead. I think you could change that setting temporarily without issue, I think if you pull it down below 42v regularly it will have some impact on battery life. Let me know if the setting change helps out, what speed limit or top speed will you be trying to stay at?
@@ElectronSurfer I set it up as 41v cut off since watching your video some time ago, as it sounded like good advice. The route is pretty flat - I normally start off any journey on 80% battery power as it equates to 15-16 mph in speed 2 (UK speed limit for electric bikes) just in case I get pulled over. However, it will seem slow on the straight main roads (most direct route) , so will probably use speed 3 (21 mph still at 80% power). Later on the journey, I'll need to bump up the power to achieve the same speeds.
Hi Jim, since you have also reviewed the Ecoreco S5. Which model would you recommend b/w the Ecoreco S5 and the Zero 8? I was considering the S5, but I couldn't pull the trigger after reading about the horrible customer service reviews and power issues. I'm also concerned with Rev Rides, since they don't appear to provide a phone number as a contact reference.
I will be uploading my EcoReco S5 video tomorrow, I did review the S5 and posted the video on Electric Ride Review. I had issues with their responsiveness, they took 2 months to get me a new charge port. From a purely ride experience the Zero 8 is way better. I honestly think the Zero 8 blows the EcoReco out of the water. The S5 is the only scooter I have that my son doesn't like riding. I would email Rev Rides, I am sure he will give you his contact number.
Excellent review. Looks to be a good scooter (upgrade from Zoom) but maybe not ideal to carry on trains. How can it be only 500w but seems much more powerful than the 600watts Zoom?
@Peter L, I am good with the one brake, other scooters I've tested don't brake nearly as well. The Zero 9 which is next does have front and rear brakes. I would hesitate to use the scooter in anything beyond a light rain especially with the charge port on the front facing edge of the deck. If i needed to ride in the rain regularly i'd invest in some good silicone. Thanks for the comment!
@@ElectronSurfer How long does it take to fully charge? Also, with the top speed on this scooter, I bet it's really fun passing road bikes out on the paths. How's the acceleration, better than Zoom Stryder?
@@aragorn318 Its been a little difficult for me to get accurate recharge times. Because of the large battery i'm estimating 5-6 hrs. I have a wattage meter coming this weekend so i'll exhaust the battery and see how many watt hrs it takes to replenish it. I tend to ride conservatively on the paths when bikes are around but it is fun to zip around on. The acceleration is way better than the zoom which of the 5 scooters (glion, ecoreco s5, zero, zoom) i've tested so far was actually the slowest.
@@aragorn318 I didn't notice a drop in my full range test in speed mode 2 (limited at 18-20 mph). I was topping out at 16-17.5 mph all the way up to just under 20 miles! I'll have the details in an upcoming video.
I think the zero start option is a good option for safety, as you know you have power from the moment you pull the trigger ie for crossing a road etc. I have a Zero 9 and a ummmm, 10X ;)
Zero start is a personal preference, I like to have the option. For me I like it off because it keeps me from hitting the throttle by accident and having the scooter fly out of my hands....not that I ever did that!
@@ElectronSurfer You certainly never put an e-scoot newbie on one with that option engaged for sure. But it really is great once you are used to it as it really gives you more control of when the power comes in. :) Great in-depth reviews BTW!
Did you test top speed maybe on zero 9 in meanwhile? How much is your weight just to do comparison with mine to predict how fast zero could go with my weight on zero 8?
Electron Surfer Yes I have seen in meantime, thanks for the amazing reviews, im pretty close to buy zero 9, already have xiaomi m365, but im concidering dualtron raptor as well, dualtrons are so expensive so maybe I will go with zero 9. Keep going doing these kind od reviews, they are awesome
The main differences are power output, two air tires on the Zero 9, and front and rear braking. I'll have a comparison video out soon. Thanks for the comment.
Is there easy access to and removal of the battery and can you remove the front tire quickly for a flat repair? Good review of a scooter that looks attractive, comfortable,powerful enough,and a fair price of eight big bills! Keep those reviews coming and thanks!
@Howard fowler, The front tire does come off quickly, i'll include that in my detail review. I will also look into the battery removal, i think it is just 4 bolts and it slides out but i'll verify that. Thanks a lot!
@@codmott286 The rims are two piece which makes the tube replacement easier, still not a great thing to have to do beside the road. I can shoot a short video showing this, you basically pull the wheel, then remove the three bolts that hold the halves of the rim together, replace tube, then reverse.
I'm going to buy a 8 " solid tire as a quick swap out for a front tire flat when I'm on the road. This is a just a cheap,temporary and convenient fix for a road flat.
On the falconpev website, there are accessories that zero 8 can get like a solid tire for the front wheel. They offer the choice for installation and without installation. If I were to choose the "with installation" choice, my scooter would come with the solid tire installed instead of the air filled one right? Sorry I know this is a dumb question but I just want to clarify. Thanks
@Sonic Boom, I am not sure if that is what is mean honestly. The front rim on the Zero 8 is easy to change tires on. I'd opt for whichever options would give you both the air filled and solid tire. You may discover (like me) that the air tire comfort is worth the risk of flats. Thanks for the comment.
Electron Surfer Yea I get that the comfort is much better than solid tires but it's always been something I've been worried about taking a risk on lol. Here's the link to the zero8 scooter if you were curious about what I was asking still www.falconpev.com.sg/products/zero-8?variant=12222218272835 do you think they would legitimately install it?
Hi, I have zero 8 as well. However, when travelling on uneven surface, the scooter makes a lot of noise from the standing board and it sounds like metal ball bearings clicking. Do you experience this as well?
@Shaun, I did have this same issue. In my case it was the keeper nut on the end of the rear brake cable. It just tightened it slightly and the noise went away. If that doesn't do it I'd suggest going through and tightening every bolt you can and see if that does it.
What happened to your zero 8 p-settings video? My scooter lcd throttle finally broke after 3 years and I had to reset everything after I got a new one. I tried the RevRides recommended settings and it's not the same as before.
I haven't had any issues, I did put in slime just in case. I have helped change a flat tire thought. It really depends on where you ride. The front is a very easy to change because the rim splits into two pieces.
@Ray Rivera, I do still have the scooter and ride it weekly. I have not had any major issues. I did have the rear fender break and the handlebar clamp wasn't holding. Both were replaced by RevRides under warranty. I'll be doing an update with the scooter soon and will cover those things. Thanks for asking!
@@ElectronSurfer Thanks, I needed to ask becUse im heavily leaning on preordering the Zero 8, Horizon or Ninebot Max. Seems Zero 8 has the best customer service sofar.
Hello, you have the model with 10 ah battery, how many Km (Mph) you do with a charge? I weigh 100 kg, how many miles would I do with a charge? Thanks for your videos!
@Alberto Salmi, I did a second video that includes my range test results. I am pretty easily able to get 20 miles if i keep it in speed mode 2. My range is around 15 miles if I am pushing the top speed in mode 3. Since the charger is pretty small I just toss it in a backpack if I plan on doing more than 20 miles. Thanks!
@MrReddington 77, In the display you can change the power setting to 100% and acceleration to maximum. There is not a speed limitation beyond the 3 gear levels right on the display. I don't know a way to hack the top speed as I don't think its limited. I am approaching 500 miles on my scooter and its top speed has actually went up slightly which is odd but cool. Thanks for the question and compliment.
Question about the air shocks on the Zero scooters. Do they have a valve that allow them to be pumped up / adjusted for resistance? I've been looking at photos but I can't see one but maybe it's hidden?
@Ryan burr, the shocks are gas shocks that cannot be pumped up or adjusted. I will see this weekend if any full suspension bike shocks that are adjustable will fit the scooter and get back to you. Thanks for the question.
@@ElectronSurfer Thanks. Do you know how long they are? Also I wonder if there's a way to measure the stiffness of the springs. I've seen a bunch of 125mm and 150mm mountain bike shocks on ebay so replacing them might be possible should they give out down the line. The other option I was looking at was buying a Ruima (aka Speedway) Mini 4 or even the Mercane Wide Wheel scooter both of which have regular coil shocks.
@@ryanburr8419 I got my spings in, I bought 100m length springs. It looks like I may have to do a bit of adjustment to get them to fit, its definitely not a straight drop in spring.
Hey Im having an issue with my Zero 8 charging. I just sent this message to rev rides but while I'm waiting on his response I want to know if you've had this issue? When I got it the scooter was completely dead but after several hours it was fully charged. After riding it approx 12 miles I'm down to 2 bars on the batt indicator and I want to charge it for my next commute. When I plug the charger in the charger light is green and even after several hours the battery hasn't charged at all. This is my 1st attempt at charging besides when I first got the scooter. What do you think the problem is? Thanks
TheHonarable1; I have not had that issue, i have noticed that it is easy for me to plug in the scooter incorrectly, once making it spark, i'm not sure if that could cause issues. I don't want to speak for RevRides but your battery should not be dead when received, that should have been communicated back to them right away as that's a lithium battery no-no. Let me know what you find out, RevRides is usually good at replying, i'd recommend calling if you haven't already. Thanks!
My charge port sparked when I plugged in my first time. Now I hook up the charge port AFTER I plug the charger into the wall outlet. No spark. If your charger is hooked up properly to the charge port,the charging light should be RED ( unless you got a fully charged battery).Charging should be complete after 5-6 hours or so. Happy scoots to you!
@Howard fowler, You can get the dolly attachment at Revrides. Shipping is not free, this is harder to do now with lithium battery regulations and costs for smaller companies. The discount code does cancel out shipping, I think Amazon has spoiled us about free shipping, I know I pretty much (unfairly really) expect it.
Thanks for your speedy answers to questions of mine. I really enjoy your scientific approach to scooter reviews. You are so right - we Americans have an Amazon mentality when it comes to ordering products that include free shipping! Two thumbs up for this review and comments!
@Rygarton, I have had zero issues with flats. I will be doing a video with a solid tire on the front come up soon. I have not ridden the M365 Pro, my review of the specs suggests the only place they will be comparable is range. The Zero should be more comfortable with suspension, faster without mods, and more compact when folded. Thanks for the comment.
@@ElectronSurfer thank you for your response. I've been watching all your videos lately. I am still not decided on which model to get. I don't really care about the speed. Range and durable tires are the most important to me. Which model do you suggest for 800 euros max ?
@@Zifuk0r0 I am not sure if the Glion Dolly is available where you are but I think it fits the bill. Speed isn't great, the tires are super durable, and the range was more than advertised for me. The downside is the ride is very rough. Some of the Inokim models could be good but likely would need solid tires swapped in. The Zero 8 with a solid front tire is a good option, you could easily go slower and with that get a lot of range.
@Niclas Larjaoranta, I like the inokim based on its specs. I haven't tested it to tell you for certain. The price i'm seeing in the US has the two very close in price. I do like the color options for the Inokim and the low deck height. I'll contact that company and hopefully get a scooter to review.
@Stanimir Nikolov, Zero generally says light rain only. If i was going to ride in significant rain I would buy some silicon caulking and hit every place water could enter the deck. Problems that arise from water are generally not warrantied. Thanks!
@Richard Lao, I have not tried the Gotrax. The Zero 8 has more power, range, and folding handle bar. Honestly I don't think they are really in the same scooter category. The Gotrax is cheap and a little lighter, however some of the reviews are less than stellar.
Gotrax is a toy compared to the Zero 8 but for the price the Gotrax is a great noobie scooter that takes you 8 miles round trip at 15mph. I have one myself and looking to upgrade to a zero 8 soon.
@Michal Kubuj, I'm a little heavier than you at 79kg, I get about 34 km/hr. I'll see if there is anyway to further unlock the speed, i feel like its pretty dang fast though.
does anyone know how to remove the speed restriction on this model. it's only legal for electric scooters to drive around 15 mph here in denmark. It can't go past 15 mph no matter what. what do i have to remove to make it go faster?
@Gamer DJ_Xd123, I think they are much different scooters. The Zero 8 has 25 more watt hours, a larger motor, actual suspension, and higher top speed. The range may be similar since teh Xiaomi has a smaller motor and is likely slightly more efficient at using battery. They are both "hackable" but the Zero doesn't have bluetooth. I haven't ridden the Xiaomi so I can't do more than compare the specs, but I hope it helps!
@@jose-emanuelgoossens3050 Hackable was really meant for the Xiaomi, in regards to the Zero 8 it would just be maximizing all of the P settings for performance. I do have a P settings video.
@Peter L, yes I am, in fact I am getting rid of my other scooters and keeping the Zero 8. For my commuter I tend to go 18 mph most of the time but leave it in gear 3 so that i can speed up from that as needed. Lately they have had scooter share scooters in my City, it's fun to fly by those people (when they are not on the sidewalk since I don't ride on sidewalks).
@@ElectronSurfer How are you getting rid of your older scooters? I've thought about selling my Xiaomi M365 scooter for a long time which is still in great condition but I'm afraid that the buyer will end up breaking it and then asking for a refund
@@ElectronSurfer the problem with local listings here in Chicago is that guys will want to demo/try it out. That's when they can also steal away with it
@@howardfowler2255 Nice, I do think the bang for the buck with the Zero 8, especially with the discount, is a hard one to beat. Let me know how you like it!
Have you verified your speed on something besides the scooter speedometer? They are often pretty optimistic, the speedometer on the Zero 8 will read 23-24 mph while i'm doing 21-22. Thanks
@@ElectronSurfer I used the scooter app (wheel rotation speed reading) and also tried with a GPS app which had the same results (Edit) Although the scooter reaches that speed for about the first 5 minutes then the battery voltage isn't high enough. Check this video ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-UqsqTERDwSU.html (32kph≈19.8 mph)
