Who will love the InMotion L9:
The InMotion L9 electric scooter is perfect for commuters who NEED RANGE, HATE RANGE ANXIETY or often find themselves ON THE GO with little time to stop and charge.
Taller and/or heavier riders will find the L9 to be very comfortable. The L9 is the smoothest sub $1000 category long range e-scooter on the market with a best in class headlight and other features that really makes this scooter shine.
Check out pricing and availability of the InMotion L9 at eWheels.
InMotion L9 Quick Specs:
- Top Speed: 18.6 mph
- Range: 59 miles
- Weight: 52.9 lbs
- Max load: 308 lbs
Pros:
- Smooth throttle
- Long range
- Comfortable suspension
- Tall stem, great for tall riders
- Sturdy locking mechanism for the folding stem
- Amazing headlight
- Beautiful deck lights
- Innovative turn signal
- Beautiful console display
- Spacious deck
- Improved charge port covers
Cons:
- Big and Tall
- Cumbersome set up/activation process via the InMotion app
What I think:
For this review I tested the production model InMotion L9 that backers of the successful Indiegogo campaign will soon be receiving. It’s a beautiful and sturdy electric scooter that’s packed full with amenities.
The Unboxing:
The InMotion L9 leaves a lasting first impression before you even open the box because the box is enormous! The box that the InMotion L9 came in was so big, my daughter thought I had purchased a bicycle!
The L9 e-scooter comes safely packed in a huge amount of packing foam. While all the packaging may seem a bit wasteful, it is refreshing to see an electric scooter delivered with such protective packaging.
Compared to the E-Twow GT Scooter which came with minimal packaging or the Segway Ninebot Max which came with the box half open and partially destroyed and part of the scooter exposed, I’d rather have my precious e-scooter delivered double boxed with plenty of foam.
A little assembly is required to put the InMotion L9 together. You will be attaching the handlebar and folding clip with 7 screws which is pretty straightforward. A hex wrench is provided.
Appearance:
Once all assembled, the most striking feature of the InMotion L9 is its size. It is a big scooter. From the outstretched handlebars, to the impressive display, to the tall sturdy stem, to the spacious and wide deck, the L9 scooter is a marvel to behold.
Wire management is streamlined and the overall look is premium.
The InMotion L9 really shines at night (pun intended). The headlight is positioned at the level of the high handlebars which provides the best illumination I’ve ever experienced on an electric scooter at this price point.
The deck lights emit a pleasing blue glow under the scooter. The deck lights also automatically blink red when it senses you turning, working like a turn signal which is a nice touch.
Summed up, InMotion L9 electric scooter looks big, sturdy and beautiful.
Acceleration and Top Speed:
The ECO mode is a joke and I would never use the scooter at that setting. Much too slow.
The scooter is punchy and responsive while remaining smooth and controlled when at its highest speed setting. I could accelerate with confidence and never heard any rattling or experienced any speed wobble.
The top speed of around 18 mph seemed a little limiting after having ridden other scooters like the Turbowheel Lightning (top speed of 40 mph). It felt like the scooter could go faster, but right now the scooter is limited to a top speed of 18 mph.
You can’t have crazy speed and range at the same time. To preserve efficiency with the motor and batteries, top speed was sacrificed. A reasonable top speed of 18 mph was set so we can enjoy the impressive range.
My wife found 18 mph to be more than adequate for her and it is the perfect speed if you are riding with Onewheels, which our family often does.
ECO mode tops out at 10 mph and only my wife enjoyed riding at that speed.
Range:
The reported range of 59 miles on a single charge is amazing for a sub $1000 electric scooter. But how did InMotion come up with that number? I reached out to Liam at InMotion who I had the chance to meet and ride electric unicycles with at CES in Las Vegas back in January and he shared the following:
The conditions are 60% top speed (18km/h), 75 kg, 25°C, and cruising on a flat road.
Liam from InMotion
It’s good to know what conditions they used to get their reported range of 59 miles: A 165 lb rider traveling about 11 miles per hour. Of course, no one rides on a flat road at such slow speeds so expect lower range in real world conditions.
Of note, it was that same CES at the InMotion booth where NBA legend Shaquille O’neal and I test rode the InMotion electric scooters.
Ride Feel:
If you plan on riding an electric scooter for more than 20 miles, you better hope that it’s a comfortable ride. Thank goodness for the dual suspension paired with the 10 inch front and rear pneumatic tires which makes the InMotion L9 the most comfortable commuter scooter I’ve ever ridden.
The spacious deck has plenty of room to place even the largest of feet and the rubberized grip felt surprisingly grippy while making cleanup of the deck a breeze.
The handlebar height is one of the highest I’ve experienced and the height is not adjustable. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is one of the tallest electric scooters in production.
The height will please tall riders. I’m 5’10” and I found the handlebars felt comfortable.
Shorter riders may find the handlebar height uncomfortable for long rides. My wife is 5’2” and she felt the handlebars would be more to her liking if they were about 2” shorter or if she grew about 2” taller.
Overall, the InMotion L9 is the most comfortable electric scooter you can ride for under $1000. The suspension and large pneumatic tires soaks up bumps and potholes and makes marathon rides more enjoyable.
Safety:
The front e-brake and the rear disc brake work well to keep you safe. Night riding becomes safer and more enjoyable with the bright headlight placed at the level of the handlebars which is the best light I’ve ever seen to come on a mass produced electric scooter at this price point.
The folks at InMotion must really have a thing for headlights right now because their new electric unicycle the InMotion V11 has the best headlight I’ve ever seen on an electric unicycle. You can check out that review here.
The glowing deck lights also help you stand out at night. The turn signal is innovative and fun, but usefulness is lacking during the day in bright light conditions.
Portability:
The InMotion L9 is a big scooter. Even when folded, it is big. In the largest dimension the folded scooter measures 22 inches tall, 21 inches wide, and 51 inches long.
With the large size even when folded and a weight of nearly 53 pounds, the InMotion L9 is not very portable. Getting the scooter to fit in the back of my Tesla Model 3 took a little finess and in the end it barely fit diagonally in the trunk.
The Flaws:
The InMotion L9 is a smooth range monster that gives you one of the best long range rides for $900 and while it has some great innovations and add ons like the headlight and bell, there are some flaws.
To fit all those batteries and features into the scooter to get big range and comfort, InMotion had to sacrifice portability. For a commuter scooter, the Inmotion L9 is a big and heavy scooter.
While the entire package feels solid and premium, some commuters may find the size and weight unsatisfactory.
With the long deck, tall stem and lack of foldable handlebars, the scooter is big and bulky even after folding it which makes it difficult to put into a car trunk.
The InMotion L9 just isn’t very portable, but with a 59 mile range, maybe the scooter wasn’t designed to be put into a car trunk but rather to replace your car all together.
Finally, my biggest gripe with the InMotion L9 is the out of the box setup process. When I get a brand new shiny toy, I just want to take it out of the box and go.
Unfortunately, the setup process with the L9 is a pain and thank goodness you only have to do it once to get going.
To even use your InMotion L9 scooter you need a smartphone and you have to download the app, then create an account which wants to collect your phone number and email.
The app will also request access to your phone, phone’s location, photo gallery, camera, and the app asks for permission to record audio, video, and to take pictures. It seems like a lot of personal information to give to an electric scooter company.
Here are some screenshots of the process:
Conclusion:
InMotion put everything they could think of into the $900 L9 electric scooter which is good and bad. You literally have all the bells and whistles with this scooter from the headlights, bell, shocks, big pneumatic tires, automatic turn signal, it’s the commuter scooter for the rider who wants it all– including big range.
To have all the bells and whistles and amazing range abilities, the one thing you can’t have is portability. It’s a big scooter that shorter riders may find a little uncomfortable riding for long distances.
The ride is smooth, the range far, and the amenities are plenty. Check out pricing and availability for the InMotion L9 at eWheels.
If you are in the market for a commuter scooter, check out some of the others that I’ve reviewed.
The Segway Ninebot Max is similar to the InMotion L9 but with less range and without all the bells and whistles. For a quick look at the specifications of the InMotion L9 vs the Segway Ninebot Max, check this article out.
For an extremely portable electric scooter, check out the E-twow GT. For great all around commuter scooters check out the Turbowheel Swift or Fluid Free Ride Horizon.
If you want something a little more fast and fun, then be sure to check this beast of an electric scooter out. It’s the best bang for your buck when it comes to speed and fun.