The Wheelspeed WS1 Pro, despite coming from a relatively no-name brand, is an impressive scooter. It falls within the “budget plus” class, meaning a scooter with a price of less than $1000, a top speed of less than 25mph, but with more than just the bare bones features. Other popular scooters in this category include the Turboant V8, NAVEE S65C and the popular Apollo Air. The WS1 is by far the cheapest of the bunch, with a price tag of less than $500 compared to $850+ for both the Apollo and NAVEE, but we’re impressed with the features packed into this scooter, such as an anti-lock braking system, “1-second” folding mechanism, rear spring suspension, and 1-year warranty offered by the manufacturer. We think this scooter is an excellent choice for buyers with a strict budget of $500, who are wanting something more than the extremely basic features found on a true “budget” scooter, like the Xiaomi M365 or the Hiboy S2.
Specs
Price: $493
Range: 35-40 miles (riding slow), 20 miles (riding fast)
Motor: 400W
Speed: 19 mph
Brakes: Disc (rear) + regen (front) with ABS
Battery: 37 V 14.5 Ah (536.5 Wh)
Tires: 10”
Suspension: Rear (spring)
Max Rider Load: 265 lbs
Hill climbing: 20 degrees
Features
1-second folding system
US-based support
30-day money back guarantee
1-year warranty
3 riding modes
Things We Love
There’s a lot to like about this scooter. A 30-day money back guarantee is relatively rare, and offers excellent peace of mind, plus the US-based support and the 1-year warranty. It looks like Wheelspeed is valiantly fighting against its relative obscurity, and trying to build brand recognition and consumer trust.
It’s nice to see 10-inch pneumatic tires on a budget scooter, instead of the 8.5-inch solid honeycombs we’re used to seeing. That 1.5-inch diameter difference is substantial when tackling small bumps, and the added comfort and ride smoothness of pneumatic tires is a huge upgrade from the jolty feeling of solid tires.
We’re quite surprised to see an anti-lock braking system on a scooter of this size, and though it probably won’t do much when decelerating from its max speed of 19 mph, it’s a nice feature to see.
A battery size of 536 Wh is nothing to sneeze at, especially considering most sub-$500 scooters have battery packs in the 250 – 350 Wh range. A reliable range of 20 miles when riding at top speed is impressive.
Room for Improvement
We’re disappointed to see the suspension located in the rear instead of the front – front suspension is usually much more effective than rear suspension, especially on a smaller scooter.
There is no front disc brake, with the only disc brake located in the rear. Similar to suspension, mechanical brakes on the front are more effective than their rear-mounted counterparts.
This scooter is only available on Amazon, and in the few times we’ve checked it has switched back and forth from being available and unavailable. Expanding to more sellers would increase the likelihood of the scooter always being available, instead of having to rely on the warehouse stock of one seller.
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