today i wasn't too sleepy post-call so i journeyed to
Soundspeed Scooters [...]
i rode the following:
Ultra Motor A2B
the A2B was much more entertaining. again, it seems very well put together, with the slick battery-in-downtube setup, a built-in torque arm, and provisions for an extra battery. my thoughts:
- it felt like a downhill bike with 20" wheels, very fun. although its cockpit was similarly high it had a totally different feel, and i was slaloming things, jumping off curbs, and trying futilely to bunnyhop it. (its rear hub motor weighs down the rear sufficiently that i couldn't loft it.)
- in a side to side race with my bike it completely smoked mine off the line, with much better torque from the 20" hub motor compared to mine in a 26" wheel. whereas it peters out at 20 mph however mine starts to come into its own around 18 mph and pulls until 24-26 mph. so it was like a squat bulldog charging off the line compared to my long-legged beast.
- the suspension felt pretty decent. rear end was undersprung and i bottomed it a few times but that's easily addressable.
- all in all a grin-inducing machine. i approve.