First I want to say what I will be using the scooter for. I am 260+ lbs. I am looking for a scooter that I can run to the convenient store and around the neighborhood. Most of the time less than 5 miles round trip. Its not exactly flat around here either but its not San Fransisco.
I would like to spend about $350
I have looked at the X-treme 600 and the Schwin Stealth 1000, both have there +'s and -'s. I like how the X-treme can fold up, I can ride it to the bus stop and fold it up and carry it on the buss ( or so it looks like I can). I like the looks of the stealth and the fact it has larger tires to help with the uneven seems in sidewalks. Also it looks like it was made with the seat in mind, unlike the way the seat on the X-treme looks like an afterthought.
the Xtreme is rated for 330lbs, not sure on the rating for the Stealth. also the stealth looks like it would be easier to add a basket to the rear to carry some groceries in.
I will probably do some modding over time, upgradeing controller, motor, batteries so mod-ability is a plus also.
I use to race electric RC Cars so I have some experience with motors and controllers and such. I know there not the same, but they have the same principles.
Schwin Stealth 1000 is rated at 280 pounds. you can get one at some sams clubs. for 299.99.
mrladderman
72 volt mod http://visforvoltage.org/forum/4244-4000w-model-mountain-chen#comment-25513
xm-3000
I have an xtreme x-500 clone. It was sent with an X-500 manual, and is very similar, only it is called an X-900 and came with a 900 watt motor and with a few other differences.
The quality was very bad. The stock controller was junk and couldn't handle the power. I had to rewire everything right off, replace the controller, and fabricate some bolts for the steering column because the stock bolts were the wrong size. I can't find replacement headset bearings, so the lower bearing doesn't work properly. I replaced the bolts holding the seat on as those were not large enough, and I added washers underneath the deck to space it properly because the stock setup was crushing down on the wires from the battery terminals.
I had to grind off metal on the bottom of the battery tray as it was sticking into the batteries. That was fun. And, the front wheel broke when I hit a bump. I was going fast offroad and the tire was over-pressurized to be fair. It popped to pieces and I flew off.
I have read other terrible reviews on X-treme's small scooters. I would highly recommend sticking with a Schwinn or other reputable brand like:
Currie
Izip
GT
I don't know how the Blade Z scooters compare, as they are very similar to x-treme's product.
Unfortunately the Schwinn S1000 comes with a direct gear drive. I've heard very bad things about these in the past, but maybe they've improved on them? A similar scooter, the GT750 comes with a chain drive which is also a lot better for modding if you need to adjust the ratio.
About carrying any scooter on the bus, these are very heavy and hard to carry. A lighter scooter is the Goped ESR750 Sport at 45lbs, but that's outside of your budget.
[url=/forum-topic/motorcycles-and-large-scooters/587-my-kz750-electric-motorcycle-project]KZ750 Motorcycle Conversion[/url]
[url=/forum-topic/motorcycles-and-large-scooters/588-fixing-my-chinese-scooter]900 watt scooter[/url]
Pic from http://www.electri
Been doing some reading on here and it seems the X-treme 500 does have some problems with the controller, however the X-treme 600 has alot better durability. the 2 scooters dont even look like they are based on the same design either, as one has a plastic deck, and 4 batteries, and the other has a Aluminim Deck and only 3.
I am strongly considering the Stealth, I like the looks better and it has a bigger motor. its just i have heard alot of mixed reviews on them.
The x-treme 600 is identical to the Bladez 500, except more power, which is needed for any kind of hills. I have two Bladez 500, and although they are fun on flat ground, they can't handle even modest inclines for either my 175lbs or my girlfriend's 105lbs (of course she gets slightly better results). I think this frame is well made, it's very heavy duty, but it is fairly heavy, about 65lbs total. I have carried it on a bus. Not ideal, but doable.
If you are 260lbs, I don't think either of these would work very well for you unless you totally overhauled them for at least 1000 watts, probably more if you have hills.
If you have any desire to carry cargo, even one bag of groceries, I would bypass these standup designs (on both, the seat really is an afterthought) and look for a used moped-style scooter. I tried to use the Bladez as you described but it didn't really work out. Fine in the park for fun, but that's about it.
I purchased a used E-max and did use it to get groceries, and it worked just fine until I tried a steep incline with a 275 lb load. You'll need to be careful with that - make sure you have a running start up any grade.
If you are capable of modding, find a 2000w scooter with a blown controller or a couple bad batteries and rehab it. You could probably do that for close to your budget - I did. With a moped style scooter, you don't have to ride the bus - much faster, and 6x the range.
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http://www.electric-car-insider.com/
iconoclast,
500 watts of output should do pretty good the hills. My 900 watt scooter has a 20 amp controller current limit, and it's running at 36v. That's around 550-575 watts of output with efficiency losses factored in. Initially my scooter did very poorly on the hills until I replaced the controller. It was limiting the current because it couldn't handle anywhere near the amount of power that the motor can. The controller was probably limiting to less then 200 watts when it got hot to protect itself. Now, it does very well on the hills. Much better than I could possibly manage with a bicycle. The scooter weighs 70lbs, and I'm about 130.
An automotive amp meter, or a panel mount like here: Electricscooterparts.com Meters will give an indication of how much power is flowing from the batteries. For a rough calculation, take the current being drawn from the batteries times the nominal voltage (24v, 36v, ect) to get watts. Then take that number multiplied by a factor of about .7 to .85 to account for motor and controller losses, and you have the output power in watts. I think you'll find this to be a LOT lower than the scooter motor rated power if you have poor hill climbing.
Try an exercise bicycle in a gym. It is very hard for me to manage even 200 watts output for long. If a scooter is doing 500 watts, then it's going to pull up a hill a lot faster than I could manage on a bicycle even with the extra weight of the scooter.
[url=/forum-topic/motorcycles-and-large-scooters/587-my-kz750-electric-motorcycle-project]KZ750 Motorcycle Conversion[/url]
[url=/forum-topic/motorcycles-and-large-scooters/588-fixing-my-chinese-scooter]900 watt scooter[/url]
Pic from http://www.electri
I'm pretty sure the stealth is rated for 240lbs. max., I am not sure about the Extreme. I'm at 180 lbs. and one of goofy things I do to entertain myself is to see how much/many groceries I can ride home from the store at a time. I usually get 2 banana boxes to fill up.I know I am pushing 260-270 lbs. on a chunk of those 1 mile treks. I never have had problems with power, but I did notice my stealth starting to look like a sway back nag in the frame area. Additionally, I've always been suspect on the front shocks on this curry line. I don't think I would feel as secure unless they have beefed these up since last year.