“I have recently acquired the Turbowheel Dart (a.k.a. Zero 9) from eWheels. It is my fifth electric scooter, and I’ve had sixteen human-powered kick scooters. I like to be standing when I ride, and I hate saddles and pedals! In this review I will not repeat the specs from the listing at eWheels or cover much of what has been reviewed by others, notably on YouTube. But I will say that the Dart is my favorite scooter ever.
I was a bit worried about riding on tires that are under nine inches in diameter, because objects and debris can be big enough to stop such wheels, but I have to say that with the suspension, the ride is extremely smooth. It is a bit like flying. It is also the quietest motor I’ve had so far.
For months I was planning to buy the Turbowheel Lightening (a.k.a. Zero 10X) but I decided that I did not want to have the ability and temptation to ride at motorcycle speeds. My plan was to keep it under 20 MPH and enjoy the breeze in shorts and tees, although I do wear a full face downhill helmet. I actually prefer riding the Dart at around 15 MPH. It feels about right for the tire size and the visual road scanning. I really do not want to suit up with motorcycle gear just to go a bit faster, when it is always so hot here in Hawaii.
The scooter is low to the ground and has an extremely low center of gravity which makes it feel very stable. While the amazing suspension soaks up almost all of the road rumble, I have to remember that the tires are small and avoid taking on any surface changes that could overwhelm the front tire.
The mechanical front disc brake is small, and not as strong as I am used to, but in addition to the rear drum and also the regenerative braking, it is enough. I am particularly appreciative of the fact that the front brake is on the right. Having once learned to ride a motorcycle, that is where it should be for my brain. I can never get used to having a front brake on the left as with a bicycle. The “throttle” (really a potentiometer) has a full control curve. Most of my other scooters had basically an on or off response, so the graduated smooth and precise response from this controller is spectacular.
Of course I have tested the top speed on “gear” 3 and made it to 25MPH on the flat before common sense told me to knock it off. This is probably not the scooter for frequent or regular high speed rides and extreme banking. I let the tire size and the general feel remind me that I am a fragile older man on a little scooter. Speaking of which, I found it funny that the manual recommends that people over sixty don’t ride. True, we heal slowly, but we are also sensible riders.
eWheels has been great. They included the trolley kit, and a bell, neither of which which I expected, and the trolley wheels work great! They also added a pair of alternate rain tires. I am hoping to avoid tire changes as much as I can, but then they also added slime to each installed tire as a bonus. Besides being able to pull the Dart along on trolley wheels, it does of course easily fold to a very compact size, so for the first time in ages that I can easily put my scooter in the car and take it to another part of the island for a different ride. My last electric scooter would not even fit inside the car, and I have a CR-V.
The prices that eWheels charge for FedEx to Hawaii were very much lower than the competition, saving me lot of money, and then there is apparently another great reason to choose Turbowheel Dart over Zero 9, and that is genuine LG batteries on board.
At first I had a throbbing vibration from out-of-round tires, but as the miles add up on hot roads, they are rounding out and the ride is smoothing itself out to perfection
Communication from the seller, Jason at eWheels has been most impressive. If you are considering a Turbowheel Dart, look on YouTube for some really good comprehensive reviews, (also look for Zero 9), especially the one by Authen Tech. But I can say the suspension is the best feature, and everything else seems above grade too. High quality throughout.
Jeffrey the Barak. August 4th 2019.”
“I spent quite some time researching a few scooters before I made my final purchase. My scooter is used for my daily 10 mile (round trip) commute to/from work (except when raining), traveling mostly on bike routes. I have logged 149 miles on the Turbo Dart as of this review. My requirements when looking at scooters: I wanted to go up to 25 mph to keep up with the flow of traffic. I needed a scooter with suspension to handle the challenged roads here in Houston. I wanted lights to be visible to drivers. Lastly, I wanted a scooter around the 1K mark. My final two choices were the Turbowheel Dart T9, and the Mercane Wide Wheel. I ended up choosing the Dart because of the newer technology/model, availability of parts, additional suspension, and reviews of other fellow commuters.
Here is my review at 149 miles with 9 hours 23 min of riding time:
The Good- This scooter is comfortable. There is a fairly good amount of potholes, and uneven road surfaces in Houston. The Dart takes on the uneven road with ease. Minimal vibrations are felt in the deck or handlebars. The lights make you so visible all the way around. I ride with the lights on at all times for safety purposes. Co workers that have seen me, say it looks like I am on a futuristic hovercraft. The acceleration will put a smile on your face. You will pass bikers, and cars that are in stop and go traffic. Electric car drivers will wave and or honk at you with excitement. The build quality of this scooter makes you feel confident riding at 25 MPH. My top speed is 29 MPH going downhill. Anything above 20 MPH and all you can really hear is wind rushing by you. Being able to keep up with traffic on bike routes is ideal for safety (keeping with the flow of cars). 85% of my route is in a 25 MPH speed zone, the other 15% being on a 35 MPH zone. Some have mentioned the folding release lever can be a bit difficult to unlock. I found it to be very secure (reassuring) and the easiest way to fold, is to apply brakes, press the handlebars forward just a little while simultaneously compressing the release lever with your foot. It will unlock, then bring handlebar to a fold. It’s also really nice the multi function travel tool that came with the scooter.
Other- For some reason dogs don’t like the scooter. The motor makes a cool electronic sound that reminds me of the car in Bee Movie (for those that like the classic cartoons, the Jetsons car). I’m not sure if there is a tone that dogs can hear that is an irritate? but it seems 70% of dogs being walked will bark at you. The battery may last the advertised 30 miles on speed 1 or 2. For me at 6’1 and 202lbs on speed 3 it needs a charge after 10 miles. The scoter gears down once the batter is around 25% feeling like the power is in between Speed 1 and 2. Granted you may have different results based on your height and weight. Another contributing factor is the temperatures in Houston currently ranging 80-98. There is no way to lock the scooter. I wish it had an app and Bluetooth connection to the Dashboard to lock, track, and upgrade software. The collapsible handle bars are a great feature, however the locking twist adjustments come loose and allow a little play almost instantly. They will not fold unless you unscrew all the way and pull out and down. I wish they would stay tight and not loosen. It takes some time to get use to the bars having a little movement.
Upgrades and Dashboard settings:
Because the Dart does not have an app, I downloaded and bought an app called Speed Tracker Pro by Oxagile LLC ($3.99). It’s a great app for tracking: Distance, Elapsed time, Travel time, Stopped time, Average speed, Max speed, and mapped route. My stats to date: 149.8 miles, 9hr 23m travel time, max speed 29MPH, average speed 14MPH (speed bumps, and lights account for slower avg speeds). After reading reviews of pneumatic tires going flat on different scooters, I was nervous about traveling at top speeds of 25mph and having something penetrate the tire. I bought slime to put in the tires, and I have not had a flat. I have also purchased a set of replacement tires from Jason. The new tires definitely have a better tread pattern, and seem like they will have better traction on all surfaces. With the Dashboard, I have set the following: P01 Backlight LED max 3 (1-3), P11 Regen braking 3 (0-5), P12 Acceleration Power 5 (1-5, default is 3), P17 Cruise Control 1 (on). Cruise Control is great, not having to hold the accelerator for long period of times.
I am very happy with my purchase, and would recommend this scooter to anyone looking for a comfortable commute scooter. Jason at Ewheels has been very helpful and responsive to any questions I’ve had. Having ridden the rideshare scooters in other cities, I can say the Turbo Dart definitely has more power, acceleration, and ride comfort then the Xiaomi Mi and Segway Ninebot rentals.”
“I'm really enjoying this scooter! I also have a Xiaomi M365 and this is a whole different level of performance. It is far better on hills, goes 6+ MPH faster everywhere and 10+ in many places. The suspension makes it a great, smooth ride wherever I go.”
“I've had the scooter now 2 months, 230 miles, 7 rear inner tubes, 2 rear tires.
The scooter is quick, zippy, much faster than any of the rental scooters out there, but more and more frequently get stuck out on a ride, because your tire gave out-- yet again, you'll realize the built quality isn't here. This scooter is not built to last. You will spend more time maintaining tires than your time is worth.”
