- Kickstand,
headlight and taillight, tilt forward 12º.
- LED
speedometer and battery meter.
- iOS/Android
app for calibration and settings adjustments.
- Ability to
be controlled remotely with app.
- Control
everything with your body, there’s no throttle, there’s no brake.
Kiwano
KO1 self-balancing electric scooter
The basic
idea of the Kiwano KO1 is that it has a
single wide wheel, a single stem and non-pivoting handlebars. That’s about it.
And it’s awesome. It’s like that WideWheel electric scooter we reviewed a few
weeks ago, but if it only had one wheel. This thing is seriously a hoot to
ride. After you learn to ride it, that is.
Operating
the KO1+ electric scooter
When you
turn the scooter on it will start up in idle mode. It just sort of stands
there, balancing itself. It’s kind of freaky, to be honest. It’s so good at
balancing itself that it almost doesn’t even move. It just makes minute motor
adjustments to keep itself balanced. To ride the scooter, you click the power
button once more and it switches from idle mode to ‘normal’ mode. This causes
the scooter to tilt forward 12º. There’s also an ‘advanced’ mode, but you
should probably start in normal.
When it
comes to riding the scooter
Learning to
ride it is really just a matter of trial and error. Don’t expect to just be
able to hop onto this thing and ride around like a circus clown. Took around
60-90 minutes of riding before could go both in a straight line and turn on
command. In the beginning, it’s probably best to start in an open area to
ensure that you don’t have any obstacles to run into. For this is that you’ll
soon learn that you aren’t going to be consciously controlling the KO1+.
Build
quality
Despite
having a 1,000 W motor and 320 Wh battery, it was surprisingly lightweight at
just 35 lb (16 kg). If that sounds heavy to you, consider that a lot of 250 W
e-bikes with smaller batteries weigh much more than that. The accompanying
smartphone app is also a nice addition. You can use it to adjust the scooter’s
calibration and riding angle as well as control the scooter remotely.
KO1+ self
balancing electric scooter is awesome
When you ride the scooter, the key is to become one with it. Don’t think about it as standing on top of something, think about it like the scooter replaces your feet. When you lean, lean with the scooter, not on the scooter. Look off into the distance. Do not look down. You’ll start going in the direction you look, so always look off towards the horizon. When you want to turn, look towards where you intend to go.
Motor | 1000
Watts |
Battery | 52
V 320 Wh |
Top
speed | 12
mph (20 km/h) |
Range | 25
miles (40 km) |
Weight | 35
lb (16 kg) |
Frame | Carbon
fiber |
Load
capacity | 264
lb (120 kg) |
Brakes | Motor
braking |
Tires | 8.5″
airless |
Suspension | Yes |
Climbing
angle | up
to 30% |