How to Choose an Electric Scooter With Suspension
In this Buyer's Guide:
We'll cover the key factors that you should consider when choosing a suspension system, including:
- Shock Absorption Score: Evaluating Comfort With Shock Absorption Ratings
- Suspension Type: Exploring Different Systems and Their Impact on Performance
- Adjustability: Fine Tuning Your Ride - The Value of Preload & Rebound Adjustment
- Shock Absorption Balance: The Importance of Front and Rear Suspension Harmony
- Amount of Travel: Recommended Travel Ranges for Optimal Comfort
- Ground Clearance: The Optimal Height for Navigating Different Terrain
- Prevent Bottoming Out: The Role of Rubber Bushings in Ensuring Smooth Suspension
- Tire Performance: The Impact of Tire Type and Size on Suspension Efficiency
Whether you’re traversing off-road routes or commuting to work through busy city streets, finding an electric scooter that’s comfortable to ride is key.
Throughout this guide, I’ll walk you through the key factors to consider, from understanding shock absorption scores and suspension types to the importance of adjustability, balance, travel, and clearance. By exploring the intricate details of each, you’ll be well-equipped to select a scooter that meets your needs and enhances your riding experience.
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Shock Absorption Score: Evaluating Comfort With Shock Absorption Ratings
Not all suspension systems are made equal and it’s almost impossible to gauge how they’ll perform from marketing material and specs alone.
That’s why I created a shock absorption scale to provide a quick and straightforward way to compare scooters. Here, each scooter is scored on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 indicates an extremely stiff ride and 10 denotes an exceptionally soft one.
Understanding the intricacies of the scoring system will help you choose the best scooter for your needs. To do this, refer to the definitions below:
0-2 – Bone-Jarring Stiffness
Scooters in this range provide little to no shock absorption, resulting in harsh and uncomfortable rides. These models are best suited to smooth, well-maintained surfaces across short distances since every bump, crack, and vibration can be felt.
3-4 – Minimal Cushioning
Slightly better than the lowest scores, scooters in this range offer some cushioning but still lack what’s required for longer, varied routes. While they can handle smooth urban streets, they struggle with uneven surfaces, causing noticeable jarring on rougher roads. The difference between 0-2 and 3-4 is marginal.
5-6 – Balanced Comfort for Urban Rides
Scooters scoring in this range deliver a reasonable level of shock absorption, making them great for navigating urban environments. While you’ll still feel the thud of potholes, they soak up most impacts from city terrain to offer a decent blend of comfort and control. As a rule of thumb, I recommend choosing a scooter with a score of 5 or above as a bare minimum to feel the effects of its suspension system.
7-8 – Versatile Comfort for Mixed Terrain
Scooters in this category can handle city streets and off-road tracks with ease. They typically have suspension systems that allow for more travel, don’t bottom out, and can adapt quickly to changing terrain.
9-10 – Ultimate Comfort for Buttery-Smooth Rides, No Matter the Terrain
Put simply, these scooters transition seamlessly between urban and rough environments without so much as a twitch. Whether you’re riding through city streets or navigating rocky outcrops, they glide effortlessly over diverse environments by engulfing bumps and vibrations. Ultimately, scooters scoring in this range are best suited to riders who demand top-tier ride quality.
Suspension Type: Exploring Different Suspension Systems and Their Impact on Performance
Before you choose a scooter, it's important to understand the different types of suspension available and how they impact performance.
Springs
Coiled springs compress to absorb impacts and then rebound to release energy.
- Common Usage: They can be found across a variety of scooters, ranging from budget to performance models. Some scooters use one spring per wheel, while others use two, and in rare cases, three.
- Advantages: Not only are they low-maintenance and reliable, but they also offer a moderate amount of shock absorption to ensure comfortable rides across varying terrain (depending on their size and amount of travel).
- Disadvantages: If the spring rate is too fast, they rebound quickly after compression and can make your scooter feel like a pogo stick. Additionally, without rubber bushings to buffer metal-to-metal contact, the coils can clank together, resulting in harsh vibrations.
Hydraulic Shocks
These use fluid and gas-filled chambers to absorb impacts. When a shock is compressed, oil gets pumped from one chamber to the next through a damper value. Then when the oil collides with the compressed gas, the shock rebounds as the oil returns to its original chamber.
- Common Usage: These systems are often found on high-end performance scooters and are combined with other suspension systems like springs. Most scooters with hydraulic setups have a shock per wheel to ensure that compression and rebound rates at the front and rear of the scooter are balanced.
- Advantages: Because they create resistance that controls the suspension's movement, they allow for smoother shock absorption.
- Disadvantages: They are the most complex type of suspension, require far more maintenance, and can be costly to maintain and repair.
Rubber Cartridges
These use flexible rubber components to dampen shocks and vibrations.
- Common Usage: While rubber setups aren’t overly common, they can be found on both entry-level and high-end performance scooters.
- Advantages: They are extremely low maintenance, cost-effective, lightweight, and can be adjusted by swapping out different grades/strengths.
- Disadvantages: Due to the nature of their design, they tend to provide less shock absorption than springs and hydraulic shocks because they take longer to warm up and break in. Finding and fitting replacements is hard, too.
Swingarms
These use pivoting arms that allow the wheels to move up and down independently of a scooter's chassis. Unlike the rest of the systems mentioned above, swingarms can only work if they are paired with another suspension type (i.e. springs, hydraulic shocks, or rubber blocks).
- Common Usage: These are found mostly on mid-to-high performance models that are destined for both street and off-road use.
- Advantages: Not only do swingarms help to maintain stability and traction by allowing the wheels to remain in contact with the ground, but they significantly improve comfort by working with the other shock absorbers to compress and dampen impacts more effectively.
- Disadvantages: Swingarms have more moving parts, which means they require more maintenance and can be challenging to repair if damaged.
While the performance of each suspension type can vary, I’ve found that the most capable setups combine deep-traveling swingarms with either hydraulic shocks or springs.
Adjustability: Fine-Tuning Your Ride - The Value of Preload & Rebound Adjustment
While some suspension systems are fixed, others can be adjusted, making them useful for riders seeking personalized comfort and performance. Here, there are two key adjustments to be aware of: preload and rebound rate. Understanding these will help you choose a scooter that you can fine-tune to your weight and environment.
Preload Adjustment
Preload refers to the initial tension placed on a spring.
While not all electric scooters allow you to adjust preload, those that do are easy. Using a C-spanner you simply turn the collars that sit above or below the springs.
Tightening them increases the force needed to compress the suspension. This is particularly beneficial for heavier riders or when you need to prevent the springs from bottoming out. However, high preloads significantly reduce shock absorption, over-stress the coils, and make for a more bouncy ride. Conversely, reducing preload allows the suspension to compress more easily, enhancing comfort over bumps and providing better traction on uneven surfaces.
Rebound Rate Adjustment
Rebound rate controls how quickly a suspension system returns to its extended position after compression.
Unfortunately, this technology isn’t as widely used as preload adjustment because it relies on hydraulic shocks. As a result, it’s reserved for high-performance electric scooters. Thankfully, most of these use small adjustment dials that you can easily twist between your fingers to fine-tune how the suspension reacts.
If the rebound rate is set too fast, the suspension may bounce back too quickly, leading to a jarring ride and decreased traction as the wheels struggle to stay in contact with the ground. On the other hand, a rebound rate that’s too slow can result in a sluggish response, making the scooter feel unresponsive during sudden movements.
For the best performance, I recommend slowing the rate for fast rides on the road to maintain stability and speeding it up to absorb the unpredictability of off-road routes.
Expert Tip: Aside from the two adjustment methods mentioned above, it's important to exercise caution with other systems. Throughout my years of testing and reviewing scooters, I’ve seen multiple scooters tout impressive adjustability settings, but these rarely live up to the hype. For example, some Dualtron models claim to have 45-step suspension systems, but in reality, they’re extremely hard to adjust.
Shock Absorption Balance: The Importance of Front and Rear Suspension Harmony
Having a balance of shock absorption between the front and rear of a scooter is crucial for ensuring stability, handling, comfort, and safety. However, while some scooters come equipped with dual suspension systems, there can be times when the front and rear shocks don’t play equal parts.
A prime example of this is the Apollo Pro – it has a responsive hydraulic shock at the front, but a stiff rubber block at the rear. This setup hinders its ability to absorb impacts, and as a result, it falls short when compared to its better-equipped rivals.
Based on my tests, the optimal setups use the same configurations across both ends. Here’s why:
Increased Comfort
A balanced suspension distributes the impact from bumps and uneven surfaces across both wheels for a smoother ride.
Improved Handling and Stability
When a suspension system is balanced, a scooter responds more predictably. If, however, the suspension at the front compresses more than the rear, it can lead to instability, especially at high speeds, where speed wobble becomes a concern. Sudden stops may also cause a scooter to tilt forward, resulting in nose dives and reduced control.
Even Wear and Tear
Uneven shock absorption can put more stress on one part of a scooter, leading to faster wear and tear on the tires, suspension, and frame. A balanced system helps distribute the forces evenly, extending the lifespan of a scooter's components.
Amount of Travel: Recommended Travel Ranges for Optimal Comfort
Travel is an important factor to consider because it determines the distance that a suspension system can compress and extend. In short, the greater the travel, the further your wheels can move up and down, and the better your suspension's ability to absorb impacts.
The exact amount of travel needed, however, depends on whether you’re riding on smooth streets or off-road terrain:
Travel For Street Riding
- Recommendation: 1-2 inches (2.5-5 cm)
- Why: On urban streets, less travel is required because the terrain is relatively even. Around 1-2 inches is enough to absorb minor bumps, cracks, and potholes without compromising comfort or control.
Travel For Off-Road Riding
- Recommendation: 3-5 inches (7.6-12.7 cm)
- Why: Off-road terrain is far more unpredictable, with larger bumps, rocks, roots, and uneven surfaces. Suspension with 3-5 inches of travel offers better shock absorption, allowing the scooter to handle rough terrain while maintaining stability and comfort.
Ground Clearance: The Optimal Height for Navigating Different Terrain
Ground clearance refers to the distance between the lowest part of the scooter (usually the underside of its deck) and the ground.
Ultimately, it determines how easily a scooter can pass over obstacles like speed bumps, curbs, or forest floors without scraping or getting stuck. A higher ground clearance allows scooters to handle more rugged terrain, but too much can raise the center of gravity and potentially reduce stability, especially at high speeds.
Use the guidelines below to find the right amount of clearance:
Clearance For Street Riding
- Recommendation: 3-5 inches (7.6-12.7 cm)
- Why: In urban settings, where surfaces are mostly smooth with occasional obstacles like speed bumps and potholes, a clearance of 3-5 inches is sufficient. This height prevents scraping the underside of the scooter while allowing enough room for 1-2 inches of suspension travel.
Clearance For Off-Road Riding
- Recommendation: 5-8 inches (12.7-20.3 cm)
- Why: For rougher terrain, a higher clearance of 5-8 inches is necessary to navigate over obstacles like rocks and tree roots without risk of damage or getting stuck. This added clearance also provides more space for greater suspension travel.
Prevent Bottoming Out: The Role of Rubber Bushings in Ensuring Smooth Suspension
Bottoming out occurs when a suspension system is compressed to its maximum limit, and the springs or shocks can no longer absorb impacts. At this point, any additional force or impact goes directly to the scooter's frame and rider, resulting in harsh and uncomfortable rides. It can also cause stress and damage to a scooter’s components. Over time, this can lead to bent parts and weakened structures, reducing the lifespan of your scooter.
To avoid these issues, it's imperative that you choose a suspension system with rubber bushings. These act as buffers between the metal-to-metal contact of coils to absorb and dampen vibrations.
Tire Performance: The Impact of Tire Type and Size on Suspension Efficiency
Although springs, shocks, rubber bushings, and swingarms are key components in a scooter's shock-absorbing capabilities, their effectiveness can be diminished if the tires aren’t of the same quality.
Aside from choosing the right type of tread pattern for your environment (smooth for streets, knobby for off-road), the two key factors to consider are tire type and size.
Tire Type
- Pneumatic (Air-filled): Thanks to their flexible design, pneumatic tires can adapt to uneven surfaces. As a result, they complement the suspension’s ability to absorb shocks, making them ideal for both street and off-road riding. Where possible, opt for tubeless no-flat tires.
- Solid: While maintenance-free and puncture-resistant, solid tires provide less shock absorption. Even with a suspension system, they can result in rough rides. Consequently, they are better suited to smooth, urban environments.
Tire Size
- Large Tires: Tires that measure 10 inches or more are better at rolling over obstacles, retaining inertia, and providing a smoother ride. They are particularly effective when paired with high-travel suspension systems, making them ideal for navigating mixed terrain.
- Small Tires: Tires that are smaller than 10 inches tend to struggle with obstacles like curbs and potholes, and are better suited to low-travel suspension systems designed for smooth, flat surfaces.
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Still unsure which scooter to choose? Check out my recommendations and compare models below.
