Inokim Quick 4 Scooter Review
- Read Time: 13 min
With a clear intention to design and build the best possible all-around electric scooter commuter, the Inokim Quick 4 aims high. And as with all Inokim products, the build quality is top-notch.
There will always be some compromises though when aiming for a commuter scooter to be the best on the market in a certain category. The size needs to be considered and here is where an important feature will make the Quick 4 difficult to live with for bigger people. Let's find out why.
Pros and Cons
PROS
- Great Build Quality
- Great Range
- Very Portable
- Best Display of them All
CONS
- Very Short Deck
- Top Speed Stability Less Sharp
Acceleration and Top speed
There's no need for a commuter scooter to set land speed records. And the Quick 4 is not trying to. It is a kick-to-start scooter and the acceleration behaves sensibly reaching 15 mph (24 kph) in just under 5 seconds and its top speed, 25 mph (40 kph) in around ten seconds.
It has a very smooth acceleration curve that is easy to control.
Hill Climb
For a single motor electric scooter, it has enough power to keep accelerating up a 200 feet (61 m) long 10% incline without missing a beat. This is an unusual feeling as typically, most commuter scooters will start running out of puff after some distance and definitely not keep accelerating.
Range
For such a compact package The Quick 4 has a large 52V 16Ah Samsung battery. And we know the quality of Samsung batteries. This ensures no range anxiety needs to creep in as it will easily manage a realistic range of 25 miles (40 km) in real-world riding. Battery charge will be 7 hours though. Bigger batteries take longer to charge.
Motor Configuration
A continuous 600W peak 900W rear motor has plenty of torque and placed at the rear, it helps with hill climbing and general balance of the scooter.
Construction & Build Quality
Is the Quick 4 good-looking or an ugly duckling? Opinions are divided and we guess the definition lies in the eye of the beholder. Where opinions agree is on the overall quality and design.
The design and cleverness will win most over once you take a closer look.
The cockpit is probably one of if not the best on the market. The handlebars are perfect, brake levers as well, with a rubber grip at the back of them for better feel and control. The thumb throttle is also the best in class and the smartphone-sized big LED display at the center makes it so easy to see and control all info.
The portability features are thought through in a way that makes other scooters in the same category feel subpar.
The maximum load capacity is 220 lbs (98 kg).
Suspension
The Inokim Quick 4 has a very smooth ride which is partly down to the dual suspension system. A spring on the front wheel and rubber suspension in the back. Jump off a curb and you will feel how well it handles that situation.
The suspension system is actually good enough for some off-roading with an emphasis on some. Never intended as a multipurpose electric scooter, the rest of the frame and construction is not optimal for proper off-road action. But some dirt roads and uneven terrain will be ok.
Ride Quality
The overall ride quality is very good. The cockpit, excellent thumb throttle, brake levers, textured handgrips, and the fact that it is a very compact e-scooter make it super nice to ride as it lends itself to a nice carving riding style. Similar to snowboarding.
But here is also where some downfalls reveal themselves. The Quick 4 has a very short deck, making even a normal-footed person searching for a perfect stance. What you gain in control and agility, you lose in comfort. The idea is to ride with your feet parallel on this one. There is also a slight stem wobble that can occur at higher speeds when crossing over an imperfection in the road. Nothing dramatic but noticeable.
It has overly quick steering at top speed and that might feel a bit unnerving at first. Make sure to get to know the Quick 4 properly before gunning it.
Braking
Inokim has opted for dual drum brakes which in no way is a letdown of the scooter's performance. Drum brakes have some advantages to disc brakes and they are basically maintenance-free.
The brake feel of the Quick 4 is very good and it stops at 11.8 ft (3,6 m) from 15 mph (24 kph) to zero.
The brakes are perfectly modulated and even from top speed, you can brake very hard, coming right to the edge without sliding. The challenge is more of finding the right balance as the short deck doesn't allow you to lean backward as easily.
Portability
It is actually called the Inokim Quick 4 Super, and not because it is ultra-fast on the road but rather ultra-fast to fold, pick up and store away. Foldable handlebars, telescoping stem, and a very easy-to-use folding mechanism that has a special lock ensuring the stem will never accidentally come loose.
Lights
Two-button deck lights are acting as headlights and a blinking red tail-light on the rear fender. They all come on automatically when it gets dark and you can set this function at varying levels via the LED display. Adding extra headlights for night riding is recommended.
Tires
10-inch (25,4 cm) air-filled tires on split rims add to that very comfortable ride and superb traction. Any other option on this electric scooter would be a con as pneumatic tires provide the best performance compared to solid ones. Sure, solid tires never run flats but they are more suited to less powerful scooters.
Water Resistance
The Inokim Quick 4 lacks an official IP rating but according to the manufacturer, it can tolerate some rain. Try to avoid using it in the wet is the best advice.
Reliability
Inokims scooters are very reliable and not much is being reported back from users. The Quick 4 has derived from 11 years of improvements to arrive at where it is now. The fourth version. And that is a very good place. On Youtube, you can find a cool short video running through the whole process of all those years with pictures only. It is easy to watch and also shows how much work and dedication goes into something as seemingly simple as an electric scooter.
Known Issues & Solutions
The short deck is the main "issue" and bigger riders find this difficult to live with. Riding with your feet parallel is not for everyone but some are comfortable doing it, much like skiing.
Good to know is that it has a system, park mode, where if the scooter is powered on and left idle for 30 seconds or more, it will default to shutting off the throttle. This is to prevent the scooter from jumping forward if you happen to press the throttle. Exiting park mode is done either by tapping the plus or minus buttons on the left, double-tap on the thumb throttle, or pulling the brake lever.
Final Words
The pragmatic person will love the Quick 4. It is fast enough with enough performance to put a smile on your face. Very portable and with a very good mile range and build with quality in mind to last a long time.
At slower speeds, it is very stable and easy to carve into corners. At top speed, there is that slight tendency to a bit of stem wobble if you hit an imperfection in the road. But not to the extent where you get worried. It's a tremble.
The asking price of $1499 is well worth what you get and as an attempt at the best overall commuter, Inokim has got most of it right.