August 22, 2005 The IKOO is without doubt the coolest looking electric scooter we’ve seen yet – so cool that it featured on all the technology blogs over the last month, most notably the Red Ferret Journal, Gizmodo, TreeHugger and a new blog on largely retro gadgets, retrothing. Based solely on looks and specifications, the IKOO looks like a winner, with a “surgical stainless steel” frame and disk brakes.
We haven’t ridden the IKOO which the manufacturers claim is zippy with its powerful 600W EQuake S6 electric motor, a range of 18 miles and a top speed of 18 mph. They also claim it provides optimal balance between speed and range though it’s our opinion that if you’re going for a scooter in the 400-600W range, having a pedal option so you can assist the motor is a massive boon to the range and usability of the machine. With portability as a key design objective, the IKOO measures about 1295mm or 51 inches in total length. The IKOO weighs in relatively light at 32 kg or 70 lbs (with batteries). However, it is heavy enough to give you a sturdy and firm feel of the road.
Other standard features include key ignition, motorcycle styled twist-throttle and power monitors to tell you like a fuel gauge, how much electric power you have left in your power plant. The included quick charger with smart charging system will charge quickly and automatically cut off overcharging to prevent damages to the batteries' cells.
Finally, you can option the US$995 bike up with a kick stand (US$39), bell (US$19), front pegs (US$29 a pair) and rear view mirrors at US$$9 a pair.
Full details at the Ikoo web site.