Urban Transport

Italian e-scooter packs big wheels and a stainless steel frame

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The Kobra is presently on Indiegogo
Kobra
The Kobra is presently on Indiegogo
Kobra
The Kobra Smart takes to the track
Kobra
The Cobra Climb hits the dirt
Kobra
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Although there are now a ton of electric scooters on the market, most of them have tiny wheels that could easily be swallowed by potholes. The Kobra is different, in that it has relatively big, beefy wheels – along with a tubular stainless steel frame.

First of all, there are actually two models of the Kobra: the urban-oriented Smart and the heavier-duty Climber.

Both have a 20-inch wheel in the front and a 16-incher in the rear. Those wheels are clad in pneumatic tires – slicks on the Smart and knobbies on the Climber. Stopping power is provided by electronically activated mechanical disc brakes. An "E-ABS" system keeps the wheels from locking up while braking.

The back wheel additionally packs a hub motor – 350 watts on the Smart and 500 watts on the Climber – which is powered by a frame-mounted lithium battery. One charge should reportedly be good for a range of over 100 km (62 miles), at a top speed of 25 km/h (16 mph). Because of its more powerful motor, the Climber is claimed to be able to tackle slopes of up to 35 percent, whereas the Smart tops out at 22 percent.

The Kobra Smart takes to the track
Kobra

Since the "motorcycle-inspired" frame is made of stainless steel tubing, rust shouldn't be an issue. That frame is additionally said to absorb road vibrations by flexing. Some of the Kobra's other features include cruise control, regenerative braking, plus integrated head and tail lights (with a brake light).

Should you be interested, the Kobra is currently the subject of an Indiegogo campaign. Assuming it reaches production, a pledge of €2,170 (about US$2,615) will get you a Smart, with €2,480 ($2,989) required for a Climber. Their planned retail prices are €2,890 and €3,310 ($3,483 and $3,989), respectively.

You can see both models in action, in the following video.

Source: Indiegogo

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5 comments
Rustgecko
The article lacks an essential piece of information - the Wh of the battery - only with that can we assess the credibility of the manufacturers claims of 100 km range.
BlueOak
Larger wheels make so much sense from a safety perspective. Not liking all the new failure-prone tech like electric ABS brakes or the $2600-4000 price it triggers for such a simple scooter with no seat.
ARF!
I want one, but I have serious concerns... like seriously, what's to stop me from just bolting down a seat and pegs and riding it around with a noh mask and crotchless chaps???
Bruce H. Anderson
Bigger wheels (20/16) than typical is nice for a scooter. Even bigger (26/20) is nicer. So I wonder what the advantage this new entrant has over a Kickbike e-Cruise. The hub is in the rear tire instead of the front, so handling maybe? Twice the range, but twice the price. Seriously, who needs that kind of range/ah except those thrashing it in the back country?
ReservoirPup
Guys, the stainless steel frame is the main selling point of this machine. IMHO the price is not justified by that and the rest of points though😉