Electric scooters are becoming more and more common. We see them on the streets more often, ridden by common people going to school or work. They have become means of transport by all means and, like all means of transports (think of motorcycles or cars), besides the economy city models, manufacturers are becoming to release sports ones, with more aggressive designs and features. In this article, we are going to review one of these “sports” electric scooters, even though the DUALTRON 3 by Minimotors is even more of that. Large size and solid frame, great performances, and impressive mileage… Dualtron 3 can offer all this and more. So, without further delay, let’s find out anything you need to know about the MiniMotors Dualtron 3 Electric Scooter in this review.
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Quality and Design of Dualtron 3 Electric Scooter :
MiniMotors has a reputation for building quality-constructed and durable electric scooters and the Dualtron 3 is no exception. It features a metallic frame made from aircraft-grade aluminum alloy. Every joint or cable is strong and well protected against abrasion and damage.
With the Dualtron 3, Minimotors has provided a big and bulky electric scooter: it measures 40 x 17 x 51 inches (and 51 x 17 x 16 inches when folded). The big size is ideal for comfort and stability, but it’s not suitable for those who need to carry their e-scooter in the car trunk or on the bus or train. The electric scooter is also pretty heavy (85 lbs); it’s not impossible to lift but it’s quite hard. Many people may require the help of a second person when they need to lift it. For these reasons, Dualtron 3 is not suitable for anyone who needs to fold and lift it often. However, this is not a real drawback: the Dualtron 3 is simply designed for other purposes. It wants to be a means of transport for any type of terrain… and means of transport don’t need to be lifted. (You don’t question your ability to lift a car or a motorcycle when you buy a new one!).
Handlebars
The Dualtron III electric scooter features a straight handlebar with ergonomic and rubberized hand grips for enhanced comfort and firmer grip. You have brake levers on both hands, two bottom on the left side, and the cockpit with accelerator and display on the right side.
With the bottoms on the left side, you can engage one or both motors, or opt for the ECO mode, that allows you to save some battery while limiting the speed.
The accelerator is that small lever you can see on the right of the display. You can pull it with your index finger which allows you to maintain a firm grip while accelerating and to avoid shifting your hand when, instead, you need to use the brakes.
The display is highly visible both at night and under direct sunlight. It shows all the information you need to know during the ride: current speed, battery life span, voltage, trip distance, and more. The buttons let you navigate through the different menus as well as changing some setups like the speed unit change, the start method (throttle or kick start), activate/deactivate slow start (it limits accelerations which is ideal for beginners), electric brake strength, ABS on and off, and more…
Lights
The scooter comes with a well-developed lighting system that’s adjustable through a remote. All lights are mounted low but they are pretty bright. Furthermore, they are power-efficient enough to not have a significant impact on battery life.
The blue LED lights are mounted on the bottom of the standing pad, a LED stripe on the bottom of the T bar facing the rider, and another one going up from the wheel to the handgrips. With the remote, you can turn the lights on and off. If the one facing the rider is somehow annoying during the ride, you can choose to turn off only that one or all of them (we do not recommend riding on busy roads with your lights turned off, however).
All these lights are extremely helpful in signaling your presence on the road, but if you want to ride at night and you need a light that actually illuminates the road ahead and improves your visibility, you may need to purchase and mount an additional headlight on the handlebar.
Brakes
The Dualtron 3 electric scooter comes with the absolute best brake system you can have on an electric scooter: front and rear hydraulic disc brakes (with 140 mm disks). You can operate them through the brake levers located on the handlebar: front brake on the right, rear on the left (just like they are distributed on conventional motorcycles).
These brakes are extremely efficient in slowing down gently or stopping abruptly your electric scooter as you ride. They had to be because, as we’ll discuss below, this electric scooter is pretty fast.
The brakes are also regenerative: they can recollect the energy dissipates during the braking and recharge the battery in the process. Such a system, combined with the impressive battery capacity, provides the Dualtron 3 with an impressive mileage (see below for details).
The regenerative brakes also make the braking more efficient. Sometimes it can be a little annoying, especially when you are not riding at elevate speeds: as soon as you touch the brake levers you feel a strong brake power. This is, on the contrary, ideal for when you’re riding at top speed. So, to balance this feature, the Dualtron 3 provides you with the possibility of switching the regenerative brakes off.
The ABS (anti-lock braking system) can also be turned on and off. However, since ABS prevents wheels from locking when you brake, we recommend having your ABS on during your rides.
Tires
The Dualtron 3 features 10-inch pneumatic tubeless tires. They are extra-large and extra-thick (3-inch) for enhanced stability and comfort. These tires provide optimal traction on the road. When riding off-road, the electric scooter loses a bit of the optimal traction, however, if you’re not willing to do juggling acts on your electric scooter – this is still a good electric scooter to be ridden even off-road. Furthermore, for an improved traction off-road, you can always replace the tires with a pair of knobby off-road tires. Tubeless tires are in fact the easiest to be replaced.
Kickstand
The Dualtron 3 electric scooter wants to be a means of transport on its own so it had to have a solid and retractable kickstand. Despite the electric scooter is pretty heavy, the kickstand is solid enough to hold it standing while you’re doing your errands or while charging it.
Deck
We’ve mentioned the Dualtron 3’s big size and its deck is no less: it’s a long and wide surface with plenty of room for both feet to rest comfortably. Such a large deck also provides stability and enhanced balance, even if it could impair the electric scooter agility a little bit.
Assembly
The Dualtron 3 comes pretty much assembled. The box includes the charging cable, a multi-tools, a manual guide, and – of course – the e-scooter itself. When you pull it out of the box, wheels and T bar are already attached. You need to unfold it and put the handgrip in their proper place. With the multi-tool, you can secure the handgrips, the stem, and all the screws.
Other than charging it, another thing that you want to do before your first ride on the Dualtron 3 is checking the tires’ pressure. This is sometimes considered a con of pneumatic tires: they require a little maintenance. You’ll have to check the pressure every once in a while (or before very long rides) and inflate them when needed. However, this is a small drawback when compared to the great advantage of the comfort and stability that they offer.
Performance for Dualtron 3 Electric Scooter:
Dualtron 3 provides impressive performance and, in this section, we are going to explain why we can affirm so.
The Dualtron 3 is powered by two motors rated 2000W each. Such motors can push the electric scooter up to a speed of 40 mph and up any hill. While most electric scooters slow down very much when riding uphill, the Dualtron can easily maintain a speed of 20 mph on the steepest hills.
Speed doesn’t impair comfort on this electric scooter. The Dualtron 3 is actually one of the most comfortable electric scooters you can find on the market today. Other than having a large deck and extra-wide and thick tires, it’s provided with dual rubber suspensions that do a great job with sharp bumps. Rubber suspensions are very efficient in absorbing shocks while avoiding bouncing. Both suspensions also use an adjustable swing arm system that allows you to adjust your scooter according to your habits and riding style.
The trigger throttle that you can operate with your right index finger is among our favorites: with your hand firmly on the handgrip, you can easily rich both the brake and accelerator. Keeping your finger on the throttle during the ride feels also pretty much comfortable.
Battery life and charging time
The Dualtron 3 electric scooter comes with a nominal 75-mile mileage, provided by a 60V battery system by LG Electronics. The nominal mileage refers to the mile-range under ideal riding condition (a lightweight rider, flat and smooth terrains, and a gentle riding style), however, even when not ideal riding condition occurs – which is most the cases – this electric scooter can be ridden for 60 miles in one single charge. This is extremely impressive.
Furthermore, while the DUaltron 3 comes with a single charger, you can purchase a second one and charge the electric scooter through the two charging ports and halve the charging time. While some electric scooters take even 10 hours to be fully charged, with this system the DUaltron 3 can take only a few hours to be fully recharged.
Why we like about Dualtron 3 Electric Scooter:
- Performance
The DUaltron 3 is fast, secure, and one of the most comfortable electric scooters available.
- Mileage
The Dualtron 3 comes with a 60 mile mileage under not-ideal riding condition. If you’re lightweight and you usually ride on flat asphalt, you can even ride 70-75 miles on a single charge.
- Top-grade brake system
The DUaltron 3 is fast but it’s also safe. Hydraulic disc brakes are the absolute best brakes you can have on an electric scooter.
- Quality built
The metal frame, extra-thick tires, and cables are all quality built and made for last. Furthermore, MiniMotors has a strong reputation for bulking devices that work well and last long.
What we didn't like about Dualtron 3 Electric Scooter:
- It’s heavy
This is actually one of the heaviest electric scooters around. While such a weight (85 lbs) is not ideal for anyone who needs to take their e-scooter up the stairs often, the enhanced weight provided improved stability.
- It’s not cheap
However, you won’t find a cheaper electric scooter with these same features. If you want to save some money you’ll need to renounce some power, efficiency, or other features.
Conclusion
The Dualtron 3 may not be the cheapest electric scooter around, but it’s one of the best for features, performance, and durability. If you are looking for an electric scooter that can 100% replace your traditional means of transport, the Dualtron 3 by MiniMotors is one of the best options out there.