Testing the Goodyear Ego2
Testing the Goodyear Ego2
This time I was testing an electric scooter, Goodyear Ego2. Electricity is making its way to every means of transportation. This bike was tested by our whole family. Me, my wife and 16 and 18 year old children. Daughter rides a 50cc scooter and son drives a car and A2 motorcycle. So we got a good range of different test riders.
First impression was a good build quality. Every switch and structure feels well made. Despite its appearance the scooter, it will not stay up on its own and it feels very slippery. So first to notice is that it’s not a trike, but a scooter with dual front wheels.
Like a car, the scooter has a button activated alarm system. It reacts to movement with lights and sounds notifies the intruder to back off. Great piece of equipment and certainly helps to prevent theft. Key into ignition, quick twist and its on. Gauges tell everything you need to know. Battery capacity, speed and more. The throttle handle has a switch, which allows you to choose between two different modes. On ”mode 1” Goodyear Ego2 will do 25kph and on ”mode 2” 45kph, where its limiter kicks in. It goes surprisingly well and accelerates swiftly just like electric motor should. This was also my daughter’s first comment after a 2-stroke scooter, ”accelerates nicely”. Lack of sound is quite confusing, which makes perceiving the speed difficult.
When I first started riding I was wondering if the front end would slip and how well can I lean into corners. The fact that you have three tires is almost immediately forgotten when you start riding. With the tilting suspension it ain’t at all like a quad or a snowmobile, but the Goodyear Ego2 leans just like a motorcycle does. You can actually go quite fast into corners if you got the guts. You got plenty of grip and no fear of the bike slipping.
While on the go you must prepare to explain the bike to people at every single stop. Especially with the optional saddle bags the Goodyear Ego2 looks so sympathetic, so people will come and talk. In the end it’s a big surprise for everyone when you mention that it’s in fact electric.
Technically the Goodyear Ego2 includes couple very handy solutions. Compared to the combustion engines, electric vehicles have very little maintenance and this scooter has very little moving parts even compared to most electric vehicles. One great detail is that the engine is connected directly to the wheel, so it has no belt that needs replacing. The battery takes about 4 hours to fully recharge, but we didn’t ride it completely flat. It’s capacity is plenty enough for city, work and hobbies. A second charger costs 145€, which you could buy for instance your workplace if you have a commute. With one charge Goodyear Ego2 will go for about 50km. It also has a place for a second battery which will double the distance, but in everyday tests we didn’t really see the need for the extra. Also the charger can be stored in a compartment in the chassis, so it will do just fine without the extra charger. The charger itself is small, and won’t take lots of space.
Riding the Goodyear Ego2 is easy and trouble-free. Just kickstand up and twist the throttle and off you go. Climbing hills shows no challenge to it, the torque range of the electric motor is good for basically anything you need.
My offspring did a lot of commuting with it and the saddle bags got positive feedback from my daughter. School equipment etc. are easily stored in the bags and everything stays nice and dry. We also faced some heavy rain during the testing and naturally it was not a problem for the bike. Goodyear Ego2 can be used in winter just as well as in summer. Obviously no battery gives quite the same capacity in cold, but this still isn’t just seasonal bike, but a vehicle for all-year use. Three wheels might really come into their element when it gets slippy.
And when I mentioned the sympathetic looking moped starts conversations wherever you are, here’s one good example. A French motorcyclist on a long roadtrip came to talk to us, when we were taking pictures at the Turku castle. We were chatting with him and he even took a quick ride around the block. No matter if it’s a moped, scooter or a motorcycle, bikers will always get along. You can also follow his journey on instagram: www.instagram.com/tranber55/
Goodyear Ego2 official specifications and dimensions:
- Top speed: 45kph
- Range: 50km
- Max: load: 150kg
- Engine: Brushless 60V 1500W
- Battery: 60V 26AH Lithium
- Max. climb angle: 12°
- Weight: 90kg
- Brakes: disks front and back
- Charging time: 3,5h
- Dimensions: 1763 x 584 x 970 mm
- Tires: Front 90/90-12, rear 120/70-12
So who is this bike for? Goodyear Ego2 is definitely not a bike for just 15 year-old moped riders, but it’s a real option for a electric bicycle or a second car in the city. Easy to park, takes very little space, easy to maintain and very handy way around city center. This is one of the things you should try for yourself to truly see the multifunctionality of it.
Additional information about the Goodyear Ego2: http://www.masco.fi/
