Battle of the Best Seated E-Scooters

When the Inmotion P1F e-scooter was released in 2016, it was one of the first ergonomically designed e-scooter with an integrated seat. Widely mistaken as an e-bike, the Inmotion is classified as an e-scooter due to its lack of pedals.

The Inmotion became quite popular for it’s compact dimension and weight.

With the launch of the new DYU e-scooter in 2018, consumers will be wondering how the DYU compares to the Inmotion. This is especially so if you are looking to purchase one for your loved ones and getting the suitable fit is absolutely vital.

This article breaks down these 2 “Best in Class Seated E-scooters” into 9 different categories to hopefully help you, our audience make a more informed decision.

Design

You can find many similarities in design between the DYU and Inmotion P1F escooters. The handlebar dashboard, seat post and the general look of the scooter looks similar.

There is however, one stark design difference the two. The Inmotion has a higher horizontal tube while the DYU has a drop tube similar to a ladies’ urban bike. The lower drop bar on the DYU allows skirt wearing riders (and kilt wearing male riders) to ride comfortably and safely.

So ladies, if you feel like skirting and riding, the DYU is more easily accessible for you.

Weight

These 2 Best in Class e-scooters would fall under the classification of Compact Seated E-Scooters, often mistaken as e-bikes because of their resemblance to e-bikes.

Since they are supposed to be compact and lightweight, weight and portability is of utmost importance to potential riders.

The Inmotion P1F is 14kg and folds into a compact 1m wide frame. The DYU has 2 versions. The standard version (with 4.4Ah battery) is 12kg (much lighter already). The deluxe version (with 10.4Ah battery) is 14kg (same as the P1F).

Comparing apples to apples, we would say they are the same weight.

Portability

Weight aside, where these 2 differ is in their portability.

The thoughtful design of the DYU is showcased in the nice grip hold feature integrated in its drop bar. This grip hold actually serves 2 purposes: 1. It allows the rider to grip the DYU and pick it up comfortably. 2. It allows the DYU child seat to be clamped around the tube where the hold is, enabling a child tandem. Real classy!

The Inmotion can only be picked up by the saddle which is a little hard to grip onto. There isn’t any other visible grip holds for us to carry the Inmotion with.

Riding Posture

For a long distance rides, we always want to ensure that we have a comfortable riding position.

Seating position for both is similar to that of an urban bike, upright and arms extended out front.

However, when it comes to the footrest, there is a stark difference between the two.

On the DYU, the foot rest is just beneath the center axis of the rider, giving the rider a very ergonomic riding position (see right pic above). During turns, the DYU keeps the center of gravity of the rider positioned right in the middle center axis at all times, improving stability especially on turns.

On the Inmotion, the foot rests are on the front wheel for P1F (see left pic above). And there is something that is very awkward about it.

There are two dangerous scenarios when the foot rest is on the front wheel. Firstly, when you maneuver, your foot will have to move in the same direction, it could result in instability and soreness in the ankles.

Secondly, when you turn your wheels and if your feet is unable to coordinate with the wheel together,  there is a risk of of your feet stuck in the wheel, and if you’re going at fast speed, the high RPM may cause serious injury to your feet.

It is quite unnatural for your feet to be turning with the direction of the wheel.

Saddle

Both the DYU and Inmotion P1F must have gotten their saddles from the same supplier because they have almost identical saddles! Both of them come with standard wide (butt) saddles for a well-cushioned ride.

Granted, having tried both, the stock saddles on both of them are not the more comfortable so we recommend changing it out into something more comfortable like the SR Memory Foam Saddle thanks to the generic seat mounting.

Grips

They are basically the same — standard rubber winged grips for an ergonomic ride.

Handlebar

Let’s take a look at the handlebars. Both handlebars are wide enough for a seated rider to steer and ride stably. Handlebar stability is good for both the DYU and Inmotion.

Performance

On paper, these 2 compact rides have identical specifications. They both run on a 36V motor. We test drove both rides and we found the pickup and acceleration better on the Inmotion P1F. The DYU has a nice, smooth acceleration with slower pickup.

One gripe we have about the DYU is that the DYU had an annoying “break-in” function where your speed was limited to 20kmh until you hit the 10km range before the speed cap is unlocked to 25kmh.

The faster pickup on the Inmotion could work well from a cold start on slopes whereas the DYU’s smoother slower acceleration would work better for riders who are new to e-scooters and may find the DYU less intimidating to handle.

Tires

Tire size is important for any PEV device. The smaller the device, the more critical is the size of the tires. And for compact seated e-scooters like these, the tire size is very important to the overall ride comfort.

Generally bigger tires/wheels would be give a more stable ride, along with other considering factors such as tire material and width. The Inmotion P1F’s front tire is the same diameter as the DYU’s at 12 inches.

However, for the rear tires, the Inmotion e-scooter uses a 10 inch tire as opposed to the 12 inch for the DYU. Both sets of tires are pneumatic, which gives good damping over uneven terrains.

Bigger is always better in this case. So by tis measure the DYU rocks with twin 12 inchers!

Heres a quick 4 min video review in case you are tired of reading any of the above:

 

Authorized Dealers

There are 2 authorised distributors of the DYU in Singapore that guarantees one year factory warranty: Kernel Scooter and Falcon PEV. Only e-scooters purchased from authorised distributors would be able to access to genuine support and services from original supplier and factory.

However, just a word of caution, do be aware of online vendors’ sales gimmick to advertise at a lower market price with a shortened warranty period of usually 1-2 months. Such tactics are illegal via the lemon law act and we encourage buyers to really ask themselves if there will be adequate support for their vehicles from such vendors.