RoadRunner Scooters — Local services in Denver

I travel a lot and have been a big rental scooter guy for years - if I've been to a major city with scooters, I've likely ridden them and enjoyed it very much. And it so happens that aside from living way up in the mountains (~1200' elevation difference between my house and town), I'm a part of a lot of outdoor events (hence the travel) and so I felt it was time to get my own scooter.

I did a lot of research and learned the different classes of scooters and makers and so forth and settled in on a few that appealed. Some factors to consider was that some of these outdoor events are on some rough roads, so I wanted something rugged, that could take a puddle, and most of all, something I would feel confident on. Also, being honest, I'm in the 200 pound+ club and so some of the designs that were out there had official weight specs that I would make...if I rode with just one boot on or something. Like, I'm not sure I should get back on if I went out and ate a donut or bought a book to put in my backpack. I know that things are designed with a bit of tolerance in mind but I didn't want a scooter where I had to figure out if I'm rolling at 5 or 10% over the stated design limit, especially again on rougher terrain, which magnifies everything.

I also wanted real power in terms of a reserve (don't want to have to plug the battery in over and over) and output. This is not because I wanted to go fast as much as again, I live in a mountainous neighborhood and didn't want a scooter that could only limp up the windy road home.

Anyway, the RS5 MAX made my short list and I was surprised to see that Roadrunner had a store right near me in Denver, so next time I was down there I drove past and learned it was even better than that. That's like, the HQ of the company! They were local folks! Given that I always prefer to buy local, that made me even more interested.

And they didn't want to lose it. First, while I showed up cold (really thought it was a store), you're supposed to make an appointment there. Yet they were good enough to let me in and talk to me, give me the rundown, and so forth. I could also see that there was a service shop there too, so no mailing scooter/parts overseas or who knows where - I'm 50 minutes drive from a real tech. I was pressed for time, so after a great conversation, I resolved to come back with a helmet that fit me so I could test it out (they had helmets but mah head is big).

In the meantime, I did even more research on the RS5 MAX, saw how well it received it was, and so forth. So it looked like a solid go. So when I returned for that test ride the next day, I was pretty familiar with it in general.

Still -- and again, I'm a banged-up urban rental scooter guy -- WHOA this was fast. Like, I see why they have the rear step over the wheel as it's for bracing! Fortunately, the throttle is pretty easy to control but you have to remember that slamming it all the way open is gonna be a real jolt. But that's just "1st gear"....

Because 2nd gear is turbofied speed. It's easy to switch between gears and there's a big display that can remind you where you are in the "gears" because there's a 3rd gear that's basically the NOS equivalent. Right away, I knew there was plenty of power to grow into. This is what I use to climb up those steep hills to get home now.

Also of importance was control, especially with stability. The steering felt good, the tires are wide and grippy, and the brakes felt like they would hold pretty well. Definitely want to remember which is front and which is back as they do grab and that could make a big difference in a hard braking situation. Fiddle with them some to make sure you can throttle and brake easily.

And finally, the comforts. Yes, while one can ride with a foot far forward and one back, it's also easy to put two big feet side by side on the deck without worrying that one might slip off. Also, this thing, especially with the battery, inside is admittedly heavy, so don't think you're gonna hand carry it around far.

I'm just a few dozen miles in but so far...

Blurgh. There are a couple redundancies that I hope will not prevent you from digesting the facts mentioned below.... I would like for the display to not tell me that I'm simultaneously on a blinking zero bar basis until I stop riding and am back at four bars. This makes it impossible to gauge how much mileage I have left. 40 is a laugh and you won't manage half that doing even 30mph. Just once I would like for a company to stop inflating the stats. I don't need to know how many miles I have if I'm going 15 miles per hour in the lowest setting

The P Settings are far from intuitive and YouTube will be your only source for a long-winded explanation of how to adjust them. And sure it is fun that the tires peel off and you can hear it but that doesn't spell well for long-term endurance. Nor do I appreciate the fact that after owning three of these each one has performed differently than the other. The product lacks consistency. To do what this company claims you'll require spending a few hundred in upgrades and a lot of time on the internet.

The folding mechanism leaves much to be desired. The stem loosens from utilizing what's purported to be a stalwart locking system. It's awkward to the point where they designed it just to say that hypothetically, it "could be portable."

To fold the stem, you have to hold the bar in place while you screw it in and it never lands flush. The internet won't provide you with real people's experiences.

I wish I could vouch for this company and their products. But I've ridden them all, and for an upper-tier scooter RoadRunnder competes with the best in terms of speed/acceleration, cornering, and regenerative braking. But there are too many unpublished faults due to their newness.

I sell high end scooters from several companies to people who don't want to wait for shipping or deal with assembly. Yet the last RS5 I sold went faster and performed better than the new one I replaced it with for personal usage.

Establish consistency before boasting to have one of the best high-speed scooters ever made.

That said I recommend purchasing their $100 dampener if you want to do 50mph without wobbling, regardless of how balanced you are. You can stay as low and centered as possible, but no stance will truly ensure stability at high speeds on roads like these..

The charging ports are loose, floppy, and covered by unwieldy rubber. In fact no piece of rubber seems secure, whether the nubs on the tires or the flaps on the chargers. Most every other brand simply has a direct 3-prong plugin. For some reason, Roadrunner has chosen to use a loose, feeble, unnecessary dongle that only serves as an impediment to what should be a simple process.

Charging is a hassle when sparks fly from the adapter as it shorts out and scorches itself routinely, absent the slightest bit of dirt or moisture. Leaves a pretty nasty stench.

The flaps come off as if they were never even attached. The nubs on the tires require glue to stay in place. This thing costs $2k. You can get a 150cc Actual Scooter for less. So do better

Overall, it seems that this company has cut a few corners. Instead of exercising due diligence, an incomplete product was released prematurely, before quality could be assured. I'm sure future models will correct for such errors. Meanwhile I'm stuck with one that comes close but falls short of delivering the performance and reliability that was promised...

This is the second time I’ve left a bad review here. The first one was taken down because I thought the issues were resolved and things were going to get better. First, everyone at the company is very friendly and in their best interest, tries to help. First issue: I was going to buy a new scooter but was offered one off the floor for a small discounted price. I was also told the company warranty lasts 6 months before I have to extend it. I waited about 6 months to extend my warranty only to be told the company warranty lasted only 90 days due to it being refurbished, so I missed my window to extend it. I contacted support to tell them my situation only to receive an email with the definition of what refurbished means. Second issue: In less than 300 miles of use, my key lock/voltage meter and my suspension went out. Third issue: I was grateful that a team member responded to my negative review and worked a deal on providing me with the extended warranty I wanted to purchase. In which case, I deleted the review. Shortly after, my battery voltage was declining faster than usual and wasn’t able to go 13 miles on a trip with a full charge (up to 40 mile range advertised). This is with just over 300 miles on my scooter where I practiced proper charging and kept the scooter indoors. I took it in and was told it was my battery and that I need to file a claim with the 3rd party warranty(extend). I tried but the information that roadrunner gave the warranty company was completely wrong, so I had to work with representatives on both sides to get it fixed. Fourth and final issue: My scooter is at the shop and needs the new battery that Extend did eventually approve me for. Extend said they would work with roadrunner scooter and update me with a tracking of the package. I get a call from my front desk saying there was a package for me but with no apartment #. I was out of town on a job and didn’t even know what it could’ve been. It was placed outside over the weekend and was surely rained on. I curiously picked up the package and realized it was the battery for my scooter. I was upset and notified the representative at Extend of the situation because I received no email of any tracking or next steps with the battery. I honestly don’t want to use that battery because if it ends up not working, warranty won’t cover it again.

I’ve been let down with every aspect of this business. I’ve lost any desire to own an electric scooter and I’ve wasted a large chunk of...