It worked well for maybe 2 months, but that was about it. I thought the scooter had several serious design flaws (altho things like regenerative braking were really cool). The major problem I had was with how the motors drove the scooter by directly rotating the wheel. Whenever I rode over a bump, however, these metal parts that spun the wheel would dig into the soft plastic wheel. After going over enough bumps, the wheel ending up becoming narrower and the scooter would not go nearly as fast or as well. The battery would also die after maybe 10 minutes.

Maybe they fixed this in the newer version, but I’m not willing to risk it again. The one I bought was a piece of junk and its sitting in my basement collecting dust. Next time they should use a chain or belt drive.

About the ergonomics, I should say that I’m only 5 feet tall (on a good day), and I’ve noticed that the Motorboard seems perfectly built for someone my height. Since most people are at least a bit taller than me, I know it means that the handlebars might feel low for others.

Nick, you gave a perfect description of something that’s been puzzling me about the Motorboard — how my wheel gets all chewed up after enough bumpy rides. I have the 2000XR, and it took 3 months of LA sidewalks to do this to my wheel — about the time I was almost ready for a new wheel from regular wear and tear anyway. Still, I couldn’t figure out how the wheel was getting chewed up or how to prevent it. Thank you for your explanation!

The newer model, I think, is a big improvement on earlier models — but the extended range battery is a must, if the Motorboard is used for any length of commuting. Roth Motors advertises that the extended range battery goes 10-20 miles, and I’ve only run out of battery power once or twice with this battery — I think as my wheel is wearing down and getting all crunchy from the bumps (using more battery juice).

Another idea for commuters– since I use the Motorboard to commute 3 miles to work, I got an extra charger for work, so I can charge both places. I don’t know that it’s completely necessary with the extended range battery, but it’s convenient and prevents me from having to carry the charger just in case.

I’m excited to hear that Roth Motors is planning a weather-proof version, for people who live in places with regular rainfall. I would also look forward to a bump-proof wheel!

Nick- In the manual they talk about the wheel wear. You can swap the front and back wheels when this happens, after which you can buy a new wheel for $20 from Roth.

I heard other people talking about problems with the NiMH batteries of the 2000X in comments on various blogs. You’ll note they are not selling the 2000X anymore. If it’s sitting in your basement, sell it on eBay… someone else can upgrade it and replace the wheel.

With the various maintenence costs (batteries, wheels) this will probably cost considerably more than the fifth of a cent per mile for electricity… but it’s still going to be considerably less than the price of gas.

Kathryn- You seem to have hit the mark… I do feel like I’m a bit large for it… as you can see in the photo at the start of the story. Maybe they’ll consider making a large size, as well as a weatherproof one. Of course they have to raise the money before they can do either.

These strike me as a remarkably efficient way to get short distances, once you’ve learnt to use them. They also cost a lot less than $700, and get you some exercise.

– Although they may be illegal to use except on the actual road with the cars in some towns/cities (!), so check first.

At 18 pounds it, together with my books, it is about the limit of what I could carry on the bus. I could not image carting any other motorboard (say go-ped, or other) on the bus. The laptap is out though, I cannot manage a backpack scooter laptop.

The biggest problem is the wheels as mentioned above. Perhaps because I am a heavier rider there is even a greater problem. The wheels quickly developed wear marks, some cracks, and then after going down a hill to fast over and hitting a couple of very small gravel-rocks, it carved a 1/2 chunk out of the tire.

I swapped tires as they recommend, only to have the front wheel cover scrape and make a bit of noise. I tried to reseat the wheel cover, only to have one of the bolts snap in half because it was glued tight.

The brakes also work by pressing metal against the back tire, which I assume will add to wear.

At least with me, there is a tendency to stand away from the steering, which increases weight on the rear tire, and I assume also increases the wear on that tire over the front tire.

One last thing, I quickly noticed that pressing the acceleration too fast will cause marks on the tire, and more recently I think that releasing the acceleration too quickly (when you want to slow down) will also do the same thing.

My conclusion agrees with this article. The usefulness depends on your commute. For me, living in a dry climate, where I required something I can lug on a bus – it seems to fit me well. And I hope that by learning how to treat it a bit more delicately (and avoid gravel) I will be able to make the tires last longer. Even if I need to order tires twice a year, it will be worth it for me.

My first expectations were low, found all sorts of angry reviews – but they seemed to mostly be about the 2000X, or the short range of the XR. I’ve already used a full charge up (really got over-enthusiastic and started racing up hills full throttle, then ran out of juice…oops). If I had actually been trying to get somewhere, I would have been more frugal with the ‘gas’ but I wanted to see what it could do, and I did.

The ground clearance could be about an inch higher, and a really cool feature would be LED headlights (I’ll probably do that myself, as there’s plenty of room in the battery compartment). BE SURE TO TIGHTEN THE STEERING WHEEL! You can collapse/extend the handle bars really quickly – which lets you forget to tighten the adjustment knob at the top. When you don’t tighten this ring, the ride is rather wobbly (the small wheels probably amplify the loose steering) which is something I’ve seen people complain about, but it’s your own fault for forgetting. It would be nice if the power charger was a little smaller, but it gets a little warm – which may be the reason for it’s size. Going down some sidewalks makes a fairly loud clickity-clack, but that’s just the laws of physics so I’ll deal with it. WATCH the sidewalk for misaligned concrete, as bumps larger than an inch need to be taken lightly or not at all (pick up scooter).

Its definitely NOT a toy, and those that are disappointed probably had misguided expectations. You really should kick-push while riding if you want to get far, but being lazy is real easy on this board. Top speed/downhill is scary… but fun… but scary!

Again, the documentation I received was for the old NiCd battery version, and the device itself is engraved with ‘2000X’ – very odd. If you order an XR or XR and you just see ‘X’, open the board and check the battery for confirmation, I did. For reference, I weigh 165lbs (I’m little. 28, but little.)

So I think I’ve made out pretty well so far, as it suits my needs nicely. It’s definitely not a solution for everyone, but good luck with whatever you choose.

Clearly my experience is bizarre and not to be expected. ;D

My first expectations were low, found all sorts of angry reviews – but they seemed to mostly be about the 2000X, or the short range of the XR. I’ve already used a full charge up (really got over-enthusiastic and started racing up hills full throttle, then ran out of juice…oops). If I had actually been trying to get somewhere, I would have been more frugal with the ‘gas’ but I wanted to see what it could do, and I did.

The ground clearance could be about an inch higher, and a really cool feature would be LED headlights (I’ll probably do that myself, as there’s plenty of room in the battery compartment). BE SURE TO TIGHTEN THE STEERING WHEEL! You can collapse/extend the handle bars really quickly – which lets you forget to tighten the adjustment knob at the top. When you don’t tighten this ring, the ride is rather wobbly (the small wheels probably amplify the loose steering) which is something I’ve seen people complain about, but it’s your own fault for forgetting. It would be nice if the power charger was a little smaller, but it gets a little warm – which may be the reason for it’s size. Going down some sidewalks makes a fairly loud clickity-clack, but that’s just the laws of physics so I’ll deal with it. WATCH the sidewalk for misaligned concrete, as bumps larger than an inch need to be taken lightly or not at all (pick up scooter).

Its definitely NOT a toy, and those that are disappointed probably had misguided expectations. You really should kick-push while riding if you want to get far, but being lazy is real easy on this board. Top speed/downhill is scary… but fun… but scary!

Again, the documentation I received was for the old NiCd battery version, and the device itself is engraved with ‘2000X’ – very odd. If you order an XR or XR and you just see ‘X’, open the board and check the battery for confirmation, I did. For reference, I weigh 165lbs (I’m little. 28, but little.)

So I think I’ve made out pretty well so far, as it suits my needs nicely. It’s definitely not a solution for everyone, but good luck with whatever you choose.

Clearly my experience is bizarre and not to be expected. ;D

I ordered my 2000XRplus from ebay and it came with a notice that all boards are marked 2000X, and there is no external way to tell if it is a 2000X, 2000XR or 2000XRplus.

I got aggressive yesterday and tried to wear out the XRplus battery, after an hour of riding and getting so lost in a neighborhood that i had to call a friend to pick me up, the batter was still going strong.

It seems that rough pavement significantly slows down the ride for some reason I don’t understand.

If anyone knows of a 2000XR forum, let me know. I think it would really help to share experiences and set expectations.

I use a bicycle helmet and a bookbag with a blinking red bicycle light that I attached to the bag.

By rough pavement in my previous message, I mean either unfinished or “scarred” road surface which provides makes a noise to car drivers as they near the side of the road.