HiBoy Max Pro electric scooter review – I feel the need for speed!

REVIEW – I had a ton of fun reviewing the Yadea ElitePrime electric scooter.  Since then, I have been looking for a scooter to let me go faster than 19mph.  I know there are some scooters out there that can easily hit 40-plus miles an hour.  I also know that I would be stupid enough to try to ride one of them.  In an effort to keep myself out of the hospital, I decided to limit myself to 25 miles per hour or less.  The HiBoy Max Pro scooter has a claimed top speed of 22 mph. Does it reach that max speed and have a good battery to sustain that speed?  Read on and find out!

What is it?

The HiBoy Max Pro Scooter is an electric scooter advertised as the ‘best long distance commuter’.  It has three-speed settings that will allow you to go up to 11, 15, and 22 mph.  It has a claimed range of 46.6 miles and weighs in at 56.6 lbs.

What’s in the box?

• 1 HiBoy Max Pro electric scooter
• two spare tubes for the tires
• three different-sized Allen key wrenches – I only used one for setup
• 10 screws – to attach the handlebar to the stem – I only needed 8
• extension tube for inflating the tires
• tire pressure indicator caps and regular caps
• user manual

Hardware specs

• 22mph top speed
• 46.6 max range
• 500W Max 650W motor
• 48v 15Ah battery
• 11in pneumatic tires
• max weight load 265 lbs
• IPX4 – not recommended to ride in the rain
• dimensions – 47.24 × 20.87 × 51.18 in
• weight – 51.6 lbs
• max climbing capability – 20 degrees
• charging time – 6-9 hrs

Design and features

The HiBoy Max Pro electric scooter is very well-built and sturdy.  The riding platform has a grippy rubber top that is very wide and long, which adds to the scooter’s stability.  From the base of where the stem hits the platform to the fender of the back wheel, it is 20 inches long and 8 inches wide.

I took a picture of the display with every icon that could be lit up.  It is funny that there are left and right arrows because this scooter does not support blinkers, but the display can.

Lower and hook the stem to the rear wheel fender to fold the scooter.  The latch for the stem is a two-part system.  First, you press down on the small latch, then pull forward on the big latch.  At that point, the stem is unhooked and can be lowered towards the rear wheel.  The rear fender of the HiBoy Max Pro electric scooter has a metal tab that can be lifted to catch the small hook below the handlebars.

The kickstand is quite sturdy and is easy to pop out and back in.  It holds the scooter well.

Besides the display, the handlebar has a brake lever on the left and right sides.   You will also find the throttle paddle on the right side, in addition to the brake lever.  You control the HiBoy Max Pro electric scooter’s speed by pressing down on this paddle with your thumb.  I found this much easier on my wrist than a traditional wrist-turn-type throttle.

The other brake lever and a manual bell are on the left side of the handlebar.  It dings nice and loud.

The lighting on this scooter is excellent. There is a front headlight that you can turn on via the display or app.  I like that it does not turn on automatically.  A rear tail light blinks when the brakes are applied, and nice side lighting.  When the bike turns on, only the rear brake light lights up.  Pressing the power button quickly will turn on the headlight and side lights.  Pressing it again will turn them off.

I took this picture to show what the display shows when the HiBoy Max Pro electric scooter is locked via the app.

Setup

The HiBoy Max Pro electric scooter setup was almost like the setup on the Yadea Elite Prime.  I did not have to connect any wires as they were already connected.  I slide the handlebar base into the stem and then screwed in 8 screws (two on each side) to hold it in place.  The Max Pro used two more screws than the Yadea. The wiring runs down through the stem, so little is exposed.

Next, I had to charge it up.  The charging port was not magnetic like the Yadea but had a rubber flap that stayed in place when pushed into the port.

The cable is a single prong, so you don’t have to do any lining up of connectors to charge the scooter.  Just push in the charging cable and go!  The charger has an LED that will shine red as the scooter is charging.  It turns green when the scooter is fully charged.  If you turn on the display while charging, it will show a battery percentage.

I love that HiBoy included caps for the tire stems that indicate if the tires have enough air to ride.   I was able to screw these caps onto both tires.  I could ride the scooter with them in place without rubbing.  I liked that HiBoy included two spare tubes for the tires. The user manual shows you how to replace a tube.  The HiBoy website has a support area with a bunch of repair videos.  None are there yet for the Max Pro, but I am sure they will be there soon.

The next thing I did was to download the HiBoy app on my phone.  They provide a QR code over the display to allow you to find the app quickly.

I then turned the Bluetooth on in the app and my phone and paired the two devices.  On this main screen below, if you click on the device icon at the bottom, it will take you to the screen where you can change things like drive mode, lock the device, and turn on cruise control.

I want to note that, unlike the Yadea Elite Prime scooter, the HiBoy Max Pro electric scooter will reset the mileage and riding time every time you fully charge the battery.  It does not keep track of the total mileage ridden on the scooter.  Tapping the mile/h blue button will change from MPH to KPH.  Tapping anywhere on the map brings up a map based on your current location, which will track your ride on the map.  There is a Bluetooth button to turn that on and off.  You can turn the lights on and off and the cruise control on and off.  Hitting the lock button will put the scooter in park mode and will not let someone ride off with it.

Vehicle settings can be accessed via the user icon at the bottom of the main home screen.  In there, you can also turn the cruise control on and off.  You can also adjust the maximum cruise control speed allowed.  You also have the ability to adjust the maximum speed for each riding mode.  One feature I enjoyed was the zero-start mode.  With that turned on, you do not have to kick start the scooter to 3mph before the motor will engage.  It will take off from zero mph.  I am sure having that turned on contributed to the battery usage.

Performance

The first thing I did after I fully charged the HiBoy Max Pro electric scooter was to run it around my very hilly neighborhood for about six miles.  If the scooter was in speed mode, it had no problems accelerating up some steep hills.  I would lose only one or two miles per hour max.  According to the app, I rode for 32 minutes and used 30 percent of the battery.  I wanted to note that the suspension system on the Max Pro is excellent.  I rode over manhole covers and did not feel the bumps hardly at all.

Next, I charged it up fully, packed it in my car, and took it to our local walking/hiking/biking trail.  The HiBoy Max Pro electric scooter is ten pounds lighter than the Yadea, and I did find it much easier to load into the car.

I rode the HiBoy Max Pro electric scooter 15.4 miles in 91 minutes.   I rode at full throttle in speed mode at 22 mph about 99 percent of the time going out, which was about 7.5 miles.  The elevation on the trail is such that you go mainly downhill out and uphill back.   When I hit mile 10, I put the scooter in drive mode and rode 15 mph for another two miles.  At that point, I was down to one red bar left.   I put the scooter in eco mode.  After zipping along at 22 mph, then 15 mph, 11 mph, I felt like I was crawling.   I kept thinking to myself let me get within 3 miles before I have to push this scooter back to the car.  I let the scooter push my chunky self (yup, all 180 lbs of me!) as far as it could go.  I could feel the motor working as it crawled up some steep inclines.  I tried to coast downhill where I could and build momentum for the uphill climbs.   With about one mile left, the last red bar started blinking.  I kept going and made it all the way back to my car.  The scooter was maintaining the full 11mph until I stopped.  I checked the app and was surprised to see I had zero battery left though the scooter still had power.  I think the app shows zero early, almost like a reserve tank on an old motorcycle.  It lets you know you better get where you are going soon but still has enough in the bank to go further.  It was already in the mid 90s, and I did not feel like pushing the scooter any further.

What I like

• Lighter than the Yadea Elite Pro
• Nice bright side lighting
• Long and wide base to stand on
• Very smooth ride
• Great acceleration in speed mode with a max speed of 22mph
• Zero start capabilities

What I’d change

• They need at least an 800-watt motor to extend the range in speed mode.
• According to their website, the max range is only achievable in eco mode with a 165 lb person.

Final thoughts

I researched other scooters and found that the HiBoy Max Pro electric scooter is reasonably priced for a scooter with a 500W battery and speed capabilities.  Most folks looking for scooters live in urban areas and are looking for a scooter to run errands and go short distances.  The Pro Max is very well built and has a great standing platform.  It has good shocks and plenty of torque in the speed mode should you want it.  I pushed the scooter to its max in a hilly area.  They are offering $200 of their standard price of $999 right now, so I think it is a good buy.

Price: $799.99
Where to buy: HiBoy
Source: The sample of this product was provided by HiBoy.