Maxfind Glider G5 Pro Electric Scooter review – I love me some acceleration

REVIEW – One of the perks of being a Gadgeteer is getting to try out a variety of electric scooters. I’ve tested (or personally bought) a wide assortment of them so far ranging from heavy 30+ mph models with off-road tires and suspension to very compact and light versions with equally small range and weak power, so I’m narrowing down what I want and need for my perfect scooter. I like being able to go at least 20 mph, anything lower feels a bit slow to me. I have some decent hills on my frequent routes as well, so underpowered scooters are out. There’s a mix of nicer trails and less-maintained roads (and even gravel/dirt paths), so the models I’ve used with hard tires and no suspension result in what I like to call the “eye jiggling” effect, where your vision gets blurry from the road rattles. Finally, the ability to fold and throw the scooter in a trunk is a necessity: we’re a single car small family, and at least once a month I’m either meeting up with the rest of the family or needing to leave early or run a side errand while going to or from another event with them. My favorite scooter to ride so far is the Yadea ElitePrime electric scooter but it’s larger than average (and heavy) and can be hard to get in and out of our trunk. The Maxfind Glider G5 Pro Electric Scooter looks like it could be the ideal combo of features and parts for me, so I happily volunteered to try it out!

What is it?

The Maxfind Glider G5 Pro Electric Scooter is a commuter electric scooter with dual motors and a nice top speed and range. It has air-filled wide tires to help absorb bumps, and folds down into a fairly compact size for transport or storage.

What’s included?

• Maxfind Glider G5 Pro Electric Scooter
• AC Charger
• Manual
• Installation tools and bolts

Tech specs

Design and features

The Maxfind Glider G5 Pro Electric Scooter is fairly similar to most other commuter scooters on the market, but the handlebar angles and fat tires caught my eye immediately. I like how the front headlight is integrated into the handlebars, and the placement makes for great visibility at night, both for the rider and for other vehicles to spot it.

The deck is fairly low to the ground (standard for scooters), I had a few light scrapes over pretty mild speed bumps and road transitions. You’ll want to be careful taking this offroad, it’s best on smooth pavement or cement while being able to tackle lightly rough stuff. You can stand with your feet side by side, but if you’re US Size 13’s like me it’s a bit cramped that way. I experimented with different stances and ended up preferring one foot on the deck and the other either hanging off or at a 90 degree angle behind it.

The hook that lies flat on the deck pops up with a light press and holds the handlebars in place when folded up.

The folding mechanism has a button lock and seems sturdy, there’s no play in it when locked and it’s pretty easy to operate. The wiring is inside the tube until routed out the grommet near the folding mechanism.

I’ve only tested a few scooters with dual motors, but they have all had better-than-average acceleration, and the Maxfind Glider G5 Pro Electric Scooter is no exception. If you are in the top speed mode and slam the throttle on, you can even pop a wheelie if you shift your weight back, so be careful.

This red loop near the handlebars is grabbed by the hook on the deck when folded down for storage. I like scooters that have a hook up here and a loop on the deck, so you can put a bag onto the hook on the handlebars, but I just added a carabiner with velcro strap instead.

On the left handlebar is the mechanical brake, a bell (which is great for notifying people you’re passing them), and the turn signal controls. Interestingly, the controls are labelled “I” and “II” instead of “R” and “L”, but you can’t really see it from a standing position, you’ll operate this rocker switch by feel with your left thumb. A loud beeping sounds along with the turn blinkers, so you won’t forget you have it on (something that other models I’ve used don’t have).

Behind the deck is a fender that doubles as a rear emergency brake. This simply applies friction to the tire, so the electric and mechanical brakes will be your usual means of stopping. I wish they’d made this fender rigid instead of a third brake, so I could rest a foot on it without worrying I’ll rub the tire.

The throttle is a unique design for me (on a scooter at least). It’s a spinning rubber wheel that functions both to speed up as well as to brake (using the electric motors as brakes). This took a bit of getting used to, but after a few rides I prefer it to most other thumb push or twist throttles I’ve used. Coupled with the cruise control function (turned on via app, keeps going at top speed if you hold it on full throttle for a few seconds), it’s great for longer rides, especially compared to scooters without cruise control where you have to keep pushing a thumb button if you want to keep going.

I like that they included a disc brake, but at this price point I do wish it was hydraulic rather than mechanical. That said, the electric braking worked well enough that I never used the mechanical brake in anger. When I purposely slammed both brakes on to test stopping power, it nearly threw me off the scooter.

The LCD screen was easy to see at night and in full sunny daylight. A single button acts as the speed mode control, on/off, lights, and more (through a variety of single, double, and long presses). The manual helps you get used to all of this, though you can also control things with the optional app.

Assembly, Installation, Setup

Assembly of the Maxfind Glider G5 Pro Electric Scooter starts with connecting the handlebar wire and then inserting the handlebars into the front tube. One heavy duty screw clamps it in place and I had no issue with any play.

The next step was a first for me with a scooter as well: you have a loose brake cable end that you need to insert into the brake lever (depress the lever and you can see the circle where it needs to be inserted, then you thread the exposed cable through the gap in the lever housing).

Next up, the optional app. The scooter is fully functional without the app, but it is easier tweaking settings with it and you can track detailed rides or even lock the scooter remotely (though only a physical lock will keep people from simply picking it up and walking off with it). Hilariously, I already had the app installed when I scanned the QR code, it’s called “Smart Life”, and I had two smart outlets and 3 smart lights already controlled by it (various other brands and products). I added the Maxfind Glider G5 Pro Electric Scooter quickly and easily.

You can tweak the top speed of each of the three speed modes (nice if you prefer or need lower limits but want 3 different speed options at different levels). There’s also a lot of other settings like lock/unlock, cruise control, and changing the display from kph to mph.

Rides can be tracked (including map data). The screenshot above shows the quick settings on the main page. I found the app to be easy to use and had all the features I’d want in a companion app for my scooter.

Performance

I took the Maxfind Glider G5 Pro Electric Scooter on quite a few test rides during the review period, including a couple of long ones to test battery range. From the first push (slide?) of the throttle, I knew this could be a contender for my main scooter. It has a very fast acceleration and a perfect top speed for me (I’ve had scooters that go 30+ mph and anytime I was at that speed I knew a crash would do serious damage to me). I usually only ride at ~15 mph but it’s nice on a smooth wide open road to be able to go a bit faster.

The range was great, on the highest speed setting and lots of full power starts and stops (not to mention my 225 lb load), an 11 mile route with several steep hills brought the battery down to 48 percent. On lower speed limits I was on track for 30+ miles. The quoted “up to 36 miles” range seems feasible, especially on flatter ground with a lighter person.

My only minor complaint was that at top speed on not-perfectly-smooth asphalt, I did sometimes get some eye-wobble (my head getting slightly rattled and jiggled). I quickly learned that if I unlocked my knees and crouched just a bit they would absorb that, but on long rough trails it gets tiring. If Maxfind had been able to get just a bit more shock absorption I’d have really struggled to fill out the “what needs to be improved” section below.

What I like about the Maxfind Glider G5 Pro Electric Scooter

• Great acceleration and top speed
• Long range
• Compact enough to fit in any trunk and light enough to not pull a muscle moving it
• Lights provide good illumination for the rider and visibility for surrounding traffic

What needs to be improved?

• Rougher/bumpier roads can jostle and rattle you around – figuring out a dual suspension system would have been nice
• The tire valves are difficult for some of my pumps to reach – wish Maxfind included a small extension to ensure compatibility with all air pumps

Final thoughts

The Maxfind Glider G5 Pro Electric Scooter has claimed the crown of being my main go-to scooter. It’s fast with more than enough range for my needs, while still being light and small enough to easily transport (unlike my previous fast/long-range ones). It feels well made, and gets me from point A to point B with little fuss, which is exactly what I want from a workhorse scooter.

Price: $1199 (on sale for $949 at time of review)
Where to buy: Maxfind
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by Maxfind. Maxfind did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.