REVIEW – If you’re anything like me, any time you’ve ridden one of those ride-share scooters scattered across many cities you wished they could go faster (though they’re still better than walking). Ausom’s Leopard scooter that I reviewed last year solved the speed problem for me, but I had some minor issues with it like poor headlight placement and insufficient power for actual offroad trail use (though it was great in suburban environments). This year Ausom has released the DT1 Pro scooter, and it looks like a beast! I had a blast testing this scooter out over the last few weeks, so on with the review!
What is it?
The Ausom DT1 Pro scooter is a souped-up twist on the classic commuter scooter with components that give it much more speed, acceleration, and off road capabilities compared to most other models. Dual 1000 watt motors on a 52 volt system result in great torque and acceleration, while the large battery should provide a long range if you’re not riding it hard.
What’s included?
- Ausom DT1 Pro scooter
- AC charger
- Installation tools and bolts
- Axle bolt caps
- User manual
- NFC tags (x3)
Tech specs
Click to expand
- Motors: 1000W x 2 brushless hub motors
- Battery: 52 V 18.2 Ah battery (946.4 Wh)
- Range: up to 47 miles
- Max speed: up to 41 mph
- Unfolded size: 52.4×24.8×51.2 in
- Weight: 68 lbs
- Recommended Rider Height: 4’8-6’7″
- Footboard width: 9.1″
- Uphill climb ability: 46%
- Weather resistance: IP54
- Max load: 265 lbs
- Suspension: Dual spring swingarm
- Tires: 10″ x 3″ air-filled all-terrain puncture resistant
- Brakes: Front and Rear Hydraulic disc brakes + electronic braking (regenerative)
- Frame: Forged aluminum
- Security: NFC tag required to operate, hidden AirTag compartment (AirTag not included)
- USB power output: 1x USB-C, 1x USB-A
- Lighting: Front light, side deck turn signals, rear brake light
- Display: 4.5″ LCD
- Horn: Electronic
Design and features
The Ausom DT1 Pro scooter looks similar to most electric scooters on the market, with some notable differences like the swingarm suspension front and rear. The frame is forged aluminum and feels quite sturdy. The deck is higher than most scooters from the ground, which gives you more ground clearance and space for the suspension to work, you’ll be up higher than with other scooters.
Disc brakes front and rear aid in stopping power, and the scooter also uses “E-ABS” braking (regenerative electric braking). I love the quad brakes, but the braking pressure curve if graphed would look like two spikes as you squeeze the brake levers: the electric brakes kick in somewhat abruptly which can be jarring until you get used to the feel of it, and then the disc brakes do a similar thing when you squeeze further (though it’s not as pronounced as when the electric brakes kick in). Ausom doesn’t advertise regenerative braking, but I believe they are simply due to the physics of how you would use electric motors to slow the scooter combined with the voltage level rising on long hills where I had to brake frequently.
A raised rear foot platform gives a nice surface to brace on for hard acceleration, which you’ll need if you engage the dual motor mode. Single motor mode is quick and can still reach high speeds, but turning on dual motor really kicks you forward (I’ll bet you could do wheelies, but I valued my tailbone too much to try).
The hydraulic disc brakes look like they have a good-sized motor for the scooter’s weight and power. I was able to stop quickly at speed, though I never fully slammed them on for fear of flipping over forwards.
The tires are a rugged all-terrain design that also work well on pavement. The spacing and layout of the large bumps results in a pretty smooth flat-road ride compared to most knobby tires. They were also great on dirt and rocky trails, I only lost traction in sand-like thick dusty sections.
The locking mechanism is rugged and locks into position. I have no worries about this coming loose during riding, and a hook on the handlebars hooks to a spot on the rear of the deck for transport.
The headlight has been moved up from the previous Leopard model and is a nice high-quality light. It’s visible from both the front and sides at night and casts a nice beam in front of you to spot any obstacles or potholes in the road. The other lighting is great as well, the turn blinkers light on the sides of the footboard, and the rear brake light is easily visible and lights up brighter when you squeeze either brake. There’s a pair of USB power outputs hidden near the headlight as well (USB-A and USB-C), as well as a hidden AirTag compartment (you could also use other similar sized trackers here).
When folded, the DT1 Pro just barely fits in our larger-than-average cargo area. Depending on your vehicle, you might have to drop a seat, and the trunk of a sedan might be a tough fit, especially with the wide handlebars. It’s one of the largest scooters I’ve fit into our small SUV so far. At 68 pounds, you might need 2 people to lift and move it as well.
Assembly, Installation, Setup
Assembly simply involves using the included four bolts to secure the handlebars to the riser. Two of the bolts are easy to get to, but even with the display tilted to either extreme angle it was difficult getting the upper two tightened down without fear of stripping them. You can see in the picture above the angle of my wrench compared to the bolt, I ended up picking up a small ratchet hex set to finish installation. A small change in the angle of attachment here would have solved the problem, it’s too bad they made it a bit difficult. You could probably get them installed without stripping them, but I didn’t want to take that chance.
Next, you’ll charge up the battery with the included AC charger. Napkin math says this will take 8-10 hours. There’s a second charge port for an optional second charger, which should reduce charge times to 4-5 hours. You can charge via either port in single charger mode.
The last step was to fill the tires to the pressure indicated on the sidewalls and put on the axle cap covers (these are just cosmetic plastic covers that cover the nuts on the ends of the axles).
Performance
On my first ride on the Ausom DT1 Pro scooter, I put the scooter in Eco mode and gingerly pulled the throttle lever (it’s just like a brake lever but smaller, on the right handlebar). I was nearly thrown off the back, which quickly taught me to respect the dual-motor mode on the DT1 Pro. A red-LED-when-on button on the left handlebar turns on/off the dual motor mode. When in single motor mode, acceleration is quick but not crazy. The right handlebar has up/down arrows that set the Eco/Sport/Race modes, and these are what determine top speeds. I highly recommend starting in single-motor eco mode and going up slowly as you get a feel for the scooter. I learned to brace one foot on the angled rear platform and got comfortable with spinning wheel starts with a little practice (you could probably do wheelies on this, but I value my tailbone too much to try).
I then took the scooter onto a couple of mountain trails near my home in Utah, here’s some footage from those rides:
Just like with the dual-motor acceleration, handling a heavy scooter on uneven, rocky trails was daunting at first, but I quickly got used to it and within minutes was having a blast zooming up and down these mountain trails. I love mountain biking, and this felt similar. Even if you’re not planning on taking the DT1 Pro scooter offroad, you’ll appreciate the nice suspension and large tires for potholes and other bumps in city riding. There were multiple times I was travelling at speed and couldn’t dodge a pothole in time, which would have been catastrophic on some of my other scooters, but the DT1 just rolled right over them with a slight bump.
I did range testing with a variety of settings, including dual-motor hard accelerations and steep hill climbs (hills that I’ve had to manually push other scooters up), and even after 12 miles of hard riding I’d only used 2 of the 5 bars. I then went another 10 miles in Eco/Single-Motor mode which dropped another bar. I imagine I could have pushed it another 5-10 in this mode with 2 bars left, but I was starting to lose power on hills at that point, and I didn’t want to get stranded miles from home, so I headed in. If you’re riding on flat roads with lowest settings, I’d bet you would get 30-40 miles range pretty easily. If you ride it hard and fast though, it does drop fairly quickly. I noticed that with high speeds and lots of dual-motor starts, it drops the range to about 10 miles before you have to switch to a single motor to keep going.
Top speed for me was around 35 MPH (which is probably only legal on private roads, check your local laws before riding), and the scooter felt stable at that speed, though I wouldn’t want to crash going that fast so I was very careful and only did this on empty wide roads. On Eco mode it tops out around 20 mph, which is the top speed for our local trails and for riding scooters on public roads.
What I like about the Ausom DT1 Pro scooter
- More than enough acceleration and top speed (for me)
- Good hill climb and off-road capability
- Improved footboard makes it easier to switch feet or even stand with feet side by side
- Excellent range on eco mode with single motor
What needs to be improved?
- Controls are twitchy at first in anything but the mildest mode
- Would love an estimated range at current power mode displayed, battery depletes fast at highest modes and with dual motors on hills
- Would like an audio beep when turn blinker is engaged, it’s easy to forget that it’s on
Final thoughts
I feel like Ausom took the feedback that reviewers like myself and their customers had for their 2023 Leopard scooter and added a crazy amount of power, resulting in great overall improvements and a huge boost in the fun factor with the inclusion of the dual powerful motors. This opens up activities for me like actual trail riding that I couldn’t really do before with other scooters, and I’m loving it. I think this model is going to appeal to thrill seekers or people with commutes involving tricky terrain more than your average scooter commuter, but if you’re looking for something that will put a grin on your face every time you ride, you may have just found it!
Price: $1199 (On sale for $1149 at time of review)
Where to buy: Ausom (Save $50 with code: gadgeteer27)
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by Ausom. Ausom did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
