4 ms·

Is the m365 good? I was thinking about getting one a few days ago. I usually cycle, but a scooter would be nice for smaller distances around the city.

mikestew 7y ago
(Not OP, have owned one for two weeks of daily seven mile commuting.) Good as in, "in comparison to similarly-priced scooters"? Yes, it's probably your best choice in that segment. You can spend a few hundred more for the M365 Pro or Ninebot ES4, but you're mainly getting more battery. Parts are no problem, as I'm pretty sure you could build a complete replicate from Alibaba, right down to the screws and molded rubber bits. Build quality is decent, but not great. Overall, better than I expected for $400 off Amazon. Now, is it "iPhone good"? Quality-wise, no. It's not very water-resistant, for starters, so it won't like a Seattle winter. The 250W motor is probably fine for tourist rentals, but it can be a bit anemic on hills. The mobile app integration is usable, but pretty meh. It's a 2nd-tier Android phone: good enough for the purposes of most people, for the money spent. I have no complaints with the M365, other than questionable durability. Therefore, because I see making a habit of this scooter thing and water-resistance is a consideration, I have one from Boosted (the e-skateboard folks) pre-ordered. Should be iPhone/Pixel quality, and priced similarly ($1600).
cheeze 7y ago
Also not OP, have owned one for 6 months. The xiaomi is the best thing I've spent 500 bucks on in the past year. It's been great because it works extremely well for me but it may not work as well for you. The difference between one being great and bad is super close IMO and totally depends on your parameters. In my case; I live in a big city that doesn't have rental scooters. We have E-Bikes but they are hard to find, especially during a commute. I walk to work - about 3 miles round trip. Some hills but nothing too bad. In my case, the scooter has replaced my commute and driven it down to just a few minutes. My work has a bike locker room, and I loop a cable lock through the wheel and go. Super super convenient. Range is always a lie with these things, which can make things hard. My scooter has about 50% battery left when I get home, but I can't imagine having to push this thing around if it was dead. That would suck. Speed on the scooter is pretty good, when the battery is lower it has some trouble on the hills, but it always gets me up them, just a little slow (I'm about 200... If you're lighter the scooter will be noticeably faster) My city is reasonably safe but we have a good amount of bike theft. I lock it up at a few local businesses in the bike rack, but wouldn't just do it anywhere. I factor the chance of being stolen into the price, and I'm not super worried if it does happen. I have a u lock mounted on the "steering column" which works well. Carrying the scooter is a little unwieldy. You can kind of roll it on one wheel while it's collapsed, but it's like 30lbs and kind of bulky. I have no problem bringing it from my apartment through the lobby and outside, but it would suck to say... Carry this through an airport or something (which you couldn't do if you wanted, but regardless...) I'm able to get to my friends places easier by scootering over. I often drive down to the water and have a beer by the waterfront. So, in my case the scooter has been AMAZING. But... I live in the city, have a commute within range, have a convenient spot to park, etc. The bad: range could be better (there are better scooters for this), transporting it is a bit bulky, parking can suck if you don't have a plan. Everyone will hate you (cars, peds, bikers) but oh well. If you get stuck on a hill, it's gonna suck to get it up the hill. Flat tires are possible but easily avoidable. Bumpy sidewalks can pose a problem with the 8 inch wheels, although doing a little hop is fine (pulling the front wheel up an inch) to counter. If you do get one, consider getting the m365s, it should become more available over the next few months. If you get the m365, buy a s display and swap it. Buy some 3d printed handlebar spacers. Generate a firmware for it on the site (on mobile or I'd link, easily googleable though). Regardless of model, get some tire slime for any preemptive punctures.
alchemism 7y ago
The other two opinions are in line with my impression: it is the best starter scooter in its class based on overall value. It costs substantially more to have one that will have superior performance without trade-offs. I did start seeing Facebook ads after my purchase, for a Ninebot prototype model on indiegogo for ~$600 which supposedly has a 40-mile range, all other things being equal. That one might be a better value if it does have superior power storage, since range is the most limiting factor of them in general. But I am quite pleased with the m365. It has a clean minimal appearance for the street, especially compared to the rentals if they are in your city. I keep it clean enough to carry into buildings with me rather than lock it out on the street, and no one has minded it yet. It feels a bit more like an appliance than a vehicle -- to echo other responses, I would worry about it getting very wet. I don't bring it on mass transit (folded) during rush hour, but otherwise I do, and find them to be complimentary. It makes 1-2 mile distances as casually easy as a walk to the next block, generally speaking.

mikestew 7y ago

(Not OP, have owned one for two weeks of daily seven mile commuting.) Good as in, "in comparison to similarly-priced scooters"? Yes, it's probably your best choice in that segment. You can spend a few hundred more for the M365 Pro or Ninebot ES4, but you're mainly getting more battery. Parts are no problem, as I'm pretty sure you could build a complete replicate from Alibaba, right down to the screws and molded rubber bits. Build quality is decent, but not great. Overall, better than I expected for $400 off Amazon. Now, is it "iPhone good"? Quality-wise, no. It's not very water-resistant, for starters, so it won't like a Seattle winter. The 250W motor is probably fine for tourist rentals, but it can be a bit anemic on hills. The mobile app integration is usable, but pretty meh. It's a 2nd-tier Android phone: good enough for the purposes of most people, for the money spent. I have no complaints with the M365, other than questionable durability. Therefore, because I see making a habit of this scooter thing and water-resistance is a consideration, I have one from Boosted (the e-skateboard folks) pre-ordered. Should be iPhone/Pixel quality, and priced similarly ($1600).

cheeze 7y ago

Also not OP, have owned one for 6 months. The xiaomi is the best thing I've spent 500 bucks on in the past year. It's been great because it works extremely well for me but it may not work as well for you. The difference between one being great and bad is super close IMO and totally depends on your parameters. In my case; I live in a big city that doesn't have rental scooters. We have E-Bikes but they are hard to find, especially during a commute. I walk to work - about 3 miles round trip. Some hills but nothing too bad. In my case, the scooter has replaced my commute and driven it down to just a few minutes. My work has a bike locker room, and I loop a cable lock through the wheel and go. Super super convenient. Range is always a lie with these things, which can make things hard. My scooter has about 50% battery left when I get home, but I can't imagine having to push this thing around if it was dead. That would suck. Speed on the scooter is pretty good, when the battery is lower it has some trouble on the hills, but it always gets me up them, just a little slow (I'm about 200... If you're lighter the scooter will be noticeably faster) My city is reasonably safe but we have a good amount of bike theft. I lock it up at a few local businesses in the bike rack, but wouldn't just do it anywhere. I factor the chance of being stolen into the price, and I'm not super worried if it does happen. I have a u lock mounted on the "steering column" which works well. Carrying the scooter is a little unwieldy. You can kind of roll it on one wheel while it's collapsed, but it's like 30lbs and kind of bulky. I have no problem bringing it from my apartment through the lobby and outside, but it would suck to say... Carry this through an airport or something (which you couldn't do if you wanted, but regardless...) I'm able to get to my friends places easier by scootering over. I often drive down to the water and have a beer by the waterfront. So, in my case the scooter has been AMAZING. But... I live in the city, have a commute within range, have a convenient spot to park, etc. The bad: range could be better (there are better scooters for this), transporting it is a bit bulky, parking can suck if you don't have a plan. Everyone will hate you (cars, peds, bikers) but oh well. If you get stuck on a hill, it's gonna suck to get it up the hill. Flat tires are possible but easily avoidable. Bumpy sidewalks can pose a problem with the 8 inch wheels, although doing a little hop is fine (pulling the front wheel up an inch) to counter. If you do get one, consider getting the m365s, it should become more available over the next few months. If you get the m365, buy a s display and swap it. Buy some 3d printed handlebar spacers. Generate a firmware for it on the site (on mobile or I'd link, easily googleable though). Regardless of model, get some tire slime for any preemptive punctures.

alchemism 7y ago

The other two opinions are in line with my impression: it is the best starter scooter in its class based on overall value. It costs substantially more to have one that will have superior performance without trade-offs. I did start seeing Facebook ads after my purchase, for a Ninebot prototype model on indiegogo for ~$600 which supposedly has a 40-mile range, all other things being equal. That one might be a better value if it does have superior power storage, since range is the most limiting factor of them in general. But I am quite pleased with the m365. It has a clean minimal appearance for the street, especially compared to the rentals if they are in your city. I keep it clean enough to carry into buildings with me rather than lock it out on the street, and no one has minded it yet. It feels a bit more like an appliance than a vehicle -- to echo other responses, I would worry about it getting very wet. I don't bring it on mass transit (folded) during rush hour, but otherwise I do, and find them to be complimentary. It makes 1-2 mile distances as casually easy as a walk to the next block, generally speaking.