I recently purchased the ZT3 Pro from the Robina store, receiving very good service in the store. After a few days using the scooter I'm stoked with it and ready to give it an initial review - hope it helps your decision-making!
Why I bought a scooter: It will be used for last-mile transit on my work commute; to the train station from home, to work from the train and back again. I'll also use it for short trips close to home; quick dashes to the shops for a few essentials to save bothering with the car.
What I valued in a scooter: My priorities were build quality, water resistance, range, power, design, spare parts availability and warranty cover, not necessarily in that order. In fact, the order these come in really flexes when you go from research phase to hands on in the shop, then riding, as I found out.
Why the ZT3 Pro?
I initially had done all research online, covering a range of brands and suppliers. My shortlist included the InMotion Commuter Climber, the Segway G2 Max and a couple of others. It actually did not include the ZT3, which I never saw in my online searching for commuter scoots.
In looking for a robust, well built scooter, I wanted to know who builds the Lime rental scooters, which take a lot of abuse and seem to just keep ticking. When I found these are mainly built by Segway, even though it's only for the rental market and not for general sale, I zeroed in on Segway as a reliable manufacturer. I rolled into the Robina Segway store to get a direct look at my potentials, and very glad I did so. This experience highlighted the value of brick and mortar stores.
Being able to actually see and touch the items really helps when it comes to assessing quality of build and ergonomics, not to mention the design and physical presence and asking myself - am I going to like living with this thing?
When I hit the store I went to the G2 Max, my target scooter. I thought it ticked all my boxes and gave it the once-over. It is indeed a great scooter, but my attention was taken by the design of the P65A next to it. The P65 has a beautiful design and heaps of useful tech, but no suspension and less range. (Remember what I said about the way priorities flex? Case in point).
I was in a dilemma now. Luckily the salesperson, Yash, came to my rescue with his product knowledge and intuition. He pointed out the ZT3 Pro, which captures the best of both other machines (plus plenty extra) and I was instantly in love. My only potential issue with it? Physical size (it's bigger for sure) and weight (27.5 vs 25kg for the others).
I found with the one arm lift test that 27kg isn't physically that different to lifting 25kg. If the said lifting is only tackling a few stairs and throwing it into the back of the car occasionally, that was an easy problem to reconcile away in the face of the ZT3's sheer beauty.
The pro's I established on the ZT3 to make my decision -
1. It looks awesome. It just gives you a great feeling to look at, and pride of ownership should not be discounted.
2. Build quality. Everything about this scooter shouts extra. The materials used are all no-compromise, strong and dependable. Things that can break, like plastic trim, are replaceable as spare parts.
3. Ergonomics. The swept back bars, the grips, the combination thumb/twist-grip throttle, the huge, wide deck and the beautiful LCD display are all brilliant. The folding mechanism is a masterpiece, being both easy to use and very secure. With design and ergonomics it's little things which can make a big difference, and the ZT3 has some serious thought put into the design.
4. Power. This scooter is single motor, but it's 650W nominal and 1600W peak, which is huge. I tested this on a fairly steep hill at my home with two people on board (yes, naughty, but we just wanted to test that power.) The ZT3 climbed the hill with 160kg of combined people weight on board, dropping speed to about 10km/hr, but it still climbed the hill. I was in disbelief. In normal circumstances, one rider, flat track or gentle hills, this thing just eats it all up. No, it's not as powerful as many dual motor scoots but with what I want it for I'm never going to complain it's lacking grunt. In sports mode with boost activated it takes off like a rocket and you best be holding on!
5. Water resistance. I want to be able to still ride my commute if it rains. This scooter is IPX5, which means not assessed for dust ingress (the X) and level 5 water protection, or the ability the withstand a water stream from a low pressure source like a garden hose. Basically, don't submerge it or try to ride through a creek, but if it rains while riding, don't be afraid.
Summary: I love this scooter. It looks the business, well built, it's fun to ride, the suspension is great, range figures are accurate, it's very stable and the tech included is really impressive. It is on the big side for carrying on the train but on the balance of things, I'll just deal wi...
