Oct 7, 2015

My Motorcycles: Pure Polaris Electric Scooter

And Now for Something Really Different


All Rights Reserved © 2001 Thomas W. Day

An absolutely valid rap "against" the bikes I usually ride is that nobody ever looks at my ride and I rarely hear "wow! what a cool looking bike."  If that bothered me, the Pure Polaris Electric Scooter would be the cure.  Polaris claims that this snazzy little unit will do up to 12 miles at speeds of 16-18mph.  I'll test that claim, later, by making the poor little Scooter lug my 200+ pound butt around town and country.

Early on, I thought I'd never find out what the average speed is over any distance beyond a couple hundred yards.  Take my first morning out, for example.  I made it two blocks when a semi driver passed me and stopped in the middle of the road so he could ask me how the Polaris was powered (electric motor) and what it's range was (how the hell would I know?) and what it weighed (59 pounds, without me).  Two blocks later, I almost passed two power-walking women before getting stopped to answer the same questions plus "where can we buy one? (see your nearest Polaris dealer or call the company in Medina).  Three blocks later, a guy in a Buick stopped me to ask about the range, the manufacturer, the cost, and to tell me he thought it would be a great vehicle to ride to his deer stand.  At the coffee shop, three blocks later, in a half hour I got to read two pages of my book while answering questions about the scooter from half of the people in the store.  The ride home was just as talkative.  A little more than six blocks, four stops, four conversations, and I should be getting a free Electric Scooter t-shirt from Polaris so that I can complete my rolling advertising campaign for the Electric Scooter.

Since you mostly know me as the Geezer and you know how naturally crotchety I am, here's where you should be expecting my long list of gripes on the Scooter.  I'd like to accommodate you, but so far I'm having too much fun with the damn thing.  So is my wife, and I guess I could complain about that.  When she's riding it, I'm not.  She's already imagining a business where she rents these things to companies for parades, as sort of a rolling signboard.  I suppose she'll expect me to wear a Shriner outfit and ride the Scooter to get the company . . . rolling.  I may not care about looking cool, but I'm definitely opposed to looking dorky.  Believe it or not, I have standards, they're just lower than average.

I first saw the Electric Scooter at a MN-Sportbike pre-event.  One of the sportbikers brought his Scooter along to get from one end of the track to the other without having to mess up his Nike's.  He offered a ride to anyone who wanted to play with it, but I was the only taker.  Now I know why.  Ride it and you gotta have one. 

He had pulled the seat off of his Scooter and was riding it skateboard style.  I, mostly, ride mine the same way.  My wife likes the seat.  I just feel slightly less like I'm posing as an invalid on a powered shopping cart when I'm standing.  (See what I mean about having standards?)  The seat is way too comfortable and it doesn't allow for drastic weight-shifting which makes getting over curb entrances, at top speed, a lot more interesting. 

The Polaris Scooter is suspended.  The suspension is slightly more elaborate than the typical kick scooter, but it's good enough to suck up sidewalk irregularities and sloped curb entrances.  I've been told that the Scooter works fairly well on dirt roads, too.  I haven't tried mine because I'm nearly over the weight limit just by wearing shoes.  Adding the resistance of dirt roads would probably trip the circuit breaker in a few minutes. 

The Scooter's brakes are more than adequate, a mountain bike V-brake on the front and a drum brake on the rear.  The rear brake is also connected to the engine cutoff, so you can't brake and throttle at the same time.  Sort of an idiot switch, I guess.  The controls are in a motorcycle layout, right side = front brake and left side = rear brake, so you won't have to waste time re-routing cables like you did with your mountain bike. 

Most of the Scooter's weight must be in the tires, batteries (and their bash-rail-protected steel case), and motor, since the frame is aluminum as are most of the other metal bits.  The unit folds into something that could be carried on to a bus or packed in the trunk of a Geo.  The seat and handlebar height are fully adjustable and the hardware is all high quality bicycle bits.  The throttle/battery capacity indicator is a thumb control dead-man switch control by the right-side grip. 

The battery easily charges overnight from near-dead and the manual claims that the battery will charge from 70% depleted to full in 6 hours.  The charger is a high-tech, light-weight unit that fits in a hiker's tailbag so you can carry it with you on longer trips (using your employer's AC to provide energy for the return trip, for example).  The connector is an XLR (standard audio connector) which is unusually durable and reliable for this purpose.  The connector on the battery-end of the charging connection has a cover which will provide a little protection from dirt but it's far from water-tight.

The owner's manual contains a bit of age discrimination, since Polaris states the bike is for "age 12 to 45" riders.  If I weren't old I wouldn't be the Geezer and I resent being told that I'm too ancient to play with a toy that is this much fun.  Repeal that limitation, Polaris Marketing/Legal department.  I'd sue, but I'll probably fall down and bust my hip between now and when I'd get to court and Polaris would get to use me for evidence that the manual's precautions are justified.

The other precaution that seems a little paranoid is their warning against riding the Scooter downhill.  Unless you are a Flat Earth'er, it's hard to imagine a place you can ride where you're not either going uphill or downhill.  I see two possibilities regarding this contraindication: 1) it's a legal butt-covering tactic, 2) downhill operation could over-charge the battery.  In Amerika it's always reasonable to assume that any idiot who finds a way to go over the bars and bust his empty skull will immediately locate a lawyer and claim "manufacturer negligence."  However, I'd appreciate knowing if this warning is legal gibberish or some sort of limit on the Scooter's capability.  I've noticed that even when the battery is off and the handlebar kill switch is off, the charge-condition LEDs light up when the bike is pushed.  If the battery is getting a recharge from the motor during downhill operation, that recharge might be unregulated and could damage the battery or other circuitry.  I'll wait by the phone for a response to this question.  I'm reasonably patient about these things.  Ten minutes and no one has called, I give up.  I'll keep riding it up and down hills and I'll let you know how that works out for me.

Polaris is, apparently, a little confused about how they want to support the Electric Scooter.  Their marketing handout and the Pure Polaris website (http://www.purepolaris.com/) states that the unit comes with "a year limited warranty."  The owner's manual revises this number to 90 days.  I'm guessing the warranty is somewhere between 90 and 365 days (note: Polaris confirmed the one year limited warranty). In the end, the company simply pretended the scooter never existed and, to this day, their misnamed "Customer Service" department pantomimes shuffling through pages of manuals and computer screens before saying "We never sold an electric scooter."

Riding the Scooter is about as simple as two-wheeled riding gets.  The electric motor provides bags of torque.  When the battery is freshly charged it's not that difficult to life the front wheel on full power takeoffs.  You simply press the thumb control and go.  The Scooter is up to max speed about the time your foot hits the floorboard.  The belt-driven, 350W rare-earth magnet motor is quiet and amazingly powerful for its size. 

The 12" wheels roll over minor road irregularities and the suspension sucks up the rest.  The bike moves fast enough that you'll need to use countersteering techniques to turn quickly.  Standing or seated, the Scooter is agile and responsive, although you do have to get used to applying power a few seconds before you want it, because of the time-delay between the thumb control and a reaction from the motor. 

So far, I've learned these simple rules for my Scooter: 1) turn the freakin' battery switch off if you want the charger to do its job, 2) watch the weather, unless you want to walk home in the rain (electric motors and rain don't mix), 3) try to avoid police attention because nobody is sure how the law applies to this sort of vehicle, 4) use lots of body english to take advantage of the limited-travel suspension.  I've made three 10 mile, round-trip excursions on my Scooter and have returned with power to spare.  I'm about to test the unit on a home-to-work commute, but I'm building up to it since I haven't found an efficient, limited-traffic route as yet.  My bicycle has wasted away (while my belly is doing quite well, thanks for asking) because the Scooter is a lot more fun than the bike.  Any trip from home, shorter than ten miles, gets made on the Scooter.  It's more fun than the bike, more efficient than either the car or the motorcycle, and I'm starting to enjoy the attention.

I always assumed I'd give this to my grandson when he turned 13 and was old enough to ride it on the street legally. However, he snapped off the throttle lever practicing wheelies and snuck the scooter back into the garage without telling me about the damage or saving the broken part. Now, Polaris is doing a wonderful Sergeant Schultz imitation ("I know nothing.") and Wolfegang's window of opportunity and interest has past. Most parts that matter, like battery replacements are easily available on Amazon and through other on-line vendors.
 
2010 Postscript: Polaris has continued to disavow any knowledge of this vehicle since around 2004. Because of this review, I get emails from all of the company's victims/customers wanting to know where to buy parts for this little scooter. Through direct conversation with the company, I have been told "we never made/sold anything like that." They are, obviously, either liars or fools. This was a high-end attempt to get into the electric runabout business (at $1,000 MSRP) and Polaris isn't fooling anyone by pretending to be ignorant. They were probably too late to the market with too little support and their usual marketing stupidity and decided to cut and run from the model without a thought in their tiny little marketing/sales heads about the customers they were abandoning. Sorry, guys. I can't help you fix your electric scooter and I can't find parts for my own. I desperately need a new throttle mechanism, but I'm out of luck and the scooter is stuck in my shop until I find a substitute or give up and toss it in the dumpster.

2014 Postscript: Holy crap! I found a live person in Polaris' customer service and received this response:

Thank you for contacting Polaris. I apologize that you have had a poor experience with service parts for your electric scooter. Your model is called the EV Rider Xport SLX 707. This is a scooter with front and rear suspension and has the narrow tires. These scooters were made in the mid 2000’s and Polaris does not support these vehicles internally; however, service parts are available for the Polaris Electric Scooter directly from “Light Electric Vehicle Technologies.” They can be contacted at 1-888-743-3738 or levtservice@aol.com. [Talk to Shelly.]

Thank you for your inquiry,
Kyle
Parts Resolution Specialist
Polaris Industries
1-800-POLARIS

 

I don't know about the rest of Polaris Industries "Parts Resolution Specialists," but Kyle kicks ass. It took about a week and $24 (including shipping) for the throttle lever to arrive, a minute to install it, and our Polaris Electric Scooter/EV Rider Xport SLX 707 is back on the road. Many of the other parts for this scooter are common, like the batteries and drive belt, and the less common stuff may be in stock with Light Electric Vehicle Technologies (602 S 1st Ave, Pocatello, ID 83201 208-232-5515).

2020 Postscript: This August, I decided I had too many electric bikes (and one scooter) in my garage. I put the Polaris scooter up on Craig's List and was swamped with emails and calls. A local guy bought it as a reward for his daughter's excellent academic performance and, last I heard, she was lovin' it. I hadn't fired it up for a couple of years when I made the decision to clean out the garage. It needed one new battery, some connector cleaning, a little cosmetic work, air in the tires, and it was good to go. I even took it for a ride with my GPS in hand to verify the scooter's top speed (14mph) for the Craig's List ad. I have some really good memories of this scooter, but I have moved on to eBikes.

35 comments:

Richard C. Lambert said...

Polaris claims that this snazzy little unit will do up to 12 miles at speeds of 16-18mph. I'll test that claim, later, by making the poor little Scooter lug my 200+ pound butt around town and country. this website

RayW said...

re: the never ending questions about your ride.

Do what I did to answer the usual questions I'd get about my FJR 1300... I just made up some business cards on my PC and hand them to people that ask me if it's a BMW.

It's a Yamaha FJR 1300
1300 cc
top end 158 mph (per the internet)
0-60 in 3.2 seconds (again, per the internet)
Yes it's fast
No, you can't ride it.

T.W. Day said...

Ray,

I'm retired so I have more time for and curiosity about the stupid crap people will say these days.

Unknown said...

Who made the polaris electric scooters?
I'm looking at one right now. Should I stay away from it?
Ken
Westfield,MA

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
T.W. Day said...

Kenneth,

Everything I know about the origins of the Polaris electric scooter is at the bottom of the review. Parts are support are available from “'Light Electric Vehicle Technologies.' They can be contacted at 1-888-743-3738 or levtservice@aol.com. [Talk to Shelly.]" I haven't been back for parts for a couple of years, but I suspect they still have some in stock. If you can get a really good price on the Polaris, I'd go for it. My recommendation for a good price would be under $100. The damn things cost $1k list, way back when. I paid about $350 for mine brand new directly from Polaris. With the service and parts difficulty and lack of involvement from Polaris, resale is pretty cheap.

Industrialvehicles said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Unknown said...

This scooter is actually a HCF Pacelite 707. If you do a search for it you will find any part you need. They are great little scooters.

T.W. Day said...

Brian,

That is a great tip. Thanks! It is a terrific scooter and it will be great to have it back on line. I'm thinking about installing a lithium battery now.

Industrialvehicles said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

I brought mine new approx 1995. still on original batteries,it is used 3 or 4 times at least, weekly.I have only had to replace the belt.& the motor brushes early in its life, this caused more by myself before finding the correct way to operate it.

T.W. Day said...

What did you do to cause the motor brushes to fail?

Muzz said...

Using full throttle over long distances in to hot weather.Brake switch to motor faulty. Made up different composition brushes to suit. Motor appears to run cooler now while testing with a thermal gun

T.W. Day said...

That makes sense. I haven't used my scooter much since I repaired the throttle. I'll keep an eye on that. Thanks.

scooter said...

There are different types of Electric Scooter with Seat available with different features. The weight, capacity and functions of each of these scooters are different from each other.

John said...

This is the great tips and tricks you have given in this article. !! Thanks alot!! You may also visit our website Top Electric Scooters which you will get alot of knowledge about Electric Scooters

Muhammad Hassan said...

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Unknown said...

My name is Eddie, I'm trying to find a motor for a Polaris electric scooter aka every rider sport slx707, any info you might have please email

T.W. Day said...

Like the article says in the 2014 postscript, check out Light Electric Vehicle Technologies.

charlos john said...

I wish more authors of this type of content would take the time you did to research and write so well. I am very impressed with your vision and insight. Best Street Legal Electric Scooter for Adults

Unknown said...

Have an Xport 707. Charged battery but can't get it to start? Any ideas?

T.W. Day said...

What do you mean by "can't get it to start?" Lights don't come on? Lights are on, but the motor doesn't do anything?

Muzz said...

Alina jones said...

Ensure that your electric scooter is correctly maintained. Electric scooters are extremely quiet. They are hard to regulate. They are also a lot easier to maintain seeing as their structure is a lot simpler. Check out this site to know more about electric scooter reviews.

kenwood said...

Although most parents fear electronic scooters due to safety issues, electric scooter for adult

Unknown said...

I bought my 707 365$ only used it about 15 times the most maybe 25-30 miles and it just stopped working, no lights come on had few techs check it out guess over heated blown. I really did enjoy it so much I was going too buy my wife one too but after what happened never again. NEVER

Powza said...

I'm selling one of these scooters. New batteries just installed. You can see the ad on:

https://myrtlebeach.craigslist.org/spo/d/myrtle-beach-polaris-xport-xls-707/7080163360.html

T.W. Day said...

You must have sold it. The ad is gone.

dye1979 said...

Just got my scooter free. Charges up and lights come on but that’s about it. Took rear drum and tire off to see if anything happens and nil. Any suggestions would be great.

dye1979 said...

Just got my scooter. Was told it ran fine years ago. Fully charger all lights come on. Removed back brake and wheel but nothing turns. Any suggestions??

T.W. Day said...

My first suggestion, based on the time the scooter spent inoperable, would be to clean all electrical connections. My scooter has been in the garage unused for about the same amount of time. The replacement battery didn't last a whole year and I haven't messed with it since. I guess your question might motivate me to check it out again.

T.W. Day said...

I finally put the Polaris back together and sold it this week. It went to a good home, in good shape, with new batteries. I owned it for about 20 years and it gave us a lot of use and my grandson really put it to good use.

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