Fifteen days with the Boosted Rev

After waiting 26 days, FedEx finally delivered my Boosted Rev. I’ve enjoyed each of my rides, and look forward to many more as the weather cools down.

Why?

Consideration of owning a personal electric scooter hadn’t been on my radar. Ever. Then…I heard an ad spot on Accidental Tech Podcast. 😄

I’d never get the marketed 22-mile maximum riding range. From the Safety & Compliance page:

Up to 22 miles / 35 km Tested on a smooth, flat riding surface with no wind, 73°F / 23°C ambient temperature, constant riding speed of 6 mph (9.6 km/h), and a 160 lb / 73 kg rider.

Ha. I can’t go that slow, and I weigh more than that.

All the other features highlighted in their product page sounded fantastic, and it looks rad.

Here are some scenarios where I’d use my Boosted Rev:

• Car isn’t available.
• Not pressed for time, or am able to carefully plan my route.
• Short trips within a few miles from home, or relatively close to a Metro rail or subway station.
• Go somewhere near a Metrolink station.

While I have a car, using it only when necessary would obviously be better.

Where have I been?

The day the Boosted Rev was delivered, I fully charged it, then went to Target in hopes they had cans of compressed air. (They didn’t.) Taking a cue from "Boosted Luke" on YouTube (he isn’t affiliated with Boosted), I walked it into the store, did my best keeping clear of everyone, and avoided blocking aisles. None of the employees objected (and all seemed super preoccupied). If any stopped and looked more closely, I would’ve happily asked for express permission.

Early morning errand to Office Depot, 4.6 miles round trip. Walked it inside, and none of the employees spoke up. (Compressed air acquired, and the “N” key on my 2017 13-inch MacBook Pro works again.) Also rode by parked motorcycle police a couple of times, and they didn’t call out to me or pay attention.

Late lunch at a place serving Mexican food. Outdoor seating only, and I kept the scooter next to me. The place was empty. On the way home, a police SUV drove by. It didn’t make a hard U-turn to come after me, so that was a relief.

Early morning breakfast at McDonald’s. Locked it outside — as suggested from Mediahound on YouTube — just to try it.

Early morning breakfast at Jack in the Box. I brought it inside, asked, and was allowed to keep it with me.

Another morning, I went to a place that has good breakfast burritos. There wasn’t a dedicated bike rack, so I locked it along a rail directly in front of the place. Chose not to ask this time, but they probably would’ve allowed it. Ample room under their tables, I could’ve probably folded it, too.

Successfully did a late night test ride to and from a Metro Gold Line station. The headlight looked sufficient for Eco mode (2).

A day later, rode to that same Metro Gold Line station, went a few stops, ate breakfast, then got a haircut. Both places let me bring it inside (I asked). I kept it folded down, tucked away from foot traffic. At Corner Bakery, I also charged it for 25 minutes (13% increase). Longest cumulative day ride so far of 8.8 miles, with the longest two legs of 3.2 miles each.

Public transportation

Los Angeles Metro rail and subway allows electric scooters in designated areas marked with yellow labels (bicycles, baby strollers, and luggage). Tough if there already two bicycles there, but I noticed other cyclists that board after the fact don’t stand in the designated area.

See: Riding Metro with your bike

Haven’t tried Metrolink yet, but they allow electric scooters.

Other Notes

I assembled the scooter as described by Boosted in their unboxing video. Feels solid. Whenever I fold it down, I make sure to press down on the rear fender stomp brake. Only "issue" was one of the cable grommets — just below the handlebar assembly — wasn’t seated at all. I reinserted it as best I could.

So far, no issue with unlatching while carrying the scooter up or down one flight of stairs. I’m probably getting used to the weight.

On Eco mode (2), I estimate my range should fall between 10–13 miles. Caveat will always be “depending on conditions”, but I generally ride on flat conditions, with occasional inclines. Since I’ll carry my two locks with me in a backpack, I’m always willing to bring the charger to get more range.

I use saved notes in Soulver to calculate:

• Estimated range using the battery percentage used and distance.
• Time to charging completion. About two minutes per 1%.

Boosted app is glitchy, and the odometer is incorrect. I was initially able to register my Boosted Rev. Since then, whenever I power on and connect my Rev, my vehicle in the profile tab always says “disconnected”.

I’ve stuck with “Ride – track your eSK8 rides” (by Kane Cheshire) for ride tracking and battery level. Notifications are handy, including full charge ones. I haven’t tried auto start and auto stop rides.

One person told me to enjoy my new Razor scooter. 😆

Two people asked if it was one of those rentals, and one of them asked about the charge time and range.

As I ate breakfast one morning, I noticed a man getting into his car, who noticably slowed down when his eye caught the folded — and locked — scooter, staring with great interest. (Cue “Hello” by Lionel Richie.)

An older woman asked if I ride it on the sidewalk, and I corrected her that it was against California law. She also wanted to introduce me to some guy who rides a skateboard. No idea if he had an electric skateboard. Boosted Board? Alt-wheels pride, perhaps? 😄

I like having a beautiful scooter behind me during Zoom calls at work. Otherwise, the wall is empty (at the moment). 😎

Check out YouTube videos of the Boosted Rev by:

• MicBergsma
• Boosted Luke
• Ryan Witherspoon
• iPhonedo
• Matti Haapoja
• Marques Brownlee
• Sam Sheffer
• CNBC
• Mediahound