E-scooters have a bit of a bad rep. Im grateful to the tech gods that dockless e-scooters have not been allowed in NYC.
This public perception is a shame, because personal scooters are a different story.
They allow you to get from A to B in a compact package.
And they come in all sorts of sizes and performance levels to suit the needs of various users.
TheUnagi Model Onesets out to be a scooter youre proud to own.
Its prompted more questions and compliments than any other personal electric vehicle Ive tried.
It feels built to last.
Not so with the Unagi.
I got to try the higher-end configuration with dual motors and 450W of power.
The first thing you notice: its really pretty.
I like my white model, but I find the metallic blue particularly snazzy.
Unagi has made several commendable design choices.
First is a folding mechanism that is easily the best on any scooter Ive yet tried.
Simply pull down on a latch at the bottom of the stem and fold.
Thankfully, I havent had a problem after a quick spray of WD-40.
This helps reduce weight, but it allows the stem to taper into a thin center without compromising durability.
Aesthetics aside, it makes for a comfier grip when picking up the scooter with one hand.
Other scooters of similar weight tend to have thicker stems that make them uncomfortable to carry for long stretches.
Then there are the aluminum-and-rubber handlebars.
There are a couple of areas of the build that could be a potential cause for concern though.
Id like to see them better integrated into the frame.
Oh, and one more complaint: The horn is absolutely annoying.
Its like the ungodly beep your microwave makes, only a sustained sound thats 10 times louder.
Worse, it seems to just startle people rather than get them to actually move out the way.
Id much prefer a regular bell or horn.
Okay, but how good is it as at actually getting you around town?
That depends on how you plan to use it.
It also had enough power to pull me up slight hills at lower speeds.
In any case, my case is an extreme one.
With some lighter riders who tried the scooter, it was positively zippy.
But its not just about raw acceleration its aboutcontrolover acceleration.
The Unagi has the smoothest, silkiest throttles and brakes of any scooter or bike Ive tried.
Other scooters seem to have discrete steps in their acceleration curves.
Anything above a light touch might send you into warp speed; these throttles are best described as jerky.
The Unagis acceleration, on the other hand, gives me precise control.
Its a small detail, but it lends a sense of quality and control I seldom find elsewhere.
When the bike lanes disappear, the experience is less reassuring.
Youll want to swerve around every pothole or large bit of debris.
Dont get me wrong Ive done hundreds of miles with the Unagi on rough NYC pavement without incident.
Ive passed through a few surprise potholes and emerged unscathed.
And I appreciate the Unagis low-maintenance design and never having to worry about flats.
If I hadnt tried scooters with better cushioning, I might not have minded.
But for long, scooter-only trips, there are simply better options.
So maybe its a good thing the Unagi isnt a range champion.
Nonetheless, its not meant for marathon commutes.
Instead, the Unagi excels at short trips around the neighborhood and multimodal commutes.
Its a fantastic last-mile solution to complement existing public transportation infrastructure.
I reckon its one of the easiest scooters to carry with one hand.
It fits under a subway seat and can be rolled around vertically for a smaller footprint when standing.
It fits in the cargo space of every car Ive tried, even a Smart ForTwo.
And it means I end up running a lot of small errands I might have otherwise procrastinated.
Granted, I dont have an everyday work commute.
If my trip involves a subway leg, I pick the Unagi.
If I need to pick up a carshare vehicle, I ride there on the Unagi.
If I need to go up a few flights of stairs… you get the picture.
The beauty is more than skin deep.
