Motorised scooters, such as Razor electric scooters and Go-Peds, have become very popular in recent years and are a good way to bridge the gap between kick scooters and full sized mopeds and scooters. Kick scooters are fine for smaller children but when they want to move on to something faster and more sophisticated an electric or gas scooter would be a good buy.
Motorised scooters can have either electric powered or gas motors and each have their own advantages and disadvantages. In this article we’ll look at these types of scooters to help you choose which one would be best for your child.
The first thing to realise about motorised scooters is the top speed. Gas scooters are almost always faster than electric scooters with maximum speeds around 30 mph while those with electric motors reach up to about 20 mph. Taking into account safety considerations is needed here as, although your child may ask for a faster scooter he may not be ready for one that can go this fast. A slower, electric scooter may be safer until he has learned how to handle one responsibly and skillfully.
For younger children an electric scooter is always a better buy as they are definitely safer, but for young teens who are more responsible and may have outgrown a slower off road electric scooter, a gas scooter is probably the way to go.
Next let’s think about maintenance. Gas scooters need more maintenance as the engine needs regular checks for oil and the spark plugs will need cleaning or replacing occasionally, just as you would for the engine in a car or lawn mower. An electric motor is virtually maintenance free so is easier for a child to look after.
You will also need to carry a gas scooter to the gas station to be filled regularly but it has an advantage over an electric scooter in how long it can run for. Scooters with electric motors vary in their maximum running time on one recharge, from forty minutes for a smaller engine to four hours for a larger more expensive one. This is continuous use and four hours is plenty for your child to run around the neighborhood. They can be easily charged by plugging in to a power socket overnight to be ready for the next days play.
Children should also be taught the right way to look after the body of the scooter by keeping them out of mud and drying them properly before putting them away to prevent corrosion.
What about the cost of gas and electric scooters? Gas scooters are more expensive than electric scooters. Go-Peds start at around $450. A lower priced Razor scooter with a forty minute maximum running time can be found for as low as $100 although you’ll need to pay extra if you want one that can run continuously for longer than this. In addition an electric scooter is cheaper to run than a gas powered one.
So, in conclusion, we can say that for younger children electric scooters are better as they are safer and easier to care for. For an older child or teenager who is more responsible a gas powered model that is faster is a good choice.
