Kaabo Skywalker 10S Review

If you are looking for a long-ranged scooter that is quick, not monstrously powerful, with good build quality, the Skywalker 10S is a strong contender.

The range has ride quality to match -- you won't mind putting miles on this scooter. The biggest drawback to the Skywalker 10S is its - weight and uncomfortable ride quality.

Though definitely not in the same category as the dual-motor beast scooters, the Skywalker 10S, with its single 1200-watt electric motor, is a swift, comfortable cruising scooter.

During our acceleration tests with a 165 lb rider, the Skywalker 10S accelerated to 15 mph in 3.7 seconds, to 20 mph in 5.6 seconds, to 25 mph in 9.1 seconds, and 30 mph in 15.5 seconds.

This ends up being a very comparable performance to the EMOVE Cruiser. Though the Cruiser is a bit faster at the lower end, the Skywalker reaches 25 mph more quickly (Cruiser is 9.6 seconds vs. Skywalker 9.1 seconds).

The Skywalker 10S has steady acceleration all the way up to its top speed of 32.0 mph.

The scooter completed our 200 feet, 10% grade hill climb test in 11.4 seconds with an average speed of 11.9 mph.

This is solid, but not overwhelming hill performance. To put this into context, the Skywalker should be able to handle most hills though it may slow to a crawl up extremely steep ones.

During our tests, we were able to attain a top speed of 32.0 mph with a 165 lb rider.

The Skywalker packs a 936 watt hour battery pack that yielded 25.1 mi during our real-world range tests. The battery pack is made of unknown cells — most likely generic Chinese ones.

We perform all our range tests on the same urban test loop with the same 165 lb rider. The loop has frequent stops, hill climbs, and rough terrain. The scooter is ridden at the maximum speed possible that is safe and in the fastest (least energy conserving) mode.

Because the test is rigorous, it should be considered a conservative assessment of the minimum range you will get — most riders will get more.

The Skywalker had a remarkable 15 mph braking distance of 9.3 feet. This is among the best we've tested. Simply put, the stopping power is excellent.

The Kaabo has dual mechanical disc brakes with Zoom-branded calipers. The rear has an oversized 6 inch ventilated disc, and the front features a 4.7 inch disc.

The brakes are great all-around. They are easily adjustable, and the only noticeable negative was that the calipers were a little squeaky — particularly under strong braking.

Ride quality is less than perfect but the front and rear suspension and massive 10 inch pneumatic tires do their best.

The front suspension has dual springs that are quite stiff. The rear has dual air shocks. Overall the suspension is well-balanced and has a medium level of stiffness.

The suspension gives the scooter stability at speed yet is soft enough to eat up bumps in the road. Though we were able to bottom-out the suspension when jumping on the scooter, this didn't happen during normal riding.

Although the 10S is a Kaabo scooter, it lacks the excellent ride quality of its bigger cousins, the Kaabo Mantis and Wolf Warrior.

Coming in at -s, the Skywalker is not ultra-portable. However, it has a folding telescoping stem and folding handlebars. These mechanisms help it collapse into a small form factor for storing or transportation.

Its folded dimensions are 46 inches long by 9 inches wide by 13 inches high — smaller than an EMOVE Cruiser (50 inches by 10 inches by 16 inches), but larger than the very compact Fluid FreeRide Horizon (38 inches by 7 inches by 14 inches ).

The handlebars fold and unfold quickly via a sliding collar mechanism. When unfolded, the handlebars are stable and have little play.

The stem folding mechanism is solid and exhibits none of the dreaded "stem wobble" we've experienced on other scooters.

The stem folds easily via a single lever and has a plastic safety tab to prevent folding if you inadvertently step on it while riding.

We aren't hugely thrilled with the design of the folding mechanism and initially feared that it would be easy to collapse by accidentally stepping on while riding.

In practice, this wasn't a problem. The additional plastic tab should prevent it from collapsing if you do step on it. We don't like that the safety tab is plastic. However, other scooters use this same type of folding design and don't even have an additional safety lock — so it's somewhat of a bonus.

The stem locks into place when folded for one-handed carrying. One downside is that the perfect balance point is between the folded handlebars, which makes carrying a little awkward.

The 10S is one of the first scooters we've seen with curved handlebars. The curved handlebars are an interesting feature that makes the grip a little more comfortable but is not hugely impactful.

The cockpit has simple controls with a brake lever, horn, and lights on the left side. The horn, which sounds like a European police siren, is loud enough to alert vehicles but shouldn't scare pedestrians.

On the right side is an additional brake lever and also the QS-S4 trigger throttle with a colorful LCD display that we see on a lot of scooters. Handlebar grips have an ergonomic, tapered shape, and the rubber is about average quality. They are firmly affixed to the handlebars and don't spin.

The 10S has front low-mounted LED, a rear red LED, and side LED strip lights. The LED side light strip is reminiscent of Anakin Skywalker's lightsaber and is fitting given the scooter's name.

The lights are bright enough to provide some visibility at night, though for frequent riding at night, we recommend a much brighter headlight for maximum safety.

The Skywalker packs dual 10.0 inch by 2.6 inch pneumatic CST-branded inner tube tires. These tires are enormous, thick, and sturdy. They provided traction in wet or dry conditions and contributed to the remarkably short stopping distance we achieved in our braking tests.

The Skywalker deck is slick and has a wrap-around strip of red LED lights that accent its glossy black paint job.

The wrap-around lights are activated by a switch located on the side of the deck. They can be turned off independently of the scooter being powered on.

Despite the decent size of this scooter and modest deck proportions, there is a limited amount of standing room due to suspension connections that consume precious deck real estate.

Consequently, the deck has only 17.5 inches of usable length. This feels a little cramped for a sizeable scooter. However, you get used to it after riding for a while.

True to the Kaabo brand, the Skywalker has excellent build quality. Ours arrived with a light switch that was damaged during shipping. We contacted Kreo, who has since resolved this issue.

The Kaabo Skywalker 10S has an IP (water resistance) rating of none. Though it may be able to tolerate some splashes, it's definitely not recommended to ride in the rain. The deck has some unsealed ports where cables are routed. Exposure to water risks damaging the scooter and definitely voids the manufacturer's warranty.

The Kaabo Skywalker has a max rider weight of 264 lb.

The Kaabo Skywalker 10S has been touted as the best electric scooter under $1000 — and there is certainly a reasonable case that can be made for it.

The 10S packs a decently powerful motor, enough battery for 25.1 mi of real-world range, and a ride that is plush enough to put serious miles on the scooter. Taken together, this is a very attractive and practical package that can all be had for under $1000.

If the Skywalker doesn’t appeal to you, look at our alternative scooters. You can also check out our Editor’s pick of best electric scooters.