REVIEW - Is the new MotoTec Velocifero Mad 48v 1600 watt electric scooter worth $800+ you be the judge. Read our Review of the new MotoTec Velocifero Mad 48v 1600 watt electric scooter

We purchased the new MotoTec Velocifero Mad 48v 1600 watt electric scooter  with 4 12v, 12ah batteries approximately 3 to 4 months ago for almost $800 and have really enjoyed riding it on both paved and unpaved/off-road trails. 

It's fast and the batteries that came with the scooter appeared to last a long time.  After about 2.5 hours of use on unpaved trails with a mix of sand and steep hills the battery indicator had just moved from Max charge to Mid charge.  Charge indicator has three settings (Max, Mid and Min).  The scooter comes with disc breaks, break light, horn, front lights with a setting for standard on/off or a blinking/strobe light affect, two storage bags (one for front and one for rear) and a storage bag for the batteries that is water resistant.   The Velocifero is made from solid materials with a nice bamboo deck that covers the battery compartment. 

The Velocifero seat and seat support can be easily removed should you want to just stand on the scooter while riding.  The handlebar grips can be folded down and the steering column can be folded down so that the unit can be easily stored in a small space.

Specs:

Motor: 1600W 48V / 12A
Handlebars: Adjustable Height
Throttle: Twist
Max Rider Weight: 310 lbs
Recommended Age: 13+ Years Old
Frame: High-tensile steel
Battery: Four 12v/12Ah Lead-Acid (48v Total)
Range Per Charge: 18-22 miles in optimum conditions
Max Torque: 21
Charge Time: 4-8 hrs
Tire Size: 145/70-6
Deck: Wood (Bamboo)
Shocks: Single Front, Dual Rear
Horn: Yes
Headlights: Yes
Folding: Yes
Brake: Front and Rear Disc
Fintal Transmission: Chain
Box Size: 53x14x23 inches
Box Weight: 120 lbs
Scooter Weight: 106 lbs
Warranty: 60 days parts replacement

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

Pros - Solid metal construction, fast, capable of going up steep inclines and can be used off road.  Fat tires makes it great for moving through sand (although it can struggle in deep sand) and over all types of material in an off-road situation.

Cons - The cons are all related to the batteries.  The bag provided to hold the batters fell apart when attempting to place batteries back in scooter housing due to extremely confined area for holding batteries. No instructions were provided  for wiring the batteries. I left the battery charger on for about 3 days while the scooter was not in use (as I have done with all of my electronic devices) and this caused the batteries to heat up and the plastic housing melted enough to fuse the four 12v 12ah batteries together.  All 4 batteries deformed but didn't explode or leak any material.  However, they were no longer usable.

I have to take some responsibility for leaving the batteries on the charger for a few days but I had assumed the charger would have a circuit to protect it from over charging.

Changes I've made:

I replaced the 12v, 12ah batteries with new 12v, 15ah batteries (129 dollars for all 4) but once the charger indicates the batteries are charged, I disconnect it.  The new batteries appear to give it a little more power and provide a little more distance.  However, I've not run any specific test for distance or speed but plan to do that in the near future.  I found that one can order 12v, 18ah batteries as well on Amazon.

The new batteries come with different connectors so I reused the wires from the old batteries after placing new connectors on the ends (which works much better).  Another plus for the new batteries is that they are a much better fit for the battery compartment (making the setup much easier than the old ones).

Recommendations:

1. Don't leave the battery charger plugged in after the chargers green indicator light comes on to inform you that the batteries are charged.

2. Tighten all the bolts and screws that are part of the assembled scooter.  I found a few of them loose.

3. Check tension on the chain that drives the rear wheel as it will need to be adjusted after a few rides (unless you tighten the bolt before initial use, which I didn't).  

Future Plans:

1. Looking to add a battery charge indicator that gives me a better idea of where I stand with battery charge.  The current indicator only provides a setting for Max, Mid, and Min without any indication of how much time or charge is truly left.

2. Looking to add some type of device that will indicate the speed at which I am traveling.

How to wire the batteries so that they deliver the 48 volts required:

The batteries will need to be connected in series to get the 48 volts needed.  Connecting batteries in series basically adds the voltage of each battery (4, 12v batteries to equal 48 volts).  I hope the diagram below helps anyone that is not familiar with wiring batteries in series.  In the diagram you can consider the 48V Charge Controller to be the controller wires provided for power of the scooter. 

Thanks for being here and we hope we have helped you decide if the Velocifero Mad 48v 1600W is a NO or GO of your hard earned money.