Tamed beast - Kugoo KuKirin M5 Pro review
Kugoo KuKirin M5 Pro is the meeting of power, comfort and low price.
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Watch the scooter in motion in my video test:
Introductory
I wouldn't say that I have access to powerful scooters too often, I haven't even received one specifically for testing. The KuKirin M5 Pro is the first one that reached me through official means, and I have to write a review about it.
To be honest, I was curious about it, but not primarily because of the 1000 watt motor, but because the development looks rough even based on the pictures. Although the difference between the M4 Pro and the M5 Pro is only one generation, the two scooters are completely different worlds. As if they were not manufactured by the same company.
The M4 Pro still got the clicky front telescope, the engine was half as strong, the wheels are smaller, the shock absorption is much, much worse. In fact, the development is huge in every respect. And this made me curious, because with our Chinese friends, it often happens that based on the pictures, we expect something completely different from what we finally get.
In this article, you will find out the answer to the question, i.e. whether the M5 Pro actually got better, if so by how much, and if not, why not.
Accessories, assembly and exterior
I was expecting the scooter, but it surprised me. Well, not that the courier brought it, but that he asked me to help him take it off the car, then when we took it off he left it on the side of the road. I picked it up, then put it down. It took two runs before I got it into the garage. The package weighs almost 45 kilos, and this is the minor problem, the major one is that the box is so bulky that there is no way to get through it. I tried to put it on my shoulder, no chance.
I only wrote this so that you might be able to get help for unpacking well in advance.
Everything is neatly organized in the box, there is plenty of Nikecell, maybe a little more than it should be. A counterexample is the scooter in the test two years ago (it's true, it was much smaller), where they were able to solve the impact protection only with elements folded from cardboard. An example to follow!
There are some accessories, but nothing extra. Neither the lower nor the upper part of the seatpost is installed, and the seat is separate. We also find a metal box (it's plastic anyway, it just looks like metal), and it contains some tools, the charger and the description. Let's start the assembly now!
Before you take it out of the box, one more piece of advice. Prepare a 13-gauge open-end wrench and a 13-gauge socket wrench, the latter with a ratchet handle, because the tool supplied with the machine is almost useless!
Okay, you've taken it out of the box, it's time to assemble it! The lights are installed, that won't be a problem, the instrument cluster is also on top of the steering horn, this is also a tick. However, you have to screw up the steering wheel yourself.
I must note here that in the case of the Kukirin M5 Pro, it became apparent during assembly that the manufacturer used several parts for the machine that we are used to seeing on bicycles. For example, the steering rack and the fixing on the top of the steering rod. Because there are not only the usual two screws that are used to fasten it to the rod, there is also a third large screw that is screwed into the handlebar from above. This locks the steering rod from above and also prevents the steering horn from moving upwards. They double-secured the fastening, which is worth a red dot for me.
Installing the steering wheel is easy, but don't forget to tighten the screws of the clamps of the controls and brake levers, because they are left loose during transport so that they don't accidentally break off the bar. When you're done with that, you've opened the scooter, it's on its wheels and you think you're over the weight or the cold shower is coming.
Let's start with the session. It looks amazingly unspoiled. At least it's comfortable. At the same time, if you look at how the artificial leather cover is attached to the plastic, you will agree with me that we would expect more than this for a 300 scooter. The good thing is that for around HUF 5000 we can get a gel seat from the outside, so if the "factory" seat gives up, we can replace it cheaply.
But that's still nothing.
The fact is that the seat is packed in the box as it came from the "seat factory". That is, it is prepared for you to put the clamp on the seat post, tighten the screw and use it. The problem is that this scooter does not have a seat bar to pull on. In other words, you can only install the seat if you disassemble it first. Congratulations!
The next nightmare is fitting the rear box. This was solved with four through screws and self-locking nuts. However, the space under the support plate is so small that it takes really skillful (playful?) fingers to play the nuts into the right position. After I was done, I thought about how it would have been better if I unscrewed the support plate first, then strengthened the box and screwed the whole thing back together.
Let's talk a little about the exterior of the M5 Pro, so that we can talk about something good!
As I wrote above, the M5 Pro was a completely different world than the M4 Pro. It is enough just to look at the shock absorption, which is made of gas pipes in front, and in the back there is a large central strut bolted to the rear fork. Let's say it's necessary, since, as I've already mentioned, the machine itself is quite a serious individual.
It is interesting that the front wheel is larger than the rear. The rear is the usual 10 inches, but the front is 11 inches. In principle, this helps to absorb the impacts of road defects, and of course the wheel does not get stuck in the holes either. It is important to mention that it is a tubeless solution, meaning there is no inner tube in the tire. For this reason, if you buy such a scooter, it is worth putting sealant in the wheel before the first use, so that there are no problems in the event of a puncture.
Speaking of tires, it is important to mention that the pattern can be said to be mixed. There are cams, but only so much that they don't shake the machine even on asphalt.
The trepni we are standing on is unusually large. It's not just long, it's freaking wide too, just like those multi-thousand watt machines that I think you and I are used to marveling at. The surface is so wide that our feet fit comfortably not only behind each other, but even next to each other. The trepnin has a rubber coating, a great non-slip solution, which also looks good!
I must also mention the steering column. This is also not the usual piece in that it is not only held at the right height by a clamp. The pole has a spring-loaded cam similar to the old tent poles, which can snap into place at three fixed heights in its lower part. So not only the steering horn, but also the steering rod is double secured.
Let the lighting follow! There are two headlights at the front, which can project normal light in front of the scooter. Not only are they capable of continuous light, there is also a flashing mode, which specifically saved me today from a biker coming at me. I'm sure he noticed the flicker out of the corner of his eye.
It is interesting that on the edges of the trepni there are two white lights at the front and two red lights at the back. In addition, there is a wide red position indicator at the back, in the middle, on the box holder, which flashes quickly when braking. The box covers this light a bit, but it's bright, so the flashing is quite noticeable.
Okay, that's about it for the exterior, let's run through the specifications!
Paper form
Let's start with the dimensions! The machine is 1300 x 640 x 1270 millimeters when folded, and 1280 x 640 x 505 millimeters when opened. The net weight is given as 36,2 kilograms, as I wrote, the weight of the package is almost 45 kilograms. The size of the foot plate is not less than 540 x 255 millimeters. The machine has IP54 protection against water and dust, so it's still not a dive boat, but rain and puddles can't hurt it.
The electrical system of the KuKirin M5 Pro is 48 volts, which is encouraging data, but if we go further, we can see additional frank numbers. For example, the motor is 1000 watts, but the peak power is 1200 watts, the maximum number of revolutions is 1040 per minute. It is an interesting and at first not very positive figure that the maximum torque is only 30 Nm. We will see during the test how noticeable this will be.
The battery capacity is no less than 20 Ah, of course it is also 48 volts. The manufacturer gave 960 Wh for the power, of course it is equipped with thousands of protections, so it has overcharge, over-immersion, heat and frost protection, short circuit and all kinds of protection. It takes 8-9 hours to fully charge the battery.
The rest of the data will follow!
According to the factory data, the maximum load capacity is 120 kilograms. The maximum ascent that can be climbed is 15 degrees, the maximum range on one charge is 70 kilometers, and the maximum speed is 52 km per hour. The latter is different in the three gears, the maximum in the first gear is 29, in the second 42 and in the third 52 Km/h.
There are no electric brakes, but there are disc brakes with 140 millimeter discs at the front and rear, but only Bowdens. I already wrote about shock absorption above, as we also discussed the lights.
We got over this quickly, the experience can come!
Experiences
Let's start again with the exterior, and let's go right back to the title of the article, because the exterior is what made you read the sign of the beast. At first glance, this machine looks much more serious than it is in reality. To be honest, perhaps with the exception of the brakes, they could have easily installed up to 2 x 2000 watt motors, the chassis, frame, lighting, tread size and everything else are of sufficient strength and quality to withstand the higher power.
This is definitely a positive thing, as the machine is over-sized in relation to its performance, which is probably why we won't have any problems with durability!
The KuKirin M5 Pro is almost not sensitive to road quality. Due to the larger-than-usual front tire, it even races over rougher road defects, potholes don't want to rip the steering wheel out of our hands.
It's also no problem if you have to jump off a sidewalk at higher speed, this shock absorption amazingly smooths out any vibrations, bumps, whatever. The construction is truly exemplary, it has almost no counterpart in this engine category.
What I feel is a bit weak is the engine. Of course, this is also relative, since on the climb described in the previous test the 350 watt scooter slowed down to 18, this one slowed down to 29, so there is a difference, but I still expected more. Or rather something else.
Acceleration e.g. it won't rip your head off. It accelerates my mass near the top quite comfortably to the top speed, which in my case is not 52 but 45 kilometers per hour. Of course, this is not enough. I would like to add here that the engine can accelerate up to 61-62 kilometers without load, so it goes downhill like an animal. If you weigh, say, 70-75 kilos, then the factory top speed of 52 km/h is conceivable on a flat road.
The point is, the aforementioned 30 Nm is felt, which is both good and bad. It's bad, because it could accelerate a little better, it could like the climbs a little more. But it's also good, because thanks to this, you don't have to hold on like crazy when accelerating, you don't float by holding onto the steering wheel. In other words, it's not scary, despite the 1000 (1200) watts, you won't have a near-death experience.
I rode with it on a bicycle path (of course carefully and comfortably), but I also tried it between cars, and it was absolutely livable. It's a little worse when starting from zero, but if you're in momentum, maybe you don't have to come to a complete stop, then deceleration goes without any jerking or straining. When I reached a speed of 43-44 kilometers, it kept it on a flat road without any problems, so you can get by with it in city traffic as well.
The brake is adequate. Because of the mechanical disc brake, I regularly get told how much crap it is, but believe me, not even half of it is true. It is absolutely manageable, the braking effect is adequate, but there is still the option to replace it with a semi-hydraulic one if you don't trust it.
It is also interesting that the turning circle is quite large. Due to the design of the steering wheel and the front chassis, it is not possible to turn the steering wheel at too sharp an angle. This is more of an advantage while riding, you won't accidentally fall on your face due to the large steering angle, a disadvantage when turning, because you have to spin even on a normal sidewalk if you don't want to raise the ass of your scooter.
Finally, another very important figure is the distance that can be covered on a single charge. The factory data is 70 kilometers, which I smiled at first, but in the end it turned out that even if the 70 is not there, the end may be quite close to it.
On the day of the test, I covered 37 kilometers. Roughly half of this was the usual urban dusting, which had everything. Stopping at a red light, starting, a slight uphill, downhill, all kinds of speeds between 5 and 20 kilometers per hour.
On the other hand, I did the other half of the journey without sparing the technique. What fit on the tube. I drove on country roads, on dirt roads and on asphalt, I drove off sidewalks, I drove on smaller hills, I drove in mud and on dry land. So I gave it to his face.
In this mixed mode, after 37 kilometers, when I got home, the battery charge indicator was below half with two lines, by the time I rolled it into the garage it was back a little above half.
I know that the charge indicator is deceiving, and the lower half will reach zero sooner than falling from the top to the halfway point, but even then, the 37 kilometers traveled is human. I estimate that 50 kilometers is achievable in this mixed mode with my weight, climbs and red lights. In the case of a smaller body weight, I would risk 60 will also work, at least if you don't want to do all 50 on coke gas. And 60-XNUMX kilometers with one charge is not enough!
Sum it!
Summary
The KuKirin M5 Pro is a very well made machine and almost flawless. If you struggled through the difficulties of installation, then quickly forget about them, because the huge battery has a great range, and the wonderful chassis is a pleasure to race. Acceleration and braking are not as intense as on my own scooter, but not because it is that much weaker (mine is only 500 watts), but because the rear chassis can collapse when accelerating and the front can do the same when braking. In practice, this means that we have to play with our body weight much less. You don't have to lean back as much when braking, you don't have to lean forward as much when accelerating, the chassis can effectively dampen the effects of speed changes.
So even though it's more powerful than mine, even though it's heavier, it's much less challenging to use than my own machine.
I can't imagine this scooter for extreme athletes, but for people like me. You can go with it, but the adrenaline won't blow your mind. It's comfortable, you can even sit on it if you like. Although it is not legal, you can even have a passenger, because the back box is also a back seat. However, if you don't put the box on, you have a perfectly decent little trunk.
I therefore recommend it to those who have not been told that the road surface is perfect everywhere on the way to work. I also recommend it to those who would like to venture out into nature with it on occasion. Also for those who want to cover longer distances than usual, because the comfort and the large battery allow you to roll up to 40-50 kilometers with it without getting tired.
The seat is also comfortable, the seat tube has extra shock absorption, so it doesn't smash your rear. You can comfortably sit on it at a red light. If it were mine, I wouldn't remove the seat, it doesn't bother me, sometimes it's good to have it there. But I think I would take the box off. Okay, it can be locked, we can say that you can put your phone and wallet in it, but if the scooter were stolen, I would also take the box with my valuables. Perhaps the trunk under the box could be more useful when shopping, with a pack tied with a rubber spider.
Finally, the price. Last spring, with a much more favorable exchange rate, we rejoiced at the price of the Laotie ES8. This is my scooter. I said (because it was) the cheapest all-terrain scooter. This meant 213 forints at the time. But the ES8 is nowhere near the M5 Pro in terms of comfort, construction, range, chassis, lighting, or power. In comparison, the 5 forints asked for the M280 Pro, together with the worse dollar exchange rate, does not seem like much. Moreover, calculated in dollars, the ES8 was little more than last year.
Of course, I know that HUF 280 is not a small amount of money, but you can hardly find such knowledge and such performance in other machines. So this price is also great in that sense.
Of course, you can also order this from the EU warehouse, a NNNNAff11th699 with a coupon code, the price will be HUF 280 here:
