We at Autocar are a lucky bunch to have quite a few long-term test bikes at our disposal – we’ve currently got a 650cc cruiser, a 350cc roadster, two 250cc bikes and a 200cc dual sport, among a few others. My measure of how well I get along with a bike is how long I choose to keep it as my daily transport. In that respect, the iQube has done extremely well for itself. It has been my almost-constant commute companion for the past few months and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it.
To be honest, the iQube has pretty much never faltered after that one electronic bug we reported on in the first report. There have been one or two occasions over the past few months where it shows an error message on start-up, but cycling it on and off sorts the issue out. On the road, it has never caused any issues or performed out of the ordinary. A friend working in another publication said that he faced a small performance drop-off on his 60km commute in the peak of summer, but on my 27km daily round trip I never felt this. And our iQube is always ridden in Sport mode with the accelerator wide open.
One thing I really like is the iQube’s sense of familiarity. I’ve never had to bother with downloading any app, linking Bluetooth devices or studying ride analytics. While it has these features, it never forces them down your throat. There’s even an “incognito mode” that limits data collection. Sure, all these features are part of the appeal with EVs, but I like simplicity and expect my scooter to be a straightforward, ‘get on it and ride’ experience. The iQube delivers that.
Suspension is plush and it borders on being a bit too soft over big bumps, but you can easily add some preload on the rear shocks without using any tools. All in all, it’s a nice and comfy ride and that’s important for a scooter. The one downside compared with some rivals is that the boot is not huge, so if you need enormous storage space you’ll want to look elsewhere. I’ve also found that a little water inevitably works its way into the boot when the scooter is washed. Thankfully, this has not caused a problem with the portable charger that I keep stored in there.
Come to think of it, my only complaint is that I have never grown to feel comfortable with the excessively strong regen when you close the accelerator. The scooter slows down a little too quickly, but when you start accelerating again there is a slight delay before the scooter responds. The combined effect is that it feels like the iQube is being held back, almost like you are dragging an anchor around. I’ve gotten used to it, but even after ten months of usage, I still don’t like it.
Be that as it may, the iQube won our big electric scooter comparo all those months ago and I still find it to be my current pick for its combination of value, comfort and balance between performance and range. I’ll be moving to our long-term Ather 450X after the iQube goes back and let’s see if it can change my mind.
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