Are you looking for an electric scooter that is capable of taking you on long rides and making your commute more enjoyable? Look no further than the Fluid Freeride Horizon. This electric scooter is powered by a powerful motor and offers an incredibly smooth riding experience. It is designed for both adults and children and has a range of features that make it an ideal choice for those looking for a reliable and fun ride.
In this review, we will discuss the features and benefits of the Fluid Freeride Horizon and why it is an excellent choice for those who want a reliable and enjoyable ride.
Acceleration
Up to about 13 km/h, the acceleration is a little slow at first. But after a slow start, when you reach the sweet spot of the acceleration curve, the Horizon wakes up and pulls hard all the way to 24 km/h. When you go over 24 km/h, your speed starts to slow down slowly until you reach your top speed of 38.6 km/h.
The motor, which at first doesn’t seem to be doing anything, also starts up, and strong acceleration is accompanied by pleasant sounds of the motor whirring faster. In 4.7 seconds, the Horizon went from 0 to 24 km/h, and in 7.8 seconds, it reached 32 km/h. Overall, it takes a little less time to get to 24 km/h than the cheaper Xiaomi M365, which takes 6.3 seconds.
But the Xiaomi and some other cheap scooters may be faster off the line than the Horizon because they start up faster.
Hill Climb Test
Even on steep hills, the Horizon does a good job. On an average hill with a slope of a few percent, the Horizon can fly up at just a few miles per hour less than its top speed. In a city like San Francisco, the steepest hills might slow you down, but most should be doable. The Horizon passed a standard hill climb test in 15.1 seconds at an average speed of 14.3 km/h.
A 250-watt electric scooter, on the other hand, will take about 20 seconds. The M365, which was cheap, took 21.2 seconds. The EMOVE Cruiser, which was faster and cost more, took 12.0 seconds.
Top Speed
When the Horizon is fully charged, it can go 35 km/h on flat ground and 38.6 km/h when going a little downhill (74 kg rider). Speed is not controlled by electronics, but by how much power the motor can put out.
Battery and Range
The Fluid Freeride Horizon can come with either one of two kinds of batteries. The first choice is a lithium-ion battery with 48V and 10.4Ah. This is the smaller of the two options, and each charge promises to get you 20 miles. The lithium-ion 48V 13Ah battery, which is the bigger of the two, costs a little bit more.
Even if it costs more, it might be worth it to find out that each charge will take you 25 miles. This is a good choice if you have a longer commute because it can go long distances. The Apollo Light is a similar electric scooter that comes from the same factory with only a few small changes.
The warranty on the Horizon is shorter and costs less. Which one is best for you depends on how important a better warranty is to you.
The Braking System
The Horizon has a drum brake and an electronic brake on the back that are both controlled by the same lever. During the braking tests, this scooter was able to go from 24 km/h to 0 km/h in 6.9 meters. Because only one wheel is stopping, the distance is on the longer side of the normal range of 5 m to 8 m.
Since the rear drum brake is completely inside the wheel, it shouldn’t need much maintenance and should be very strong. The brakes were quiet and worked well right out of the box. The brake lever doesn’t move very far, so you don’t have to pull it very far to make it work.
Lastly, the brakes work smoothly, and only a small amount of force is needed to stop the car as much as possible. The only bad thing about the brakes as a whole is that all of the stopping power comes from the airless tire in the back. The tire doesn’t grip as well as a pneumatic one would. If you don’t lock it, the back tire will move.
Overall, the braking system still works well enough, but you would like to see it work on both wheels.
Motor
The motor is in the rear hub, which is different from most electric scooters for commuting. Because a rider’s weight is more evenly distributed toward the back of the deck, a rear hub motor makes it easier to speed up and slow down. The motor itself is 500W, and Fluid Freeride says that it can reach a peak power of 800W if needed.
With a 624-watt-hour battery, it will never have the power of the WideWheel, but it does well against other commuter scooters.
Portability
Even though this scooter can be folded up, it weighs 41 pounds, which is too heavy to carry around town. You can buy a dolly and a handle to attach to the scooter so that you can move it around when you’re not using it. This scooter is heavier so it can have a more powerful motor and a stronger battery.
You’ll have to weigh the pros and cons of weight versus performance to decide if it’s a trade-off you’re willing to make. Even though it is heavy, the scooter is pretty small when it is folded up. The scooter is only 36 inches long and 14 inches tall when it is folded up. So, it might be heavier to carry around, but it’s small enough to fit on a bus or in a car.
The handlebar also folds in, which makes it easier to fit this scooter into small spaces. If you plan to walk a lot with the Horizon, the weight will be a problem unless you buy a dolly attachment to help you move it. If you take the bus or a ride-sharing service, the Fluid Freeride Horizon’s weight won’t be a problem, and it’s small enough to fit in small spaces.
Cockpit
The rubberized grips on the Horizon are of good quality and fit well with the handlebars. During the ride, they didn’t move around or twist. The accelerator is a QS-S4 trigger throttle that has an LCD screen built in. This part is the same on every electric scooter. Even though pulling down on the trigger doesn’t take much effort, having your finger out for a long time can be uncomfortable.
The mode, speed, odometer, and battery level are all shown on the LCD screen. You can also use it to adjust some of the many P-settings that control different features. The LCD screen is easy to read (even in bright sunlight), except for the level of the battery.
Lights
The Fluid Freeride Horizon has lights on both the front and back. There are no extra lights or turn signals on the scooter. If you end up riding in the dark, Horizon’s lights can help. But this scooter isn’t good enough if you’re going to ride it often when it’s dark.
In addition to the small, low-mounted front light, there are button lights on both sides of the deck, front and back. When the brake is used, the back lights flash.
Tires
The front tire on the Horizon measures 21.6 centimeters, and the back tire measures 20 centimeters. The front tire with a pneumatic inner tube gives you a good grip. With the front suspension, it works well to get over most of the obstacles and bumps you’ll find in a city. The back tire doesn’t have air and doesn’t grip as well as the front one.
When it’s wet, it won’t work as well. The main benefit of airless rear tires is that they don’t need to be fixed or checked for flats.
Deck
Even though the Horizon folds up small, it has a large deck with space for standing that is 46.3 cm by 15.8 cm. This is an inch longer than the Skywalker 10S, which weighs 25 kg, but shorter than the Zero 9. The Horizon also has a ground clearance of 10.7 centimeters, which is enough to let it roll easily over most curbs.
It also helps keep you dry if you roll through a puddle. The deck is finished with the Fluid logo and has grip tape on it to help you keep your footing. There is a kickstand on the deck. The scooter leans over a bit too far because the kickstand isn’t long enough.
Quality of Build and Safety
The Fluid Freeride Horizon has a lot going for it, and one of them is that it is well-made. Even after a long time of riding, it doesn’t seem to be less useful because of the wear and tear it has been through. The Horizon also has a clean and simple design, with no frills or extras to take your attention away from how good the scooter is.
Horizon’s character is all in how it works. The Fluid Freeride Horizon has an electric display that tells the rider how fast they are going, how many miles they have gone, and what mode they are in. The Horizon comes with three modes. Mode 1 is for speeds up to 15 MPH, Mode 2 is for speeds between 15 and 20 MPH, and Mode 3 is for speeds over 20 MPH.
This is a useful feature that works like a car’s gear shift, letting you go faster at the cost of less torque.
The Quality of the Ride
The scooter’s weight balance is more in the middle at the back, where the motor and drum brake are. Even after you did a range test, which had you starting and stopping and riding on rough roads for 41.9 kilometers, you could still feel your feet and your joints didn’t hurt. This shows that the suspension is doing what it’s supposed to do.
The front and back of the Horizon are both held up by springs. The 21.6-centimeter pneumatic tire and front spring suspension help to cushion the ride over rough terrain. They also reduce the amount of force you have to use to roll over obstacles, which could otherwise cause you to fall on your face.
The rear spring suspension isn’t as important for getting over obstacles, but it does help with the ride quality as a whole. It keeps your head from getting a massage when you’re riding on very rough roads. Last, the Horizon’s suspension isn’t too loud.
Unlike the Ninebot ES2, which has a dreaded suspension that clanks. It gives a ride that is as good as or a little bit better than scooters with big, air-filled tires.
Who Should Buy the Fluid Freeride Horizon?
The Horizon scooter is well made, has a good range and speed for the price, and rides smoothly. The Horizon is great for both people who live in the city and those who work there (as long as your commute is 25 miles or less).
The Horizon’s suspension makes sure that all riders have a smooth ride, and it’s an all-around great scooter at a reasonable price, but it doesn’t quite make it one of the best electric scooters.
Conclusion
Overall, the Fluid Freeride Horizon is a good electric scooter for the price. It is well-made, has good range, is powerful enough to get over most hills, and has a comfortable ride. If you are looking for a reliable and long-range electric scooter, the Horizon is a great choice.
