Prospective scooter buyers in the US have a lot of brands to choose from these days, and these brands are all over the board when it comes to quality. VMAX is one of the standout brands for 2024; this is a Swiss company that just started selling scooters here in 2023, but they are not new to the scooter game as they've been operating in Europe since 2015. That's probably part of why their scooters are so safe, with safety regulations generally being much more comprehensive in European countries than they are here in the states. Couple that with a Swiss reputation for quality and many years of product iteration and you get some of the best scooters money can buy!
VMAX has a wide range of models on offer and the VX2 Pro is somewhere in the middle. It's the ultimate commuter, fast and reasonably portable, and pure simplicity to operate. It starts at $699, but that can jump up to $999 if you opt for the GT version which expands your potential range up to 37 miles (60 km). That might sound like a lot for a scooter, and on the one hand it is; there is no shortage of cheaply priced scooters on the market today. Just remember that with scooters --as with anything really-- you get what you pay for! VMAX doesn't just build great scooters; they support them down the road with a 24 month comprehensive warranty. Most scooters only offer six months of warranty coverage, or a year if you're lucky
Like all of VMAX's scooters, the VX2 Pro is built to last
Zooming along at 24 mph is an easy (and sometimes dangerous) way to quickly test the build quality of a scooter. Many scooters with 10" wheels start to exhibit something called "speed wobble" when you get much over 20 mph, especially if the steering column is flimsy or lacks damping. The VX2 Pro is, simply put, rock solid. There is no noticeable bend or flex in the steering column in any direction, and it has just a touch of damping built in; this means it resists turning just a little bit, so that bumps in the road don't throw it to one side or the other as easily. I hit a top speed of 28 mph coasting down a steep hill and was surprised to look down and see my speed that high, because it feels so smooth and effortless on the VX2 Pro.
Well, it feels smooth and effortless on smooth roads, at least. The downside of that super sturdy frame is that when you hit a rough patch of road, you're really going to feel the lack of suspension. The lack of flex in the steering column is awesome for stability at speed, but it also means that any bumps are going to get sent right up the column to the grips. I did a little off-roading during my test rides and definitely don't recommend it! I can't really fault the VX2 Pro here; it's designed for city commuting purposes, not trail riding, so the sturdy frame design is the right call. My only point is that if you want to do a mix of city and trail riding you should consider a different scooter, like the VX4.
How about safety? Once again VMAX checks all the boxes
VMAX's scooters are some of the safest ones on the market. Part one of safety is in the manufacturing, mostly related to the potentially dangerous lithium-ion batteries that power all scooters today. To that end the VX2 Pro has the all-important UL 2272 certification (which pertains to safety of the entire electrical system), and the certification is verified by SGS, a trustworthy third-party testing agency.
Safety while operating is another thing entirely; here the VX2 Pro stands out with its excellent integrated lights and signals. The headlight is bright with a wide beam and positioned high up on the handlebars, plus it has side cutouts for better side visibility. The taillight has an extra-bright brake activation mode. There are two sets of turn signals; one on the rear wheel, and more embedded in the ends of the grips. The grip signals are amazing and every scooter manufacturer needs to use them, because they're highly visible from all angles! Plus there's an obnoxiously loud flick bell that even vehicle drivers will probably be able to hear.
Sport Mode is great for scratching the occasional adrenaline junkie itch
The VX2 Pro is perhaps best suited as an efficient commuting vehicle, but it has a surprising amount of power on tap for when you want to move quickly. Bump it into sport mode and it accelerates in a hurry; it's an almost deceptive speed, because the high-quality sine wave controller provides a smooth ramp-up of power, meaning that even if you hit full throttle from a standstill you won't get dumped off the back. The controller is also high amperage, which means that this efficient 500 watt motor can peak to above 1300 watts! This allows the VX2 Pro to tackle 28% inclines, which is pretty darn steep; I don't have anything that extreme where I live, but I threw the steepest hills I could find at the VX2 Pro and it barely even slowed down.
Of course, zooming around in Sport Mode and climbing hills will really eat into your range. My review unit is a GT which has a max range of 37 miles, and I do think that's pretty doable provided you ride in Eco mode most of the time. I did a somewhat extreme test ride of only Sport Mode at or near top speed, and much of the ride involved steep hills, high headwinds, or some combination thereof. I'm also a pretty large rider; Even so I was able to ride for 21 miles before getting down to 20% battery remaining. I could have probably squeezed out at least another five miles, but it's rough on batteries to run them down too low (and I was getting pretty cold from the wind).
Side note, I really love the simplicity of the VX2 Pro's operation; there's just two modes (Eco and Sport), and they only affect your acceleration, with top speed being the same for each. If you want to customize your acceleration, or even the strength of the regenerative braking, you can do both of those using the VMAX Connect smartphone app. There's quite a few other useful features in there, such as locking the scooter as an extra security measure, and viewing diagnostic information. You can also use it to update the firmware of the VX2 Pro, which is both awesome and sadly very rare even on scooters that have a smartphone app available.
