“I received my eagerly awaited Mantis in late September. After having ridden a Gotrax GLX for a few months I was amazed by the performance and comfort of the Mantis. Of course the price difference is significant, the Mantis has been worth it. The dual suspension allows the scooter to eat up the bumps and even allows me to make a modest hops off curbs. I haven't had a chance to exhaust the battery yet, but I've ridden it for miles without having to worry whether or not I'd make it home. It is heavy for sure, but that is offset by it capabilities, handling on the move, speed and ability to go a long distance. I started out in gear 1, but now just leave it in gear 3 and control my speed easily with the throttle. The dual motors? They make going up inclines a cinch, especially considering my 215lb bulk. I typically leave it in 1 motor mode until I need the extra power for inclines/hills or off-road. My only complain thus far are the plastic nut protectors on either side of each wheel when tend to fall off when passing thru and bumping the frame on a doorway. With the Gotrax, Chuck, the dog could easily outpace me. However with the Mantis he can't quite keep up when I crank it up a bit. While the scooter can go fast I typically do not run it at more than 20mph. I cannot speak to the quality of support at this time since I have not yet had to contact them with any issues.
Pros:
speed
load capacity
comfort (suspension)
tricked out lighting
ability to outpace Chuck
Cons:
weight”
“This scooter really scoots! I'd consider this scooter the Tesla of scooters due to its torque. It is fast and fun! As a tech thrill seeking junkie, it fits the bill.”
“I was so excited to get my new Mantis scooter. Unfortunately when I received it it came with a defective battery. Fluid Freeride was able to get me a replacement within a few days. That was really awesome service. I have now used the scooter for my daily commute to the train and to the office in SF for about a week now. I am blown away with the power and comfort of the Mantis. I also have the WideWheel and really like it. But the Mantis is in a completely different class. I recommend this scooter for anyone who doesn't mind the size and weight of it. Thank you Peter and Adam at Fluid Freeride for the excellent service.”
“Hands down the best scooter in this class, especially at this price point. They knocked it out of the park with it's incredible balance of solid build but not overly cumbersome and is comparatively light weight and slim form factor. The suspension makes this scooter ride like butter. I got the pro version, and I recommend you go through all the settings before you ride, mine came all misconfigured (set to 40v, kick start off etc) The scooter is fast, extremely fast. The dangerous part is it feels so steady at high speed you start to get too comfortable. Use responsibility, the speed can be very useful, but when used irresponsibly can lead to fatal consequences. Use a full faced helmet, gloves and a motorcycle jacket if you plan to go full speed all the time. The breaks are incredibly strong, so strong infact I was going 41mph I needed to make an emergency stop, didn't get used to the front break being where the rear normally is and hit it too hard scooter stoped on a dime but I went flying forward and hit the ground hard. Now I got a fractured elbow but would have been much worse if I didn't have all my gear on. Definitely humbling experience and I will definitely be smarter about the speed. Accident aside I love, love, love this scooter. I just recommend taking it easy while you get used to it, and practice breaking!”
“Mantis VS Widewheel:
I also own a Widewheel which isn't getting much use anymore except as a guestmobile. Even though it costs twice as much, I think the Mantis is a much better value due to the range, speeds and smoother/safer ride.
- Compared to the Mantis, the Widewheel suspension is terrible. Going over cracks/storm drains/small potholes on the Widewheel at 20+ MPH is extremely jolting. On the Mantis you hardly even notice these hazards.
- Air tires on the Mantis provide much more grip and comfort than the Widewheel. You can also climb raised surfaces due to the larger 10" wheels on driveways for instance. I actually took a spill on the Widewheel once when I tried to enter a driveway at an angle which was no problem on the Mantis. Again, I recommend sliming the Mantis tires before riding the first time.
- An informative Minimotors display VS the 4 dot display and voltmeter of the Widewheel.. enough said.
- Trigger throttle VS thumb throttle is more comfortable and feels more natural. Throttling is smooth as you would expect it to be VS the jerkiness of the Widewheel.
- On the Widewheel, I had to open up a speedometer app on my phone, mount the phone to the handlebar and plug it in to an external battery before hitting the road. Since all this info is displayed on the Mantis, all I have to do is turn it on and go.
- Kickstand on the Mantis is easy to kick out with your foot. It's more recessed on the Widewheel and so it's difficult to kick out unless you use your hands.
- Battery/charging cover on the Mantis is easy to close (and stays closed). The Widewheel charging cover takes a few attempts to close.
- I would like it if the Mantis had the key option that the Widewheel has. When I'm walking with the Mantis or sitting somewhere next to it, it's possible someone could run off with it. Having a key in my pocket would make that a little more difficult for would-be thieves.
- The wider deck of the Mantis give you more grip and stability.
~fin”
“Other notes (2/2)
- Would be nice if the display lighting was controlled via the light switch.
- To reset the trip distance, press and hold the " • " button. This was not covered in the manual.
- It's not just drivers but other cyclists/pedestrians that don't pay attention. I even had a car almost hit me once but luckily I had a camera recording the whole time. I recommend some sort of recording while riding in case you ever need the footage.
- The included tool is awesome. It's like a swiss army knife of allen wrenches, screw drivers and wrenches.
- I would recommend never leaving the Mantis unattended, which includes leaving it locked outside. I've had a locked bike stolen before and will not risk it again. Search YouTube for the user "lockpickinglawyer" to see how easy it is to defeat pretty much any lock. I take the Mantis with me wherever I go including inside a store, and just put a shopping basket on the deck to put the groceries in. The rubberized deck keeps the basket in place. Usually other shoppers/employees are very interested in the Mantis and ask questions about it. Just be cool - turn it off and don't ride it so that stores don't start banning scooters.
- Battery arrived at 57% charge with 4.7 miles on the odometer.
- FedEx is going to hate you if you live on the second floor or higher.
- Always wear a helmet! One bad spill and it's game over.
* I haven't gone past 32MPH yet but am certain the Mantis can easily reach the advertised 40 MPH.”
“Not So Good:
- Regenerative braking is very strong even on the weakest setting when going 20+ MPH. I have disabled the regen braking because of this. Peter confirmed and is looking into it. Test out the regen braking at low speeds until you get a feel for them because it could feel like you're going to be knocked off.
- The plastic caps that cover the 4 suspension bolts easily come off. I've already lost 2 in as many weeks.
- The charging brick becomes extremely hot when charging. Keep it away from anything flammable and avoid touching it. I keep mine on a stone drink coaster.
- Advanced settings mode can be annoying. For example, the first setting is tire diameter. If you accidentally change the setting, you have to cycle from 10.0, past 20.0, and back to 5.0 in 0.1 increments. On the plus side, you don't really need to adjust the advanced settings very often.
Other notes (1/2):
- I had a problem with the throttle becoming unresponsive after hitting the brakes, which Peter helped me to resolve. The brake screw on the handles needed to be loosened up.
- I recommend sliming the tires as a preventative measure to avoid getting flats. I used "Slime 10004 Tube Repair Sealant" and put 8 oz in each tire.
- Eco/Turbo and Single/Dual button labeling. You would think that button pressed would correspond to either the top or bottom label, but the label positions on both buttons are different.
- Mantis Pro model does not include a bell. I have cannibalized the bell from the Widewheel though which fits just fine, however it's not the best bell.
- Serial number is located under the unit.
- The motors are by no means loud, but by no means silent either. Sounds sort of like an RC car, even at the lowest possible speeds. This means that people should be able to hear you as you approach them.”
“170 lbs rider with gear using a Pro model (split into 3 reviews due to character limit).
I spent a couple weeks testing out the Mantis so that I could provide a detailed review. I also have a Widewheel and list some comparisons towards the end.
TLDR: I don't use my car anymore. I have 220.5 miles logged so far in 12 days.
Good:
- Excellent battery range. Did 40 miles with a 47% charge remaining while averaging 22 MPH. Hilly SoCal terrain, mixed eco/turbo, no dual motors. My typical rides are 20 miles with 73% remaining battery; 22 MPH average with mixed eco/turbo and dual motors only on steep hills.
- Handles smooth pavement, cracked pavement, grass and bumpy dirt roads with ease. (Beware of loose dirt/sand as they can bring the Mantis to a sudden stop).
- Very comfortable ride, even up to 30MPH*. Suspension is excellent. Going over cracks/small holes is extremely smooth.
- Handles hills with ease. On a 35º grade I was able to get to 25 MPH with Turbo/Dual on. Probably could have gone faster if I had gone full throttle.
- Minimotors display shows current trip distance, voltmeter, odometer and power-on time. Saves me from having to use a phone app and mounting said phone to the handlebar.
- Throttle is very smooth and responsive. You can easily go 1-2 MPH on a crowded boardwalk up to 40 MPH on an open road.
- The deck cover is made out of rubber, not silicone as I was expecting it to be (this is a good thing). The rubberized deck provides solid grip for your shoes.
- Deck lighting is surprisingly good. It's less about you being able to see what's in front of you at night, but making yourself visible to others. I'd still recommend mounting a separate headlight for night riding.”
