I have had a demo of this folding scooter - the importer tells me they have not yet sold any as they are new into the country (I do not know if there are other importers - there might be). I am really tempted by this as it folds automatically and I can lift it independently (though it is a little awkward for me balance-wise). I have looked at a few others, such as the Luggie, which I am sure suit others well but this one seems to be the lightest and the easiest to fold up, which is important to me.
Before I take the plunge with such a lot of money, I would be really interested to hear from anyone else who has had a demo of one of these - to see if anyone has a view or angle on this scooter I have not thought of (it is m first scooter so Ii am best-guessing what it is I need to think of).
It’s the R30 Di Blasi folding electric scooter. Thanks for any views.
I think you might be looking at a different item, George - this isn’t kickstart! I am looking at the R30 folding electric scooter which I would use in-town on pavements. I have tried one and it is wider than me (so balance not a problem), goes quite slowly and seems easy to control. it is very light at 21.8 Kg without the battery, so I think lighter than most others. have looked at travel scoot and do not think I could keep my feet on those little pedals.
By the way, George - the Di Blasi scooter is the in-town option I am thinking of for when I am out and about by myself - we are going next week to look at the Quad Viper motorised option to go with the wheelchair some very kind person donated to me!!! I will let you know how that goes (the makers are down in Fareham so just arranging to go and have a demo from them).
It looks absolutely brilliant; there is only one niggle I can see and that is when it is folded. If you’re without Tony; shopping on your own it’s not so much the weight but the bulk of the folded machine.
Before you buy make sure you can lift it in your car on your own. Otherwise looks terrific; still have this dislike for anything three wheels though but that’s just a case of cutting down your speed.
Don’t be fooled into thinking you can easily lift the Diblasi into a car. I have just bought a Luggi. It weighs 23 kg, only 1.2 kg more than the Diblasi.
Despite the Luggie videos showing a 4’11" Taiwanese girl lifting the Luggi into a car, I can assure you it’s not at all easy!
My rugby playing 6’3" brother in law had difficulty.
It requires two people, both using both hands!
Yes, John, I know what you mean. The Di Blasi video has an innocuous looking woman who has clearly been pumping iron to get fit in preparation for filming - she makes it look so easy, I reckon underneath her cardi she has a body like Arnie. I can lift it quite easily but it is bulky so we are looking at what devious means might be available to me such as a small plastic step stool kept in the car to hoist it half way. A hoist would be just the job but I do not have one of those!
Not sure a ramp would help - the scooter folds down electronically and then needs to be lifted. When folded down, I do not recall any wheels were exposed that would enable it to be wheeled up a ramp.
I currently own the r30. Found the sales man very condescending. All in all a neat little machine if you are still lucky enough to still be quite fit. My wife managed to lift into the car OK but I would er on a two person lift. Very expensive in the uk but Cavendish seem to have the monopoly in the UK. Wonder if you couldn’t take a short break in Italy where they are made and bring one back with you, probably saving you well over a £1000. Useless unless you live where it is fairly flat, if you try to climb a hill you sometimes go into a wheel spin and need somebody behind to gently push at the same time. Cavendish offer no finance and don’t mess around taking cash from your account even before the ink has barely dried on the dotted line
It does look tempting but it would be an awkward shape to lift when folded especially if your balance is not 100%. The weight of 21.8 kg (48 lb) without the battery is a lot to lift. I own a Travelscoot and it weighs about 17Kg and it is an easier shape to lift but I struggle to put that into the boot of a car.
I like the big wheels but where do you put the shopping or bags when using it. Yes it looks ingenious and nifty but can you imagine a person with dropfoot pulling it along the road.
It works out at a reasonable price at ÂŁ1,750 (1.24 Euro/ÂŁ Apr 2016 exchange rates) but there are other options. Look at the Travelscoot. Every mobility scooter has good points and bad points, do decide what are the most important ones to you before parting with your cash.
I appreciate that your post is a bit old but I feel I should post a comment on this folding scooter as my wife had more than a demo on this item.
She first saw this folding electric scooter in Inverness before we set off for Lanzarote on an apartment search with a view to permanent residency in Puerto Del Carmen. We bought the scooter (ÂŁ2500) and first impressions were good as it folded up to a manageable size and performed well (on the flat!). It drew quite a bit of attention as, at the push of a button it would fold up to a small suitcase size at the aircraft departure gate and would be taken on board separately by the airline staff, as most disability aids are when boarding.
We spent five weeks in Lanzarote so we had ample time to give the scooter a thorough “work out”. The first problem became quite apparent when my wife attempted to use the scooter on some of the steep pavements in Puerto Del Carmen. Useless! Being a front wheel drive, the front wheel would simply spin with the scooter starting to roll backwards. This meant that she could not go out on her own as she felt it was not safe and I had to walk at the rear for the sake of confidence. On one occasion we had to board a small ferry, folding the scooter up and walking it down the gang plank like a small suitcase. When the scooter travelled over the wooden treads, the bumps caused the battery to jump out of its socket and almost fall into the harbour.
After about week three of our five week trip, the scooter then refused to fold up properly as the cog wheels attached to the folding motor and folding mechanism became misaligned due to poor quality bearings. This had other consequences when unfolding the scooter. It would unfold but did not stay locked as when pushing my wife up one of the steep pavements, the scooter would fold up, together with her! In the end in order to get around I had to push my wife’s back directly in order to get up hills!
The final straw came when my wife negotiated a flight of steps with a disability ramp built in at the side. The scooter took off with my wife using the electric stop/start control as normal but when she released the forward control, the electric braking effect of the motor that should have kicked in didn’t and she ended up half way across the zebra crossing at the foot of the stairs.
Needless to say this piece of junk was returned to the supplier for a full refund upon our return. It is a pity that a bit more thought and quality parts weren’t used in the design and construction of this scooter as it was just the job for travelling abroad as well as at home.
Mary