Dagwood Streets talks motorcycle gear, riding the Kaabo Wolf King, and other scoots with Paul Somerville — equal parts renaissance man, statistician, and RG’s professional scooter testing lead

In Episode 10 of the Electric Scooter Podcast, host Dagwood Streets interviews Paul on what safety gear he wears, why the Wolf King is his favorite scooter to ride, and what keeps him from riding the OXO, even though it has his favorite scooter turn-on: rubber suspension.

Whether he’s riding his Triumph Street Triple R across the Bay Bridge or testing electric scooters in the downtown Berkeley area, Paul trusts that he’s protected as long as he’s got on hiking boots and three things: a full-face helmet, a motorcycle riding suit, and protective gloves. 

Although safety isn’t considered the sexiest part of riding an electric scooter, it’s what separates you from being able to get on a scooter and laying injured in bed, so it’s worth it to research and have a reasonable budget. 

Paul’s favorite Arai Corsair X helmet set him back $500 but usually retails for around $1,000. He had to replace it recently (keep reading to find out why), so now keeps his noggin safe with an Arai Defiant X helmet. He also regularly wears heavy duty gloves and all-terrain hiking boots to protect the other ends. 

The Aerostich Roadcrafter he’s wearing is a one-piece reinforced, waterproof riding suit. Sure, all together it might look like a ridiculous amount of gear for testing scooters, but we’d rather dress for the slide, not the ride.

His Aerostich kept him from more serious injury when testing the Kaabo Wolf King, which happens to be his favorite scooter to ride.

When Dagwood asked Paul about his favorite daily rider, Paul immediately said the Kaabo Wolf King, even though it gave him a serious bite.

When initially testing the King, Paul made the mistake of riding one-handed for a moment, and the hair trigger response caused him to break his wrist and sustain a few other minor injuries.

Dagwood remarked “thank you for your sacrifice” as he rides a Wolf Warrior and took Paul’s hard-learned lesson to heart, and to that we say:

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What keeps Paul going back to the Wolf King is that seriously smooth and stable ride at high speeds, which he hasn’t experienced on any other electric scooter yet. Until the King, the Dualtron Eagle Pro had been Paul’s favorite scooter, as it’s super powerful with his favorite rubber suspension and swaggy lights. 

Speaking of rubber suspension, Dagwood asked if the Inokim OXO would be a good choice for a rider living in an urban area, like San Diego. With the best braking we’ve ever tested and awesome ride quality, Paul backs the OXO for urban commuting. One caveat that keeps him from jumping on the OXO at RG Labs: the quirky throttle response pattern.

If you want to learn more about how suspension and acceleration on the OXO feels, and more about Paul, listen in to the 36-minute interview with Dagwood at the top. Subscribe to the Electric Scooter Podcast on Spreaker and iTunes. 

Along with scooters, they bond over motorcycles and ska, including how Paul once opened for Bad Manners, Fishbone, and No Doubt, playing saxophone and singing lead while taking leaps across the stage. He’s got a slightly less involved set on RG Liveshow with Chuck and Ramier every Tuesday night, but has given us a taste of his many talents on the show.