Kaabo Mantis Pro Review

The Kaabo Mantis Pro is one of the best electric scooters in the world -- striking the right balance of functionality, power, range, and weight. Priced at just over $2000, it's no cheap scooter; however, it's probably the best value out there if you're looking for a high-end beast scooter.

The Kaabo Mantis Pro was a land rocket on the acceleration tests. Its dual 1000-watt electric motors, 27 amp controllers, and 60 V battery propelled the Pro to 15 mph in 2.0 seconds, to 20 mph in 2.8 seconds, and let it fly past 35 mph in 9.3 seconds.

In terms of sensation, the Pro feels very fast -- yank your arm out of the socket fast. The throttle is incredibly responsive -- you feel the motors pulling as soon as you squeeze down on the accelerator.

Compared to a shared scooter, the Pro is about 3X as fast, and it even puts a quality beast scooter like the 10X to shame.

See the table below for acceleration comparison with other electric scooters (165 lb rider used for all).

We tested the hill-climbing performance of the Mantis Pro. The Pro finished our hill climb test (200 feet, 10% grade, 165 lb rider) in 7.9 seconds with an average speed of 17.1 mph.

Compare with other scooters on our performance page.

We were able to hit 37.0 mph with a 165 lb rider and 36.4 mph with a 235 lb rider — very close to the claimed 40 mph top speed.

The Kaabo Mantis Pro features a 1470 watt hour LG battery (60-volt system with 24.5 amp-hour capacity), and a tested range of 33.7 mi.

We independently tested the range of the Kaabo Mantis Pro on an urban test loop that includes stops, hills, rough terrain. The scooter was ridden by a 165 lb rider at the maximum speed that was safe in dual-motor mode with the fastest (least energy-conserving) performance settings.

Riding the scooter in single motor mode and more conservatively will significantly extend its range.

Compare this scooter with every other one that we've ranged-tested on our performance comparison page.

The Mantis has fully-hydraulic disc brakes that are buttery smooth and provide excellent braking. It is also equipped with dual electronic brakes that have programmable strength. The electronic brakes are quite strong. They also feature a so-called ABS (antilock braking system) that you're better off disabling -- more on that later.

We tested the 15 mph braking distance to be just 10.2 feet-- basically tying for the best braking performance we've ever tested.

Overall, the Kaabo Mantis Pro has excellent ride quality thanks to its best-in-class suspension and large 10.0 inch pneumatic tires.

The standout suspension consists of springs in both the front and rear. The suspension pre-load is also adjustable. It makes the suspension adaptable for riders of different weights. It ensures that you stay in the sweet spot of the suspension.

The Mantis Pro is an incredibly agile scooter thanks to its relatively lightweight, stable suspension, and rounded-profile tires.

Though the scooter is suitable for nearly all terrains, we think it's most adept on paved roads. The tread pattern on the stock tires is smooth and grippy. However, the scooter is powerful enough to seriously burn rubber when launching from a standstill.

Overall, the Kaabo Mantis Pro is one of the most portable beast scooters. However, compared to a typical small scooter, it is not particularly portable. The Pro weighs 65.2 lb and has 24 inch handlebars.

The stem does fold and lock into place, so it is possible (though not easy) to carry the scooter one-handed. The handlebars do not fold and can be challenging when wheeling the scooter through doors, tight spaces, or on to public transportation.

The folded dimensions of the Mantis Pro are: 48 inch by 24 inch by 19 inch — about 6 inch longer and 6 inch wider than the typical small scooter.

We love the folding mechanism, which is easy-to-use and very stable when locked into place. The Mantis has what we call a "collar-style" mechanism, which is basically a metal sleeve that slides down and clamps the stem in the locked position. These tend to be difficult to properly tighten resulting in loose stem and handlebars. However, the Mantis uses a collar with opposing quick-releases that are much more solid and effective than the traditional type.

Once locked into place, the stem feels solid with zero wobbles and no bending/creaking when pushing on the handlebars.

Overall, the Mantis has a simple cockpit with relatively wide bicycle-style handlebars and a EY3 trigger throttle. The cockpit has buttons for controlling motor mode (single or dual) and power (eco or the faster turbo mode).

The finger trigger throttle that has become ubiquitous on high-performance scooters can be uncomfortable for prolonged use.

The EY3 LCD throttle has a built-in LED information display that is bright enough to be read in full sunlight and has green backlighting for night riding. Many so-called P-settings can be tuned by clicking through the mode and power buttons.

A few gripes: the handlebars have cheap foam grips that are ripe for replacement, and the scooter lacks a bell or horn. Both these are easily remedied with inexpensive aftermarket accessories.

The Mantis Pro has many built-in lights including white side deck lights, and front and rear-mounted deck LED lights.

Because all the lights are mounted very low to the ground, they do not project far ahead. You will be visible to others on the road but will have a hard time seeing the way ahead. We recommend an additional high-mounted bicycle headlight and taillight for riding more safely at night.

See our guide to staying visible when riding at night.

The Pro features large 10 inch by 2.5 inch pneumatic inner tube tires with rounded profiles that give it excellent ride quality. They provide good ride quality and make the scooter feel agile and responsive.

The tires are mounted on a split rim, which is an awesome bonus. The split rim makes changing tires and replacing inner tubes (in the case of a flat) easier than scooters with a solid rim.

The Mantis Pro deck is sizeable and gives 19.8 inches by 19.8 inches of usable standing space. The deck is covered in a Mantis emblemized rubber mat that grips your shoes in wet or dry conditions. It also covers screw holes and seam in the top deck plate.

The deck-to-handlebar height is 40.8 inches.

The Kaabo Mantis Pro has exceptional build quality and is on par with the best scooters we've reviewed.

Construction is hefty and uses many thick metal parts that are tightly assembled. The scooter is very quiet, with no rattling or squeaky parts. The noisiest part of the scooter is its massive electric motors, which we didn't mind.

There have been reports of a stem bolt breaking issue on the Kaabo Mantis. All Kaabo Mantis shipping from Fluid Freeride have an upgraded stem bolt and locking washer installed.

The Kaabo Mantis Pro packs an immense amount of power and range into a manageable 65.2 lb package. We love the acceleration, handling, and ride quality. It really feels like a heavier, more powerful Dualtron Spider; the Mantis Pro absolutely thrashes the Zero 10X.

If the Mantis Pro doesn't suite your needs, check out our suggested alternative scooters. You can also check out our Editor’s pick of best electric scooters.

The Kaabo Mantis Pro is available in United States from Fluid Freeride.