Yadea KS 5 Pro electric scooter review: a big powerful ride

The Yadea KS5 Pro boasts some impressive specs that make it a hugely appealing option. It also looks great and comes in at a price that’s competitive. All this made me jump at the chance to test it for myself.

There are many different grades of kick scooters on the market, but generally, they fall into two camps: small and lightweight consumer models, or bigger and more powerful pro models. While the lighter ones are great for picking up and carrying, they often lack the power and range of the larger models. And while a bigger scooter is better for use on the road, their weight makes them difficult to carry into the office.

The ideal is obviously somewhere in between for most people, which is why the Segway Ninebot Max G30LP remains our pick for best electric scooter. There is however a market for e-scooters that fall into the more extreme ends of the scale.

The Yadea KS5 Pro is very much in the bigger, heavier camp and makes no bones about it. This is a scooter for adults that goes fast and far and has all the features you would expect from a self-defined pro model. I’ve spent a few weeks riding the KS5 Pro, both on the road and the cycle paths (as is legal in Chicago) and really got to know the scooter. It’s not perfect by any means but it can be a lot of fun.

Yadea KS 5 Pro electric scooter review: price and availability

The Yadea KS5 Pro launched in May 2021 and is priced $759 in the US. Right now the scooter isn’t available in the UK or Australia.

Yadea KS 5 Pro electric scooter review: design

The deck has plenty of room for your feet and lots of grip, so you don’t have to worry about your foot position as you kick-off. The back wheel arch is lightweight plastic though, so accidentally standing on it could easily cause it to snap.

It’s difficult to miss the Yadea KS5 Pro on the streets, not least because it’s one of the biggest scooters I’ve ever ridden, but it is also visually impressive. The model I had was finished in black with orange detailing on the wheels, for the model name and the brake lines. It also comes in white, with orange details and a black steering column. People actually stopped me to ask about it, though usually how much it was – and luckily here the answer is very pleasing. It certainly looks more expensive than it is.

As I’ve mentioned, this is a big scooter. It stands at just over four feet tall (49.2-inches) with 19.1-inch-wide handlebars and is 46.7-inches long with a 7-inch-wide deck. At 5’11” I’m not the tallest but I found the handlebars a little high, perhaps because I’m used to scooters with a lower position.

Folded down, it’s still a significant 46.7 x 19.1 x 22.6 inches and it weighs in at 46 pounds. That’s 8lbs heavier than the Segway Ninebot Max.

Folding it down is pretty easy thanks to a quick-release bracket, with a safety catch that must be pressed down to use. The plastic clasp on the handlebar secures onto a hook on the back wheel arch – this clips in easily but also releases a bit too easily, so I often found myself having to reattach before attempting to pick up the scooter. It’s not impossible to carry – I took it up and downstairs a few times – but you certainly wouldn’t want to carry it for long.

The rubberized handgrips are comfortable to hold, and the brakes feel sturdy to press, though it all feels quite functional rather than particularly stylish. The LED screen in the center of the handlebars is invisible until it’s turned on but then shows a nice clear speed value along with the driving mode and battery life (in five cell sections)

Yadea KS 5 Pro electric scooter review: features

With a short press of the power on the handlebars, you can swap between three power modes. Eco limits it to 6kph (3.7mph), D takes you up to a steady 25kph (15.5mph) and S gets you up to the full 35kph (21.8mph). Unfortunately, there’s no walking setting here and when not powered there is some resistance in the rear wheel from the motor.

Looking down the spec sheet for the Yadea KS5 Pro, it’s difficult to find anything it’s missing. There’s a powerful front headlight, a rear brake light and four reflectors to make sure you’re seen at night – if someone misses those flashes of orange. The wheels are a decent 10 inches in size but are solid rubber, rather than air-filled – something I will come back to – and there are front suspension forks to reduce impact.

What’s reassuring here is the braking. There is a front disc brake, a rear drum brake, and an electric brake to bring you to a safe stop from that 21.8mph top speed in any weather. The braking is also regenerative, transferring energy back into the battery to increase your range – though, with a 37-mile range, you won’t need much help.

The IP rating of IPX4 means the KS5 Pro is splash-proof but best to avoid any serious downpours. There’s also a kickstand, which is easy to unfold with your foot when parking up.

Yadea KS 5 Pro electric scooter review: performance

The power for the KS5 Pro comes from a 500W motor, with a 700W max power and you can certainly feel the power. Not only does it deliver on that 35kph (21.8mph) top speed it takes very little time getting there. While some scooters need a decent kick-off to get going, you only need a little motion before the motor bursts into life and you’re soon doing speeds that can keep up with much bigger vehicles on the road.

This is really handy as a commuter scooter, especially from a standstill at traffic lights, as it feels much safer than holding the traffic back behind you or forcing them to overtake. Underpowered vehicles can be the most dangerous, but there’s no chance of that here.

The range figures seem pretty accurate too. Even with a few decent rides the power bar barely dropped below 60%. You could easily commute on this all week and only charge it once or twice.

The downside of all this speed and the solid tires is the bumps. Despite the front suspension, the ride on anything but the smoothest of surfaces is jarring. With no air in those tires, you feel every lump and bump on the road. I took the scooter over a road bridge across the river that had a steel surface, and it shook me so much that my vision was blurry.

I understand the logic of solid tires on a maintenance level but for road use, they are not practical. If you are going to do this, the scooter needs more dampening in the deck and effective suspension. Aside from lowering a little when I got on it, the suspension didn’t seem to provide any assistance.

Yadea KS 5 Pro electric scooter review: battery life

Adding to the weight of the KS5 Pro is the 36V 15.6Ah battery. This does deliver an impressive 37-mile range but aside from being an attention-grabbing number, I wonder if anyone really needs that kind of distance per charge. In some ways, this would be better off with a smaller battery to reduce the weight of the scooter and only giving a 25-mile range.

Due to the size of the battery, it also takes a long time to charge. The listed time is between 7.5 and 8 hours for a full charge, however, it’s difficult to know for sure. When charging the device, the screen goes off after a few minutes and disconnects from the app. So, the only way to check is to power the scooter back up to see the power bar.

Yadea KS 5 Pro electric scooter review: the app

Speaking of the app, the Yadea offers both Android and Apple iOS versions of the YadeoScooter app. To activate the scooter and link the app you need to scan the QR code in the manual.

The main app display is clear, giving you a battery level percentage and Bluetooth connection button, to relink the scooter (which you need to do regularly). You can also control the settings, check your riding record and add personal information. The main use for the app though is to lock the scooter so it can’t be ridden – something handy when parking it outdoors – though in addition to a lock.

I did find the app pretty glitchy but, luckily, the KS5 Pro doesn’t need to be linked to the app to ride (it just needs to be unlocked). So, I quickly abandoned using it.

Yadea KS 5 Pro electric scooter review: verdict

There’s a lot to like about the Yadea KS5 Pro but for me, it’s all about the power. The speed of this scooter made me more comfortable using it on the road than less powerful models. However, the bumpy ride does take the fun out of using the KS5 Pro.

If you live in an area with well-surfaced roads or plenty of cycle paths, you’ll be fine. But for standard US roads, I’d look for something with air in the tires. This combined with the app performance does let the KS5 Pro down.

Yadea KS 5 Pro electric scooter review: also consider

Unless you really need that extra three miles an hour, and 12 additional miles range, I would opt for the Segway Ninebot Max G30LP. For just $10 more it still offers a decent speed and range but crucially weighs significantly less and rides much smoother.

If you want something even more extreme, take a look at the Kaabo Wolf Warrior. It uses two 1200W motors to give speeds of up to 50mph and can cover up to 70 miles on a single charge. It will however, set you back nearly $3k.

For something lighter, and more stylish, the Segway Ninebot Air T15 weighs just 23lbs making it easy to pick up and carry. The range is limited to just 9.3 miles though, and the max speed of 12.4mph can feel a little slow on the road.