Bronco 11 Extreme Review

 

The Bronco 11 Xtreme lives up to its name, it is extreme, 8400w is unprecedented and makes for serious acceleration.

 

The Bronco 11 Xtreme is one of those scooters with the connotation “I’ve never heard of the brand” and nor had we up until recently. But, this is seriously not a scooter you could ever look past, it’s just an engineering masterpiece with power and looks to boot. You will seldom find many scooters in this power group, especially in the £3000 – £4000 price range. Pound for pound the Bronco 11 Xtreme will deliver, not just for scooter enthusiasts but scooter racers also.

Bronco 11 Xtreme Cons

 

  Some quality control concerns with wiring

  Battery very quick to deplete when riding fast

  Brand new to market so potential for recalls

  LCD display is generic like most Chinese scooters

  No independent voltmeter which is a problem on a scooter like this

  Will eat through tyres rapidly

  The shipped with charger is far too slow

 

Bronco 11 Xtreme Summary

 

The Bronco 11 Xtreme is a high performance, no-nonsense scooter that is designed for speed, agility and robustness. Looking at it from a distance you’d mistake it for a Dualtron Thunder as it looks extremely similar. The Bronco 11 Xtreme appears to be a reincarnation of the Dualtron Thunder with enhancements such as a much larger double clamp, wider handlebars, uprated motors and improved adjustable suspension.

The Bronco isn’t cheap and it comes from a relatively new brand, or at least one that isn’t a well-known name.

All scooter manufacturers have to start somewhere, and, well, Bronco have gone all in with the 11 Xtreme, but, could you spend £3500 on a scooter built by a new firm? should you be concerned, what about getting parts? warranty or reliability?

These are all points covered in our review.

 

Performance Overview

 

Let’s not waste any words here, the performance of the 11 Xtreme is unfathomable, literally. We liken the acceleration to something you’d expect from a well tuned motorbike, except when you are standing on a small deck clutching a set of handlebars, the experience is totally different.

What sets the Bronco 11 Xtreme apart is just the sheer torque and acceleration delivered by 2 BLDC hub motors with a combined peak output of 8400w, and yes, that’s NOT a typo, we mean 8400w!

These wattages are generally well out of scope from most day to day scooters, even the upper performance tier for most people is around the 5400-5600w range, so imagine an 8400w scooter, it’s hard to put into words, the difference is significant.

The 11 Xtreme will accelerate to 30 mph in as little as 4 seconds and 60 in 9 seconds and whilst that might not sound quick, just bear in mind you are STANDING on a deck a little larger than a skateboard on 11″ wheels – the speed factor is magnified significantly.

 

 

Top Speed & Acceleration

 

The top speed of the Bronco 11 Xtreme is, like most scooters, dependent on so many variables. The claimed top speed is 70mph but as we know manufacturers always like to be fairly optimistic. However, on a cold day with 90% charge we were able to reach 62mph top speed according to Strava over GPS.

However, on a warmer day (17c) after the battery had run a few cycles from new we were able to hit 68.2mph on Strava on flat ground, making 70mph a figure close to reach, but, we doubt you’d get anymore than 68mph on a flat. Any slight downward gradient would allow riders to hit 70mph.

Cold temperatures, heavier riders, battery discharge state and other things will impede top speed.

With a heavier rider (93kg) we achieved a top speed of 61mph.

The acceleration on the Bronco 11 Xtreme follows the same principle – it’s rider and environment dependent.

We were able to hit (with a 64kg rider on a warm day)

0-30 Mph took 4.89 Seconds

0-60 MPH took 9.87 Seconds

It’s safe to say, the Bronco 11 Xtreme will EASILY out accelerate other high end scooters including the Dualtron Thunder, Dualtron Ultra 2, ZERO 11X, Vsett 10+ and Kaabo Wolf Warrior / Wolf Warrior King.

 

 

 

 Battery Life & Range

 

The Bronco 11 Xtreme sports a LG MJ1 35AH battery with high-performance 18650 cells. You’d think being a similar size and construction to the thunder that the battery would suit, but, unfortunately, the battery for the Bronco just isn’t the right capacity.

Why? well, running the Bronco at peak power output you’ll fully discharge the batteries to BMS cut off voltage within 18 miles, and, if the temperature is cooler and will a slightly cycled battery this would fall even lower.

Whilst most scooters will fall well beyond their claimed endurance, the Bronco falls below the claimed mileage even when riding conservatively, in fact, in single motor, eco mode we weren’t able to get 40 miles, which for a relatively high capacity battery is a tad disappointing, to put it into perspective, we were able to get over 60 miles from the Dualtron thunder with the same battery capacity.

The Bronco’s overall range average makes it suitable for racing and some commuting but it’s not going to be something you could rely on for longer trips. 10-15 miles each way on a commute would be your limit before running the risk of BMS cut-out before arriving back home.

 

 

 

Motor Configuration

 

The motors on the Bronco truly set this scooter apart from most other scooters. The scooter uses dual BLDC hub motors rated at a peak of 4200w per motor, that’s nearly 3x the power output when compared to lower-level performance scooters.

We were shocked at just how much power the hub motors put out, yet, size-wise they are very similar to the Dualtron thunder.

No doubt Bronco has had motors put together with serious windings to achieve the power output they have.

What we liked with the Bronco’s hub motors was the fact that they appeared to have a thin silicone gasket/sealant on the motor to prevent water ingress inside the motor – we don’t often see this as many electric scooters are prone to internal rust as a result of little to no waterproofing / damp proofing.

The Bronco supports dual or single hub motor mode as well as ECO/Turbo modes.

 

 

 

 

 

Construction & Build Quality

 

The Bronco 11 Xtreme has a very robust construction and appears to be an evolution of the Dualtron Thunder. The scooters frame consists of 6061-T6 Aviation Aluminium Forging Alloy, carbon fiber, and polypropylene. The frame is incredibly rigid and has been powder coated to a high standard.

The suspension arms are sleek, curved and painted a very dark grey/black and sport minimalistic qualities whilst providing a nice architectural feel to the components, especially the rear suspension which is truly unique to this scooter.

The rear suspension mounts to the frame via a single adjustable gas filled shock absorber which is adjustable, it looks great and functions really well.

The front suspension configuration is similar to scooters such as the ZERO 11x where a dual arm, single shock absorber are present. What we loved about the Bronco was the fact that the front suspension dampening can also be changed by adjusting the screw allowing for a slow or fast return depending on rider preference and terrain.

To support build quality, we found lots of nice, unique, subtle touches which show Bronco genuinely want to make something that’s unique and eye catching, such as the carbon fibre style undercovers on the steering yolk or the little carbon fibre ring at the top of the steering column.

The Bronco supports a sleek, minimalistic yet functional design whilst being rigid, very well made and constructed of high quality materials.

We were surprised that the detail went beyond the visible parts of the scooter.

When lifting the deck off the Bronco sports a large foam gasket that supports the deck and provides some water resistance against the outside world.

Even the little touches such as the nice braided sleeves on hydraulic cables / power cables is a nice touch, it looks and feels premium which cements our overall view of the scooter as a high quality one.

Bronco have definitely worked to make this more of a premium scooter, even the handlebar stem clamp is beefy, 3x the size of the standard Dualtron Thunder clamp we can see they’ve paid attention to weak spots on other scooters.

Overall, the Bronco 11 Xtreme feels solid, well made, premium and aesthetically pleasing to look at.

 

 

 

 

 

Suspension

 

The Bronco 11 Xtreme uses one of THE BEST suspension configurations we’ve ever seen. Question, how many electric scooters can you buy that ship with a pump for the suspension?

0?

No, 1, the Bronco Xtreme ships with a pump so that you can charge the suspension and tweak the settings for the ultimate riding experience.

Set your dampening / suspension to be soft, medium or hard or anywhere inbetween.

Both rear and front suspension are adjustable.

The front suspension dampening can be adjusted by a brightly coloured andodised red screw to increase or decrease the return rate when sprung.

The rear suspension dampening can be adjusted by charging the unit with pressurised air and by using the adjustable lever to set dampening.

Overall, the suspension performs exceptionally well and is super easy to tweak to suit your riding style and weight.

Unlike other scooters, we see that Bronco have reenforced everything, making all mounts beefier, stronger and better for loading.

 

 

Ride Quality

 

The Bronco 11 Xtreme offers exceptional ride quality for most. The impeccable suspension set up and rigid stem make for a good ride. The suspension (depending on configuration) will soak up most of the bumps and potholes in the road without too much impact on ride quality.

We found that the suspension was very capable and provided a good cushion, making the ride smooth and comfortable.

We also found that hardening up the suspension made the ride perfect for racing and agile movement at higher speeds.

The Bronco 11 Xtreme is extremely capable and versatile, potter around on it with soft suspension and glide as if you were on a cloud or, tighten up the suspension for a more rigorous ride off road or for racing, move quickly and forget about suspension travel.

The ride quality overall is VERY good.

We would say the ride quality is NOT as likely to be good for those who are taller i.e. 6ft onwards as the limited deck space and low stem will probably make the ride more difficult/cumbersome.

Overall the 11 Xtreme is a perfect all rounder both on road and off road. The ride quality is very good and the default pneumatic tyres soak up a lot of uneven road surfaces without putting out to many decibels (DB).

 

Braking

 

The 11 Xtreme has braking capabilities that are genuinely superior over most scooters even though the configuration isn’t unique. Most good electric scooters use the same configuration of NUTT hydraulic brakes and 160mm rotors. The Bronco uses front and rear hydraulic NUTT calipers with standard 160mm rotors. There doesn’t appear to be any electric/regenerative braking but the default brakes themselves are unfathomably good.

The Bronco 11 Xtreme was able to decelerate from 60mph to 0mph in as little as 50 meters – and thats fast.

We were’nt able to find any regenerative braking but it may be present or added to future versions of the BRONCO 11 Xtreme .

 

Portability

 

The Bronco 11 Xtreme is surprisingly portable but isn’t the lightest scooter out there, BUT, it is light for the class of scooter it falls under. At 48kg some may find it fairly heavy but, nonetheless it remains portable. It’s small enough when folded to fit in most cars, even small coupes or 3 door hatchbacks.

Thanks to the nifty folding mechanism and solid metal locking bracket, you can fold down and clip the locking bracket in so that the scooter can be carried by the stem.

We’ve tested and the bronco fit nicely into most half-decent-sized family hatchbacks.

Whilst we did struggle with smaller cars, once we’d folded the seats down the Bronco popped in nicely.

Overall, the 11 Xtreme borderlines portability for anyone wishing to carry it up stairs.

1 set of stairs (ok), lots of stairs (probably not).

Another thing we loved about the Bronco which did improve portability was the nifty fold down handlebars using a rather unique press button release mechanism that felt reassuringly sturdy yet simple to operate. You press down a silver button and lift the clamp to allow the bars to release and fold down – it’s a fantastic mechanism.

 

Lights

 

The lights make the Bronco resemble the Dualtron Thunder because the deck arrangement is pretty much exactly the same. The Bronco sports 4 front white LED lights recessed into the front corners of the deck which are effectively the scooter’s “headlamps”. The downside to this is that the lights are very ineffective at this level as the beam pattern is just too low. The lumen output of the lights wasn’t as bright as we’d have expected, so in low light conditions, you wouldn’t feel safe relying on the Bronco’s built-in front lights alone.

You’d want a stem-mounted set of front lights to project light much further with a wider beam pattern, making it easier for you to see objects up ahead.

The Bronco sports 4 rear LED lights, 2 white and 2 reserved for brake lights.

Other than that the Bronco 11 Xtreme has no other lighting. There is no underside deck lighting like you get on the Thunder, nor is there any stem lighting.

Overall, the lighting is great for making you more visible but isn’t really suited to night riding, so if you do buy the Bronco, consider buying a set of stem-mounted lights to increase the overall beam coverage.

 

Tyres

 

The tyres on the Bronco are standard PMT tyres, 11 inch wide profile. The tyres aren’t tubeless so there is an inner tube which makes the tyres more susceptible to punctures but easier to change. The tyres that come with the Bronco are relatively good but will wear out quickly.

The Bronco absolutely chews through tyres unless you potter around in single motor mode.

The fact that it’ll spin both wheels on pull off with ease will likely reduce the overall tyre lifespan by as much as 50%.

We found that the standard CST tyres performed relatively well and provided good grip on dry roads.

 

 

Deck

 

The deck on the Bronco 11 Xtreme is reminiscent of something like a country flag with a blue, red and white set of colour features. The deck looks sharp and we love the touch with the sprocket in Bronco’s logo. The deck is nearly entirely covered in grip tape, which, for something this edgy on acceleration is a good thing.

The larger deck grip tape coverage is also beneficial as the uncovered areas are easier to scratch, especially if you catch some stones or gravel in your shoes, you’ll mark the exposed deck easily, but, as there is little deck exposed, it’s not an issue on the Bronco.

The deck itself is slightly wider than the Dualtron Thunders and as wide as most decks of scooters in this class. The deck is the same length as the Thunders also.

The deck itself is good quality and the grip tape is firmly affixed.

After a few weeks of heavy use the grip tape has stayed in perfect condition, even with a lot of exposure to mud and grit.

Bronco also offers an illuminated multicolour LED deck which you can see here

 

 

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Controls & Display

 

The 11 xtreme has limited controls and minimalistic cockpit. On the left hand side of the handlebars you’ll find a single brushed aluminium button to switch the lighting on and off (and a bell if you wish to add it). On the right hand handlebar you have your LCD display (Bronco motors branded) and your dual/single mode buttons and eco/turbo button. Of course both sides you have front and rear NUTT hydraulic brake reservoirs.

The LCD display is branded as BRONCO motors but the look and feel is reminiscent of the cheap Chinese LCD displays that you’ll find on a wide range of scooters. The functionality on the display is the same as most other Chinese LCD displays, you get your speed, mode, voltage and odometer along with P settings.

Whilst the display is fine, the accuracy of it isn’t. Again, this type of LCD panel features a battery indicator which SHOULDN’T be used and the speed reporting is generally out. We found that the Bronco’s LCD speed reading on average was within 5mph of GPS speed reporting.

Overall, the lack of an EY3 style display is disappointing but, for most the Bronco is about POWER and speed, so whilst it would have been nice to have a higher quality panel, it isn’t a deal breaker.

 

Water Resistance

 

The Bronco 11 Xtreme is a strange one as we couldn’t find any IP rating (as most scooters do not have any water resistance or limited IP54 water resistance) – it’s odd because it looks like it would resist most water ingress. We noticed the motors had what looked to be a silicone seal which would in theory protect the motors from light water exposure (but NOT submersion0.

The deck appears to be water resistant, the FOAM pad between the deck and base is quite quick and looks to be compressed when the deck bolts are tightened, in theory this would severely limit the ability for water to get into the battery compartment / controller compartment.

We’d be confident in using the 11 Xtreme in light rain / light wet roads, we WOULDN’T be confident with any form of water submersion or exposure to heavy rain.

Of course, exposing your 11 Xtreme to water could invalidate the warranty.

 

Reliability, Warranty & Customer Support

 

So, here’s the interesting part – if you are going to spend £3500+ ($4200 USD +) on a scooter made by what looks to be a new business, isn’t that a MASSIVE RISK?

Well, yes of course.

But, having spent some time looking into the Bronco 11 Xtreme and the team behind it, I think it’s safe to say Bronco Motors isn’t going to go anywhere soon.

There are also LOTS of positive signs that re-enforce their values as a business and their dedication to producing an exceptional scooter.

They’ve gone through extended scooter testing, they’ve perfected the pressing process, they’ve even gone as FAR as to put together their own Gemini 100A Pure Sinewave controllers.

They even LOCTITE nuts and bolts before packing and distributing their scooters, something that a LOT of scooter manufacturers neglect.

We can see the guys over at Bronco Motors are looking to take a slice of the electric scooter marketplace.

 

So reliability? Is the Bronco 11 Xtreme reliable?

For us, it has been absolutely reliable, we haven’t had any issues to date despite covering over 2000 miles. The sturdy build quality and attention to detail are protective measures which will no doubt mean that the 11 xtreme will chug on through thousands of miles without issue.

Obviously how you ride and treat the scooter will play a part, use your 11 Xtreme off road, doing jumps, getting it muddy, subjecting it to extreme temperatures and not charging properly and you’ll obviously shorten the life of it.

 

What about customer support?

So, we DID have an issue with our 11 xtreme out of the box, the lights didn’t work, which was disappointing. BUT, after contacting Bronco Motors they responded within 1 hour! They apologised and explained that it could be the Furlee voltage dropper for the lighting circuit (a relatively inexpensive component) and offered to send a new one at no cost.

We weren’t expecting such a quick turnaround time on the response – these guys clearly care about their customers which is great to see.

 

What about the warranty?

So, we were expecting a year’s warranty, but, it only comes with 6 months which is a little disappointing. Perhaps they may change this down the line as they build and release more scooters. When you consider scooter companies like Apollo who offer 2 years of warranty, we’d expect the Bronco to have at least 1 year parts warranty given the price tag.

 

Controllers

 

Where would a scooter review be without an overview of the controllers?

So many reviews overlook the importance of controllers, why? they are EXCEPTIONALLY important, they get hot, channel energy between motor phases and ultimately impact how the scooter performs. Good controllers will regulate voltage, current and will disspiate heat properly.

A LOT of scooters use unbranded or cheap controllers, this is why they fail or can misbheave. We’ve had a few bad experiences with the controllers on the ZERO 11X overheating and cutting power.

But, the BRONCO Xtreme’s controllers are special, they’re built to a high quality, using Infineon power MOSFETS for improved reliability. The phase wires can output peak currents from 170-200 amps.

And, as a bonus, the Gemini controllers are pure SINEWAVE, making them silent and offering smooth power output.

We did find that the controller in the Bronco xtreme wasn’t bonded to the frame and was more held in place by the wiring, ideally, there would have been some heat transfer pad and adhesive to stop the controller from being able to move and to support heat dissipation.

 

Maintenance

 

Maintenance is relatively limited on the Bronco 11 xtreme, keep it clean, remove any residual dirt and mud build up, ensure that nuts and bolts remain tight (although the LOCTITE they apply will likely render this maintenance requirement null until you decide to undo anything).

Look after the battery, try to avoid excessive battery discharging, charging slower is better for the Bronco’s LG battery. Store the scooter somewhere safe between 5c and 40c, avoid excessive exposure to cold or heat.

Store the Bronco 11 xtreme at 80% battery charge if storing for an extended period of time.

 

Known Issues

 

So, the scooter isn’t that well known, so, there aren’t any reported issues in the wild. Known issues are only the issues we’ve had.

1. The Furlee DC to DC droppers can develop a fault that causes the output to drop to less than 12v which can cause the light circuit to stop working. This is an easy, inexpensive fix that simply requires changing the furlee dropper with another one or using a different dropper with the same rating (30-90v DC to step down 12v max 3 amps).

 

 

Is this E-Scooter value for money and is it worth buying?

 

Yes, a resounding yes. If you want an absolute machine of an electric scooter the Bronco 11 Xtreme is the one to go for. It’s up in the top performance scooters along with the Currus, Weped FF and RION models. It’s capable of wheel spinning BOTH wheels from 0 – 30 km/h with ease.

It’s worth buying, not just because its an attractive scooter with fantastic ergonomics, but because it’s unique, it’s from a relatively new kid on the block who wants to enter the market by focusing on QUALITY.

It’s fast, agile, fun to ride and has enough torque to climb silly gradients all day long.

 

Bronco Motors Resources

 

Bronco Motors Website 

Bronco Motors Distributor