Dualtron Thunder Review

The Dualtron Thunder is an iconic electric scooter, fast, light, agile and sporty, but, most importantly – very well built and reliable. If doing 50 mph (80 km/h) whilst close to the ground sounds exciting, read on.

The Dualtron Thunder is an exceptional scooter and is one of the iconic scooters in the Minimotors line up. The thunder cemented Dualtron’s reputation and is one of their most popular selling scooters to date. 

It’s fast, agile and relatively light, it remains portable yet robust and sturdy enough for on and off road fun.

It has the perfect combination of speed and power to make it a good all rounder, whether doing a commute or hitting the fields, the thunder won’t let you down.

Dualtron Thunder Electric Scooter – The Lowdown…

The Dualtron Thunder electric scooter is a big boy electrics scooter; that’s for certain. If you are looking for an average electric scooter to help you with your commute to work on crowded city streets, this might not be the scooter for you and there are certainly better electric scooters out there for you.

If you’re looking for power and speed then keep reading, because the Dualtron Thunder has a heaping amount of both. To put it plainly, this electric scooter rides like a high-performance scooter on steroids. Every time you think the Thunder has hit its top speed, it somehow surprises you and continues to accelerate to reach a new top speed.

While we were testing it, the Dualtron Thunder was able to hit top speeds that are usually reserved for motorcycles. It really is a beast of an electric scooter and one of the most powerful electric scooters we’ve had a chance to get our hands on.

If you’re all about high-performance and want to buy an electric scooter that offers a thrilling, an ultra high-speed riding experience, check out this Dualtron Thunder review to see why we think that this electric scooter might be the perfect one for you.

Dualtron Thunder Specifications

Dualtron Thunder Cons

  Known stem clamp issues, the double clamp replacement is recommended

  Standard deck lighting no good for night time riding

  Motor hub bolts can be notoriously difficult to undo

  Stem could be slightly longer

  Deck areas between grip tape can scratch easily

Dualtron Thunder Summary

The Dualtron Thunder as an electric scooter has everything most riders would need. It’s fast, portable and does the job. The scooter itself comes from an established brand and that means you’ve got guaranteed support in the future, there has been a lot more R&D as well as product testing and with an established brand, you can be sure you won’t be left unable to get parts.

The Dualtron Thunder is about quality, just looking at the frame, the components, the crisp alignment of everything makes for a reassuring feel when standing on and riding.

Just keep in mind, doing 50 mph (80 km/h) on an electric scooter is pretty dangerous, so you are going to want to know what you are standing on is safe and won’t fall apart at high speed.

The Dualtron Thunder exceeds the reported top speed of 50 mph (80 km/h), in fact, we were able to hit 55 mph (88 km/h) on flat ground (According to Strava).

The reported range is always over exaggerated, most electric scooter retailers and reviews sites all vary in reported mileage from 60 miles to 90+ miles (96 – 144 km), which, just isn’t possible. We’ve tested. We were able to get around 49 miles (78 km) using single motor mode, eco, driving very carefully with most terrain being flat (only a handful of small gradients).

Driving more lively and hitting more gradients will bring the battery range down to 20-30 miles (32 – 48 km) of real world use.

For most, the thunder has enough battery power and motor power to be used for good long runs, and, thanks to a dedicated GX16 port (not a charging port) it can support a plug and play range extender pack adding another 10-30 miles (16 – 48 km).

Performance Overview

How do we say it? the Dualtron Thunder is an animal, anything in the 5kw+ territory is a serious scooter and should be respected. Not just because of the incredible torque, but also because of the top speeds. Come off at 50 mph (80 km/h) and there’s a good chance you’ll seriously injure yourself.

On to the positive aspects of the Dualtron Thunders performance. 

It’s quick, very quick and the torque / acceleration are incredible. The thunder has a torque peak from 0-10mph before gently curving off as you accelerate past 30 mph (48 km/h). The thunder will get to 50 mph (80 km/h) on flat ground in less than 10-15 seconds (depending on rider weight). 

Starting off you’ll get some wheel spin which is great fun, just make sure you don’t do it on loose gravel. 

Top Speed & Acceleration

This is where things start to get serious when taking a look at this electric scooter. As we’ve already stressed in this Dualtron Thunder review, this is a high-end and high-performance vehicle and definitely not one you’ll see on the streets very often. 

The maximum speed of the Dualtron Thunder borders on insanity. It can move at 50 mph (80 km/h) at its peak performance, meaning that it rivals the speed of some motorized scooters and low-end motorcycles. 

However, it is important to note that if you’re buying it in the United States, you will be limited to a speed of about 15 mph (25 km/h) because of a speed-limiting wire that is added to the Dualtron Thunder scooter. There are certain insurance requirements that need to be respected in the US, which is why the official distributors in America (MiniMotors USA) need to limit the Dualtron Thunder’s speed. 

But if you are buying the scooter anywhere else but in the US, you’ll be able to experience ultra speed on the Dualtron Thunder. And of course, if you plan on testing its speed, make sure that you are taking all precautions to stay safe. This means wearing protective gear and riding in an area that is not heavily populated. 

Buying the Dualtron Thunder in the UK / Europe / Asia it will come unrestricted (no speed limiting).

Battery Life & Range

As we’ve already discussed in this Dualtron Thunder review, the scooter comes with a big and powerful battery (LG MJ1) with a capacity of 2100 watt hours. According to the manufacturer’s claim, the Dualtron Thunder has a range of 75miles (120 km), but on average, our tests have shown that 40 miles (65-70km) is a bit more realistic assessment of its range. 

In most of our tests, the Dualtron Thunder got about 60-70% of the claimed rage, which means that you can probably expect a real-world range in less-than-perfect conditions to be closer to 50 -m 55 miles (80-90km) for the Dualtron Thunder, which is still a very good range for any electric scooter. 

As we also noted in the specs, the climbing range for going up slopes is 25 degrees, which is about a 47% climbing grade. Obviously, this climbing grade will decrease if the rider is heavier. In the manual that comes with the Thunder, it says that the scooter is not made for going up steep slopes, but it does obviously have enough power to manage climbs that aren’t too extreme. 

The manual also warns against accelerating while riding downhill, which is a warning that should be heeded, considering how fast the Dualtron Thunder can go at its top speed. 

Motor Configuration

As we’ve already noted in the specs, the Dualtron Thunder’s motor’s power peaks at 5400 watts. It has a nominal power of 2400 watts per motor. The difference between the two is quite simple; peak power is the absolute most power the motor can give, which means that you won’t be able to ride an electric scooter at peak power for a long duration of time. The nominal power is the continuous power at which you will be able to ride the Dualtron Thunder for as long as you’d like.  

What’s interesting and important to note is that its motor system is made up of two, brushless DC electric dual hub motors. What does that mean for you in terms of performance and power? People who are looking for ultra high-performance motors prefer brushless motors over brushed motors because brushless motors usually give you less noise and better torque. Brushless motors also tend to be more reliable and last longer than brushed motors. 

Dualtron brand their hub motors with the MINIMOTORS slogan which is a nice touch.

The thunders BLDC hub motors are NOT waterproof, so it’s important not to get them wet as any water ingress will cause rust and corrosion internally.

On the thunders handle bars you’ll be able to switch between single motor / dual motor mode at the tap of a button.

Construction & Build Quality

As we’ve already stated several times, all signs in this Dualtron Thunder review point to it being a heavy-duty machine. The deck of the scooter is about 30 cm wide, which makes it very easy for you to stay stable even when you’re increasing the speed of the scooter. It can also carry loads of up to 150 kg (330 lbs). 

The Dualtron Thunder was built to last and it was built with stability in mind first and foremost. The entire build is very solid and the deck is large enough so that you can find your best and most stable position while riding, no matter how tall you are and what type of riding position you prefer. 

The build quality of the Thunder is VERY good, we haven’t really seen any defects or issues out of the box. The only thing the thunders are really known for are weak stem clamps. The single standard stem clamp is too thin making stem wobble a very real issue. Some thunder riders have reported fractured clamps / clamps failing completely. 

Dualtron and after market manufacturers provide DUAL clamps which are bigger, stronger and eliminate this issue altogether.

Dualtron factored this in on newer scooters which is why you’ll now see all modern Dualtrons with stronger, bigger clamps.

Battery

There’s nothing very unusual about the battery pack that comes with the Dualtron Thunder, it’s  60 volts, 35 Ah, with LG 3500 cells. But one thing that is interesting about the battery that comes with the Thunder is that it gives you the option of dual charging ports. Using both ports will help you to decrease the time it takes to charge the Dualtron Thunder significantly. 

According to our tests, it took about 20 hours to charge the Dualtron Thunder using just one port and took half that time using both ports. There is also a quick-charge option available that will charge the battery in a little over five hours. 

Naturally, how long it takes the battery to charge will depend on how drained the battery is when you plug it in for charging. 

It would be remiss of us to not note that users should carefully read the instruction manuals that come with lithium batteries such as the one you’ll receive with your Dualtron Thunder. For safety reasons, you should make sure that you are charging your scooter in an area that is well-ventilated, dry, and far away from anything that could potentially be considered a fire hazard. 

The Dualtron Thunder is a 60v system with a cut-off at 48v to protect the battery from being over-discharged.

The EY3 display on the thunder will begin to flash when battery levels begin to run low. 

What’s interesting is that whilst the BMS (battery management system) is set to cut off at 48v, it will allow the voltage to fall to 42v when the motors are under load (sag) BUT, when the constant voltage is sustained at 48v the scooter will cut out.

As with most scooters, the Thunders battery will perform worse in low ambient temperatures. If you plan to ride in lower temperatures (5c or less) you can lose up to 30% of range.

Suspension

The Thunder uses a solid rubber cartridge system as part of its suspension setup. There are numerous cartridge types including soft, medium soft, medium, medium hard and hard. The cartridge is positioned between the upper and lower part of the front swingarm and as part of the rear swingarm assembly. 

The cartridge design is unique to Dualtron, it basically uses a cross bar that pushes out against internal rubber bars. The hardness & compactness of the cartridge will dictate how much travel the cross bar has.

The default thunder suspension setting is fairly hard, even heavier riders won’t notice a great deal of suspension travel.

We find that the suspension isn’t overly forgiving and can make riding on uneven surfaces a bit more unpredictable but, it does make for a more solid, agile feel driving on the roads.

The ideal settings for most thunder owners are to have the rear cartridge as a medium-hard setting and the front cartridge as a hard / medium hard setting. 

The heavier the rider, the harder your suspension setting should be, heavier riders on soft suspension settings can cause speed wobble if the scooter is allowed more suspension travel at high speed.

We’ve produced a guide on how to adjust the suspension on a dualtron thunder – to make the process of selecting a cartridge and changing it over easier.

Ride Quality

If you’re used to riding super-powerful electric scooters, then getting on the Dualtron Thunder to figure out how much of a beast it is, would definitely be a cakewalk.

Some things to look forward to in adjusting to the scooter would be its height (since it’s now an inch taller), the tyres (since they have big spikes, and it really grips well on asphalted roads), and the wider deck (which allows you to move to a more comfortable position for longer rides).

Case in point, it rides and swerves buttery smooth as needed, but the height and the wheel traction just need a bit of getting used to. 

Braking

We’ve already learned that the Dualtron Thunder is very fast and powerful, so it would only make sense that Dualtron made sure that it would also come with a high-performance braking system. We are pleased to report that a high-performance braking system is exactly what you’re going to get with the Dualtron Thunder. 

There was a little doubt about the brakes at first since they are produced by a company called Nutt, which is a smaller Chinese brand that seems fairly generic and obscure. However, these dual 160 mm hydraulically-actuated disc brakes are serious and some of the best that we have ever tested. 

Like most of the best brakes, it takes minimal effort to get an excellent amount of braking force. That means that you’ll be able to stop on a dime (or at least very quickly, when you’re travelling at ultra speeds). The ventilated brake calipers are truly huge and we can’t really recall if we’ve seen bigger ones than these 160 mm discs. 

What they give you is a great performance and sustained and sure braking, which is a necessity when dealing with high-performance scooters if you are looking for stability and safety. 

Here’s one thing that’s important to note about the brakes, however. Even though it says that the brakes are ABS, these are electronic brakes, so they are not truly an anti lock braking system. Because of this, you might notice a little bit of shaking and vibrations while braking, which could be strange at first but should be easy to get used to. 

If you want to adjust the brake strength manually on the instrumental panel, you also have the option of disabling the ABS. 

The Dualtron Thunder features regenerative braking which won’t make all that much difference to range but it WILL significantly increase the life of brake discs and pads as the scooter will use motor resistance to help slow you down.

Portability

As we mentioned, the Thunder features handlebars that can be easily folded. The folding system of the scooter does work very well, considering it’s an absolutely monstrous scooter that weighs around 43 kg (95 lbs).

When the Thunder is folded, its dimensions are 24.6 cm x 31.8 cm x 54.30 cm. Despite being pretty easy to fold, it’s still not very easy to care around because of its sheer weight and size. 

If you want to lift the Thunder into a truck or van or you need to carry the Thunder up a flight of stairs, it’s best to ask for some help. 

We’ve mentioned that it’s light and agile, we mean that it’s light for the type of scooter it is, there are other unbranded / generic Chinese scooters with the same power output but an additional 10-20kg (22 – 44 lbs) in weight on top.

The Thunder is light for the type of scooter it is (Factoring the large battery pack, suspension, wider deck etc.)

Lights

The lighting provided on the Dualtron Thunder is good, but nothing to write home about. The Dualtron Thunder has low-mounted front and rear button LED lights, swag stem lighting, and underside deck LED lights. 

The best thing about the lights on the Dualtron Thunder is that the LED lights can be controlled via remote control The worst thing about the lights is that the forward-facing lights are pretty weak. So if you are interested in riding around the town at high speeds at night, it would be a very good idea to purchase additional LED lighting for better nighttime vision on your Thunder. 

Tyres

If you like going fast on electric scooters, you’re going to need good tires. Of course, the Dualtron Thunder comes with heavy-duty tyres that get the job done. The Thunder has both front and rear rubber cartridge suspension and a 27.9 cm pneumatic tyre on the front and back.

The wheel has a 10cm contact patch with the road, which makes the contact surface especially wide and really helps give you a balanced ride experience no matter what speed you’re riding at on your Thunder.

The tyres as standard are CST vacuum tires. 

As the Dualtron Thunders wheels are tubeless, the tyres used generally have thicker walls making them less susceptible to puncture. The standard tyres that come with the thunder are of good quality and very grippy on dry surfaces. The standard tyres aren’t suitable for off-road use as they’ll spin on mud / grass / loose surfaces.

Removing and replacing the tyres is difficult as the hub motor and rim will need to be split.

The tyre valves will need purchasing alongside the tyre (valves for tubeless tyres). 

You’ll also find pumping the thunders tyres up is a pain, the valve is close to the hub motor with very little room to screw on the Schrader valves. 

Deck

The thunders deck is the perfect size at 12 inches wide and over 20 inches long making it suitable for most riders big or small. The standard deck is a black cast aluminium plate that is half covered in grip tape and sports the Dualtron brand / slogan. The deck is around 2mm thick and underneath has a rubber gasket to help prevent water ingress (although it isn’t waterproof).

The deck is just the right size for being able to find a good riding position, however, what lets the thunder down is the lack of a rear footrest.

Many will inadvertently use the plastic mudguard as a place to put a back foot – which, is a bad idea as the rear mudguard is only held on by 2 screws (so it’s not overly rigid). 

The decks on the thunder can be swapped out for carbon decks / LED decks and all kinds of aftermarket options.

Cockpit, Controls & Display

The MiniMotors EY3 LCD display is such a treat to have over the handlebars, as they’re multifunctional and smart enough to make riding such a breeze!

Let’s start with the handlebars when discussing the cockpit of the scooter. The handlebars are aluminium with ergonomic grips. They are also foldable for easy storage. The folding mechanism for the handlebars is a clamp & spring system, simply use the quick release clamp and pull the sliding mechanism away from one another against the springs to release the left and right handlebar so that they can fold down.

The cockpit is essentially divided into hemispheres. The right hemisphere has a standard EYE display and an accelerator which you control with your index finger. On the left hemisphere of the cockpit, you will see a brake lever and an emergency button. This button controls the forward lighting of the scooter. There’s another button on the left side of the cockpit that is used to switch between single and dual motor options. 

The instrument panel is very feature-rich. You have options for a start mode, cruise mode, electronic brake options, ABS capabilities, wireless phone charging, and even a fingerprint reader (which is optional).  

If you’re riding on a road that doesn’t require a lot of manoeuvring, the cruise mode feature is really great if you’re looking to maintain a steady speed during long trips. We definitely recommend reading the instructional manual that comes with the Thunder thoroughly in order to be certain that you understand all of the options that are available to you on the instrument panel.

Water Resistance

Sadly with the thunder there is no water resistance rating. To be honest, the Thunder isn’t really a scooter you’d want to ride in the wet given the ability to spin the wheels and break traction easily.

Ride your thunder in heavy rain and clip puddles and you’ll soon have water making its way into the hubs and potentially into the deck.

Water ingress is bad for any scooter and can cause dead shorts, BMS failure, failure of electrical components, corrosion and more.

If you are out or on a commute with your Dualtron Thunder and it starts pouring down then look at stopping your scooter and switching it off. Keeping it powered off and allowing it to dry out will prevent damage to internal thunder components.

Reliability, Warranty & Customer Support

The duration and terms of the warranty that comes with the Dualtron Thunder will depend on your local dealer. However, the standard warranty is usually six months. 

We contacted their support team several times to check how responsive they were and we were very satisfied with the help and attention that we received. 

The thunders reliability is unquestionable, we’ve owned ours for 3 years now (as of 2021) and with over 7,000 miles (11,200 km) and counting we’ve had NO issue other than basic wear and tear (Tyres and brake pads). 

There are lots of Facebook groups and Reddit threads that are full of Dualtron Thunder owners touting 5,000, 10,000 and even 15,000 (24,000 km) miles of use with only basic maintenance.

It’s an absolutely solid, reliable scooter that just will NOT let you down, you can be sure that day after day the battery, controllers, frame and all components will just work.

Obviously if you abuse your thunder with short charging, over discharging, lots of off road use, jumps and exposure to wet / icy conditions you will shorten it’s life, but, for most general use the thunder will be 100% reliable.

Maintenance

Keeping your Thunder maintained is easy. Simply ensure your tyre pressures are kept at the right setting (under inflation increases resistance which puts more of a load on the motors. Ensure all nuts and bolts are done up tight, regularly inspect your tyres and frame for any signs of damage, make sure you charge and discharge the thunder properly (do not do short runs and keep the battery topped up, make sure you run complete charge and discharge cycles).

The thunder requires very little maintenance.

You may be required to change motors / batteries as the scooter ages / accrues high mileage.

Lithium batteries only have finite cycles they go through before performance drops off significantly.

Make sure if you have the default Dualtron Thunder stem clamp that you keep a close eye on it or replace it. 

Known Issues

The only real known issues with the Dualtron Thunder are:

• Issues with STEM Clamps
• Motor hub bolts are covered in Loctite yet the bolts themselves are very soft, some owners have churned motor hub bolts
• Rear mudguard bolts can work themselves loose so they should be removed and covered in loctite
• Some owners have reported LED lights that stop working

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

The most important thing to note about the Dualtron Thunder electric scooter is that it is an e-scooter that is made for experienced riders and people that have been riding electric scooters for a while and are very comfortable on them. 

The Thunder is definitely not a beginner’s electric scooter. More experienced riders will also be able to take better advantage of all of the features that the Dualtron Thunder electric scooter has to offer. And with options such as ABS brakes and adjustable suspension available to the rider, it really would be a shame to not use the Thunder to its full potential if you’re going to be spending so much money to buy this ultra powerful machine.

If you’re not comfortable with ultra fast speeds and you usually ride your electric scooter through parts of your city or town that are crowded and don’t allow for fast riding, then the Thunder is definitely not the one for you. If you’re going to get the Dualtron Thunder scooter, make sure that you live somewhere where you are going to be able to ride it at ultra speeds because it would definitely be a waste if a machine this well-built and fast is not being used to its potential. 

The Dualtron Thunder definitely is a beast of an electric scooter and the price reflects that. The range is above average, it’s very fast, it’s feature-filled, very customisable, and the construction is very sturdy and durable. 

If you’re looking for a very fast and powerful electric scooter as a first step towards moving to a motorcycle, the Dualtron Thunder would be the perfect vehicle for this. It’s definitely one of the most powerful electric scooters available on the market. 

To reiterate, the Dualtron Thunder is not the scooter you should buy for daily commuting and running errands around town. The Thunder is a road-monster that can burn some serious rubber, which means that it’s made to be enjoyed on the open road and at high speeds.