Megawheels S10 Electric Scooter Review

A no frills budget scooter that is surprisingly well made, sturdy & capable for a very little amount of money

Having spent the last few years reviewing a wide range of scooters from 500w to 12,000w+ – it’s no secret that once you get the taste of speed and power, going backwards in power output is almost nonsensical……..
Or is it?

I mean, sure it’s great flying around on a Dualtron Thunder at 50mph, or powering through the woods on the Kaabo Wolf King, but when it comes to jumping off the train to finish your last mile commute, you’ll be looking for something that’s much lighter and practical, que the Megawheels S10.

Megawheels S10: The Lowdown…

Up until August of 2021, i’d never even head of the brand “Megawheels”, and to be honest, whenever I hear of branding that sort of self promotes itself, it always gives me a bit of a bad vibe, it’s probably because of the numerous years I spent buying petrol gopeds from obscure chinese brands only to find the quality was terrible & more often than not, the scooter would fall to bits with no way of me getting recourse from the manufacturer.

But, Megawheels reached out and offered to send a scooter, we’d be crazy to turn it away – after all, we love all scooters big or small.

Looking at the brand, they’ve not been around long, according to their website they were founded in 2017 & it looks like they deal with numerous types of PEV from scooters to balance boards.

The model we were sent was the S10, it arrived a week later in tidy packaging – so we set to work doing our review.

250watts is at the bottom end of the power spectrum (anything lower is really only suitable for kids). But, we were quite surprised at how capable the S10 was.

It’s a lightweight (11.5kg) 250w scooter with a 7.5ah battery, rigid tubular frame with a single rear drive brushless motor. It has a fairly long wheelbase and a deck wide enough for most to ride comfortably. It’s designed for ages 16+ and falls into the “commuter” scooter bracket because it offers sufficient power with sufficient battery capacity to be able to be used for last mile runs or local journies.

Megawheels S10 Specifications

S10 Cons

Motor too weak for most inclines above 10-20%

Headlight beam aim too high

Reflector stickers can peel off

No IP Rating

Megawheels S10 Summary

The scooter came in the box and surprisingly – the box was in perfect condition – which is unusual, most scooter boxes end up looking like they’ve been through the war with most international couriers. Out of the box, everything was well packaged and the scooter unblemished.

Why is this even important? well, remember the old adage – you get what you pay for? what could you honestly expect for £200 ($280) ? So at this price point, I was already expecting a scooter to arrive with damaged box, missing parts, scratches and marks etc – but, it turned up, perfect condition, the scooter unmarked, everything where it should be! WIN!

What Megawheels sent was one of their higher models – the S10.

The S10 is the perfect all-rounder – even though it’s not overly powerful, it’s been designed for lightweight and portability – and is complemented by a fairly modest 7.5ah battery. Pairing a 7.5ah battery with a 250w motor is a good combination as it means you’ll actually get half decent range (unless you live in an area with hills – then range is majorly reduced).  

Overall you have 270wh of battery capacity at 36v. To put it into perspective, the Xiaomi M365 has a nominal capacity of 280wh  and is nearly £100 more than the Megawheels S10 – so with a battery that’s literally the equivalent, the Megawheels S10 offers better value for money per WH.

We found the S10 to be surprisingly capable, our rider was 70kg who managed to get 11 miles (17km) on a single charge. Charging time was around 4 hours which was relatively quick, so it could easily be viable for a 5-10 mile commute, although keeping in mind the range achieved was done so at a low speed (10kmh).

Performance Overview

The S10BK isn’t going to win any awards for power output – it’s 250w so you should expect something with limited power. The S10BK has enough power to move most adults along on flat surfaces, however on gradients it will struggle. Lighter riders may get away with some gradients, but in general, 250w isn’t enough for any real inclines.

Whilst the maximum loading is 150kg – any riders over 90kg should only consider the S10 if being used on flat surfaces, otherwise you’ll find yourself pushing it up any hills you encounter.

When in sport mode on a flat, you can expect smooth acceleration – whilst it isn’t the fastest, it has an even power curve up to a maximum speed of around 15mph.

The performance stays fairly consistent until the battery reaches 2 or less bars, then some performance is lost in respect of acceleration and top speed capability.

Speed & Acceleration

As we mentioned in the previous section – 250w scooters aren’t designed to be quick, they are designed to be used for entry level riders & last mile commuters who want something light. The top speed of the S10BK is 15mph, you might be able to coax 1-2mph more on a down hill run – but in general the most we were able to get was 15mph.

The acceleration is OK – it will pick up quick enough for lighter riders but my lag with riders over 70-80kg. 

Top Speed

The S10BK has 3 ride modes (eco, standard and sport mode). The top speed changes marginally, so be prepared for a maximum of 15mph. Even down a hill we weren’t able to get more than 17mph. As this is a budget scooter – don’t expect speed hacks, the motor and battery are designed around the scooter – the controller isn’t hackable or upgradable – so keep that in mind if you are thinking of mods.

Hill Climbing

The Megawheels S10BK struggles with most hills, even small inclines present a challenge. The scooter is able to climb gradual hills, but don’t expect to cover gradeability of more than 10-15%.  We tested the S10BK on numerous hills, after 15% the scooter slowed down to walking pace – to the point where we’d scoot with a foot to help the motor cope.

So you know – if you push the motor up a gradient it gets very hot – which is likely to shorten its service lifespan.

Battery & Range

The S10 shines here – the battery is 7ah (which isn’t a lot) but, the motor is relatively efficient as is the controller – meaning you can get 5-10 miles on a single charge. It will deplete the battery MUCH quicker if you try to do an endurance run on any form of hill. On flats, cruising in eco or standard you could potentially get up to 10 miles, although in our tests we rarely got above 6-7 miles (low gradients and flats). The battery appears to be generic (chinese), we’re unsure of the cells in use i.e. 18650. The total WH capacity is 270wh – which for a scooter this light is very good.

Motor Configuration

The Megawheels S10BK uses a single rear drive rear hub motor. It’s a fairly standard motor – encased in a solid rubber tyre. The front tyre features a honeycomb lattice whilst the rear wheel is solid throughout. The motor has no IP rating (that we’re aware of) so I wouldn’t get it wet or use it in rainy conditions.

The motor is pretty quiet although you can hear a bit of whine as you get up to speed.

We’ve found the motor can get quite hot if the scooter is made to climb any gradients or has heavier loading (90kg+).

Construction & Quality

The Megawheels S10 scooter is actually very well made, very robust and oozes quality for the price point (we’re not kidding). The solid tubular frame, nicely shaped wooden deck, mudguard and stem are all really good quality – we’re unsure how they’ve managed to do it on a budget scooter. 

The deck is solid, even thought it’s mounted over a tubular frame.

The rear mudguard is solid and doesn’t feel flimsy in any way.

The stem is solid with almost no lateral play – the locking mechanism is reassuringly solid thanks to an inverse clamp. The handlebars are screw in – they lock in tight and feel robust enough.

The battery is slung between the tubular frame and has sufficient clearance to tackle most low level kerbs. The whole scooter feels reassuringly tight.

The metal used for the frame is coated black – it doesn’t look or feel cheap – what’s great is they’ve avoided using chrome parts (Chinese Chrome) which often rusts and makes a scooter look tatty.

We’re honestly surprised at what you get for your money – we’re hoping there is nothing sinister from longer term ownership – but as far as we can tell for now, the quality of the S10BK is surprisingly good at this price point. 

Suspension & Comfort

Let’s cut to the mustard – this is a budget scooter with solid wheels – it doesn’t offer much in the way of comfort and nor does it feature any suspension. The front tyre is the ONLY sign that they’ve tried to improve ride quality – but in all honesty the honeycomb structure is very solid – so the ride quality itself is harsh.

You wouldn’t use this in areas with poor quality paths or roads (And most certainly not off road).

Whilst most scooters of this price point / power output have solid wheels, at least Megawheels tried the honeycomb front tyre approach – but, in our opinion the tyre is so hard anyway that the honeycomb makes little difference (if any).

Ride Quality

The ride quality on the S10BK is pretty harsh – but then again it’s the same for most solid wheel / budget / low power scooters. With budget in mind and portability in mind – suspension is left out. Suspension adds cost and weight to a scooter – so for a lightweight urban scooter it’s often left out.

If you use the S10BK for short trips in the city or villages and are surrounded by paths and have decent pavement / road surfaces, there is no reason why you can’t enjoy the ride.

However, any poor quality surfaces and you’ll feel it through the stem and deck.

No suspension + solid wheels mean you will feel all of the bumps in the road / path.

Lights

So the S10BK comes with front and rear lights. The front light is pretty good (uses 3 LEDS) however the aim is too high, so using it in the dark and you’ll struggle to see much in front of you as the beam pattern is too diluted. The plastic housing surrounding the LED’s is like a milky white – so this reduces the brightness of the LEDs to a degree. The rear light is pretty bright and lights up on braking (only on the electric brake not the mudguard brake).

Braking

The Megawheels S10BK has very good brakes – again, we’re pleasantly surprised. The S10 uses electric braking (resistive load on the motor) to slow down – there is also a manual mudguard brake too – so stopping from 15mph can be done quickly. However, there is no front brake – so even though there are 2 braking options, all of the braking is done on the rear wheel – meaning if you need to stop abruptly you’ll find yourself skidding. Overall the braking is good, just don’t leave it till last minute to brake as you’ll just lock the rear wheel up and skid.

Portability

The S10BK is the definition of portable, weighing in at just 11kg this scooter is absolutely perfect for those who need something they can take on the bus or train for a last mile commute. The portability makes the S10BK perfect for commuting, people who live in apartments or flats (With stairs), people who want something compact for the car or something they can chuck in a caravan to take away or even to racing paddocks.  When folded the scooter is 105cm x 43cm x 54cm – the perfect size for any car boot.

Tyres

The tyres on the S10BK are solid / hardened rubber – they’re great in the sense that you can’t puncture them and that it would take a lifetime to wear them down. The front wheel has holes drilled into the rubber to act as a cushion. Allowing the rubber to compress (thanks to the cavities) in theory should take some of the harshness out of the ride.

Unfortunately on the S10BK it’s made no noticeable difference, the tyres are solid (Even with the drilled holes).

The tread depth is minimal – which is fine for most day to day applications – just don’t use it to go through puddles or off road (it doesn’t grip well on damp grass).

Deck

The deck on the Megawheels S10 is really nice – it appears to be a compressed timber board with a grip tape stuck on top. The curve at the front of the board is really nice and goes with the slope of the tubular frame. The deck is wide enough to stand comfortably, however with no rear footrest, you may find yourself putting your rear foot on the mudguard (Which is a brake).

The quality of the deck is good, the grip tape seems durable enough – although it is glued on, so no doubt wear and tear will lead to the grip tape lifting at the sides.

The battery is positioned just under the deck between the tubular frame.

Controls & Display

The S10 surprisingly features a speedo / LCD panel showing speed and ride mode. Cheaper scooters tend to avoid a true LCD screen – however the S10BK doesn’t disappoint. Don’t get us wrong, it’s very plain and simple – it won’t give you an odometer and it doesn’t do anything other than show battery, speed and ride mode.

The controls are straightforward, the right hand thumb throttle controls acceleration whilst the left hand thumb throttle activates the electric rear brake.

The controls and display are super simple / basic – but do the job.

The panel sits smack bang in the centre of the handlebars and is of sufficient size to read – the panel clarity is fair with enough backlight for easy visibility in the evenings.

Water Resistance

Looking for water resistance? well move on – the S10BK has no IP rating – although with the construction it looks like it would take damp and light water conditions without any issue. The battery is mounted under the deck and only has a charging port whole which is plugged with a rubber plug – so in theory it looks like it would resist rain – the rear motor is built into the wheel and looks similar to other scooters that have an IP54 rating.

As with any electrical item – if no IP rating is shown, treat it as that or you’ll invalidate the warranty.

Even IP54 rated scooters aren’t really designed to get wet, they can tolerate light splashes or dampness.

The S10BK we tested in the wet – we had no issues (and we got the scooter moderately wet). Although we’re unsure if that will have any long term impact.

Reliability

The S10BK hasn;t been in our ownership long enough for us to call it reliable. We’ll come back to the review after a few months of ownership. As the brand/model aren’t overly well known – the scooter communities do not have people discussing any issues with the Megawheels S10 BK, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t long term issues that could crop up.

We feel the S10 BK offers absurdly good value for money – we’re unsure whether anything has been sacrificed such as battery quality.

The only comment we could make is that if the battery is a “cheap cheap” battery than that ultimately could mean less charge cycles – however we don’t know yet – when we do we’ll post here.

Warranty 

As a fairly young brand – we’d need to see long term how they address customers who have issues with their scooters. On the Megawheels.com website – their return and refund policy states:

14 Day Quality Satisfaction Guarantee Period

This states if you aren’t happy with the scooter in the first 2 weeks of ownership – you can return it. 

30 Day Exchange

Basically, if is any quality issue you can send it back within the first 30 days for a free exchange.

12 Month Warranty

The S10 comes with a 12 month warranty – any quality related issue with parts is covered by warranty.

Whilst the above is reassuring to see – we’d want to see how easy it is to return a scooter and how promptly a replacement is provided – this is important for consumers.

Known Issues

There are no known or reported issues as yet.

Maintenance

The S10BK is almost completely maintenance free – the scooter has minimal moving parts, limited things to go wrong. As with any scooter – general maintenance should cover brakes, tyres, battery and keeping everything clean.

The S10BK has a low maintenance regime – there are no pneumatic tyres so tyre changes will be extremely far between.

The S10BK has no disk / pads – the electronic brake means no mechanical braking to wear, although the mudguard over time may need replacing if a lot of braking is down with it.

The battery is not removable – when the battery wears out, there may be issues swapping the battery over.

Megawheels S10BK: Is it worth the money and is it worth buying?

In all honesty – we were surprised by the SB10K – the quality for the price makes this a fantastic buy. The scooter is light, sufficiently powered for basic use, comes with lights, electric brakes (non regenerative), speedo, multiple ride modes, solid folding mechanism and is all presented in a nice, simple design.

We feel that the S10BK presents very good value for money – and looks to be a robust scooter.

Author:
Daniel Foley

BIO: 

Daniel is the ultimate adrenaline junkie when it comes to performance scooters. Daniel’s favourite scooter is the Bronco 11 Xtreme. With a land speed record of 72 mph on electric scooters – Daniel lives for everything e Scooter.