For the previous few years, the doorway of my New York City condominium has been affected by one or two electric scooters for testing, together with a folding ebike. My spouse has been thrilled. She and I’ve tripped on the handlebars, knocked into the wheels, and—effectively, let’s simply say I’m shocked she did not cite these every day hazards in our vows once we tied the knot.

Escooters are, sure, extra handy to stow away than a bicycle (to not point out a automobile), however they don’t seem to be as compact as scooter producers may need you imagine. When folded up, they’re usually too tall to roll underneath a sofa. You can steadiness them upright by leaning them towards a wall, however, talking from expertise, they will come crashing down from time to time. That’s the place the Taur received me over. It’s the primary escooter I’ve examined that has no bother standing upright by itself. My spouse and I are very grateful.

It is uncommon in different methods, too. There’s no conventional “deck” on which to position your toes. Instead, two pedals flap out from the tubular body. You put your toes on these, and the Taur makes you trip together with your legs parallel, as an alternative of 1 in entrance of the opposite, which the corporate says is extra of a pure stance. This additionally helps shave down weight and the general measurement of the automobile. Unfortunately, my general expertise has been combined. The Taur does a number of issues proper that I’d like to see lengthen to different scooters, nevertheless it very a lot seems like a piece in progress. You most likely do not wish to really feel like a beta tester after spending $1,195.

Two-Horned Bull

The Taur is beautiful. It has a clear and minimalist design, with an off-white powder-coated aluminum tube that runs all the best way from the handlebars right down to the rear wheel. There’s a entrance mild, a taillight, a motorbike-styled middle stand, and a decently loud horn that is positive to get the eye of that dolt in a automobile blocking the bike lane.

There’s a little bit latch on the backside of the body you possibly can twist to make the stem fold down. Align the steel peg on the stem with the outlet on the rear fender, and the Taur stays folded. You can use the middle kickstand to present it extra stability or put the entire scooter upright. The latter is arguably among the best options of the Taur. It’s not solely space-saving at residence, nevertheless it was immensely useful in not taking over an excessive amount of room on a crowded subway (extra on that later).

It’s not my favourite folding system—the latch feels clunky and might require some pressure to maneuver. Pushing down on the rear fender to unhook the stem additionally is not intuitive if you aren’t utilizing the middle stand, as a result of it is easy for the entire thing to fall on its aspect. I ought to add that when it is folded up, the Taur is comparatively light-weight to hold at 37 kilos, however the thick stem makes it unwieldy. I want there was a slim seize deal with affixed to the stem, like on Fluidfreeride’s Mosquito.

Power is not an issue with the Taur. It has a 500-watt motor that had no bother taking me up and down bridges and different slopes. The twin 12.5-inch air-filled tube tires are bigger than what you’d sometimes discover on an electrical scooter, and so they assist present a clean trip regardless of the shortage of suspension. The hydraulic disc brake does a pleasant job of coming to a halt, although I did need to initially tighten the brake lever.