Whether for commuting or urban adventures, the Inmotion S1 electric scooter invites all while promising an inclusive e-scooter. With a focus on offering a larger experience—whether it be the rider's size or maximum range—the Inmotion S1 seems to be doing just that.

Inmotion S1 Electric Scooter Technical Specifications

For those familiar with the Inmotion L9, the S1 electric scooter should strike a familiar chord. While very similar, Inmotion notes there's now a dual-shock system alongside a longer battery life. In addition, the rear-wheel-drive design is also used to make climbing more powerful and add stability.

With this in mind, when talking about the Inmotion S1 scooter, the first thing you'll notice is that it's on the larger side. When folded up for transport, it's 49.8 x 21.3 x 21.2 inch
es. Once unfolded, you can size up the scooter truly with its measurement of 49.8 x 48.0 x 21.2 inches.

To provide more footing, the deck size also offers quite generous spacing. It's 180 mm wide with a 135 mm long rubberized anti-slip deck. So if you've ever had to contend with smaller rental-based e-scooters on a city commute, you'll be able to appreciate the added spacing.

With the bigger dimensions, you can imagine there's some weight to the Inmotion S1, and you'd be right: approximately 53 pounds. While the foldable design does allow you to carry it by its mast either single-handed or double-handed, the weight can make that awkward.

Along with the size, it's also allowed for a diverse amount of weight ranges. The Inmotion S1 features a maximum payload of 308.6 lbs. At its full speed, it'll hit 18.6 mph with the motor's output power of 500W or peak power of 1000W.

Another key point of the Inmotion S1 is the above-average state range of 56 miles, though this is in a controlled environment with a 165-pound rider, cruising on a flat road at 18 km/h (~11 mph).

In a more realistic condition for myself as a heavier rider with some more challenging terrain to deal with, the distance tended to be in the 30-35 miles range. Still, if you're looking for an electric scooter for short commutes, the S1 should definitely have the range for most people.

Set-Up and Aligning the Inmotion S1 Electric Scooter

When setting up the Inmotion S1, you're given a fairly detailed visual set of directions. If you’re looking at these for the first time without any prior scooter experience, you'll want to pay particular attention to some of the more nuanced directions. On that, there’s one thing I wanted to address.

When initially testing the S1, I noticed the mast will go out of alignment with the front suspension over time due to the gland screw gradually loosening.

 When using a normal amount of force to tighten, I never could get it tight enough to prevent this via the included Allan wrench.

So typically before taking a ride, I would make sure to carry the Allan wrench with me to re-tighten if needed. I'd also check the alignment of the wheel relative to the scooter itself using my feet. This is more of a user matter, so if you can get it tightened via another method, you likely won’t run into this issue.


Inmotion App Support

Before really taking a ride of the Inmotion S1, it's advisable to download the Inmotion app. This allows you to pair your Inmotion S1 to your phone via Bluetooth and activate the SCV. While there are some social elements to the app, your primary focus will likely be on the more functional elements.

While you'll get access to some ride stats alongside your battery life, you can also configure other features, such as toggle the headlights or lock the scooter. There's also the option to limit your speed and disable the light effects and turn signal.

If you do happen to limit the scooter's speed, however, the app can be overwritten from the scooter's main LCD. You can also enable automatic cruise control: once you're moving at a fixed speed for a certain amount of time, the Inmotion S1 will beep indicating that it'll maintain that speed for you.

For added safety, you can also enable downhill braking assistance.

Should any problems with Inmotion S1 also occur, you can diagnose specifically what part of the scooter isn't functioning correctly. All of your firmware updates will also be installed via the app as well.

Inmotion S1 Wheels, Shocks, and Brakes

For any electric scooter with a focus on commuting, there's a need for quality components to assist the safety of your everyday ride. With the Inmotion S1, this starts with the included 10-inch tubeless pneumatic tires. These offer a good grip alongside the road; you'll want to make sure they're properly inflated before any ride.

To ensure a smooth ride, the Inmotion S1 features a dual shock absorption system. With both front and rear wheel suspension, you won't be bothered by small bumps much at all. Even when testing the S1 over a series of them, the ride quality never felt choppy.

For braking, the S1 offers a front drum and rear electric brakes. When slowing down and preparing to use the manual brakes, they always felt responsive. However, the electric brakes may jar less experienced riders.

In testing, when going downhill at a more rapid speed, the e-brake seemed to override the manual brake. Depending on how you respond to it and whether you’re prepared for it---you might feel it’s a bit jerky, but I appreciated it as another safety feature.

Customizing Your Ride Experience with the Inmotion S1

When using the LCD screen there are three riding modes to choose from. The beginner-friendly Eco mode maxes at 9.3 mph, D (standard) maxes at 14.8 mph, and S (sport) maxes out at 18.6 mph
. Besides displaying your current driving mode, the LCD will also show bar-based battery life, whether your headlight is on or off, active turn signals, and current speed.

As a commuter scooter by design, the Inmotion S1 is designed to be used with asphalt and pavement. If you do attempt to take it off-road, you'll quickly find it's not going to be going far. To get moving with any of these modes, you'll need to kick off, since the motor is only started once the vehicle reaches 3 km/h
.

In terms of ride performance, the Inmotion S1 was what I imagined out of an e-scooter. It delivered a smooth ride, handles well, and can get up to speed quicly Some electric scooters also put a greater focus on speed at the cost of everything else; the sport mode never breached that area with me.

In terms of lighting, the Inmotion S1 offers a mix of flair and functionality. When the S1 isn't leaning to the left or right, the side-mounted lights display a sharp blue that pairs nicely with the blue lighting around the LCD. However, once you shift it to the left or right, the smart turn signals blink red.

In addition, the 1.25W headlights and rear brake light bring some added safety, the Inmotion S1 stayed visible on approach.

In terms of ride performance, it handles moderate slopes quite well. Specifically, Inmotion's claim of the S1 conquering slopes up to 30% proved accurate with enough battery power for the device. However, slopes above that range were chiefly out of reach for the Inmotion S1.

Heavier riders will also want to make sure there's enough momentum as well for threshold climbs.

As for other limitations: the handlebars aren't adjustable. So if you're a smaller rider, you'll typically be reaching up to the handlebars which can provide more discomfort over longer rides.

Transport and Portability for the S1 Electric Scooter

As a larger electric scooter, the S1 does suffer a bit in terms of transport and portability. While I had no issue fitting t in my sedan's back seat or trunk, there’s a considerable space trade-off for that.

 Similarly, I typically took advantage of the kickstand to ensure that it didn't shift during transport.

Overall, it’s also a bit heavier and bulkier due to the battery and the larger deck size. While I could carry it with one arm, iI would only advise this for smaller relocations. Otherwise, I found a two-handed approach to be much more secure when carrying the scooter down some stairs.

Inmotion S1 Battery Life and Charging

In terms of battery capacity, the Inmotion S1 touts a 675Wh capacity. From empty, this requires an average of seven hours to charge to full, but this can be lowered to approximately 3.5 hours if you use both charging ports (and an additional charger). You can purchase another charger separately; I’d advise it for those planning to utilize the S1 for frequent commutes. Whether charging from your wall socket or an appropriate portable power station, both sped up the charging time of the S1 considerably.

Thanks to the smart battery management system, you also won't have to concern yourself with overheating, short circuits, or unsafe discharges.

However, when it comes to charging the S1, you'll get to experience one of the more frustrating elements of this electronic scooter. The rubber charging port covers don't easily slip back inside and require a more precise fitting to prevent pop-outs. To put them back properly, I'd typically have to place the S1 on my lap and tuck them back into the grooves to avoid any needless struggle.

Should You Buy the Inmotion S1?

For those looking for a larger electric scooter, the Inmotion S1 offers a comfortable ride alongside a fine mixture of safety and performance features.

The downsides are mostly centered around build quality and cost-cutting measures to keep the Inmotion S1 priced more competitively. But if your concern is the quality of plastics in less crucial areas, you may already be after a more premium-priced product.

While it certainly won't please everyone after a more speed-based scooter, the Inmotion S1 offers a lot for most.

If you're after a larger scooter for your daily rides, the Inmotion S1 is an easy recommendation. However, you'll ultimately need to weigh your use case if you're considering it for your daily commute or pleasure rides.