Gotrax XR Ultra Review – Best Long-Range Scooter under $400

Pros	Cons
Budget price to save money	Small-sized tires not reduce bumps
Good climbing-hill ability	Suspension is not good enought
Relatively long mileages

Gotrax XR Ultra Electric Scooter Overview

XR Ultra is another entry-level electric scooter from Gotrax, which focused on developing low-priced e-scooters for adults, teens, and kids. Compared to its best-selling model – Gotrax GXL V2, the Gotrax XR Ultra has a few improvements in the major components – a slightly more powerful motor and a larger battery. 

The other features are not as excellent as those premium or high-end models, but it’s acceptable at its price range. You can’t expect the best performance with the lowest price, right? But if you’re new to scootering or you just want an inexpensive e-scooter for walking your dogs or getting around the neighborhood, the Gotrax XR Ultra scooter is a good option.

Gotrax XR Ultra Review – Power Performance

Motor and Speed

The Gotrax XR Ultra scooter packs with a 300W motor that will output up to 430W power at peak. It’s not very powerful as the fast top-speed scooters, but still good for scootering on sidewalks and neighborhood, and short-distance daily commuting. 

This 300W motor makes it easy for the Gotrax XR Ultra to reach a top speed of 15.5 miles per hour in the second gear mode. This is the average speed that most cities allow a scooter to go on the roads along with the pedestrians. That’s why we recommended it for those who don’t want to spend much on a very entry-level commuting electric vehicle.

If you want a thrill riding experience on rails or parks, where very few people in around, go get a Gotrax G4, which is capable of 20-mph top speed.

Climbing Hills

Thanks to the motor, the Gotrax XR Ultra is able to go uphills of 15-degree inclines. This is not the best performed among those powerful scooters for conquering steepest streets over the world, but still good enough to handle with most slopes around the communities. 

The ability of climbing hills is associated with the rider’s weight. For lighter riders around 160 pounds, the Gotrax XR Ultra goes uphills effortlessly at a relatively fast speed of about 15 mph. But for riders weighing nearly 220 lbs of the scooter’s weight limit, it’s better for you to get a running start before ascending a hill. 

Some users tested to ride the Gotrax XR Ultra for a 25-degree hill. The scooter got the rider up the hill at about 5.5 mph in first gear and around 7 mph in the second gear mode. Coming back downhill, the scooter gets a faster speed of more than 20 mph. Okay, you can make full use of the downhills to experience a blast riding!

Battery and Range

The Gotrax XR Ultra packed with an upgraded battery from the famous battery brand -LG, with a massive volume of up to 252 Wh. Bigger battery, longer-lasting time, and further range. It’s not surprising that the Gotrax XR Ultra will go a further distance than the GXL V2 commuting electric scooter. 

The manufacturer boasts that the Gotrax XR Ultra electric scooter will ride up to 17 miles on a single charge. The actual maximum distance might vary based on the rider’s weight, the riding environments like the surface status, or there are any potholes on the roads, or there are any hills during the riding. But you’ll get a fairly long-distance around 15 miles on average. 

This might be shorter if your weight reaches its maximum capacity of 220 lbs. Some heavier riders tested to run it to work and back for a 7 miles one-way commute, but just found that it was hard for the Gotrax XR Ultra to make the other way back home. As a result, they will charge the scooter at the office before heading home. 

Luckily, it does not take much time to charge the scooter fully, about 3-4 hours from 0 to 100%. So it’s without a doubt that less charging time is required if you started from the remaining battery power. Actually, it’s not recommended to burn the scooter’s battery out, which will hurt the battery performance just like smartphones. 

Both the scooters and smartphones use the Lithium-ion battery for electric power.

Ride Quality – Acceptably Comfortable and Safe

Featuring two 8.5-inch air-filled tires, the Gotrax XR Ultra delivers a relatively smooth riding experience. But the poor suspension has no effort in reducing the bumps on uneven surfaces. You’ll feel every crack and crevice on rough roads and bumpy terrains. Even on the sidewalks, you can feel bumps pretty strongly. This might be the biggest negative for Gotrax XR Ultra electric scooter.

Luckily, it features a dual braking system – a hand-operated disc brake on the rear wheel, along with an anti-lock brake for a safe ride. This system ensures an efficient stop power whenever you want to give the scooter a stop. 

Build Quality – Simple and Common

Look at the Gotrax scooters, what’s the difference can you tell? Please forgive us that I can’t tell you the obvious discrepancy between the various models. Similar design of mountable handlebars, wide circular tiller and thin and compact deck, even the company’s logo – Gotrax is located at the position of each scooter model. Maybe the main distinctions are the motor and battery that you can’t easily tell from the scooters’ appearance.

Display

The console is no surprise, with a small part at the middle of the handlebar, showing several data – speed, battery level, and gear. 

One of the points many users complain about is the battery display shown on the console. It does not accurately reflect the battery level. When the Gotrax XR Ultra is fully charged, there are only 4 bars. The level would drop sharply on the uphills and then turn back to normal on the downhills, making it difficult for the riders to judge exactly how much juice was left. 

For this issue, the more bars shown on the display might be more accurate; Want a more accurate way? A specific percentage digit might be a good way, but few scooters use this method anyway.

Portability

Made of aluminum alloy, the Gotrax XR Ultra has a sturdy but lightweight body. It only weighs about 27 pounds, within the weight range that one hand can lift, but still a bit heavy for some people. You’ll find that most portable electric scooters weigh around 27 pounds, which might be the lightest weight that most companies can give to an adult commuting electric scooter. 

At just 15” x 44” x 6” when folded, the Gotrax XR Ultra scooter is compact enough to take on public transportation. Yes, you can also store it in your car trunk, in your apartment, or under your desk in the office. 

Lights

Even featuring an upgraded bright LED front light, the Gotrax XR Ultra lacks the fun and Practicality compared to those high-end models with sidelights around the deck. The headlamp offers a clear insight at night, but it’s not recommended to ride this kind of scooter with only one headlight in the dark environments unless you mount additional lights for more brightness to let others notice you. 

Waterproof

The Gotrax XR Ultra is said to be water-resistant with an IP54 waterproofing rating. Don’t buy it! Riding on slightly wet roads might be no problem. In case you run into heavy rain, this may ruin the scooter’s electric power, especially the motor in the front wheel.

The batter components built-in in the stem are better than those scooters with batteries built-in the deck. After all, the welding for the stem should be more solid than it for the deck, where there might be screws if the deck is not a complete part. 

Weight Limit

Most budget scooters do not support heavier riders, the Gotrax XR Ultra neither, which only supports 220 pounds from the official data. But if your weight does not exceed the limit too much, it’s not a big deal to ride on it. But you may not experience the best performance the scooter can give, as the rider’s weight also influences the scooter’s riding performance anyway. 

Want a scooter that supports big guys? Find some models with a higher weight limit.

Gotrax XR Ultra Specs

Motor	300W brushless motor with a 430W peak power output
Battery	252Wh
Charging time	3-4 hours
Distance	Approx. 16 miles
Dimensions	44″ x 15″ x 6″ Folded; 43.3″ x 17.1″ x 14.6″ unfold
Weight	Approx. 27 lbs
Tire Size	8.5-inch shock-absorbing tires
Color	Black, Gray, and Purple
Top Speed	15.5 mph
Max Incline	15°
Applicable terrains	streets, bike lanes, sidewalks, trails
IP Rating	IP54
Recommended age	18 to 60 years old
Max load	220 pounds
Brakes	E-ABS + Disc Braking

Alternatives for Gotrax XR Ultra

As a budget commuting electric scooter, there are a few models available to replace its position. And if you want a more powerful or faster speed option, there are also plenty of scooters for choice. 

Swagtron Swagger 5 – Cheaper option available for commuting tool instead of Gotrax XR Ultra, but have a greater load capacity.

Segway Ninebot MAX – Further distance than the Gotrax XR Ultra scooter, but more pricey.

Emove Touring – Expensive but more powerful with excellent overall riding performance.