Should have realized I could handle going way faster than 18mph before buying this model. Other than that it's fun to ride around. Gets about 13 miles on a full charge of using on Standard/Sport mode I've notice both these modes are pretty much the same, sport might have just a touch faster acceleration. I haven't tried to see if I can go the full 25 miles on eco, as eco only rides at 10mph. Overall build seem to be sturdy, I've jumped a few curbs and it seems to be fine. I'm about 5'7" 190 pounds. Easy to setup out of box. App seems to be working fine atm.

Most likely will upgrade to a faster scooter in the future, but this has been a fun start!

I bought two of these electric scooters to take with us on short private plane flights to get around town when we landed. I'm an avid cyclist but a normal bicycle won't fit in the small luggage compartment of a 4-seater aircraft. I was looking for a scooter that was well built, had good range, could handle some hilly terrain, and was relatively lightweight. Yesterday I decided to take my new Segway-Ninebot F40 out for a 9 mile test ride to see how it would do. I did all the testing in sport mode.

Here's what you need to know:

1) Setup and first impressions. First the Ninebot F40 is solidly built. Assembly and setup were easy overall. However, the enclosed instruction book has ridiculously tiny print and isn't terribly helpful. Moreover, the locking mechanism on the steering column requires excessive force to lock and unlock. Also, the height is not adjustable. Once assembled, you need to know that you need to do a running start before the motor will kick in. This requirement is a safety feature, and not a problem. The advertised weight of the F40 is 34.8 lbs. Some of the scooters with longer range are 7-8 lbs. heavier. I'll assume the claimed weight is accurate. Carrying a scooter around that weighs 35 lbs. does take some effort. Don't dismiss the importance of being lightweight.

2) Range. At 9 miles, both the Ninebot and it's app were reporting a little more than half the battery charge left. I was riding on mixed terrain and weigh about 185 lbs. I considered this test successful and the range consistent with what was advertised.

3) Terrain. The advertising claims the F40 can handle up to a 20% grade. This claim seems highly exaggerated. Grades are difficult to measure, since the steepness will vary over the distance. I took the F40 up a grade that rose 50 feet over one tenth of a mile, or 10%. With a running start, I got about a third of the way up before the scooter came to a stop. I walked it to the top. I tried a second climb that was a bit gentler, and made it about 2/3rd's up before coming to a stop. Obviously rider weight plays a role in climbing. As I've said, I'm about 185 lbs. I regularly climb both of these grades on my bicycle with some effort in the lowest gear. I consider the climbing ability to be mediocre. That said, these were steep grades. The scooter will slow down on gentler grades but you'll continue along.

4) The ride. I had no trouble cruising at 18 mph in sport mode on flat terrain. The ride is a lot of fun and 18 mph is plenty of speed. That's also about the same as my cycling speed on flat terrain. The pneumatic tires provide a comfortable ride on decent roads. I did try a bit of off-road, and the F40 handled that pretty well too. The Segway app isn't terribly useful. It's basically a mileage logger and little more. Navigation would be useful. I installed a Quad lock to hold my phone on the handlebars. I'll probably use Google Maps to navigate when I ride.

Overall, I'm happy with the purchase. We'll be taking it with us on day trips to Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard. I think the F40 would be great for short commutes and riding around a beach community. I hope you find this review helpful. Normally I don't write reviews, but this product is a serious investment and you should be properly informed.

I maybe a little heavy for it, at 210lbs, but just not getting the range I was hoping for. Even in ECO mode, at 9 mph, I'm only getting 6-8 miles, was hoping for a lot more.
Great fun though.

The Segway f40 is a very fast and solid scooter. As a previous owner of the es2 who is switching to the f40, let me give you some thoughts.

Acceleration takes a little longer to start and then gets up to speed gradually (I think to increase safety)

Range depends on how you ride it. If your commute has many stops it may be hard for the scooter to ride for very long, but if you have no stops this may be the one for you.

Build quality is excellent on the f40, it is much higher than the build quality of the es2.

Ride quality is smooth if you don't over inflate the tires. Inflate them so they can slightly smoothen out the little bumps and potholes (don't go to low with psi!)

And finally, the real question, is it a good scooter for the money? It indeed is a good scooter, although this scooter would work out best for commuters with little to no stops.

Update, Feb 2023: Most of my original review still holds true but I must add that the wind really affects battery life and range. The speed at which this scooter will climb a steeper hill is also greatly reduced (with or without wind). Now I'm consistently climbing the same hill at 4-5mph with a few more stalls. Not a huge deal but you'll have to give it a few pushes. Just a heads up.

I use it to commute to and from the subway and my office. (About 8 miles round trip) I bought this model because of its weight. It folds up easily and isnt much of a burden to carry up and down the stairs.

It charges in a few hours. Battery life is OK, I live on top of a steepish hill, it's only failed on me once while making it up and the battery was under 40%. Being fwd, I just lean back a little and it seems to climb alright any other time. It will do 19mph all day on flat ground, 15-17mph up less steep hills and on a good day it will hold 9mph on sport mode with me weighing 175lbs + whatever is in my backpack up a steep hill. Brakes are decent. The throttle isn't very smooth. I feel most comfortable at full throttle. And I don't bother to use anything other than sport mode, especially while ascending hills.

I am a bike guy and usually prefer to just ride my xc mtb to the office and skip the subway all together but this is a good change of pace especially when I need to rest.

Overall I don't regret this purchase. If I wanted to go the distance and commute the 6.5 miles straight to the office in traffic, I'd probably opt for the ninebox max model which is heavier and has a larger battery with longer range. I've done the trip on this F40 and just prefer the mtb in rush hour traffic instead because I'm more comfortable moving on the bike.