Megawheels S10 Summary

Most scooter boxes end up looking like they’ve been through a fight with most overseas couriers, thus it was surprising that the packaging was in great condition when the scooter arrived. Out of the box, the scooter was spotless and everything was neatly packaged.

Why even is this significant? Well, keep in mind the saying, “You get what you pay for”? What reasonably could you anticipate for £200 ($280)? Therefore, I had already anticipated that a scooter at this price point would arrive with a damaged box, missing components, scratches, and other blemishes. However, it arrived in great shape, the scooter was unmarked, and everything was in its proper place! WIN!

Megawheels provided the S10, one of their higher-end models.

The S10 is the ideal all-rounder because it is lightweight, portable, and has a pretty modest 7.5ah battery, despite its lack of excessive power. A 7.5ah battery and a 250w motor work well together because you’ll really get some respectable range (unless you live in a hilly location, in which case range is significantly reduced).

At 36 volts, your total battery capacity is 270wh. In light of the fact that the Xiaomi M365’s nominal capacity is 280wh and that it costs almost £100 more than the Megawheels S10, the Megawheels S10 provides superior value per WH even though its battery is practically identical.

The S10 surprised us with its capabilities; despite weighing 70 kg, our rider was able to travel 11 miles (17 km) on a single charge. Although keeping in mind the range was attained at a modest pace, the charging period of about 4 hours made it easily feasible for a commute of 5 to 10 miles (10kmh).

Performance Overview

Given that the S10 only produces 250 watts, you shouldn’t expect it to be particularly powerful. On flat surfaces, the S10 has adequate power to carry most adults, but it will struggle on slopes. Although lighter riders might manage some grades, in general, 250w is insufficient for any significant inclines.

While the S10 can carry a weight of up to 150 kg, riders who weigh more than 90 kg should only use it on level roads; otherwise, you’ll have to push the vehicle up any slopes you come across.

While it isn’t the fastest, it has an even power curve up to a top speed of about 15 mph, so smooth acceleration is to be expected in sport mode on a level surface.

Up until the battery has 2 bars or fewer, the performance is largely stable. After that, some performance is lost in terms of top speed and acceleration.

Speed & Acceleration

As we stated in the previous section, 250w scooters are made for beginning riders and commuters who want something lightweight. They are not intended to be fast. The maximum speed we were able to achieve with the S10 was 15 mph. On a downhill run, you might be able to coax 1-2 mph more.

The acceleration is adequate; it will take up quickly enough for cyclists weighing less than 70 to 80 kg, but may lag with heavier riders.

Top Speed

The S10 offers three ride modes (eco, standard and sport mode). Expect a top speed of 15 mph at most because the top speed varies slightly. We couldn’t go faster than 17 mph, not even going down a hill. Don’t anticipate speed hacks from this inexpensive scooter because the controller can’t be modified or upgraded and the motor and battery are built specifically for the scooter.

Hill Climbing

The Megawheels S10 has trouble with most hills; even minor inclinations are difficult. The scooter can ascend sloping slopes, but don’t anticipate covering gradeabilities of more than 10-15%. We put the S10 through its paces on a number of slopes; but, around 15 percent, it slowed to the point where we had to scoot with one foot to help the motor keep up.

As a result, you are aware that the motor will likely have a shorter service life if you force it to climb a gradient.

Battery & Range

The S10 excels in this area because, while having a small (7ah) battery, the motor and controller are both reasonably efficient, allowing you to travel 5 to 10 kilometres on a single charge. If you attempt to complete an endurance run on any kind of hill, the battery will be drained MUCH more quickly. Although in our tests we rarely exceeded 6-7 miles, travelling on flats in eco or standard you could possibly reach up to 10 miles (low gradients and flats). The battery looks to be generic (Chinese), but the type of cells used, 18650, is unknown. The overall WH capacity is 270wh, which is excellent for a scooter light.

Motor Configuration

There is only one rear drive rear hub motor used in the Megawheels S10. It has a pretty common motor that is housed inside a solid rubber tyre. The back wheel is completely solid, whilst the front tyre has a honeycomb lattice. Since the motor doesn’t have an IP rating (that we are aware of), I wouldn’t use it in wet or windy conditions.

Although you can hear a little whining as you accelerate, the motor is generally rather quiet.

We’ve observed that if the scooter is forced to climb any grades or is carrying a higher weight (90 kg or more), the motor can become rather hot.

Construction & Quality

The Megawheels S10 scooter genuinely oozes quality for the price point, is extremely well manufactured, and is quite durable (we’re not exaggerating). We don’t know how they did it on a budget scooter, but the sturdy tubular frame, well contoured wooden deck, mudguard, and stem are all quite high quality.

Despite being installed on a tubular frame, the deck is sturdy.

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

The stem is sturdy with almost little lateral mobility, and an inverse clamp gives the locking mechanism a reassuringly firm feel. The handlebars are screwed in; they lock in firmly and appear to be sufficiently durable.

Because the battery is tucked between the tubular frame, it has enough clearance to get over most low kerbs. The scooter as a whole has a comfortingly tight feel.

The black-coated metal used for the frame doesn’t seem or feel cheap, and it’s nice that they opted not to use Chinese chrome, which frequently rusts and gives scooters a worn-out appearance.

The quality of the S10 is, as far as we can tell for the time being, unexpectedly good at this price point. We’re honestly amazed at what you get for your money, and we’re hoping there is nothing nefarious from longer term ownership.

Suspension & Comfort

Let’s get right to the point: this is a budget scooter with sturdy wheels that doesn’t provide much in the way of comfort or suspension. The only indication that they have made an effort to improve ride quality is the front tyre, but the ride itself is unpleasant because the honeycomb structure is so robust.

This wouldn’t be used in locations with subpar roads or walkways (And most certainly not off road).

Even though solid wheels are standard on scooters in this price range and power range, Megawheels did try the honeycomb front tyre technique. However, in our opinion, the tyre is already so firm that the honeycomb makes little difference (if any).

Ride Quality

The S10 has a fairly unpleasant riding quality, although most solid wheel, low cost, and low power scooters share this trait. Suspension is omitted in the interest of mobility and financial constraints. For a lightweight urban scooter, suspension is frequently skipped because it increases the cost and weight of the scooter.

There is no reason why you shouldn’t enjoy the ride if you use the S10 for short journeys in the city or villages and are surrounded by paths and have good pavement / road surfaces.

Any subpar surfaces, though, will be felt through the stem and deck.

You will feel every bump on the road or path because there is no suspension and the wheels are solid.

Lights

Therefore, the S10 has front and rear lights. Although the front light is rather effective (it utilises 3 LEDs), the aim is too high, making it difficult to see much in front of you in the dark because the beam pattern is too diffused. The LEDs’ brightness is somewhat diminished by the milky-white plastic shell that surrounds them. The back light is quite bright and turns on as you brake (only on the electric brake not the mudguard brake).

Braking

Again, we’re pleasantly delighted by the Megawheels S10’s excellent brakes. The S10 can stop rapidly from 15 mph thanks to its electric braking system (resistive load on the motor) and manual mudguard brake. There is no front brake, so even though there are two alternatives for stopping, all of the stopping is done with the rear tyre, which means that if you need to stop quickly, you’ll start to slide. Overall, the braking is good; however, avoid waiting until the last second to apply the brakes because you risk locking the back wheel and sliding.

Portability

The S10 is the epitome of portability; at only 11kg, it is ideal for individuals who need a scooter for their last-mile journey and need to take the bus or train. The S10 portability makes it ideal for commuters, residents of apartments or flats (with stairs), those looking for something small for their car or something they can throw in a caravan to take away, or even to racing paddocks. The scooter can fit in any car boot when folded since it is the ideal size at 105 cm x 43 cm x 54 cm.

Tyres

The S10 tyres are made of solid, hardened rubber, making them excellent in that they are impenetrable and would take a very long time to wear down. To serve as a cushion, holes have been bored into the rubber of the front wheel. The ride should become less rough in principle as the rubber is allowed to contract (due to the voids).

Unfortunately, it didn’t seem to make a difference on the S10 the tyres are sturdy (Even with the drilled holes).

The tread depth is thin, which is sufficient for the most of daily tasks; however, avoid using it off-road or in puddles because it has poor traction on wet grass.

Deck

The Megawheels S10 has a pretty excellent deck that resembles a compressed plank of wood with grip tape adhered on top. The front of the board has a pretty lovely curve that complements the tubular frame’s slope. Although the deck is broad enough for standing, since there is no backrest, you can find yourself placing your back foot on the mudguard (Which is a brake).

The deck is of decent quality, and the grip tape appears to be resilient enough, despite the fact that it is glued on, thus wear and tear will undoubtedly cause the grip tape to lift at the sides.

Just beneath the deck, between the tubular frame, is where the battery is located.

Controls & Display

Surprisingly, the S10 has an LCD monitor with a speedo that displays speed and ride mode. Cheaper scooters typically forgo a real LCD screen, but the S10 doesn’t fall short. Don’t misunderstand us; it’s quite straightforward and only displays battery, speed, and ride mode. It won’t provide you with an odometer either.

Simple thumb throttles on the right and left hands respectively regulate acceleration and the electric rear brake, respectively.

The controls and display are quite straightforward and functionally basic.

The panel is large enough to read and sits directly in the middle of the handlebars. The clarity of the panel is fair, and there is adequate backlight for nighttime visibility.

Water Resistance

In search of water resistance? Moving on, the S10 has no IP classification, but based on the build, it appears that it would be able to withstand wet and light water situations with no problems. The rear motor is integrated into the wheel and resembles other scooters with an IP54 classification in appearance. The battery is situated under the deck and has just one charging outlet, which is plugged with a rubber plug.

If an electrical item doesn’t have an IP rating listed, handle it as if it does otherwise your warranty will be void.

Although scooters with an IP54 rating can survive light splashes or wetness, they aren’t actually made to get wet.

We tested the S10 in the rain and encountered no problems (and we got the scooter moderately wet). However, it’s unclear whether that will have any long-term effects.

Reliability

We haven’t owned the S10 long enough to consider it reliable. After using the product for a few months, we’ll revisit the review. Although there aren’t many complaints about the Megawheels S10 in the scooter community because the brand and model aren’t particularly well known, that doesn’t mean there aren’t any potential long-term problems.

We believe the S10 delivers insanely amazing value for the money, but we’re not sure whether anything else, like battery quality, has been compromised.

We could only speculate that a “cheap cheap” battery would have less charge cycles overall. We don’t know for sure, but we’ll let you know when we find out and share it here.

Warranty 

As a relatively new company, we’d need to wait and observe how they handle scooter-related complaints over time. The following is the return and refund policy as stated on the Megawheels.com website:

Quality Satisfaction Guaranteed for 14 Days

According to this, you have two weeks to return the scooter if you aren’t satisfied with it.

Thirty-day exchange

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

One Year Warranty

Any quality-related problem with parts is covered by the S10’s 12-month guarantee.

While the above is comforting to observe, it would be vital to check how simple it is to return a scooter and how quickly a replacement is offered.

Known Issues

As of now, there are no known or reported difficulties.

Maintenance

The S10 requires almost no maintenance because it has few moving parts and few potential sources of failure. General maintenance for a scooter should include checking the brakes, tyres, battery, and keeping everything clean.

There are no pneumatic tyres on the S10, thus maintenance is minimal and tyre changes are few and far between.

The S10 has no discs or brake pads, therefore there is no mechanical wear. However, if there is a lot of braking on the mudguard over time, it may need to be replaced.

It may be difficult to replace the battery when it runs out because it is not removable.

Megawheels S10: Is it worth the money and is it worth buying?

In all honesty, the SB10K caught us off guard. The quality for the price makes this a great purchase. The scooter has a good, straightforward design and is light and powerful enough for basic use. It also has lights, electric brakes (non-regenerative), a speedometer, numerous ride modes, and a reliable folding mechanism.

We believe the S10 offers excellent value for the money and appears to be a sturdy scooter.