Yadea KS6 Pro electric scooter review

Jun 26, 2023

REVIEW – Most urban and suburban areas are awash with scooters, both privately owned, and in many cities there are fleets of rental scooters strewn about like a hurricane had just hit. I am just old enough to be from the generation prior to peak scooter popularity (all the kids were scooting around on Razor scooters when I was in high school), so I avoided electric scooters longer than most due to some weird “that’s for kids” mentality. I’m glad I finally overcame that strange prejudice because scooters can be an absolute blast. So far at the Gadgeteer I’ve reviewed models ranging from self-balancing scooters to budget entry-level scooters (and I even bought myself a high-powered off-road scooter a few years ago). Suffice it to say, I’m a scooter convert. The newest scooter that I’ve had the opportunity to review is the Yadea KS6 Pro electric scooter. Let’s take it for a spin!

The Yadea KS6 Pro electric scooter is a folding electric commuter scooter, designed to be perfect for short to medium urban trips (or “last mile” hops if you’re using other forms of mass transit). It’s built and marketed as a premium-level scooter for a mid-range price, with features like a powerful motor, self-healing tubeless pneumatic tires, and a front fork shock for a smoother ride.

One small note about the box – the edge of the kickstand had poked through the box during shipping, and the black paint had worn off. It looks like the foam used to attempt to protect it wasn’t quite enough, I think a 1/2 inch larger box would have prevented this. Alternately, it looks like it simply screws on, so Yadea could have shipped this part uninstalled and had the user install it in the existing shipping materials.

Let’s start at the back of the Yadea KS6 Pro electric scooter. The 500 watt electric hub motor is housed in this back wheel, along with a powerful disc brake. Reflectors and a rear LED brake/running light provide visibility, while the mudguard wraps around the top of the tire to keep you from getting road spatter. I like the model badge under the tail light, it feels like a premium badge of sorts.

The front wheel has a drum brake inside along with the same 10 inch air filled tire as the rear wheel. Air filled tires are a much smoother ride than the solid rubber/plastic/silicone tires that some scooters have, but with most models you run the risk of flat tires. I’ve gotten a flat tire miles from home, and the convenience of the scooter wears off quickly when you have to walk it home for an hour in the heat. Luckily, the Yadea KS6 Pro’s tires are filled with a self-sealing slime, so the risk of flat tires is far less.

The Yadea KS6 Pro electric scooter’s front shock does a good job of smoothing out sidewalk cracks or slightly uneven surfaces at speed. You’ll still feel most bumps on the road, but much less so than most of the other scooters I’ve ridden. This scooter really has a smooth and stable ride. This front fork is also a good spot for a cable lock for security if you park in public.

Heading up to the top of the Yadea KS6 Pro electric scooter, we have the LCD screen that is clearly visible in all but the worst of glares (only in full sunlight with the sun reflected right at me could I not see it). Speed, mode, battery power, and the current motor load is displayed while riding. A removable sticker above the screen has a QR code for the companion app.

The right handlebar has a thumb throttle, a comfortable rubber grip, and a bicycle-style brake lever.

The left handlebar has a small bell and another brake lever. The locking clip has a warning not to hang bags or items from it, which is a bummer – on other scooter models sometimes this doubles as a bag hook which can be convenient.

Moving around to the front of the Yadea KS6 Pro electric scooter, we see the integrated LED headlight. Also notice how the cables are routed inside the scooter body, this makes for a cleaner look than when the cables are wrapped down the outside of the tube.

The deck has a nice rubberized nonstick surface and is on the larger size (though not quite big enough for me to stand with feet side by side).

The kickstand seems sturdy, you can see the shipping damage above though where it poked through the box during transit.

Folding the scooter up involves releasing a safety switch and then pulling the large black lever, which lets the handlebars fold down. The wires internally are protected from pinching, I had no worry about any problems here.

The handlebars clip to the rear of the scooter so you can carry it, though it’s heavy enough that you probably won’t want to carry it too far. It easily fits in the trunk of our compact SUV and I think it would fit into most car trunks without issue.

Finally, the charging port is protected by a spring-loaded flap near the back right.

First, I had to assemble the Yadea KS6 Pro electric scooter. Luckily, the box itself has easy and quick instructions right on the lid, and I’ve assembled a couple of these now, so it’s not too bad.

The only wrinkle was 6 missing screws, but Yadea quickly sent replacements. I think it’s pretty likely that the small bag of screws fell out from the kickstand-created hole in the box during shipping.

Next up is the app (optional). The advantages of installing the iOS/Android app include the ability to update the firmware and set the regenerative braking level (which will use the electric motor to brake and recharge the battery while doing so, like a hybrid car).

The Yadea KS6 Pro electric scooter impressed me from the first time I stepped on it, pushed off, and pushed the throttle (like most scooters, as a safety feature you have to push forward a bit before engaging the throttle. This prevents you from pushing it accidentally while standing still and losing control of the scooter). It gets up to the max speed of just under 19 mph pretty quickly and feels smoother than every other scooter I’ve tested so far while doing it. The electric motor doesn’t make much noise at all, even at full throttle and speed. I was able to tackle the steepest hills in our area with ease – it slowed down but I never had to push myself to help like with other scooters.

It feels like they took every complaint about most scooters and tried (and mostly succeeded) in addressing those with the KS6 Pro. For example, headlight visibility is great, both for the rider and for other motorists to see the scooter at night. With other scooter models I’ve tested, the light pattern has sometimes been terrible, or the headlight is down low near the wheel, which is worse for both the rider’s view and visibility.

The rear LED is always on, and flashes when braking which can greatly help other cyclists/scooterists/motorists to know you’re slowing down. It’s also quite bright and visible, especially at night.

The Yadea KS6 Pro is rated for 55 km (35 miles), but I don’t have the stamina for a ride that long (and to get max range you’d need flat conditions, mild weather, and use the slow mode). Riding it at max speed with hills for multiple rides put me at about half that range by the time I was low and needed to recharge.

A sign of a good product for me is whether I keep using it after I’ve gathered my review impressions and results. Even after I’d finished filming and testing, I still hopped on the Yadea KS6 Pro electric scooter just to scoot around the park or over to Target (it’s a curse and a blessing being a mile from a super Target). The top speed and climbing ability are good, the ride is smooth and quiet, the Yadea KS6 Pro electric scooter is an all-around solid commuter scooter.

Price: $899Where to buy: Yadea (use the code summer200 to save $200) and AmazonSource: The sample of this product was provided by Yadea