Inokim Ox 2020 Review

Review Summary

Inokim Ox Specification Score

Note: All scores are derived directly from scooter specifications using consistent formula. This enables objective comparisons between products.

Inokim Ox Specification

Note: Fixed color coding rules are applied consistently across all products to ensure objective assessment of specifications.

Who SHOULD buy? An enthusiast who wants great performance, and capability to easily ride over rougher ground or off road

Who should NOT buy? The price sensitive, and those who have shorter or more predictably journeys

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Product Overview

The Ox is the perfect bridge between the everyday urban commuter and weekend off-road enthusiast. It is about as high performance you will get from a “mainstream scooter”.  Normally these performance levels and capabilities are associated with brands like Dulatron, whose users often get their scooters for high performance on and off road leisure pursuits, not just the daily commute. Another comparison might be the Boosted Rev, but that scooter is much more of a powerful urban cruiser whose lack of suspension limits its off road use.   Since the Ox was first released around 2018 the number of outlets capable of servicing electric scooters and offering warranties has increased dramatically, which will be of reassurance to those purchasing high end scooters like the Ox. 

Design

The Ox has a striking design, particularly for an urban scooter brand. It’s poise is created by single swing arm suspension (Inokims own design), which hints that this is a high performance scooter. The oval stem adds to its unique look as well as creating greater stiffness and stability in the direction where it is needed. The integration of the lights into the base of the scooter gives a great aesthetic, but aren’t necessarily the best position for lights (which would ideally be placed higher for greater visibility and illuminating further ahead). The rear light is on the right side of the scooter which will  undoubtedly reducing scooter visibility from some angle. The charging port is in an odd position on the deck with a fairly flimsy cover leaving it susceptible to water ingress.  This scooter is designed new by Inokim – it is no mash-up of other designs.  Overall, despite some minor failings its an excellent design with several unique features.

The performance figures speak for themselves and this will be one of the main attractions for most buyers.

Speed: 29 mph is faster than the majority of electric scooters in use. Ordinarily reaching these speeds would be very dangerous, but with larger wheels and suspension the Ox makes it much more stable. But cruising at this speed is only recommended in circumstances where the route is predictable.

Range: 60 miles is a huge range compared to almost all of the mainstream scooters on the market. This is not just useful for longer journeys but it also means there is less need to charge as regularly. As with all scooters this range will be impacted by the nature of terrain and riding style, so as a general rule you should expect to reduce this claimed range by about 30% to get an estimate of range in real world conditions.

Power: It has an 800 W rated power motor with peak power of 1300W meaning  up-hills are not be a problem even for heavier riders. It’s worth noting that the power ratings for the Ox can vary between regions, (with some regions having the higher 1000 W rating. One notable point is the power delivery, as acceleration is not particularly impressive at low speed, but with the power delivery increasing acceleration at speeds over 10 mph. This is clearly just a particular characteristic of how the scooter power deliver is designed.

Wheels: Large 10 inch pneumatic wheels help set this scooter up to deliver a smooth ride, which is improved upon with the suspension.

Suspension: Adjustable dual suspension takes the ride quality from very good to excellent. It also makes it possible to deal with the toughest urban environments as well as more off road environments. The suspension allows for two ride heights, the higher setting gives a smoother ride and more ground clearance bumpy terrain, either on or off road. The lower position is more suited for predictable urban environments for stability at higher speed and a lower centre of gravity. The lower setting is also better for easier maneuvering at low speed.

A large wide deck, excellent hand grips and ergonomic throttle placement add to the ride quality. One thing that is missing is a decent grip surface on the deck which means there is slight loss of grip in the wet. 

The Inokim Ox had to have a weakness and as is usually the case with high performance scooters, the weakness is their lack of portability. 28kg means it is only suitable for occasional lifting and its fold size means you won’t want to be placing it on a commuter train. But most buyers will accept any compromises in this area as a trade off for the huge performance. Other Inokim models like the Light 2 do perform much better in this area.

This scooter has a simply huge capacity and the battery also enables the scooter to take on charge at a good rate (with approximately 6.2 miles of range added per hout of charge). Unsurprisingly the charging from empty time is a hefty 10 hours, but it is unlikely that this full 10 hour charge will actually be required very often..

Inokims typically don’t shine when it comes to gismos and extra features, but they generally do the basics well. The Ox has two mechanical brakes, a front drum and a rear disc brake, which deliver excellent breaking performance as necessary for larger scooters. The dual front headlights are an attractive design and sufficiently powerful, but some users choose to add an additional light mounted on the handlebars for regular night time riding. It has a small but functional  LCD display for switching between speed modes, viewing speed and battery life, but it won’t win any design award.  It has a cruise control option which, when switched on,  is activated by holding the throttle at one speed for 6 seconds – this activation feature has received mixed feedback.   No official IP rating. Includes a bell.

Feedback from Owners

The Ox was first released back in 2018 and since then its owners have had a chance to put it through its paces. Many users are also putting in a lot of miles/kilometres (sometimes several thousand) and often this includes rough terrain. The positive consensus is that the fundamental  body and functions of the scooter are robust. Few reports of excess tyre puncture (perhaps a combination of the larger wheels and good suspension), and there is every indication that the core components are robust. Some of the negative comments relate to lower quality peripheral parts such as wobbling rear mud guard, dust caps falling off, flimsy locking latch on the folding stem as well as squeaks in the folding stem  (very common in electric scooters).  Whilst this sounds like a long list, none of these things inhibit the use of the scooter and despite the problems users are overall happy with their purchase.  Given the large wheels and suspension, occasionally owners had expected an even smother ride than the scooter delivered, but  this was improved by slight reduction in tyre pressure.