Yadea KS5 Review – Ride With Comfort And Style On This Budget-Priced Electric Scooter

Yadea KS5 is a budget-priced scooter designed for the urban environment. In this detailed review, we will see what this neat little vehicle has to offer for its future users and why it may be just the top choice for your next electric scooter.

Yadea KS5 electric scooter overview

The Yadea KS5 is what you would call the perfect affordable and reliable scooter. Coming with a strong aluminum frame, solid rubber tires, and a front suspension system, it is one of those scooters that will provide a great and comfortable ride experience for years to come.

While it’s far from the fastest scooters out there, and its range, while good, is far from astonishing, the Yadea KS5 is still miles ahead of its peers when it comes to reliability, quality, and aesthetics.

It is the perfect scooter for new riders, or even for the more experienced ones who are after an excellent value model.

Buying

The best place where you can buy the Yadea KS5 scooter is Amazon.

Amazon often has the most design versions of this scooter available at their disposal and is also one of the most reliable web stores for online orders on electric scooters in general.

The scooter’s price will usually be from $639 to $699, based on the color you choose.

Shipping

Orders from Amazon come with free shipping, although they might include a long waiting time. Delivering the scooter can sometimes take up to a month with the free shipping option.

You can also choose a faster option instead if you want to get the scooter sooner. This will cost you an additional fee that varies depending on where you order it from.

Warranty and return policy

Defects on the electronic parts and other faults on the scooter’s build will be covered by a manufacturer’s warranty.

The frame and the constructional parts of the scooter are covered by a one-year warranty, while all of the electronic parts, the battery, and the motor have a 180-day warranty instead.

If you order the scooter from Amazon, you will also get a 30-day free return policy. You can only return unused products if you want to get a full refund for them.

Basics

The Yadea KS5 is an urban, reliable electric scooter. It’s very easy to use, requires no set-up, and can be ridden by people of all ages right from the moment it’s removed from the box.

Unboxing and assembly

The scooter is delivered in a big cardboard box. The package measures ‎44.2 x 22.2 x 7 in / 112.2 x 56.3 x 17.8 cm and weighs around 42.7 lbs / 19.4 kg.

There is no additional set-up or any kind of assembly, as the scooter comes fully assembled and ready to use right out of the box.

The only thing you need to do before riding is to charge the battery up to 100% and make sure that the brakes are functional. It’s important for the quality and longevity of the battery for it to be fully charged before you use the scooter.

Folding and unfolding

You can fold the stem of the scooter using a quick-release latch system placed right above the front wheel. The mechanism is simple and conveniently folds the stem bar on top of the deck, keeping away from the tires and all of the electronic parts.

The handlebars of the Yadea KS5 are, unfortunately, unfoldable, but that won’t be too big of an issue since they are somewhat narrow. The whole steering wheel is just a few inches wider than the rest of the scooter, so they don’t take that much space overall.

Ride experience and intended use

The Yadea KS5 offers a nice and fun ride feeling, with smooth acceleration and a comfortable experience throughout the ride. The front shock absorbers will take care of all the unpleasant bumps you might encounter.

A big upside this scooter has over its competitors is the fact that it allows you to have a pleasant ride, without much regard for where you go and how you cruise. The strong build, along with the stable performance output of the Yadea KS5 , gives you the freedom to push it to its limits and not stress too much about how that affects the scooter.

Build quality

A large part of the popularity of the Yadea KS5 is because of its strong build. The scooter has been designed for resilience.

Materials

The whole frame, deck, and suspension tubes are made from aluminum, one of the most popular and widely-used materials when it comes to scooter design.

Some bits, such as the wheel covers, benders, and smaller parts are made from plastic instead, while the handlebars and the deck surface area are covered with silicone to prevent sliding.

Design and colors

Aesthetically, this is arguably one of the best-looking electric scooters in this price range. With such a sleek and elegant frame, consisting of smooth lengths and sharp edges, this is a prime example of what a “sleek electric scooter” should look like.

Overall, the whole build of the scooter is fairly thin, with the exception of the deck. The whole bottom part of the scooter is somewhat thicker in order to fit the large battery inside of it, which gives the scooter a lot of stability.

Going up the stem, you can instantly see that the design team responsible for the Yadea KS5 took lots of inspiration from contemporary industry designs. The stem is “melted” into the cockpit, and a modern LCD screen that forms a 90-degree hook sits at the top end of the stem.

The whole design not only looks good but is also very tidy with no wires hanging from all sides. All of the wires are instead put inside the stem and the deck, completing the clean and elegant look of this modern-day scooter.

When it comes to colors, you have three options to choose from:

• white
• mint blue
• smoky grey

The difference between the colors, besides their appearance, of course, is that they come at different prices. The white and the mint blue design are the more affordable options of the three, while the dark-colored smoky grey is the one that costs the most, but arguably adds the most style to this magnificent scooter.

Performance

The Yadea KS5 provides a very balanced performance. Range, comfort, and endurance are the top priorities of this scooter, with speed and power taking a back seat.

Speed and acceleration

Under optimal conditions, the Yadea KS5 can reach a top speed of 18.6 mph / 30 kmh.

The scooter can reach its top speed in just over 10 seconds, which is one of the fastest acceleration among scooters in this price range. Most of its competitors can go over 15 mph / 24 kmh only after they’ve been gaining momentum for quite some time.

There are three riding modes that will help you control the speed at which you can ride:

• mode 1 – top speed of 3 mph / 4.8 kmh
• mode 2 – top speed of 12 mph / 19 kmh
• mode 3 – the maximum top speed of 18.6 mph / 30 kmh

As you can notice, the first mode is basically a walking-speed setting suitable for testing the scooter out. It’s a great way for beginners who are hoping on an e-scooter for the first time, or when you are at a low battery and need to get you home before it runs out.

The second and the third speed mode are where the fun begins, as that’s when you will truly experience the excitement of this scooter.

Motor, power, and climbing angle

The Yadea KS5 is powered by a single 350W motor placed in the rear wheel.

Even though the power of this scooter is incomparable with some of the premium scooters out there, it still provides quite a decent top speed for a modestly priced scooter.

The scooter also has an official 16%/9° climbing angle, although realistically climbing hills steeper than 10% will be a hard task for this scooter’s motor. Nonetheless, that is still better than a lot of the scooters with similar specifications since most of them will hardly accomplish even that.

Weight limit and usage by heavy adults

The weight limit for the Yadea KS5 is 242 lbs / 110 kg, slightly above the average limit most e-scooters have.

Riders as tall as 6 ft 6 in / 2 m could comfortably ride this scooter too, although the tallest ones out there may not feel the most comfortable.

It’s worth noting that, as is the case with most non-premium scooters, the performance of the Yadea KS5 will be somewhat reduced as the rider approaches the weight limit. Most people wouldn’t really feel that minor difference, but you shouldn’t be surprised if the scooter doesn’t reach its top speed if it’s overloaded.

Range and commuting

A single charge of the Yadea KS5 will provide you with a range of 25 mi / 40 km.

The range is calculated under optimal circumstances, while the scooter was ridden at a modest speed, by a rider with an average weight, and on a straight road. If you go for a ride at the top speed, the range of the scooter will probably end up being around 20 mi / 32 km.

Batteries and charging

The Yadea KS5 electric scooter has a large 36 V, 10.4 AH battery stored inside the deck.

Equipped with smart battery management and a regenerative braking system, the battery is much thicker than what we are accustomed to for a scooter of this type. The battery is fully charged in around 5.5 h, with the charging port placed on the right rear side of the deck.

It is recommended to charge the scooter up to 100% before your first ride, as this will help prolong the battery’s life in the long term. You should also never store the scooter with an empty battery, especially if you don’t plan on using it for quite a while. I would recommend charging the battery at least up to 30% once a month during the periods when you won’t use the scooter at all.

Features

Here is a quick rundown of all the features you can find on the Yadea KS5 electric scooter.

Weight, dimensions, and portability

Portability is one of the most important aspects of any electric scooter made for the urban environment. Being able to quickly fold the scooter down and carry it around, up and down some stairs, or in and out of public transport is vital for most of the people living in cities.

Fortunately for all the urbanites, the Yadea KS5 has some quite nice portability features to offer.

The scooter weighs just around 36.5 lbs / 16.5 kg, an ideal weight anyone can carry. Thanks to the quick-release folding mechanism, you can fold the scooter down in one step and store it in a trunk, an attic, or anywhere that you please without it taking too much space.

Once folded, the dimensions of the scooter are as follows: 44.7 x 19.1 x 22.6 in / 113.5 x 48.5 x 57.4 cm (L x W x H). When you unfold the scooter, its dimensions go up to 44.7 x 19.1 x 47.2 in / 113.5 x 48.5 x 119.8 cm (L x W x H).

Waterproofing and riding in the rain or snow

The Yadea KS5 scooter hahs an IP54 rating that protects it from splashes of water and dust intake that can damage the electronic parts.

This may be enough for you to ride the scooter out in the rain, or snow, even though it is advised to avoid that as much as possible.

Brakes

The Yadea KS5 has a great braking system on both of its wheels consisting of a front drum brake, a rear disc brake, and an electronic brake.

Using the disc brake alone will stop the scooter at 20 ft / 6 m when going at top speed. When riding at a moderate speed of 10 – 12 mph / 16 – 19 kmh, the scooter will swiftly stop after 10 ft / 3 m.

Pressing both the front and the rear brake will also activate the regenerative braking, charging the battery for a small percentage and adding a bit of range to the scooter.

Tires and wheels

If you are tired of flats and constantly having to change a tire, you will certainly love what the Yadea KS5 scooter has to offer.

The scooter comes with 10-inch solid rubber tires that will never go flat since there is no air filled in them. The tires require no maintenance and no inflating, and the only time you will be forced to buy new ones is if the rubber gets damaged so badly that it affects your ride comfort.

Suspension

One of the rarest features you can find on a scooter priced below $1000 is a suspension system of any kind.

That’s why it may come as a surprise that the Yadea KS5 comes with two strong fork shock absorbers mounted right above the front wheel.

The 0.98 in / 2.5 cm forks will absorb most of the shocks caused by uneven terrains you encounter during your rides. Although this type of suspension is not strong enough for a wild off-road adventure, it will take care of any bumps, sidewalk hops, and smaller potholes.

Lights and night use

Riding the Yadea KS5 scooter at night is a walk in the park thanks to its complete lighting system which consists of:

• a LED headlight at the front
• a taillight at the back
• four permanent reflectors on the sides

The headlight is controlled with an on/off switch found in the cockpit of the scooter, while all of the other lights are always active and constantly signal your position to people nearby.

Screen, handlebars, and controls

On the top end of the stem, just as the bar dives into the cockpit, you will find the modern LED screen used for the Yadea KS5. The screen does look somewhat sleek and futuristic and uses the latest technologies that give the scooter an overall contemporary vibe.

The screen is backlit in order to stay bright when exposed to sunlight. It displays only the most important information in a clear way and using large fonts, including:

• speed
• riding mode
• battery life
• headlight status (turned on or off)
• Bluetooth connection

You can also see when the regenerative braking is activated by noticing the intermittent lines displayed around the speedometer.

Besides the screen, the cockpit is filled with a few more control features as well:

• left and right lever for both brakes
• throttle button
• light switch

Accessories and upgrades

The Yadea KS5 doesn’t really have any custom-made accessories designed to fit it specifically. Still, thanks to its fairly regular design, it will be able to support most of the regular electric scooter accessories. In my opinion, a carry strap or a carry handle would increase its portability even further, and a trunk or a bag would also make it more useful in your day to day tasks.

Also, even though the scooter is relatively affordable, it may still get stolen if you leave it unattended, which is why you should get the proper electric scooter lock for it. I don’t recommend spending a fortune on the lock, a good quality budget lock will suffice.

Finally, as with any electric scooter, you will want to stay safe and wear a helmet at all times. Check out my guide on the best electric scooter helmets to find your perfect pick. Again, you don’t need to overspend on the helmet as well, since the scooter itself is pretty safe.

App and bluetooth connection

You can connect the Yadea KS5 scooter to a phone app via Bluetooth in order to track your ride on your phone. This will be a useful feature for the geeks out there who love to play around with their phone apps and get the most information possible about their gadgets.

In order to connect the scooter to Bluetooth devices, you will need to scan the QR code on page 10 of the user’s manual and follow the instructions present there to finish the process.

Additionally, check out the EScooterNerds universal scooter app, available for both iPhone and Android as a great way to complement the original Yadea app.

Deck and standing surface

The Yadea KS5 electric scooter features a long and narrow non-slip deck, covered with a silicone coating that helps keep both your feet in place.

The dimensions of the deck are 18 x 6.7 in / 45.7 x 17 cm (L x W). It’s not one of the biggest decks you will see, as even some more affordable scooters have longer decks to stand on. However, it will be more than enough to keep both your feet on, one behind the other and maybe slightly curved if needed.

Problems and what to know

Like most scooters that belong in the lower price range, there are a couple of issues you could expect with the Yadea KS5 scooter.

The most notable issue reported in many cases is how the scooter can only reach the officially reported range if it’s ridden at low speed and on an even street. Riding the scooter close to the top speed or uphill will drain the battery almost twice as fast.

Another issue comes with the Bluetooth connection. Namely, you may at times find it hard to connect the scooter with your phone as it doesn’t support all types of devices. It’s also often filled with software bugs that can make this feature irritating at times.

At the end of the day, as with most budget-priced scooters, you should always have some reservations regarding the quality of their build. Even though the Yadea KS5 is made from strong materials and comes with a great design, the scooter can still feel a bit cheaply made. This will especially become true after a couple of months of usage when some of the electronic parts may start showing weaknesses (although reports of this are not that common).

Price and value

The scooter’s price is almost like in the no man’s land of scooter prices, where you know you can’t be expecting anything high-end, but you still want a good deal for your money.

And that’s the thing with the Yadea KS5. It is exactly somewhere in between the budget-price low-end scooters and the higher-end ones.

It’s not the most powerful, nor the fastest model out there, but provides a comfortable and reliable performance, coupled with a light portable build and low need for maintenance. It’s the perfect choice for people looking for an urban scooter but who don’t care about high-speed rides all that much.

How does the Yadea KS5 compare to other electric scooters?

These are some of the scooters the Yadea KS5 is most commonly compared against.

Yadea KS5 vs Yadea KS5 Pro

The Yadea KS5 Pro is, as the name suggests, the advanced version of the Yadea KS5 electric scooter.

Priced at around $799, it comes as the slightly more expensive but stronger relative of the Yadea KS5. Both scooters use the same design, with the exact same features and size.

The difference is most notable in the performance. The Yadea KS5 Pro has a stronger motor and a much larger battery featured in its build, which provide the scooter with a stronger performance overall. This improved version has a top speed of 21.8 mph / 35 kmh and a max range of 37.2 mi / 60 km.

I would recommend the Yadea KS5 Pro to those who loved the design and feature package of its more affordable counterpart but would love an even better speed and range. In fact, for about $150 extra, I believe the Yadea KS5 Pro is a great bargain.

You can find both the Yadea KS5 and the Yadea KS5 Pro on the same listing on Amazon.

Yadea KS5 vs Levy Plus

Levy Plus is one of the ultimate favorites among scooters in this price range. This $750 priced slim lightweight electric scooter is in the top picks when it comes to urban commuters, mainly because of its signature feature – the removable battery. There are actually two batteries on this scooter, one inside the stem and one attached right to it.

The scooter has roughly the same speed as the Yadea KS5 but comes with a slightly shorter range and a motor mounted in the front wheel instead of the back.

In terms of design, it does have some notable differences from the Yadea KS5. It features a much thinner deck because it doesn’t need to fit the battery, and comes only in black color with different aesthetics.

In short, the tradeoff with the Levy Plus is that you can have a swappable battery you can charge anywhere at any time, but it offers a slightly shorter range. Seeing as both scooters are priced roughly the same, the choice here will come down to your personal needs and preferences, and what types of features you prefer more.

You can see my full review of the Levy Plus for a more detailed look at the scooter.

Who should not get the Yadea KS5 Electric Scooter?

First of all, I wouldn’t recommend you the Yadea KS5 if you are looking for a powerful scooter that can go faster than 20 mph / 32 kmh. If you really want a scooter you can push above those performance levels, you may need to increase your budget. All of those power scooters are priced well above $1000, and if you want to spend less than that you will have to settle down for a scooter with more modest performance.

Also, I don’t believe this is the best scooter for people on a very tight budget. This is not to say that the Yadea KS5 is expensive, as it’s out quite in the lower end of the budget-price bracket, but if your budget is below $500, then you will obviously want to look at the best electric scooters under $500.

Who should get the Yadea KS5 Electric Scooter?

The Yadea KS5 is one of the perfect scooters for beginners. Anyone looking to hop on an electric scooter for the first time in their life would love the simplicity and convenience of this model. The scooter is very light, easy to handle, has a neatly designed cockpit, and its speed could even be limited to better fit your preferred riding style.

This scooter is also a great choice for people who value comfort over speed and power. While it doesn’t shine with any high-speed levels and powerful rides, the Yadea KS5 is one of the most comfortable scooters to ride on thanks to the suspension system mounted at the front wheel.

Simply put, I think the Yadea KS5 is the perfect choice for people who do not care about high-speed rides and high adrenaline rushes when riding an electric scooter, and simply want a sturdy and reliable scooter to get them through the day.

Specifications

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