Okinawa Praise Pro
Electric scoot worth the price?
Electric scooters are the foot-soldiers’ of this green revolution, the image that they portray today will shape the perception that will surround electric vehicles for the foreseeable future. This is quite unfortunate considering that most brands that sell electric scooters are still sapling companies with no past capital reserves, and a desperation to turn a profit. Okinawa Scooters’ is one of them, and to that end, I’ve spent a week on their Praise Pro to find out what they are all about. Prima Facie, the Okinawa seems to have the visual presence on point, the sharp beak with a large LED headlamp with DRLs upfront leading into a svelte body with LED tail-lamps at the back. Adding to presence are alloy wheels with disc brakes all round. There’s also a remote key that allows for remote unlock and some semblance of an anti-theft alarm. Feel and touch factor is where I’d say the Praise Pro starts to lose its sheen. The plastics’, the buttons and even the boot lid latch just don’t feel sturdy or
OKINAWA SEEMS TO HAVE THE VISUAL PRESENCE ON POINT, THE SHARP BEAK WITH A LARGE LED HEADLAMP &
DRLS UPFRONT
well built. Ergonomics is where the Praise Pro losing out the most in my books. Foremost on this is the floorboard, which is unusually high despite the average ground clearance. For taller riders, this can be a little disconcerting with you’re knees almost reaching the handlebar. The seat is comfortable though, it’s a nice wide bench with quality materials used for the cushion that provides adequate support. On paper, one of the things that had piqued my attention on the Praise Pro was the spring setup with USD forks up front and dual springs at the back. Unfortunately, once in the saddle, the springs were set up way to stiff for even the smoothest of roads. Each bump or undulation is sent straight to the spine and wrists. Powering the Praise Pro is a 1000 Watt, BLDC motor that’s paired with a 2kWh battery that’s removable for better-charging access. The motor itself seems to be at par with the rest of the electric motors in its segment, with a strong punch of low-down torque. The Praise Pro has 2 rider modes,Eco and Sport controlled by a switch under the accelerator, and a third turbo switch under the left bar-grip. In eco mode the Praise Pro is limited to 40 kmph which Sports allows you to get all the way to 60kmph. The turbo mode allows for a 3-second boost for emergency overtakes, allowing to scooter to move to 65kmph. While the motor performed fine within these limits, I found that the controller/accelerator was not really calibrated correctly. Depending on the speed, and direction, you might get no additional roll-on performance, and in some cases even roll off made no difference, In my opinion, since controllers/ accelerators are the primary interfaces between a rider and the scooter this odd throttle response is a big miss. Braking from the disc brakes is adequate and the bite is sharp, although, the adjustable levers simply have no provision other than show. Another interesting thing, is that while the website seems to mention an e-ABS system our test unit seemed more than happy to lock up even at lower speeds.