Highway to the Dangerzone
Written: Nov 09 '01 (Updated Jan 03 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Nice looking, fairly cheap, can be smooth riding and find, very rugged, lightweight
Cons: Can be very dangerous, wheels tend to attract grit, handle grips fall apart easy
The Bottom Line: You might be advised to look in to some of the generic scooter brands before investing in this dangerous product.
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| j_keller's Full Review: Razor Scooter |
I admit it: as an adult I have rode the razor just a few too many times for my age. However, with that being said there is no real age for anybody riding the razor - the simply joy of gliding on a smooth surface for dozens of feet can be fun in itself. Besides having personal experiences with it I have noticed many other strengths and weaknesses by simply observing area kids and younger family members. But enough with the personal life - on to the Review!:
Durability
Compared to bikes, mopeds, go-carts, and any other number of recreational vehicles the razor is by far the must rugged I have seen. Perhaps the most obvious reason is because there are about a dozen or less parts to the razor - all of which are very strong. Not only are the parts strong but they are also very lightweight, one of the biggest features of the razor.
My main complaint about razor maintenance concerned the ability of the wheels to almost magically pick up dirt and dust. Even taking off the wheel and cleaning the area around it seemed to have no effect on ridding the wheel area of dirt - dirt which only serves to make your ride more turbulent and cause more friction on the wheels.
While we're talking about the wheels I have to mention that after a very short time - as little as 2 weeks of heavy use - the back razor wheel becomes flat due to the poor (but simple) breaking system. After the wheel goes flat you might as well forget about having a smooth ride and you'll find yourself putting in alot of effort to go very short distances.
Additionally, you'll find the handle grips that come standard with the razor don't last very long , not that they offer much grip in the first place.
Fun Factor
Something about the razor will bring you and your children back to it time and again, especially if you live in a hilly city (I live in Texas, the state that has about a 1 foot difference in altitude from one side to the other). If you live in a flat city like me then getting around on a razor isn't going to be much fun unless you have plenty of very smooth streets.
I also enjoy the compactness of the razor: not only is it lightweight (a definite plus) but it can also be folded down into a very convenient carrying size.
Safety
As far as complaints go safety is my biggest. The razor scooters seem to have a very large problem with safety. The lack of any shocks or other buffer device on the scooter causes huge problems: forget about riding on rough streets or surfaces unless you want your children to come home with bloody knees (or worse yet bloody heads). Hitting even small bumps while traveling fast on the razor is sure to send the rider flying, sadly an event that I have watched far too many times.
I would also strongly advise against letting your children ride barefoot or with only socks on downhill - the razor brakes heat up VERY QUICKLY and the heat goes straight through the metal to their foot. Riding fast on the razor and then applying full brakes on it will result in a extreme temperature increase in about a second - leaving your children to jump off or to burn their foot.
The level which causes the razor to go limp so that it can be folded in half is also very close to the area where your children will be swinging their feet. Although I have never personally witnessed this happen I have heard that it occurs on a somewhat frequent basis.
While the razor will be fun for your children you might not want the younger ones to go to fast or too far on it; to do so would be to tempt fate. I would also recommend that you look into some of the other, more generic, scooter brands which offer a nearly identical scooter to the razor which can be had at a cheaper price for an often higher quality product.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 90
Type of Toy: Other
Age Range of Child: Whole Family
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Epinions.com ID:
j_keller
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Reviews written: 17
Trusted by: 0 members
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