Dualtron II EX

[Esper]

2 hours ago, Pabs said:

Hi, did you find a solid tyre solution in the end? if so can you post details or a link?

I do not recommend a solid tire.

If you do decide to get one, I got it from Aliexpress[link],  but it lasted me less than 3 days. I cannot stress enough that a solid tire does not work on high rpm wheels. There is too much heat buildup as well as the forces in place that will ultimately destroy the wheel. You will lose your money and all the time spent on installing it just to remove it again.

[Pabs]

On 12/28/2018 at 2:22 AM, Esper said:

I do not recommend a solid tire.

If you do decide to get one, I got it from Aliexpress[link],  but it lasted me less than 3 days. I cannot stress enough that a solid tire does not work on high rpm wheels. There is too much heat buildup as well as the forces in place that will ultimately destroy the wheel. You will lose your money and all the time spent on installing it just to remove it again.

Hi, thanks got it no solid tyres ;-) 

[Pabs]

On 12/28/2018 at 1:29 AM, Mrd777 said:

Yes, the strap can be bought on Amazon, and the folding handle bar on Aliexpress 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073X7227N/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Makes it much easier to store and carry

Hi

Thanks for the info. Is your wife still making the stretch covers? If so PM me what is involved cost etc.

Any must do tips for a new DT2 owner?

[Pabs]

Hi All,

I have a couple questions if someone could help:

1. I want to make the scooter waterproof to withstand the occasional light rain storm, what needs to be protected? is there a way to make the controller display unit water proof in case of getting caught in rain?

2. I want to add an extra battery to the EX+ (not too big / heavy) has anyone done this already are there any instructions on the materials that need to be purchased and how to add to the scooter from stock?

Thanks

[Esper]

On 12/29/2018 at 4:54 PM, Pabs said:

Hi All,

I have a couple questions if someone could help:

1. I want to make the scooter waterproof to withstand the occasional light rain storm, what needs to be protected? is there a way to make the controller display unit water proof in case of getting caught in rain?

2. I want to add an extra battery to the EX+ (not too big / heavy) has anyone done this already are there any instructions on the materials that need to be purchased and how to add to the scooter from stock?

Thanks

In the first three pages of this thread there are several websites listed that have external batteries. They are expensive but do the job. Please take a look there. 

[Vlad]

I was so close to order Dualtron 2 EX but after reading here how many problems you guys have, especially Esper i kinda deciding to go for another brand. I really wanted D3 but is too expensive for my budget which is little above 2k. So i thought D2 would be great plus i live in Florida, Fort Lauderdale and streets are very good here but still seems like this machine have too many issues. Any advice for scooter which i need for daily commute around 6 miles one way so 12 in total? I want some faster scooter, 25 mph plus. Using lime scooters to back home from work but 13.8 mph is boring and slow ride so I was thinking about Eco Reco L5+ or maybe Speedway 4 mini pro or regular Speedway 4.. 

Edited January 10, 2019 by Vlad

[Mrd777]

3 hours ago, Vlad said:

I was so close to order Dualtron 2 EX but after reading here how many problems you guys have, especially Esper i kinda deciding to go for another brand. I really wanted D3 but is too expensive for my budget which is little above 2k. So i thought D2 would be great plus i live in Florida, Fort Lauderdale and streets are very good here but still seems like this machine have too many issues. Any advice for scooter which i need for daily commute around 6 miles one way so 12 in total? I want some faster scooter, 25 mph plus. Using lime scooters to back home from work but 13.8 mph is boring and slow ride so I was thinking about Eco Reco L5+ or maybe Speedway 4 mini pro or regular Speedway 4.. 

Ive had zero problem on the Dualtron II EX, every time I ride it Im amazed how fun and what a blast it is to ride.  

[dwallersv]

Yeah, no reflection on @Esper, but it sure sounds like he got a lemon, and just had some really bad luck with tire punctures. I've heard very little regarding problems with Dualtrons, most of my "experience" being participating in some of the discussion groups in Singapore where there are a zillion Dualtrons.

Which are now all being considered as boat anchors in Singapore, thank you LTA. Glad I don't live there.

For the record, my "luck" was a flat tire on my Thunder the first month, simply riding around on streets. That was in September, probably 50/60 miles in. I've now got 1500 on it, and haven't had another flat.

[Esper]

I don't believe I got a 'Lemon' as there was nothing wrong with it. The machine worked well for everything it went through. I used it as a commuter vehicle though, which put me at 20 miles a day. My longest distance ride was about 35 miles on a hot day. My issues were from bad road conditions and overheating the tire/motor from the less than 1 inch space between the rear fender and the tire. If there was a different fender, I'm sure I would have had less overheating issues. With the road conditions, all I could do was wait until the city decided to fix the sidewalks, roads, and other issues. 

I sold mine, but I would definitely get another one. Probably an Ultra with the offroad tires. The Ultra looks like there is much more air flow on the rear wheel to cool it down.

[houseofjob]

46 minutes ago, Esper said:

I sold mine, but I would definitely get another one. Probably an Ultra with the offroad tires. The Ultra looks like there is much more air flow on the rear wheel to cool it down.

Think you need a Dualtron X or Hollyburn P5, those things look like tanks!

 

[Siggy]

56 minutes ago, Esper said:

But I would definitely get another one. Probably an Ultra with the offroad tires. The Ultra looks like there is much more air flow on the rear wheel to cool it down

Nice summary Esper!

 

That really clears up the troubles you had. My question is what do you think the results would have been with a tubeless tire set up? I know the majority of your concerns were flat tire issues

[Siggy]

1 hour ago, dwallersv said:

 

Singapore where there are a zillion Dualtrons.

The govt should really consider shipping these out to us! Consider it foreign aid

Or at least build a giant transformer army of Dualtron power robots - use it or lose it guys

1 hour ago, dwallersv said:

For the record, my "luck" was a flat tire on my Thunder the first month, simply riding around on streets. That was in September, probably 50/60 miles in. I've now got 1500 on it, and haven't had another flat.

Do you think this is down to the awesomeness that is tubeless tires 

[Vlad]

1 hour ago, Esper said:

I don't believe I got a 'Lemon' as there was nothing wrong with it. The machine worked well for everything it went through. I used it as a commuter vehicle though, which put me at 20 miles a day. My longest distance ride was about 35 miles on a hot day. My issues were from bad road conditions and overheating the tire/motor from the less than 1 inch space between the rear fender and the tire. If there was a different fender, I'm sure I would have had less overheating issues. With the road conditions, all I could do was wait until the city decided to fix the sidewalks, roads, and other issues. 

I sold mine, but I would definitely get another one. Probably an Ultra with the offroad tires. The Ultra looks like there is much more air flow on the rear wheel to cool it down.

If is fender problem for overheating then this is must for D2.

https://www.carbonrevo.com/product/carbonrevo-carbon-fibre-rear-mudguard-for-dualtron/

[Esper]

1 hour ago, Siggy said:

Nice summary Esper!

 

That really clears up the troubles you had. My question is what do you think the results would have been with a tubeless tire set up? I know the majority of your concerns were flat tire issues

If I had a tubeless tire, I might have had less of an issue. But the very first flat I had was a large screw I ran over. A tubeless tire still gets a flat in that regard. The biggest factor of preventing flat tires for me would be the ability to travel on rougher terrain in order to avoid the streets that are littered with broken glass, needles, nails, screws, metal scraps, and other sharp objects. These potentially tire popping items clutter the bike paths, street shoulders, and sidewalks in my area. If I worked in a different area and didn't have to commute through all that garbage, I would probably have gone years without a flat.

A tubeless tire can have a much higher tire pressure. This tire pressure helps give your tire the 'anti-puncture' quality you experience. If you have a top end, extremely well made, kevlar reinforced, tubeless tire, you would have no problem with the issues I had as long as you kept the tire pressure up to snuff.

1 hour ago, Vlad said:

If is fender problem for overheating then this is must for D2.

https://www.carbonrevo.com/product/carbonrevo-carbon-fibre-rear-mudguard-for-dualtron/

I saw that and really wanted it. But with my experience, I had only 2 flats of the 10 or so caused by overheating. I would have gotten it, had I the money to spend on the fender instead of inner tube repairs/replacements. I wish the manufacturer had thought of the overheating factor in the design stage so I wouldn't have to buy an aftermarket part. Obviously the times at which people would want to ride the scooters are during hot sunny days in the middle of summer. So with the pavement reaching upwards of 50°C, along with the motor temp, and low airflow, you can expect the tire's air pressure to get pretty high and cause some problems. 

[dwallersv]

@Esper I think this is the second time I've confused you with another member that sent his D2 back to ewheels a few times for electrical issues. Somehow, your tire problems keep getting mixed together with that problem in my head.

[Booster2tron]

Hey guys, I'm glad I stumbled onto this forum. I've been doing much research on the dualtron series and I'm highly interested in buying the dualtron 2 ex.

 

i think the biggest thing I'm afraid of is,Tires constantly being popped.

i currently on a etwow booster plus 2, but I'm interested in buying the 2 ex or spider. I live in NYC and I'm wondering if it would be worth the money for a daily commuting machine such as my booster plus?

[houseofjob]

1 hour ago, Booster2tron said:

Hey guys, I'm glad I stumbled onto this forum. I've been doing much research on the dualtron series and I'm highly interested in buying the dualtron 2 ex.

 

i think the biggest thing I'm afraid of is,Tires constantly being popped.

i currently on a etwow booster plus 2, but I'm interested in buying the 2 ex or spider. I live in NYC and I'm wondering if it would be worth the money for a daily commuting machine such as my booster plus?

No offense, but if your current scooter is this E-Twow Booster Plus S+, the Dualtrons smoke it in every way; it will feel like going from a toy to a proper vehicle IMHO.

First, if you've tried to go uphill on your E-Twow, I'm sure you've noticed that, unless you are a super lightweight rider (150lbs or below), uphills are a struggle on a single 500W motor. Dual motors are a must if you are an average to higher weight male rider (Spider - dual 660W motors; II - dual 800W motors). The difference will feel more like you are actually accelerating uphill, not crawling.

Second is suspension. Your E-Twow must feel super sketchy on crap NYC streets with only a front spring and small 8" solid tires, barely anything to cushion the bad terrain. The Spider & II have actual proper shock, rubber-block suspension, along with the extra shock absorption of bigger, wider tubed 10" x 2.5" tires. Even if your E-TWow could reach the near double speeds of the Spider & II, you wouldn't want to in NYC streets, for the lack of shock absorption. 

 

We had a Dualtron demo day this past summer, comparing all of last year's models (Speedway Mini 4 Pro, Speedway III, II Ex, Ultra) as well as the Thunder, which had just come out. 

IMHO, a dual motor is the bare minimum I would want to buy for traveling NYC crap streets (while the single motor models were ok, having the acceleration burst of a dual motor is safer IMHO, for accelerating out of danger). The II Ex, while being cheaper than the Ultra & Thunder, was surprisingly my favorite suspension (closest to being airy and cloud-like over bumps), but also, FWIW, the rider who brought the Thunder had not fine-tuned his suspension.

For daily commute, you might want to get the form factor a bit smaller, so something like either last year's Raptor, or this year's Spider would be a good compromise I think.

 

Edited January 16, 2019 by houseofjob

[Booster2tron]

@houseofjob thanks for the response.

i rocked with the booster plus for 6 months and it wasn't actually that bad. I live high uptown so the commute going down was always a breeze , but yes going uphill could be a BITCH! Or I would just have to walk. I also found the main bike trail on 12th Ave Soo the commute wasn't bad.

 

see I want to buy the dualtron 2 ex ASAP(more range), but I'm 1 worried about constant tire blowouts & then maintainence. I wish NYC had a Scooter shop that we could just take it too. But what's your real take on it? I know it's worth the money but is it worth the hassle.

atleast my booster plus had solid tires so I didn't have to worry bout a thing or what type of road I was on.

[Darrell Wesh]

22 hours ago, Booster2tron said:

@houseofjob thanks for the response.

i rocked with the booster plus for 6 months and it wasn't actually that bad. I live high uptown so the commute going down was always a breeze , but yes going uphill could be a BITCH! Or I would just have to walk. I also found the main bike trail on 12th Ave Soo the commute wasn't bad.

 

see I want to buy the dualtron 2 ex ASAP(more range), but I'm 1 worried about constant tire blowouts & then maintainence. I wish NYC had a Scooter shop that we could just take it too. But what's your real take on it? I know it's worth the money but is it worth the hassle.

atleast my booster plus had solid tires so I didn't have to worry bout a thing or what type of road I was on.

I have a dualtron 2 Ex and a dualtron thunder. The D2 is all you’ll need. The suspension is amazing, it’s even better than the Thunder somehow at smoothing bumps (tubed tires are softer I imagine vs the Thunder’s tubeless). I also just got the seat for the D2 (thanks @Jason McNeil) and it’s sooo much fun cruising around sitting down like I’m on a little moped. The D2 doesn’t have the same acceleration like the Thunder(which is on another planet performance wise) but it will get you up hills and have you passing cars in dual mode EASY. It’s also pretty light and very portable(can keep it under your bed if you want and tuck it in at night after you inevitably fall in love). 

Ive had zero issues with it in the 4months I’ve had it. Definetly do not worry about getting flats, but even so it’s not hard to change the tire on these newer dualtrons. 

I think the biggest difference between the Thunder and the D2 for me is that with the Thunder it’s acceleration is so incredible and with the wide profile I don’t dare take it on sidewalks. It belongs on the road. With the D2 I can happily motor along the sidewalks if I choose to save some battery. Also, the D2 is very nimble. No problems maneuvering at low or high speeds around obstacles. 

If I was in NYC with those 25mph speed limits I wouldn’t have bought a Thunder; I imagine you’ll be served well with a Dualtron 2. 

Edited January 17, 2019 by Darrell Wesh

[houseofjob]

On 1/15/2019 at 8:25 PM, Booster2tron said:

@houseofjob thanks for the response.

i rocked with the booster plus for 6 months and it wasn't actually that bad. I live high uptown so the commute going down was always a breeze , but yes going uphill could be a BITCH! Or I would just have to walk. I also found the main bike trail on 12th Ave Soo the commute wasn't bad.

It's never bad when that is all you're used to  

But if you do decide to make the jump, then try to get back on your E-Twow, you'll see how deprived you were  (having to walk is pretty egregious IMHO)

 

On 1/15/2019 at 8:25 PM, Booster2tron said:

see I want to buy the dualtron 2 ex ASAP(more range), but I'm 1 worried about constant tire blowouts & then maintainence. I wish NYC had a Scooter shop that we could just take it too. But what's your real take on it? I know it's worth the money but is it worth the hassle.

atleast my booster plus had solid tires so I didn't have to worry bout a thing or what type of road I was on.

Changing flats with tubed tires are a reality for any such PEV, yes.

But as @Darrell Wesh has noted, it's super easy to change the tire/tube on the most recent Dualtrons.

Plus, I think @Esper 's tire issues are more the exception, not the rule (NYC has street sweepers, which doesn't seem to be the case in Esper's hometown/city). I haven't heard of too many tire issues from the Dualtron riders here in NYC, but if you're THat concerned, you should really reach out to them on the Telegram chat.

[Esper]

It's more like, the city's construction is so prevalent that even if there were street sweepers (which there aren't) it would still be bad.

Some towns/cities have street sweepers but they are not very widespread around here. I've seen them, but not in the main city,

[MDDEVICE]

 

I am a Dualtron 2 owner. My story starts with a metro rail shutdown last summer impacting my commute into downtown DC. I initially got a City Rover S5 dual motor scooter (250w each). With no suspension and tiny 5 inch solid wheels I quickly outgrew this. It was fun cruising along and would top at 18mph but I felt every piece of gravel, tiny twig, pavement imperfection, and hitting ½ potholes could be catastrophic.  I made a video review on youtube that details my route and other information, I would be glad to share a link. I use the same route to work with the D2.

 

Around August I ordered the D2 from ewheels. The scooter finally arrived at the beginning of December. Out of the box  I promptly maxed all settings for power and acceleration and was blown away. I tooled everything down to reasonable and the first ride in to work was a breeze. All of tiny imperfections in the road simply didn't matter. No flats. I figured the automotive and bike traffic is frequent enough to pick any of this stuff up before me.

 

I put 300 miles on the scooter and overall am very satisfied. I have only had 2 issues. Out of the box the scooter did not spin either of the wheels. I opened up the deck and saw a yellow wire that was not seated in its connector. I made the connection and the wheels got power as normal. I sealed the connection and put the deck back on. eCO mode and dual motor is faster than the City Rover S5

 

The second issue was during a longer 25 mile planned trip. It took me to work, went past the national mall, down by the waterfront, along the Potomac river and up by Georgetown before turning inland towards home. About 20 miles in the scooter flashed and shut down. My battery indicated over 40%, the weather was cool but not cold, dry with no rain for several days. I used a ride hail app to get the five miles home. I was very annoyed that after $40 the scooter powered up as normal when I got my apartment. I can only speculate that the rear motor overheated and shut down. I had the regenerative braking set to ⅘ and used the rear brake almost exclusively. I also used single motor, which saved battery but put extra stress on the rear wheel. I try to avoid single motor operation for after this trip. I will make the trade in heat vs. battery range.

For upgrades I plan the get the extended fender and also the 18ah Dualtron branded extended battery. Its an ugly box that sits at the front of the deck and has a protruding auxiliary cable, but with the extended LTD length it doesn't bother me.

[MDDEVICE]

 

[Darrell Wesh]

7 hours ago, MDDEVICE said:

 

 

I am a Dualtron 2 owner. My story starts with a metro rail shutdown last summer impacting my commute into downtown DC. I initially got a City Rover S5 dual motor scooter (250w each). With no suspension and tiny 5 inch solid wheels I quickly outgrew this. It was fun cruising along and would top at 18mph but I felt every piece of gravel, tiny twig, pavement imperfection, and hitting ½ potholes could be catastrophic.  I made a video review on youtube that details my route and other information, I would be glad to share a link. I use the same route to work with the D2.

 

Around August I ordered the D2 from ewheels. The scooter finally arrived at the beginning of December. Out of the box  I promptly maxed all settings for power and acceleration and was blown away. I tooled everything down to reasonable and the first ride in to work was a breeze. All of tiny imperfections in the road simply didn't matter. No flats. I figured the automotive and bike traffic is frequent enough to pick any of this stuff up before me.

 

I put 300 miles on the scooter and overall am very satisfied. I have only had 2 issues. Out of the box the scooter did not spin either of the wheels. I opened up the deck and saw a yellow wire that was not seated in its connector. I made the connection and the wheels got power as normal. I sealed the connection and put the deck back on. eCO mode and dual motor is faster than the City Rover S5

 

The second issue was during a longer 25 mile planned trip. It took me to work, went past the national mall, down by the waterfront, along the Potomac river and up by Georgetown before turning inland towards home. About 20 miles in the scooter flashed and shut down. My battery indicated over 40%, the weather was cool but not cold, dry with no rain for several days. I used a ride hail app to get the five miles home. I was very annoyed that after $40 the scooter powered up as normal when I got my apartment. I can only speculate that the rear motor overheated and shut down. I had the regenerative braking set to ⅘ and used the rear brake almost exclusively. I also used single motor, which saved battery but put extra stress on the rear wheel. I try to avoid single motor operation for after this trip. I will make the trade in heat vs. battery range.

For upgrades I plan the get the extended fender and also the 18ah Dualtron branded extended battery. Its an ugly box that sits at the front of the deck and has a protruding auxiliary cable, but with the extended LTD length it doesn't bother me.

I just had my Dualtron 2 battery cut out on me the same way as you. I had 36% battery and going up a hill on dual mode setting 3 and the display flashed and the power cut off. I couldn’t turn it back on. So I rebooted it by turning off the power switch on the bottom and turning it back on. Then I tried turning it back on and it worked just fine showing 36% battery. 

[Morrison]

I am in the DC area as well riding less than 1 mile from car to office. Then back at the end of the day. (DUALTRON II LIMITED EX...210lb rider) I have never ridden over 2 miles at one time (and charge from 70% to 90% usually, to save battery life), but lately have noticed that when under full power throttle, max settings, the LCD display will blink?! 

Does anyone know what it means when the LCD flashes approx once every .5 seconds? (1/2 second)

i always come off the throttle quickly when this happens and have had no stoppages, but was just wondering if I’m close to peril with the display blinking.

33 miles on the scooter to this point. Never in rain.

Thanks for any suggestions. 

Dale Coty, VA