Apollo Ghost
$1,699
In this Apollo Ghost review, watch this otherworldly machine ghost its competition, seizing the first place medal as the fastest scooter in its class. It’s fast, packing dual motors along with stomping good brakes. Not only is it packing power, it’s got portability and rider-friendly features, too — all for $1500. Our only complaint is that the rest of the scooter is so good, it makes the otherwise acceptable suspension look bad.
Technical Specifications
| Tested top speed: 38.4 mph* | |
| Tested range: 22.3 mi* | |
| Weight: 65 lb* | |
| Max rider weight: 300 lb | |
| Water resistance: IP54 |
Highlights
| Fastest scooter in its class | |
| Outstanding braking | |
| Fantastic portability features | |
| Excellent lighting | |
| Underdamped dual suspension | |
| Needs more grip tape |
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Summary
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Our Take: Best Dual Motor Bang for Your Buck
The Ghost may just be the best bang you can get for your buck in a dual motor electric scooter with the fastest top speed under $2,000 that we’ve recorded. It’s a powerful, street-prowling specter with a 64-lb weight that won’t break your back, and conveniently comes with stellar lights, folding handlebars, and a locking stem for more compact carrying. It’s a seriously feature packed street machine, and has a solid performance to match.
Although we expect the MSRP to increase to around $1,650 from the current sale price of $1,500, it’s still an exceptional purchase with dual 800 watt motors that’ll send you taking off like a rocket, zipping past most other scooters on the road. Not only is it screaming for attention with head-whipping power, it’s got head-turning looks and a long list of features that might be considered upgrades on other scooters.
Braking on the Ghost is among the best we have tested, but the firm front spring suspension combined with the slightly front-sloping deck means you’ll need to lean a bit further back when braking hard. When it comes to overall ride comfortability and fun factor on a budget, though, there’s not many that can touch the Ghost.
Best Alternatives and Competitors
| Model | Top Speed** | Range** | Weight** | Price |
| Apollo Ghost | 38.4 mph | 22.3 mi | 65 lb | $1,699 |
| Kaabo Mantis | 39.3 mph | 29.1 mi | 62 lb | $1,649 |
| Mercane WideWheel Pro | 26.7 mph | 19.3 mi | 56 lb | $1,299 |
| Zero 10X (18 Ah) | 35.5 mph | 23.9 mi | - | $1,699 |
Is It Good for Heavier Riders? – Yes.
Big Dawgs are larger riders that are over 200 lbs and 6 feet or taller, often favoring oversized decks, tall handlebars, pneumatic tires, and suspension.
Big Dawgs can Ghost the competition on this ride
Big Dawgs love to play, and the Ghost is worth the run around.
It’s checking many of the all-important boxes that larger riders are looking for, including a fast top speed, powerful dual motors, dual suspension, big air-filled tires, and a little higher ride with the tall handlebars and high ground to deck clearance.
The braking is up there with some of the best, and it was able to carry our heavy rider uphill at speed, not struggling to tackle the incline like a little beast. The suspension could provide more damping for big dogs, but does soak up many of the smaller bumps and curves.
Swaggy good looks worth a double take
The lights give you lots of swag rolling down the streets, and are definitely a good look if looking is what you’re out to get. Out of all of the scooters he could choose from at ESG headquarters, the Ghost is a standout favorite, as it feels well worth the cost and is fun to ride.
The Apollo Ghost is most definitely Big Dawg approved.
Apollo Ghost Review
Performance Summary
Results below are based on our independent performance testing and not data provided by the manufacturer.
| Acceleration (0 to 15 mph) | 2.3 seconds |
| Acceleration (0 to 20 mph) | 3.6 seconds |
| Acceleration (0 to 25 mph) | 5.3 seconds |
| Acceleration (0 to 30 mph) | 7.9 seconds |
| Acceleration (0 to 35 mph) | 13.0 seconds |
| Top speed | 38.4 mph |
| Braking distance (15 to 0 mph) | 10.6 feet |
| Range | 22.3 miles |
| Hill climb | 8.7 seconds |
Acceleration
The Ghost is fast and it insists on your full attention to operate the throttle, especially when launching. Almost every take-off from a dead stop in our tests included a little front wheel spin.
As with all of our performance tests, we set the scooter in its highest performance mode. For the Ghost that means putting it in dual motor mode, enabling turbo, and setting P8 to 100 (or 100% power) in the P-settings menu.
In the zero to 15 mph test, the Ghost is the fastest off the start line with a 2.3-second record beating two well-known high performance scooters: the Kaabo Mantis and Zero 10X. Up to 25 mph, the Ghost starts to lose some ground getting up to speed in 5.3 seconds, but is fastest overall (check Top Speed).
Hill Climbing
When it comes to hills, the Ghost just goes. It performs on inclines as well as it performs on flat, getting up the 200-foot incline in 5.3 seconds. It launches with a touch of front-wheel spin, and then up you go. You’re not running crazy up the hill, but it’s about as fast as you could want to zoom up a hill unless you were in full hoon mode, in which case the Pro 60V is the ticket.
Compare with other scooters on our performance page.
Top Speed
The Ghost surprised us with the fastest top speed of any scooter under $2,000, going an otherworldly 38.4 mph in our performance tests. Apollo claimed it would go up to 34 mph, but it exceeded that and did so with the road-ripping type of acceleration that we know the Titan models for.
Range
The Apollo Ghost has decent range, getting 22.3 miles during our rigorous testing, including lots of zinging up long hills at over 25 mph speeds, over and over again. Comparably, the Zero 10X (18 Ah) gets about the same range, while the Kaabo Mantis bests both the Ghost and the 10X by at least 6 miles.
Keep in mind the scooter’s still in its highest performance mode during the range test with a 165 lb rider, and the Ghost will likely have a longer range with more conservative settings and riding style.
Braking
Not only is the Ghost the fastest in its class, it also has the best braking, half a foot better at stopping than the Kaabo Mantis, for example. In fact, the Ghost scores high marks with a short 10.6-ft distance, one of the best braking distances that we’ve ever recorded.
The brakes are cable-operated disc brakes with a nice firm feel to them, and deliver a surprising amount of bite without being hydraulic. Compared to other brake configurations, it feels like Apollo has used a more aggressive braking compound on the Ghost so that less lever pressure is needed in order to drop anchor. This is a good thing right up until you get to 95% braking power. Getting the last 5% out of the brakes without locking up the front is incredibly difficult.
Stopping distance is good, but it’s not easy to get there at all. To put it into perspective, the Ninebot Max G30LP takes only 2.40 in longer to stop from 15 mph, but does it effortlessly, and with no drama. The Ghost, on the other hand, would come to a stop with the rear wheel 6 in in the air and swinging around to the side, so you’d have to hop off of the deck once it stopped.
Apollo reported that they will be releasing the Ghost with hydraulic brakes as an upgrade, and that will likely improve the overall brake responsiveness and feel, but our model came with non-hydraulic dual disc brakes.
Ride Quality
Jumping onto the Ghost, it might feel a little like you’re riding in the clouds, as the deck lifts you 5.5 in off the ground and the handlebars are at a high rise of 41.0 in. It doesn’t feel heavenly in ride quality, however, as it’s handling is good, not great. You definitely need to pay attention as the Ghost dives into downhill corners.
The throttle modulates well, as acceleration feels linear and builds progressively. Holding the throttle at a steady speed feels fairly easy, but the firmly tuned dual spring suspension combined with a deck that’s pitched forward at a slight angle makes for a B- ride.
It’s fun to launch the Ghost off of speed bumps, but you’ll wiggle around when you land as the suspension wants for more damping. It’s got scary acceleration and scary capable brakes, but the Ghost is not about easing you into speed. It’s got speed, point blank, and it’s your exciting challenge to control it. It’s also less torquey in single motor mode, so you can ease off the power pretty easily.
When you need to return to earth, the Ghost’s dual disc brakes dispatch surprising force with less effort than comparable mechanical disc brakes. Really, you can use one finger to activate them. Keep in mind that the more digits you have available for holding on while riding, the better, and if you can cover and activate your brakes effectively with just one or two fingers, that’s a much safer way to ride.
Apollo Ghost Features
Portability
Being small and compact is not usually something you’re looking for in a dual motor scooter, but the Ghost has the best built-in portability of any scooter in its class.
Coming standard with folding handlebars and a stem that locks to a hook on the deck, the Ghost morphs into a 51 in long by 15 in wide package that’s 64 lbs. It has the ubiquitous collar style folding mechanism with two swing arms that we see on most performance scooters; you have to fiddle with the arms a bit to secure.
It’s not a lightweight by any means, but is light and slight enough to fit into a car trunk when needed.
Cockpit
The Apollo Ghost has folding handlebars that secure at the center with a rotating coupler. There are truly high quality, fixed flat-palm hand grips capping each handlebar, which are an awesome feature. Because the hand grips are screwed in and flared at the outer edges, they cannot rotate and their shape promotes better long-term hand comfort while riding.
The cockpit looks a lot like many other dual motor scooters (aside from the folding handlebars). On the left handlebar, is a suitable bell (it’s just okay), key-start ignition, and voltmeter.
On the right is a standard QS-S4 display with a trigger throttle along with Eco/Turbo mode and Single/Dual motor buttons. The handlebars and hand grips, like that of the front fork, have a skeletal, peek-a-boo design.
The cockpit’s got some high quality features but could be a little more original. Overall, it’s a good look, and we really love those hand grips.
Lights
The lights are one of the Ghost’s standout features. Although all of the lights are low-mounted on the deck, the headlights have an opaque diffuser that brightens their glow, and the rear brake lights work as expected.
What makes the Ghost lit is its sapphire blue under-deck lights, which run the full 18.3 in length of the deck.
They look so amazing that we turn them on in the daylight, just to absorb those double takes as we ride.
For riding a scooter at night, we recommend adding more lights, including a high-mounted headlight for better visibility and another light to attach to the back of your helmet or backpack.
Tires
The Apollo Ghost has pneumatic 10.0 in tires on split rims. Overall, the tires provide good damping (where we feel the suspension could do more), reducing jarring over smaller cracks but allowing you to jump those speedbumps when you want.
Whenever you have air-filled tires, you have to worry about flats. Split rims allow for easier inner tube changes, which is a great convenience implemented by Apollo, so you don’t have to disassemble as much.
Here are a few quick tips for riding on air-filled tires: check your tire pressure regularly; keep your tires properly inflated; discover the power of tire slime; and follow the rest of our guide to prevent flats.
Deck
We have always loved the way the decks of Apollo scooters look and feel, with a signature black, white and brilliant royal blue pattern of grip tape spanning the entire width and length of the deck. We like blue at ESG, it’s our team’s favorite color, for some reason, and grip tape has proven to be the best material for traction in our tests.
The Ghost is different from its Apollo family in that it is missing a good deal of grip tape and that awesome accent of color. The Ghost has two narrow strips of grip tape on the outer edges of the deck, while most riders secure their foot in the middle of the deck, which is naked anodized aluminum (quite slippery).
Although the deck is sizable at 18.3 in long by 9.0 in wide, it doesn’t have the deck traction that we’re looking for (though it’s easily remedied with a couple more strips of grip tape), and the hook at the rear catches your heel.
The grooved footrest is a nice addition, as it’s solidly built and can be used to lift the scooter, but lends itself to a wide, sliding forward stance when used. It might be better suited to taller riders, likely still keeping a racing, seated back stance.
Build Quality
The Ghost has the visual appeal of being light, stiff and just plain mean. It’s aptly named not only because it was announced on Halloween, but because its skeletal forged aluminum construction lets you see right through the neck, swingarms, handlebars, and fender supports. Whatever Apollo could throw at the Ghost, they did, packing it with all kinds of features that might be considered upgrades on similarly priced scooters.
The tire-hugging fenders seemingly float above the wheels, but are mounted very solidly, so they don’t wiggle or rattle. The front fender comes up short on water protection though, relying mainly on the front suspension to block water spray, which we tested (by accident) as it rained much of the week of testing. As with all Apollo scooters the Ghost comes with an IP54 IP rating, so it can sustain some dirt and water (but keep in mind most scooter warranties do not guarantee against water damage).
In addition to its exceptionally solid build, the Ghost includes some unexpected features for a scooter which is already pushing the boundaries of performance and price: folding handlebars, folding and locking stem, all those premium features in the cockpit, wheel-mounted fenders on big air-filled tires, split rims for easy tire changes, dual charging ports for faster recharge, and that striking deck lighting.
As nice as the folding handlebars are, we did notice that every 5 miles or so, the coupler in the middle of the folding mechanism would work itself loose just enough to cause a barely detectable flex in the handlebars. This is certainly not dangerous, but a tiny annoyance that could be avoided with a different choice of handlebars or more effective coupler. Although these nicely angle toward the rider, we didn’t like the rotating mechanism on these folding handlebars quite as much as the clamp on the Xtasy handlebars on the Dualtron Eagle Pro and Zero 10X.
The cable routing is fairly clean and uncluttered, with cables wrapped and copiously zip tied to the front fork. Routing the cable to the deck makes it look a little unfinished on one side, and fewer zip ties could’ve been used for a less haphazard appearance.
Although Apollo mentioned the suspension is adjustable, it’s not doing what we would expect. You can easily adjust the suspension for spring preload, but the way it’s implemented only changes where the suspension tops out when riding and the height of the scooter when parked. We’d recommend leaving it alone, as topping out results in the suspension clacking on rebound and the minimal changes won’t necessarily improve the ride.
We love the forward location of the kickstand, which makes it easy to find with your foot and is well placed to support the weight of the scooter.
Overall Apollo has done an amazing job of giving us more for less, without taking anything away from build quality.
Apollo Ghost: Review Conclusions
The Ghost is a sneaky spirit worth stealing, as it’s powerfully fast, stacking performance on portability on eye-catching good looks. Hands down, the Ghost is the best value when it comes to motor power per dollar for record-breaking acceleration and top speed.
No, the Ghost is not a premium dual motor beast, and doesn’t ride like one, but it also doesn’t come with a luxury price tag. You might notice a palpable but inexplicable difference in ride quality when hopping on the Apollo Ghost. While it is stable, riding at its top speed won’t feel quite as easy to handle as scooters in the $2,500 range, like the Ghost’s big brother, the Apollo Pro. The suspension is in need of damping, and the sloping forward deck angles you at a slight pitch so it’s not a perfect package, but is a value-packed one.
The Ghost is a powerful, 38 mph machine with a hauntingly fun, fast ride and lots of features worth a closer look.
If the Apollo line doesn’t fit your needs, check out our ESG Editor’s pick of best electric scooters.
Our content is independent, but buying through our links may earn us a commission.
Apollo Ghost Specifications From Manufacturer
| Make | Apollo |
| Model | Ghost |
| Weight | 64 lb |
| Folded dimensions | 51 by 15 by 21 in |
| Motor power, continuous | 1600 W |
| Top speed | 34 mph |
| Range | 39 mi |
| Battery capacity | 946 Wh |
| Battery recharge time | 6 to 12 hrs |
| Max rider weight | 300 lb |
| Brake type | Disc + Disc |
| Tire type | 10.0 in Pneumatic (Inner Tube) + Pneumatic (Inner Tube) |
| Built-in lights | Front + Rear |
| Water resistance | IP54 |
