Kaabo Mantis 8 Pro
$1,999
The Mantis 8 Pro is fast and rider friendly, with a nearly perfect balance of power, handling, suspension and brakes. It’s masterfully built and keeps up with other extreme performance scooters, but is slightly smaller and lighter, with a nimble, super quiet ride.
Technical Specifications
| Tested top speed: 35.9 mph* | |
| Tested range: 27.6 mi* | |
| Weight: 60 lb* | |
| Max rider weight: 270 lb | |
| Water resistance: None |
Highlights
| Awesome balance of power and braking ability | |
| Exceptional dual spring suspension | |
| Excellent build quality | |
| Fun and fast nimble ride | |
| Cannot keep up with 50 mph performance scooters | |
| Requires a more experienced rider | |
| Smaller hands cannot throttle while covering the brakes |
* Based on our performance tests which may differ from the manufacturer’s claims.
Our content is independent, but buying through our links may earn us a commission.
Summary
The Kaabo Mantis 8 is one of the ESG team’s favorite scooters, offering a super solid ride and comfortable acceleration from a popular, world-renowned brand.
Enter the Mantis 8 Pro, with the same excellent build quality but double the power and around the same range. The Mantis 8 is $1,399 and the 8 Pro is around $800 more, so is it really worth $1 per watt to upgrade?
If you crave powerful acceleration and a 35.9 mph top speed, then yes, it’s absolutely, resoundingly worth it. The Mantis 8 Pro has all of our favorite features from the Mantis 8, but with a whole motor’s worth more power for just 6 lbs more weight.
Accelerating from zero to 15 mph in half the time of the Mantis 8, the Mantis 8 Pro is quite a bit more powerful and takes a bit of experience to handle. With faster acceleration, Kaabo added stronger Zoom hydraulic brakes to the 8 Pro, along with an EY3 throttle.
Although these are all awesome additions, the vertical distance between the trigger throttle and brake lever is more than triple that of the distance between the QS-S4 trigger and brake lever on the Mantis 8 — and riders with smaller hands may have a hard time reaching both simultaneously.
Here’s a comparison table capturing the main differences between the Kaabo Mantis 8 and 8 Pro.
Kaabo Mantis 8 vs. Kaabo Mantis 8 Pro
| FEATURE | KAABO MANTIS 8 | KAABO MANTIS 8 PRO |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,399 | $1,999 |
| Motor power | 800 w | 1600 w |
| Battery | 48V 18.2 Ah LG battery | 48V 24.5 Ah Samsung battery |
| Battery capacity | 874 watt hours | 1176 watt hours |
| Tested weight | 53.6 lbs | 59.8 lbs |
| Brakes | Mechanical disc brakes | Zoom hydraulic brakes |
| Levers | Rubberized brake levers | (Regular) Brake levers |
| Throttle | QS-S4 throttle (full color display) | EY3 throttle (green display) |
| Throttle-to-brake-lever distance | 0.5 in | 1.75 in |
| Audible warning device | Bell | No bell |
Although the small tires aren’t built to contend with poor road conditions, they perform very well in combination with the spring suspension. It’s exceptional construction means you won’t be tightening screws and components during each pre-flight check, as it’s solid and ready to get out on the road pretty much out of the box.
The simplistic, user-friendly and ergonomic cockpit provides ample space to add the accessories you like, and the plug-and-play cabling allows you to upgrade or replace electronic components.
With the addition of turn signals, the Mantis 8 Pro has a pretty exceptional package for riders looking for a commuter-worthy, speedy ride.
Best Alternatives and Competitors
| Model | Top Speed** | Range** | Weight** | Price |
| Kaabo Mantis Pro | 37.0 mph | 33.7 mi | 65 lb | $2,299 |
| Kaabo Mantis 8 Pro | 35.9 mph | 27.6 mi | 60 lb | $1,999 |
| Kaabo Mantis 8 | 26.9 mph | 26.7 mi | 54 lb | $1,399 |
| Apollo Ghost | 38.4 mph | 22.3 mi | 65 lb | $1,699 |
| Kaabo Mantis | 39.3 mph | 29.1 mi | 62 lb | $1,649 |
** Based on our performance tests which may differ from the manufacturer’s claims.
Kaabo Mantis 8 Pro Review
Performance Summary
| Acceleration (0 to 15 mph) | 2.4 seconds |
| Acceleration (0 to 20 mph) | 3.6 seconds |
| Acceleration (0 to 25 mph) | 5.2 seconds |
| Acceleration (0 to 30 mph) | 7.4 seconds |
| Acceleration (0 to 35 mph) | 11.9 seconds |
| Top speed | 35.9 mph |
| Braking distance (15 to 0 mph) | 11.0 feet |
| Range | 27.6 miles |
| Hill climb | 8.7 seconds |
Acceleration
With maxed out settings and grabbing a finger-full of throttle, the Mantis 8 Pro has arm-pulling acceleration — without the dirt-spitting front wheel spin you get on some other performance scooters. As zero-start, the 8 Pro is as fast as it can be while still feeling friendly.
It’s also a touch faster than it’s big brother, the Kaabo Mantis (10), from zero all the way up to 35 mph, reaching speed in just 11.9 s.
Hill Climb
Compared to the Mantis 8, the 8 Pro powers up the hill almost twice as fast. It rose up our 200-foot, 10% incline in just 8.7 s with an average speed of 15.6 mph.
The 8 Pro has more than enough power to handle any reasonable hill at speed.
Top Speed
The Mantis 8 Pro has great speed. In our performance tests, it demonstrated a formidable 35.9 mph top speed, which is 9 mph faster than the Mantis 8.
This is more than fast enough to keep up and merge with traffic if needed, and race among other high performance scooters on the road.
Range
The Mantis 8 Pro gets around the same range as the Mantis 8, with a 27.6 mi tested range. Our 165-lb rider performs all of our tests with the scooter in its highest performance setting, with repeated starts, stops and hills.
Keep in mind that with conservative riding and tuning, you will likely get more range.
Braking
The Zoom hydraulic brakes are an excellent upgrade, as braking on the Mantis 8 Pro feels really, really good.
Along with the exceptional dual spring suspension and 3 in by 8.0 in tires, the Mantis 8 Pro has a really great brake feel and a short tested braking distance of 11.0 ft.
Learn more about our performance tests and compare scooters in our database.
Ride Quality
When it comes to ride quality, there is a lot to like and little to complain about. Around 7 lbs heavier than the Mantis 8 base (based on ESG-measured scooter weights), the Mantis 8 Pro feels just as fun and playful as the base, as both are built for jumping off of speed bumps with confidence.
You can tackle corners and hit speed with ease, and ride comfortably as the dual suspension is among the very best spring-based suspensions we’ve ridden. Along with the wider-than-usual pneumatic tires, the 8 Pro provides good damping for smooth, pretty soundless riding.
The stem is rock solid with zero wobble, and the handlebar shape has just the right amount of pull-back for wrist comfort. The rounded handgrips, which are the Mantis standard, are our least favorite, but can easily be upgraded.
Keep in mind that the combination of EY3 throttle and Zoom hydraulic brakes always leads to a slightly uncomfortable distance between the throttle finger and braking finger, but this is true of every scooter which uses this very common pairing of throttle and brake.
For perspective, the vertical distance between the QS-S4 throttle and brake lever on the Mantis 8 is only 0.5 in while the same distance between the EY3 throttle and Zoom brake lever is 1.75 in. It might not be a problem for most, but if you prefer covering your brakes all the time for safety, it is going to be a slightly longer reach.
Kaabo Mantis 8 Pro Features
Portability
The Kaabo Mantis 8 Pro is relatively portable for a 60-lb dual motor scooter, with folded dimensions of 45 in long by 24 in wide by 19 in tall.
Like most extreme performance scooters, the handlebars do not fold, but like its Manti family, the stem clips to the deck for easier carrying when folded. The simplicity and savings in weight for non-folding handlebars are worth the ergonomic benefit and cleaner cockpit.
Cockpit
The Mantis 8 and 8 Pro have very similar cockpits with two main differences: the brakes (including the levers) and the throttle display.
Both have a button console on the left handlebar that independently controls the headlight and turn signals, with a dual motor button on the bottom (only active on the Mantis 8 Pro). This console does not provide feedback (staying depressed or lighting up), so you won’t know what’s active until you start riding.
On the right handlebar is the trigger throttle, which is an EY3 LCD throttle display on the Mantis 8 Pro. Both the QS-S4 and EY3 throttle provide advanced performance settings.
On the Mantis 8 Pro, you swap rubberized brake levers with a built-in bell for Zoom brake levers, which are not rubberized and do not include a bell — but an aftermarket bell is an inexpensive addition that won’t take up much space on the handlebars.
Other than these buttons and controls, there’s really nothing else in the cockpit; it’s got a very clean, streamlined appeal with plug-and-play cabling that’s routed nicely into the stem.
Lights
Although the Mantis 8 Pro comes standard with white front deck lights, orange rear deck lights and white LED under-deck or swag lighting, it doesn’t provide enough illumination for you to see where you’re going.
In fact, the swag lighting won’t help you see potholes or other obstacles until you’re basically on top of them.
Turn signals are a nice addition but don’t work quite as expected. Unfortunately, there are no indicators in the cockpit alerting you to whether or not your headlights or turn signals are on (or if you’re in dual motor mode), so you’ll have to look down at the deck (and rev the throttle) to tell.
Another downside to the turn signal configuration is that the same lights that demonstrate that you’re braking (your deck lights) are used as turn signals, so if those are on there’s no brake lights.
The turn signals are still a benefit, but using them means drivers/riders behind and in front of you may not be able to tell the difference between turning and braking.
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 8 Pro is known by its 8.0 in diameter by 3 in wide tires, which are about 0.5 in to 1 in wider than the tires of other high performance scooters with 10 in tires.
The tubeless pneumatic tires on the 8 Pro have a great profile and are made for the road and are plenty fun to roll over ruts, but overall do not provide as much damping over big bumps as 10 in tires.
Deck
The rubberized deck is 8.3 in wide by 18.5 in long, which is the same width but about 1 in shorter than the decks on the Mantis and Mantis Pro with 10 in tires.
Although there is a small hook at the rear of the deck, it’s very low profile and doesn’t get in the way or feel uncomfortable to stand on. Some other folding hooks, like the one on the Apollo Ghost, could easily trip you up when you’re changing footing.
The deck material is thin but durable rubber, and is secured to the surface with adhesive that can age and become less sticky over time. We’ve never had the rubber fly off while riding, but sometimes it catches and flaps in the wind.
Build Quality
The build quality of the Kaabo Mantis 8 Pro is pretty superb. It has an all-black, stealthy appeal that flies under the radar, as it doesn’t necessarily look like a scooter that hits 35-mph speeds. However, we’ve seen many Manti owners customize their rides with awesome, often colorful and eye catching results.
Kaabo took the Manti to new heights (and speeds) by fortifying the stem, which in past models could be creaky or wobbly. With stronger and more welds along with durable, heavyweight components, the Mantis 8 Pro feels like a confident riding machine built for everyday travel.
With such a solid build, you’ll experience a quiet and comfortable ride, and the hydraulic brakes mean stopping requires less effort on your part. The dual spring suspension is very firm and provides good damping for riders up to 270 lbs.
There’s only one charging port with a GX16-3P connector on the 8 Pro, as with all Manti scooters, which is located at the front left corner of the deck. The kickstand is on the same side, and keeps the Mantis upright.
Although the build feels exceptional, the Mantis 8 Pro, like all other Manti, does not have an IP rating, so it is not recommended to ride in the rain. If you choose to do so, you run the risk of voiding your warranty.
Kaabo Mantis 8 Pro: Review Conclusions
The Kaabo Mantis 8 Pro is a solid extreme performance scooter with road warrior power and a nimble, smooth ride. It’s not flashy, it doesn’t need to be; it’s fast and fun, and that’s what really matters for Manti. Quick acceleration, hydraulic braking and a bombproof build make the Mantis 8 Pro an excellent choice for experienced riders seeking an electric scooter that’s new, fast and fun.
If the Kaabo 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.
Kaabo Mantis 8 Pro Specifications
Note: These specification are provided by the manufacturer and may differ from our real-world testing.
| Make | Kaabo |
| Model | Mantis 8 Pro |
| Weight | 60 lb |
| Folded dimensions | 45 by 24 by 19 in |
| Motor power, continuous | 1600 W |
| Top speed | 33 mph |
| Range | 40 mi |
| Battery capacity | 1176 Wh |
| Battery recharge time | 13 to 16 hrs |
| Max rider weight | 270 lb |
| Brake type | Disc + Disc |
| Tire type | 8.0 in Pneumatic (Tubeless) + Pneumatic (Tubeless) |
| Built-in lights | Front + Rear |
| Water resistance | None |
