Get an exclusive look at the Yinke i5 Electric Scooter from an up-and-coming brand! Our review digs deep into the performance, build quality, design, safety features, and more to see if it lives up to the hype.
Yinke i5
$2,050
They are a new personal electric mobility brand, and we’ve seen quite a number of those this year. The more brands we have working to find commuting solutions that are sustainable alternatives, the more hopeful we remain about our planet’s future. And at ESG, we have soft spot for brands that deliver scooters designed to the highest standards, and those that ensure their products reach outstanding performance. But is Yinke it?
Among other reasons to be discussed throughout the post, the i5 is the first light heavyweight scooter we’ve tested that comes with tubeless 10.0 inch tires and hydraulic suspension front and rear. The scooter is really cool looking and during our testing, we found that one performance number in particular was off the charts, so stick around for that.
And now, for a taste of 2023…
Technical Specifications
| Tested top speed: 40.1 mph* | |
| Tested range: 38.4 mi* | |
| Weight: 76 lb* | |
| Max rider weight: 270 lb | |
| Water resistance: IPX5 |
Highlights
| Easy To Read Display | |
| Great Looking Cockpit | |
| Amazing Range For The Price | |
| You Don’t Feel Tired Of Riding It After 38 Miles(61.16 km). | |
| Deck Is A Little Short | |
| Regen Braking Isn’t Adjustable On The Current Version | |
| Stability At 40 Mph(64.37 Kmh) Is Just Ok Without The Optional Damper |
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Yinke i5 Electric Scooter Summary
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Yinke is a new brand, but they intend to hit the ground running. They plan on making their debut into the market with 3 amazing scooters, and we’re honored to be the first to bring you a comprehensive review of the highest performance version of the i5 model (because there are a few variations to each model as well).
Our particular model comes with a huge 60V battery and you can chose between any of the brand name cells from either DMEGC, EVE, LG or Samsung. The scooter has gobs of smooth power from dual 25A sinewave controllers, and 10.0 inch tires, that are tubeless (a rare feature for a dual motor scooter). The scooter is also big on aesthetics and has outstanding performance to match.
The i5 is so new, the exact list prices in the country (US) aren’t even known yet, but we estimate the highest performance version will be somewhere around $2,000 but less than $2,200. If you want to save some money, there’s a 48V single-motor, entry-level version from for less than $1,500 and a couple of other versions between.
Our Take: The 2023 Vision–A ‘We Mean Business’ Brand, for a ‘Show ‘em What You Got’ Scooter.
Yinke i5 Alternatives and Competitors
While you’re doing your research, here are three other electric scooters we’ve tested that we think are the closest competitors.
Apollo Phantom V2 Vs. Yinke i5
The Phantom V2 comes from one of the most established brands in North America Apollo, and has a roomier deck, but has a shorter range, and is the slowest of the group from 0 to 30.0 mph.
Vsett 10 + Vs. Yinke i5
The Vsett 10+ on the other hand has the quickest acceleration of the group and the shortest stopping distance, but is also the heaviest with a tested weight of 79.6 lbs, and has the least comfortable ergonomics: both at the throttle and down at the deck
Dualtron Eagle Pro Vs. Yinke i5
The Dualtron Eagle Pro is lighter than the rest of the group, and we love the ride quality from its rubber cartridge suspension. But has the second shortest range of the group and has cable-operated brakes whereas the rest of the group has hydraulics.
Comparison scooters section Model
Top Speed**
Range**
Weight**
Price
Yinke i5
40.1 mph
38.4 mi
76 lb
$2,050
Vsett 10+
43.3 mph
33.6 mi
80 lb
$2,190
Minimotors Dualtron Eagle Pro
44.0 mph
33.0 mi
65 lb
$2,290
Apollo Phantom (52V)
39.7 mph
31.4 mi
76 lb
$1,999
Is it Good for Bigger, Heavier Riders?
This is another dual motor scooter that makes for an excellent ride for our big dawgs.
Short deck aside, everything else is perfectly calibrated for bigger and heavier riders. The maximum rider weight capacity stands at 265.0 lbs, and the scooter did not struggle as Ramier took it out for a test run. There’s a large 1536 Wh brand-name battery that supports the riding requirements of heavier riders–meaning you’ll have as much fun as anybody else on this scooter. The 40.0-inch handlebar height is optimum for taller riders. And with the plan to have hydraulic shocks on the bigger versions of the i5, the performance and ride quality is only bound to get better.
Yinke i5 Electric Scooter Review
Performance Summary
| Acceleration (0 to 15 mph) | 2.1 seconds |
| Acceleration (0 to 20 mph) | 3.1 seconds |
| Acceleration (0 to 25 mph) | 4.3 seconds |
| Acceleration (0 to 30 mph) | 6.1 seconds |
| Acceleration (0 to 35 mph) | 8.6 seconds |
| Acceleration (0 to 40 mph) | 13.8 seconds |
| Top speed | 40.1 mph |
| Braking distance (15 to 0 mph) | 10.8 feet |
| Range | 38.4 miles |
| Hill climb | 7.9 seconds |
Acceleration
The Yinke is quick off the start, with the acceleration of much bigger scooters. The scooter went from 0 to 15.0 mph in 2.1 seconds, tying the 72V Dualtron Storm, the Wolf Warrior X GT, and Varla’s off-road champ–the Eagle One Pro. With the smooth, ergonomic thumb throttle and power-efficient sinewave controllers, this came as no surprise. Against the competitor scooters, the Yinke does better than the Dualtron Eagle and Phantom V2’s 2.7 sec. time, but comes behind the Vsett 10+ that’s very quick at 1.9 seconds to 15.0 mph.
Top Speed
The ESG-certified top speed of the Yinke i5 is 40.1 mph, which is above average for the price. On a light heavyweight electric scooter, this is about as fast as you want to go. This category of scooters is not optimized for high speed stability, and any faster, you start to experience speed wobbles, not to mention, you put your safety at risk. For perspective, the scooters that precede the Yinke in terms of our speed rankings are Segway’s GT2 at 41.8 mph and the Varla Eagle One Pro at 40.6 mph, whose weights are 115.6 lbs and 90.4 lbs respectively, speaking to the robustness of their build.
Hill Climb
The twin 25 A sinewave motor controllers really show off on hills. We took the Yinke i5 on our 200.0 ft10% hill test, as we do with all our scooters, and the scooter sustained a speed of 17.0 mph, giving the scooter a hill climb of 7.9 seconds to the top.
At its price, the only cheaper e-scooter that did better on hills was the base Wolf Warrior X which beat the i5 by 0.1 seconds. The slightly more expensive Vsett 10+ has a 7.5 second ascent up our hill, while the Phantom V2 and the Dualtron Eagle lagged behind at 9.1 seconds.
Range
Range is absolutely outstanding for the price. On the ESG range test course, our expert rider Paul covered 38.4 miles in Sport mode, and he went fast all through. Surprisingly, he maintained a higher average speed on the i5 than during the Wolf King GT range test–20.0 mph on the i5 and 19.8 mph on the Wolf King GT with a 55.0-mile range. They say if you ride the i5 slow enough, it will go 60.0 miles on one charge, but we have a hard time picturing anyone riding at 10.0 mph for 6 hours, on such a fast scooter.
The Yinke i5 scooter ranks 2nd in the range per dollar category–only the ultra-long-ranged EMOVE Cruiser goes further for a cheaper price with a whopping 47.0 miles on a single charge. The i5 also leaves the competitor scooters by a margin, the Vsett at 33.6 miles, the Dualtron Eagle at 33.0 miles, and the Apollo Phantom V2 at 31.4 miles.
Braking
While it doesn’t break records with its braking, it was still within world-class stopping time. The i5 stops from 15.0 mph in just 10.8 ft, but we think the production model will stop even shorter because it is set to get upgraded shocks. Good braking has remained almost a standard with all the other scooters we’ve received and tested throughout the year, which we love as it continues to set a good precedent for safety on electric scooters.
Ride Quality
If you’re getting your Yinke i5 for normal commuting, the ride feels incredible. We got a pre-production unit that came with full, front and rear spring suspension. These felt great for casual riding around but got a bit floaty and bouncy up at higher speeds.
We obviously passed this feedback to Yinke, who assured us that the top two versions of the production units will come with front and rear hydraulic shocks. This means that the traction and feel of the ride is set to improve, as well as a correlated improvement in braking and acceleration numbers.
And as beautiful looking as the deck is, it follows in the Vsett 10+’s footsteps with a short deck. You don’t get as much room, but if you modify your stance just a little, you get a couple more inches of room since the stem is fairly narrow.
Yinke i5 Electric Scooter Features
Portability
The stem folding mechanism is so easy to unlatch, we had to do a double take to make sure we weren’t missing a step–but the fairly easy mechanism checks out and feels quite secure.
The hook stays latched to the deck and can serve as a hook for a shopping bag when you’re out and about, but we recommend keeping your cargo under 5.0 lbs.
At a tested weight of 75.8 lbs, the i5 is heavier than it looks but typical for this class of scooters. The handlebars also don’t fold, so it’s a squeeze to get it into a trunk, and you won’t want to haul it up more than one flight of stairs.
Cockpit
The Cockpit is an aesthetic highlight for this scooter (as is the deck).
The standout feature here is the gorgeous OLED display that is super easy to read in any light, unlocks with an NFC key, and shows you all the usual things: like, how fast you’re going, your riding mode, and whether you’re running dual-motor or single. We also like that you’re able to use your phone as the NFC key, depending on what phone you have. Our unit came with a plastic display, but the production units will be topped with scratch-resistant tempered glass.
The i5 electric scooter has a motorcycle-style turn signal switch that you can use without looking down. The signals themselves are red, and on the small side, but we’re pleased that it has them both on the front and back of the scooter. The horn is “interesting” sounding, and friendly enough to use around pedestrians, but not loud enough to get the attention of people in cars.
You can use the up-down buttons to toggle between modes. You can also hold down the up and down buttons at the same time to get into the P-settings. Below is the P-Setting Guide:
- Single Click the up and down buttons to select ECO TOUR or SPORT mode, we prefer SPORT of course
- Single click the power button to select Single or Dual Motor, (We prefer Dual Motor)
- Press both the Up and Down buttons at the same time to enter P-Settings and then short press the “M” button to edit a P-setting and long press to save
| P-Setting Description | Value |
| bL9 Display Brightness | Set to 3 = Brightest |
| Str Starting Strength | Set to 1 = Medium (2 is super-aggressive) |
| Sta Zero Start or Kick to start | Set to 0 = Zero Start |
| Unt Units | Mi or Km : Choose as per your prefference |
| Cru Cruise Control | Set to 0 = off |
| SPd Speed limit | Set to = maximum the scooter allows |
Lights
The i5 electric scooter has standard lighting–a high mounted headlight, and two pairs of deck embedded lights positioned right at the front and rear curves, giving an all round visibility for braking and turning indicators. Holding the up button turns on the headlight, while the motorcycle-style switch activates the turn signals.
Tires
The tubeless, 10.0 inch tires are a rare feature for a light heavyweight scooter. Single motor scooters like the Ninebot Max have been using tubeless 10.0 inch tires for ages, but only a handful of dual motor scooters use them, like the new Apollo City and the Dualtron III. We love tubeless because they’re more flat-resistant, and if you get a flat, tire sealant works better with tubeless than with tubed tires.
Deck
She’s the WHOLE show!
She, because well, the deck is nicely contoured and looks so put-together–we can only liken it to a refined lady. It’s short at 18.0 inches, but makes up for space in width, at 10.3 inches. You can modify your stance a little to make the best use of the deck space if you have larger feet–but for an average size person, this is pretty adequate. The rubber padding gives you excellent grip and the YINKE logo branded along the center just makes for great aesthetics.
Build Quality
The Yinke i5 is a stunner–solid looks, solid design, solid build!
From the top, we have the i5’s cockpit that’s all business with a nice, centrally-located display. The grips are soft, have a nice tactical shape to them, and clamp at both ends to keep them locked into position.
The Yinke-branded brakes look very similar to the Nutt brakes we’re used to, but they’re a different spec. The levers are way thicker and feel better than any Nutt or Zoom brakes we’ve tried. Hydraulic brakes tend to feel slightly stiffer and better after you give them a quick squeeze–but these ones have that perfect firmness all the time.
We’re big fans of thumb throttles like the one on the Yinke i5 electric scooter because it’s comfortable to keep your fingers ready and covering the brakes while you’re using the throttle. If you’re not used to riding with this kind of throttle, you might wonder, “But this only leaves two fingers on the grip.” Well, you shouldn’t need more than a couple of fingers to hold onto the bars if your stance and balance are correct. We have a video coming up soon on the same.
Fender protection on this electric scooter is very good, which could come in handy since it carries an IPX5 water resistance rating. As with other long fenders, just be careful not to snag it when rolling slowly off of curbs. Keep your speed up, and you should be fine
There’s only one charge port, but you can still cut your charging time in half from 14 hours down to 7 with two chargers because Yinke offers a 2 into 1 adapter. Another optional accessory they’ll offer is an adjustable steering damper and mounting hardware for around $100.
Safety
The scooter is safe to ride thanks to the powerful set of brakes, the headlight, brake lights and turn signals. It also comes with an IPX5 water resistance rating to keep the scooter from water damage when riding through shallow puddles or light rain.
And for the scooter’s safety if you turn the Yinke i5 on and try to roll away without unlocking, it will fight you. Yes, at this point a thief could turn it back off and roll away, but the scooter sends a clear message, that you can’t ride it without the NFC key.
Warranty
Your Yinke i5 electric scooter comes with a half year warranty, covering against manufacturer defects, from the date of purchase. The warranty is also backed by a very professional and responsive customer service team who are available round the clock to help you with your needs.
Yinke i5: Review Conclusion
We’ve been impressed by the i5 ever since we pulled it out of the box upside down–check out our unboxing video, this has never happened to us.
Everyone has different needs and tastes, but this design just feels special, in a similar way to some of the more striking-looking scooters we’ve tested in the past like the Inokim OXO and Quick 4. We love Yinke’s attention to detail, from the nicer-than-usual hydraulic brakes to the finishing touches like the glass screen on the OLED display and the hydraulic shocks which are an unusual feature at this price point.
And on a personal note, from the conversations we’ve had with the folks at Yinke, it’s clear they’ve really put their hearts into making the best electric scooter they can make. If you’re looking for a dual-motor scooter, we think the Yinke i5 is definitely worth checking out, but dual-motor scooters aren’t for everyone, so don’t forget that there’s also a lighter, less expensive single-motor version, and we hope we get to test that one out too.
Look out for more Yinke reviews on our space.
Yinke i5:Technical Specifications
| Make | Yinke |
| Model | i5 |
| Weight | 74 lb |
| Folded dimensions | 49 by 26 by 23 in |
| Motor power, continuous | 1650 W |
| Top speed | 40 mph |
| Range | 61 mi |
| Battery capacity | 1536 Wh |
| Battery recharge time | 13 hrs |
| Max rider weight | 270 lb |
| Brake type | Disc (Hydraulic) + Disc (Hydraulic) |
| Tire type | 10.0 in Pneumatic (Tubeless) + Pneumatic (Tubeless) |
| Built-in lights | Front + Rear |
| Water resistance | IPX5 |
