Dublin-based LOCO Scooters is becoming a more common sight in Dublin and beyond. LOCO kindly sent me a LOCO Motion Pro to test out and reignite my own personal love for the electric scooter. Here’s what I thought about their top-level scooter, along with an intro into Ireland’s very own electric scooter company.
Who is LOCO Scooters?
LOCO Scooters was founded in 2020 by Jason and Paddy stemming from their shared passion for eco-friendly transportation. The company has opened two shops in Dublin, with one in Blanchardstown and another in an excellent thoroughfare location in Portobello.
LOCO is perhaps most impressive because of their locations more than anything else. I say this because after years of riding electric scooters in the capital, it’s easy to feel like a bit of a second class citizen on the roads. The worst experience I had was when I went to a bike shop with a flat tyre and they laughed at me saying they wouldn’t touch a scooter.
Weeks later I heard that same shop owner on the radio, berating the existence of scooters. Not quite sure what electric scooters had done to him in a past life. But for me, I was left in the lurch. Knowing now that LOCO has a central shop that can handle repairs is a weight off my mind. They generally do care for non-LOCO scooters too, but during the busy Christmas period they dedicate all resources to their customers.
Now that you know LOCO scooters, we can look a little closer at one of their scooters; the LOCO Motion Pro.
The LOCO Motion Pro Review
The LOCO Motion Pro is a premium electric scooter with key features which I personally think make it perfect for Irish roads. I used to ride a Xiaomi m365. It felt light, a little rickety and slightly under powered (while you could make a case for me being overweight). The LOCO Motion Pro excels in some of the key areas a cheaper scooter like the m365 fell down for me.
Design and Build Quality
In the distance, you’d be forgiven for thinking the Motion Pro is just another electric scooter. Up close you get to see that it’s a proper unit of a thing. There’s a neat hook allowing you to lock your scooter into a carrying position. But it weighs in at 20kg so I’ll admit it’s not really light enough to carry long distances(which is one of few points against the scooter). But that weight makes it an incredibly smooth scooter to ride.
The majority of that weight comes from the battery pack stored under the where you stand. Little more on that later.
Adding to the smooth ride is dual-shock absorbers on the front wheels which can handle the usual bumps in a Dublin street, but I still don’t recommend you take on the cobblestones in any areas.
My previous experience with electric scooters has been that they get punctures. They get punctures a lot. Dublin is littered with broken glass everywhere, leaving the daily commute more of a running the gauntlet. Within my first couple of weeks with my first electric scooter, I had three punctures. With the Motion Pro, I’m a few months in and (touch wood) I’ve yet to have any issues.
Another part of my previous experience was my old scooter not being rated for any exposure to water whatsoever. In Ireland, it’s hardly ideal that a scooter manufacturer would shy away from getting an IP-rating. Thankfully, LOCO hasn’t, getting the Motion Pro an IPX7 rating. So confident are they that if your Motion Pro is ever taken down by liquid damage, they will replace it for free.
A massive consideration for LOCO and you as a consumer, is how well the Motion Pro is designed and built in terms of Ireland’s new electric scooter legislation. So let’s get into that.
Are Electric Scooters Legal in Ireland?
The short answer here is yes, with limits. The long answer is… well let’s get into it.
Ireland has legalised electric scooters since May 2024. However, when these laws came into force, they deemed may scooters already on the road, illegal. This is why LOCO has made it a key focus for their own scooters, including the Motion Pro, to be road legal.
When the Motion Pro leaves the shop, it’s speed limited to the legal 20km/h. I have a lot of personal views on this being far too slow, having been overtaken by every cyclist in Dublin. But the law is the law and the Motion Pro adheres to it. You can remove that limit using an app if you wish, but if you are using the scooter on public roads and not private land, you will be breaking the law.
The Motion Pro features everything else required to make it road legal too; a bell, lights, reflectors and both a hand brake. The hand brake controls the front drum brake while the rear is a regenerative electric brake. The motoring powering an electric scooter in Ireland must not exceed 400w, and this is exactly where the Motion Pro lands. At the aforementioned 20kg the scooter is below the 25kg limit outlined by law.
Beyond the rules LOCO Scooters have followed when designing the Motion Pro, electric scooters are allowed to share bike and bus lanes, must not ride on footpaths and can be used by anyone over 16 years of age.
Now that we can be rest assured buying the LOCO Motion Pro means you’re buying a road legal electric scooter, let’s get back to seeing whether or not you should buy it.
Battery, Range and Power
At 13Ah, the Motion Pro battery has approximately the same power as four iPhone 16 smartphones. When testing the Pro Motion out, I was traveling a little over 6.5km per day, three days per week. I would charge every Wednesday and the battery was never going below 20%. I was also using the scooter in Sport mode and I’m at the upper limit of the weight rating of 120kg.
There are so many variables to consider here. You’ll get better range in the summer, while a recent cold snap meant I could feel the power drop off a small bit. But this will be the same for any battery-powered electric scooters. All-in-all, it’s hard to fault the scooter for range and power capacity, even if you’re on the larger side like myself. LOCO advertises a realistic-range of 35km for the Motion Pro, but given the wide range of variables, your own mileage may vary.
On a few occasions I do have to admit I found steeper hills a bit of a struggle. Now, not coming to a standstill “struggle”, but the scooter would slow a fair bit. For context, I am 111kg and the scooter is rated up to 120kg, so I am in the upper weight of the limit. If you’re lighter, I expect this won’t be an issue whatsoever. If you are on the heavier side like myself, pop down and try take one of these scooters for a spin. You’ll find that it’s still very usable on hills.
Smart Electric Scooter Features
Electric scooters are somewhat simple machines. You kick-off, push the throttle, scream “weeee” and get from A to B. But LOCO has added in some thoughtful features to add security and experience to the Motion Pro.
The joy on my face as I realised this scooter has indicators. Traditionally, two-wheel commuters (like cyclists) give a handle sign to gesture where they are going. For some reason, the design and stance of electric scooters just doesn’t lend itself to doing this safely. At the flick of a switch, lights either side of your rear wheel will indicate to other road users where you’re headed.
The only flaw here is that road users may not see this. First, because it’s quite low and second because other road users aren’t always that observant. I often get the unsolicited feedback that “electric scooters come out of nowhere”, but let me clarify this today. That’s a “driving skill” issue, not an “electric scooter” issue.
Next up on the features I love is the NFC key card required to start your scooter. It’s an extra layer of security, which admittedly alone I wouldn’t trust in Dublin to deter a theft, and should only be used in conjunction with a u-lock. LOCO offers theft insurance too at €119 for 12-months which means they will replace your scooter should it be stolen.
Finally, of course there is a Bluetooth connected app for the Motion Pro. I didn’t use this a whole lot after initial set up, but here you can control speed limits, whether you want kick-start or not, turn off NFC keys being required and even activate cruise control mode. You’ll also have some information on battery and distances covered.
LOCO Motion Pro: The Verdict
For full transparency, LOCO sent me the Motion Pro to test out but have had no influence over the test or tried to steer me in anyway.
At a regular price of €899, the Motion Pro is a considered purchase and not a cheap scooter by any stretch of the imagination. When I first heard from the team at LOCO I had no idea how much this scooter cost and it did leave me a surprised at the price. But I was also surprised at the fact I was seeing these scooters around Dublin regularly, so people were obviously happy enough to pay.
After a couple of weeks commuting on the Motion Pro I got it. This is a really comfortable scooter by an excellent company that is constantly thinking of your peace of mind and safety. With a LOCO Motion Pro, you get to arrive to work, not sweaty or with a new cold from public transport and with a massive smile on your face. I had forgotten just how much fun electric scooters were until I got back onto the Motion Pro.
But it’s not a toy. The Motion Pro is a serious mode of transport for commuters that meets all the required regulations set out earlier this year. Which, to many, will add to the frustration that electric scooters have been banned from public transport. I can see the build quality and safety considerations in this scooter are second to none and hope that Government soon introduces an approved list of scooters that features the Motion Pro.
But electric scooters like the Motion Pro don’t even have to be last mile any more. The range improvements, waterproofing and overall build and ride quality mean you can go longer distances than ever on this electric scooter. The question I pose to many commuters now is that price-tag of €899 looks pretty good when you include the removal of any public transport fees too.
