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T i anRun 8" electric scooter Review

Less expensive scooters surpassed the T i anRun in almost every category
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T i anRun 8" electric scooter Review
Price:  $400 List
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Manufacturer:   T i anRun
By Nick Miley and Austin Palmer  ⋅  Jun 12, 2019
43
OVERALL
SCORE
  • Range - 25% 3.0
  • Power - 25% 3.0
  • Ride - 20% 4.0
  • Portability - 15% 5.0
  • Braking - 15% 8.0

Our Verdict

The T i anRun 8" electric scooter Is No Longer Available as of Late 2019
REASONS TO BUY
Braking power
Front shock
REASONS TO AVOID
Slow
Limited range
Limited climbing power
Long charging time
This machine performed at such a low level that it is difficult to make comparisons to the other products in the class. This issue is pronounced in assessments of braking, range, and power. For the money, one can purchase a much better product.

Our Analysis and Test Results

The T i anRun scooter looks much like it's competitors but, as our extensive testing and analysis revealed, it is not able to toe the line. This machine's primary deficiency is its lack of power resulting in a significantly reduced max speed and climbing ability. As a result, all the other metrics used to assess it are hard to compare with other products here reviewed. A primary example of this is run time. All the scooters in this class get approximately 40-60 minutes of run time on a battery charge, yet due to the relatively slow max speed, the T i anRun will traverse two miles less than the group average during this period.

t i anrun 8" electric scooter - the tianrun 8" electric scooter.
The Tianrun 8" electric scooter.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Performance Comparison


In our hunt for the best electric scooters on the market, we combed the internet studying manufacturer specs, analyzing design features and, reading through customer reviews. Eventually narrowing the search, we purchased nine favored scooters for comparative testing. Our tests were designed to assess all the elements contributing to a quality product. These are power, ride, range, portability, and braking. We delve into all these below.

t i anrun 8" electric scooter - the tianrun's dashboard battery charge meter.
The Tianrun's dashboard battery charge meter.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Power


This two-part metric is an assessment of hill climbing ability and level ground top speed. Our climbing tests are comprised of two hills (3.5% and 10.5% grade); if the first hill is surmounted then we continue to the steeper. The T i anRun was the only scooter tested that wouldn't climb the shallower of the two.

The speed trial is a full-throttled run on flat ground with a topped-off battery. The trial was administered three times for accuracy. The average was taken of the three trials and was converted to miles per hour. The machine's max is the slowest of the class at 11.9 mph.

t i anrun 8" electric scooter - the tianrun's front shock mitigates some of the road's bumps and...
The Tianrun's front shock mitigates some of the road's bumps and cracks.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Ride


Our ride test involved riding over rough and smooth roads and over large cracks and asses the performance of each scooter. Despite the dampening effect of the front shock, T i anRun did not overcome the direct feedback issued from the solid rubber tires. Additionally, testers noted that the front wheel is larger than the back, and this places the rider at an uncomfortable incline.

t i anrun 8" electric scooter - the tianrun's folded configuration.
The Tianrun's folded configuration.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Portability


Portability is a measure of how straightforward it is to fold, pick up, and store a scooter. While the T i anRun performs decently in this category, there is one notable exception: the carry handle is square. This feature had tester's complaining of the discomfort and fatigue that resulted. On the plus side, this model is fairly light and compact.

Range


Our range tests look at two separate but related performance details: travel radius and charging time. Travel radius is defined in two ways, the maximum and the effective miles traveled on a full battery charge. Effective miles is the distance that a scooter can travel on flat ground at our test speed and still be comfortable faster than walking, the latter is the number of miles that the machine traveled before completely running out of battery, even if you could walk faster than it. The T i anRun has a lithium ion battery, and amongst the scooters utilizing this power source, it was well below average with 7.4 max miles, seven of those being effective miles. Moreover, this battery takes a long time to charge (7+ hours).

t i anrun 8" electric scooter - accelerator and brake paddles make it for easy stop and goes.
Accelerator and brake paddles make it for easy stop and goes.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Braking


The T i anRun has a dual brake system (electronic motor and rear fender) which we like for its redundancy. The fender brake is relatively powerful as well. However, since this product can't achieve the same speeds of others in the class it is hard to make apples to apples comparisons in this regard. That being said, the dual brake system held testers at a comfortable speed even on the steepest descent and the rear fender brake made for short stopping distances.

Value


We do not find this scooter to be a good value due to its overall poor showing across all test categories and relatively high price tag.

Conclusion


The T i anRun looks good but lacks performance follow through. If this is the price range you are comfortable with, we suggest that you look elsewhere in this review for a higher quality product. Some of these scooters will deliver more performance for less money.

Nick Miley and Austin Palmer