Extreme off-roading requires a special kind of scooter. It needs to be able to keep you safe and comfortable whilst traveling at high speeds across unpredictable terrain. There’s only one scooter that I could pick to fit this bill — the Wolf Warrior, a personal favorite of mine and many other enthusiasts.

It’s big, it’s bad and it sure as heck has the suspension to match. The Wolf is fitted with dual hydraulic suspension in the front and dual springs in the back. This is like taking the Apollo Pro but doubling it up to give an utterly seamless and luxurious ride quality.

This setup, particularly the dual hydraulics, is more commonly found on motorcycles than electric scooters and is one of the best suspension systems available. This makes sense given that, at its core, the Wolf Warrior shares more in common with a motorcycle than it does with many of its tamer electric scooter cousins.

To complement the suspension, the Wolf Warrior is fitted with giant 11-inch tubeless pneumatic tires. The tubeless design makes for a more robust tire, reducing the risks of flats, without losing any of the natural shock absorption and traction you get from pneumatic, air-filled tires. Because of their wide profile (3.5 inches), they also deliver excellent stability, keeping you balanced across even the roughest terrain.

Although knobby, off-road tires are recommended if you’re planning to ride over loose surfaces like dirt or rocks, the Wolf Warrior is also available to order with road wheels. These feature a slicker tread and will have reduced performance on anything other than smooth asphalt and light off-road trails. So, to get the best ride quality possible, I’d recommend choosing the textured tires if you’re planning to spend any time off-road.

The suspension on the Wolf comes into its own when you’re riding at top speeds. On a scooter without any suspension, this is when you’re most likely to feel all the bumps beneath you, but the Wolf Warrior laps it up without complaint. Given that this beast can reach a phenomenal top speed of 50 mph, you’re going to want a reliable system to keep you safe and grounded — this scooter doesn’t disappoint.

It’s also worth noting that even the acceleration is nothing short of brutal and it’ll be ready to charge forward with even the slightest pressure on the accelerator, especially when in turbo and dual motor mode. To put this into perspective, you can expect to hit 15 mph in just 1.9 seconds, and 30 mph in 5.2 seconds.

As a result of the phenomenal torque, the Wolf is a natural hill-climber and can defeat even the steepest of hills with a 30% incline grade. With all of its power, it’s safe to say that experienced riders should be wearing a layer of protective clothing as well as headgear when venturing out on this bad boy.

Unsurprisingly, the Wolf Warrior has a hefty set of brakes to balance out the combined 5400W power of its ferocious motors. Equipped with dual hydraulic brakes, the Wolf responds quickly to any braking action, bringing you to a prompt stop. The impressive suspension also means that you’ll slow down nice and smoothly, without any jerking or uncomfortable bouncing as the Wolf adjusts to the change in speed.

With ride quality this good, you’ll want to make the most of the Wolf Warrior’s staggering 70-mile range. Equipped with a large 35Ah LG battery, you’ll be able to enjoy hour after hour without having to plug in and recharge. Even when your battery does run dry, re-juicing should only take around 8 hours which is pretty impressive considering the reach this thing has when operating on a full tank. As with all scooters, if you ride aggressively (i.e. with both motors engaged), you can expect decreased mileage – for the Wolf, this is around 40-45 miles.

In terms of practicality, this scooter is equipped with everything you need for a convenient and safe ride. It features a digital display, giving you visibility over your stats, as well as an excellent array of lights. Its two massive headlights are perfect for piercing even the darkest nights, and the deck lights, ground effects, and huge red LED taillight keep you visible to others. And if that fails, you’ve also got a horn loud enough to wake the dead.

Aesthetically, the Wolf Warrior is unlike anything else on the market. It has not one, but two large forks which give it a unique, menacing aesthetic whilst also providing additional support and stability for high-speed riding. Its elevated deck means it has good ground clearance — perfect if you like to test the limits and execute daring jumps. And finally, because of its beefy construction, the Wolf Warrior can comfortably support riders up to 330 lbs, making it a great choice for heavier adults.

As good as this all sounds, it does mean that the Wolf is not a lightweight scooter. It weighs a whopping 101 lbs, which is heavy enough to challenge even the strongest of riders. It’s certainly not a scooter that you’ll be taking on the bus with you, even if it can be folded.

The Wolf Warrior is a hard scooter to beat when it comes to suspension and ride quality. It keeps you comfortable and protected while riding at high speeds on off-road tracks. At $2,799, it may appear fairly expensive, but there’s a reason it’s so popular and once you’ve ridden it you’ll have a hard time going back to the more normal, run-of-the-mill models.

Plus, I’ll let you in on a little secret – many of the components that make the Wolf Warrior such a fierce scooter are manufactured by Mini Motors USA. If you didn’t know, these are the guys who are responsible for designing and building the Dualtron range (these are well documented for being extreme performance scooters). The best bit is that the Wolf is considerably cheaper than its Dualtron counterparts (e.g. the Dualtron Ultra, an off-road monster that matches the Wolf Warrior for performance, retails for around $3,990).

If you’re looking for a scooter with a superior suspension system that's been designed to eat up off-road terrain for breakfast and spit it back out, then the Wolf Warrior is the best you’ll find.

Considering a good hill climber is all about power and torque, it should come as no surprise that there are a couple of Dualtrons rounding off this list. Whilst still fairly expensive, the Dualtron Eagle Pro is the best value scooter from this range whilst still delivering enough power to get you up and over even the most drastic slopes.

The Eagle eats hills for breakfast and can propel riders up 25.2-degree inclines (47%). Inclines this steep are hard to come by – they are steeper than even San Francisco’s most challenging streets. Just take a look at Waipio Valley Road (picture below) to gain some perspective – the Eagle Pro has the pedigree to scale this type of incline (and steeper).

At its steepest, Waipio road has a 39% grade and anything above this is closer to the gradient you might see on mountain cliffs. You’ll struggle to find anything like it within the city boundaries.

So, we’ve quickly established that the Eagle Pro is a beast when it comes to hill climbing but let’s be honest, it is to be expected – after all, it is a Dualtron scooter. But what else does it have to offer?

The combination of the ultra-durable frame and 15-step adjustable suspension system delivers superior riding quality that is hard to match. The suspension makes use of 5 interchangeable rubber cartridges. Each cartridge ranges from soft to hard, so you can select the level most appropriate to your surroundings.

To further help dampen the vibrations underfoot while riding, the Eagle Pro comes with 10-inch high and 2.5-inch wide pneumatic tyres. These feature a slick tread so are more suited to generating traction on smooth surfaces, however, off-road tyres are available to help increase your grip on looser terrain. They also help you maintain momentum when you’re tackling a hill, working with the motors to get you to the top.

The Eagle’s drivetrain is a massive part of why this scooter is so good at getting you to the top of challenging inclines. It puts out a peak of 3600W which translates to 40 mph in raw speed. The acceleration is more “gradual” than that of the Dualtron X 2, but that’s not uncommon given that the X 2 sits in a league of its own. Nevertheless, the Eagle will propel you from 0-15 mph in 2.7 seconds which is, to put it bluntly, a heart-in-your-throat, breakneck take-off.

To combat the insane speed on offer, the Eagle comes fitted with dual disc brakes and regenerative brakes, both of which help to bring you to a stop smoothly and consistently. Although these do the job, it is a little surprising that this scooter doesn’t feature hydraulics, like many others in the Dualtron range. However, this does help to bring the price down and make this scooter more affordable, and the braking power is still all-around reliable.

When it comes to hill climbs it’s not just about power but longevity too. Riding up steep slopes can take a lot out of a scooter’s battery so your chosen model must have the power to keep going. The Eagle certainly ticks this box. Equipped with a massive 60V 22.4Ah LG Li-ion battery, this scooter can keep rolling for up to 50 miles on a single charge. You’ll see less than this if you’re planning on riding at top speeds over multiple hills, but the quality of the Eagle’s battery means you’ll still get a decent chunk of that claimed mileage. Plus, with a fast charger, recharging will only take a mere 4 hours.

The Eagle features the same LCD EYE throttle as found on other models in the Dualtron range, allowing you to monitor your speed and power. You can also access several P-settings, giving you the chance to finetune this scooter to your preferences. Adjustable settings include altering your maximum output as well as the strength of the regenerative brakes. Most importantly, you can choose between operating the Eagle as a kick-and-go or a zero-start scooter, something that will come in handy if you’re going to be making a lot of hill stops and starts.

Unfortunately, the Eagle doesn’t come with a headlight, instead featuring front and rear button lights. This means you’ll need to purchase additional lighting if you’re planning any extensive nighttime riding. However, it does feature some pretty awesome stem lighting that you can customize using the remote that comes with the scooter.

Despite its durable construction and high payload of 120 kg, the Eagle is positively lightweight for a Dualtron scooter. Weighing 29.9 kg, it’s one of the lightest in the range, however, compared to other brands, this is a far cry from being easily portable. You won’t be carrying it for any long periods, but the collapsible stem and foldable handlebars make it fairly compact for easy storage.

When it comes to power, Dualtron once again comes out on top. The Eagle Pro is a ferocious hill climber and delivers in line with its top pedigree. The lower £1,599 price tag (for a Dualtron scooter) makes it more accessible if your budget is on the lower end for an extreme performance scooter. You’ll have no problem storming up urban inclines, and even challenging off-road slopes will have to work extra hard to make the Eagle sweat.

Although Apollo has a large portfolio of electric scooters, the Apollo Pro 52V is where things start to kick up a notch. If you’re looking for the care and detail evident in the other Apollo models but with an added surge of speed, power, and range, look no further. The Pro is the answer to your prayers.

At face value, the Apollo Pro cuts a similar profile to its siblings, touting the same black, blue, and white frame alongside the sturdy deck, branded with Apollo’s anti-slip tread.

However, the Pro carries itself with the attitude befitting a high-performance scooter, from the swingarms to its insectoid arch over the front wheel, giving it the look of a praying mantis crouched ready to spring into action.

This comparison isn’t misplaced — even the slightest pressure on the Pro’s throttle is enough to send it surging forward. You’ll notice a marked difference between the Pro’s take-off and that of the Apollo Explore because this scooter is fast. It can reach an awesome top speed of 38 mph, going from 0 to 30 in a mere 6.2 seconds. With a scooter this quick, you won’t need to worry about being relegated to the bike lane.

Its awesome power and torque come from its dual 1000W motors, each of which has a peak output of 1200W. It’s no surprise that it can conquer 40% hills, maintaining speed just as easily as it would on the flat. There’s nothing cautious about this scooter — as soon as you hit that accelerator, you better hold on tight.

A scooter with this much power needs the brakes to match and Apollo doesn’t disappoint. The standard Pro comes fitted with dual disc cable brakes as well as an electric regenerative brake that slows your motor and recharges your battery all at once. Although these deliver responsive braking power, Apollo offers the option to upgrade these to hydraulics. I’d recommend doing this if you have the budget as it will result in more efficient braking – which is crucial if you are riding in subpar weather conditions.

Wet weather riding is supported by an IP54 rating, which, as previously discussed, means that rather than only being protected from light water spray, the scooter is also protected from dust. The performance of the Pro in adverse weather conditions is further benefited by the plush 10-inch pneumatic tires which have a good grip on slick surfaces. They also help to give the Pro its standout ride quality. Combined with the front spring and rear hydraulic suspension system, they cushion you from the terrain underfoot letting you glide effortlessly.

Alongside superior ride comfort, the range on offer can keep you going for hours at a time. Rather than the Dynavolt batteries used in other Apollo models, the Pro is fitted with an LG battery that can keep the wheels rolling for up to 56 miles on a single charge, although this is dependent on riding conditions. You’ll see the full range if you stick to eco or single motor mode, but if you prefer to go all out and ride in dual or turbo, this will halve to around 25-35 miles. When it comes to recharging, a regular charger will get you back out on the road in 10 hours, but if you invest in the fast charger this will reduce down to 5.

Like all scooters from Apollo, the Pro’s build quality is one of its defining features. Built for riders up to 150 kg, this is one sturdy machine with a frame designed to withstand the pressure of extreme performance riding. Based on my independent research and testing, it sits in the top 18% of scooters for load capacity (i.e. it can support more weight than 82% of all other scooters). The deck is even wide enough to accommodate a seat attachment (available separately at an extra cost) for those days when you want to sit back and enjoy the ride.

The degree of customization available with the Pro is also a big bonus for riders that like to tweak their scooter so it matches their exact preferences. You can choose between various starting modes (kick-to-start or zero-start), as well as adjusting the strength of your regenerative brake and selecting your desired measurement metric. All of this can be controlled from the handlebar display, where you’ll also find controls for the scooter’s lights.

Because of its high-performance nature, the Pro is a fairly heavy scooter, weighing 34.9 kg. Although it can handle commuter routes with ease, the daily rat race is not where you’ll see the best of it and as a result, it hasn’t been designed with portability in mind. However, it features an efficient folding mechanism to make storage that little bit easier.

The Apollo Pro (with hydraulic brakes) costs £1,699 and it’s worth every penny. It’s the ideal gateway into the big, bad world of extreme performance scooters and serves as a great introduction for riders looking to upgrade from your run-of-the-mill city cruisers without committing to more outrageously priced models.