With 18 months of scooter riding days behind me I thought it might be time for a short review of my two Swifty scooters, the Swifty Zero and the Swifty Air, looking at how they are faring after this time and what changes have been made as well.
Starting with the Swifty Zero, my first scooter. And I’m pleased to report that all is well! My experiment with different components has settled down and I’m more than happy with its current build. Changes include, Ergon GP1 handebar grips, Swifty mudguards and luggage comprising Rixen and Kaul Vario Rack and Altura Arran pannier. This is interchangeable with a mount on the Swifty Air. Everything else is standard and no further changes are planned. I did try our some Magura hydraulic brakes but they were a pain to fit and offered little improvement, so were removed. On the matter of wear and tear, tyres are holding up well as are brakes. The only wear is the grip tape on the foot plate which is getting thin in places and will need replaced in due course.
Now, onto the Swifty Air. Again all is well and I’ll be sticking with the few changes I’ve made. These include Ergon GP1 handlebar grips, Schwalbe Big Apple 16″ x 2.00″ tyres and a riser to increase the handlebar height by a small amount. As with the Swifty Zero, a Klickfix Caddy Post Clamp allows me to use the Rixen and Kaul Vario Rack and Altura Arran pannier from the Swifty Zero. The foot plate is also wearing and needs replaced. I did try fitting mudguards but the larger tyres make this impossible. On both the Swifty Air and the Swifty Zero I’ve installed puncture sealant on all inner tubes and have had no punctures to date. Fingers crossed!
With two Swifty scooters to choose from I’ve found a definite pattern emerging. For off-road use I always use the Swifty Air, it’s larger tyres making all the difference. For road use, it’s the Swifty Zero, great for fast urban tarmac routes through the town. If I had to choose just one scooter, I’d go for the Swifty Air, in the build configuration above. Oh, on both scooters the paintwork is doing just fine, although there are a few scrapes and scuffs on both, mostly on the underside and handlbars, the latter from the scooter taking it upon itself to fall over whenever it feels like it and the former from road kerbs. To be honest, I don’t mind scratches, they are a sign of use and fun had while scooting.
Finally, thoughts for the future. I’ve no plans to purchase another scooter, although if they came out with disc brakes, I might be interested. One thing I would like is a sidestand and I believe something is in the pipeline, so watch this space. One other item of interest would be a luggage rack above the rear wheel, something similar to the one used by Dave Cornthwaite on his 1000 mile scoot across Japan. I may just have to see what I can build myself.
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