With the GXL, GoTrax are looking to firmly cement their place as one of the best mid range electric scooter providers around. The GXL is up against tough competition in the surprisingly popular Xiaomi M365, the Ninebot range from Segway and others, such as Swagtron’s Swagger range of scooters. But is the GXL worth buying over the other options out there? Read the rest of our GoTrax GXL Review to find out.
Update (March 2020): GoTrax released the GoTrax XR and XR Ultra in early 2020, which are both upgrades from the GXL. Check out our full GoTrax XR and GoTrax XR Ultra review.
Contents
Quick Look
The GoTrax GXL is an exceptional option if you’re looking for a mid-range scooter for commuting or just a bit of fun. It is a bit big and a little heavy but it is built very well and has a good performance that makes up for the slightly cumbersome build. However, the larger frame does help create a ride is very comfortable and the large air filled tires do a good job at smoothing out any bumps or cracks in the road. The GXL also comes with some nifty features that help it stand out from the competition. I really like the display screen and the rear disc brake works using a built in foot pedal which is an ingenious design that I can see more scooters implementing in the future. And best of all – all of this is available at a price (usually) less than what you’d pay for any of the competition.
Check the latest price on Amazon.
Check the latest price on the GoTrax Website.
Quick Specs
UL Certification: UL2271 Certification
Motor: 250 Watts
Tire Size: 8.5″ pneumatic tires
Battery: 36V Lithium-ion
Recharge Time: 4 – 5 Hours
Max Rider Weight: 220 lbs
Product Weight: 26.50 lbs
Water Proofing Rating: IP54
Charger Input: AC 120V 50/60HZ 1.5A
Charger Output: DC 42V 1.5A
Package Dimensions: 39.37″ x 7.87″ x 15″
Folded Dimension: 39.4″ x 6.3″ x 14.4″
Features
We’ll start with the assembly. The GoTrax GXL comes almost fully assembled. All you have to do it install the handlebars. These only fit in one way around and easily screw up with the included allen key.
The GoTrax GXL is powered by a 250 W motor and a 36V battery that gives a very solid performance, despite these being smaller in size that many other scooters at a similar price range.
One of the best features of the GoTrax GXL is the set of tires that are installed. These are 8.5 inch pneumatic tires, meaning they are air filled. Having air filled tires has many benefits, the best being the additional level of comfort that you essentially get for free. On many electric scooters you have solid rubber tires that can create a harsh and rough ride. But with air filled ones the scooter will easily glide over bumps and cracks in the road with no problem at all. The 8.5 inch tires also give a ground clearance of about 4 inches. This means bumping up onto smaller curbs and even tackling a little bit of off roading is very doable with the GXL.
The GXL includes a set of front and rear brakes. The front being a normal hand controlled brake and the rear being a foot controlled disc brake. The rear disc brake is an anti-lock system that is controlled by a small pedal at the back of the deck. This is a great little inventive solution to controlling the rear braking and we can see this being used on many more scooters in the future.
In the center of the handle bars there is a small LED screen that shows you a readout of basic information such as your speed and which gear you’re in.
There are two gears to choose from, one for basic, slower riding and one for faster riding.
On the front and back there are reflectors to improve your visibility at night. There is also a headlight that can help you see in the dark. This isn’t that bright and is better to help people see you that you see where you’re going, but it’s still nice to have.
The GoTrax GXL also includes a folding mechanism and a handy little clip on the rear mudguard to hold it in place when folded. It can then be trollied around very easily.
There’s also a kickstand.
Design and Build Quality
For such a cheap electric scooter the build quality is surprisingly good. The whole thing feels very solid, there aren’t any flimsy, cheap parts that a lot of cheap electric scooters are rife with. There’s not much more to say about the build quality, it’s better than expected.
The design of the scooter is also very good. I’m a big fan of the looks, it’s sleek and stylish and has a nice finish. It looks a bit like the older brother of the GoTrax Glider, that we featured on our list of the best electric scooters for kids. The LED screen is a standout point for me. It’s integrated so nicely into the stem and works very well. It can sometimes be a little hard to see in bright sunlight but this is a problem most screens have. The design of the rear brake controller is also very good. This takes a little getting used to and the brakes are quite sensitive but it’s definitely a design feature that add a lot.
Performance and Range
The first thing to know is that the GXL requires a few kicks to get going before you can use the electric motor.
But when you are going you can expect a top speed of at least 15 mph and a realistic range of around 8-12 miles. Obviously these will be very dependant on the weight of the rider and the conditions and location that the scooter is ridden but for a flat, dry surface those numbers are very realistic.
The GXL has a pretty good torque and a good acceleration. It can handle slight inclines with no problem at all and as the tires are quite grippy it can even handle some basic off road riding with virtually no problems. It can take a little getting used to the acceleration as it is a bit choppy but after a while things will get easier. This goes for the braking as well. At first both brakes can feel very sensitive but with practice using them effectively becomes second nature and they do a great job at slowing the scooter effectively.
What We Like About the GoTrax GXL
- Good Build Quality – The build quality and the ease of assembly were both surprisingly good. The entire scooter felt solid, with some very nice design features.
- Great Tires – The 8.5 inch pneumatic tires really do a great job at smoothing out the ride and adding additional comfort. They’re also large enough that the ground clearance is a health 4 inches which makes the GXL even more versatile.
- Good Performance – For a relative cheap scooter, the top speed of at least 15 mph
What We Don’t Like About the GoTrax GXL
- Quite Heavy – Whilst the GXL does make a great commuter scooter, the weight and bulk might be enough to put some people off if they have to take it on any form of public transport etc.
- LED Headlight could be brighter – This is a very minor nitpick but still something that we thought was worth mentioning. It would be nice if this was a bit brighter as we feel like you will need to buy another one if you’re going to be riding at night with no streetlights.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the GoTrax GXL is a fantastic mid range electric scooter that is perfect for commuting or just for a bit of fun for both kids and adults. It’s well built and well designed with some ingenious little features that really help elevate it above the competition. Even though it is quite big and heavy and has a few things that we would change we still think it is one of the best mid-range electric scooter you can buy right now. And best of all, it’s very well priced! Update (March 2020): GoTrax released the GoTrax XR and XR Ultra in early 2020 with overall better features and similar price tag, so you may want to check out also our full GoTrax XR and GoTrax XR Ultra review.
Check the latest price on Amazon.
Check the latest price on the GoTrax Website.
We have also reviewed other GoTrax products such as the GoTrax Hoverfly ECO hoverboard.
If you need to know more, think we’ve missed something or want to ask us some questions then comment below or connect with us on Facebook.
Read More on AltRiders
- The 10 Fastest Electric Scooters You Can Buy in 2020
- Complete Guide to Electric Scooters
- 8 Best Folding Electric Scooters for Adults
GoTrax GXL
Pros
- Good Build Quality
- Great Tires
- Good Performance
Cons
- Quite Heavy
- LED Headlight could be brighter
Good morning. I really appreciate reading your articles and reviews. I live in Long Beach CA. I weigh 210 pounds wearing my backpack. I want to be able to ride a stand up electric scooter six and one half miles each way to and from work five days per week. I made the mistake of buying the Moto Tec Velocifero 1600 watt electric sit down/stand up scooter. It truly is built to sit only. No way I can ride the thing safely while standing up because the handlebars don’t come up far enough. Finally the question. Have you ever reviewed the Super 1800 watt 48v lithium ion electric scooter? Lunar Scooters and Scooter Wholesales sell it. One of my biggest concerns regarding buying any electric scooter is that the handlebars are high enough to comfortably hold onto while riding. The other concern is buying something that will truly withstand the regular use I would want to put it through. Thank You for taking the time to read this. Any advice or help regarding the 1800 watt scooter mentioned above would be appreciated.
Hi John,
We’ve not reviewed the Super 1800 Watt, but hear that it’s a bit of a beast! We’ve liked other Super Turbo scooters and think the brand is decent so we’d be excited to test it. It’s on our list so we’ll see if we can get our hands on one for the future. With regards to the durability that you’re looking for we can’t really answer from experience as a lot of the scooters we test are given back after we have tested them. However, for a good all-round scooter for commuting we’d highly recommend the GoTrax GXL and also really like the Glion Dolly.
Sorry we couldn’t help more with the specifics of your questions. Do let us know if there is anything else you need.
What are the dimensions of the scooter when folded all the way? I am looking to keep it in a locker at the gym on my way to work and it looks like it could go either way on whether or not it will fit.
Hi Will, the folded dimensions are 39.4″ x 6.3″ x 14.4″. Thanks for pointing this out, we’ve also added it to the article!
A version 2 of the GXL (Handbrake edition) was recently released with a hand brake on the left scooter handle. Website indicates that the handbrake actuates the front and rear brakes and it replaces the rear brake controller on the baseboard. Not sure what the front braking wheel mechanism is or how it is also controlled by the same brake lever.
There is a mistake in the article, which is related to an open question about this scooter that I think is worth investigating.
“The rear disc brake is a regenerative anti-lock system that is controlled by a small pedal at the back of the deck”
1. “regenerative disc brake” makes no sense. There are no electronics near the rear brake, and you can’t get energy back from applying friction to a disc. If this scooter has a regenerative brake, it would be the front electronic brake.
2. The front electronic brake could be regenerative, and multiple pieces of literature from GoTrax say so including the product description on their website, but they have also posted this comment on the Amazon page:
“No GoTrax Products have regenerative braking”
https://www.amazon.com/ask/questions/Tx11VXH4CM1ORMR/ref=ask_dp_lsw_al_hza?asin=B07F1GZM6Z
I and many other scooter enthusiasts would very much appreciate getting to the bottom of this contradiction, perhaps Alt Riders could contact GoTrax and answer this question once and for all?
Hi Trevor. Thanks very much for pointing that out, we will fix that and get into contact with GoTrax, then update the article accordingly. Hopefully we will get to the bottom of this! Feel free to contact us about anything else.
Problem with Gotrax GXL (v2) that is not going 15.5 mph, real speed is ~12mph. At least on this one I have. I’m not talking here about weight etc. I measured speed of using GPS. I think future tests should check if scooter is actually delivering promised speed.
This is a good point, thanks Carlos. We will definitely look into this more in the future.
yeah, no “regenerative disc brake”… itś just a mechanical break, also, the battery may have issues. My battery lasted three uses… now Iḿ looking into replacing the battery for an additional $99… not good…
It looks like the GoTrax battery is in the stem of the scooter. Is it removable (swappable), similar to the Levy Electric?
Hi Justin, yes it is swappable and the process is really quite simple!
I am enjoying my new e scooter, how do i go from 1st to 2nd gear.
Hi Gregory, I’ve got the Gotrax GXL scooter and to put the scooter into 2nd gear, you hold down the red button on the front stem for about 2 seconds. You will see a “2” appear in the led display. I’m pretty sure you can change gears even if the scooter is moving.
Hi Alt Riders, I really love my GoTrax GXL v2 scooter, but a very frustrating thing is unfolding it. I had expected to get better as I became acclimated to it, but at times it is really (really) difficult to get that clip to release.
It appears that a combination of pressing down on the rear hub cover and pulling the stem back & away from the clip should work, but it doesn’t all the time. Are others having this experience with releasing the clip?
Purchased two Gotrax GXL-V2 the other day directly from Gotrax. One works fine…the other doesnt work. I called Gotrax and their phones do not work. Message said to email only. I emailed that I wanted to return one of the scooters for replacement with a new unit or refund if they only wanted to “repair” the scooter. They responded that I needed to send back the defective scooter at my expense and they would review it further. Possibly adding 30% restocking fee. I emailed again saying I wasnt going to pay for the return as it came defective. They said “read our return policy” and refused to pay for the shipping. Then they just emailed me saying that I purchased from Amazon adn to deal with them. I didnt purchase from Amazon…I purhcased directly from Gotrax. DO NOT PURCHASE ANYTHING FROM GOTRAX DIRECTLY. If you must purhcase any GOTRAX product…do it from a store where you have return rights. I am getting my credit card company involved in this now. DO NOT PURCHASE directly from GOTRAX!
This brand falsely advertises its products. I bought the GO TRAX GXL This scooter goes about 1.5 miles and then the battery dies. And this is AFTER I spent another $100 buying a replacement battery. Their customer service is poor. They just try to get you to buy replacement parts when the truth is the quality of the original item they sent is the problem. A 90 day warranty is not enough time to discover the flaws in this scooter if you don’t use it a lot in those first 3 months (for example if you buy it in winter).
Hi Aly, we are sorry to hear that you had a bad experience.This is the first time we are hearing complaints about Gotrax or their products.Please send us your order details at contact@altriders.com and we will try and address your issue through our channels to them.