There are two thumb levers near the center of the handlebars. The one on the right is the throttle, and the one on the left is the regenerative brake. I’ve used this brake for most stops, but for anything sudden, you’ll want to hit the rear drum brake lever on top of the right handlebar. It does the job, but I wouldn’t have minded more stopping power. If you’re riding fast and come to a sudden stop, you’ll experience some skidding. 

In the very center is a display with four buttons in the front: horn, headlight, settings, and power. I found these mushy buttons hard to press and reach with my hand while riding. The horn button should really be easier to access, though it is loud enough to get the attention of any pedestrian or cyclist. The color display shows a battery meter, speed, the temperature of the controller, and trip mileage/odometer. 

Most escooters have a button you can press while riding to switch between modes to raise or lower speed. For some reason, the Mosquito has a convoluted system that requires you to set the speed when you’re at a standstill. You need to first hold down the regen brake lever, turn the scooter on, then press the Settings button to cycle between L1 (5 mph), L2 (10 mph), L3 (16 mph), L4 (24 mph), and L5 (no limit); release the regen brake to set it. By default, the scooter is set to L4, but I’m not sure why there isn’t a simple mode button.

Sting Like a … Mosquito

Aside from its weight, power is the next best feature of the Fluid Mosquito. It has a 500-watt motor that can easily rev up to 24+ mph on flat roads. Going up a hill? Don’t worry! Unlike a lot of escooters that can only crawl up slopes, the Fluid Mosquito is powerful enough to climb with speed. It went over the Manhattan Bridge at 16 miles per hour. In comparison, the Niu KQi3 Pro I’m also testing goes at a snail’s pace of 8 mph over the same bridge.  

This comes at a cost. You’re likely not going to go very far on the Mosquito. Fluidfreeride claims a 22-mile range, but this will vary depending on your weight (it supports up to 265 pounds), the terrain, and how much of your trip involves steep climbs. 

On a 5.2-mile round trip mostly on flat roads (to get some lemon bars from a local bakery), the Fluid Mosquito had 70 percent left in the tank. But when I took the scooter from Bed Stuy, Brooklyn, into the Financial District for a meeting—which involved going over the Brooklyn Bridge—it was at 10 percent by the time I arrived at my destination (an 8.6-mile trip). At around 20 percent, the scooter starts to go slower; instead of 24 mph, I was riding at around 13 mph. 

I’d recommend switching it to L3 mode to lower the speed and eke out a few more miles, but most people should be able to get roughly 10 to 15 miles out of this thing on a single charge, if not more. Pack the charger with you if you know you’ll be near an outlet and you’re worried. It’s not bulky, though you’ll need five to six hours to fully recharge the scooter. Speaking of, it’s annoyingly difficult to plug the charger into the port (located in the center at the bottom of the stem) when the scooter is folded up, especially since you need to plug it in a specific orientation. 

Despite those flaws, for such a lightweight scooter, color me impressed. I wouldn’t call this a commuter escooter—I’d recommend the slightly heavier Speedway Mini 4 Pro for that—but if you ride public transit regularly and want the lightest ride possible, the Fluid Mosquito is a fine little option.