Electric Scooter Review: UrbMob Kick&Go

Published: 2025-06-14T14:02:19+02:00

The UrbMob Kick'n'Go is one of the few electric scooters allowed on public roads in the Netherlands.

The Netherlands is a strange place when it comes to micromobility. On one hand, they have encouraged a culture of biking and avoiding cars since the ~1920s. But on the other hand, they are one of the few countries in Europe that does not allow electric (kick) scooters on the road. In Dutch, they are known as “e-steps.” What makes the whole situation even stranger is that electric scooters are -NOT- illegal in the Netherlands. They are allowed to be sold. You can walk into MediaMarkt (electronics retailer) and buy one. You are allowed to own them. What is -NOT- allowed is using them on public roads. They are limited to use on private property, which essentially means they are useless. Most houses in the Netherlands don't have big yards. Certainly not big enough to make using an electric scooter any fun.

There are a few electric scooters allowed in the Netherlands!

I am not talking about “special mopeds.”

The only actual, regular electric scooters currently allowed on the open road in the Netherlands are ones that aren't fully motorized.

If the scooter meets these requirements, they are treated as electric bikes under the current legislation, and are allowed on the public road. This is because the scooter is considered a “pedal-assisted” device (pedelec). In this design, the electric motor only starts after the rider pushes the scooter forward. The motor will activate for about 8 seconds before cutting off again, and then the rider must push again.

The UrbMob Kick&Go

The UrbMob Kick&Go.

The Kick&Go is one of two or three scooters that meets the requirements to be allowed on Dutch roads.

The other main one is the StapStep.

Both the Kick&Go and StapStep are allowed on public roads because they are treated as “pedal-assisted” vehicles, like an electric bike. The idea is that the rider has to push the scooter forward every so often in order to benefit from the electric motor.

Features

The Kick&Go is a solidly-built electric scooter with an array of standard features. Built in is an automatic braking light, a headlight, reflective stickers, and integration with a simple app.

The scooter has a throttle, but it's not functional (except in gear 1). There are 5 “gears” or speed settings.

After 1st gear, pushing the scooter forward gives power to the electric motor for approximately 8 seconds. After that, the power is cut, and you have to push yourself again!

The app is basic, which I honestly consider a pro rather than a con. It allows you to adjust all the necessary settings of the scooter while remaining in legal limits. There is no account or ride tracking involved. The app can be used to turn the headlight on and off, change your speed setting (“gear”), and toggle the parking mode.

The Build

The Kick&Go is built to feel like a step above basic electric scooters available at every major electronics outlet. While it's not top of the line material and construction, it certainly doesn't feel cheap. The body appears to be made out of quality metal, and has the branding painted on to the handlebar stem. The platform features a non-slip mat, and the rear wheel is beautifully designed with a disc brake on its left side. A headlight and brake light are built in, and reflective stickers are placed at appropriate places for increased safety.

The scooter is IP54 rated. This means it is not waterproof, but can handle light rain. It does NOT mean you should drive it through puddles on wet roads. It's not something you should use in heavy rain. If you need a scooter that can handle wet conditions properly, look for something that is IP66 rated, like the Apollo City Pro 2022

Working on the scooter is relatively easy. a collection of standard Allen/hex wrenches are all that's needed. I've tightened up the rear brake by shortening the line and also adjusted the caliper position a bit. On some old bikes, trying to adjust the brake line wound up with me losing the brake wire completely, somewhere inside the brake line itself. No such problems with the Kick&Go.

Things like removing the wheels is a bit more involved. The screws for the wheels are under the reflective stickers, so those have to be removed before doing any maintenance that requires removal of a wheel.

The Ride

The ride is fairly smooth, given that the scooter has solid tires. It's pleasant on asphalt. Less so on older brick streets. Especially in and around older cities, one can find these roads. It gets VeRy BuMpY! But even with the solid tires, it's a good travel experience.

The main feature (or quirk, if you prefer) of the Kick&Go is the fact that it cuts the motor off approximately every 8 seconds in order to comply with Dutch legislation. The scooter has to detect forward movement (i.e. you pushing it with your foot) in order for the motor to engage again. This works well at lower speeds, but is difficult when traveling at 25 km/h. Luckily, there is a solution! The scooter will continue to move if you sort of shove it forward as it moves. It looks (and feels) a bit goofy, but it's enough to trigger the speed controller and make the motor turn back on. So the ride is often not very different from a regular, fully motorized electric scooter.

The speed controller is also prone to detecting forward motion when rolling down speed bumps or inclines, which is handy. In some situations, the motor continues uninterrupted for an extended period of time, depending on the terrain.

Braking is responsive. There is one brake lever, which engages the disc brake on the rear, and then the scooter triggers the front brake right after, in order to come to a stop.

Security

No scooter is safe from theft. Like many compact e-scooters, the Kick&Go does not have dedicated locking points. A strong “handcuff”-style chain lock that goes around the base of the stem is a must. I didn't even know these types of locks existed until after buying the Kick&Go. They're inspired by handcuffs: one cuff locks around the base of the scooter, and the other cuff is locked to a bike rack or a not-too-thick pole. The two cuffs are joined by a strong chain.

A folding lock as a secondary is recommended. It can be threaded through the back of the scooter, either just through the thin metal bar that connects to the rear wheel, or more preferably, through the rear wheel itself. It takes a bit of patience to get a folding lock through the rear wheel; space is tight due to the brake disc on the wheel's left side. Thick steel won't work here. Ideally, the folding lock should be long enough that you have enough room to lock it to the bike rack while the handcuff lock acts as the scooter's main anchor.

I have a small folding lock that can fit through the rear wheel, but I don't think it's long enough. If there's not a locking point right next to the rear wheel, the folding lock is only long enough to lock the wheel itself. While this isn't a bad thing, having the lock be long enough to always be able to secure the scooter at both points is better.

Quirks and Downsides

The biggest problems with the Kick&Go come from its intentionally limited design in order to comply with the Dutch laws that allow it to be used on public roads. The Kick&Go does not have a functioning throttle. It immediately starts accelerating when it detects enough forward motion. If you leave the scooter in gears 2 to 4, you might accidentally activate the scooter's motor by walking too fast. I've done this a few times. You CAN walk with the scooter while it's in higher gear, but it's best to put it down to gear 0 or 1.

Another thing to keep in mind are the solid tires. They are honeycombed inside, so they absorb some of the shock, but it's not enough. Solid tires mean you never have to worry about flats or inflating, but they'll never be to absorb as much shock as pneumatic tires. So you be in for a bumpy ride on older brick or cobblestone roads. It rides like a dream on asphalt or newer brick that's still flat, though!

Additionally, there is one small issue with the rear fender. Because of the strong vibrations from the solid tires, the screw that holds the fender to the rear wheel bar can come undone, and then you have an obnoxious rattling sound as you ride. This is easily fixed by putting some thread lock on the screw and tightening it again—but getting to that screw requires taking the rear wheel off (although I managed to tighten it with a pair of very tiny pliers)!

Finally, the lack of a dedicated lock point is a noticeable issue. Apollo scooters have dedicated lock points on the latch mechanism at the rear of the platform. Other brands have bars integrated into the stem near the front wheel that can be used to lock the scooter. The Kick&Go only has the thin metal bars that protect the rear tire as something one might call a “locking point.” The metal bars are not flimsy, but an angle grinder will cut through them in a few seconds. This lack of a dedicated locking point is easily overcome by having a proper handcuff chain lock that can go around the base of the stem.

Conclusion

The UrbMob Kick&Go is a fine, proper scooter. And most importantly, it can be used on public roads in the Netherlands! Despite its quirks, I would recommend it as an option for someone looking to use an electric scooter in the Netherlands. At least until the legislation changes in July 2025, and in theory the RDW (road authority) starts approving some fully motorized electric scooters.

License: CC-BY-SA-4.0.

Written by: @[email protected]