November 13th, 2020

As always, let's start with a quick spec overview. As of November 2020, the Jubel is only available in two variants:

- 48 volt 10aH battery

- 48 volt 15aH battery

Both variants come with a single 800W rear motor. Mercane advertises the top speed to be 25 MPH or 40 KMH, though in our experience you get up to about 75% of that top speed fairly quickly, and the watch the odometer slowly climb up the last 25%.

In terms of range, Mercane claims a 50 mile or 80 km range, but in reality we should expect approximately half of that.

According to Mercane this model can climb hills up to 30 degrees, but once again, we would suggest cutting that spec in half to get a realistic hill grade.

The scooter weighs approximately 48LB or 22KG making it surprisingly light for its size, and although we have not seen the official max load restriction, we would estimate it to be between 220-265LB or 100-120KG.

Alright, so the specs aren't the most exciting you might say - so what is?

Well let's take a look at the design. This is the first model, that is not a monster scooter, that features 12 inch air tires. Now that's unique. As you might imagine, it does make for a very stable ride, although we wouldn't go as far as to call it comfortable.

The Jubel does not have any suspension, so the tires are your only shock absorbers. If you're planning on going on longer scooter rides, the Jubel might not be the best option for you.

In terms of safety, it does feature two brakes - the classic Widewheel disc brake in the rear and a drum brake in the front. We actually applaud the use of drum brakes, as they require less maintenance and typically last longer (due to larger brake pads) than disc brakes. Overall, braking on this model is top notch.

In terms of the frame, what is quite unique is that the deck and neck are made out of a single piece of metal crafted by a process called "hydro forming". The advantage of both the neck and deck being one piece of metal is a reduction in any type of breakage.

The current Widewheel owners might recognize the neck and handlebar - it is the exact same as the one used in the 2020 Mercane Widewheel Pro. No surprises there, it features a standard LED display with two riding modes, odometer, and a light button. For better or for worse, it also features the same thumb throttle you can find on the 2020 Widewheel Pro.

Speaking of lights, you've got the Widewheel light in the front, which doesn't help much with seeing the road ahead of you, though it should make you visible enough at night to ride safely. The rear light is much more interesting - it traces the rear fender making it very well positioned and visible.

At this point, you're probably thinking about the Jubel as an alternative to the Ninebot Max or another sturdily built scooter designed for scooter sharing. That's a fair comparison, however this is where we start running into issues.

The Jubel is priced higher than the dual motor 15aH Widewheel Pro. That's right, we estimate that when it does reach distributors, it will retail for $1400-1500USD. For comparison, Ninebot Max retails for $850USD as of November, 2020.

As one of the bigger scooter brands in North America, we struggle to justify the premium on this model. Sure it looks great and it does come with 12 inch tires which is a first, but chassis aside, you are looking at a 720 watt hour battery with Chinese cells and an 800W motor. The same price point buys you our Apollo Ghost, which is a dual 800W motor scooter with a 52V 18aH battery pack, and dual spring suspension. In other words, the value for money simply isn't there when it comes to the Jubel.

Sure, there is probably a market out there that's willing to pay a premium for a nice looking, mid-performance scooter. However, that's simply not our market. For that reason, we made the decision to not carry the Jubel.

Written by Randy Smith