FIRST RIDE: SuperSoco CPx

An annual tube pass for zones 1-9 in London will set you back £3,764. You can get a brand new Super Soco CPx for £3,599. Ok, you’re going to have to pay for the electric you use on top of that – but if you spread the cost over two years, you’re going to be quids in.

I’ve spent a reasonable amount of time on electric machines over the last few years. I’ve ridden the expensive stuff, I’ve ridden the cheaper stuff – and generally, I’ve been pretty impressed. And yet, there’s been a lot of derision from ageing motorcycle and scooter riders about our imminent electric future – and while concerns about infrastructure and energy consumption are entirely valid, that’s no reason to dismiss an entire category of machines right off the bat. After all, they’ve got two wheels and a motor, so they can’t be all bad.

Whatever your opinion, electric is here to stay – and as a result there’s an ever increasing abundance of choice depending on your budget. On one side, you’ve got brands like Energica, who are building high-end, race-ready motorcycles that’ll set you back close to £30,000. And on the other, you’ve got a selection of commuter oriented, small capacity machines that won’t break the bank. That’s where Super Soco comes in.

Back in 2017 we tested Super Soco’s TS1200R, after the crowd-funded electric motorcycle made it over to British shores following a successful introduction in its native China. It wasn’t the quickest thing in the world and the suspension was fairly unsophisticated – but overall, it was a top bit of kit – proving lightweight, agile and punchy enough to dominate in towns and cities. That was well over two years ago, and in that time Super Soco’s released a varied range of electric motorcycles and scooters. But there’s a new kid on the block: the CPx. It’s a good looking thing, right? It’s not superbike level of stylish – but for a small step through scooter built to a budget, it’s pretty sharp with reassuring build quality to match. So far so good.

It’s got everything you’d expect from a commuter scooter – including a rear rack, a decent size windscreen, a two litre glove compartment and a USB charge point. Its LCD dash is a fairly simple affair – but it displays a raft of information including battery status, range remaining, speed, rider modes, temperature and time. There’s even a reverse button – although I’m not entirely sure why it’d be necessary, as it’s not a particularly heavy machine. I suppose it could come in handy for delivery drivers who’ve got the rear rack laden up. Oh, and there’s also a Super Soco app for your smartphone which allows you to track your route, diagnose issues and check the scooters battery status. Clever stuff.

Never mind all that though – what’s it actually like to ride? With similar performance to a petrol powered 125, the CPx will top out at around 55mph – but it gets up there pretty quickly, thanks to the 171Nm of torque on offer from its 4kW motor. It has no trouble getting the jump on traffic, it’s got enough grunt to dive out of junctions into traffic – and it’ll hold its own on all but the fastest of A-roads.

The suspension set-up is decent – with telescopic forks up front and a single shock at the rear doing their best to soak up lumps and bumps out on the road, while offering adequate levels of performs even while braking hard into corners. The 16 inch front wheels also helps the CPx to barrel over the rough stuff, while the 14 inch rear wheel with a higher profile tyres helps the rear shock to dampen the ride. It’s quite clever. Another interesting addition to the scooter is its swing-arm situated electric motor. It’s been designed to allow you to switch out its rear rim and tyre in less than 5 seconds. That’s not far off a Formula One wheel change. I’ve not seen it done though – so if we get another chance to ride the CPx, I’ll be sure to try it out. The 180mm single disc brakes both front and rear do a decent job of pulling the scooter to a stop – even in the wet. The combined system works well, and I have no doubt it’d help new riders feel comfortable bringing the bike to a standstill in a hurry. As a quick aside, whenever I ride an electric scooter, I always initially struggle to balance my braking – because applying the brakes cuts out the motor. I soon get used to it though, and adapt my riding style to suit.

The limiting factor of the scooter is still its range with a single battery. That’s no surprise – a lack of range from is one of the main criticisms levelled at electric two wheelers. If you’ve got a short commute or you just want to bomb around town, it’s perfect. Sadly, we didn’t get the chance to give the CPx a proper range test – but after half an hour razzing in and around town with the throttle wide open, I’d managed to get the battery down to 30 per cent. Someone with a more restrained right wrist would undoubtedly manage to eek a few more miles from the battery. You can opt to purchase a second battery and run them as a pair – which the factory reckons will help a 90kg (14 and a bit stone) rider return 86 miles at 27mph. That’s decent enough – but whether or not it’s realistic for most people is another question entirely. Charging is a straightforward affair using a normal domestic socket – and will take 3 and a half hours per battery.

In short, the Super Soco CPx is a very capable little scooter. In fact, I’d go as far to say it’s up there with best electric commuters I’ve ridden. If that’s not an endorsement, I don’t know what its.

TECH SPEC

Capacity: 30Ah

Peak torque: 171 Nm

Power: 4kW

Rated Voltage: 60V/45Ah

Top speed: 55mph

Range: 86 miles (with dual battery @ 27mph)

Charging time: 3.5 hours (single battery)

Brakes: (F) 240mm single disc with CBS (R) 180mm single disc with CBS

Suspension: (F) Conventional shocks with 110mm of travel (R) Hydraulic shock absorber with 30mm of travel

Tyres: (F) 100/80-16 (R) 110/80-14

Seat Height: 760mm

Price: £3599 (single battery)

Contact: www.en.vmoto.com