Varla Eagle One: Blistering Speed and Insane Range on a Budget
The Varla Eagle One could be the best commuter scooter on the market. Why? Because of the value you receive from what you pay. This is one of the best beast scooters on the market. It’s got a top speed of close to 40 mph thanks to its dual motor setup, has a range of close to 40 miles after you fully charge it, independent suspension, and so much more. It’s just a great scooter all around.
| Technical Specifications |
|---|
| Tested Top Speed: 39 mph |
| Tested Range: 26 miles (but can go much further) |
| Weight: 77 lbs |
| Maximum payload capacity: 330 lbs |
| Water Resistance: IP54 |
Varla Eagle One Scooter Review
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I’ve never wanted to spend ridiculous amounts of money on a beast scooter. Finally, someone has come out with a beast scooter that’s affordable. The Varla Eagle One scooter has all of the qualities that put it into that beast scooter category.
You get high top speed, great range, dual hub motor, independent shocks, fat tire on the front and back, large LED screen, and much more.
However, you’re not paying beast scooter prices in order to get these features. Don’t get me wrong, you’re still going to pay nearly $1,700 for all of the goodies the Varla Eagle One scooter packs in. But, in terms of price, other competitive scooters are about 20% more expensive.
Take a look at the competitive scooter comparison chart at the bottom of this article and you’ll get an idea of what we mean.
Overall, I love this scooter. In terms of bang for your buck, it doesn’t get much better than this. I definitely think it’s the best electric scooter that Varla offers and could be the best in the category. Read on and enjoy my Varla scooter review!
Varla Eagle One Scooter Unboxing
Look, there are some of you that like to take a look at how things are boxed and want to see the scooter in various stages of unboxing. That’s what we’ve tried to do here. Enjoy!
Beast Scooter Speed at an Affordable Price
There are more and more electric scooters that are beginning to reach speeds close to, and exceeding, 40 mph. However, most of those scooters cost more than $2,000. Not the Varla Eagle One scooter. They’ve built an incredibly solid platform at a great price.
back to menu ↑The Varla Eagle One Scooter Has Incredible Acceleration
In order to get the fastest acceleration out of the Varla Eagle One scooter, you’ve got to engage both the dual hub motor. This provides 2000w power output and gives you thrilling acceleration.
When you use the dual motor setting and start off the line, it’s incredible because there are times when the front wheel will slip a little at first because there is so much torque that the front tire comes off the ground slightly. It’s not a dangerous feeling but rather is pretty cool knowing this scooter has such impressive power.
The first time I rode the scooter, I stupidly put it in the fastest speed mode with both motors engaged. That was a bit scary! The speed and acceleration take some getting used to. It did for me because I have spent a lot of my scooter riding time on those other “consumer grade” brands.
Top Speed
In my speed test, I was only able to hit a maximum speed of 39 mph, but that’s plenty for me. I don’t know if you’ve gone that fast on an electric scooter but, to be honest, it’s a bit hair-raising!
back to menu ↑Varla Eagle One Speed Modes
The Varla Eagle One has a LOT of speed modes. First, there are three-speed modes (gears) on the LCD display (1,2,3).
Then, on the left handlebar, you have two buttons:
1. Eco / Turbo
2. Single / Dual
The Eco/Turbo changes your speed mode in that gear from either Eco mode to Turbo Mode.
The Single / Dual button controls the two motors. If you want to engage the dual motors, just press a button.
You can see, there are tons of different speed mode combinations depending on your riding goal. The below examples are the three most popular speed modes for how I ride the scooter. One mode for blistering speed, one mode that’s more balanced with speed and range, and another that gives me great range at a decent speed.
For instance, if you need to take a long ride, say 25 miles long, you wouldn’t be in gear 3 and engage both motors and ride in turbo mode. You wouldn’t make the trip on a single charge. You would get close to your destination quickly (39 mph) but you’d fall short.
However, for that same 25-mile ride, you would be able to make it with no problem if you were in gear 2 on turbo mode and only using one motor. This mode allows you to go about 28-29 mph.
If you need to go 30 miles, I would use gear 2 and ride in eco mode on a single motor. This mode will allow you to go to about 15mph.
If you’re milking the range and need to go as far as possible, you can ride using gear 1 on eco mode with one motor engaged. This mode will allow you to go about 9mph. To be honest, it feels like you’re crawling.
The point is, there’s a speed mode that’ll fit your riding mission and I love that about the Varla Eagle One.
Hill Climb on the Varla Eagle One Scooter
This scooter has tons of torque. When you engage both motors, this scooter just flies off the line. Having this torque is essential if you live in a hilly area.
The Varla Eagle One can climb a slope of up to 30 degrees. So, if you live in a mountainous area like Colorado, this is a great scooter with steep climbing ability.
Range
The Varla Eagle One can go up to 40 miles after you fully charge it. However, in order to get those kinds of numbers, you’ve got to be running on a single motor in eco mode. While it’s doable, you’re probably not going to be using the scooter on eco mode and one motor most of the time.
There are three-speed modes – 1, 2, and 3. I was able to ride the scooter on speed mode 2 on a single motor (not dual motor) and was able to get 26 miles after on a single charge.
That’s not 40, but to be perfectly honest, I can’t imagine needing to ride the scooter 40 miles on a single charge. I’m extremely impressed with the range in this mode.
If you want to go fast, you are going to want to be using the dual hub motor and on speed mode 3. I didn’t ride for an entire charge in this mode because going 39 mph on an electric scooter is REALLY fast and a bit freaky for long stints. However, I was able to get 17 miles out of a single charge when using dual motors and going quite fast most of the time.
This could be the ultimate commuter scooter. It really all depends on how far you need to go each day. If I was looking for a commuter scooter and my round trip to and from work was under 30 miles, the Eagle One would be at the top of my list.
Now, if you’re going to be going offroad, your overall range is going to be significantly impacted. The same is true if you live in a hilly area and have steep inclines.
Again, I’m really impressed with the range of this scooter. If you want a dual-motor electric scooter, you won’t be disappointed.
Braking
Look, here’s the deal. You’ve got a fast scooter, you expect it to stop, quickly. This isn’t a 10 mph scooter where you can just hop off and stop in case of emergency. The Varla Eagle One’s top speed is nearing 40 mph and needs to have beefy brakes to stop it on a dime.
The Varla Eagle One features a dual hydraulic brake system with ABS on both the front wheel and rear wheels. Like a car, the anti-lock braking system not only allows you to stop quickly but stopping is smooth and allows you to maintain control of the scooter.
The Eagle One has a hand brake lever on the right and left side of the handlebars to engage the dual hydraulic brake and ABS system which ensures maximum stopping power. Obviously, one brake lever is for the front wheel and the other is for the rear brakes.
From 39 mph, I was able to stop the scooter in less than two seconds. It’s comforting to know that I can stop quickly and safely without losing control of the scooter thanks to the independent dual hydraulic brakes and ABS system.
One of the other added benefits of the dual hydraulic brake on the Eagle One is the fact the braking system is sealed. This means you can ride offroad without fearing that you’re going to mess up your brakes. Cheap scooter models use disc brakes which can get ruined quickly from off-road riding.
Practically, unless I am riding in crazy fast beast scooter mode (gear 3, two motors on turbo mode), I generally only use the rear brake and can stop the scooter in approximately 12 fees.
When you use the front brake and rear brake together you can stop the scooter in about 10 feet. Pretty amazing if you ask me.
Tires
The Varla Eagle One scooter utilizes 10-inch by 3-inch pneumatic tires. Varla also includes an extra inner tube in the box so that’s pretty cool of them. Eventually, if you’re riding the scooter on rough terrain or you’re using it as an offroad electric scooter, you’re going to puncture an inner tube. Having an extra tire tube for the tires is great!
The tires look like road tires and have a zigzag pattern. They are quiet and provide a nice smooth ride regardless of whether you’re riding on the street or on rough terrain. I wouldn’t hesitate to use this as an off-road electric scooter at all, especially because of the sealed hydraulic disc brake system, the independent suspension, and the large 10” pneumatic tires.
Suspension
The Varla Eagle One has two very large springs on the front wheel and the rear wheel of the scooter. This independent suspension system allows for lots of flex when going over bumps, rough terrain, or needing to hop a bit to clear a small curb.
There’s a ton of play in these springs. While I haven’t measured it yet, I would estimate that from fully extended to fully compressed, the springs allow for about 2 inches of vertical travel. That’s a tremendous amount of shock absorption.
Ride Quality
Ride quality is affected by a couple of things. Tires, suspension, and the deck. I think the Varla Eagle One has appropriately sized pneumatic tires and the suspension is oversized in my opinion. These two factors take care of the actual ride quality itself.
The deck width and length determine the comfort of your stance when riding.
The deck measures 9.1 inches wide and 21.6 inches long. The width is great, especially if you have big feet. However, if you’re tall and have a wide stance like me, you probably would like to see a bit more deck length.
However, don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t hesitate to buy another Varla Eagle One because of the deck length. This a small, nitpick (because there are very few negative things to say about this scooter).
Portability
She’s a big girl when it comes to weight. Weighing in at 77 lbs, you’re not going to want to be lugging the Eagle One up a bunch of steps. However, if you need to you can. It also folds down so the folded height is 20.1 inches x 50.4 inches. Not too shabby.
Additionally, the handlebars aren’t crazy wide at 25.5 inches so you can still fit the Eagle One into tight spaces with no problem. I didn’t have any problem getting the scooter into the back of a small Honda.
LED Screen / Tech Stack
The LED screen on the Eagle One is amazing. It’s a really large and bright QS-S4 controller with a color screen. The display is very visible during the day and even at a glance in bright daylight, you won’t have any issue reading what it says.
I like that you can toggle between KMH and MPH and you can also change the brightness of the screen.
The LED screen features an odometer, trip odometer, battery level, speed mode, and speedometer. Other than those statistics, I don’t know what other data they could possibly provide!
LED Headlights
The Varla Eagle One has two headlights that are installed on either side of the front of the deck. They are each approximately one inch in diameter and look very cool. They provide a decent amount of light. However, having them on the deck doesn’t “paint” the road with light like it would have the light(s) been mounted near or on the handlebars.
back to menu ↑LED Tail Lights
There are red LED taillights on the Varla Eagle One scooter. They are mounted on both sides of the scooter and provide great visibility for those around you when you are riding at night. They’re super bright unlike many other scooters that just use little red LED lights for ambient lighting.
back to menu ↑Cruise Control
The Varla Eagle One scooter has cruise control as you might expect. You just need to use the settings in the LCD panel in order to activate it / turn it on. Since this is a long range electric scooter, it’s important to have the cruise control feature for those long rides!
Varla Eagle One Scooter Maximum Weight Capacity
One of the best things about this scooter is that it’s so durable. The Eagle One electric scooter has a fat tire on the front and back, oversized independent suspension, and a tough frame.
With a maximum payload capacity of 330 lbs, this scooter is perfect for almost anyone. Varla recommends that a rider weigh a maximum of 265 lbs but, just know that’s a recommendation and not the rule.
Quality of Construction
I think the quality of construction on the Varla Eagle One is pretty good. It’s not outstanding but good. There are little things that make me feel this way. For instance, there is a bit of a wiggle in the stem that I can’t get rid of.
I’ve tried to tighten the clamps the most that is possible but there’s still a wiggle. It isn’t much but it’s there. I’ve gotten used to it, but it’s a little annoying. I’d venture to say it’s just with my scooter and not endemic across every Varla Eagle One electric scooter.
Outside of that, they’ve done a pretty good job with construction. Clearly, they have used quality parts and the scooter feels really stable. So, that’s about the best you can ask for!
Water Rating
The Varla Eagle One scooter IP rating is IP54. What does this mean? Take a look at this IP water rating site. Basically, with the Varla Eagle One you can ride it in the rain if you get stuck in a storm. You can also ride through light mud and dirt. However, I wouldn’t be running it through puddles and deep mud.
back to menu ↑Battery and Charging Time
The Varla Eagle One features a 946WH battery. It’s a 52V/18.2Ah lithium-ion battery that oozes with raw power. Obviously, the battery pack has to have a huge capacity in order to provide enough juice to power the scooter for up to 40 miles.
In terms of charging, Varla gives buyers two options. You can either charge the scooter with one charger or two chargers. If you are charging the scooter with one charger, it’ll take you 8-9 hours. If you’re using dual chargers then it’ll take anywhere from 4-5 hours to charge the scooter. When you buy the scooter, Varla gives you one charger. I wish I would have opted to get two chargers (and I might still do so!).
The battery life for the stock battery on the Eagle one is approximately 500 cycles. So, if you are using the scooter a lot and charge it twice a week, the battery pack should last you about 5 years. Not bad, eh?
Varla Bluetooth App
Not a huge deal here but one thing that I like with some of the “consumer grade” scooters is to have a Bluetooth app. With other manufacturers like Segway and Hiboy, they have an app that let’s you connect wirelessly via Bluetooth so you can see things like range, odometer and to lock and unlock the scooter. While Varla doesn’t have an app for their scooters, I don’t think it’s a big deal because the large LED display lets you see and do everything an app does.
back to menu ↑Charging Ports
Dual battery charging ports are located on the side of the scooter deck. This allows you to charge the scooter using one or two chargers. If you’re using one charger, it doesn’t matter which charging port you plug into. The covers are a bit flimsy but that doesn’t really bother me too much.
back to menu ↑Security
When it comes to security, the Eagle One uses a very simple key and ignition. Just like a car, you can’t turn on the scooter without the key. Also, I’ve purchased a lock for my Varla Eagle One. So, between a scooter lock and the key and ignition, I feel pretty secure when I leave the scooter.
I’ll talk about the bigger brother to the Varla Eagle One, the Varla Eagle One Pro, down below. However, I do want to point out that Varla has thought of a cool way to secure the Eagle One Pro. They use an NFC card. It looks like a mini credit card that you insert into the scooter. It works just like a key and ignition. If you don’t have an NFC card, you don’t ride the scooter! Pretty cool!
Varla Scooter Warranty
The Varla Eagle One has up to a 2-year warranty. Things like the thumb throttle, frame, and controller are under warranty for 2 years. Other things like the electric motors, charger, and battery are covered for 12 months. And, most everything else is about a month (tires and brakes for instance). This makes sense and I think the warranty is actually quite generous for the parts you should really care about.
What’s the Difference Between the Varla Eagle One and Varla Eagle One Pro
First, let’s talk about price. Varla sometimes runs specials. When they are running a special on both scooters, they are approximately $600 difference in price. Keep that in mind as you read this and look at the specs below.
The big differences are speed, range, battery, max slope, scooter weight, charging time, key type, and suspension.
If you’re one of the 20% of the rider population that just needs the best-of-the-best, then you’re going to want the Varla Eagle One Pro.
However, if you’re looking for a beast scooter at a reasonable price, the Varla Eagle One is hard to beat.
For me, if I was trying to decide and the price was less of a factor, it would come down to the range and weight. In my mind, 5 more mph on the Eagle One Pro isn’t much. The bigger tire and hydraulic suspension are nice but the independent suspension with dual shock system on the Eagle One already provides a great ride. So, I don’t know that an additional 5 miles and the added weight (13 more pounds) would be worth an additional $600. But…that’s just me!
Varla Eagle One Vs. Varla Eagle One Pro
| Details | Varla Eagle One | Varla Eagle One Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum Speed | Up to 40 mph | Up to 45 mph |
| Maximum Range | Up to 40 miles | Up to 45 miles |
| Battery | 52v / 18.2 Ah lithium-ion | 60v / 27Ah lithium-ion |
| Brake | Dual Hydraulic with ABS | Dual hydraulic with ABS |
| Motor | Dual hub, 1000w x 2 | Dual hub, 1000w x 2 |
| Maximum Climb Slope | 30 degrees | 35 degrees |
| Tires | 10” pneumatic | 11” pneumatic |
| Display | QS-S4 LCD display | 3.5 inch LCD display |
| Scooter Weight | 77 lbs | 90 lbs |
| Total Payload | 330 lbs | 330 lbs |
| Front LED Light | Yes | 10w LED |
| Rear LED Light | Yes | Yes |
| Charing Time Single Charger | 8 – 9 hours | 13 – 14 hours |
| Charging Time Dual Charger | 4 – 5 hours | 6 – 7 hours |
| Throttle Style | Thumb | Thumb |
| Key Type | Key and ignition | NFC Card |
| Suspension | Dual Shock / Independent Suspension | Dual Hydraulic |
| Frame Material | 6061 aluminum alloy | 6061 aluminum alloy |
| Deck Pad Material | Non-skid | Silicone |
| Recommended Rider Height | 4’5” – 6’11” | 4’5” – 6’11” |
What Other Scooters Should You Consider?
If you are considering the Varla Eagle One, you are looking in the “Professional” category. No consumer-grade scooter for you! As such, below are the scooters you most likely are looking at. Take a look at them for yourself and you’ll see why the Varla Eagle One provides a LOT of bang for the buck.
| Scooter | Speed | Range | Weight | Weight Capacity | Dual Motors? | Brakes | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Varla Eagle One | 40+ Mph | 40 mi | 77 Ibs | 330 Ibs | Dual hub motor, 1000W x 2 | Dual hydraulic brake + ABS | $1,699.00 |
| Varla Eagle One Pro | 45+ Mph | 45 mi | 90 Ibs | 330 lbs | Dual Hub Motor | Dual hydraulic brake + ABS | $1,699.00 |
| Varla Pegasus | 28+ Mph | 28 mi | 66 lbs | 280 lbs | Dual Hub Motor | Dual Disc Brake | $1,199.00 |
| Dualtron Thunder | 55+ Mph | 107 mi | 105 lbs | 265 lbs | BLDC dual hub motors | Dual hydraulic brake + ABS | $4,299.00 |
| Kaboo Mantis Pro | 41 Mph | 45 mi | 65 lbs | 330 lbs | Dual 1000W BLDC | Dual Zoom Hydraulic | $1,699.00 |
| Apollo Phantom | 38 Mph | 40 mi | 77 lbs | 300 lb | Dual motor drive | Disc + Disc | $1,799.00 |
| Apollo Pro | 43 Mph | 62 mi | 77 lbs | 330 lbs | Dual | Regenerative braking system and two drum brakes | $3,999.00 |
| Apollo Ghost 2022 | 38 Mph | 22 mi | 67 lbs | 300 lbs | Brushless DC motors | Triple braking system | $1,799.00 |
| Wolf Warrior 11 | 50 Mph | 60 mi | 105 lbs | 330 lbs | Dual 1200W brushless motors | Dual Disc | $2,899.00 |
| Wolf GT Pro | 63 Mph | 74 mi | 115 lbs | 330 lbs | 2000W Front 2000W Rear | Zoom Hydraulic 160 mm rotors | $3,195.00 |
| NAMI Burn-E 2 | 45 Mph | 90 mi | 100 lbs | 160 Ibs | Two 1000W motors | Hydraulic 160mm disc brakes | $3,099.00 |
| Hiboy Titan Pro | 30 Mph | 40 mi | 61.7 lbs | 286 lbs | Dual hub motor | Disc | $1,599.99 |
| Zero 10x | 40 Mph | 40 mi | 80 lbs | 330 lbs | DUAL 1000W HUB MOTORS | Hydraulic disc brakes | $1,699.00 |
| Nanrobot D6+ | 40 Mph | 40 mi | 77 lbs | 330 lbs | dual-motor | Dual disc / Hydraulic brake | $1,399.00 |
The Varla Eagle One is Super Fast and Super Affordable
Varla Eagle One User Manual
I love to understand a wholistic picture of what a scooter looks like when I look at articles. This includes understanding what the manufacturer has to say about the scooter in the user manual. So, I’ve taken pictures of every page of the manual and posted them here. One thing that would have been helpful is if Varla included a “quick start” guide in the box. This guide would have gone through the “build” process and how to change all of the settings on the LCD display. That’s the only small gripe I have about the Varla
Eagle One user manual
Varla Eagle One Charger
When you buy the Varla Eagle One, you get a charger. However, I would HIGHLY suggest that you purchase another one so that you can benefit from dual charging. Here’s a link to the Eagle One Charger.
Electric Scooter Safety Gear
I’m really not great about wearing safety gear when I’m riding on a scooter that goes 15mph and less. Yeah, I know, I should be better about it but I’m not. However, with the Varla Eagle One, since it’s a beast scooter, you need to put on as much protective gear as you can get. If you need to buy some, I like the one that Varla offers. This set includes knee pads and elbow pads. They are made from durable PVC materials to withstand hard impact.
back to menu ↑Varla Eagle One Scooter Deck Stickers
One thing I wasn’t expecting was the cool graphics on the scooter deck. I think the stock design is really cool. However, Varla also has other scooter deck stickers that you can put on your scooter. It’s a great way to customize your ride. This is something I’ve not seen other scooter companies do. And, on top of it, they’re really cool, not cheezy.
back to menu ↑Varla Accessories and Parts
You’re paying for a professional-grade scooter. This scooter is durable and will last for years to come. However, just like anything else, parts wear out. What I love about Varla is that you can buy TONs of replacement parts on their website. So, when a scooter part nears the end of its life, just hop on their site and order a replacement. Not many scooter companies offer the wide variety of parts that Varla offers. Kudos to Varla here.
In addition to replacement parts, the most common add-ons for your scooter will be a handlebar bag (for your “stuff”), maybe even a seat. They also have a foldable lock that’s handy too.
Frequently Asked Questions
Most frequent questions and answers!
