Revamped and recharged: Is the new Juiced Scorpion X2 e-bike a game changer?

I’ve spent the better part of the last month with the Juiced Scorpion X2 and two years with its predecessor, the Scorpion X. Juiced has changed a few things with the X2, but what hasn’t changed is that this descendant of one of the first “moped e-bikes” and our once vehicle of the year is still a great ride. But is the X2 really an improvement over the X1?

One major improvement was the packing. While not eco-focussed like some of the other e-bikes we’ve seen recently, Juiced enclosed the whole bike in a black foam that kept the bike parts secured and in place. The damage from carriers from mishandling is minimized, and the assembly is simplified. The downside is there is a lot of extra waste foam. This packaging wasn’t used on the original Scorpion X but was introduced midway through the bike’s run. Have a look:

Putting the Scorpion X2 together was straightforward and took my son and me about 15 minutes, which is mostly unwrapping zip ties, attaching the handlebars, front wheel, and pedals, and checking that bolts were all tightened. Juiced, having been in the e-bike game since 2008, has refined this process pretty well.

The bike itself is a great looker, especially in the new dark orange “Lava” color. There have been a ton of 20-inch fat tire moto-looking e-bikes, but I think the Scorpion is still the best. Also, as we’ve said before, the seat is both comfortable and makes pedaling as easy as possible. However, if you have even mildly long legs, you’ll want to get the 3″ seat-raiser option if you plan on pedaling. (I’m 6′, and it is a huge improvement.) Most people don’t pedal much and can just move back in the seat to extend their legs.

The cabling is similar to before and overall very well done for the casual observer. I do wish there was a cap to protect and hide the hidden bottom of the bike cabling.

I could imagine after years of riding, enough rocks get kicked up to cause some problems, though I’ve never encountered any in my five years of Juiced bike riding.

The big difference-maker in Juiced bikes is the controller, which is housed under the seat. “Hyper” versions of the bikes have a 35 A controller and can pretty reliably hit 30mph. This bike and most other Juiced bikes have a smaller, 25 A controller, which will push the bike to the mid-20 mph range on “Speed mode” while pedaling and will hang just over 20 mph with throttle only.

I can’t adequately explain how much more I like the faster bikes. They are a lot more fun.

In the previous Scorpion X, there was also a key under the seat that would lock the controller. Healthy thieves could pedal it away or lift it into a truck, but at least they wouldn’t be able to get help from the motor.

In the X2, the only key is for the battery, which you can turn off, allowing you to essentially lock the bike. However, it is a lot more effort to partially remove the battery and is less hidden, but it’s probably the better overall solution. It certainly is from a cost perspective. In any case, I almost never lock my e-bikes, and when I do, I use a big chain.

Scorpion X2 battery

Juiced upgraded the G2 52 V battery mid-cycle through the X term, and while the capacity remained at 15.6kWh, it gained the all-important SGS Certified to UL 2271, which means it’s less likely to catch fire and is legal to sell in places like New York City. It also comes with an Apple AirTag holder and IP65 waterproofing.

One thing I like is that Juiced Bikes batteries, even the older ones, are all compatible with all of their bikes.

The charger that comes with the bike is rated at 2 amps, meaning that it is going to take at least seven hours to go from empty to full on the 15.6 Ah battery. There are optional 4- and 8-amp chargers that will cut the charge time in half and quarter, respectively.

Scorpion X2 range

Juiced includes probably the most comprehensive range chart I’ve seen, and it is mostly accurate, if not slightly optimistic, in its assumption of perfect conditions. The bottom line is that since this bike stays comfortably under 23 mph, you will pretty reliably see 35 miles of range or likely more as long as your tires are sufficiently pumped up, it is at least warm outside, and there isn’t too much elevation gain.

While X2 and X1 get the same range on paper, those knobby tires are certainly not going to help when compared to the older low-resistance street tires. They do give it a more rugged look, however, and Juiced says they were more often requested. All things being equal, I’d take the road tires on mag wheels over these knobbies on spokes.

Changes from X to X2 – good or bad?

I go over the changes in the video above, but it has to be said that there aren’t any big upgrades here that Juiced can hang their hat on. Sure, the Lava color is dope. I appreciate the Tectro hydraulic brakes (though the spec sheet still lists the HD-E500 Logan’s that were on the X1, so it might have been a component shortage swap). But Bafang’s value brand Sutto motor and the slightly slower experience are really hard for me to let go of.

Juiced also got rid of the horn and made the lights harder to access.

Electrek’s take

OK, this is going to be weird and uncomfortable, but I don’t think the X2 is better than the X1.

There are some components (brakes, colorway, battery packaging, etc.) that are better, but overall, I think I’d prefer the X1. While the speed is a big deal, and we are talking about a few miles per hour drop, I also preferred the mag wheels with street tires to the spokes and knobbies.

It is kind of a moot point right now because there aren’t any Scorpions in stock. But Juiced also recently updated the similar Scrambler line with an X2, but I imagine the same decisions were made on the wheels and motor.

My recommendation is to take a pass on the 25 A controller and go to the 35 A models, which currently only include the Juiced HyperScrambler at $2500. The best deal on Juiced’s site right now is the $999 Rip Racer, which has the same drivetrain as the X2 in a BMX form factor.

That’s not to say that Scorpion X2 isn’t still great compared to the wider field of moped-y e-bikes. The X2 checks so many boxes, and the new Lava color is probably my favorite Juiced color to date.