Anyone looking for the perfect urban e-scooter usually checks the range first. And no wonder. We already covered range in our previous article, but today we’re focusing on a slightly different topic. A scooter’s true trial by fire often waits at the very first pothole or on the cobblestones of a historic city center. Anyone who has ever rattled over cobblestones on a rigid, unsprung machine knows exactly what we’re talking about. If you want an e-scooter for cobblestones, you need much more than just large wheels. Ride comfort is an absolutely crucial criterion, yet the technical solutions used by manufacturers differ drastically. It’s time to put the suspensions under the microscope.
Market Technologies: From "bone-shakers" to bicycle forks
A glance at the current market of street-legal scooters reveals a rather bizarre situation. Even at price points well over €1,000, proper suspension is not a given. Most of the market can be divided into four categories:
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The illusion of pneumatic tires (zero suspension): Some models, even those carrying a €1,000 price tag, completely ignore shock absorbers and blindly rely on 10″ or 11″ tubeless tires. This might work on freshly laid, smooth asphalt. On rough surfaces or cobblestones, however, every single impact is transferred directly into your handlebars and joints.
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Telescopic fork (The bicycle principle): Several well-known brands bet on a front telescopic fork, the kind you know from mountain bikes. In the rear, there’s often just a rubber block (elastomer) doing the work, or sometimes nothing at all. The problem? Compared to bicycles, scooters have significantly shorter suspension travel and much smaller wheels. The impact angle against a curb or a gap in the pavement is therefore much sharper. With small wheels, a vertical telescopic fork tends to “bind” or jam during fast impacts and simply cannot iron out cobblestones cleanly. Plus, it can easily bottom out.
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Elastomers (Rubber blocks): A popular system for rear axles. It dampens the harsh impacts, but lacks active rebound adjustment. The scooter compresses, and the elastomer uncontrolledly catapults you back up.
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Swingarm suspension (Combination of swingarm and spring): Anyone looking for an e-scooter with a comfortable suspension that doesn’t just look good on paper, but actually floats you through the city like on a cloud, must look at the wheel mounting technology. Teverun makes no compromises here, deploying a swingarm suspension combined with a spring or hydraulic damper across all its models.
Is there only one right solution?
This might be hard to grasp for most riders, but there is no single right solution. Every scooter has its buyer. We can say that some scooters are more comfortable than others, but every rider prefers something different. What one person considers comfortable, another might find too bouncy, preferring to reach for something with a stiffer, sportier tuning. True comfort can be achieved with both swingarm and telescopic forks. The key here, however, is which one gives you more travel.
For example, on the swingarm suspension of the Fighter Mini eKFV, we measured a solid 8 cm of travel. Furthermore, when hitting an obstacle, a wheel on a swingarm machine doesn’t just dodge straight up; it traces a slight arc backwards and upwards. Thanks to this, the machine constantly holds its line, and the impact energy is significantly eliminated before it ever reaches the handlebars. The result? Riding through a historic center becomes a perfectly smooth experience.
How Teverun implements the technology on ABE models:
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Blade Mini eKFV: Here, a robust swingarm works in combination with high-quality spring dampers. They offer an extremely soft and linear response that confidently irons out those annoying micro-vibrations from the cobblestones.
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Fighter Mini eKFV: The absolute premium class. Here, Teverun combines swingarms with fully adjustable KKE hydraulic dampers. Not only can you set the suspension stiffness, but you can also adjust the rebound speed. This means you decide how quickly the damper returns to its original position after hitting a pothole. No uncontrolled bouncing, no catapult effect—just absolute traction and a level of comfort nearing that of a motorcycle.
So, how do I choose?
A high price tag will never guarantee you ride comfort. When making your choice, pay attention primarily to the technology the chassis uses. Telescopic forks and rubber blocks quickly hit their physical limits when paired with small wheels. For those who value their joints and demand maximum steering confidence, a proper swingarm with a shock absorber is the only way to go.
