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1st impressions of the Belmonte 2000W e-scooter “Boom”
1st impressions of the Belmonte 2000W e-scooter “Boom”
By Lawrence Brown, 79 years old, 60 years a biker, Cape Cod Massachusetts
Why go electric? There are several reasons to consider this new technology. If it matters to you, it's nice to know that you’re getting around without using fossil fuels to do it. There's no exhaust, no pollution, no noise. Consider also that if there is no gasoline required, there is no carburetor, no coil, no spark plugs, pistons, cylinders, exhaust system. The basic propulsion system is not much more complicated than an electric fan. Potentially, this means operating and repair expenses should be radically lower over time than a gas-driven vehicle. That running the bike is silent and vibration free is an extra bonus. On gas vehicles, vibration is a constant enemy, loosening bolts and fittings - as well as the physical discomfort continual vibration brings. This is an idea whose time has come.
The unboxing and assembly process seemed to go pretty smoothly. Some friendly mechanics at my local garage did the work. I would advise anyone to go around the bike with a wrench to test and tighten any bolt that needs it. On my bike, a lot did.
The owners’ manual is a generic manual that seems designed to cover every e-bike and scooter that dealers sell. Consequently, it's close to useless for the e-scooter I purchased. There is not a single illustration or photograph in it and the translation from Chinese to English suggests that it was done at the factory - and not by an English major.
It's extremely important to understand that on the dashboard, the gauge that measures battery strength will revert to 100% whenever the engine is not being used. Not knowing that, I looked at my battery gauge and to my amazement, the bike appeared to be fully charged. What fun. I'd get to ride home from the mechanic’s shop.
Fortunately, it wasn't far. I say “fortunately” because about 1/3 of the way home, I happened to glance at the gauge and, of the six stacked black rectangles that represented a full charge, I was running on one. And I had some modest hills between where I was and where I was headed. By 2/3 of the way home, that single black rectangle had started to flash on and off. Then the speed began to drop. To my amazement and infinite gratitude, the bike crept along, up the steep hill to my house, and I was home. Not good for a 3-year-old battery to be bottomed out before even re-charging it.
The Boom is at least 50 lbs heavier than a gas-powered scooter of the same general size might be. An old guy like me wouldn't be capable of pushing it up a hill or even very far on the flat. So here's lesson 2: As you start to drive your bike around, be very conservative at first about how far you go until you're sure the bike will get you all the way home again. In an emergency, I have a utility trailer with a back ramp that allows me to get my bike home. Without a trailer, it's too heavy to push very far and it's unlikely a total stranger would be glad to pull your bike into his garage for an 8-hour recharge.
First riding impressions: the Boom is a fun bike to ride. It has a long wheelbase, so it tracks well. This is my first e-transportation. With gas powered bikes, the pitch of engine noise is one of the ways you get a sense of speed. With the Boom, there is no noise, just the rushing sound of the wind going by your helmet. On a summer night, you can ghost down the street and hear the crickets. You can also hear, as well as see, any oncoming traffic. I'm finding the silence to be one of the most endearing qualities of the concept.
Whenever you touch a brake handle or come to a stop, the motor shuts off. Consequently, when you goose the throttle, the bike jumps ahead pretty abruptly. So, if you're in traffic and the light turns green, the Boom steps right out. You need to be prepared for a little jolt when that happens. I found that doing a U-turn requires more
care at first than I'm used to, given the on again… off again nature off the throttle at very low speeds. I'm finding giving the throttle very short microbursts, voop, voop, voop, seems to be effective for very slow speed turning. If this type of transportation is new to you, make sure both feet are down and that no cars are coming during the first couple attempts at making a U-turn.
The Boom is clearly not a highway bike, but I'm finding it will keep pace with urban and back road traffic without being crowded to the curb by other motorists. Riding at night on back roads, I'm finding for the first time that slowing down adds to the pleasure of the experience. (Click left to adjust the driving mode to level I.)
I have the trees and stars overhead and I'm suddenly aware of all the night- time sounds that a gasoline engine would have drowned out. The headlights are as good or better than any scooter I've ever owned. I have to find out if there's a way to adjust the high beams as they illuminate the treetops at the moment. Meanwhile, the high beams might be a potent weapon against anyone coming toward you who refuses to dim their headlights.
Back to the gauge that tells you how much you've got left in your battery. Let's assume you're leaving your house on a full charge. As I said earlier, the minute you come to a stop, the indicator indicates you have a full charge, whether you really do or not. Check it while you're moving over level ground. Don't be surprised, encountering a hill, to see your battery indicator dropping. It seems to drop under load and then return to an honest reading when you're back on the flat. My first impression is that, rather like many gas gauges do, it drops slowly at first and more rapidly as it empties. It's another reason to be conservative about leaving enough juice to get home - especially while you're getting used to the bike. If you notice that your top speed on the flat is appearing to drop a little, that's a really good hint that it's time to head home. It’s best for your battery not to run it flat, so your real driving range is what you can get on the first 5 bars.
Charging: You have an on/off power switch under your seat. If the bike is going to sit for any length of time, you'll want that switch off. If you stick the key in the bike and it just won't go, check and make sure the under-seat switch is on the on position. When you recharge the battery, it also needs to be on. Connect the charger to your bike first and then to a power cord second. A light on the charger should turn red
while the bike recharges. If it doesn't turn red, make sure the power switch under your seat is in the on position.
To get the most out of your lead/acid battery system, it's best not to run your battery into the ground if you can help it. When you charge it, make sure it's charged all the way. The batteries will be happier that way and will handle more re-charges.
Don't be shocked if it takes up to 8 hours to fully recharge your batteries. I tested and needed 4 charging hours to recoup 11miles of driving. If your battery is nearly empty, plug everything in at 11:00 before you go to bed and by 7 the next morning, you should be ready to go.
Driving modes: On your right handlebar cluster you'll see a little blue plastic switch that moves left or right into three positions. Unhelpfully, it's topped by Chinese characters rather than English lettering. This little sliding switch controls your top speed in three modes.
EXTREME LEFT CENTER EXTREME RIGHT
Mode I, up to 25mph <<< Mode II, up to 30mph >>> Mode III, up to 35mph
For getting the most mileage from your batteries, you can pick a mode suitable to road and traffic conditions. I’m finding the I setting gets by far the most mileage. If there’s a good bike lane on the margin of the road, I can pull in and wave an impatient motorist by – or switch up to II and keep up when traffic moves faster. What I’m learning is I’d rather go farther than faster, so I’m staying in MODE 1 whenever possible.
Riding speed: it's best to consider the Boom as an electric equivalent to a 49CC scooter. Speeds are going to be comparable. The speedometer is wildly optimistic. almost 10 miles-an-hour discrepancy. I'm guessing that 45 miles an hour on the speedometer equates to about 35 miles an hour in real life. Since the Boom can keep up with local traffic conditions, I'm happy with it. I’ve seen speed tests online suggesting a 35 MPH top speed is realistic. People selling the bike should adjust their advertising accordingly. There are enough good reasons to buy the Boom as it is.
Comfort: By loosening the 4 Allen screws and rolling the handlebars more forward - and then adjusting the brake levers and mirrors, I've been able to find a comfortable body posture sweet-spot.
The Boom has a long and comfortable seat. As with many scooters coming from China and Taiwan, the sweet spot on the seat should be moved back a few inches so a taller American rider can spread out a bit. The entire American scooter industry would do well to make seats specifically designed for taller riders. As seats go, this bike has a comfortable cushion with enough padding that you don't feel the seat’s floor when you go over bumps. The Boom makes an excellent choice for a larger rider who might feel crowded on some of the smaller e-mopeds on the market.
The Boom is a cloned copy of the highly-successful Yamaha Zuma. As such, this seat is long enough to carry a passenger for a short distance. I say “short” distance because, given the weight of the bike and the weight of the rider, asking the Boom to haul the weight of a second person through hilly terrain doesn't make a whole lot of sense if you’re not going to run your battery down much more quickly.
Somebody should consider putting a super comfortable single saddle on small scooters, something really plush, and maybe “buckhorn” handlebars. There's no reason why small scooters couldn't be designed to offer the same riding position - and comfort - as a Harley. There might be a simple way to adjust the saddle fore and aft to tweak the owner's riding position. Built in as a design feature, there's no reason this should cost any more money than what's being spent now. A built-in lumbar support would be fantastic.
The suspension seems good. I haven't hit any bumps that hurt my spine or clattered my teeth together.
You've got a horn button on both handlebars for improved reaction time. This is a good idea, and the Boom is the first bike I've ever seen to do it. The turn indicators do not light up on the central console. Instead, look for <<< and >>> on either side of the dashboard. You turn the headlights on and off with a switch on the right handlebar, adjust high and low on the left.
The brakes are outstanding. Maybe the best on any bike I’ve owned. And being able to stop smartly without locking up is vital to your safety. Note that when you apply the brakes, the motor stops pushing. So if you’re pointed uphill when you come to a stop, you're going to have to release the brakes before your bike will continue on its way. Throttle open… release brakes and go.
The mirrors are unusually easy to adjust, but going over a severe bump might require a small readjustment.
Kickstands: The side stand has a good footprint and leaves the bike quite stable. I wouldn’t be pointed down-hill with any kickstand, though. The center stand is the easiest to use of any bike I’ve owned. Perfect balance… almost effortless!
Storage: is better than most 50cc gas scooters. The under-seat area can easily fit a ¾ helmet, possibly a full-face if it doesn’t have a visor.
The battery: is actually a cluster of 6 conventional lead/acid batteries. They total to 2,000 watts, which is enough to move a pretty big bike. I like the bike enough that I wish the factory offered a second variant with lithium-ion batteries. So equipped, the product might cost several hundred more, but the bike would have several times the range.
There is a YouTube video of a similar bike with same setup being upgraded to lithium battery pack: https://youtu.be/wLbLlh8Yfc8?t=197. In the description, the video provides links to compatible battery packs with the Venom E-Vader - which is similar to the Boom e-moped. If you ever decide to upgrade to a lithium battery, I would recommend having an e-bike shop perform this, as it may require some mechanical experience. It could make a good winter project for a shop that sells e-bikes near you.
Range: Yesterday, I completed a 16-mile ride and only depleted the top 2 of the six bars on my battery gauge. I did it by traveling most of the distance in driving mode I. If I found an impatient motorist behind me, I either pulled into a bike lane if one existed, or bumped my driving mode up to II until I was clear to drop back down to I again.
A video exists wherein a reviewer announces that he's going to drive the Boom until it drops. 20 miles out and 20 miles back to reach the advertised cruising range of 40 miles. He pretty much announced his plan to keep the throttle open all the way, but it wasn't clear what driving mode he was in. In any case, he ran out of current after about 30 miles. Significantly, his root had hills on it. I bought my bike in August 2025, but it was assembled in 2022. That means I started with a battery three years old and then, unwittingly, ran it into the ground before I ever had a chance to charge it up fully. I'm assuming new batteries would do better. I'm also assuming that I have an effective cruising range of 30 miles if I want to pull in with at least one bar left of juice. You'll have to try your own bike out, extending your distance each trip, to see what kind of effective range you have in the terrain you're driving through.
Overall impressions: I have friends who spent 1,000 dollars more than I did to purchase an electric bicycle. If you purchased the Boom, at least in part for its attractive purchase price (as I did), you’ll need to make accommodations for the limitations of the lead/acid battery system. I'm glad I bought the Boom. Having spent 60 years on gas powered motorcycles and scooters, having an electric powered
vehicle is a learning experience - and I like it. I like the bike’s size and its wheelbase. I like its looks – and am getting questions and compliments when I drive around. It doesn't feel like a toy. It's fun to ride and I believe at the moment at least, I might be the first person on Cape Cod to own anything like it. We've got thousands of e-bikes, but the scooter concept is new here. If the government is having second thoughts about renewable energy, the public isn’t. A revolution in personal transportation is underway. We ain't seen nothing yet.
Impressions of Belmonte Bikes, the business: I try not to be a pain in the ass, but before I spent what is to me a significant amount of money, I tried to do some research, not only about the product but about the people selling it. I've heard people complain about mail order companies that they were paid attention to until they put out their money, at which point e-mail and telephone entreaties went unanswered. That has not been my experience with Belmonte. I asked a lot of questions before I bought the bike, which were rapidly and thoroughly answered. More importantly, after I bought the bike, that level of attentiveness has continued. I'm glad I got the bike from them, and I would do it again.
My modifications: The luggage rack from the Yamaha Zuma fits the Boom perfectly. So, I put one on. I’m still awaiting a top-case to finish the modification.
I’ve added foam pipe-insulation sections over the hand-grips. I’ve been doing this for years to cushion vibration and reduce heat-loss to my hands in cold weather. And I Velcro-ed a digital clock to the inside of the wind guard. It’s visible there and out of the weather.
Finally, I added a self-stick chrome band along the footboards. I think it ties the front & rear ends of the Boom together aesthetically.
