Joyor S5 E-Scooter review - With style and high riding comfort

The manufacturer Joyor has a large portfolio of E-Scooters. The S5 is the entry-level model in the S series, which is characterized by suspension at the front and rear and tires with a coarse profile.

The scooter is sold with and without ABE, in Germany the general operating license is important because e-scooters must be approved if they are used outside of private property.

In Germany, the maximum speed is limited to 20 km/h; in other countries, the S5 is permitted to travel at 25 km/h. Joyor offers some models with two motors, one for each wheel, which is not possible with the S5. The RRP is 579 euros.

The Joyor S5 is delivered in a large cardboard box and is well protected. In addition to the scooter, the packaging contains a charger, operating instructions, a multi-tool, and a spare inner tube.

The scooter is largely pre-assembled, only the handlebars still need to be screwed on. However, all the components on the handlebars, such as the display and the grips, are already in place. All cables are also already laid and plugged in. Assembly is therefore completed in just a few minutes.

All that remains is to check the air pressure in the tires and charge the battery. The instructions are written in several languages, including German, and are well illustrated.

The Joyor S5 comes with the minimum lighting equipment. This includes a halogen front headlight and an LED rear light. The scooter has no high beam and no brake light function. Indicators are also not provided.

The great strength of the Joyor S5 lies in its riding comfort. One reason for this is the suspension. Although it is relatively firm, in combination with the wide tires, the S5 has very good rolling characteristics. It also masters loose cycle paths with large stones or roots, and the rider is not excessively shaken on cobblestones. The suspension also ensures that small obstacles such as a low kerb can be easily negotiated.

On the other hand, the pushed swingarm in combination with the long wheelbase ensures smooth handling. Unlike many other scooters, the S5 can be ridden one-handed for short periods of time without it immediately acknowledging this with flapping handlebars. In combination with the large footboard and the ergonomic grips, this results in very good riding comfort. Only the lack of cruise control tarnishes this picture somewhat.

However, anyone tempted by the coarse-tread tires for off-road adventures will soon be disappointed. Short passages are possible with enough momentum and they are fun. However, the S5 runs out of power in tall grass, loose gravel, or on climbs at the latest.

The scooter climbs gentle inclines effortlessly and hardly slows down at all. If the gradient increases, however, the performance drops and the S5 only reaches speeds of ten to 15 km/h. A maximum gradient of up to 15 degrees is possible. If it gets really steep, the scooter has to be pushed.

Unfortunately, the battery display on our scooter is out of order: the display permanently shows a full battery. The fact that the battery is empty becomes apparent at the latest when the S5 no longer accelerates to maximum speed but only reaches around 10 km/h.

The turning circle is quite large at a good three meters. This is noticeable when turning in everyday life, but there are no problems when driving. On very tight bends - actually only when pushing - the cable harness can get caught between the handlebars and the swing arm, which can lead to accidents in extreme cases.

When new, the folding mechanism is very tight and requires a lot of force to operate. After folding it several times, it becomes easier. We also took the Joyor S5 on the train and were able to stow it away easily. However, we didn't like carrying it because of its heavy weight.

Despite the gap between the rear mudguard and the footboard, the rider stays dry from behind even when the road is wet. However, there is no splash guard on the front wheel. Shoes and scooter get wet and dirty as a result.

In terms of acceleration, the Joyor scooter is very restrained, especially at first. Overall, the acceleration values of the S5 are impressive, as a comparison with other scooters shows. However, the very harmonious tuning makes it feel relatively slow. There are no different riding modes.

Throttle commands are implemented with a significant delay. This is particularly noticeable when the throttle is reduced - for example, before corners or obstacles - and then accelerated again. The brakes, on the other hand, work all the more vehemently. This is less due to the disc brakes than to the aggressive engine brake settings. Although this can be adjusted via the menu, the character remains the same.

When braking, the Joyor S5 quickly brings the rear wheel audibly to the grip limit. In addition, the braking force is not applied linearly, but very abruptly - practice is required. On the other hand, this behavior ensures very good braking values. It is pleasing that the scooter remains well-controllable and stable during emergency braking.

Joyor gives the battery capacity of the S5 as 624 Wh, which makes the battery large for an e-scooter. According to the manufacturer, this should enable a range of up to 55 kilometers. We took the scooter for a 20-kilometer test ride. This included a few climbs as well as short sections on a gravel cycle path.

In addition, we hardly had to brake at all on the long stage, which meant that the scooter was also unable to recover much energy. We start with a full battery and measure how much we can recharge. The S5 consumed 387 Wh on the route described. This corresponds to 19.35 Wh per kilometer, giving us a range of 32.25 kilometers. In everyday urban driving, a maximum of 40 kilometers should be realistic.

The charger achieves a peak output of 120 watts, but the average output is significantly lower. A full charge takes over seven hours. The cover cap of the charging port does not fit perfectly; it opens several times on its own while driving.

With the S5, Joyor doesn't just focus on an eye-catching look. The scooter's chassis design is particularly impressive. The scooter is stable, comfortable thanks to its full suspension, and fun to ride. Thanks to good ergonomics, plenty of space and a large battery, the tours can also be longer. However, we would like to see cruise control for this in particular.

The biting character of the brakes takes some getting used to. With a little practice, however, the S5 also ensures short braking distances, while always remaining controllable and stable. The turning circle, on the other hand, should be a little smaller. The relatively high weight, on the other hand, is only noticeable when carrying it.

We would like to see an app connection for the scooter. This would make the settings much easier. However, the menu is only understandable with the help of the instructions. Fortunately, the settings do not need to be changed often. The non-functioning battery display on the test device is annoying.

Overall, the Joyor S5 impresses with its good workmanship and safe handling. The manufacturer also offers models with more power and two motors on request. Significantly lighter and more economical is the Xiaomi Mi Scooter 3.