The Razor Scooter is a compact folding scooter developed by Micro Mobility Systems and manufactured by JD Corporation. Over 5 million units were sold in the six months following the launch of the first Razor scooter in 2000, and it was named as ''Toy of the Year'' that same year. The first electric Razor scooter was released in 2003. Today, the Razor is manufactured by

RazorUSA Razor USA LLC, better known as Razor, is an American designer and manufacturer of manual and electric scooters, bicycles, and personal transporters. The company was founded in Cerritos, California in 2000 by Carlton Calvin and the JD Corporati ...

, based in

Cerritos, California Cerritos (Spanish for "Little hills") is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, and is one of several cities that constitute the Gateway Cities of southeast Los Angeles County. It was incorporated on April 24, 1956. As of 20 ...

, in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

Design

The basic scooter design consists of an airplane grade

aluminum Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. It ha ...

frame, 98 mm

polyurethane Polyurethane (; often abbreviated PUR and PU) refers to a class of polymers composed of organic units joined by carbamate (urethane) links. In contrast to other common polymers such as polyethylene and polystyrene, polyurethane is produced from ...

wheels, and a hinged fender over the rear wheel, which is pushed down by the foot to act as a

spoon brake A bicycle brake reduces the speed of a bicycle or prevents it from moving. The three main types are: rim brakes, disc brakes, and drum brakes. Most bicycle brake systems consist of three main components: a mechanism for the rider to apply the ...

. The handlebar and headtube fold for carriage when a

quick release A quick release skewer is a mechanism for attaching a wheel to a bicycle. It consists of a rod threaded on one end and with a lever operated cam assembly on the other. The rod is inserted into the hollow axle of the wheel, a special nut is t ...

latch is opened.

Models

*A - 98mm wheels *S - "A" with fixed-height handle bars (no height adjustment) *AW - "A" with a wheelie bar *Spark - "A" with a spark bar for real spark action from the rear brake *A2 - "A" with a front suspension and a wheelie bar *A3 - extended A2, early versions have 98mm wheels and later ones have 125mm wheels *AW125 - extended A3 with 125mm wheels, upgrade to the early versions of the A3 *A5 Lux - 200mm wheels *Non-Pro Model - the non-stunt model *Ultra Pro - for stunts, not foldable *Cruiser - 140mm wheels *Malibu Cruiser - cruiser but with 125mm wheels and a metal deck *Finger Crusher - lightweight design, Dan Green Pro Model

Electric scooters

In 2003, RazorUSA introduced its first electric Razor scooter. It operates with the use of a twisting throttle. These new models reach speeds up to 15 miles per hour. Electric scooters became a popular way to travel slightly longer distances than one might with a traditional Razor scooter, yet distances short enough that using a bike would be excessive.

Freestyle riding

Freestyle scootering is a growing sport. Due to the rough demands of trick riding, people often reinforce the scooter to withstand impacts and high force.

Safety

Razor scooters have received attention for the frequency of injuries sustained by riders. In 2014, ''

The Atlantic ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...

'' and other news outlets reported that Razor and other brands of scooters contributed to substantial increases in yearly numbers of emergency room visits. Razor claims their scooters are safe to ride, and recommends adult supervision and the use of protective gear when riding. To increase the safety of younger riders, razor recommends a three wheeled scooter.

Team Razor

Team Razor is an exhibition scooter team sponsored by Razor. This team of professionals travels across the U.S., wowing crowds with their tricks and talents, and appeared at X Games Los Angeles 2013. In October 2013 they completed the Team Razor Cross Country Tour, visiting 17 states as well as the District of Columbia. The team held their most recent exhibition event on August 30, 2014 at the 3rd Annual Triple Crown.

Current roster

References

External links

* {{official website, http://www.razor.com/products/kick-scooters/ Kick scooters 2000s fads and trends 2000 introductions