How to Tell Genuine MICRO Scooters Apart from Imitations

Exceptional quality, unrivaled performance and extreme durability; we can only be referring to one brand of scooters – Micro scooters! The scooter craze that quickly spread throughout the world and gripped the attention of kids, teens and adults alike in the 1990’s can be almost solely attributed to this Swiss brand. MICRO Scooters invented the very first modern folding 2-wheeled scooter (you know, the one that virtually every child got for Christmas that year) back in 1999. Due to the overwhelming success they have enjoyed, others have tried to “piggyback” off of their products by offering imitations of the real Micro Scooter range. While this is neither legal nor ethical, it’s very difficult to completely prevent the sale of these imitations and it’s left to you to be a responsible consumer and really know what you’re buying before you make a financial commitment. We’re going to help you achieve this by pointing out a few of the main visible differences between genuine Micro scooters and imitations.

What to Look For to Make Sure You are Buying an Authentic Micro Scooter:

It’s always best to buy scooters for kids (or yourself) from a reputable retailer, but if you choose to buy from a less well-known source or perhaps from a second hand sale, watch out for the following:

• Unique Serial Number – When handling a Micro scooter, if you look at the top of the folding block that’s located at the base of the steering column, right near the “Swiss Design” logo you should see a unique serial number stamped into the metal. All genuine Micro scooters feature this, as well as an aluminum medallion with the “Micro” logo on the front of the steering column. The presence of these features signifies that the scooter is a genuine product.
• Hand-Bolted Together – Virtually every imitation Micro scooter will be cheaply riveted together, as opposed to hand bolted, because the production costs are significantly lower this way. However, a hand-bolted design offers the consumer a number of advantages: Parts can be tightened up for added safety and they can also be exchanged should the need arise. This means you can enjoy genuine Micro scooters for much longer periods of time.
• Smoother Ride – Don’t forget to ask for a test ride before you buy a new scooter as there is almost always some very noticeable differences between the performance of a genuine Micro scooter and an imitation. The “real deal” features high quality polyurethane wheels, ABEC5 ball-bearings and a high quality rear-wheel braking system that work together to provide you with a smooth ride that can’t be matched. On imitation models you will likely notice that there is a considerable amount of vibration and noise produced when using the scooter, owing to the poorer components that are used to construct it.
• Cushioned Hand Grips – On imitation Micro scooters, another difference that you will likely notice are the hand grips. While a genuine Micro scooter will feature super foam-cushioned hand grips or soft rubber grips with side rubber bumpers that offer additional protection, imitations will often have handle grips that are hard and lack ergonomic design.

Micro has had to deal with a countless number of imitators over the years but has outlasted each and every one of them by focusing its efforts on producing products that are high quality, well designed and innovative. For these reasons it remains the leading brand for scooter enthusiasts across Canada and the rest of the world.