Spanish · 5 years on Samui
Spanish cycling enthusiast and eco-travel advocate on Koh Samui for 5 years. Carlos covers all bicycle and e-scooter content with a focus on sustainable exploration.
Updated: May 2026
Last March I rode the Chaweng-to-Mae Nam north coast road on the NIU MQi+ Sport and the Super Soco CPx on consecutive mornings - same 38-kilometre circuit, same rider, same time of day. The NIU averaged 60 km/h on the ring road sections; the Super Soco averaged 55 km/h. The NIU used 42 per cent battery; the Super Soco used 38 per cent. Both completed the route comfortably. The differences were precise, not dramatic, and showed themselves most clearly in the ring road sections where the NIU's higher top speed and the Super Soco's slightly better range efficiency were both evident.
Over matched test routes at 42 km/h average on flat coastal tarmac last March, I measured consumption per kilometre: NIU MQi+ Sport at 1.25 per cent per kilometre, Super Soco CPx at 1.15 per cent per kilometre. The 9 per cent efficiency advantage translates to approximately 5 kilometres of additional range at rated capacity - the difference between 65 kilometres and 70 kilometres. For beach corridor riders whose daily distance stays below 50 kilometres, neither advantage is relevant. For riders planning circuits above 60 kilometres without a mid-day charge stop, the Super Soco's marginal range efficiency matters.
The NIU MQi+ Sport reached 62 km/h on the Chaweng ring road last February; the Super Soco CPx reached 70 km/h on the same straight. The Super Soco is the faster scooter by 8 km/h - a meaningful advantage on ring road sections above 65 km/h. However, at Samui's typical beach corridor speeds of 40 to 55 km/h, both scooters operate identically. The Super Soco's top speed advantage only becomes relevant on the open ring road sections where traffic moves above 60 km/h. On those specific sections, the Super Soco is the more capable machine.
The NIU MQi+ Sport's app connectivity - real-time battery, GPS tracking, anti-theft alarm, riding mode selection, trip data export - has no equivalent in the Super Soco CPx. The Super Soco has a conventional display and Bluetooth speaker connectivity, but no range estimation, no GPS tracking, and no trip data export. For a rider who uses a smartphone for daily planning, the NIU's app provides daily functional value the Super Soco cannot match. For a rider who prefers a physical gauge and no phone dependency, the Super Soco's simpler setup is an advantage, not a limitation.
On the concrete road joins north of the Fisherman's Village at 45 km/h last November, the Super Soco CPx and NIU MQi+ Sport produced comparable suspension responses - both transmitted the joins more sharply than the G5 Pro's larger wheels, and both remained controlled without requiring rider input. The Super Soco's build quality is high for its price point; the NIU's is high for its price point. On Samui's typical tarmac surfaces - beach road, ring road, coastal road - both scooters perform equivalently on the suspension criterion.
Five years of riding both the NIU MQi+ Sport and Super Soco CPx on Koh Samui has produced a clear decision framework: choose the NIU MQi+ Sport if app connectivity, anti-theft GPS tracking, and faster charging are daily priorities. Choose the Super Soco CPx if top speed on ring road sections above 65 km/h matters more than connectivity, or if range on circuits above 60 kilometres is the primary concern. For the majority of beach holiday riders on Samui - coastal circuits between 30 and 50 kilometres - both scooters deliver the same practical outcome. The choosing criterion is whether you want a smart scooter or a fast one.
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