Rion RE90 vs Rion Thrust - Which Carbon Rocket Should You Actually Buy?

Fast Answer for Busy Riders ⚡ (TL;DR)

The Rion RE90 edges out as the overall winner: it's lighter, feels even more unhinged in the best possible way, and delivers that "standing on a guided missile" sensation with a purity that's hard to match. If you want the most extreme expression of what a standing scooter can be, the RE90 is the one that makes your brain melt and your cheeks hurt from grinning.

The Thrust, though, is the better choice if you want something just a touch more "civilised" in the Rion universe - still absurdly fast, slightly more approachable, and a bit less obsessed with shaving every last gram at any cost. Hardcore thrill-seekers with a weight fetish go RE90; riders wanting hyperscooter madness with a hair more usability should look at the Thrust.

Both are utterly bonkers machines; the fun is in choosing which flavour of crazy you want. Stick around for the full breakdown before you drop used-car money on a scooter with no kickstand.

Rion doesn't really build "scooters" in the normal sense - they build track weapons that happen to have decks and handlebars. The RE90 and Thrust sit at the top of that food chain, two carbon-clad missiles that make most Dualtrons and NAMIs feel like commuter toys.

On paper, they look like siblings: dual motors, Magura brakes, PMT slicks, huge batteries, prices that cause spontaneous relationship problems. But after real-world kilometres on both, their personalities diverge more than you'd expect. One is a razor-sharp hill-climb psychopath obsessed with weight; the other a slightly fuller-bodied, still utterly deranged "gentleman racer".

If you're staring at these two Rions thinking "which ruinously expensive bad idea is the right bad idea for me?", let's dig in.

Who Are These For, and Why Compare Them?

Both the RE90 and the Thrust live in the hyper-premium, hyper-performance niche where "commute" is a dirty word and "range" is something you mention apologetically after bragging about top speed. You're not cross-shopping these with rental scooters; you're cross-shopping them with track bikes and weekend sports cars.

They share the same core recipe: carbon chassis, dual motors, brutal acceleration, Magura stoppers, PMT slicks, zero suspension, zero water resistance, and almost zero creature comforts. And they both cost more than many perfectly decent used hatchbacks.

So why compare them? Because within that tiny lunatic niche, they're actually rivals. The RE90 is the lighter, more extreme, higher-voltage monster, aimed at people who think compromise is for cowards. The Thrust is the slightly heavier, slightly more "doable" hyperscooter you can still treat like a serious track toy without feeling like you're piloting a prototype that escaped the lab.

In other words: same philosophy, different flavour of insanity. Choosing between them isn't about "fast vs slow" - it's about what kind of fast you want and how much punishment you're willing to tolerate elsewhere.

Design & Build Quality

Put the two side by side and you instantly see the shared DNA: exposed carbon fibre, sharp lines, industrial aluminium arms, and a general aura of "this probably shouldn't be legal." Both feel more like race hardware than consumer products. Tap the decks, grab the stems, and you get that dead-solid, no-hollow-rattle sensation that cheaper scooters just don't have.

The RE90 feels like Rion's purest design statement. The whole thing is almost absurdly lean - the deck, stem, and bars are all carbon, and there's a real "stealth fighter" vibe. You pick it up and your brain briefly miscalculates because something this powerful shouldn't be this light. The finish on visible parts is exquisite; the carbon weave, the machined arms, the anodised accents - it all screams boutique race shop.

The Thrust looks like it ate a small snack compared to the RE90. It's still impressively light for its class, but you can feel those extra kilos when you lift it. The design language is similar - carbon monocoque look, low deck, fat PMT slicks - but it comes across as a touch more substantial, a bit more "road car" next to the RE90's "track special". The folding hardware on both is overbuilt and stiff; stem wobble just isn't part of the conversation.

Where both take a hit is on internal assembly. Pop the hoods (figuratively) and you'll see why some riders grumble: wiring that looks more garage-built than aerospace, battery packs wrapped more like a DIY project than a luxury product. You notice this a little more sharply on the pricier Thrust - at that price point, you'd love the inside to match the outside.

Still, in the hands, both feel like serious, purpose-built machines. The RE90 just feels that bit more single-minded: everything you touch tells you weight saving was priority one, two, and three.

Ride Comfort & Handling

Let's be brutally honest: if comfort is your top concern, you've come to the wrong brand. Neither of these has suspension in the usual sense. No springs, no shocks, just carbon flex and chunky PMT balloon slicks trying their best to pretend they're suspension.

On smooth tarmac, both are sublime. The RE90 in particular feels like it's running on rails - there's almost a "telepathic" link between your eyes and where the scooter goes. The light chassis, stiff deck and top-notch tyres combine into something that feels closer to a race kart than a scooter. You get every bit of road feedback through your feet, but in a good way, as long as the asphalt is clean.

The Thrust is very similar, just with a slightly heavier feel as you tip it into corners. Some riders actually prefer that tiny bit of extra mass; it can make the scooter feel a touch calmer and more planted in long sweepers, especially at the kind of speeds where your survival instincts are already shouting. Both have rock-solid stems - no high-speed wobble, no vague front end.

The moment you leave good tarmac, both remind you that you bought a race scooter. Expansion joints, cobbles, broken city streets - you feel all of it. After a few kilometres of rough surfaces, your knees become very vocal about your life choices. The RE90's lighter, slightly more "lively" chassis makes it a fraction more demanding on bad surfaces: every bump nudges it a little more. The Thrust, with its extra heft, can sometimes feel marginally less twitchy in the same scenario, though we're talking shades of harsh here.

Verdict: both are wonderfully precise and engaging on good roads, unforgiving on bad ones. The RE90 rewards active, athletic riding more; the Thrust is a tiny bit more forgiving when things get imperfect, but not by much.

Performance

This is why you're here - not for fenders and baskets. Both scooters accelerate like they're trying to rip the deck from under your feet. You don't "pull away"; you're fired out of the starting blocks, shoulders yanked back, helmet trying to escape. On both, full throttle from a standstill on grippy tarmac is something you shouldn't attempt until you've had a serious chat with your survival instinct.

The RE90 is the more vicious of the two. The higher-voltage setup and lower weight mean that when you open it up, it feels closer to a sportbike launch than anything with a deck. From medium speeds, it just keeps piling on pace in this obscene, relentless way. Dial the throttle too aggressively and you're genuinely working to keep the front from getting light, especially uphill. It's hilarious and slightly terrifying in equal measure.

The Thrust is only "slower" in the same way a bullet is slower than a railgun slug. It still gets to silly speeds in an embarrassingly short distance. The combination of dual motors and Tronic controllers gives it a smoother, very controllable surge. Once you're up to speed, it just sits there happily, almost daring you to go faster. The power delivery is wonderfully tunable; you can soften the initial hit if you don't feel like testing your dental work every commute.

Top speed? Both live in that "this is now a motorcycle problem" realm. The RE90 tends to feel like it has a little more headroom and a bit more urgency up top, while the Thrust feels very slightly more relaxed at those last few km/h. Either way, once you're deep into triple-digit territory, aerodynamics and bravery are the limiting factors, not the motor.

Hill climbing is laughable on both. Big, ugly urban gradients that make commuter scooters wheeze are just... flat. The RE90 shrugs off hills even more aggressively - the combination of power and low weight means it doesn't just maintain speed uphill, it keeps charging harder than some cars. The Thrust isn't exactly struggling either; it just feels like it's doing it with one extra layer of composure rather than pure madness.

Braking performance is a draw: those Magura MT7s are superb. You get one-finger braking from ridiculous speeds with excellent modulation. If you're used to cable discs or generic hydraulics, the first hard stop on either scooter will recalibrate your idea of what "good brakes" mean.

Battery & Range

Both scooters sit in that zone where the batteries are big enough to be impressive, but not big enough to forgive truly stupid throttle behaviour. The RE90 carries more energy on board than the Thrust, helped along by its higher-voltage pack and slightly larger total capacity. In calmer riding, it simply goes further - not double, but noticeably.

Ride them the way most owners actually ride them - using that power frequently and cruising at speeds where the wind noise drowns everything - and the picture changes. Range on both drops quickly when you're spending most of your time in the upper half of the throttle. The RE90 still has a small edge: it gives you a bit more spirited riding before you're limping home in gentle mode. And it holds its punch deeper into the battery; you don't get that sudden "oh, it's tired now" feeling halfway through a ride.

The Thrust's pack is slightly smaller, and you feel that if you're hammering it constantly. Back-to-back rides, same rider, same aggression: the Thrust typically asks for the charger first. For what these scooters are built for - intense sessions, fast rides across town, hill attacks - both have more than enough. Neither is a true long-distance tourer, and neither pretends to be.

Charging is surprisingly reasonable on both, assuming you use proper fast chargers. The RE90, with its bigger pack, still manages to come back from empty quicker than you'd expect for such a large battery. The Thrust is in the same ballpark, slightly slower in practice if you're using typical fast-charge setups. Neither is a "plug it at work for ten minutes and you're set" sort of machine, but neither forces overnight-only charging if you've invested in the right charger.

Range anxiety? You mostly get "fun is limited" anxiety rather than "will I get home" anxiety. Treat either like a track toy - hard sessions with breaks - and you'll rarely hit the bottom unintentionally. Use one as if it were a low-power commuter and you'll find the range more than ample.

Portability & Practicality

Portability is where the RE90 quietly flexes. For a scooter with this kind of performance, it's shockingly light. Hoisting it into a car boot, up a few stairs, or onto a workbench is absolutely doable solo, even if you're not built like a powerlifter. Yes, it's long and awkward in tight spaces, but the sheer lack of mass for the performance class is a massive real-world advantage.

The Thrust is still light by hyperscooter standards, but you do feel those extra kilos. Short lifts are fine, but if you regularly need to carry it up several flights, you'll start eyeing the RE90 with envy. Folded length on both is "land-speed-record sled" long; neither is sliding under a café table gracefully. These are car-transport tools, not bus-and-metro companions.

Practicality otherwise? Honestly, both are pretty terrible, and proud of it. No real water protection, no integrated lighting, generally no kickstand from the factory. The RE90 feels marginally more forgiving to live with just because moving it around is easier and its slightly simpler, purer setup means fewer bits to fiddle with.

The Thrust manages to be even more impractical in daily life. The no-kickstand thing becomes genuinely annoying: every quick shop stop becomes a mini logistics problem. Both require you to strap aftermarket lights on if you want to be visible after sunset, and both really demand dry weather and clean roads. If your idea of practicality is "works in the rain, can be left outside a café", neither is your friend.

Safety

Safety, on scooters that accelerate like this, is mostly on you. Both RE90 and Thrust give you phenomenal mechanical tools - top-tier brakes, sticky PMT slicks, and stiff chassis geometry that stays composed at speeds where you start rethinking your will.

The RE90's combination of lower weight and higher punch makes it more demanding of respect. It's a bit like a superbike on track tyres - if you're smooth and trained, it's glorious; if you're clumsy, it will absolutely punish you. The lack of regen, ABS, or any electronic hand-holding means all the risk management is done with your brain and your fingers.

The Thrust is marginally more "civil" in feel, largely thanks to the way its power is delivered through the Tronic setup. It's still wild, but the throttle mapping and slightly heavier chassis give you a tiny bit more time to react. When you're hard on the brakes from lunatic speeds, both feel reassuring; the MT7s and sticky tyres work miracles, as long as the road is dry.

Lighting and visibility are a shared disaster: no built-in headlights, tail-lights, or indicators. At these performance levels, that's not just an omission, it's a genuine safety compromise. You'll need to take lighting, protective gear, and riding environment much more seriously than on a typical scooter.

And then there's weather: both are strictly fair-weather weapons. Slick tyres plus lots of torque plus poor water protection is a cocktail you do not want to test in the rain. Safety, in practice, is about using these as track-style machines and respecting their limits - not pretending they're commuters.

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Price & Value

Neither of these is "good value" in the normal sense. You can get a rugged, full-featured scooter with suspension, lights, IP rating and perfectly adequate speed for a fraction of the price. But if you're reading this, you're not shopping on rational grounds.

The RE90, despite not being cheap, actually makes a stronger case when you judge it as a performance object. For significantly less money than the Thrust, you get more battery, more voltage, more outrageous acceleration and a lighter chassis. In pure "what do I get for this pile of cash?" terms, it comes out looking like the sharper deal within this silly segment.

The Thrust asks for an even bigger financial leap while giving you a slightly smaller battery and slightly more weight. What you're really buying is its particular feel - the Tronic-powered smoothness, its look, and the bragging rights of owning one of the rarest machines out there. Emotionally, it makes sense. Spreadsheet-wise, the RE90 clearly punches harder for the money.

Service & Parts Availability

Rion is a boutique outfit, not a big-box manufacturer. With both scooters you're signing up for made-to-order lead times, occasional radio silence, and a general "custom garage" ownership experience. If you're used to next-day parts and local service centres, prepare to adjust expectations.

In practice, both RE90 and Thrust share many core components - Magura brakes, PMT tyres, high-end cells - which you can source through bike and PEV channels in Europe. Frames, electronics and custom bits are another matter: you'll be talking directly to Rion or relying on the small network of specialists who know these machines.

Neither model has a clear service advantage, but the RE90's slightly simpler conceptual layout and externalised BMS on some builds can make diagnosing and servicing a tad easier. The Thrust's closer integration with Tronic hardware is great for performance, but it also means you really want a shop or friend who understands that ecosystem if something goes sideways.

Pros & Cons Summary

Parameters Comparison

Final Verdict - Which Should You Choose?

If you strip away the mythology and the bragging rights, the RE90 comes out as the more compelling machine. It's lighter, it hits harder, it goes further on a charge, and it does all of that for less money than the Thrust. On the road (or track), it feels like the purest expression of what Rion set out to build: a hyper-focused, carbon-clad missile for people who think "too much" is just a suggestion.

The Thrust fights back with a slightly more refined power delivery and a riding feel that some will actually prefer. If you love the idea of a Rion but want the aggression packaged in a slightly more composed, "tuned" way, its Tronic-driven smoothness and wonderfully predictable handling make it a joy to ride fast. You just pay for that privilege, both in euros and in a bit of added weight and reduced range.

My take: if you already own a sensible scooter (or two) and want the wildest toy that still makes engineering sense, the RE90 is the one to chase. If you're drawn more to the Thrust's specific look and its slightly more measured delivery of lunacy, you won't be disappointed - just know you're choosing it for feel and exclusivity rather than objective bang for buck. Either way, gear up properly and remember: these aren't scooters, they're commitments.

Numbers Freaks Corner

These metrics put hard numbers on the trade-offs: cost-efficiency (price per Wh and per km), how much scooter you're lugging around per unit of energy or speed, how thirsty the scooters are (Wh/km), how aggressively they convert electrical power into speed (power-to-speed ratio), and how quickly you can stuff electrons back into the battery. Across the board, the RE90 is mathematically the more efficient and more performance-dense machine.

Author's Category Battle

Overall Winner Declaration

In the Numbers Freaks Corner, the RION MOTORS RE90 scores 10 points against the RION MOTORS Thrust's 0. In the Author's Category Battle, the RION MOTORS RE90 gets 29 ✅ versus 12 ✅ for RION MOTORS Thrust (with a few ties sprinkled in).

Totals: RION MOTORS RE90 scores 39, RION MOTORS Thrust scores 12.

Based on the scoring, the RION MOTORS RE90 is our overall winner. The RE90 simply feels like the sharper, more distilled version of the Rion dream: lighter, fiercer, and weirdly more "right" once you accept that comfort and practicality were never invited to this party. The Thrust is still a phenomenal, heart-pounding machine, but it lives slightly more on the emotional, "I want that specific feel" side of the decision. If you want the scooter that will leave the deepest mark on your memory every time you pull the throttle, the RE90 is the one that does it with the least compromise to the core experience. The Thrust is glorious, but the RE90 is the one that feels truly unforgettable.

That's our verdict when we try to stay objective – but hey, riding is mostly about emotions anyway, so pick the one that will make you look forward to your commute every single day.