Different Scooter Models Explained
I thought this would make a decent thread for all the people who sign up armed with unbolted new A's who go "what's a B model"? So, here's a rundown on everything you keed to know about stock scooters:
Razor "Old A" Scooter
An Old A is a scooter produced by Razor between 1999 and 2001 or so. This scooter is by far the most common of scooters you'll find at friend's houses, in your garage, etc. An Old A has no dropouts you can stand on like other Razors: the dropouts (things holding the back wheel on) are just strips of metal welded in the curved deck's hollow center channel (as opposed to a slightly narrowing deck on a B model). Many riders prefer the Old A to a B/Pro Model due to nostalgia, strength, weight, etc. You can get these scooters secondhand for about $30 on eBay or for much less from your friends or garage sales. Personally I've always had a soft spot for Old A's but the lack of dropouts you can stand on is a downer since I use them for manuals and to hit my fingerwhips
Razor B
The Razor B was a "deluxe model"-type scooter made around the same time as the A model. Unique about it was a longer deck with dropouts you could stand on, a front suspension system (that was prone to springs falling out), a different deck that had a box-like metal undercarriage, and a stronger folding mech. The B, although less easy to find than an Old A, was the preferred model for most riders until the release of the Pro. I have never ridden a B so I can't give my opinion.
Razor "New" A/A2/A3
The current Razor A series is similar to a B model, but with a smaller deck and generally weaker structure, complete with lackluster foldy. If you bought your scooter at a store, it is probably some form of an A model. These scooters are utter shit, do not ever buy. The folding mechanism can only be bolted in 2 points instead of 3, making the scooter less stable. On top of that, the deck is very weak; anyone riding over 100 pounds will probably break the deck in a week. On top of that, newer A models (made after 2005) have very, very weak-cored wheels and a rimmed fork so that you cannot reinforce it. There is no good reason to buy an A, although its $20 price tag makes it a great resource for spare parts; $20 bars or decks is pretty cheap. Some people ride New A's with B foldys due to the very light weight of such models. These people are on crack.
Razor Pro Model
The only scooter you can purchase new today that's worth riding, the Pro Model is basically a stronger improvement on the B model. The Pro features a standard, big fork (unlike the B's compression system), a double clamp, modifications on the deck, and the best stock wheels you can get. The best place to get a Pro is online as almost no store carries them. If you go Razor, this is by far the best model for any rider who doesn't prefer Old As. $45 at Amazon.
Micro Sprite/Bullet
Micro scooters have just as mixed reviews as Razors, some loving them and some hating the foldy. In my experience they are too easy to break.
SR Scooter (SR Deck)
The SR Scooter is a mythical scooter made entirely from parts made by Andrew (excludes the wheels and headset). This scooter would cost a few hundred dollars and would be amazing. So far, you can buy the SR Scooter's bars and forks, with the deck in development.
I hope I explained a lot and answered noob questions.
A text explanation for Common Scooter Mods
Locking a folding mechanism
This mod, virtually required for freestyle scootering, replaces your Razor's folding system with 3 bolts that hold your scooter's bars and headtube onto your deck. To do this, you will need to buy a few things: Two 2 1/2 inch long, 5/16 bolts, One 2 1/2 inch long, 3/8 bolt, two washers for each bolt, wrenches, and a small screwdriver. First, take your folding mech and remove the little black rings around the bottom pin. Use a screwdriver. This is very hard to do. Once you have one ring out, hammer the bolt through the scooter so that it pops out the other side. Now you can pull your headtube out. Next, remove the black rings around the folding lever and remove it. Once you do that, take everything out of the headtube, including the springs, pins, and everything. Now go to your deck. You will see a plate connecting the two sides of your folding mech together. Take this off using Metric allen keys, being careful not to strip the bolts. Finally, put your headtube in your folding mech, put the 5/16 bolt through the bottom hole, the 3/8 bolt through the top hole, and another 5/16 bolt in the foldy's hole behind the headtube. Now tighten the bolts HARD and you're good to go.
