The pedalless Razor Electric Punk bicycle/scooter ($180) packs plenty of zip into 27 pounds of steel and lead-acid, rechargeable battery. Kids ages 7 and up (but under 120 pounds) can push off to walking speed, pull a little red handlebar switch, and then zoom past their buddies at up to 9 miles per hour.

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It's fast enough to thrill the kids but tame enough to ease parents' anxieties about letting youngsters play with a minimotorcycle.

First of all, is pedaling or scootering really that hard? Besides, our neighborhood testers only got about 30 minutes of continuous riding on a six-hour charge. They also complained of stiff steering and gutless uphill performance. A "stunt saddle" seat invites fancy riding, so safety gear is recommended (but the stubby bike frame keeps riders from falling too far).

This is one way-cool toy. People over the 120-pound weight limit had just one question for Razor: Where's the burlier Punk for us?
–Janet Rae-Dupree