After the first kilometres on the Tour Max and the excitement of the Kostka scooter, we agreed to go on one of the Czech trips directly to Hanušovice for a chat to get to know the offer and talk about the benefits of scootering, the quality and the production process of these machines, which, not to say, enchanted us.
In the showroom, we discovered much new besides the excellent coffee. We couldn’t miss the electric drive for new G7 models, 20:20 scooters, racing and off-road specials.
We were welcomed directly by Mr. Kostka, now a representative of the second generation of Kostkas.
Kostka foot scooters
When the Kostka foot scooter was founded?
One Christmas, I came up with the idea of buying a scooter. Since he couldn’t find any good ones on the market, he made the first scooter for me and something for his friends. So we got our first scooters for Christmas right under the tree.
We draw know-how from proven bike manufacturing. Subsequently, when others saw us scooting, they wanted scooters, too. And so, over time, we began to discover all the benefits that a scooter can bring to a person.
We started to focus more on scooters in our machine manufacturing in 1998; this year, it has been 25 years since the company produced the prototype of the Cube. We are entering our second quarter century, and since 2013, foot scooters have been our main production segment.
What were your main goals? What was the most important thing when building the scooters?
We mainly wanted the scooter to be of good quality. We’ve always wanted to produce a product that’s not meant to last a year or two but to last a long time. People will be pleased with it and love to use it.
Our philosophy as a company is not just to sell a product but, more importantly, to make that product serve well. We keep this philosophy all the time. Another company motto is that we want to manufacture Kostka scooters mainly here in the Czech Republic. This commitment implies investing all the money we earn back into the company, production technology, development and testing. We develop not only the frames of the scooters but also the handlebars, handlebars, hubs, and practically all the components on that scooter.
Gallery: machine CNC production of components, hubs and barrel assemblies
When I first got on your scooter, the guy who sold it to me said it had an incredible carrying capacity. It can handle up to 150 kg, and it can handle hefty dynamic loads. Are those scooters really that strong?
We don’t want to damage our reputation. We can’t allow a customer to have a problem with something. We do everything so that the problem is solved. And if it does, we deal with it (since we have our production capacity for everything). But complaints are sporadic, if at all, and we always try to resolve them to the customer’s complete satisfaction.
Do you ride a foot scooter?
Definitely yes. I have to take rides to test everything we produce here. If we want to move production-wise, we must stand and ride the scooters. I want to put more miles on it yearly, but I’m trying to do as much as possible. At the moment, my son (third generation of Kostka family) is already testing our products. Laughter. We keep that testing going for generations to improve the scooters from all angles.
Who are your scooters for?
It’s such a cliché phrase that scooters are for everyone. It’s true. On the other hand, a scooter is for a person who wants to be active and get the most out of life. A scooter is still just a tool to help a person live a better and fuller life. Experiences, health, relationships, sport, activity…
Gallery: CNC bending and robotic frame finishing
Is the foot scooter also for the elderly?
100%. Scootering starts at 3-4 years old, when the little guy learns essential motor development, perceives stability, discovers speed and the desire to explore the world. This is where he forms his first habits of movement. And perhaps this is what those born earlier today appreciate about scootering. We can also commonly talk about people 70-80 who find the lost childhood joy of movement in scootering again. In addition, riding will bring them several health benefits.
I could talk about the addictiveness 😊 What are the main health benefits you see?
Today, everyone has the problem of very sedentary jobs and the associated back problems. The scooter strengthens the core of the body and stiffens the back muscles. That movement is complex. Also, on a bike, you are sitting most of the time, so the hamstrings you shorten by sitting all day by cycling without compensation arrive even more. Kostka scooters are not only a strengthening tool but a stretching tool as well. It engages muscles that people today use very little.
Many people today struggle with being overweight but can’t start running because of their weight and joints. Which, of course, is a problem that the scooter playfully solves. The scooter takes running to the next level as you strengthen the explosiveness of the rebounding leg yet put minimal stress on the joints. I have to repeat myself: The scooter is absolutely for everyone.
If I perform the scooter movement correctly, it is also an excellent rehabilitation for those after knee, hip or spine surgery, etc… In Dudince, when we are finishing the musculoskeletal treatment right now, they are including our scooters as a rehabilitation aid.
Gallery: development, final product warehouse and robotic wheel centering
The Kostkovs took us right into production. A quality scooter is preceded by years of development and precision manufacturing of every component. Most of the production today is done by CNC machines and robotic work. I felt like I was in a small car factory when I toured the production. They don’t focus on quantity but on quality. They produce over 12000 scooters a year. We peeked everywhere, but they only asked us to refrain from taking pictures in the development workshop and test room. The paint chamber was like going through a space station. 🙂
Gallery: Paint shop and frame finishing
Tell me about the founder of the company
My father was born in Hanušovice. After the coup, he started a metalworking business. He is a man who constantly challenges himself. And so the locksmith company grew bigger and bigger until we expanded into the corporation we are today. Back then, we also made shelving for stores and did many bike frames, especially for Velamos. There used to be a time when everybody made their own brand. But the frames had increasingly sophisticated shapes, and the bikes had parts that required precision CNC technology. So many companies specialise and produce components for others as well. This, of course, still works today, but more so in China. We are proud to say that Kostka is truly Czech and high quality.
My father is also the mayor of Hanušovice today. We said: “If we want to have a quality company, we must build a quality town.” So today, I run the company, and my father has more of an overlap with municipal politics. And I’m slowly preparing my children. 🙂
How do you see the future of scooters? Another quarter century?
Scooters have always been with us and always will be. It’s the kind of sport and exercise that belongs in life. And our primary goal is to show that kind of movement to all people and introduce them to the possibilities and specifics of scooters. Then, it’s up to them whether they want to include scootering in their activities.
If you had to say the three most important features of the Kostka scooter, what would they be? Why Kostka and not something else?
The uncompromising development and technical know-how we put into production is paramount. Then, it is quality. And the third is the people and the community around the Kostka foot scooters.
Thank you very much for the interview.
We leave Hanušovice and cross the Haná to discover the industrial north of Moravia on scooters: the Kostkovic Ostrava.
But that’s another story.
