Where you can and can’t ride
Beam operates inside a tightly-bounded geofence, roughly the UNESCO heritage zone and a strip running along the river path north toward Kampong Morten. Outside that zone, the scooter will throttle to walking pace and tell you to return to the service area.
The car-free streets of Jonker, Heeren and parts of Bandar Hilir are slow zones on weekends, speed limited to about 8 km/h. Outside those, the scooters max out at 25 km/h.
Don’t ride on Jonker Street during night-market hours (Fri–Sun, 18:00 onwards). MBMB enforcement officers will stop you and the scooter will be auto-paused. Park it before you enter the market.
Renting one, from start
Download Beam
iOS and Android. Sign up with a Malaysian phone number (or use the international SMS verification, slower but works).
Add credit
Top up the wallet with a debit/credit card or TnG eWallet. Use code Bv1ei at signup for RM 2.50 free ride credit.
Scan the QR
Every scooter has a QR sticker on the handlebar. Scan it from the app to unlock. You’ll get a confirmation beep.
Ride within the zone
Stick to the bike paths along the river or main roads. Riding on sidewalks gets enforcement attention. Helmets aren’t legally required but Beam includes one on every scooter. Wear it.
Park inside a parking zone
End the ride only at a designated parking zone (visible in the app as a green overlay). Ending outside the zone charges a RM 15 “wrong parking” fee.
A few things we wish we’d known
The scooters are popular on weekends, so be prepared for empty parking zones near the heritage core after 17:00. Plan your departure earlier.
Battery levels are visible in the app before you scan. Don’t take a scooter under 20%; it’ll cut out before you reach Kampong Morten.
The day pass (RM 35) breaks even at about 70 minutes of riding. Useful if you’re scooter-hopping multiple times in a day, otherwise per-minute is fine.
If Beam isn’t the right tool
For trips longer than 20 minutes, a Grab will be cheaper and more comfortable. For getting around the heritage core itself, walking is usually faster after you factor in unlock time and parking-zone hunting. Beam shines for the 1.5–3 km middle-distance trips, such as heritage core to Klebang Beach, or core to Kampong Morten via the riverside.