Ebike Industry Updates
Electric dirt bikes generally produce less heat compared to their gasoline-powered counterparts. Here's why: Electric Motors: Electric dirt bikes are powered by electric motors, which generate less heat during operation compared to internal combustion engines found in gasoline-powered bikes. Electric motors are more efficient in converting electric...
Copper Canyon (Barrancas del Cobre): Located in the state of Chihuahua, Copper Canyon is a vast network of canyons that offers breathtaking views and challenging terrain for dirt biking. The rugged landscapes and remote trails provide an exhilarating experience for adventure riders.Baja California Peninsula: Baja California is renowned for its worl...
Brake pads are an essential component of a vehicle's braking system, responsible for generating friction to slow down or stop the vehicle. The choice between resin (organic), semi-metallic, and metallic brake pads depends on factors such as driving style, vehicle type, and operating conditions. Here's a comparison of each type: Resin (Organic) Brak...
Once a rider has exhausted the charge in their e-bike’s battery, few people face any option than to park their e-bike and recharge it, a process that can take anywhere from three to eight hours, depending on the size of the battery and how quickly the charger can deliver power to the battery—a large battery and a 2-amp charger could require the whole night to replenish the battery.
Clearly, that’s not practical for businesses that may make more than 100 deliveries in a day or riders with long commutes, so cities have begun to examine two different strategies for building infrastructure to meet the needs of e-bike riders.
One option is to follow the example of charging stations such as Tesla’s superchargers, positioning them where e-bike riders are likely to be found. The other option is to offer battery swap stations in similar high-traffic areas. Both have advantages and disadvantages and we’re going to take a dive into what those are.
Charging stations
The simplest option for cities to support e-bike recharging is to offer charging stations. While there are a number of designs for these, with many already in use in Europe and Asia, these typically share the following features: There is a secure rack to which the rider can lock their e-bike and that rack includes an outlet the rider can plug their charger into.
By simply providing a grounded 110V outlet that the rider can plug their charger into, cities can sidestep the issue of the many different charger designs on the market. They provide the power and a secure place to park the e-bike while it charges, and the rest is up to the rider.
Utah offers a plethora of stunning landscapes and terrain perfect for electric dirt biking. Here are some of the best electric dirt bike trails in Utah: Slickrock Trail, Moab: Known for its challenging terrain and breathtaking views, Slickrock Trail is a must-visit for any dirt biking enthusiast. The unique sandstone formations provide an exhilarat...
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The bag itself is made from a laminate material called Hexalon that is made to Apidura’s specs. The material is both waterproof and dustproof, making it perfect for carrying electronics. And because it features a dry-bag-style rolldown opening, it can securely carry both batteries and chargers that measure between 8.1 in. (20.5cm) and 11.8 in. (30cm) and are as tall as 2.8 in. (7cm). Total carrying capacity measures 1.6L (98 cu. in.).
The contents of the Apidura Expedition Charging Pack are protected with PU foam, better known as memory foam. Additionally, padded ribs run lengthwise along the Expedition Charging Pack both helping to give the bag shape and to insulate the bike frame from the bag’s contents—and vice versa. The bag attaches to the frame via a single Velcro strap that is silicone-coated to keep it from moving while riding.
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At just 33 lbs., the Diodra S3 is one of the lightest e-bikes on the planet.
We can’t say we are aware of what the previous lightest bamboo e-bike’s weight was, or even what that bamboo e-bike was, but at 33 lbs. (15kg), we don’t need to make much of an effort to concede Diodra’s claim about the S3. A 33-lb. e-bike is light by any standard, bamboo or otherwise.
The frame isn’t 100 percent bamboo, but we think that doesn’t disqualify them from the claim. The laminated bamboo is bonded to an aluminum head tube and seat tube, which makes sense considering that the headset and bottom bracket bearings need a precision fit in order to work correctly.
Diodra says that the bamboo is weatherproofed with a two-component coating as well as three layers of varnish. The company touts the bamboo’s vibration-damping qualities, which, when combined with aluminum inserts, does dampen nearly all vibration.
The website is short on details, but we know this much: It features a 250W motor that will be limited to 25kph in Europe (15 mph) but will offer a Class 1 top speed of 20 mph here in the U.S. They estimate a range of 63 mi. (100km) with its 300Wh battery and if you’re wondering why you don’t see a battery, that’s because it is contained within the hub along with the motor.
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The next generation of their popular model gains new features and upgrades.
Let’s start with what hasn’t changed, or hasn’t changed much. Vvolt kept the 350W, 45Nm brushless, geared hub motor powered by a 375Wh battery (though that battery now carries UL 2271 certification). This is still a city e-bike with low-profile tires and a single speed (50x22t) drivetrain featuring a Gates belt. And it still has hydraulic disc brakes. Its weight remains nearly unchanged, ticking up from 43 to 44 lbs.
So what’s new? For starters, a new frame design. This low-step frame now has a substantially lower standover height (25-26.5 in. depending on size) and it now comes in three sizes, not two. There aren’t many e-bikes retailing for less than $2000 that come in three distinct frame sizes. Vvolt says they will cover riders from 5 feet up to 6 feet 3. The new frame also has an integrated headlight which gives it a very stylish look.
The Vvolt Alpha 2 now comes with a wider handlebar with more sweep, which will give riders a more upright position, making it easier to look around, whether those views are of nature or traffic. They also spec a longer stem on the medium and large sizes than they do on the small, further dialing fit.
The suspension system on an electric dirt bike plays a crucial role in providing stability, control, and comfort while riding over rough terrain. Here are the key components of an electric dirt bike suspension system: Front Forks: The front forks are located at the front of the electric dirt bike and consist of two telescopic tubes that contain the...
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The French factory was previously known as MBK Industrie. It had already been producing several Yamaha models including the MT-125 motorcycle and XMAX scooter. Production in this facility will be devoted to the PWseries S2 motor which is used in a variety of e-bikes, including eMTBs.
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“Whether it is for our traditional business or electric mobility, the role of YMME is important to better serve the European markets and to respond swiftly to the ever-changing needs of customers,” added Clement Villet, director land mobility, Yamaha Motor Europe N.V.. “In that respect, with the opening of the drive unit assembly line we will be able to supply our e-bikes OEM customers swiftly and with shorter lead times, contributing to a more agile and reactive production planning.”
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Getting the discount off a new e-bike is as simple as … purchasing an e-bike.
1. Buy an e-bike
2. Get $450 off the price
The program is not without criticism, though. The list of approved retailers isn’t especially long, though it is growing in length. Currently, it includes 47 brick-and-mortar retailers and four online retailers, including Ride1UP, Vvolt and Priority Cycles.
The biggest criticism has come from the retailers themselves. Colorado is asking the retailers to bear the cost of the discounts for a full year. That means a participating retailer who sells an e-bike sold today must wait until they file their 2024 taxes to see that reimbursement. Selling 1000 e-bikes means having $450,000 in revenue they can’t access.
The program is administered by the Colorado Energy Office. Sarah Thorne, the senior program manager running the rebate program said that they anticipated a slow start to the program in 2024 due to the long wait for rebates, but that in 2025 she anticipates that they will offer quarterly reimbursements to participating retailers.
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Apparently, after Mr. Beast put out a call for submissions through social media, they were inundated with videos. How big was the response? They had to screen thousands of videos just to narrow the applicants down to the 600 ultimate recipients. While some of the e-bikes were delivered by hand, there were so many recipients around the U.S. that they had to ship many of them.
“Lectric Ebikes time and time again steps up to the plate, asks for very little, and helps us help as many people as possible. In this video, they gave us $600,000 worth of bikes! If you ever were curious if a brand actually likes helping people and wants to do good, you shouldn’t have to wonder that about Lectric Ebikes. If there ever was a brand you should support, it’s them,” said Mr. Beast.
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The Aeroe Spider Rack features a modular design that allows the user a surprising degree of flexibility for carrying loads. Let’s start with the basics in our Aeroe Spider Rack review.
This rack mounts to the seatstays of a bike via four straps—two per side—in a design that should result in minimal rocking of the rack. This means that even if someone’s e-bike did not include mounts for a rear rack, they can use this rack. All of the installation and adjustment uses a single, 5mm, Allen wrench, making setup remarkably easy.
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Each rack comes with one cradle with tiedown straps. Up to two additional cradles can be purchased to mount on the rack. With one cradle, the top position makes the most sense; with two, one per side makes sense and with three all three locations would be used. Each cradle can be positioned to point in a number of different orientations in order to accommodate the frame design and the rider’s pedal stroke so that it leaves room for the rider’s heels to pass.
In the braking department, we use the test (explained above) to gather 3 braking distance results and then pull the average of the three runs to get a solid idea of how the brakes perform.
The Sixthreezero EVRYjourney 250W Electric Tricycle comes with an unbranded front cable v-brake and in the rear, a drum brake. Since we don’t see rear drum brakes (or v-brakes for that matter) often, we were interested in how this setup would score in our brake test.
Once the bike reached 15 mph, Griffin, our brake tester, applied the brakes over 3 runs and the EVRYjourney 250W E-trike scored an average stopping distance of 21’ 7” (or 259 inches). Now, at first glance, that’s a really good score as our average across all the bikes we have tested is right around 21 feet. Well, if you filter that data to account for only e-trikes, the average stopping distance is 13’ 5”.
For context, the max speed of the e-trikes we have tested is around 14-16 mph as opposed to the other classes we test where nearly all others are tested at 20 mph. So, when you look at the filtered data, the result of the EVRYjourney 250W E-trike falls really short for its performance in this e-trike class.
With that said, in my testing this week, I did notice the front v-brake only offered minimal stopping power, even at a full pull of the brake levers all the way back to the grip. The rear drum brake felt better, but only brought us to a rolling stop, without any immediate stopping power as you would want to see in a scenario where you had to make an unexpected stop.
When I dig more into how this could be fixed, I took a look at other bikes in the trike class. I found that nearly all of them offered disc brakes, including Sixthreezeros own Easy Folder trike, which at only $300 more in price came equipped with front and rear disc brakes.
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Pi-Pop uses supercapacitors as the energy source for its e-bike.
The supercapacitors are housed in a module mounted to the side of the rear rack, so, in a manner of speaking, it does have a battery. The housing is notably smaller than that of a typical e-bike battery, though. That’s backed up by the Pi-Pop’s weight: just 47 lbs. (21.5kg).
Pi-Pop’s concept works from the same basic concept as regenerative braking. Rather than plugging in the e-bike to charge it up, the supercapacitors charge as you ride. Pi-Pop says that their e-bike will charge on flats, while descending and when braking. They even claim that you can arrive home from a ride with the same level of charge in the supercapacitors as when you left.
Supercapacitors are an interesting technology to use for storing energy. They have several obvious selling points. First, there’s no lithium. Second, they can last 10-15 years, rather than three to five years. Third, they are very energy dense, meaning that 250Wh of supercapacitor storage will weigh less than a 250Wh lithium-ion battery.
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Its Dutch-inspired design offers an upright, relaxed riding position for excellent visibility. While the Beaumont Rev 2 lacks suspension (common for its class and price), the wide, leather seat provides surprising cushioning and absorbs bumps better than you might expect.
The Compass 27.5 x 2.4″ tires feature a semi-slick tread we found to be quiet when rolling and the traction felt reliable. Retrospec suggests this bike is ideal for riders from 5′ to 5’10” – likely due to the non-adjustable stem. Interestingly, at 5 ’11”, I still found the Beaumont comfortable throughout my testing.
Also, the low step-over frame height of just 19.35 inches makes mounting and dismounting much easier – a welcome touch for any rider..
The Beaumont Rev 2 boasts practical features for daily commuting, including front and rear metal fenders, a rear rack rated for 22 lbs, and AA battery-powered front and rear lights.
Staying true to its budget-conscious nature, the bike forgoes an LCD display. Instead, it has a simple indicator panel on the left handlebar showing battery and pedal assist levels, with corresponding adjustment buttons. Unfortunately, the thumb throttle’s placement is a bit awkward. I found myself instinctively reaching for the throttle when intending to change assist levels, requiring a conscious effort to ensure I hit the correct button. A revised control layout would improve this aspect of the user experience.
Here are some common terms related to electric batteries: Battery: A device consisting of one or more electrochemical cells that convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy.Cell: The basic unit of a battery that contains electrodes, an electrolyte, and a separator. Multiple cells are often connected together to form a battery.Anode: The e...
Electric dirt bikes are considered environmentally friendly for several reasons: Zero Emissions: Electric dirt bikes produce zero tailpipe emissions during operation because they do not burn fossil fuels like gasoline or diesel. This helps reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to better air quality and mitigating climate c...
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Canadian e-bike maker had an entire container of their new e-bike stolen.
The container of e-bikes, which included some prototypes as well as 140 of the new Juggernaut FS ST, had just recently arrived at their warehouse, but hadn’t been unloaded yet. Unfortunately for BikTrix, thieves with a Ryder cab broke the lock that secured the container chassis on which the shipping container sat and simply connected the chassis to the truck and drove off with it.
BikTrix provided Canadian police with surveillance video from the warehouse as well as the truck’s license plate number. Canadian police tracked the truck for two days but when they observed no illegal activity, ceased their surveillance.
“This container wasn’t just metal and contents, this container was like a treasure chest of our dreams, our entire team’s hard work, and considerable market value worth $1M—comprising all of our savings,” said Biktrix Founder and CEO Roshan Thomas
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While the handlebars do not have an adjustable stem, you can adjust the tilt of the handlebars towards or away from yourself along with the seat post height to dial-in a fit that you find comfortable.
The cockpit has a full-color LCD display that has a smart take on e-bike security, in the form of a proximity key fob. This adds another layer of theft protection as the bike’s motor cant be activated without either a 4-digit passcode, or a swipe of your key fob.
Aside from updated theft tech, the LCD display shares quite a bit of other handy information. Of course, It can show the basics like current speed and PAS setting, and the odometer, but it shares even more, like current wattage being used and the estimated range left until empty, so you can plan accordingly with no surprises.
The Radster Trail does have a Suntour SR front hydraulic suspension fork with 80mm of travel. I found this fork to feel pretty good when dropping off curbs or going over the occasional rock. However, due to the upright riding position here my center of gravity is positioned mostly on the seat post, it did not offer much shock absorption in day-to-day paved path rides.
When it comes to ride quality of the Radster Trail, it’s hard not to talk about the tires. The tires on the Radster Trail are made by Kendra and measure at 27.5 x 3.0” with an off-road tread pattern. Aside from looking great with their tan sidewalls, the choice to go with a 3 inch tire over the more commonly seen 4.0 (or bigger), in our opinion, was a great choice. The handling of the 3 inch tire just feels better in cornering and handling overall while still being wide enough to inspire confidence when tackling the trail off the beaten path. Sure, there is a little road noise when you are on paved surfaces, but that’s to be expected with any off-road tire.
