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ZEAL Pro E-Bike Cover Review, 2024

Zeal Pro E-Bike Cover/Universal Bike Cover Review 2023

For many consumers, e-bikes are likely a significant investment. Some can be priced as much or more than a used car, and even the lowest threshold we recommend for a good balance of quality, longevity, and affordability is in the ballpark of $1,000.

While e-bikes (especially those of higher quality) often come with IP ratings indicating their resistance to water and/or dust, protective barriers like the ZEAL Pro E-Bike Cover/Universal Bike Cover can add an additional layer of insurance to prevent such a costly investment from dirt and water damage. The reviewers at Electric Bike Report had the opportunity to try out the cover for your benefit; see what we thought in this ZEAL Pro E-Bike Cover review!


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Dutch Police Testing E-Bikes for Power Output

Yamaha Forms Subsidiary for Battery Swap Program

In the Netherlands, cycling is one of the most common forms of transportation used. As a result, cycling and cyclists are much more closely scrutinized than in many first-world countries. With so many people riding bike and e-bikes, the government recognized a need to outlaw talking on a cell phone while riding, as well as riding under the influence. Riders even face speed limits.

In the Netherlands and in many European countries, e-bikes are limited to a maximum output of 250W. This is one of the reasons e-bikes with mid-drive motors are so popular in Europe—a mid-drive motor can provide more assistance than a hub motor can for a given wattage. Why mandate such a low power output? Dutch officials see it as a public safety issue. While pedelecs that go 28 mph (45kph) are available, most e-bikes are restricted to 15.5 mph (25kph). According to the Dutch government, as e-bike use has grown, so have e-bike-rider fatalities, in an equal proportion.

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For many of us human beings, though, faster is more fun and the Dutch Police have struggled to crack down on riders who have modified their e-bikes to go faster than posted speed limits. They now have a new tool in their law-enforcement arsenal, though: portable dynamometers.

The Dutch government has purchased 247 portable dynamometers that can be positioned in locations with high e-bike traffic and the police can stop riders and test their e-bike’s output. E-bikes that exceed that 250W nominal rating will earn their owners a ticket €290 ($312 USD). A second infraction will result in the same fine, but a third can result in confiscation of the e-bike.

According to the police, fat tire e-bikes have proven to be the most frequent violators of the law regarding power output. These e-bikes have become popular with young people in the Netherlands.

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California Bill Would Require E-Bike Riders to Pass Safety Test

California e-bike license

State Assembly member Tasha Boerner has introduced a bill that would require riders to pass a written safety test. The bill is aimed at young riders who Boerner is concerned don’t understand traffic rules.

Riders over the age of 12 but don’t yet have a driver’s license would be required to take and pass the test. Upon passing the test, prospective riders would be required to carry a state-issued ID.

Boerner, said the effort is to make sure both kids and parents understand traffic rules in order to keep kids safe when riding their e-bikes.

The test would be based on safety training published by the California Highway Patrol, in response to AB 1946, also authored by Boerner.

“E-bikes provide that sense of freedom that so many kids and Californians are looking for,” Boener said, “but it’s crucial that we ensure they know how to ride using the rules of our roads, and make safe and smart decisions when sharing the road with cars and pedestrians.”

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AB 2234 is a variation of a bill Boerner introduced in 2023, AB 530, that would have instituted an e-bike license for all e-bike riders over the age of 12 who don’t have a driver’s license. However, the DMV had issued a moratorium on changes to licensure until 2030, effectively killing AB 530.

“With this bill, I hope to address this gap in education for young riders and keep the next generation of Californians safe on the road,” Boerner said.

Boerner is adamant that the emphasis be on education and equity. Rider who violate e-bike rules will be diverted into education and community service, rather than fined.

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Denago eXC2 E-Bike Review, 2024

A value-packed entry-to-mid-level eMTB with a powerful and responsive motor.

Denago eXC2 E-Bike Review 2024
Denago truly jumped into the eMTB world with both feet; on one side is the basic, entry-level eXC1, while on the other is the upgraded, higher-tier eXC2. We were highly satisfied when we reviewed the lower-tier model separately, so we expected nothing but good from its sibling. This Denago eXC2 review will shed light on the bike’s upgrades and their effect on performance.

The eXC2’s Bafang M510 mid-drive motor is one of its prominent features; it has 250 watts of nominal power and an eyebrow-raising 95 Nm of torque. This amount of output provided an easy yet thrilling ride, and helped the bike to conquer steep hills without breaking a sweat.

A more powerful motor is just one of the upgrades that justify the eXC2’s price between $3,000 and $3,500. With a larger 720 Wh battery, a wider gearing range, a color display, a sturdier suspension fork, and more – we think the bike provides solid value with a clear spec difference when compared to the base model.

This top-tier version of the bike might have a number of upgrades, but it shares a solid foundation with the eXC1. With modern geometry for comfort, cornering, and control, the design of the eXC2’s frame gives it a great feel for practical use on smoother singletrack.

We put the bike through its paces in tough desert terrain as well as in our series of standardized Speed, Range, Hill, and Brake Tests. The following Denago eXC2 review will reveal our thoughts on its results!

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Yadea Trooper 01 Review, 2024

Cool, Fast, and a Quick Hill-Climber – Yadea Makes a Solid First Impression

Yadea Trooper 01 Review 2024
Here at Electric Bike Report, we love testing new e-bikes….No, really, we do.

This week, the spotlight shines on the Yadea Trooper 01 review, a moped-styled e-bike from a younger brand now being offered in the U.S. e-Bike market. So, is this just another low-effort e-bike piggy-backing on the success of the Super73? Or, is it a real player in the big leagues of e-bikes? Let’s sort that out now.

The Yadea Trooper 01 is powered by a 750W motor and 80nM of torque. Its classic design merges the nostalgia of traditional cafe motor bikes with the efficiency of modern battery technology, creating what we think is a classically cool moto-inspired e-bike that could appeal to new and old-school riders alike.

While we did find some impressive testing results in over 100 miles of testing, the Yadea Trooper does have areas where it could improve. As I took it for a spin, the Yadea Trooper 01 proved to be more than just a mode of transportation; it was a smile-inducing speedster with a special emphasis in hill climbing.

However, when it comes to the slower, more relaxed pace – akin to a long-distance runner maintaining endurance and consistency – the bike could use some refinement. This aspect of performance at casual speeds isn’t quite as polished. Yet, considering that this is an early venture for a newer brand in the moped-style e-bike category, the Trooper 01 stands as a strong initial entry, showing great promise for future developments.

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Sixthreezero Introduces Tadpole Electric Trike

Sixthreezero Introduces Tadpole Electric Trike

Of the many new developments of the e-bike world, electric trikes are one of the newest and fastest growing segments, and some of the best available electric tricycles available are barely a year old. E-bike maker sixthreezero has entered the market with several models, but their newest is a fresh take on what three-wheeled e-mobility can be.

The Two Front Wheel Electric Bike (they call it an electric bike rather than trike) takes a different approach to three-wheeled e-mobility by positioning the paired wheels in front, rather than in back. This also features a folding design to ease both storage and transportation.

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What makes the Two Front Wheel Electric Bike so unusual is that it does lean, like an e-bike, which may be why they refer to it as an electric bike. This provides two benefits to the rider. First, it’s much less likely to lift a wheel in a turn if it leans while turning and, second, having two wheels will help stabilize any rider who may suffer from any equilibrium or balance issues. Balance-wise, it sits between a regular trike and a bike.

The Two Front Wheel Electric Bike features three mechanical disc brakes, one on each of the 16-in. wheels. It uses 160mm rotors and thanks to the presence of three brakes, it has terrific stopping power.

It is equipped with a 750W brushless, geared hub motor that is limited to 16 mph to keep it stable in turns. It offers a reverse function so that the rider doesn’t need to dismount in tight quarters. According to sixthreezero the 499Wh battery should give riders up to 50 mi. of range per charge. There are 5 PAS levels as well as a thumb throttle.

sixthreezeroside

This is a terrific design for people with limited range of motion as it has one of the lowest overall standover heights at roughly 11 in.

The e-trike comes with a 7-speed Shimano drivetrain, front and rear lights, a rear rack and kickstand. The seat is larger than we typically see on an e-bike and includes a backrest for additional support for the rider.

Right now it’s only available for preorder, but will begin shipping in mid-February, and it has a great introductory price.

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NY Forms Department to Regulate E-Bikes

New York Forms Department to Regulate Delivery E-Bikes

The New York City Council has taken up consideration of a bill that would regulate e-bikes. This bill wouldn’t regulate all e-bikes, though. It’s meant to take on the e-bikes used by food delivery apps like GrubHub, DoorDash and Uber Eats. And that’s not all. New York has even announced the formation of a new municipal department, the Department for Sustainable Delivery.

Mayor Eric Adams has already announced his support for the bill. According to Margaret Forgione, first deputy commissioner of the Transportation Department, the Adams administration supports the bill. The administration has signaled that the goal is to create an e-bike trade-in program that would be funded by the apps.

New York has taken action because the number of fires caused by e-mobility devices and defective or repaired batteries has been on the rise. In 2023 there were 268 fires in the city that resulted in 150 injuries and 18 deaths.

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In announcing the department, Mayor Adams said, “Our streets — and how they’re used — have changed, and we’re changing with them. The Department of Sustainable Delivery will be a first-in-the-nation way to let us retake the reins of our streets and ensure that the next generation of mobility innovation works for our workers, our neighbours and our city as we continue to deliver on our vision to protect public safety, rebuild our economy, and make this city more liveable for working-class New Yorkers.”

Of course, the delivery companies are fighting the bill. Uber’s senior policy manager, Hayley Prim, said that the effort should be placed on ebike sellers, rather than requiring the apps to supply reliable e-bikes. In testimony Prim said, “We encourage the Council to table these bills.”

DoorDash suggested that such a bill could cause the apps to terminate delivery by e-bike. Such bluster is impractical in a city where e-bikes can often outpace cars over short distances.

Conditions continue to improve for delivery workers. In December, the state court ruled that delivery workers must be paid a minimum of $17.96 per hour by delivery app companies.

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KBO Ranger Review, 2024

A massive battery keeps this affordable but effective cargo bike going for ages!

KBO Ranger Review 2024
While affordability is becoming more and more present in the electric cargo bike market, cost-friendliness and cargo capability are not always synonymous. With an MSRP of $1,799, the KBO Ranger offers an affordable solution for those seeking an affordable electric cargo bike. We explain the bike’s feel and function after testing its real world performance in this KBO Ranger review!

As befitting an e-bike with a 400-lb total payload capacity, the Ranger packs a powerful 48V, 750W rear hub motor. This allows the bike to carry a heavy load quickly, even when moving up and over hills. The Ranger ships as a Class 2 e-bike with throttle and pedal assisted speeds up to 20 mph, though it can be unlocked to travel faster.

The bike also includes an uncommonly large 840 watt-hour (Wh) battery with enough capacity to keep the bike moving for ages before needing to recharge. KBO advertises 60+ miles when using pedal assist; we evaluated this claim in the Range Test section of our KBO Ranger review below.

Many of the cargo e-bikes we’ve tested have felt long and somewhat awkward to ride without a payload, but the Ranger felt relatively nimble and was comfortable to ride solo. Its shorter-than-average wheelbase and 20”x3” street tires gave it the kind of personality we’d expect more from a versatile utility bike than a dedicated cargo hauler.

Our full KBO Ranger review covers our thoughts on the bike’s specs, features, and performance – see below for all the details!

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Bafang Laboratory Receives Accreditation

Bafang quality engineer verifies product capabilities in the mechanical reliability laboratory

In its efforts to help elevate e-bike industry quality standards, Bafang built a test lab, Bafang Laboratory Center, to test two-wheel drive systems. It has announced that the lab has been awarded accreditation by the China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment (CNAS). The accreditation is in accordance with ISO/IEC 17025: 2017 General Requirements for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories.

This is great news for e-bikes as Bafang makes many different motors and is amongst the most commonly found across all the e-bikes we review.

This new accreditation comes even after Bafang Laboratory Center has secured other accreditations. It was already certified by Underwriters Laboratories, Technische Überwachungs Vereine (TÜV), China Quality Certification Center and Société Générale de Surveillance (SGS).

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Bafang maintains multiple laboratories for different types of testing. In addition to their motor performance laboratory, they maintain a battery performance laboratory, an e-bike system performance laboratory, an acoustics laboratory (which can test motor noise volume) as well as a number of other laboratories that can test in a variety of parameters including mechanical and environmental factors.

Bafang employs more than 1000 people at 10 international locations. The company is headquartered in Suzhou, China, one of the centers of e-bike design and production. Suzhou is a suburb of Shanghai, near China’s eastern coast. Bafang also maintains sales and service centers in Denmark, France, Italy, Netherlands and the U.S.

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Gocycle Launches CXi & CX+: A Premium Folding Cargo E-Bike

Gocycle Launches Cargo E-Bike and Handlebar

Gocycle made a big splash when they introduced their high-tech G4 e-bike. Designed by an automotive engineer who wanted something that capitalized on current technology, the G4 brought together a proprietary front hub motor, a folding carbon fiber frame and hydroformed aluminum parts and a fully enclosed drivetrain.

They’ve now introduced two new models, the CXi and CX+, as well as a new handlebar, the Flofit. The CXi and CX+ are the company’s first cargo e-bikes. They are essentially identical, except that CX+ upgrades CXi by adding their Flofit® handlebar. You can see the Gocycle CXi and CX+ in action on Youtube.

These are compact cargo e-bikes, which is to say they are long enough to carry one child, a pet or large panniers behind the rider, but there’s not enough room for two kids. It’s made to carry up to 480 lbs., so no worries on passenger weight. The rear rack accepts MIK-compatible accessories, which will offer buyers plenty of choices. And because they are cargo e-bikes, the kickstand is a dual-leg, motorcycle-style unit to make loading easier.

The 500W motor is governed by a torque sensor and good for a max speed of 20 mph. A 375Wh battery powers it, which Gocycle says should give riders up to 50 mi. in range on a single charge. The drivetrain is pretty remarkable in that it uses a 5-speed internally geared hub plus Gates belt that is completely enclosed to prevent any unsightly marks. And all the cables and wires are routed internally for a very clean appearance.

Like the Gocycle G4, the CXi and CX+ fold in seconds and use Gocycle’s drive-side-mounted carbon fiber Pitstopwheels. Did we mention they are super stylish thanks to Gocycle’s OneDesignDNA philosophy?

All that and both the CXi and CX+ weigh just 51 lbs., which likely makes them the lightest cargo e-bikes on the planet, which seems reasonable considering they were designed by one of McLaren’s former engineers.

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Gocycle Launches Cargo E-Bike and New Handlebar

The Flofit® handlebar offers riders a remarkable amount of adjustability while also integrating the e-bike controls, brake levers and light. The Flofit® handlebar allows riders to adjust reach, height and rotation, as well as brake lever reach.

The CXi goes for $6999, while the Flofit®-equipped CX+ goes for $7999. Gocycle says that production will be modest, which should do two things: It will likely help assure flaw-free production … and drive up demand.

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EBR’s Take

Gocycle CXi Blue Rear Side

The Gocycle CXi and CX+ aren’t even out and they are already winning the most-stylish-cargo-ebike sweepstakes. There’s so much to like here, such as the fact that these are cargo e-bikes that can be folded up, which makes terrific sense considering cargo e-bikes are bigger than most e-bikes. The 480-lb. weight rating tells us two things: Not only can they carry a second person, they had to do some testing to arrive at such a specific number.

The fully enclosed drivetrain and five-speed hub mean riders have plenty of gears and no pants stains.

Because Gocycle didn’t announce any accessories for these cargo e-bikes, and because cargo e-bikes don’t really cargo until they have some accessories added like seats, racks or baskets, people are suspicious that it will be difficult to really make the most of them, but the rear rack accepts MIK-compatible accessories, which means that there are a number of accessories already on the market. Gocycle doesn’t need to start designing accessories.

We do have a few reservations about the CXi and CX+. Cargo e-bikes typically need a little extra power to haul a load unless they use a mid-drive motor. A 500W hub motor is not a ton of power. Of greater concern is the 375Wh battery. Can a 375Wh battery can move 300 lbs. 50 mi.? That seems unlikely. As weight goes up, range goes down. No one wants to find that out 3 mi. from home.

We love the design of the Flofit® bar, but aren’t yet convinced that it’s the most ergonomic bar on the market because of the way it positions the hands. We do want to point out that the way the seatpost extends from the frame that the CXi and CX+ will fit a broader range of riders than most one-size e-bikes will.

With limited production and a price tag north of $5k, we’re unlikely to see many of these rolling through the neighborhood, which is a shame. These are so good-looking that they could serve as a marketing campaign for e-bikes.

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