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Serial 1 SWITCH/MTN: Harley Davidson’s Serial 1 Launches First eMTB

Serial 1, the electric bike brand built on Harley Davidson’s legacy and engineering, announced on Friday its latest foray into the world of electric mountain bikes with a model that promises off-road performance accessible to all riders.

The new eMTB, called the Serial 1 SWITCH/MTN, is built around the backbone of the brand’s riotously successful /CTY models but with off-road specific geometry and a component suite chosen for performance in dirt. Like all of Serial 1’s other e-bikes, the new SWITCH/MTN is built on the Brose S Mag mid-drive motor that makes 90Nm of torque and offers 410% support at peak power. It also uses a 529Wh battery integrated into the lower portion of the frame for good looks and a low center of gravity.

Though Serial 1 has recently been releasing a series of special edition and otherwise one-off e-bikes, the SWITCH/MTN will be a permanent fixture in the brand’s e-bike lineup. It will be priced at $4,499 MSRP and is expected to begin shipping in early August of this year.

The all-new Serial 1 SWITCH/MTN eMTB.

“The vast majority of our world is unpaved,” said Aaron Frank, Brand Director at Serial 1, in a release announcing the new e-bike. “Fire roads, Jeep trails, singletrack paths, terrain parks, ski hills, state forests—there are so many great destinations to explore on two wheels and SWITCH/MTN, with its powerful motor, large-capacity battery, fully adjustable front suspension, and wide-ratio 1×12 drivetrain, has the all the performance and capability to take you anywhere you want to go.”

Electric Bike Report had actually been invited to attend a special press event this week at the Bentonville Bike Fest in Arkansas, so I’d planned on having some first ride impressions ready for you. Unfortunately, a bout with COVID-19 derailed those plans so a first-glance spec review will have to do until we get the Serial 1 SWITCH/MTN in for full review.

E-bike News: Walmart goes sub-$1500 full-sus, Afreda 3-wheeler and Much More!

How cheap should cheap e-bikes be? That’s the question asked by the Hyper E-ride, a full-suspension off-road e-bike now stocked by Walmart. At $1498 it certainly looks a bargain as you would expect – but since there are very few full-suspension e-bikes available at this price it would certainly be interesting to see what compromises have been made by the manufacturers to achieve that price.

Elsewhere the search for e-bike innovation continues in the shape of the interesting looking Skarper ‘it’ slated for arrival in 2023 with interesting looking disk brake drive technology and the remarkable looking ‘reverse three wheeler’ with independent front suspension from Afreda.

In this week’s e-bike news:

Walmart stocks sub $1500 full-sus e-bike
Skarper – newly announced ‘disk rotor drive’ kit
Meet REI Co-ops’ new compact style e-bikes
The incredible three-wheeled Afreda F6
Gecko cellular puncture proof tyres to crowdfund their lightest tires yet
More Bosch charging points for the UK’s National Cycle Network

DYU D3F Review, 2022

Electric bikes are getting cheaper and cheaper, but fewer are cheaper than the electric minibikes made by DYU.

In this DYU D3F review, we dive into the specs and real-world performance of one of the most inexpensive e-bikes money can buy. Powered by a 240W rear hub motor and a surprisingly large 360Wh battery, the D3F has fast become a popular option for those on a budget or who just dig the bike’s quirky looks.

Though this e-bike has a weight capacity that can accommodate a full-grown adult, the tiny frame and 14-inch wheels have made it an easy choice for kids. We test this, too, by breaking our normal review mold and incorporating the feedback of a 10-year-old junior test rider.

Whether you’re looking for a cheap ride, a ride for your kid or you just really appreciate this bike’s quirky looks, the DYU D3F is a solid choice for few dollars. Our impression is that it’s mostly a toy — best used for having fun over function — but it may also be a good option for those looking for affordable transportation.

[Read more…] about DYU D3F Review, 2022

E-bike News: Evelo Galaxy SL for Smaller Riders, Solar E-bikes and Much More!

This week’s news is an interesting mix in more ways than one. The Evelo Galaxy SL is from a brand who we’ve reviewed a lot and looks to cut a niche with a combination of high speed for smaller riders. And the latest Tenways single speed shows, despite rising prices seemingly everywhere, there are still high quality yet very well-priced e-bikes to be had.

Looking to where e-bikes might be heading in the future there might also be interesting clues in the form of the intriguing Basalt electric fat bike from Mokwheel, which claims also to be a solar powered charging station and in the field of micro electric vehicles we have the Nimbus titling tricycle microcar! All is explained below….

In this week’s e-bike news:

Evelo Galaxy SL – a speed pedelec for smaller riders
Tenways CGO800S – a high quality city e-bike with a great price tag
Mokwheel’s Basalt includes a solar power station
Solar-power e-bikes roll out in East Africa
Nimbus, the latest light electric vehicle available for pre-order

Ride1UP Cafe Cruiser Review 2022

Electric cruiser bikes are as much about the looks as they are the ride, and the classic beach cruiser — a low-slung, laid back style of e-bike with swept bars and a broad seat — is a timeless look.

But a classic beach cruiser the Ride1UP Cafe Cruiser is not. It shares many of the same design elements, including the swept bars, extremely comfortable ride and a focus on aesthetics, but instead of drawing its inspiration from California beach culture, the Cafe Cruiser takes its cues from motorcycles.

In this Ride1UP Cafe Cruiser review, we put the bike through its paces in a series of real world tests designed to push the bike and its componentry to their functional limits. We test its hill climbing ability, its braking and even how far you can go on a single charge.

Built by a California-based e-bike brand with a focus on making really well done affordable e-bikes, the Cafe Cruiser boasts the looks and component package of a bike that costs several hundred dollars more. Its low price and good performance makes it an appealing choice for those on a tight budget or someone looking for a bargain.

Though our testing did reveal a small handful of performance tradeoffs you may not see on a more expensive e-bike, overall the Ride1UP Cafe Cruiser is an exemplary performing e-bike considering its price.

iGo Core-Edge Review 2022

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say there are hundreds of makes, models and styles of affordable e-bikes to choose from on the market today. But for all those types of e-bikes, very few among them are built with off-road use in mind.

And when I say “off-road use,” I mean real off-road use. There’s generally good reason for this void in the affordable e-bike market — the parts, engineering and bicycle know-how it requires to build a bike durable and capable enough to regularly tackle anything more than a dirt shoulder aren’t cheap.

But nonetheless, some companies are figuring out how to make it work without busting the piggy bank.

This iGO Core-Edge review takes a look at one such e-bike that’s struck a balance between affordable cost and off-road capability.

With an MSRP nestled nicely under $2,400 and component choices that better fit the bill for off-road use, the iGO Core-Edge is designed to be a durable choice for fire road and dirt trail riding, but stops short of the definition of a full-blown eMTB.

Electrify Expo 2022: The Coolest E-Bikes (and Sorta E-Bikes) On Show

If you were to swing by the grounds of the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center in southern California over the weekend of June 4 – 5, you could have test driven an electric car from the likes of Polestar, Lucid Motors or Toyota and then walked across the venue to another test track, and taken a spin on an electric bike or e-motorcycle.

The event, called the Electrify Expo, was the first stop in a national series of expos by the same name intended to showcase all sorts of electric vehicles. From e-skateboards to e-snowmobiles and e-bikes to electric cars, there was seemingly one of every form of electric transport on show. There was even at least one e-tractor, which drew a surprisingly large crowd and at least one audible “I’m not a farmer, but I want one” from one attendee.

Unlike the usual trade shows and events the Electric Bike Report team attends throughout the year, which are typically focused on performance cycling and dominated by traditional e-bike brands, the Electrify Expo drew a more eclectic crowd of EV enthusiasts and had suited auto industry execs rubbing shoulders with e-mobility inventors and small e-bike startups. It was an interesting crowd, but one that surely better reflected our readership and the greater e-bike consumer base.

As per usual at one of these shows, I scoured the venue for the latest, greatest and downright weirdest new and cool models the e-bike industry had on show. While I tried my best to stay focused on e-bikes, I admittedly strayed from my lane more than once and found myself test riding and photographing things that aren’t exactly e-bikes in the traditional sense.

Without further adieu, here’s some of the latest, greatest and downright weirdest EVs (mostly e-bikes) I saw and rode at the Electrify Expo Long Beach.

QuietKat Jeep Review 2022

What do you get when you take the off-roading ethos of the Jeep brand, a full suspension all-mountain chassis and top it off with a souped-up 1,000W mid-drive motor? You get the QuietKat Jeep.

In this QuietKat Jeep review, we take a deep dive into the bike’s climbing ability, battery life, off-road performance and more to get the low-down on what makes this all-terrain electric fat bike special.

With a very capable full suspension design and one of the most powerful e-bike motors on the market, the Jeep is designed to tackle backcountry roads and rugged 4×4 tracks with ease. It comes with a stout suspension system, good brakes, a crisp shifting groupset and a host of other features that make it uniquely capable in environments far too punishing for your average e-bike.

Keep reading to see how this e-bike stacks up against the rest.

Himiway Zebra Review 2022

In case you haven’t been paying attention, there’s been a pretty hot competition for which brand can build the biggest, baddest and most powerful affordable electric fat bike on the market.

Of course there’s a competition on for who can build the best e-bike in every category, but it’s been especially heated among builders of affordable electric fat bikes, and few brands have thrown more into this fight than Himiway.

In this Himiway Zebra review, we’ll take a close look at the brand’s newest flagship electric fat bike and see how it compares to some of the best e-bikes in its class. We’ll also look at how it compares to some of the other new electric fat bikes Himiway released alongside the Zebra last fall.

The Zebra is a hardtail electric fat bike with a 750W motor, an oversized 960Wh battery and a price tag of less than $2,000 — all ingredients that on paper should make it a contender. But it’s a bike built by a smaller company with less history and likely less funding than some of the giant e-bike companies it competes with, making an e-bike from Himiway — at least in some people’s eyes — a bit more of a gamble. But is it a gamble, or a game changer?

Let’s see how the Himiway Zebra stacks up.

Himiway Cruiser Electric Bike Review – 2022

Summary Review: Himiway Cruiser Electric Bike

*See the latest price on the Himiway Cruiser here

The Himiway brand was created by Mike Magaruh in 2017. Mike traveled around Asia familiarizing himself with e-bike manufacturers, and the component brands behind them. He then put his knowledge to use to create the Himiway brand which combines reputable componentry with a rugged outdoor design. With this in mind, we’ve looked forward with great anticipation for our chance to review the Himiway Cruiser. For this review Electric Bike Report tested both the step-thru and regular Cruiser models.

The Himiway Cruiser is a powerful all-terrain fat bike that specializes in trudging through snow, sand, and most any other surface while also destroying hill climbs. Priced right around $1,500, we think the Himiway Cruiser and Step-thru offer a lot of value – just be prepared and know that you are getting a powerful e-bike that takes off quickly and is super fast, so hold on tight!

If you are looking for a good-priced, powerful e-bike that’s able to ride on a wide range of terrain, then the Himiway Cruiser is a great option to look at. Especially thanks to the two different frame options to choose from.

Serial 1 SWITCH/MTN: Harley Davidson’s Serial 1 Launches First eMTB

E-bike News: Walmart goes sub-$1500 full-sus, Afreda 3-wheeler and Much More!

DYU D3F Review, 2022

E-bike News: Evelo Galaxy SL for Smaller Riders, Solar E-bikes and Much More!

Ride1UP Cafe Cruiser Review 2022

iGo Core-Edge Review 2022

Electrify Expo 2022: The Coolest E-Bikes (and Sorta E-Bikes) On Show

QuietKat Jeep Review 2022

Himiway Zebra Review 2022

Himiway Cruiser Electric Bike Review – 2022

Summary Review: Himiway Cruiser Electric Bike

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Summary Review: Himiway Cruiser Electric Bike

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