This style bicycle ("crate") is really more for style than function, so it's not really for commuting where you have to go any real distance, up hills or over obstacles. This makes it even less good as an even-heavier ebike. Crate ebikes are really to be used as leisure scooters (on flat ground). There are much better bicycles and ebikes for commuting (or speed). This is for fun - quick scoots around.
Unlimited mode will only go to 30mph when your battery is over 50%. You switched modes with low battery, should’ve been in unlimited mode from the beginning, especially since its less of a pedal machine and more of a motor moped ishh thing
I have two Rad bikes, and on a ride with my daughter (12) I had my motor at 1 and she had toggled hers to throttle. She pulls ahead and I called for her to slow down. She yells back she can't hear me over the sound of her motor and scoots off up the hill.
I own a Sur Ron X (same as Segway x260) The thing is a weapon on trails. It’s range is truly over 20 miles on hard trails and well over 50 miles for flat riding. 29/30mph mode or 49mph mode all bone stock. It can be easily uncorked as well.
When ebikes first became popular, a lot of my fellow cyclists swore to hate them. I'll just say that no cyclist that has actually ridden one feels that way. They're just a whole other new and awesome thing.
As a cyclist in Seattle for the last 22yrs, I can firmly say that many roads are terrifying. I feel so much safer on a motorcycle. I still bike, but I like to mostly stick to dedicated trails
The major advantage of an e-bike here (WA state) is the ability to filter without ANY worry. I still filter on my motor scooter, but.... there's always a risk if you're on anything bigger than a bicycle
Seattle roads in general inspire a certain degree of terror, constantly under construction - full of angry motorists and pedestrians who just randomly walk across any time they feel like it.
The first time I rode my electric bike I immediately realized that safety gear beyond bicycle level was absolutely required exactly as you mention at 23:00. Great review, much appreciated.
Same here. Fortunately my dad's a motorcyclist and had an old summer jacket he could spare, because I shot my wad on on the bike and didn't budget for armor. I'll never get to freeway speed on an ebike but getting to 28mph before starting down a steep hill, maybe with a tailwind, speeds between 40 and 50 are quite attainable and might even sneak up on you.
FortNine video on these said same thing - e-bike is dangerous because people are indeed going 30mph on these, not wearing any safety gear, and the bike isn't providing you any safety either. Note he almost got blown off that bike trail into the drainage ditch.
The great thing about ebikes is you can ride them where it would not be legal to ride a motorcycle. I have a Eunora Fat-AWD e-bike. It has both front and rear wheels with motors. Range if I'm not pedaling much is 20 mi or 30 mi with some pedaling. Cost was $1,600.
Great review as usual. Thanks for recommending safety the gear . People don’t realize how bad you can get hurt, I learned the hard way. I crash my Honda ct90 with a mattress that flew of a pickup truck, yes the mattress won. I broke my collarbone, cracked 9 ribs , shoulder plate and both pinkies and bruised my right lung, not fun. I was going about 40mph.
I have a motorcycle, my girlfriend recently bought a Buddy Bike (norwegian e-bike).... i gotta say it's amazing. Super practical, easy to use, no license, no need to put on a bunch of gear, lightweight, perfect for short trips.
loving my S2 i'm grateful i got it at 2K during pre order prices. perfect bike for riding in new york city where traffic is always heavy but the bike lanes are always empty lol
Or buy used and get almost anything. My tiger 800 was $4k, plenty of 250/300/500cc bikes around for under $3500 used if gas milage is a concern. Edit* I will say if you lived somewhere like seattle, nyc, or any major high density area where parking is a problem and you never have far to go then an ebike would have advantages. Like being able to take it into your place at night, park on sidewalks without cops giving you grief, legally filtering forward at lights.
The whole point of ebikes is to be able to go where a bicycle can and a motorcycle can't (legally anyway) but with a little juice to get your juices flowin'
@@Vic6 A distinction important when discussed among SoCal locals, but for all intents and purposes on RU-vid, one could be safe to include LB as part of LA. Let's go Dodgers.
Suggestion ?? #1 Get together with your buddy from OnTwoWheels series. #2 Both of you try out the Sur-RonX/Segway260 ebike. On road adventures. Offroad adventures. #3 Both of you guys try out ... A Huck Ebike & a Onyx Ebike. Cafe Racer frames. Both are 45mph ebikes. #4 Try the Biktrix Juggernaut HD Duo ebike. Its a Long Range ebike. Said to be 100 to 200 miles.
@@zugmeister314 Can confirm this as well. Having the electric to get you back up to speed makes the complete stop much less painful. E-bike in this video kinda sucked btw. They should have gearing so you can help the motor since you are sitting there anyways. Extends the range. A simple gearset would have seen Zack make it to the office with charge to spare. Human/electric hybrid. I miss my homebuilt road bike based e-bike. Most fun I've had commuting in my life.
@@kleinbottled79 I got the feeling they were going for an electric scooter / motorcycle but wanted to call it a bicycle so they slapped on some pedals. Anyone who rides any distance knows the seat height needs to be high enough you get a full leg extension 'cause that's where your strength is. The way his knees were coming up looked like BMX bike or something, and with one gear (?!?!) you'll never get any real human power out of that. Did you notice that at "level 3" he had to pedal to make it go, while the lower output worked on the throttle? Looks like they're making a scooter look like it's a bicycle. BTW I love my Rad wagon!
As someone who's into both ebikes and motorcycles it'd be interesting to see you test out one of the more mountain bike style e-bikes with a similar power rating to see if you enjoy that more since you'll actually be able to pedal more regularly.
Whoever decided that Revzilla should be a serious content creator needs a medal. This is all such fun content! What would we expect from the best gear store online?
As somebody who got into building and riding e bikes this year I gotta say I enjoyed this review. One thing to note, you had some issue pulling out of stops when running in Class 3 mode (pedaling required), this can be due to a setting (or two) that sets how much the pedal must be turned before the motor engages, and at what power level the motor will start engagement. On my builds I like 2-4 complete turns before the motor engages as these were origninally built as bicycles. On that machine I'd suggest turning that value down to 1. Anyway thanks for the review.
Had the same issue with my motorized bicycle I built. Everything was fine until my taillight went out at night and a cop decided today was the day to hassle Ella. I think he eventually gave in and said just get the light fixed. I was living in a fairly rural area, and wasn't causing anyone any bother.
Having one of these is about fun. Not speed. All about living a simple commuter life. Minimalistic travel. You see the world differently on a bike (or ebike). Life is slower and you notice things you never noticed before. Its a good change.
I have a radrunner a compact cargo e bike ($1200 for the whiners) and it is fantastic. I live in Boston so perfect city for an ebike, but I haul my gear to surrounding towns, can load up with 2 weeks of groceries, and it has a rear seat so my GF and I explore together. There is something strange about having a vehicle that do 30-40 miles effortlessly, take it up to your apartment, charge it, and do it again. No gas, no smells, barely any maintenance - they're wonderful machines. And also a lot of fun to ride.
To be fair, I really enjoyed that review. I've got an e-bike which here in the UK is restricted to 15.5 mph and no throttle allowed. Use it for my 6 mile inner city commute and it's the perfect tool for the job! It's just as quick to commute on as my Z900,
I have the base Z1. It's basically a 50lb bmx bike with a 500w electric motor. I use it for the 5-10 mile jaunts around town. The Z1 is too small for me at 5'10" and 190lbs. I'm limited to 10-15 mile range and 20 mph. I wish I sprung for the S2 or R series.
On downhills I get my bicycle up to 30mph. It's an intimidating speed without gear IMO, so I'd agree with Zach. If you can regularly get it to 30 mph, you want gear.
Yeah these are much more stable than a typical bicycle though. Its got motorcycle suspension and brakes. Honestly when your doing 30 on these it just feels like a comfortable cruising speed.
30mph is not an uncommon speed for a road cyclist at all. That speed is not necessarily appropriate for e-assistance though, because it’s kinda too fast for like bike paths.
@@cjeam9199 But I think it's the difference between getting up to that speed because you cycle a lot so you know how the bike will react etc, and not being very proficient on a bicycle but having the electric motor instantly get you up to a speed you're probably not ready for, without any protective gear... Coming off at 30 I can't imagine is much fun! :)
Holy shit. You literally drove right by my house. I have to go up that massive hill every day on my Monday motorbike gateway ebike. Wish I knew lol I totally would have joined you for a little 2 person ebike group ride!
I started with bicycles when I was 14, riding road bikes and racing in my teens. I moved up to ebikes in 2017 and went car free. I freaking love bikes and ebikes, but I got a 50cc 2-stroke and there isn't even a comparison. The scooter is so much more practical, fun, inexespesive. I use the ebike for getting groceries because it is great at towing a little bike trailer, but for the 2k an ebike costs a used scooter wins hands down. Batteries need to hold twice the energy per unit of weight and cost half as much before full sized electric scooters even make sense, for bigger bikes the battery requirements for them to directly compete is going to be even harder to reach. For the price of a super73 RX you could get a used PCX, and that scooter could be used to cross the conrey if you are adventurous enough, the ebike if flogged at 28mph can't even make it across town.
Overpriced. I built my eBike that reaches 37mph, 20mile range at 30mph constant speed, weighs in at 75lbs. Uses a heavier LiFePO4 battery instead of standard Li-Ion. Which is way safer because LiFePO4 doesnt explode and burn when damaged or destroyed. Also more vibration resistant. Cost me around 1500$ total, including all the tools I needed to build it. Build your own, and it'll be faster cheaper, and more fun.
@UCBNkveJBulVQ-SVbG1bLcuA I'd like to build an electric bike. I want to convert my Norco Pinicale trail bike to an electric. Can you suggest what parts I should buy?
@Rick Kenn Theres plenty of kits you can buy from Amazon and Ebay. Get a rear wheel kit that can fit inside of a steel frame bicycle. Get a lithium battery pack from a reputable vendor. LiFePO4 is the longest lasting and safest. they are bigger and heavier. Theres lots of videos showing how to install such kits. You'll learn a long the way too. Make sure you get a GrinTech V4 Torque Arm too. You will destroy a bike frame if you dont use one. On reddit there is an Ebike section you can ask questions about. /r/ebikes. Have fun building one.
Have followed Zack for a while, never owned a motorcycle. So yeah, have lived vicariously through his reviews. Have actually logged over 16K mile commuting by bicycle. Appreciate the honest review. And just from the camera view... could tell I would agree.. needs more adjustability. But moving at the speeds he achieved would be fun but 80 lbs would have me concerned. But comfort still would be my concern. Range... not bad depending on recharge. My route, made longer for safety, was 9 miles one way. And have looked at the Zero motorcycle. Thanks Zack.
I really wish there was a more straightforward way to register a Sur Ron for moped use in the US. Some states, it's fairly easy, but it's not consistent, and once you delimit it, you can't legally register it anywhere. Feels like our laws need to catch up.
Hey Zack, as an unashamed spandex road racer, I gotta add a couple of things: 1. That's not a derailleur, that's a chain tensioner. Common on badly-made (and not so badly made) single speed bikes. A derailleur derails the chain when changing gears on a normal hub, that thing is there to keep the chain on and prevent you going over the bars in case it decides to pop off at some point. 2. Seat height! That thing is way too low for you. You should not be able to flat foot a bicycle. You should have an *almost* straight leg, with a small bend in it, at furthest extension. Not adjusting the seat height, especially as a tall 6'2" guy like you, is a bit like test driving a car and not adjusting the seat and then complaining that the ergonomics are all cramped! Great review, love your stuff man, huge fan as always!
I’ll agree 100% with you getting deceivingly comfortable on the bike. I’ve had a couple humbling moments in only a month of owning an S2. Knock on wood nothing bad has happened. Gotta keep your ego in check and respect the road.
I still remember the odd feeling of trying electric assisted bicycle for first time. It felt surreal to get going and after second or two when motor turned on it kinda felt like someone was pushing me hard from the back.
I have few accidents on ebikes in speed about 25-30 miles and I have to say you right, wear gloves and some strong clothes, your skin will thanks you, there is nothing like " I ride safely and no have accidents" bad luck just waiting to meet you in moments you do not want meet anybody. Yesterday wind blows under my wheels bicycle that's was parked to the street lantern on the bike lane side, it was just half second movie and lights goes down. 30 miles sped can kill you easy. Im always lucky and never broken my bones, probably according to them density but... I loose a lot of my skin and my body changed color like rotten apple. First thing this morning I go shopping online for bike clothing. Great review bro.
I almost bought this and then was like ill be mad that I can't ride my 40mph bicycle anywhere . So I spent a cheaper dollar amount on an r3 and it was the best decision ever. Not to mention super 73 only has ONE manufacturer and it can take weeks to months to get the bike to come in and even parts and getting work done on them are hard unless you're located in Cali or near that one shop in NYC.
Ah, the "Do they see me?" visibility of a bicycle and the speed of a kinda slow moped, and cultural incentives to not wear protective gear or, ya' know, learn how to properly ride. What could go wrong?
This thing seems primitive compared to some ebikes selling for $2000 less. It’s not a motorcycle, it’s not a bicycle, it appears to be a poorly designed ebike. Great video though, as always.
Yea it seems designed like a motcycle, but is a bike. The frame geometry doesn't seem great for pedal power (no adjustable seat) and the battery on top is bad for weight distribution and is in that location for purely looks. My knees hurt just imagining have to pedal
ever seen '70s mopeds? this fits that niche pretty cleanly (though one might argue those died off for similar reasons, plus the unreliability of vintage two-strokes)
I'd like to see more videos about electric bikes. There are dozens of products on the market with a wide range of capabilities but I haven't seen much in the way of independent reviews. PS I'm a motorcycle rider with 50 years of experience but I can see the possible utility of ebikes and would like to know more.
Thanks for this and I am lucky enough to own a Super73 S and an Indian FTR 🔥🔥... love both ! And as you said if you want to go fast get a motorbike and get your license 😉. Greetings from Paris area / France
We should also note for those outside France that anything 2 wheeled and motorised that can go over 25km/h is required to be registered, plated and we have to have the scooter license... From France, between Cannes and St Tropez.
$3500 for that POS? How much is the battery when it inevitably gets knackered? How long before proper cyclists realise they are just as dangerous as having a proper motorcycle speed along the cycle lane?
All that space between the battery and pedals needs some sort of storage compartment. I ride a step thru scooter and I can put my grocery basket on the floorboard without any problems. E bikes should be a step thru with a floorboard if that is going to be your main transportation.
Hey Zack! Great review seems like you had a fun time🤙🏽 if you get the chance to ride the RX again give mode 4 a try when its above the 75% battery mark, you should get a lot more torque out of it and you should be able to top out at 31/32 mph, dont know if you’d wanna ride it again but i feel like it’ll impress you a bit more with it’s speed if you do, i’d really like to hear what you think of its full speed🙏🏽
Like with everything else in life, set your expectations realistic. This is a moped, not a motorcycle or a scooter, with that said, it is a fun thing to ride around town :D
I did see one continous mistake in this video. You followed the rules, stopping for stop signs and red lights. A real cyclist wouldn't be caught dead doing that.
ehh, I follow Idaho stop rules. So if there aren't any cars, I will treat stop signs as yield signs, and stop lights as stop signs. if there are cars, I will treat them normally.
Nice to see you try this type of thing out. As you said this is of course an example of a less practical e-bike, more made for the looks and short distance social things. There's a lot more practicality/value to be found in other brands (or the more known brands like Trek). I do my commute on a e-bike (10mile) on mostly safe bike lines and I really like it (of course I do get benefits from work, it payed back the bike after two years).
It's quiet, economical and fun. Exploring new places on e-bikes and having access to bike paths and quiet neiborhoods without upsetting anyone has been priceless. Getting around small downtown areas, restaurants etc where there is no available parking is also a big plus. I own motorcycles and there is no way they replace these e-bikes. These things are pure fun and don't infringe on other peoples enjoyment like stinky loud gas scooters. If you are in a hurry to go nowhere e-bikes aren't for you.
I have a S2 and I love it. I talk about it alot on my youtube channel, but if I were to call anything a modern moped, it's the Onyx. If you haven't test-ridden one, it's pretty amazing. That said, it was too much for me, at least until I get used to riding at faster speeds.
More and more of this sort of thing showing up in my neighborhood, mostly slow street riding for "exercise." Nobody wears any gear beyond the occasional bike helmet. I imagine most of these will be offered in garage sales in 2-3 years.
100 percent ,where do we get the electricity to charge all these cars e bikes scooters etc ,we are burning more coal in foreign countrys the way the gov do it is fly as a drug dealer using someone else's house .Once you Cotton on to this big climate change scam .u can see through it like the people in the 80,s sending aluminum cans in to recycling centres to cut down on emissions for melting ally
@@Crosshatch1212 Here in Texas where I live (not a very "Green" state" only about 20% of our electricity comes from coal. Even if you used West Virginia electricity (mostly coal) an electric vehicle will emit less CO2 than a similar size gas vehicle because electric motors use more than 90% of the energy sent to them. Gas motors use only about 1/4 of the energy in gasoline to move the car. That's why you don't have a gasoline powered air conditioner at home. It would cost 4 times as much to run.
Stumbled upon you and this vid, since I follow ebikes. This is an entertaining, insightful review of the Super 73 RX. Very enjoyable. Your dialog kept me watching.
I myself ride a ViVi electric mountain bike to work, and it's basically like somebody converted a mountain bike to an electric bike by slapping on a motor hub in the rear tire and chopped it in half to make it a folding bike. It is lighter than this one but I have quite a few hills that makes it difficult to ride at top speed. It doesn't have a dash either, but it's a lot of fun to ride.
Hope you got extra danger pay for this one! 8:20 - 8:30 shows how dangerous these are. Like Zack said - playing tag with trucks. Terrible idea to commute with these. $3500 forget it lol.
Those are just non bike friendly roads. Here in Belgium and Netherlands we have bike paths pretty much everywhere so bikers don't have to put them in dangerous situations like that.
@@relate97 Works.... is not the same as corectly made or even good..... If works is fine you should walk barefoot at all times.... or why move at all...
@@relate97 If new is the requirement instead of worth your money... you are jsut wrong Any old used for next to nothing moped with a tire change and a jug of gas... to name just one Or just steal any kids bike and get thighs of steel ;) puts on shoes... And almost limitless others with better price to usefulness/fun ratio
Since COVID, my sole mode of transportation is my Super73 -Z1. No complaints from me...ride from Brooklyn to Bronx on dual battery mod. A monthly MetroCard is $120+. This pays for itself in the long run (or ride😏). /Bklyn👑
FWIW on a regular pedal bike, 30 MPH is pretty common. When I was commuting 20 miles a day on a bike, my average speed was about 18 MPH, which put me at 30 MPH daily on downhills. I would NOT ride without gloves and a helmet but other than that it was poly (wicking) T shirts and baggy shorts (not a spandex fan). Yes I did my share of pavement kissing, and yeah there were times when I was riding post-crash dripping blood on the frame. I honestly was more concerned about having gloves than a helmet, I crashed a few times without them and spending a month with raw meat on the heel of your thumb and the fingers cut up is enough to make you wear gloves forever.
For $3,500...the price is far too steep. Especially when you compare it to other e-bikes or things like the Honda Rukus, etc etc. Hell you could probably get a used CRF 250L for that much and do far more. But it all comes down to rider choice and application I guess.
