eZee Forza Owner Reviews

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Reviewer: Ron Anthony

Purchased From: 50 Cycles

Purchase Price: £1,345

Time Owned: 2 Days

Local Terrain: Flat

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Strengths:
It is early days for me as an electric bike owner, but here goes. The build quality of the Forte appears to be good. The bike is well balanced and feels very stable when in motion. There is no doubt that fairly good engineering and quality parts have been used in its construction. I have been impressed with the battery life, as I fully expeced it to have run flat by now, as I have been riding it in powered mode a great deal over the past two days. I think I have covered around 20km so far. The gears are very good indeed with good ratios and very easy change mechanism. The bike control systems such as power assistance on/off, battery power on/off etc. are well thought out and effective. However, time will tell how good the quality of the switch gear is. Pulling power of the front mounted motor is good on the flat, but I have yet to test it up hill.



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Weaknesses:
The front brake judders badly when in use. This would be my main criticism. This appears to be due to a combination of front wheel drive and front suspension. The effect can be disconcerting at times. There is no doubt that this should be improved. I find the saddle a little hard, but this is a personal thing. Finally, the bike is expensive, only time will tell if it is worth the money. Other than the things previously stated I can find nothing else wrong with the bike.



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Summary:
The Forte appears to be a good bike. It would be an even better bike if it did not suffer with the front wheel judder as badly as it does. It is still early days, but I am smiling at the moment and hoping that the judder does not get any worst. At the point of writing I am not unhappy with my purchase, but watch this space, I will keep you posted.



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Overall Rating (out of 10) : 8

 

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Reviewer: Stephen van Scoyoc

Purchased From: 50 Cycles

Purchase Price: £1,345

Time Owned: 4 Days

Local Terrain: Moderate Hills

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Strengths:
The review I write a new owner of the bike might be different from the one I write in a few weeks or months and both would, perhaps, be useful. The build quality of the bike itself is excellent and the components seem competent. The motor is strong and smooth, the battery system state of the art. The weight of the bike is good as well, very manageable. The bike handles well and the brakes on my bike have been smooth. The luggage rack is solidly built and the seat seems very good quality. The pedelec feature is a bit odd to get used to, but I find that I like it very much and do not think I will miss having a throttle or other override.



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Weaknesses:
The bike was delivered with loose fasteners and one missing screw on a fender. The rear light did not work. The gears were not properly adjusted. The reflector on the rear wheel and the magnet for the speedo were loose and had slipped down the spokes. The quality of the computer and electrical switches/controls are low. The bell is very poor quality for a bike costing £1,345. While the Pedelec feature is good, the control for it is dire--essentially a dial that is not fully visible to the rider and is very difficult to operate while riding and bumping over the road. Very much has the feel of an afterthought added on as the cheapest option. I question how well it is shielded from the elements. There should be a "kill" switch located near the grip as the machine will continue to power for some distance after pedaling has stopped. This can be a surprise when attempting to stop and the only option is to nail the brakes while the motor hums to a stop. I get the feeling that the cheapest components were used for add ons in order to hype the features on paper. If fitting the cheapest speedo why not also fit a cheap mirror for what is clearly intended to be a road bike? Customer support for the faults on the bike was underwhelming and a real disappointment after an encouraging experience during the purchase over the telephone. We'll see if that experience changes.


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Summary:
I think this bike has great potential and will serve me well provided the electrical system can survive the environment. I'm impressed by the build of the fundamental bike, less so the accessories.


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Overall Rating (out of 10) : 7

 

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Reviewer: Bill Murray

Purchased From: 50 Cycles

Purchase Price: £1,345

Time Owned: 2 Months

Local Terrain: Very Hilly

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Strengths:
The Ezee Assistance Factor dial lets you set the degree of contribution from the motor as you ride - from minimal on the flat to max on a steepish hill - and it does the job well.

Set at max and the bike is exhilarating - 20 to 25 mph is a fairly easy to achieve on the flat with some rider effort. With hills it is up to the rider by using gears and motor whether effort will be needed or not...in the right gear and set at max the bike cruises up relatively steep derbyshire hills with hardly any effort by the rider. My partner and I have done the Longdendale trail (20kms flattish ex train track bike trail) - the battery indicator was still green. In fact I haven't managed to come near to discharging the battery yet.

The bike seems well made using quality materials and so far (note I'm not using it too intensively though) (and touch wood )- has been faultless.


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Weaknesses:
The instructions for the battery / motor and the basic bike were somewhat unclear and a tad basic. Not a jot of help over basics, like adjusting the handlebars,( for example)

I've wished for another gear or two to go to when cruising along...but these are small criticisms.


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Summary:
I'm using it to have fun....and to get a bit fiitter...and on both counts the Forza is proving absolutely ideal.


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Overall Rating (out of 10) : 9

 

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Reviewer: Kevin Stephenson

Purchased From: 50 Cycles

Purchase Price: £1,345

Time Owned: 5 Days

Local Terrain: Flat

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Strengths:
Very comfy for short riders very good front front magura front brake


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Weaknesses:
Kept cutting out some nights worse than others had to return to 50 cycles exchanged for a torq cheap unbranded fork heavy unprecise gear changes lots of chain whipping about still waiting for £150 refund from 50 cycles.

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Summary:
Perhaps I had a bad example of a forza it was cutting out frequently while riding I prefer the torq although its been to wet to try it out i've had it over a week.



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Overall Rating (out of 10) : 7

 

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Reviewer: Conal O'Rourke

Purchased From: 50 Cycles

Purchase Price: £1,345

Time Owned: 7 Days

Local Terrain: Some Minor Hills

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Strengths:
The range of 30 miles plusand the the solid build quality


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Weaknesses:
None other than cost


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Summary:
I bought my bike from 50 cycles and James opened up especially on Saturday to allow me to collect it. It was prepared immaculately for me and I was given advice about initial battery charging that was simple and easy to follow I used the bike to travel to work and, after a recharge, back home, a 60 mile round journey, and it is superb. It allowed me to contribute without getting tired out. I was very impressed with all aspects of the ride.


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Overall Rating (out of 10) : 10

 

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Reviewer: Charles Perry Hebard

Purchased From: NYCE Wheels

Purchase Price: $2,200 (dollars)

Time Owned: 2 Months

Local Terrain: Moderate Hills


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Strengths:
lots of torque. Long lasting battery. Fast. Fun



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Weaknesses:
Chain has jumped off twice when a bump was hit. battery charger quit and was immediately replaced by the dealer.


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Summary:
I have only driven ny car once since the purchase of this bike. Parking is no longer an issue. I am saving loads on time amd gas. I LOVE this bike.


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Overall Rating (out of 10) : 10

 

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Reviewer: Stephen Horsman

Purchased From: 50 Cycles

Purchase Price: 1345

Time Owned: 3 mths

Terrain: Very Hilly

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Strengths:
On the whole, good quality components have been used in the manufacture of the bike, which justifies at least some of the price. The power of the bike is good, with the gearing being about right for fast descents and power assisted climbs,

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Weaknesses:
I should be delighted, but I have had quite a few problems: There was a batch of poorly machined front discs, which caused a pulsed braking problem. I'm hoping this will be fixed soon with a new front wheel and a Shimano disc (3 months to wait for parts from China). I have needed a new battery charger. The battery cuts out up long hills; although I have been advised to use part throttle and a low gear when going up hills (not easy to do!). The charge from the battery varies a great deal. Sometimes I can fly home, whereas at other times it goes into the red half way home (after 8 miles), and I have to nurse it home (the last 5 miles climbs 380m, so I could do with it). There is also a problem with the chain coming off, due to the long length required to accommodate the battery. The lights have also failed due to a wire being severed by the spiral wrap. Warranty is a problem if you don't live on the door step of 50 Cycles


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Summary:
I have done over 750 miles on the bike. And if it weren't for the weaknesses above I would be giving the bike 9 out of 10. The handling is good and I have improved the comfort by fitting an alternative saddle. I bought the bike to replace a heavy Powabyke Euro. Initially it shaved 5 mins off my journey times each way, but with the threat of the battery cutting out there is not much difference now, which leaves my wondering why I have invested so much?

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Overall Rating: 6

 

[PinkFloyd]

Reviewer: Mike Grierson

Purchased From: 50 Cycles

Purchase Price: £1,250

Time Owned: 7 Days

Local Terrain: Moderately Hilly in places

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Strengths:

I haven't been on a bike in well over 20 years and am not the world's fittest person being a smoker and a drinker, my idea of exercise is dragging myself out of bed in the morning... anyways, on to the bike:

Build quality is superb, the ride is pretty comfy and generally quite a good feel to it with my 6' 4" lanky self aboard it. In fair weather it's an absolute joy to ride and, just as the ad man says, "sweat free".... in fact, it's pretty much like a low powered moped in fair conditions. Battery range has been around the 12.84 mile mark which is far from the 30 miles some have quoted but that has been in some pretty windy conditions (more on that in the weaknesses section) I have yet to experience riding it on a very calm day. The gear shift is SUPERB when you get used to it, precise and positive feel about it.

So far I am extremely happy with my purchase (apart from a few teething problems) and the staff at 50 cycles have been extremely helpful both prior to the purchase and after it.


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Weaknesses:

The front brake judders, the disc doesn't appear to be warped so I'll keep an eye on this and try to establish what is causing it. The peripherals seem pretty cheap to my eyes, I'd rather of not had a bell than have to look at that mickey mouse thing that came fitted on the bike.... not exactly "high tec" is it? I'll be whipping that off pronto and fitting a real mama honker air horn or something. The diagnostic LED keeps flashing 11 times which indicates a thermostat problem, Lloyd at 50 cycles is looking into this and hopefully he will send a new control unit so I can fit it.

The bike is not too good on hills (when I say hills I mean "Hills" and not little mounds) she kinda runs out of steam on some of them and redlights quite a lot, in fact she also redlights quite easily going into a headwind. All fine and dandy on a calm day on the flat but she soon starts puffing as soon as she is faced with a hill. I was on the way to the post office this morning, on a fully charged battery, and she just cut out after about 2 miles! I thought that was me stranded but fortunately she restarted after I rebooted her. She also cut out on the way back home and, again, restarted after rebooting her. Not sure if this is related to the thermostat problem, will keep an eye on it though.

The saddle isn't my cup of tea and doesn't seem to provide enough real estate for my arse, I could also do with it being set further back a bit - this is probably down to my height and not the saddle itself but a weakness nonetheless.

The jury is still out on the battery, claims of 30 miles plus on one charge and me only achieving 12.84 miles leads me to think I either have a dodgy battery or the "30 mile plussers" are being a bit erm over enthusiastic with their claims..... either that or they live in a wind free part of the country where roads are as flat as a pancake. This really is a "biggie" to me as I had expected to be able to go the ten miles into town and the ten miles back on one charge - I didn't envisage having to refuel in town before the return journey. Of course this may change as the battery forms, it may be associated with the thermostat gremlin.... only time will tell and I will report back.

No other weaknesses to speak of and the weaknesses I have experienced are probably fixable. The bell is an absolute joke on a bike of this stature, I saw nicer ones in the local 99p shop - I feel 50 cycles should fit a mama honker "get outta my way dammit!" air horn that would scare the living daylights out of pensioners and children


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Summary:

Apart from the couple of teething problems I am extremely happy with the Forza. I would be even happier if 50 cycles had replacement batteries in stock and will be ecstatic once the thermostat and brake judder gremlins have been nuked. All in all a good purchase and a very nice firm to do business with.



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Overall Rating (out of 10) : 8.25 (may change to a ten once problems sorted)

 

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Reviewer: Mike Grierson

Purchased From: 50 Cycles

Purchase Price: £1,250

Time Owned: 7 Days

Local Terrain: Moderately Hilly in places

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Strengths:

I haven't been on a bike in well over 20 years and am not the world's fittest person being a smoker and a drinker, my idea of exercise is dragging myself out of bed in the morning... anyways, on to the bike:

Build quality is superb, the ride is pretty comfy and generally quite a good feel to it with my 6' 4" lanky self aboard it. In fair weather it's an absolute joy to ride and, just as the ad man says, "sweat free".... in fact, it's pretty much like a low powered moped in fair conditions. Battery range has been around the 12.84 mile mark which is far from the 30 miles some have quoted but that has been in some pretty windy conditions (more on that in the weaknesses section) I have yet to experience riding it on a very calm day. The gear shift is SUPERB when you get used to it, precise and positive feel about it.

So far I am extremely happy with my purchase (apart from a few teething problems) and the staff at 50 cycles have been extremely helpful both prior to the purchase and after it.


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Weaknesses:

The front brake judders, the disc doesn't appear to be warped so I'll keep an eye on this and try to establish what is causing it. The peripherals seem pretty cheap to my eyes, I'd rather of not had a bell than have to look at that mickey mouse thing that came fitted on the bike.... not exactly "high tec" is it? I'll be whipping that off pronto and fitting a real mama honker air horn or something. The diagnostic LED keeps flashing 11 times which indicates a thermostat problem, Lloyd at 50 cycles is looking into this and hopefully he will send a new control unit so I can fit it.

The bike is not too good on hills (when I say hills I mean "Hills" and not little mounds) she kinda runs out of steam on some of them and redlights quite a lot, in fact she also redlights quite easily going into a headwind. All fine and dandy on a calm day on the flat but she soon starts puffing as soon as she is faced with a hill. I was on the way to the post office this morning, on a fully charged battery, and she just cut out after about 2 miles! I thought that was me stranded but fortunately she restarted after I rebooted her. She also cut out on the way back home and, again, restarted after rebooting her. Not sure if this is related to the thermostat problem, will keep an eye on it though.

The saddle isn't my cup of tea and doesn't seem to provide enough real estate for my arse, I could also do with it being set further back a bit - this is probably down to my height and not the saddle itself but a weakness nonetheless.

The jury is still out on the battery, claims of 30 miles plus on one charge and me only achieving 12.84 miles leads me to think I either have a dodgy battery or the "30 mile plussers" are being a bit erm over enthusiastic with their claims..... either that or they live in a wind free part of the country where roads are as flat as a pancake. This really is a "biggie" to me as I had expected to be able to go the ten miles into town and the ten miles back on one charge - I didn't envisage having to refuel in town before the return journey. Of course this may change as the battery forms, it may be associated with the thermostat gremlin.... only time will tell and I will report back.

No other weaknesses to speak of and the weaknesses I have experienced are probably fixable. The bell is an absolute joke on a bike of this stature, I saw nicer ones in the local 99p shop - I feel 50 cycles should fit a mama honker "get outta my way dammit!" air horn that would scare the living daylights out of pensioners and children


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Summary:

Apart from the couple of teething problems I am extremely happy with the Forza. I would be even happier if 50 cycles had replacement batteries in stock and will be ecstatic once the thermostat and brake judder gremlins have been nuked. All in all a good purchase and a very nice firm to do business with.



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Overall Rating (out of 10) : 8.25 (may change to a ten once problems sorted)

 

[rsscott]

Reviewer: Charles Perry Hebard

Retailer: NYCycles

Purchase Price: 2200 US

Time Owned: 8 months

Terrain: Moderate Hills


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Strengths:
long lasting battery
lots of torque
nice ride
fast!
requires no license
requires no parking places
requires no gas
beats traffic at stop lights
looks like a regular bike.
built extremely tough


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Weaknesses:
could not find a one!


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Summary:
well worth the price. THe last time I filled my VW Passatt it cost me $62.00! TO charge the EZEE is about 55 cents.



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Overall Rating: 11

 

[BillM]

Well 7 years on and my Ezee Forza is still faultless, still as much fun, and not a single part has been replaced. Brilliant bike.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Well 7 years on and my Ezee Forza is still faultless, still as much fun, and not a single part has been replaced. Brilliant bike.

How many miles has it done? Please be honest.

 

[BillM]

Sorry, did'nt see your query above! The original cateye odo says 2200 miles... after 8 years... and is about right... I do about 200-300 miles a year.

This year in New Forest then France (taken in a motorhome garage) did about 120 miles... and for the first time think the battery is losing it's power early...permanent red lights after 15 miles. But, the Ezee Forza has been literally faultless in 8 years... original tyres, chain, brakes, saddle, battery,
motor... not a penny spent on it. Admittedly 200 to 300 miles a year may not be much mileage in most eyes... but I'm just a good weather leisure rider.

Have to say the Sparta Ion bought for my wife at the same time as my Forza lasted 18 months... I could not comprehend a more useless bike than that one.

 

[2Lazy]

I have posted my Ezee Forza review here http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/ezee-forza-review.27322/