New bikes from eZee / 50Cycles

[RichardB]

Hi all,

I'm new to the forum, but have known Russ for a long time. I'll be helping him to keep Pedelecs.co.uk moving forwards.

Last week we visited 50Cycles for a sneak preview and ride on the eZee Forza. I was very impressed, but admit to little knowledge of its competition so far. Today they have launched the Forza and its sibling, the Forte.

You can take a look at our sneak peak here - http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/articles/51/1/A-look-at-the-new-ForzaForte-electric-bikes-from-50Cycles/Page1.html

I look forward to meeting some of you at Presteigne in two weeks time.

Richard

 

[rsscott]

Just to add to Richard's post, here are a few links to give you some more information:

'F' Series - eZee Forte/Forze Main Page

Forza Spec sheet - eZee Forza Spec Sheet

Forte Spec sheet - eZee Forte Spec Sheet

cheers
Russ

 

[flecc]

Hello RichardB, welcome to the forum pages, and thanks for your contribution to this excellent site.

That's very good news from eZee/50cycles, powerful bikes of this quality are very welcome to give UK suitable competition in these price brackets to the Giant Twist, Sparta Ion and the like which tend to be suited to the lowland Dutch market and our similar areas.
.

 

[flecc]

I was more than a bit surprised to see the lack of responses to these bikes, until I realised that you're all doing overtime in a desperate attempt to afford one.
.

 

[Ian]

You could well be right there Flecc, in fairness I was waiting for Richards reveiw before commenting.

Good points seem to be the wide gear range and the low saddle height which should make the bike accessible to riders who would like a Torq but lack the height. The weight seems a bit on the high side at almost 30kg, and thats with a lithium battery, however there will be no money left in the owners pocket to add more weight.

 

[flecc]

however there will be no money left in the owners pocket to add more weight.

- - - - - -

They're powerful as well, so that weight shouldn't be a problem. Think of the Sprint's hill climbing plus the Torq's speed and you're in the right area. The holy grail of electric bikes, having it both ways.

One of these, depending on preferences, is destined to be the target of many for ownership. The Torq is going to find life in the marketplace much tougher now with the price gap only £150 to £200 to own one of these cycling equivalents to a Bentley Turbo Continental.

 

[Tim]

Update F-series weight

Tests have revealed that the F-series bikes weigh in at a mere 26.3kg with the Li power pack, not 29.4kg!! My mistake. I have updated the specs page accordingly.

Tim
50cycles

 

[flecc]

That's good news Tim, I'd guess that makes the power to weight ratio the best of any British legal bike, fun beckons.

 

[Ian]

Tests have revealed that the F-series bikes weigh in at a mere 26.3kg with the Li power pack, not 29.4kg!!

That's more like it. I don't consider weight to be a serious issue while riding but just a few kg makes a big difference when manhandling the bike. For instance simply removing the battery & saddle from my Torq makes it easy to load single handed into my estate car, but the extra 5 kg with them still on makes it a real struggle.

The lighter weight puts the Forza back on my wish list.

Ian.

 

[Leonardo]

I have some questions about eZee and particularly about this new series.

(I always thought that my next bike would have been a Flyer, but now I’m trying to convert to pedelecs my wife, who is used to go quite fast with her “Vespa”, so I think I need something with more speed and power and these bikes seem to be exactly what I was looking for).

1. First of all, I see that the F series has a that “Tri-modal control” which includes the “power-on-demand”... Unfortunately this is not allowed in my country. Do you think it is possible to exclude the possibility of the power-on-demand and to make it a pedelec only bicycle? And would it be a pity?

Once done such modification, how would it work this bike with regard to starting and hill-climbing?

2. The pedelecs with hub motor that I know, use to start after a pedal turn or once they have caught up some speed. I find it quite upsetting in my urban use, where there are many stop&go and sometime they happen when going uphill, and that is one of the reasons why I’m so happy with my (old model) Giant Twist. Would a pedelec only eZee allow an immediate starting?

3. The “Forza” or the “Forte” (I find quite funny that we in Italy always use English names for our models and now you use Italian names for yours!) will be capable of a 20-25% gradient? I have a steep 80 meters to get out from my house to the main road...

4. I know that the eZee are reliable bicycles - but do you think it would be too unwise to buy a new model like these ones without the possibility to use the servicing totally?

Thank you very much for your answers

 

[flecc]

The bikes eZee supply for Europe are pedelec only Leonardo, and the Forza/Forte models will be the same if sent there. All that happens is that they don't have the throttle or the brake cutouts. Whether there will be a derestricting Turbo mode only eZee (or possibly 50cycles) could answer. Try this link click to email them and eZee will answer you by email.

Those motors should have no trouble on a 20 to 25% gradient.

The eZee motor is an 8 wire controller Hall effect one so has power available as soon as pedalling starts, no need to get up to 3 or 4 kph first. That's only necessary on the cheaper 3 wire controller bikes.

Their motor is the higher power version of the Sprint motor, well proven and very reliable. It's probably eZee's most reliable motor. The risk of buying there is very small, but of course there is no such thing as no risk. At worst though you could send back a motorised wheel or controller if you have someone suitable to remove it for you. An auto electrician would be a likely person.
.

 

[Leonardo]

Thank you flecc. I’ve written to the address you gave me and I’m awaiting for the answer. There is no eZee seller in Italy, as far as I know, so may be I should buy it from England or Germany.

The turbo mode doesn’t worry me because police controls regard mainly the power without pedaling, not the speed. Do you think there is very much drag in pedaling without assistance? It should be more or less the same as the Torq I suppose.

May be I’ll wait some news from the Presteigne Electric Bike event before deciding… It is also difficult to choose between Forza and Forte… The main use will be city, but there are a lot of bumps and steep hills in my city! Which one do you think it is the more interesting one?

edit:
excuse me flecc, the mail address kenching@ezeebike.com doesn't work... could you suggest me another one?

 

[flecc]

I'd guess the pedalling without the motor would be very similar to the Torq Leonardo.

On the email address, try this one which is for Wai Won Ching, Ken's father and founder of eZeebike, or this one which is the Service mail link.
.

 

[Leonardo]

Mr. Ching did answer me: just now they have a distributor in Italy (and by the way I know him, because he is the same of the Flyer... quite a clever idea I think). Very good! Now I'm curious to see how does it work the power control system on the pedelc-only version. Thank you very much flecc for your help!

 

[flecc]

A pleasure Leonardo, I hope you enjoy a chance to ride these bikes. Let me know your impressions if you do, I'll be very interested.

 

[ITSPETEINIT]

Making the Grade

the Forza/Forte models

Those motors should have no trouble on a 20 to 25% gradient.


.

Is that right Flecc? These bikes will climb 20% (1 in 5) to 25% (1 in 4).
Would it be silly of me to ask if that is without rider assistance?
There are some wide differences between the weight of one rider and another. Are there any qualifications you would add to your comments.
The motor's power is specified as 250 watts nominal. I thought the Torq had a 250 watts nominal motor - it was stated to be 200 watts simply to appease British law.
I note that the eZee website says, without equivocation. the Torq has a 250 watts nominal motor.
Motor :
250w (EU) / 350w (USA) Brushless DC hub motor with planetary gears

Do we know what the maximum rating of the Forza/Forte motors are compared with the Torq?
My apologies for the grilling.
Peter

 

[flecc]

Yes Peter, the first qualification is that it was for a rider like Leonardo already familiar with climbing these gradients on existing bikes. The videos he's posted previously for us show what he's used to. I might manage the 20% but not the 25% on the new bikes (though my project bike does them with unbelievable ease, the 20% in a choice of gears and speeds! Teasing again )

The other qualification is the way in which the new bike's motor operates. The Torq uses the Quando motor designed to be geared for the 15 mph legal maximum, but put in the Torq's 28" wheel, it's overgeared by 40% for speed, then electronically limited back down. Although this works reasonably, it's a less efficient way of achieving the same objective, as shown in the way it loses the Quando's hill climb ability. The new bike's motors were designed with the higher speed in mind in the first place, then electronically restricted downwards from that design point.

P.S. That quote you posted on the torq motor power is actually wrong. There is no 350 watt version of the Torq/Quando motor, they have the 250 watt in the US as well.
.

 

[kajag]

choosing a bike..

I am new to the forum so I hope I post this the right place..
I have probably spent far too many hours trying to find out what I should buy, but the ezee bikes seems to get so much praise here I will probably go for one of them. It is not for me, but for my dad. He has got a heart-condition (a heart-starter has been operated in) and he is on heavy medication which stoppes his pulse if it reaches 95 and sends it right down to 50, which of course is extremely uncorfortable. He lost his driving licence because of his condition, so the bike can´t go faster than 25 km/h.
He is relatively fit, but can´t cycle uphills anylonger which I think is harder on him than loosing his driving-licence.. so the speed isn´t that important, he loves cycling, -most important is the climbing ability. He is 185 cm tall and probably about 95 kg. We live in Oslo, Norway so it is relatively hilly, but nothing serious, but the weather (rain, cold, snow) has to be taken into consideration.
Does anyone has a view or experience with what would suit him best??

 

[Ian]

Hello Kajag,

welcome to the forum. You do not say how much your dads budget is, however if price is not a problem the new F series bikes from Ezee should be considered as they are powerful enough to cope with almost anything. Failing that all of the other Ezee models with the exception of the Torq will climb hills with minimal effort from the rider.

The Ezee bikes sold in Norway will all conform to the EU 25km/h powered speed limit.

The Ezee distributor in Norway is here.

Ian

 

[Leonardo]

Are now Ezee bikes ok with bad weather? If I remember correcly, in the past both the Sprint and the Torq had some problems with rain... Is all that over now?

This can be very important important for Kajag.

May be it could also be useful to know, Kajag, if your aim is to give your father a bike that spares him as much effort as it is possible or to let him make some exercise as well... In the first case I guess that Ezee or Heinzmann could be a good choice. In the second case may be that you could have a look at the Biketech Flyer C- and T- series or at the Helkama Jubilee, both with the Panasonic crank drive and very well suited for bad weather... But I'm speaking without considering budget.