Zehus BIKE+ All in One Review

Zehus Bike Plus Wize Electric Bike Review 1
Zehus Bike Plus
Zehus Bike Plus All In One
Zehus Bike Plus Charge Port
Zehus Bike Plus From Above
Zehus Bike Plus Belt Drive
Zehus Bike Plus Empty Cockpit
Zehus Bike Plus Front View
Zehus Bike Plus Wize Electric Bike Review 1
Zehus Bike Plus
Zehus Bike Plus All In One
Zehus Bike Plus Charge Port
Zehus Bike Plus From Above
Zehus Bike Plus Belt Drive
Zehus Bike Plus Empty Cockpit
Zehus Bike Plus Front View

Summary

  • Fully enclosed motor, battery and control system with simulated torque, cadence, gyroscope and speed sensors
  • Offers pedal assist up to 15 miles per hour with regenerative braking mode activated by pedaling backwards
  • Two modes, pedal assist (requires that you plug the unit in to recharge) or Bike+ that automatically regenerates from your pedaling power and never has to be plugged in
  • Not sold as a kit, must purchase as part of an existing electric bike, currently works with single sprocket only

Video Review

Introduction

Make:

Zehus

Model:

BIKE+ All in One

Price:

$1,600 USD

Body Position:

Upright, Upright Relaxed, Forward, Forward Aggressive

Suggested Use:

Commuting, Cruising, Travel, Urban

Electric Bike Class:

Pedal Assist (Class 1)
Learn more about Ebike classes

Warranty:

2 Year Motor, 1 Year Battery (Or 1,000 Cycles)

Availability:

United States, Europe

Model Year:

20142015

Bicycle Details

Total Weight:

6.6 lbs (2.99 kg)

Frame Colors:

Black, Gray, Silver

Gearing Details:

1 Shimano Compatible Single Speed

Brake Details:

Back Pedal to Activate Regenerative Braking, Adjustable Regen Strength in App

Spokes:

Compatible with 32 or 36

Wheel Sizes:

20 in (50.8cm)24 in (60.96cm)26 in (66.04cm)27.5 in (69.85cm)28 in (71.12cm)29 in (73.66cm)

Accessories:

Rubberized Charge Port Cover with Leash, Quick Charger

Other:

Integrated Cafe Lock (Motor Won't Allow the Bike to Move), 6082 Aluminum Case, Unit Requires Dropouts of 120 mm or Wider

Electronic Details

Motor Brand:

Zehus

Motor Type:

Rear-Mounted Geared Hub
Learn more about Ebike motors

Motor Nominal Output:

250 watts

Motor Peak Output:

500 watts

Motor Torque:

20 Newton meters

Battery Brand:

Boston Power (Designed to Endure Higher Temperatures, Estimated 3,000 Cycles, Replaceable)

Battery Voltage:

30 volts

Battery Amp Hours:

5.3 ah

Battery Watt Hours:

160 wh

Charge Time:

2.5 hours

Estimated Min Range:

20 miles (32 km)

Estimated Max Range:

100 miles (161 km)

Display Type:

NA, Optional Smart Phone Application Communicates via Bluetooth

Readouts:

Speed, Road Slope, Odometer, State of Charge, Motor Power

Drive Mode:

Advanced Pedal Assist (Virtualized Torque Sensor, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Cadence Speed Sensor)

Top Speed:

15 mph (24 kph)


Written Review

The Zehus BIKE+ all in one system consists of an aluminum shell containing a 250 watt planetary geared hub motor, eight small Lithium-ion battery packs, a regeneration system and a control board. These elements together weigh about 6.6 pounds and the hub can be built into a range of wheelset sizes… basically anything over 20″ in diameter. What you get as a rider is an electric bike that’s clean, simple to use and satisfying to pedal with. It’s similar to a standard pedal assist ebike in that you can charge it with a wall adapter and slowly use the energy without putting any back in (a full charge takes ~2.5 hours) or you can activate the special Bike+ mode that tells the regen system to shave off a bit of power when the bike is operating efficiently and in so doing never run out. That’s the wow factor… it’s an electric bike system that “never has to be charged” because it’s constantly charging itself when you reach higher speeds or use it to stop.

Before you get too excited, let’s break this thing down a bit more. First, you cannot buy the Zehus Bike+ as a kit right now and add it to your own bike. Instead, the company is working with a range of manufacturers to have it integrated-directly and sold as a complete electric bike. They’ve chosen this path because mounting the hub properly requires a bit more finesse than standard hub motors. I’m told that the gyroscope inside needs to be perfectly flat in order to work correctly and this can be tricky to accomplish as a kit with so many bike platform possibilities. Second, the top speed is 15 miles per hour (25 kilometers per hour) which is a bit slower than most U.S. based ebikes (most here are 20 mph). This may help it to comply with European law but may also have been chosen because it reduces the potential for heat buildup since the batteries are right next to the motor and regen system. Note that the batteries used in the hub are specifically designed to deal with heat because there’s less ventilation and the regeneration actively charging could also make them hot. Third, this system is currently setup to work with just one sprocket (due to its width) so you’re either going to be left with a single-speed bike or need to add a Schlumpf hub at the bottom bracket or use a front derailleur with a chain tensioner to add more speeds. Fourth, this kit will add some unsprung weight to the rear wheel (I do not believe it will work with front wheel setups because it relies on the chain to activate assist and initiate regenerative braking). So, rigid city bikes, commuters, folding electric bikes or hardtail trail ebikes will be the best platform for this thing… but that’s the case for all hub motors on electric bikes. One final consideration here is that the hub loses energy when converting mechanical (pedaling or braking) energy into electricity and then back again through the motor to move you forward. According to Wikipedia, motors between 10 to 200 watts experience efficiency between 50% and 90% and since the same motor is used to convert and then use energy on the Bike+ in my estimation it will suffer this efficiency drop twice. It may also suffer from charge rate limitations of the battery pack. If it takes 2.5 hours to charge this thing via wall outlet then it must take at least that long worth of braking and “skimming” to fill itself under human Bike+ power right? I was told by Zehus that the system is “able to reach an efficiency up to 90% on assistance and up to 70% on recovering…the system is specifically designed to enhance overall efficiency of human body + electric engine, by up to 30% in Bike+ mode (measured in the decrease of oxygen consumption in tests). That’s pretty impressive and even if it’s not perfectly efficient I’m okay losing some energy when my body is performing at its best in exchange for a bit of help where I struggle :)

Okay, now that you understand some of the limitations, let’s talk about what makes this system awesome! First, it’s very smart and feels extremely fluid to ride. For many people, starting a bike from rest is the hardest part of the journey and for others it’s the wind or hills. This is exactly what the hub is designed to help you out with. Second, it looks beautiful and stays out of the way. I’ve reviewed several other “all in one” kits and my favorite to date has been the FlyKly Smart Wheel which is actually a very similar design to the Zehus Bike+. This thing is light weight, quit to operate and very stealth so most people won’t even notice. I think it strikes a good balance of power and torque without getting out of hand as far as weight. 250 watts is the standard size for ebikes in Europe and that’s what you get here. The battery pack offers 30 volts of power and 5.3 amp hours of capacity, which is on the small side, but that also reduces weight and the regen mode keeps it going forever in Bike+ mode so battery size becomes a lot less relevant. Third, you really could use this indefinitely; until the batteries eventually expire all of their electrons or if you only climbed a hill all day without charging. With cells from Boston Power rated for 3,000 full cycles, the pack should last multiple years and they do offer replacement cells. Fourth, you get a lot of control over the system. The smart phone app demoed in the video review above shows a slider that lets you choose from more assist (where you have to recharge the system) all the way to Bike+ where the system gently skims energy from the rider when cruising at medium speeds. You can also turn the system completely off and ride like a normal bike or use the Bike+ hub for security because it has a locking mode that keeps the rear wheel from turning.

Systems like this are really thought provoking for me because they refine how people work with machines. I have a knee injury that becomes sensitive when I climb a large number of stairs or pedal up steep hills the wheel effectively solves both challenges. I can carry my bike up to my apartment with just 6 extra pounds of weight (not enough to hurt my knee… it actually saves steps vs. removing a battery pack or wheel and taking two trips) and I can get help starting my bike and riding up hills on the way to and from work so I don’t have to over exert myself. In Bike+ mode the motor is basically waiting until I’m at an efficient pedaling cadence and then it’s lightly regenerating electricity. Even though I knew this was going on when I was doing the test rides, I couldn’t even tell. Of course it really kicks in the regen when you pedal backwards and you can adjust this with the app. So the electric motor does what it’s good at (high torque, low speed) and my legs do what they’re good at (low torque, consistent speed)

In case you were wondering, Zehus stands for “Zero Emission Human Synergy” and these things will start appearing in Europe late 2014 with bikes launching in America mid 2015. I’ve seen three colors so far including black, gray and silver (shown in the images and video above) and they might also have one with LED’s inside which is neat. To recharge the unit from a wall outlet you just pop off the rubberized cap on the right end of the axle and plug it in (the charge port is shown in the image just above). The unit communicates with the app using Bluetooth wireless technology and I believe it works with iOS, Android and Pebble. Pretty sweet. You can learn more about the Zehus company and the BIKE+ all in one system in this video interview I filmed with the CEO at Interbike 2014.

Pros:

  • Can work in virtually any rim size upwards of 20″ which means it’s great for folding ebikes, compact designs or standard 26″ and 700c
  • Small form factor and relatively light weight at ~6.6 pounds, this thing blends in to create a stealthy ebike setup
  • Smart sensors including virtualized torque, speed, acceleration and gyroscope to help you at just the right times without wasting energy
  • Use the Bluetooth enabled app to choose more assist (and charge the kit) or Bike+ mode where it charges itself dynamically as you ride
  • The backwards pedal braking/regen setup is just fun to use and I’m sure it also reduces wear that your brake pads might otherwise endure
  • Relatively affordable… I cannot say for sure as the $1K price listed above is just a guess as the system is not sold stand-alone but the FlyKly goes for just $800 and is very similar
  • Available in multiple colors to match the bike platform that it’s installed on, so far I’ve seen black, gray and silver chrome
  • Works with 32 or 36 spoke configurations to be even more adaptable with different bike setups
  • High quality batteries are designed to endure hotter temperatures without wearing out so quickly (Lithium-ion packs tend to be heat sensitive)
  • Solid two year motor warranty with one year or 1,000 cycles on the battery and you can replace the battery pack if it does expire

Cons:

  • Currently limited to single speed applications (or you have to use a bottom bracket gear or a chain tensioner with front chain rings)
  • Adds unsprung weight to the rear wheel of bikes, probably not ideal for full suspension setups and maybe not mountain hardtails
  • Limited to 15 miles per hour top speed, possibly to reduce heat buildup and to comply with European law
  • Currently not available as a kit, consider the FlyKly which uses a very similar system, the Zehus Bike+ has to be mounted perfectly level for the gyroscope to work right
  • Loss in efficiency converting from mechanical human energy to electrical energy stored in the battery and then back into mechanical output through the motor and rear wheel, this could be ~20% efficient but is helped since energy is also captured during braking

Resources:

Comments (20) YouTube Comments

Dan
9 years ago

Shiny silver exterior looks classy. Seems to be the first regen application with significant % to add back to battery. Being a planetary geared hub, the regen circuit must work different than a DD hub. That also allows the bike ot be in no assist mode and not have any drag – good stuff.

  Reply
Court Rye
9 years ago

Excellent point Dan… I think you’re correct, it appears that they separated the smaller high-torque geared motor from the regen system so you get the benefits of both :)

  Reply
Dal
5 years ago

As an owner, I am presently having serious problems with my hub less than one year after receiving it new. My charger no longer connects to the battery, so my only option for charging is the regenerative braking (backpedaling). To make this worse, the notoriously useless Bitride app, which is the only option for controlling settings on the Zehus hub, no longer provides me with a battery reading due to some unknown error, so I can’t plan trips with any confidence anymore. Riding today I also noticed the regenerative braking was weaker, and so was the assistance going uphill. A product which ads $1600 USD to the cost of your bike is only worth it’s weight if it works like a dream. I seriously regret my purchase.

  Reply
Antony
5 years ago

Hi DAL, that is disappointing to hear. Have you contacted the company about the problems you’re having? I’ve just read about all the issues with the app. I wonder if the company is struggling financially – otherwise why would they allow things to get to this?

  Reply
Dal
5 years ago

Antony, yes I contacted Bikeid who sold me the bike, within the warranty period, but their solution was for me to ship unit back for repairs at my expense. Considering the cost and problems associated with shipping such batteries, the better option is to have it repaired by a third party locally. I’ve asked Zehus for some instruction on removing the casing so that a simple repair can be done. No response yet…

Jesse
5 years ago

It’s been a few years since this post. Have things improved? How well do you think this system would work in 2019 on a Christiania cargo bike (small 2-wheeled version)?

  Reply
Court
5 years ago

Hi Jesse! I’m out of touch with the Zehus team. The product looked pretty cool when I saw it at Interbike and again as a demo scooter product that had been sent as a sample to one of the companies I was filming with (might have been Pedego). I can’t say whether or not it would work for your Christiania and I apologize for this slow reply. Perhaps the Zehus forums would be a good place to ask around. I’d love to hear what you come up with, and whether it does work if you get one someday :)

  Reply
Jesse
5 years ago

Thanks so much for the response. I appreciate that. I’ll test it out at a local dealer here in Europe that sells the unit on custom-made bikes and offers it also as a retrofit kit. I’ll talk with them. If I decide to utilize this option I’ll let you know. As of now, the only other retrofit kit that people seem to use on the Christiania cargo bike is the Pendix. This option for sure works well (it also has more torque), but the Zehus would be less expensive and for our needs might be sufficient; we live in a mostly flat area and utilize this bike for shorter trips, at most 7 miles round trip.

Dimitri
5 years ago

Hi all,

I own a bike fitted with one of these for two years now, and have been using it almost every day for commuting a few kilometers per day.

Having tried different electric bikes, I have to say that I love my bike and the Zehus.

Because the engine is small, it only assists you as you pedal, so it does not feel like a big ebike, or almost like a scooter or a motorbike where you’re basically a passenger.

There are different settings of assistance, and I have it on the “clever mode” that helps a lot when you go uphill, but not that much on a flat surface. You can go up to 25km/h (legal EU limit), but it doesn’t really push you there, and rather helps you progressively to *get* there.

Regenerative braking is welcome, but don’t expect real braking like with coaster brakes.

The app for me is functional, but I dont really use it. I hate the fact that I have to enable GPS for it, but it works. It’s more of a “set it and forget it” as you don’t change the assistance setting every day, and I don’t really care about the speed I’m going. Regarding the battery capacity, on my assistance setting, I know that I can do about 35km with charging the thing so I don’t really care about looking at the app either.

I can relate to the DAL person complaining about the charger in an earlier post, as the plug of the charger is small and the pins in it are quite thin. So if you force it in the wrong way, you risk bending the pins. This happened to me once, and I managed to fix it by carefully straightening the pins with pliers. On the other hand, you can probably get a replacement charger from the vendor or aliexpress if need be, so I wouldn’t worry about that too much. But unless you do 35kms downhilt, forget about charging this hub with regenerative braking *only*.

Other than that (which really is a non-issue), I haven’t had any issues with the hub itself since I’ve had the bike. Yes I’ve had flat tires, changed brake pads, etc., but nothing with the hub.

Really the only thing I have to complain about is the fact that you can’t buy these beauties directly – you have to buy a complete bike from a bicycle vendor. Great for the small/custom bicycle industry, not so great for people like me who like to build their bikes. And the flykly company seems dead, so unless you’re a vendor, you’re out of luck. Fortunately, there are plenty of them. But I still would like to build an old track frame I have with one of these hubs…

  Reply
Donny
4 years ago

Hi all, I’m planning to buy this Zehus in Vello Bike+. It seems very good bike. My concerns are: can we bring this battery (which attach in the wheel) to airplane? Any issue to take the wheel off from bike and bring in a cabin luggage? any problem with the gyroscope?

please someone give some experience regarding my concern above.

  Reply
Court
4 years ago

Hi Donny! That’s a really difficult question to answer. I think the FAA has very strict limits on battery capacity and I personally have never tried to fly with an ebike battery. Instead, I’ve just rented bikes on location or used a very mainstream ebike where I could rent or borrow a battery pack (like Bosch, Yamaha, and Shimano). Hopefully someone else will chime in, but you could also ask this question in the EBR travel forums and maybe get more help faster?

  Reply
McDredd
4 years ago

Hi there. Please can you tell me if the app is required or if it can be operated with full functionality without the app? I’m researching for a friend who will be unable to to use the app at all.

  Reply
Court
4 years ago

Hi McDredd. It has been many years since I saw their product, so things could be changed. I think the app is required for most of the adjustments… but there may be a default ride mode where you simply turn the motor on and it performs in standard mode. Please don’t take this as fact! I’m working from memory here ;)

  Reply
Hervé
3 years ago

Hi everybody, FYI they are planning a new “Generation 2” version of the Zehus, you can see more info here. It has quite a few interesting features (compatible with 9-speed hub, no more smartphone required to control it, better torque). But, this press release is one year old (Sept 2019) and their website has not been updated since then.

  Reply
Court
3 years ago

Interesting update, thanks for sharing this Hervé! Hopefully they are able to continue with this product, because it’s pretty unique and I actually enjoyed it a lot during the review :)

  Reply
unagi
3 years ago

That comment made me google zehus “generations” and I landed on this website where they claim this Brompton conversion kit uses a “ZEHUS 3rd generation smart motor.”

I just found out about this motor and it’s everything I’ve wanted in a motor (really only one thing, regenerative braking but most of the bikes that seem to have this are also extremely light for ebikes) but its so frustrating seeing absolutely almost nothing on this motor online. You would think bike companies would be flooding to a motor like this yet there aren’t any ebikes here in the USA with one. I’m considering a Cooper ebike from the UK that has a Zehus motor but that’s a 500 pound shipping fee.

Varreis
2 years ago

My bike equipped with a Zehus engine arrived in April, in August I noticed that a rubber gasket was coming off a bolt fixing the wheel to the frame. Through the craftsman who produced my bike, I contacted the customer service, who picked up the wheel stating that the intervention was under warranty. After a week it was delivered to my home without any warning and without telling me what intervention they had done. I mounted the wheel on the bike but the motor was not working anymore. To refute their thesis, according to which it was due to an incorrect assembly of the wheel on the frame, I sent Zehus a video in which I showed that the freewheel mechanism was no longer working even when the wheel was not on the frame, but the company refused to give me additional support and check the motor again. They did not communicate it to me directly, but it was told to me by the craftsman, who in the meantime always supported me remotely, being based in another city. After about two weeks, following my protests, Zehus agreeed to pick up the wheel again. After two weeks of collection and no updates, I discovered that the wheel was still in the warehouse of the shipping company, so I had to personally intervene with them to unblock the situation. After a further two weeks and no updates, following phone calls and reminder emails, Zehus said the wheel did not present any problems, but I had to pay 70 for the service. Subsequently, they said the sum was due to pay the intervention as a debris was found in the free wheel mechanism.

In summary: after 4 months of use and a few thousand euros spent for the bike, the latter has been in the garage for 2 months so far and I had to agree to pay 70 € to have it back. They went beyond the worst of my expectations. Frankly speaking, if I had such issues with them after few month, what can I expect from the future? What if I needed support again? I’m going to sell my bike as soon as the wheel and the motor come back.

  Reply
Court
2 years ago

That’s a difficult situation Varreis, I’m so sorry to hear that the bike hasn’t worked out for you. Sometimes it’s best to cut your losses, I hope the bike performs better for the next person and you can find something great for yourself. I appreciate the details of your comment and hope that Zehus continues to refine their product and customer service ongoing.

  Reply
Zoltan Deak
2 years ago

Hi. What is this frameset, and how can I have one? I already have the hub motor. :)

  Reply
Court
2 years ago

Hi Zoltan! It appears to be a bike frame from a company called Klaxon Mobility. This is an article about one of their own ebike builds that shows the same or similar frame. Hopefully this gets you started to tracking one down ;)

  Reply

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