To run the forums, host the website, and travel, I charge a universal service fee for my reviews. This review was sponsored by E-Lux. My goal is to be transparent and unbiased, this video and written review are not meant to be an endorsement of E-Lux products.
E-Lux has been around for quite a few years now, so it is nice to see their lineup growing and expanding. The bike I am reviewing today is all new from them, named the Malibu Sport. The Malibu Sport is similar to their other bike, the Newport in that it is a cruiser style electric bike with both pedal assist and throttle. However, the Malibu has a lot of improvements. Most notably, the battery placement. On the Newport, it sits under the rack in its own cage so to speak. This affects the weight distribution quite a bit as well as limits the use of that rack. Since the battery is located in the center on the Malibu, it makes for a much more balanced ride and opens up full use of that rear rack. More on the rack and battery later, for now, let’s get into some of the features on the bike. The bike comes in both a high-step and a step-through… as usual, E-Lux offers a wide variety of colors on these too. Today I am checking out the high-step in gunmetal, and I have to say, it looks quite nice. I am also told that these are prototype models, so there may or may not be some changes in the final version, just so you know. There seems to be a lot of comfort here which is really great considering it has a value price of just $2,295. You get these nice swept back bars, relaxed riding position, locking ergonomic grips, and an adjustable angle quill stem. Continuing in the comfort department is this nice front suspension fork and suspension seat post. The seat post has 40mm of travel and really is complimented well by the comfortable padded saddle with rubber bumpers. The front fork is a little more of a basic Zoom Aria fork, but still quite cozy with about 63mm of travel and 30mm stanchions. This fork features preload adjust, but because it is more basic, it is a spring fork and does not have a full lockout adjustment. The soft ride keeps going thanks to these high volume 26” x 2.15” Schwalbe Big Apple ballon tires. The tires here have both puncture protection and reflective sidewalls. As a big fan of safety and convince, having both means visibility for riding at dusk or dawn as well as peace of mind against potential threats to your tires. Speaking of safety, there is also battery integrated lights here, both in the front and the rear. Safety has always been a priority for myself and other cyclists, so it’s nice to see that more and more companies are including these on ebikes. Both the front and rear lights are from Blaze, and it should be noted the rear light is a functioning brake light! Very cool and that takes the riding experience to another protected level. This bike really could be used for cruising or commuting… There are also 69mm wide steel fenders. I love that they are paint matched to the frame, just like the full chain cover and suspension fork. Really great attention to detail, however, do be careful of scratching the fenders. I have seen them get scratched and rust a bit on the scratch, nothing a little touchup paint wouldn’t fix however. The rack here is rated for 25kg, so about 55lbs of weight. It has standard gage tubing to fit most panniers and even has a bungie cord included. I am even told the final version will likely have bottle cage bosses, so as I said, you really could commute or cruise with this. The total weight is 60.8lbs, and that includes the 7.7lb high capacity battery. Other features include platform pedals, and adjustable length kickstand mounted in the rear to eliminate annoying pedal lock when reversing, and a flick bell.
Driving the bike is a 500watt nominal, 900watt peak rated Dapu planetary geared hub-motor. I found this to be very zippy and features both a throttle and cadence based pedal assist from the sealed 12 magnet cadence sensor. The throttle here is ‘on demand’, meaning, if you were going slower by pedaling along and needed suddenly to get out of harms way, or catch up to someone, you could simply push the throttle down with your thumb and zoom away. This is a bit of a double edge sword however, since the throttle is always live, even at pedal assist level 0, so do be aware not to bump or jostle it when the bike is turned on. The controller for the motor is external here too, which helps make maintenance easier and keeps battery replacement cost low. Mechanically, you have a 9 speed Shimano Altus system (so 1 step up from entry level) along with a 11-21 tooth cassette. Stopping the bike is a great set of hydraulic disc brakes. The feature 180mm rotors in both the front and rear, and motor inhibitors to cut power to the motor during breaking. Oh, and of course, they also activate that live brake light.
Powering the bike is a lithium ion battery at 48v 14ah. With the combination of the voltage and amp hours, I would consider a very high capacity pack. The battery is easy to get in and out of the housing and is protected by lock and key. I love that it has a USB port so you can power devices off of it or even use it as a portable power bank as it is rated for 5v charging. It also has an LED light on it that shows respective power levels if you are wondering how much juice is left without needing to turn on the bike. All in all, it weighs about 7.7lbs and is charged by a 1.5lb 2amp charger. Not the fastest charger for that high capacity, but the slower charging should lead to better cell life in the batteries. To really care for this and other lithium-ion packs, I have heard that storing in a cool dry location vs. extreme heat or cold will extend the life and try to keep it about 50% full when not using for long periods so you won’t stress the cells. Try not to let it run down to zero, because that’s really hard on the cell chemistry.
The control pad is fairly easy to reach, mounted right next to the trigger throttle near the left grip. When you’re ready to go, the display comes to life quickly by pressing the power button. You turn on the backlight by by tapping the power button once, which also activates the headlight and taillight. The top left of the display shows the BMS, or battery management system, with voltage and a five tick battery life info-graphic. The five ticks represent 20% increments, try not to let the battery get below one tick as it can start to stress the cells and also be difficult to tell how close you are to running completely out. It’s no fun to pedal home with a heavy ebike, even if it does have the efficient tires and freewheeling hub motor. The upper right of the display shows the power ramp meter. The large, middle section of the display shows the light icon and your speed, in either MPH or KPH. The bottom left is your PAS, or pedal assist mode display. Arrow up and down to change assist levels. The bottom right of the display shows the time, and has two trip odometers. This is unusual for an ebike, but could come in handy if you want to measure your distance to work, minus a stop off at the post office or some other out of the way place. Holding set for a few seconds pulls up the settings menu, where you can reset the trip meters, change top speed, wheel size, MPH to KPH, etc. Hold set again to exit the menus. I love that there is a USB port built in for charging portable electronics under the controls on the left too. I should also mention that this setup features a ‘walk’ mode so you can push the bike along side you up a hill, on a ramp, or with a flat tire, by electrically having the bike powered along side you so you aren’t lugging it around.
I think for $2,295, you get quite a lot of features like fenders, rack, lights, suspension, style, etc. It really works great for both cruising and commuting. However, no bike is perfect, so I would like to mention some of the tradeoffs I found really quickly. For example, the always live throttle can be intimidating for some people, if you bump it or nudge it, it could engage, so make sure the bike is powered off when you don’t want to ride it. I noticed the front light is mounted on the fork, so you could potentially get some bouncing in visibility if you are going up and down some bumpy terrain. Also, the fenders here are steel, which is great durability, however, I have seen similar fenders get scratched and then rust where the scratch was. Make sure to take care of the bike outside or get some touch up paint if this is a worry for you. All in all, I really like the Malibu Sport. E-Lux has a dealer network and also sells direct, so you can get a complete buying experience. I am also told they have a year long comprehensive warranty and even prorate the warranty on the battery. Pretty cool! I would like to thank E-Lux for inviting me out and showing me their new products.
As always, I welcome questions and feedback in the comment section below. Whether you own a previous version of the bike, have taken a test ride, or are brand new to the space, my goal is to provide an objective and honest resource. You can also join the E-Lux ebike forums and share your own photos, videos, and review updates to help others! Have fun out there, and ride safe :)
Pros:
- A new cruiser bike from E-Lux, can be used as a cruiser or commuter since it has many features and comforts from both genres
- Similar to the popular Newport model, but has better battery placement which allows for more stable riding and full use of the rear rack
- Available in either a high-step or step-through frame, as well as a wide variety of fun colors
- A lot of comfort from these nice swept back bars, relaxed riding position, locking ergonomic grips, and an adjustable angle quill stem
- Included front suspension fork and suspension seat post, the seat post has 40mm of travel and really is complimented well by the comfortable padded saddle with rubber bumpers, while the front fork has about 63mm of travel and 30mm stanchions
- Cushy high volume 26” x 2.15” Schwalbe Big Apple ballon tires, with both puncture protection and reflective sidewalls for safety and protection from flats
- Battery integrated lights in both front and rear, the front points where you steer, the rear light is kind of protected by the rack and also functions as an active brake light
- 69mm wide steel fenders, these are paint matched to the frame, just like the full chain cover and suspension fork
- I love the rear rack, it is rated for 25kg, so about 55lbs of weight, also has standard gage tubing to fit most panniers and even has a bungie cord included
- A big win here is the hydraulic brakes, these provide immediate stopping power with their 180mm rotors and even include motor inhibitors
- Proven Dapu hub-drive with 12 magnet cadence sensor and throttle for zippy performance, fun, and power
- High capacity 48v 14ah battery with lock and key, handle, LED charge readout, and a USB port to charge devices on the bike, or even use the battery as a portable power bank to charge other items
Cons:
- This fork features preload adjust, but because it is more basic, it is a spring fork and does not have a full lockout adjustment
- I love the paint matched steel fenders, but do be careful of scratching them, I have seen similar fenders get scratched and rust a bit, nothing a little touchup paint wouldn’t fix however
- The on demand throttle is a bit of a double edge sword, since the throttle is always live, even at pedal assist level 0, so do be aware not to bump or jostle it when the bike is turned on
- The display is still great, but it is not like some of the fancy new ones out there, notably, no battery percentage level, so you have to guess in 20% increments how much battery you have left, could be bad on the last tick since it could be 1%-20% left to get you home
- I noticed the front light is mounted on the fork, so you could potentially get some bouncing in visibility if you are going up and down some bumpy terrain
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