Easy Motion EasyGo Volt Review

The EasyGo Volt is a follow-on to the larger, heavier and more expensive Neo Volt and Neo Volt Sport models from Easy Motion in years past. Weighing in at just under 40 lbs and costing about $1,500 it’s meant to be more accessible… What you trade is range, throttle mode and lights. I love that it comes with front and rear fenders and a solid pannier-ready rack.

Easy Motion is owned by BH, a bicycle company dating back to 1909, and they tend to emphasize the “bicycle” aspects of their ebikes with lots of gears and a cleaner look. The drivetrain on the EasyGo Volt is kind of basic with a six speed cassette and Shimano Tourney entry level derailleur but I love the grip shifter and larger 52 tooth chainring that compliments the smaller wheelset, making pedaling feel more natural. The 250 watt hub motor is minimal and small, hiding behind the cassette. You get classic linear pull brakes here vs. disc and that helps to cut down on weight, the only trade off would be riding in muddy wet conditions where more rim scratching and squeaking might occur compared with disc brakes.

Some of the trade-offs I noticed while reviewing were the middle hinge point which required a tool to tighten down and felt loose when I first mounted the bike. It has an extra slide-up lock feature so it shouldn’t come undone easily while riding even if it does feel a little loose. The stem on this folder doesn’t extend and that makes it lighter and less jittery but also potentially a bit tall or short depending on your torso and arm length. The seat post is extra long and highly adjustable so again, pedaling felt great. When I folded the bike I noticed that there wasn’t a rest to protect the chainring and also that there weren’t bungee clasps or a magnet to keep it from coming unfolded. These are minor grips but definitely areas to watch out for (and also avoid tips which could bend the motor cable or derailleur. Thankfully, the adjustable length kickstand works great. My final area of question is the battery pouch which might be difficult to access if you’re using a trunk bag on the rack. In order to charge the battery within you’ll have to unzip it and unclip the bike cable. Since the battery pack itself doesn’t lock to the frame, you might end up taking the pack with you quite often. It weighs 2.9 lbs and the charger is about 1.5 lbs.

All things considered, this is a handsome and very minimalist looking e-bike. You don’t get the lower price and lighter weight without some trade offs and for the most part I think they were made well. Easy Motion tends to be available at a wide range of dealers in the US so it’s easier to test and get serviced. The Volt rides smooth thanks to the TMM4 torque sensor but requires a bit more effort to activate vs. a cadence sensor on some other models I’ve reviewed. This will help you go further ultimately and that’s not a bad thing given the smaller battery capacity here with 36 volt 5.8 amp hours vs. 36 volt 10+ amp hours on a lot of competing bikes.

Pros:

Extremely light weight at under 40 pounds including the battery and motor, the battery is removable to reduce weight further by about three lbs
Incredibly stealthy, people probably won’t know it’s electric because the saddle bag (which holds the battery) is so small and the hub motor in the rear hides behind the cassette
Solid full length fenders front and rear protect all the way down to keep your shoes and legs dry, they are supported at multiple points and shouldn’t rattle much but be careful with them when folding the bike
I really like the rear rack, it’s elevated to provide room for traditionally sized panniers and includes extra bar reinforcements and blocking along the sides to reduce snags
The motor is zippy and responsive, it’s made by Dapu and triggered by a TMM4 torque sensor that feels smooth as you pedal, with four levels of assist you can dial in the ride
Nice large 52 tooth chainring to balance out the smaller wheels and produce a comfortable cadence, you get six gears with an entry level Shimano Tourney derailleur
The locking mechanism on the stem is extra safe and felt very secure, the entire front end was less wobbly than some other models I’ve tested but it doesn’t offer height adjustment so I think that’s part of the reason why
Clean cockpit on this bike, the display is small and easy to reach from the left grip and the right grip is cut in half to accommodate a grip shifter which looks really nice, I also like the soft ergonomic grips
Both brakes have motor inhibitors built in so you’ll stop quicker in the event of an emergency
The battery bag has a nice loop strap on the back so you could attach a battery powered light like this for safety
It’s neat that Easy Motion now sells a Bluetooth receiver to sync with your smart phone and use the more advanced app (costs $149), however I dislike that you don’t get a display on the bike when this accessory is used
Excellent LCD display system, it includes lots of very detailed feedback including speed, total and trip range time and top speed, assist level and it’s backlit and removable!
The TMM4 torque sensor is smooth and efficient, it will increase the range of this bike compared with a cadence sensor pedal assist but does require more pedal input from the rider so you’ll work harder
Compact ~1.4 pound charger is easy to take along to top off along the way for increased range, it uses a fancy magnetic socket called the EnergyBus standard
I appreciate the kickstand and how most of the wires are tucked away for improved aesthetic and durability

Cons:

No quick release skewers on either of the two wheels, this reduces theft but also makes the folded footprint larger and the bike heavier (unless you use tools to remove the wheels)
When folded, there are no magnetic clasps or bungee cords to keep it from flopping around and clinking into itself, also there is no bar stand below the chainring which means it could take more damage and the whole thing doesn’t sit up straight very well when folded
The middle folding point didn’t feel super tight during my first test ride and in order to use the quick release lever to tighten it I still needed a tool to hold the little nut on the other side… it’s not really tool free, they could use a larger nut on the back so it doesn’t spin for quick adjusts in the field (check out the video review to see what I mean)
The stem is a fixed height build, not telescoping like some other folding ebikes, this probably saves weight and makes it stiffer but might not fit super short or super tall riders as well
I’d like some sort of comfort feature like suspension, a softer saddle with bumpers or suspension seat post… the smaller 20″ wheel diameter and rigid frame just aren’t as comfortable but this is part of what makes the bike light weight so I see why they did it
Smaller capacity battery only offers 5.8 amp hours vs. 10 or more on competing models, this keeps it light and small but limits range a bit, not as much as you’d think given the lower 15.5 mph top speed
The saddle bag has to be opened and the battery unclipped in order to charge it up, there’s no port on the side of the bike like other Easy Motion models, also the battery doesn’t lock so you might want to take it with you when parking in public places… and since the battery bag is mounted so close to the rear rack it might collide with a trunk bag if you’re using one
Considering the price tag, this bike doesn’t offer as many features as some competing models, but those tend to be from smaller brands and might not have dealers or the same great warranty
The EasyGo line of bikes (at the time of this review) are not compatible with the optional GPS recovery module or neoprene cover for cold weather that are sold separately
The motor power cable enters from the end of the axle and is more exposed than on some of the other Easy Motion e-bikes where it runs into the side and is tucked in near to the frame (which helps reduce snags, bending and wear if the bike tips over), also if the bike tips to the right when folded the derailleur could get bumped out of place and I felt like the bike did lean towards the right when in the folded position
The motor continues to output power even after you stop pedaling and sort of fades out, I think this is designed to reduce the feeling of surge while pedaling and thankfully the brake levers have motor inhibitors for a more instant stop

Resources:

Official Site: http://www.emotionbikesusa.com/en/bicycles/ebikes/easygo-volt-eg206-us.html
More Pictures: https://goo.gl/photos/HiGnQrwVWAv6Xzui8

Pros:

Extremely light weight at under 40 pounds including the battery and motor, the battery is removable to reduce weight further by about three lbs
Incredibly stealthy, people probably won’t know it’s electric because the saddle bag (which holds the battery) is so small and the hub motor in the rear hides behind the cassette
Solid full length fenders front and rear protect all the way down to keep your shoes and legs dry, they are supported at multiple points and shouldn’t rattle much but be careful with them when folding the bike
I really like the rear rack, it’s elevated to provide room for traditionally sized panniers and includes extra bar reinforcements and blocking along the sides to reduce snags
The motor is zippy and responsive, it’s made by Dapu and triggered by a TMM4 torque sensor that feels smooth as you pedal, with four levels of assist you can dial in the ride
Nice large 52 tooth chainring to balance out the smaller wheels and produce a comfortable cadence, you get six gears with an entry level Shimano Tourney derailleur
The locking mechanism on the stem is extra safe and felt very secure, the entire front end was less wobbly than some other models I’ve tested but it doesn’t offer height adjustment so I think that’s part of the reason why
Clean cockpit on this bike, the display is small and easy to reach from the left grip and the right grip is cut in half to accommodate a grip shifter which looks really nice, I also like the soft ergonomic grips
Both brakes have motor inhibitors built in so you’ll stop quicker in the event of an emergency
The battery bag has a nice loop strap on the back so you could attach a battery powered light like this for safety
It’s neat that Easy Motion now sells a Bluetooth receiver to sync with your smart phone and use the more advanced app (costs $149), however I dislike that you don’t get a display on the bike when this accessory is used
Excellent LCD display system, it includes lots of very detailed feedback including speed, total and trip range time and top speed, assist level and it’s backlit and removable!
The TMM4 torque sensor is smooth and efficient, it will increase the range of this bike compared with a cadence sensor pedal assist but does require more pedal input from the rider so you’ll work harder
Compact ~1.4 pound charger is easy to take along to top off along the way for increased range, it uses a fancy magnetic socket called the EnergyBus standard
I appreciate the kickstand and how most of the wires are tucked away for improved aesthetic and durability

Cons:

No quick release skewers on either of the two wheels, this reduces theft but also makes the folded footprint larger and the bike heavier (unless you use tools to remove the wheels)
When folded, there are no magnetic clasps or bungee cords to keep it from flopping around and clinking into itself, also there is no bar stand below the chainring which means it could take more damage and the whole thing doesn’t sit up straight very well when folded
The middle folding point didn’t feel super tight during my first test ride and in order to use the quick release lever to tighten it I still needed a tool to hold the little nut on the other side… it’s not really tool free, they could use a larger nut on the back so it doesn’t spin for quick adjusts in the field (check out the video review to see what I mean)
The stem is a fixed height build, not telescoping like some other folding ebikes, this probably saves weight and makes it stiffer but might not fit super short or super tall riders as well
I’d like some sort of comfort feature like suspension, a softer saddle with bumpers or suspension seat post… the smaller 20″ wheel diameter and rigid frame just aren’t as comfortable but this is part of what makes the bike light weight so I see why they did it
Smaller capacity battery only offers 5.8 amp hours vs. 10 or more on competing models, this keeps it light and small but limits range a bit, not as much as you’d think given the lower 15.5 mph top speed
The saddle bag has to be opened and the battery unclipped in order to charge it up, there’s no port on the side of the bike like other Easy Motion models, also the battery doesn’t lock so you might want to take it with you when parking in public places… and since the battery bag is mounted so close to the rear rack it might collide with a trunk bag if you’re using one
Considering the price tag, this bike doesn’t offer as many features as some competing models, but those tend to be from smaller brands and might not have dealers or the same great warranty
The EasyGo line of bikes (at the time of this review) are not compatible with the optional GPS recovery module or neoprene cover for cold weather that are sold separately
The motor power cable enters from the end of the axle and is more exposed than on some of the other Easy Motion e-bikes where it runs into the side and is tucked in near to the frame (which helps reduce snags, bending and wear if the bike tips over), also if the bike tips to the right when folded the derailleur could get bumped out of place and I felt like the bike did lean towards the right when in the folded position
The motor continues to output power even after you stop pedaling and sort of fades out, I think this is designed to reduce the feeling of surge while pedaling and thankfully the brake levers have motor inhibitors for a more instant stop