Easy Motion Evo Race Review

The EVO Race is an “evolved” version of the older NEO Race and part of the new line of electric bikes from Easy Motion for 2015 in North America. The earlier Neo series launched in 2013 and during its time was one of the most popular series of ebikes that I got to test and review. What’s amazing to me is that the price has actually decreased slightly (especially if you factor in inflation) but the new Evo systems and battery size have been significantly improved. You can now charge the battery while it’s mounted to the bike and easily remove both wheels with integrated quick release levers for easier maintenance! The Evo Race is the lightest weight electric bike in the Evo line at ~45 pounds and delivers the most efficient ride with its aerodynamic mid-dish wheelset, narrow 700x25c road bike tires and more aggressive forward body position. In my experience, even though it’s advertised as a 20 mph bike you can actually reach closer to 25 mph in pedal assist mode. Easy Motion is part of BH which has been producing traditional bicycles since 1909 and that really shows in the frame design here. There is an emphasis on balance and usability as a bicycle that some other ebikes lack. The Race has a larger gear range (30 speeds vs. just 10 on many ebikes) and a nice set of hydraulic disc brakes for easy but powerful stopping. It’s an extremely versatile electric bike with rear rack mounts and a nice open triangle frame which works well on car and bus racks. Everything just blends in so well and the smooth, relatively quiet motor operation improves the stealth nature of this bike. There are four levels of assist to help you climb steadily or reserve energy while riding over long distances and although the throttle cannot override these modes, it can be used independently if you get tired of pedaling.

The motor driving the Evo Race is beautifully integrated and has been painted black to blend in with the cabling, spokes, wheelset and other components. It basically disappears behind the 10 Speed Shimano Cassette and 160 mm disc brake rotor. It offers a fairly average 350 watts of power output but actually feels as though it were a 500 watt design. I attribute the zippy feel in part to the quality motor from Dapu, larger battery capacity and responsive torque sensor. Even compared to other 350 watt geared motors on similar bikes, this one just feels more powerful. As shown in the video review above, the motor is fairly quiet during operation but being geared does produce more of a whir than some gearless options. Still, it’s relatively light weight and for an active bike like this with so many gears, should deliver a real sense of speed and power effectively doubling rider output up to ~20 mph. One interesting change for 2015 with this motor is that the cable connecting it with the controller is now located on the left side of the frame and closer in towards the hub. This has two benefits: it reduces clutter on the drivetrain side of the bike where the Shimano 105 ten speed cassette and derailleur are mounted and it also keeps the power cable out of harms way if the bike tips over. Some of the older Easy Motion Neo motor cables could break or become loose based on their more exposed position so this is a welcome change that dealers will certainly appreciate.

The battery pack on the Evo Race is quite impressive as well because it builds on the older Neo designs and addresses one big complaint that customers had… Many people wanted to charge the pack on the bike but were forced to take it off every time because there was no charging outlet built into the frame. This made dropping and scratching the battery easier but that was somewhat overlooked because the design was of such high quality and beauty compared with competitors. It’s still beautiful and it still keeps weight low and center on the frame while matching the paint job for a perfectly integrated look but now you don’t have to take it off if you store the bike inside, you can simply “plug the bike in”. Also worth calling out is the 30% increase in size (which means you can go further with each charge) and the integrated LED panel that shows how full the pack is even when it’s not connected to the bike. With all of these improvements, I’m very impressed that they kept the price the same (actually slightly lower) and that the weight of the pack didn’t increase much (due to advances in Lithium chemistry offering higher energy density than before). So the pack offers 36 volts of power and 11.6 amp hours vs. the old 8.8 for a total of 417.6 watt hours of capacity. It uses quality Lithium Manganese Samsung cells and comes with a two year warranty for peace of mind.

Connecting the rider to the battery and motor is a beautiful, low profile backlit LCD display panel that I go over in detail with this video tutorial. It’s the same design they’ve been using on the Neo line since 2013 and it’s still intuitive, easy to reach and removable! To get things going, just charge the battery then hold the middle button for a few seconds. Once it’s on, you can press the up or down buttons to explore throttle mode or four levels of assist. You get more power with the higher assist levels but you also burn through the battery more quickly. The one complaint I have about the control system here is that you can’t use the throttle to override pedal assist and this would be nice for adding power when riding in the lowest level of assist to simply overcome a short hill climb. As it stands, you either have to arrow up to a higher assist level or arrow down to throttle mode briefly and then back up to a low, efficient level of assist. In any case, the twist throttle is located on the right bar and the display lists your speed, battery capacity, time, max speed and distance traveled. The cockpit on the Evo Race is clean and I like the trigger shifters on the left and right bar. The ergonomic grips feel decent but don’t offer the same versatility and variety of grip positions as a drop bar setup would, though I’ve only seen one ebike to date that does offer drops and it costs quite a bit more.

The Easy Motion Evo Race is a solid electric bike in so many ways. While it wouldn’t be my first choice from the Evo line because I prefer softer tires and suspension (especially over long distances at higher speeds… which ebikes tend to elicit) it’s still a great value. This is the lightest weight, most efficient Evo model in the series and while it doesn’t have drop bars and only comes in one frame size, it’s sure to satisfy those who enjoy the road bike feel (and aren’t too short or tall). The fact that it has braze ons for mounting a rear rack means you could easily use it for commuting and the carbon fork should help a little with bumpy terrain (consider a seat post shock if you want more cushion). The one area I would really fault this bike is in water bottle storage. It seems like there was plenty of room on the seat tube to add bosses but as it stands, you’ll either have to wear a Camelbak or use aftermarket brackets to add your own… and that adds additional weight and hassle while also being easier to bump out of position. Consider a saddle mounted bottle cage adapter like this or a double seat tube rack that would go right behind the saddle like this. Feel free to comment below if you have other great suggestions for transporting water, I’m sure with thirty gears to pedal in, some riders are going to get thirsty along the way :)

Pros:

• With the EVO line of electric bikes from Easy Motion you can charge the battery pack while it is still mounted to the bike frame, no need to take it off every single time (very handy if you store your bike inside or near a power outlet)
• Offers both throttle mode and pedal assist with four levels to emphasize range or speed, zippy powerful feel from the efficient 350 watt geared motor
• Purpose-built frame with beautifully integrated downtube mounted battery pack, this keeps weight low and center for improved balance and handling
• The display panel, battery pack, suspension fork and hub motor are all painted to match the bike and blend in to make it look more like a normal bicycle, the drive systems are relatively stealth and won’t stand out
• The LCD display is removable, easy to reach and activate from the left grip, backlit for use in low lighting conditions (just hold the down arrow for two seconds)
• Tektro E-Comp levers have motor cutoff switches built in, the large 180 mm front rotor and standard 160 mm rear rotor offer good stopping power
• Large 700c wheelset with efficient road tires reduce drag and friction, mid-dish rims provide aerodynamic benefits but may catch cross winds a bit
• Carbon fiber fork helps to reduce frame weight and absorb vibration when riding at higher speeds
• Seat stay bosses could be useful for adding a rear rack if you wanted to use this as a commuter bike
• With 30 gear combinations to choose from, this bike is easy to pedal at low speed when climbing or at higher speeds when traveling long distances, it easily reaches 20+ mph in pedal assist mode… I’ve taken it up to ~25 mph
• New tool-free rear quick release system makes changing flats and doing service much easier, the motor power cable also has a quick disconnect built in
• The motor power cable location has been updated, now entering the hub on the left side of the bike vs. the right where the derailleur and cassette are, this helps to reduce complexity, clutter and damage if the bike tips
• TMM4 torque sensor activates the motor smoothly and the control system reduces surge when pedaling but the motor does run a bit longer when you stop pedaling
• The Eco (lowest level) of pedal assist is now gentler and smoother which provides better range, this was a request from many customers of the older Easy Motion Neo line
• The battery uses high end 18650 Lithium Manganese cells from Samsung that are light weight and long lasting, excellent energy density here (lower weight, more power)

Cons:

• Basic rubber ergonomic grips without lockers to keep them from spinning, no kickstand, no slap guard on right chainstay (there is a wire organizer on the left chainstay)
• No bottle cage mounting points on the downtube or seat tube (even though it really seems like they was room!), this means you’ll need to add one to the seat post or saddle rails, carry a bag or setup a rear rack
• Throttle cannot be used at all when riding in pedal assist mode, you have to arrow down to “No Assist” and then activate using the half grip twist
• Hydraulic disc brakes provide decent stopping power but aren’t as smooth as Avid and may rattle or squeak more with use
• The controller on this bike lets the motor run a second or two long after you’ve stopped pedaling, this reduces “surge” (the jerky feeling of power going up and down with each pedal stroke) but makes the bike feel unresponsive at times
• Just one frame size, style and color to choose from here (medium, high step, black) which may limit use for short or tall riders

Resources:

• Official Site: http://www.emotionbikesusa.com/ebikes/EV805
• More Pictures: https://goo.gl/photos/byzFiUBQi7sVbxDQ7