2019 Furo Systems eTura Review

To run the forums, host the website, and travel, I charge a universal service fee for my reviews. This in-depth review was sponsored by Furo Systems. My goal is to be transparent and unbiased with you, this video and writeup are not meant to be an endorsement of Furo Systems products. I welcome your corrections, additions, and feedback in the comments below and the Furo Systems electric bike forums.

Pros:

• Incredibly lightweight at only 28 pounds, this is made possible thanks to the small and lightweight carbon fiber frame, small 14″ wheels, and a lower capacity battery that weighs in at only 4.5 pounds. This makes the eTura an excellent “last mile” option, being almost absurdly easy to toss into the trunk of a car or to carry with you on the subway
• The small diameter of the CST tires means a mechanical advantage for the front hub motor and it makes a noticeable difference, certainly feeling more powerful than just 250 watts. The tires are 1.75″ wide and this helps to provide a little bit of ride comfort
• the seating position is surprisingly comfortable for such a small folder, thanks in part to the slight sweep back of the handlebars and the locking ergonomic grips. The handlebars can telescope up an additional 140mm to accommodate taller riders and the seat post can also be raised up very high – almost to the top of it’s 580mm length!
• The plastic front fender helps to keep you dry and clean when riding, it’s only a half fender but it still makes a noticeable difference, and it gets the job done considering that this is not a bike you would want to ride at high speeds
• Front and rear lights are included and it’s a unique setup, both lights are independent which means that they must be turned on/off manually, and use separate batteries instead of drawing from the bike’s electrical system. However, the front light has a flashing option which I appreciate as it means more visibility, and the rear light has turn signals which are operated wirelessly from a secondary control pad on the handlebar, a rare feature on any Ebike so I was surprised to see it on an ultralight folder like the eTura! The rear light is also USB rechargeable so you won’t have to buy batteries for it
• This bike is amazingly adjustable and able to fit a tall rider (like me at about six feet), but it will be an especially good fit for people who fall on the short end of the spectrum, boasting a standover height of 16 inches and a minimum saddle height of only 27 inches! Shorter riders will also be able to raise the telescoping stem and ride in more of an upright relaxed position, something that goes a long ways to providing ride comfort since the eTura does not have any suspension
• I appreciate that the crank arms are the standard length of 170mm, many ultra-portable folders opt for shorter cranks which makes pedaling much less efficient
• A kickstand is included for making stops or storing the bike when it isn’t folded, and I like that it is mounted in the rear to prevent “pedal lock” which occurs when the left crank arm gets locked up against a center-mounted kickstand
• The human-powered part of the drivetrain is a simple single-speed setup with a 9-tooth cog in the rear and a 48-tooth chain-ring in the front. No derailleur means no derailleur maintenance or tuning, and keeps the chain tight and essentially immune from bouncing off
• Electrical assistance is provided by a 250-watt Aikema front hub motor which receives a mechanical advantage from the small-diameter wheels, while the 313 watt-hour battery pack is mounted behind the seatpost, helping the bike’s weight to be fairly balanced instead of heavily skewed towards the rear as it is with many hub motor Ebikes
• Engaging the motor is done via the 12 magnet cadence sensor, there is no throttle here which classifies the eTura as a Class 1 Ebike. This is rare on a folding bike, and while I like having a throttle, I appreciate the Class 1 status which allows you to ride in more places
• The eTura’s display is small with minimalist readouts which I tend to prefer for simplicity’s sake, it is also backlit and has an excellent contrast ratio for good visibility

Cons:

• No suspension and a tiny frame make for a rough ride, and getting used to balancing and steering may take some time if you’re used to riding larger bikes. This is the tradeoff for the ultra-portability of the eTura, which is why it shines as a “last mile” vehicle but not as a long-range rider
• I do miss the throttle quite a bit on this Ebike because of the cadence sensor which has a delay before kicking in, requiring more effort to get started. Since the eTura is single-speed this can make starting on a hill quite difficult!
• The display is sufficiently bright enough to be visible even in direct sunlight, my only gripe with it is that it is very small and it can be difficult to read without having to lean in for a closer look if you’re a taller rider like me
• The rim brakes are a basic setup, they get the job done here thanks to the light weight and mechanical advantage provided by the smaller diameter wheels, but they will require more frequent tuning and maintenance than disc brakes, as well as more grip strength to actuate. They also don’t have motor inhibitors which can be dangerous and have you fighting against the motor if you need to stop suddenly, because the cadence sensor will take a moment or two to realize that you have stopped pedaling
• A problem shared by all folding bikes with telescoping stems is the length of control cabling, raising the stem to the maximum height can cause “cable stretch” by pulling the control cables too tight when turning. On the flip side, if you lower the stem all the way down then you have a lot of extra length of cable that can get in the way or snag on things while riding
• The lights are certainly appreciated but since they are independent you must remember to turn them on and off, as well as replacing the batteries or recharging them at regular intervals