2014 GenZe Sport e101 Review

The Sport e101 electric bike is an entry level build from GenZe, an ebike subsidiary of the Mahindra Group (an Indian multinational automobile manufacturing corporation headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India). It offers a purpose built frame with good balance, a removable battery pack for convenient charging and easy transportation, pedal assist and throttle mode as well as three frame sizes! Considering the ~1,500 price tag, 18 month warranty and optional suspension fork upgrade in my opinion it’s a pretty solid bike. The components aren’t top of the line, the gear range is limited and the aesthetic is “cheap” in my view but it’s a great option for students and other price sensitive buyers… though it’s still more than 2x the the cheapest ebike I’ve reviewed.

The motor on the GenZe e101 is a 250 watt geared hub that’s mounted in the rear. Being geared, it offers a bit more torque for starting and climbing and is also small and light weight but it’s not as durable as a gearless option or as efficient as a mid-drive. This is your generic, get the job done motor and it shines in this capacity. It’s relatively quiet as shown in the video review above and it practically disappears with the 160 mm mechanical disc brake on the left and seven speed cassette on the right. Overall, this is a fairly stealth bike and I love the battery integration…

Powering the Sport e101 is quality Lithium-ion battery pack with cells by Samsung. It offers 36 volts of power and 8.7 amp hours of capacity which is a touch below average but more than sufficient for a 250 watt motor. You can see in the video that Alex (one of the reps for GenZe at Interbike) does just fine in throttle mode without pedaling and he weighs ~200 pounds. It’s a solid setup and my favorite part is the ability to remove the pack. This makes transporting the frame (perhaps on a car or bus rack where you might have to lift the bike) much easier. It also makes charging easier because you can park the bike outside and just bring the pack upstairs or whatnot. The only downside here is that the display is not removable so you’re more prone to vandalism and degradation through sun exposure.

Using this electric bike is pretty straight forward but you still get a wide range of options. Once the battery is attached you press the remote button pad near the left grip to activate the bike. From here you can navigate up through five levels of pedal assist with each offering more power but using the battery more quickly. Alternatively, you can arrow down to zero and just use the throttle for power. This is fun and can be very useful if you’re trying to balance a load or not put your feed down when crossing a puddle. The LCD display is backlit, large and full of standard readouts such as speed, distance traveled and battery level. I love that it swivels forward and back so you can adjust the view angle and reduce glare.

To me, this bike has a lot of potential. They got the big things right with battery placement, multiple drive modes and a solid warranty. The disc brakes are nice, the kickstand is solid and the standard 26″ wheels are going to be cheaper to service. If the bike was a couple hundred dollars less, the display was removable and there were bosses for a rear rack this would be a grand slam for me. I’d probably immediately re-invest those savings into the upgraded suspension option. But then I’m a fit, light weight rider who can do fine with a smaller motor. I tend to use stuff more often that I’m less worried about breaking and price goes a long way in that regards so this ebike definitely has the potential to reach a wide audience. It would be my pick over a rear-heavy ebike and the padded saddle, double legged kickstand and upgraded brake levers that cut power to the motor shine through as extra value.

Pros:

• Delivers well on balance, drive mode options and frame sizing for a reasonable price tag, solid 18 month warranty and service centers in some cities
• Battery pack can be charged on or off the bike which is convenient for commuters or if you need to carry the frame up stairs or use it on a rack with weight limitations
• The battery pack locks to the frame with a solid metal core so you can leave it at bike racks feeling relatively safe
• Front and rear mechanical disc brakes provide great stopping power and tend to work better than rim brakes in wet or dirty environments
• Brakes cut power to the motor when activated for improved safety
• LCD display panel is large, center and easy to read, it also swivels forward to back which is useful for reducing glare
• Optional front suspension fork adds a lot of cushion when riding at higher speeds, great if you use your wrists a lot for working at a computer and don’t like the road vibration, this bike does employ a more forward position which adds to the potential strain
• Modest hub motor size blends right into the rear wheel and is mostly obscured by the disc brake rotor and cassette, makes this bike a little more stealth
• The motor is relatively quiet and efficient, capable of reaching long distances when used in lower pedal assist modes

Cons:

• Lots of generic low end components including the seven speed Shimano drivetrain, they get the job done and keep the bike cheap but may require more maintenance over time
• No rear rack bosses, you can easily attach fenders but it would be nice to add a carry rack for commuting with books and supplies
• Higher price point for a near entry level electric bike, there are others at the $1K mark but they don’t balance weight as well or offer pedal assist or warranties like this
• Smaller 250 watt motor requires pedaling to overcome hills and doesn’t use a quick release so fixing flats, truing wheels and replacing tires requires more effort
• LCD display panel is not removable… and looks pretty nice, not a great combination for an entry level ebike that might be left at bike racks on campus a lot