Orbea KEMEN SUV 30 Review

This review was provided for free, but Cit-E Cycles Langley supplied a temporary demo bike for me to test. My goal is to be transparent and unbiased with you, this video and writeup are not meant to be an endorsement of Orbea products. I welcome your corrections, additions, and feedback in the comments below, and the Orbea electric bike forums.

Pros:

• When spending a bit more for an electric bicycle like this, it’s wonderful to have dealer support and a good warranty. The frame comes in high step or mid-step to be more approachable, and they sell it in four sizes and three colors! You can dial in fit and make it your own; I really liked the yellow color on the demo bike.
• The bike is mainly specced with Shimano components including the motor drive system, display panel, and bicycle drivetrain. They match and perform well together. The hydraulic disc brakes are from Magura, which I would consider an upgrade. Their levers and reservoir design apply smooth even stopping power, and they’re know for being light weight.
• The EP8 motor is compact, fairly light considering its 85nm torque rating, and delivers power near instantly. It’s quieter and more efficient than some of the competing mid-drive motors I’ve tested in recent years.
• The drivetrain provides many gear options (10 total), and a wide 11-43 tooth cassette. It’s actually an ebike specific part with sturdy cogs with custom ramps (apparently) that are spaced for smoother shifts. The chainring uses a narrow-wide tooth pattern that reduces slip and drops, and there’s an alloy chainring guard for added protection against strikes, drops, and pant leg snags.
• Note how cable routing goes internal starting at the stem of the bike. This is a more refined ebike, and it looks beautiful, especially with the fully hidden main battery pack. Great weight distribution too, with the battery and motor low and center on the frame.
• It was very interesting to see that the bike has standard front and rear integrated lights, as well as a steer post spacer running light that’s visible from more angles. Note that this additional running light can be turned off with a separate button on the left side (as shown in the video review above). I was struggling to figure out the main headlight, and realized that it has an independent button too! So many buttons… bike power, both headlights, and a separate control pad built into the display panel. Still, the main headlight is perfectly positioned high at the stem. It points where you steer and will be more visible to other cyclists and cars. It also won’t bounce around as much or get blocked by the front fender.
• The fenders are sturdy, made from aluminum alloy, and the rear fender connects to the rack for extra strength. Great choice for long term durability, keeping you dry, and adding some safety.
• Overall the bike isn’t too heavy at 52.2lbs considering the rack, fenders, lights, and kickstand that are included. The optional range extender only adds about 3.2lbs of additional weight. This platform is setup as a cross country mountain bike, but the tread pattern is tighter down the center of the tires for efficiency. It would be a great adventure platform for commuting or touring with the range extender. Some people call this type of ebike an SUV (like sport utility vehicle) since it can go off-road but also has the fenders, rack, and lights.
• In addition to the stock 310 lumen headlight, Orbea offers an upgrade option for this model! It’s a good choice if you want an even brighter light for navigating dense trails or keeping you more visible in high traffic areas. I love how the independent headlight button is within reach of the right grip and can be pressed during use to blink it… this is an excellent way to signal oncoming traffic and other riders who may not hear the bell chime.
• With the high step frame, there’s plenty of room for a frame bag that would connect to the top tube and seat tube. You could swap the rigid seat post with a suspension post for improved comfort.
• The Kumen SUV model comes in three trim levels, and the 30 is the middle. You can save some money if you get the 40 or spend a bit more for the 10 and the parts that change are the suspension, derailleur, brakes, and wheels.
• I love that the downtube and seat tube both have bottle cage mounts! That means there’s more space for fluids and accessories such as mini pumps and folding locks. Considering that the downtube bottle mounts could be used for the optional range extender, it’s nice that they still have the second pair on the seat tube and there’s also a high quality rear rack.
• The rear rack is above average having a 27kg 60lb max weight, pannier rods separate from the top section, Ortlieb QL3.1 quick release interface, a rear light mounting point that’s protected, and bungee loops at the bottom. This rack is one of the best that I’ve seen! I love that the rear light uses two LEDs for maximum visibility, though it does not go bright when braking or have a flashing model.
• The included kickstand is also quite nice, offering tool-free adjustable length so the bike will always be stable. It felt sturdy, and did not interfere with my pedaling or the rear rack.
• The 29″ wheel size is great, because it provides a lower attack angle and efficient rolling for cross country rides. I love the ebike specific Schwalbe Johnny Watts tires that are designed with knobs for mountain riding but still include dual layer puncture protection and reflective sidewalls that keep you safer in urban environments. Most other mountain bike tires that I’ve seen don’t have the reflectivity and aren’t designed for efficiency on road like these.
• The Shimano motor controller measures pedal cadence, pedal torque, and rear wheel speed for a smooth natural feel… and the rear wheel speed sensor is built into the disc brake mount vs. a spoke. This makes it and the rear wheel more durable and balanced. It’s a small detail that I loved to see. The wheelset is very nice and features black hubs, spokes, and rims.
• The bike has a QR code sticker on the top tube to make it easy to find and download the Shimano E-Tube smartphone app, which provides two adjustable ride profiles. This could be perfect for “city” and “mountain” settings on a electric bike like this. I believe that the app also allows you to change the display units from miles to kilometers and back. I was not able to figure out the settings menu on the display itself. Walk mode is activated by holding the down arrow for a few seconds, then holding it again as shown in the video.
• These are minor points, but the handlebar is thicker 35mm diameter vs. standard 31.8mm. This is a standard that more mountain bikes are adopting. I believe the steer tube is also 1-1/2″ with tapered inner. Perhaps the wider head tube is sturdier and provides more space for internal cable routing? The tapered design provides more high quality suspension fork options, as you see with the Orbea KEMEN SUV 10 that uses a Fox Float.
• Fairly nice 4 amp battery charger included with the bike, it’s sturdy and solid feeling with no fans that I could see. It’s much faster than the standard 2 amp chargers that many other ebikes come with.

Cons:

• The battery pack is built into the downtube, which keeps weight low and center for good balance, but it is not easily removable. I believe that you need to remove the bottom bracket and motor to get it out. This means you’ll need to park the bike near a wall plug to charge, and cannot easily reduce weight for transport. Keep in mind that it’s best to keep batteries 50%+ charged and away from extreme hot and cold… and that could be difficult since the entire bike has to come along vs. jus the pack. At least the optional range extender is removable and can be charged separately.
• The charging port for the main battery pack is low on the left side of the frame, directly in the path of the left crank arm. It requires more effort to bend down and plug in.
• The main charge port is used to connect the optional range extender using a short cable, and there’s a plastic twist lock to keep it in place. In oder to charge either battery, this cable has to be unplugged at one of the packs so the charger can plug in. It would be nice if both batteries could fill from one plug location, there are more steps here… especially with the twist locks.
• I like the display panel used on this ebike, because it incorporates all of the buttons needed to navigate assist levels and readouts. The buttons are fairly reachable and the grayscale LCD is easy to read… albeit a little small. However, there are no USB charging ports to use with portable electronics. Considering the range extender and Shimano ebike E-Tube smartphone app, it’s too bad that you cannot tap into the bikes power like many other ebike systems allow.
• The battery charge readout on the display is just a five bar infographic that isn’t as precise as a 10 bar readout, or a percentage. However, you can navigate to range estimate, and that makes it easier to approximate when it’s time to turn back and find a charge.
• The power button used to activate the bike itself is separate from the display panel, located way down near the base of the downtube (where it meets the seat tube). If you mount the bike before turning it on, you’d have to stretch pretty far to reach it… many people will have to hop back off if they forget. To me, it’s inconvenient and also more exposed to dust and water in this location.
• This is a little gripe that I have with many mid-drive ebike systems: when you pedal backwards, the chainring does not cycle. The crank arms just spin, which could make servicing the drivetrain more difficult if you don’t have access to a bike stand. Furthermore, there’s actually not much resistance, so if you slip while pedaling the crank and pedal could come back around and smack your shin. I noticed many other drive systems have added some resistance.
• The Shimano EP8 motor and motor controller are very responsive, but do not incorporate a shift detection feature. Be extra careful when shifting hard and pedaling, because your muscle input will be amplified by the motor and could increase wear on the chain and sprockets. Given the ebike specific drivetrain here, maybe this is less of a concern than with other Shimano powered electric bicycles.
• This is a minor gripe, but the support arms for the front fender connect to plastic cuffs that hug the lowers of the suspension fork. Over time, the plastic may dry out and crack or get bumped out of position. They seem less sturdy and permanent than threaded eyelets for direct mount fender stays… but I could tell that they were custom and had a solid fit, so better than average in terms of this type of solution. In some ways, this is not Orbea’s fault, more a limitation of the Marzocchi Bomber Z2 air suspension fork that they chose. Considering that it’s an “Ebike Optimized” part, I’d love to see fender mounts built into future models.
• This is another minor gripe. It would have been nice to see 180mm rotors front and rear considering the off-road tires and suspension here. Long descents can heat up disc brake rotors, so having more surface area could improve cooling as well as mechanical advantage. This ebike does have larger 29″ wheels and heavy duty rear rack after all.
• The rear rack is different for the mid-step frame. It doesn’t have the lower pannier rod hanger, the two support struts, or a bungee loop at the bottom. The mid-step frame only has one bottle mount on the downtube, which may be used for the range extender battery… and then you’d need to find some other way to bring along a water bottle.

Useful Resources:

• Orbea dealers.
• Official Orbea Website