Name: SmartMotion Pacer Review
Item: SmartMotion Pacer
Author: Court Rye

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SmartMotion Pacer Review

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Smartmotion Pacer Electric Bike Removable Lithium Ion Battery Pack

An urban oriented speed pedelec capable of ~28 mph riding and long distance commutes or trekking, no suspension but the tires are larger to improve comfort and you get ergonomic grips
Integrated LED lights run off the battery pack and are upgraded a bit because the back light activates when you pull the right brake lever, also there are cool LED light strips below the downtube and rear rack arms!
Fancy color display can be dimmed, switches to a dark background when lights are activated and has a USB port and bike charging port above it for convenience, it's easy to see and use while riding thanks to a button pad on the left bar
I wish the kickstand was rear mounded vs. center to avoid pedal collision, the grips are a bit wonky, powering the bike on takes two steps, the motor is a bit loud and more speed driven vs. torque so pedaling helps when climbing steep hills

Make:

SmartMotion

Model:

Pacer

Price:

$2,799 (Optional $3,199)

Body Position:

Forward

Suggested Use:

Urban, Commuting

Electric Bike Class:

Speed Pedelec (Class 3)

Learn more about Ebike classes

Warranty:

2 Year Comprehensive

Availability:

United States

Model Year:

20162017

Total Weight:

53.5 lbs (24.26 kg)

Battery Weight:

9 lbs (4.08 kg)

Frame Material:

Aluminum Alloy

Frame Sizes:

16 in (40.64 cm)18 in (45.72 cm)

Geometry Measurements:

Small/Medium: 16" Seat Tube, 21.5" Reach, 29.5" Stand Over Height, 72" Length, Medium/Large: 18” Seat Tube, 22” Top Tube Length, 30” Stand Over Height, 73” Length

Frame Types:

High-Step

Frame Colors:

Metallic Burnt Orange with Black Accents, Metallic White with Black Accents

Frame Fork Details:

Rigid Aluminum Alloy, 11 mm Quick Release Skewer

Frame Rear Details:

11 mm Motor Axle with Bolts

Attachment Points:

Fender Bosses, Rear Rack Bosses

Gearing Details:

10 Speed 1x10 Shimano Deore, 11-36T

Shifter Details:

Shimano Deore Triggers on Right

Cranks:

Aluminum Alloy, 170 mm Length

Pedals:

Wellgo M195 Alloy Platform, Black

Headset:

Neco Integrated, Tapered 1-1/8"

Stem:

Aluminum Alloy, 3° Rise, 70 mm Length

Handlebar:

Aluminum Alloy, Low-Rise, 31.8 mm Diametr, 15° Rise, 26.75" Length

Brake Details:

Magura MT4 Hydraulic Disc with 180 mm Rotors, Magura MT4E Levers with Motor Inhibitor on Right

Grips:

Rubber Ergonomic with Bar Ends, Locking

Saddle:

Velo Active

Seat Post:

Aluminum Alloy

Seat Post Length:

400 mm

Seat Post Diameter:

30.4 mm

Rims:

Alexrims DP23, Double Wall, 36 Hole, Brass Eyelets and Nopples

Spokes:

Stainless Steel, 14G Front 13G Rear, Black

Tire Brand:

Kenda Platynota, 27.5" x 1.95" (650 x 50B)

Wheel Sizes:

27.5 in (69.85cm)

Tire Details:

30 TPI Casing, Wire Bead, 40-65 PSI

Tube Details:

Schrader Valve

Accessories:

Integrated Roxim LED Headlight, Integrated Sate Lite LED Rear Light (Activates with Right Lever), Integrated LED Undercarriage Lights on Downtube and Rack Supports, Aluminum Alloy Rack with Bamboo Deck and Bungee Cords, Plastic Fenders with Mud Flaps, Paint Matched Chain Cover, Alloy Bash Guard, Adjustable Length Kickstand, USB Charging Port on Right Side of Battery and Display

Other:

Locking Removable Battery Pack, 1.6 lb 2 Amp Charger

Motor Brand:

Dapu

Motor Type:

Rear-Mounted Geared Hub

Learn more about Ebike motors

Motor Nominal Output:

500 watts

Motor Peak Output:

900 watts

Battery Brand:

Panasonic

Battery Voltage:

48 volts

Battery Amp Hours:

14.5 ah (Optional 17.5 ah)

Battery Watt Hours:

696 wh (Optional 840 wh)

Battery Chemistry:

Lithium Cobalt Manganese Dioxide LiNiCOMnO2

Charge Time:

6 hours

Estimated Min Range:

45 miles (72 km)

Estimated Max Range:

120 miles (193 km)

Display Type:

Integrated Color Backlit LCD

Readouts:

Assist Level (5 Bars), Power Watt Level (10 Bars), Speed, Odometer, Trip Meter, Range, Max Speed, Avg. Speed, Cadence, Torque, Battery Level (10 Bars)

Display Accessories:

Independent Button Pad

Drive Mode:

Cadence Sensing Pedal Assist, Torque Sensing Pedal Assist, Trigger Throttle

Top Speed:

28 mph (45 kph)

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Make or Model

Model Year

Body Position

Suggested Use

Frame Type

Drive Mode

Availability

Price Range

$0 (0 €)$18,000 (16,920 €)

Total Weight

0 lbs (0 kg)227 lbs (103 kg)

Top Speed

0 mph (0.0 km/hr)50 mph (80.5 km/hr)

Battery Watt Hrs

0 watt3,456 watt

Frame Size

0 in (0.00 cm)432 in (1,097.28 cm)

Motor Power

0 Newton meters250 Nm

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The SmartMotion Pacer delivers a lot of value and performance for a pretty reasonable price and it impressed me with a several creative new features such as LED strips along the downtube and rack supports. These, in addition to more standard integrated LED lights and a rear light that activates when you pull the right brake lever (which has a motor inhibitor built in) improve ride safety but still look cool. And there’s more… instead of a tacked-on monochrome display panel the Pacer has an inset color display that almost looks like a mobile phone. It’s large bright and full of information. I love how easy the settings are to adjust and that you can turn down the brightness if you prefer. They were very insightful with this design because it automatically switches to a black background at night to reduce distraction! Very cool. All of these features come in at under $3k and you get a two year warranty to boot.

So this is a 28 mph capable Class 3 speed pedelec and that means it can get you to work faster but the battery range also takes a hit. This is another area where good decisions were made because you get a 48 volt 14.5 amp hour battery standard (which is way above average) and have an option to upgrade further with a 17.5 amp hour battery! All packs use high quality Panasonic cells and I love that they power the lights mentioned earlier. It all works together nicely much like an automobile or fancier motorcycle… You’re even given the option to tap into the battery with two standard sized USB ports and one is strategically placed above the display on the top tube so your cable won’t get bumped or snagged while pedaling. The other one is on the pack but at least it’s high up and really, I think it would be most useful to charge from when the battery is off the bike like a backup power supply.

Not everything on this electric bike is perfect. For one, it uses standard sized 11 mm axles vs. sturdier thru-axles that could improve performance and durability at high speed. There’s only quick release on the front and not the rear. The kickstand is nice but it’s mounted behind the bottom bracket vs. further back so your pedals can hit it if you back the bike up when it’s deployed. The battery seats well but has a little play and might rattle over time. I feel like the motor is powerful enough to get you to high speeds but it produces more noise than heavier gearless hubs and isn’t the strongest climber if you go for throttle-only. Also, the battery has to be powered on before the display and I don’t love the grips because they have horns on the end which aren’t independently adjustable… it feels like the grip is right or the horns are right but not both at the same time. I’ve listed more detailed thoughts below but all things considered, this is an exciting new electric bike that feels accessible, comes in two sizes and two colors to fit different styles and body types and is being distributed in the US by a company that has been around and has a good reputation (Lectric Cycles which does E-Rad kits and conversions). I could see myself using this bike but might opt for a suspension seat post to improve comfort given the rigid frame and fork or even consider their other model, the Catalyst which is a hardtail trail/mountain design which I’ll review in the future. No lights, rack or fenders there however :) Big thanks to SmartMotion for partnering with me for this review.

Pros:

The bike is available in two color schemes (burnt orange or white) and two sizes including 16″ and 18″ for improved fit, that’s pretty good for a more value oriented ebike
I like that the top tube is angled down to accommodate people with shorter inseams, considering there’s a rack on the back, swinging your leg around can be a little tricky vs. stepping over, the battery comes out sideways vs. straight down and is built into the downtube so that enabled the smaller main triangle on the frame
It’s nice to have full length fenders and a rack for commuting, especially since there wasn’t room for bottle cage bosses on the seat tube, consider using a trunk bag like this which has a bottle pouch
I’m always thinking about safety, especially when commuting or trekking long distance and at higher speeds so it’s awesome that this bike has integrated LED Lights and the rear one comes on when you pull the right brake lever so you’re extra safe even during the day if the lights aren’t fully on
This e-bike has some of the coolest light integration I’ve ever seen on any electric bike with a strip of LED’s running along the bottom of the downtube and along both rear-facing struts of the rack! It all blends in nicely but actually does really make you visible at night
Considering the relatively large name brand battery and motor on this electric bike, I feel like the price is good and it’s neat that you can upgrade for even more capacity AND you get a Body Float… of course you could always buy one separately or pay a little less for a Thudbuster ST and a 30.4 shim
I’m mixed on the Wellgo platform pedals they chose, I prefer them over cages because they are longer and grip well (and the toe doesn’t get bent if the bike tips) but prefer the full size editions like this or even the lighter Magnesium models like this
I like that the bike comes with an adjustable length kickstand and that the front wheel has quick release, it these design features make it easier to park and transport but I do wish the kickstand was mounted at the back of the left chainstay vs. behind the bottom bracket because the pedals can collide with it there
Complimenting the fenders is a thin paint-matched chainguard and I think this would help to keep pant legs clean and snag-free, it’s a nice little extra that felt solid vs. plastic and probably won’t bend or rattle as easy as some others I’ve seen/tested
There’s lots of adjustability through the display including backlight brightness and even top speed (with your dealer’s help) so you could make this a 20 mph ebike vs. 28 if you wanted, hold the up and down buttons to enter settings
I think it’s really neat that they placed a USB port near the display on the top tube in addition to the port on the right side of the battery pack because it’s easy to reach there but you can still charge smaller portable electronics from the battery when it’s not on the bike!
The display is really large, easy to understand and full of information but I like that you still get a button pad near the left grip, it’s not overly complicated or difficult to use
When you activate the lights on the bike (by holding the up arrow for a few seconds) the LCD display changes from white to black background which significantly reduces distraction while riding… genius!!
This is the first electric bike that I’ve ever tested where you can actually choose torque sensing or cadence sensing mode for pedal assist… that’s cool because torque is a bit more responsive and offers varied power vs. the more on/off feeling of cadence, I still like cadence though because you don’t have to work as hard when riding this way and of course I live that you can override any pedal assist mode at any time with the throttle and get full power

Cons:

You have to power the bike on with two steps, first press the button on top of the battery (which is kind of tight and difficult to see) then hold the power “M” button on the control pad
No bottle cage bosses on this bike, doesn’t seem like there’s enough room on the seat tube without impacting the seat post… thankfully the included rack would work well with a trunk bag with a bottle slot
I like Wellgo platform pedals but the M195 models chosen for this bike aren’t especially wide so people with larger feet might want to swap them for the BMX style ones, you can go ultra light with magnesium for under $50
The all-Aluminum frame is light and stiff but can be jarring, especially at higher speeds, a suspension fork would be nice but I like that they include a Body Float suspension seat post if you upgrade to the larger battery model
I love that the bike has a kickstand but wish it was mounted further back so the left crank arm didn’t collide when you walk the bike backwards
I like ergonomic grips but am not a huge fan of the ones they chose for this bike because the bar ends are integrated, you can’t angle them independently so for me… either the grips feel good or the ends feel good but they are never quite perfect together… at least the grips are locking so they don’t spin
Considering this bike doesn’t come with a suspension fork and it’s a speed pedelec capable of ~28 mph, I really appreciate the slightly larger 1.95″ diameter tires for improved comfort, compared with the Stromer models which also have rigid forks you don’t get Carbon fiber here (which dampens vibration) just Aluminum alloy
There’s a little circle port near the base of the battery that can be used to charge but it’s right in the way of the left crank arm which could bend or even break it… thankfully there’s another port up near the display on the top tube which seems more risk free
I noticed that you have to be in one of the five levels of pedal assist for the throttle to work, there is no throttle-only mode on this electric bike
The motor is a planetary geared design that produces a whirring noise (especially in high power mode and at higher speeds) vs. a gearless or even some mid-drives, see the video for reference… it kind of sounds like angry bees O_o

Resources:

Official Site: http://www.smartmotionbikesusa.com/
More Pictures: https://goo.gl/photos/abDafyBAvL2p8w9f9

January 29, 2024 (10 months ago)

SmartMotion Catalyst Review

MSRP: $2,699
MODEL YEAR: 2016, 2017

A high-speed trail capable electric bike with cadence sensing and torque sensing pedal assist options as well as a trigger throttle for maximum power override. Futuristic frame with neatly integrated battery pack offering lots of range, oversized angled tubing, tapered…...

Read Review

Tom

8 years ago

Thanks for the great review and a great site. So far I’ve totally failed to find a source for this bike in the USA. The Smart Motion website is no help and contact through Facebook just refers me to the website.

Any information you can pass on would be much appreciated. Tom, Seattle WA.

Court Rye

Hi Tom! Sorry to hear that it has been a struggle trying to locate these new bikes, I think they are still nailing down specific dealers but they do have an outlet in Las Vegas and I just called their marketing lead Chris Head who gave me the number 702-444-7474 and said you can call him directly to get more info, place a pre-order and that he would even try for free shipping since you’ve had a bit of a hiccup getting in touch. Hope this helps and feel free to chime in again if you want me to reach out or get more info like if the number above doesn’t work.

Thanks for the info Court!

Jim Hari

Hi Court, I see that this one, the Smart Motion Pacer, is only available in New Zealand, and distribution is not available in US, as far as I can see. Sometimes I have seen with your reviews that I am drooling to try these bikes and buy one but can’t because say in the Midwest, Chicago and Suburbs, there are no dealers who represent and sell them. In addition, if availability was only possible directly with the Bike Company, without any Dealers, where would warranty service be able to be done, and would the company be reliable to warrant their Bikes.

Hey Jim! Someone else commented about this today and I called the company, spoke with Chris Head. First off, Lectric Cycles (the company importing SmartMotion to the USA) has a good reputation and has been selling kits and converted bikes for multiple years. I got to visit their showroom in Vegas and hope to publish a video showing it soon. Second, this review was shot just before Interbike when the company was signing up dealers so it’s kind of a sneak peek but I have no doubt that we’ll see it in stores across the country sometime soon. You can call them to place pre-orders and maybe even get a free shipping deal from Chris since you’re an early bird. Note, I do not get paid if you buy one of these bikes and my feedback here is more qualitative than anything but you can call them yourself for more answers… just trying to help :)

George

This has to be my No1 ebike to purchase as seeing and being seen in the UK in the winter months is very important but the fact that the dealers can restrict the bike to global markets is brilliant. Court would I be right in thinking if the dealer restricted the bike to our 18mph limit the motor would still have the same torque characteristics of a higher speed variant meaning it would provide the much higher output of the 500w motor giving the bike much greater hill climbing abilities over say a 350w motor? And improving the range as the bike wouldn’t assist past our lower limit? Would love if you could find out this if your in touch with the guys. Thanks bud

Hi George! I think quite a few little things were actually changed for the US version (that’s what the founder of SmartMotion told me). He was saying it in a proud sort of way like “our version is even better than the already good version…” but that might mean it actually has a larger motor or different firmware. I honestly can’t say for sure, I’d love to hype it up for you and be like, yeah! It’s a powerful motor but I just don’t know. On the flip side, I believe the Bosch Gen 2 mid-drive is the exact same hardware in all markets and it’s simply software that changes the max speed and power, even with the CX, so that’s an argument for the SmartMotion also being the same hardware. That’s usually the most efficient way for manufacturers to do it. Hope this helps, I’ll ask if/when I speak to Smart Motion again but you can also reach out directly, I think they usually respond pretty quickly :)

Pam Ford

Hi Court, We have just bought two SmartMotion Pacers (in New Zealand). Thank you for your awesome review and giving us some tips on using it.
If other readers want to buy and have them shipped, we would recommend the dealer we purchased from, Nigel from Evolution Cycles. Pam

Sweet! Thanks for the tip Pam, I hope you enjoy the bikes… I was really impressed with the technology and am excited to finish reviewing the Catalyst soon ;)

Terence

Hi Court, I’m tossing up between a Smartmotion Pacer and a Juiced Crosscurrent (10.4 battery, and I would want to add fenders) . Which would you recommend? Price is one of my biggest concerns, in your opinion is it worth it to pay more for the extra accessories/functions of the Pacer. Thanks, I love the site and the reviews.

Hi Terence! I love how light and simple the CrossCurrent is but have a hard time overlooking the fenders, nice rack and LIGHTS on the Pacer. It’s a sweet bike with an upgrade on the zip and motor… you don’t have to pay extra for throttle mode and you get those two assist settings. I really like the bike and would be willing to pay more for it. Hope this helps.

John Tyler

Where can you buy these? Their website doesn’t seem to have a store or shipping. I’m in Ohio.

Hi John! Reach out to Lectric Cycles directly if you’re in the USA. Chris Head (a marketing manager at the company) chimed in on a comment above saying you can call him directly at 702-444-7474. Hope this helps! I’d love to hear how the bike works out for you if you decide to get it :)

I purchased my Smartmotion Pacer from Lectric Cycles’ website. They were responsive and helpful at every step of the process and I have no regrets. It is a wondefully powerful and well designed bike.

Lectric Cycles informed me that as the battery is a hazmat item I would need to provide a signature in person upon delivery. After much coordination with Fedex about this they delivered it 3 days early when I was out. No signature was needed.

Not having the benefit of a test ride prior to purchase, there were a couple of surprises I should mention which might help other buyers:

Tall riders beware: I purchased the larger of the 2 available sizes with the optional Bodyfloat seatpost. The Bodyfloat is a couple inches shorter than the standard, Pacer seatpost making it an inch or so too short for me even though I am not exceptionally tall at a shade less than 6 feet. So I wasted a little money there.
The battery on my bike does not fit very snugly and rattles annoyingly. I might only be noticing this because the rest of the bike is superbly rattle-free.

They are the only faults I have found after a few days riding. The Pacer is nicely balanced and feels much lighter than it’s 54lbs.

I have settled on using the torque sensor mode all the time. It takes some getting used to though because on the higher assist levels it kicks in very quickly even when applying almost no torque to the pedals. This means that when navigating a tight turn at low speed you need to lightly apply the brake or it will carry you off unexpectedly fast.

Thanks once again for a great website Court.

Hi Tom! Excellent updates, thanks for the heads up about your BodyFloat post being a bit shorter than the stock. I think Thudbuster sells the longer 400 mm suspension posts that could be fit into the 30.4 mm diameter with a shim adapter 27.2 to 30.4 mm here for $10. Also, as for the rattling battery interface, consider using some layers of tape to create a tighter fit and remove the plastic on plastic contact. You can get black duct tape pretty cheap online just make sure you don’t put down too many layers and accidentally lose the battery on bumpy terrain because it’s not seated all the way ;)

Thanks, Court. I’m torn between the Smart Motion Pacer and a 2015 Emotion Nitro City EVO (I’m having a hard time discerning exactly what model it is and which of your reviews apply). The local dealer, Orbit City Bikes, has one that they’re selling at an “off-year” model price for a discount including the 2 yr battery warranty and 5 yr bike warranty.

Most important to me is Class III, a dedicated throttle, equipped for commuting (racks, fenders, lights), and enough juice to go the whole day (my commute is 13 miles round trip plus errands). I don’t expect you to make my decision for me, but it sure is difficult!

Loving my Pacer but I want to change the speed settings – I can get to that section but alas it’s greyed out so I can’t change. You got any tips on how I can get that done?

Chris Head

Give us a call concerning the speed settings. We have not published the speed change procedure because the bike is shipped to meet the class 3 rules. (702) 444-7474. We can talk you through the settings

6 years ago

I know this is an old thread, but I now use my Pacer exclusively off road and would love to get rid of the speed restrictions. Any help with this would be appreciated – Tom.

If anyone has any questions about where to purchase or trouble shooting please call us at (702) 444-7474 or email [email protected] We do sell consumer direct if you are not close to a dealer.

Mike at Mike's E-Bikes

7 years ago

If you are in the Midwest or specifically Chicago, you can test ride them or buy one here at Mike’s E-Bikes MikesE-Bikes.com. These are great performing e-bikes, well worth the money, and if you want the suspension, the Catalyst comes with the suspension, and I have a few outfitted with the same options as a Pacer.

Sweet, thanks for the update about suspension Mike. I travel around quite a bit, maybe I’ll visit your shop the next time I’m in Chicago! Do you go to Interbike? Also, I have the ebike shop dealer map that you guys could join, you can learn more about it in the video here. Hope the year’s going great for you!

Danny McCullough

I have demo ridden one of the Pacers for several hours around Minneapolis. They are incredibly capable and I found it a joy to ride.

Sweet! I’m excited to see the 2018 updates from SmartMotion. Appreciate your feedback about the demo ride Danny :)

Stephen

It’s too bad Smart Motion no longer has a North American distributor.

Court

Hi Stephen! I’m in touch with a gentleman who is hoping to distribute them and will definitely be aiming for some reviews if that all works out. The new stuff is really good looking and uniquely specced. Keep an eye out and your fingers crossed ;)

That’s great news. Thank you for the information and reply Court. It’s much appreciated! :)

Ralph

4 years ago

Greetings: I just bought a used Pacer and am in need of a battery and charger. I need help location one. Any suggestions?

Hi Ralph! Is the bike stolen? Please check with Project 529. If you have the existing battery case, try working with FTH Power in California to repack with fresh cells. They may be able to direct you to a charging solution, or you can figure out the tip required to plug into the bike or battery along with the voltage and amp output to possibly find an aftermarket charger. Radio Shack used to sell stuff like this, but I haven’t seen many of those stores around lately. I took a closeup photo of the battery charger here so you can see the exact specifications for it when trying to find or build a new one. Good luck!

Thanks for the info… I’ve finally received a response from Smartmotion who gave the supplier information in China. Apparently they can’t ship batteries from down under.

Rob

3 years ago

I bought a Smart Motion Pacer two and a half years ago. This is the second time the LCD screen has died and the second time this bike has left me stranded in the middle of the night. It’s hardly been used as it isn’t a particularly nice ride and is used as a backup. It had a full service a couple of months again which had to have the catalyst and Pacer components replaced – The bike has probably done less than 8000km.

Its complete inability to stay alive in rain makes it a pretty terrible commuter, particularly in Wellington. I also know of two other bikes in Wellington that have homemade rain covers, this isn’t just my bike. I also fashioned a homemade cover but it still failed.

I’m thinking it might be under warranty, so I’ll have look. I’m really disappointed in this and sad because I try and always buy Kiwi made. I also had to go and buy a Giant, which you can ride in any weather, as my main commuter.

Hey Rob! That sounds really frustrating. Here in the US, I haven’t seen SmartMotion for a while. I think they might have withdrawn from this market or even gone out of business? It sounds like you’re in New Zealand? I really liked their lights and custom designs, but the reliability challenges and rain issues are no fun. I hope you can keep it going or pass it off to a fair weather rider. Hope the Giant holds up better :)