2014 Currie IZIP E3 DASH

[Ralph]

Hi Ralph - No slime tubes on the Dash. Generally, we only use Slime when we have bolt-on, nutted hub motors that are difficult to remove for flat repair. Slime works well for small punctures but makes a real mess with something larger. We have had lots of complaints about the use of sealers. The good news is that the Dash (and also the new Path+ which uses the same motor) has a standard quick release rear wheel and an easy connect power connector which makes removing the rear wheel almost as easy as on a normal bike, so its pretty simple to replace the tube if you do get a puncture.

The tires are also very tough if they are kept properly inflated. This is something that many riders neglect to check on a regular basis. I'd suggest getting a good floor pump with a gauge and top off your tires once a week before you ride. Follow this and carry a spare tube, tire levers and a CO2 inflation cartridge when you ride and you will be amazed at how infrequent flats become.

Hope that is helpful!
Larry

Larry, Thanks. Your comments are a big help. I will scrap the idea of sealants and take your advice. Currently, we check the air in our tires before every ride on our regular bikes. I will assemble a tire kit as you suggest. I appreciate your help.

Ralph

 

[Justin McLeod]

Ralph,

I was told yesterday my Dash will be in tomorrow!!!!!!! I am so excited! I'm sure you will receive this week too. Any updates on your end? Cant wait to ride it and post my thoughts!! I believe it is one of the best Ebikes out today. Mosdef the best one for my lifestyle!

 

[Ralph]

Yep. Dealer says tomorrow is the day. Hope so. I know we made great choice with the Dash.

 

[Justin McLeod]

Larry,

On the comments section below Court's review on the Dash you said the Dash will come with a full lighting system that is controlled at the user interface. I am interested in that. Is this out yet? If not when will it be out? Is this something my local dealer will know how to hook up? I am assuming this full lighting system is headlights and rear tail lights?

thx Justin

 

[Justin McLeod]

Yep. Dealer says tomorrow is the day. Hope so. I know we made great choice with the Dash.

Awesome can't wait to hear what you have to say too. I believe we both ordered the M…right?

 

[Brambor]

Congrats gents...post pictures please

 

[Larry Pizzi]

Larry,

On the comments section below Court's review on the Dash you said the Dash will come with a full lighting system that is controlled at the user interface. I am interested in that. Is this out yet? If not when will it be out? Is this something my local dealer will know how to hook up? I am assuming this full lighting system is headlights and rear tail lights?

thx Justin

Hi Justin - The bike is prewired for a lighting system that is powered by the system battery pack. Any 6v lighting system will work and in a few months will have one packaged as an accessory. We currently have a german B&M lighting system that will work and also works on all of our eFlows models. The Dash will also have a full city kit (lights, rack and fenders) within the same time frame.

 

[Justin McLeod]

Picked up MY Dash Wed morning and WOW!!! The bike is amazing! The M size is perfect, crazy quiet, its more charcoal black than I thought and that's GR8!! The Dash of yellow looks good too. Its so balanced and very fast. I had it going 32 MPH with ease. I now totally understand the difference between a geared Hub vs a gearless Hub. Also now understand the different feel between the pedalec vs torque sensor.

My wife has the 2013 metro and it is geared and pedalec.... it is more jerky, loud, and will just take off on you. It has more torque especially when using the throttle. The Dash is completely different. It is smother and responds to the torque it's given. The question I had about the throttle being used in PAS mode is now very clear! When in PAS 1-4 the throttle works when the bike is at a complete stop but it only gives you a burst ( up to 6mph) so it is easier to get the peddles under you and begin to peddle.... AWESOME!!!!!! The throttle will also work when you are peddling, but have to be peddling or it will not override. It will override when under 6mph. SO NICE!!! The cruise control works well and is another awesome feature. The LCD is great, lock out shock is great, the control pad is perfectly placed and so easy to use, and I just love the bike!!! I could talk for hours about the ebike!

I have only put 20 miles on it but many more to come. I will post pictures soon too! Any questions about the bike please hit me back. AND Court bcz of your website I found this bike SO THANK YOU!! Keep up the great work! Larry... Super thanks too - you have emailed me and have been a great help and very cool you are on this site. Izip knocked this bike out the park!!!!

Thanks and VRROOOOOOM!
Justin

Ralph how is yours??

 

[Admin]

Justin that's great! Thanks for explaining in detail how the throttle and pedal assist work together. That's something I was really curious about since I didn't test it thoroughly in the review. I'm so glad the site has helped you and I'm excited to see a few pictures

 

[Justin McLeod]

Hi Justin - The bike is prewired for a lighting system that is powered by the system battery pack. Any 6v lighting system will work and in a few months will have one packaged as an accessory. We currently have a german B&M lighting system that will work and also works on all of our eFlows models. The Dash will also have a full city kit (lights, rack and fenders) within the same time frame.

Hello Larry,

As you know my wife has the 2013 metro and i just received my Dash!! When we first got the metro i would take it to the gym. This trip is about 5miles. I would put the metro on pas 4 and try to get to the gym as fast as i could…very aggressive! I just wanted to see how may miles i could get per bar by riding with that much power and that aggressive. Average about 18 mph. I reached the gym - it took about 5miles and still had 5 bars left…Very happy about that. On other trips and was able to reach 5.47 miles before bar 5 disappeared. Awesome! On one trip i put it in pas 4 and went to the gym and all around town and was able to go 27 miles in pas 4 before it died. Again Awesome!!!

I just did this same trip to the gym today with the Dash, in pas 4, and reached 4 miles and bar 5 disappeared. Came back home, same way and when i pulled up to my front door the trip was 10.49 miles. I used up 3 bars which averaged 3.47 miles per bar. I was a lil disappointed bcz I figured the dash would go as far as the metro or even further bcz it has more watt hrs. Metro 36*10=360 and the Dash 48*8.7=417.

Can you explain or help me out with why I was able to go further and average more miles on the Metro vs Dash?

Thanks………LOVE this Dash! : )
Justin

 

[Larry Pizzi]

Hello Larry,

As you know my wife has the 2013 metro and i just received my Dash!! When we first got the metro i would take it to the gym. This trip is about 5miles. I would put the metro on pas 4 and try to get to the gym as fast as i could…very aggressive! I just wanted to see how may miles i could get per bar by riding with that much power and that aggressive. Average about 18 mph. I reached the gym - it took about 5miles and still had 5 bars left…Very happy about that. On other trips and was able to reach 5.47 miles before bar 5 disappeared. Awesome! On one trip i put it in pas 4 and went to the gym and all around town and was able to go 27 miles in pas 4 before it died. Again Awesome!!!

I just did this same trip to the gym today with the Dash, in pas 4, and reached 4 miles and bar 5 disappeared. Came back home, same way and when i pulled up to my front door the trip was 10.49 miles. I used up 3 bars which averaged 3.47 miles per bar. I was a lil disappointed bcz I figured the dash would go as far as the metro or even further bcz it has more watt hrs. Metro 36*10=360 and the Dash 48*8.7=417.

Can you explain or help me out with why I was able to go further and average more miles on the Metro vs Dash?

Thanks………LOVE this Dash! : )
Justin

Justin - The two bikes have completely different systems so its not possible to compare based on support level and top speed. I'd suggest that you use level 2 can compare.

 

[Justin McLeod]

Justin - The two bikes have completely different systems so its not possible to compare based on support level and top speed. I'd suggest that you use level 2 can compare.

Thanks Larry,

I understand pas 2 will get me around 33 miles...was just curious max power vs max power. I agree with you they are two different systems. They both perform very well and they both have the consumer in mind. We love our bikes!! : )

You mentioned the Dash will offer a higher app hour battery next year or within a few years and I will mosdef be interested. Mainly for the option for a longer ride and a longer aggressive ride. Hoping for a 48v12app.

Excited for the light package for the Dash coming out in April too. : )

Thanks again Larry,
Justin

 

[Ralph]

Hey Justin, Just got my Dash today. The bike is really impressive at first glance. I would say, menacing is a good way to describe it. Expensive would be another. It looks like the high quality product that it is. Yesterday it was 81 on the Island and today it is 50, soI only put five miles on it. I know that if you are in the Northeast, 50 is a balmy day, but in Florida it's break out the ski jackets time

The bike is so smooth and quiet that after riding so many other electric bikes, it is disarming how quiet it is. The other thing that strikes you so quickly is how darn fast it is. It is a rocket. In twist and go it goes 20 mph but hardly necessary to use it since the torque sensor is so responsive. I had it in pedal assist at 25mph but know it will go much faster. Actually, that was more then fast enough. I noticed that a power bar dropped off quickly so will be trial and error as to the range. After only a few miles it showed a range of 15 miles. That really isn't an issue for me yet, but will keep an eye on it.

The bike speaks quality. Very impressive. At 5'7" I tested the M/L but the Currie rep ordered me a S/M which seemed to make sense given my height. It feels a bit cramped so I hope it is right size. The LBS said we can get a piece to move the bars forward if necessary. I will ride it for awhile and see how it goes.

Larry, thanks for your help and Monte's in choosing this bike. It really is impressive. Back to 70 degree days in a few days so looking forward to longer rides.

To all who want a smooth, almost insanely quiet electric bike that is rock solid in every way, the E3 Dash is a special bike for sure. While testing a lot of bikes, I was really annoyed by how loud they were. The super quiet and powerful gearless hub and motor make this bike feel like a regular bike, only you as the rider are suddenly bionic! Hold the spinach, I got this!

Thanks,
Ralph

 

[Treehugger]

I've been thinking about buying an electric bike for my daily 5 mile commute. I don't have any prior experience with electric bikes before today. Based on the reviews I saw here, I took a trip to the Izip store in Santa Monica today and test rode the Dash. The people in the store were friendly and helpful, and able to answer my questions. My test ride covered some steep hills and typical city streets.

The first thing I noticed was that the throttle response seemed to lag. It took a second or two before speed began to build, and then it seemed too fast. I noticed the same thing pedaling. It seemed like I didn't feel much boost from the motor, then suddenly there was too much boost. I think I started in pedal assist 1, and then switched to 4. Switching back to 2 seemed to help me maintain a smooth pedal cadence and speed.

When I asked about switching gears, I was told that it's largely not necessary. I didn't notice the gear indicator during the ride, so I don't know if I was in a high or low gear. After thinking about it later today, I started wondering if that could have been the the source of the behavior I noticed. I feel like I need to better understand how or if selecting the correct gear plays into speed control before I can really evaluate the bike performance.

It's also possible that I just need time and practice to better control the bike. I had never ridden an electric bike before, so I really didn't know what to expect.

I would appreciate any feedback on my experience or tips for properly evaluating an e-bike during a test ride.

 

[Admin]

Hey Treehugger! Great thoughts... There can be a delay for motors to kick in and since the Dash uses a direct drive (gearless) hub motor it may feel smoother than a geared design. That bike uses three sensors (speed, pedal cadence and torque) and is designed to feel subtle vs. jerky and surprising as it kicks in. Many older electric bikes startled people but it sounds like you almost felt let down by the smooth engagement. If you were in a low "easy" gear and had speed already then your torque would be low and maybe that caused the motor to feel gentle vs. if you were pedaling with more force.

I use my gears pretty regularly when riding electric bikes in pedal assist and I choose an assist level based on the speed I want to maintain. Higher assist levels will provide more power but run the battery down faster. By choosing level 1 or 2 and then riding as you would without a motor, the bike responds more naturally and I think you'll feel it kick in as hills, wind or higher speeds are reached and your muscle power struggles.

You probably already know most of this stuff, I hope I've helped to clarify or shed some light onto the E3 Dash system vs. other electric bikes. Happy to chime in with more thoughts if you can help guide me towards your questions

 

[Ralph]

Treehugger, I had the same experience as you with the gears. As Court mentioned, you can use lower assist to conserve battery but combined with lower gears it allows you to go slower easier if that makes any sense. When I ride with friends that don't have electric bikes, I lower the gears and assist and ride slower, but when riding myself I generally leave the Dash in High Gear. I use a little throttle to get started and as the pedal assist kicks in, I am done with the throttle which only works while pedaling and only to 20 mph. The Dash can be so fast that it feels like there is no throttle response when you are twisting while going when in high gear. At slow speeds in low gears you will feel some boost. I think that is what you observed.

On flat surfaces once you get used to the bike, using the gears and various levels of assist, it is a very natural feel. It just depends on how much effort and speed you want. It takes some getting used to and a more experienced friend without battery power helped me sort it during one of my first long rides. Like you, I had no clue at first and found it very disarming. As Court points out, matching the gears to speed and keeping your eye on the battery levels is a smart way to ride.

Five miles on the Dash is a very easy ride and you will appreciate the twist and go throttle if you have a lot of stops along the way and keep the bike in a higher gear as it takes more effort to begin from stop. If you are doing a ten mile commute there are no worries about exhausting the battery even at level 4 assist or Twist and Go based on my experience in the past month. Keep at it, you will love riding an electric bike.

 

[JoePah]

looks like a great choice for a commuter bike.. $2600. And Currie is probably the most popular Ebike manufacturer who knows how to source the right components and build a reliable bike.

Test rides are mandatory before buying any bike, esp an ebike.

The most important aspect is fit and comfort, so it's important that the store has enough bike sizes to check out. This is after you've decided how much to spend and how much new technology you're willing to put up with.

When I bought my first ebike, A2B Metro, I sat on 5 different bikes, test rode 2, and the decision was very easy.

 

[Treehugger]

Thanks for the feedback. Yes Ralph, that makes sense about having an easier time controlling speed at a lower assist in lower gears. What I experienced with the throttle response reminded me of a car starting in a high gear. Very little response until it built some speed, then a surge forward. I felt like I was either fully on or off the throttle and using the brakes a lot to slow down. I didn't feel the motor engage until more than 1/2 way through the throttle rotation. The only thing I didn't notice was a sense of the motor straining at all.

When pedaling, it felt too easy at first, like I was freewheeling, then I felt the motor pull, and again, too fast. I was probably experiencing motor assist all the time, but just couldn't tell.

Honestly, the test ride was about 15 minutes, and I switched to the Peak half way through. There were a lot of distraction with pedestrians and traffic on unfamiliar streets. It was hard to focus on the bike and what I was feeling. I think I need 30 minutes in an empty parking lot to get a get a real feel for the bike.

Regarding the fit. I assume that the bike can be upgraded with different seats, grips, pedals, etc to improve fit and comfort, correct?

 

[Aubrizzle]

Which did you like more? Peak or Dash &why

 

[Treehugger]

Which did you like more? Peak or Dash &why

Well, I don't really feel like I can comment on the performance without more experience riding the bike. Aside from that, both seemed well built, solid, sturdy. I didn't get the impression that anything was low quality.

I don't know much about bikes, so take that with a grain of salt. I've been commuting via motorcycle for 10+ years, and I'm looking for something lower cost, quieter, and doesn't tempt me to ride too fast.

I think my wife will sleep better.