This thread will contain a potpourri of interesting (I hope), and useful, information.
Once again; I am 70 years old.. 5'9” tall.. inseam is 30”.. Out-the-door riding weight is 200 pounds..
My blue 2021 52V X-Class arrived in Aug. 2021. It now has 3,400 miles on the odometer. It would have at least twice that many miles, but I divvy up the riding fun with two other awesome fat tire ebikes. My usual daily ride is 50 miles. Too much fun.
1st, The brakes: At 3,400 miles, I am still using the original brake shoes. Considering the weight and speed availability of this 1000w+ motorized rascal, I am very pleasantly surprised at the duration. No squeaks.. No squeals.. Just silence and powerful stopping capability. I have noticed that a few YouTubers have complained about these stock items, but I am quite happy with mine. My other 2 fat tire ebike beasts also use this same TEKTRO hydraulic brake setup and they, with their combined total miles of 30,000+, are also flawless in the brake performance area. By the way, these are the pads I use on all of my ebikes:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01AHP55IY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 They usually last for 5,000+ miles..
2nd, The shocks: Let me say that I am very impressed by the suspension setup on this X52 ebike. I find that the front suspension, in unison with the fat tire inflated to 13 psi, works quite well. For my type of city riding, I have yet to wish that I had any other shock.
Now, for the rear shock.. I have been riding mountain bikes since 1983. My first front suspension fork was in 1991 (the original gray Manitou shock). My first dual suspension bike was in 1993 (the ProFlex BEAST). That 1993 BEAST, and this 2021 X52 ebike, both use the coil-over shock. Since that 1st dual suspension bike, I have always been a fan of air suspension rear shocks. Over the years, any time I bought a new mountain bike that used a rear coil-over, I immediately swapped it out for an air shock unit. And, in all those years of bike riding, I am happy to say that this 2021 X-Class 52v ebike is the very first coil-over that met my approval. No need to swap this puppy out for an air shock-- at least, not for my style of city riding.
However, that doesn't mean that I won't do it anyway. Why, is that?? Because I currently have this exact rear air shock (190mm) https://shop.m2sbikes.com/collectio...cessories/products/dnm-air-shock-with-lockout installed on my 2018 M2S(company) KUSH(model) 750w rear hub, fat tire, dual-suspension ebike beast. And here is a decent air pump to use on it: https://www.amazon.com/DNM-Bicycle-Shock-Portable-300PSI/dp/B01MUJ0PYL?
Now here is the cool part: My 2018 KUSH originally had a 165mm (overall length), 35mm travel, rear air shock. In 2020, I blew out the seal (it dried out due to lack of lubrication). So, at 12,000+ miles, it was time for a replacement. I was checking out the M2S website and they said that the above-linked DNM shock, in 190mm (overall length) and 50mm travel, would fit perfectly in the KUSH. So, I bought it. And, sure enough the new, longer, shock fit just fine and dandy AND the extra 15mm of travel (a little over 1/2”) was quite noticeable, in a very good way.
Now, why am I bringing this up? Well, my X52 beast also uses a 165mm (overall length) rear shock. Therefore, one upcoming day this winter, when I am snowed in and bored, I will transfer that DNF air shock on to the X52 and the original X52 coil-over shock on to the KUSH. I will then get an interesting perspective on how that DNF air shock behaves on my 80+ pound X-Class 52v beast.
3rd, the 52v, 18ah battery: I currently own 8 ebike batteries.
One is a 36v item that is not even worth mentioning.
Five are 48v; a 10.4ah, a 14ah, two 16ah, and one 21ah.
Two are 52v; a 13ah, and an 18ah(from the X-Class).
Each of these batteries, either as part of a complete ebike, or as a stand-alone item, have a charger included.
The 36v battery charger (plastic housing) would get so hot that I had to set a cooling fan by it to assist in temperature control. Needless to say, I soon progressed on to 48v ebikes and this 36v combo has long been relegated to “the bin”.
The 48v battery chargers are: One 2amp plastic housing unit. Two 3amp plastic housing units. Two 5amp aluminum housing/air fan cooled units-- they are the EOM equipment on my two M2S (brand) ebike monsters.
The 52V battery chargers are both plastic housing units. One is 2amp and one is 3amp(The X-Class).
I have never been a fan of the plastic housing units. It seems that they go “titz up” too quickly. By the way, the two M2S ebike 48v 5amp aluminum air cooled chargers are still just as dependable now as they were on day 1.
Now, more on my battery chargers. I also own 2 of the LUNA brand 48v multi-chargers (80/90/100% and 1,2,3,4, or 5amp): https://lunacycle.com/luna-charger-48v-advanced-300w-ebike-charger/ .
In addition, I own this 52v multi-charger (80/90/100% and 1,2,3,4, or 5amp) item: https://www.eco-ebike.com/products/52v-advanced-300w-eco-charger-1-to-5a-80-90
Why the need for so many different chargers? Well, for starters, the plastic housing units are pretty much crap. If used on a (nearly) daily basis (as I do),they will stop working in short order. Being ever cautious of potential fire hazard, especially when lithium batteries are involved, I prefer to err on the side of caution. Thus the additional multi-amp fan-cooled chargers.
As my plastic housed units began acting up, I decided to go ahead and buy the two LUNA 48V multi-amp chargers (2 months apart). Sad to say, 10 months after buying that first LUNA unit, it suddenly stopped functioning on the “3 amp” setting. Bummer deal.. Needless to say, LUNA's after-the-sale attitude is rather juvenile-- they have the “roadie cyclist” mentality.. I won't go into details, but I will say: DO NOT buy from LUNA.
Recently the 52v 2amp plastic charger bit the dust, so I decided to buy the aforementioned 52v multi-amp charger. By the way, I thought this 52v unit (in black aluminum) was the same brand as the blue aluminum 48v items, but its not. It (52v) has an on/off switch on the side.
2.1mmx5.5mm barrel connectors for battery charger: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D8T756C/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I went ahead and installed the aforementioned barrel connector and then commenced to charge the 18ah Reention Dorado battery belonging to the X-Class 52v ebike-- on the “5amp” with “100% charging” settings. NOTHING happened (green light still on, not red “recharging” light). What the ??? There are only 2 wires involved when wiring up the barrel connector. But, what the hey, I undid the cables and then connected them up again. Same results. I then plugged in the 13ah battery at the 5amp/100% setting. It worked like a charm. I then went thru the charging procedure on 4amp, 3amp, 2amp, and 1amp settings (all at 100%) everything worked as it should have. I then turned back to the 18ah Ariel XClass battery. 5Amps. Nothing. 4Amps. Nothing. 3Amps. Bingo-- everything works. 2Amps. All ok. 1Amp. All ok.
So, for some ridiculous reason, the Ariel 52v X-Class beast of an ebike apparently has a restriction of 3amps maximum when charging (or the battery itself is defective). This results in a 6.5 hour duration charging time if battery is mostly depleted. Being able to utilize a 5amp setting should reduce that time to 4 hours. Of all 7 of the aforementioned 48v and 52v batteries, each of them is able to recharge at 5amp or 4amp (or whatever) setting. The X-Class 52v/18ah battery is the lone EXCEPTION. Something is definitely not right. My 48v/21ah battery is at least as powerful as the Ariel ebike unit and it works fine at 5amp/4amp/100% settings (on the 48v LUNA chargers).
I'm telling this info so that you won't waste $100 on a multi-amp charger only to find that it is $$$$ wasted (on this particular battery). Also, in regards to Ariel and their “battery menu”: When you first purchase this ebike, Ariel recommends that you charge the battery for 12 hours and then again for 12 hours after an initial short distance (10 miles or so) ride. I've never before encountered this particular “formula” and it seems that it could be dangerous (lithium battery fire/explosion). Does anyone know what Ariel's mindset is in their madness??
In regards to Ariel ebike 48v/52v X-Class batteries: They are Reention Dorado style. Google that name and you will find a bazillion batteries for sale. I have purchased batteries 2 times from 3rd world internet sellers and in both instances, the battery was total crap. My personal suggestion is that you go through this EBReview link to buy a $500+ battery:
https://electricbikereview.com/foru...es-surface-604-ncm-rize-magnum-aventon.42705/ This vendor will be my go-to for any future battery purchases.
I have not yet contacted the ARIEL company people about this battery question. I have already dealt with them on another issue (to be addressed in another thread) and I'm not at all confident in this companies dedication to their ebike owners-- once that $2,000+ has been deposited and the ebike customer receives delivery of same.
Therefore, my question to any other 52v XClass ARIEL ebike owners: Have you had occasion to deal with charging your battery on a charger capable of charging at 4amps, or 5amps??
I can't imagine any ebike battery needing to have a “limiter” built into it. After all, we are not dealing with rocket science here.
4th ..tire pressure: I recently went out for my initial ride in 6” of fresh snow a few weeks ago. Tire psi was 14.. The X52 performed flawlessly. After returning back to the condo, I decided that reducing the pressure down to 8psi would really be traction-worthy. Big Mistake!! At one point the wheel was spinning like a mutha.. The tire, however, was not rotating one iota. I ripped the valve stem right off the inner tube. Luckily I live right next to a city park that has a open area the size of 5 football fields to play on. So, I only had to walk/push the 80+ beast 200 yards instead of 10 miles (had I decided to do an extended out-an-back route).
In regards to the X52 tire situation: I'm gonna do a stand-alone thread on that item in a month or so.
*** UpDate about swapping out the original 48t chainring for a 56t/58t item mentioned in thread#2:
Using the 48t item, you will be free-pedaling (chain fell off?) at 15mph..
Using the 56t/58t item, you will still be getting normal pedaling “resistance” even at 24+ mph. Quite the difference..***
Finally, Here is a great way to clean up the mess of cables hanging all over the front of any ebike: Mesh 1” cable sleeve; https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08LPK1XQ9?ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details&th=1 This item works great. Looks great, too. If you use a sharp pair of scissors, there is no fraying to contend with. Also, when deemed necessary, I use 1/4” wide strips of duct tape at each end to keep everything tidy..
In regards to the photo (below) showing the mesh sleeves, you will also see two 42” tv's. In 1990, I owned a Panasonic 61” tv (the huge boxy style). It had a 21” picture-in-a-picture feature. Now, 30 years later, I just use 2 different brands of lcd tv (that way the remotes are tv set-specific). Plus, I just use over-the-air antenna stations (40+).
Once again; I am 70 years old.. 5'9” tall.. inseam is 30”.. Out-the-door riding weight is 200 pounds..
My blue 2021 52V X-Class arrived in Aug. 2021. It now has 3,400 miles on the odometer. It would have at least twice that many miles, but I divvy up the riding fun with two other awesome fat tire ebikes. My usual daily ride is 50 miles. Too much fun.
1st, The brakes: At 3,400 miles, I am still using the original brake shoes. Considering the weight and speed availability of this 1000w+ motorized rascal, I am very pleasantly surprised at the duration. No squeaks.. No squeals.. Just silence and powerful stopping capability. I have noticed that a few YouTubers have complained about these stock items, but I am quite happy with mine. My other 2 fat tire ebike beasts also use this same TEKTRO hydraulic brake setup and they, with their combined total miles of 30,000+, are also flawless in the brake performance area. By the way, these are the pads I use on all of my ebikes:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01AHP55IY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 They usually last for 5,000+ miles..
2nd, The shocks: Let me say that I am very impressed by the suspension setup on this X52 ebike. I find that the front suspension, in unison with the fat tire inflated to 13 psi, works quite well. For my type of city riding, I have yet to wish that I had any other shock.
Now, for the rear shock.. I have been riding mountain bikes since 1983. My first front suspension fork was in 1991 (the original gray Manitou shock). My first dual suspension bike was in 1993 (the ProFlex BEAST). That 1993 BEAST, and this 2021 X52 ebike, both use the coil-over shock. Since that 1st dual suspension bike, I have always been a fan of air suspension rear shocks. Over the years, any time I bought a new mountain bike that used a rear coil-over, I immediately swapped it out for an air shock unit. And, in all those years of bike riding, I am happy to say that this 2021 X-Class 52v ebike is the very first coil-over that met my approval. No need to swap this puppy out for an air shock-- at least, not for my style of city riding.
However, that doesn't mean that I won't do it anyway. Why, is that?? Because I currently have this exact rear air shock (190mm) https://shop.m2sbikes.com/collectio...cessories/products/dnm-air-shock-with-lockout installed on my 2018 M2S(company) KUSH(model) 750w rear hub, fat tire, dual-suspension ebike beast. And here is a decent air pump to use on it: https://www.amazon.com/DNM-Bicycle-Shock-Portable-300PSI/dp/B01MUJ0PYL?
Now here is the cool part: My 2018 KUSH originally had a 165mm (overall length), 35mm travel, rear air shock. In 2020, I blew out the seal (it dried out due to lack of lubrication). So, at 12,000+ miles, it was time for a replacement. I was checking out the M2S website and they said that the above-linked DNM shock, in 190mm (overall length) and 50mm travel, would fit perfectly in the KUSH. So, I bought it. And, sure enough the new, longer, shock fit just fine and dandy AND the extra 15mm of travel (a little over 1/2”) was quite noticeable, in a very good way.
Now, why am I bringing this up? Well, my X52 beast also uses a 165mm (overall length) rear shock. Therefore, one upcoming day this winter, when I am snowed in and bored, I will transfer that DNF air shock on to the X52 and the original X52 coil-over shock on to the KUSH. I will then get an interesting perspective on how that DNF air shock behaves on my 80+ pound X-Class 52v beast.
3rd, the 52v, 18ah battery: I currently own 8 ebike batteries.
One is a 36v item that is not even worth mentioning.
Five are 48v; a 10.4ah, a 14ah, two 16ah, and one 21ah.
Two are 52v; a 13ah, and an 18ah(from the X-Class).
Each of these batteries, either as part of a complete ebike, or as a stand-alone item, have a charger included.
The 36v battery charger (plastic housing) would get so hot that I had to set a cooling fan by it to assist in temperature control. Needless to say, I soon progressed on to 48v ebikes and this 36v combo has long been relegated to “the bin”.
The 48v battery chargers are: One 2amp plastic housing unit. Two 3amp plastic housing units. Two 5amp aluminum housing/air fan cooled units-- they are the EOM equipment on my two M2S (brand) ebike monsters.
The 52V battery chargers are both plastic housing units. One is 2amp and one is 3amp(The X-Class).
I have never been a fan of the plastic housing units. It seems that they go “titz up” too quickly. By the way, the two M2S ebike 48v 5amp aluminum air cooled chargers are still just as dependable now as they were on day 1.
Now, more on my battery chargers. I also own 2 of the LUNA brand 48v multi-chargers (80/90/100% and 1,2,3,4, or 5amp): https://lunacycle.com/luna-charger-48v-advanced-300w-ebike-charger/ .
In addition, I own this 52v multi-charger (80/90/100% and 1,2,3,4, or 5amp) item: https://www.eco-ebike.com/products/52v-advanced-300w-eco-charger-1-to-5a-80-90
Why the need for so many different chargers? Well, for starters, the plastic housing units are pretty much crap. If used on a (nearly) daily basis (as I do),they will stop working in short order. Being ever cautious of potential fire hazard, especially when lithium batteries are involved, I prefer to err on the side of caution. Thus the additional multi-amp fan-cooled chargers.
As my plastic housed units began acting up, I decided to go ahead and buy the two LUNA 48V multi-amp chargers (2 months apart). Sad to say, 10 months after buying that first LUNA unit, it suddenly stopped functioning on the “3 amp” setting. Bummer deal.. Needless to say, LUNA's after-the-sale attitude is rather juvenile-- they have the “roadie cyclist” mentality.. I won't go into details, but I will say: DO NOT buy from LUNA.
Recently the 52v 2amp plastic charger bit the dust, so I decided to buy the aforementioned 52v multi-amp charger. By the way, I thought this 52v unit (in black aluminum) was the same brand as the blue aluminum 48v items, but its not. It (52v) has an on/off switch on the side.
2.1mmx5.5mm barrel connectors for battery charger: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D8T756C/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I went ahead and installed the aforementioned barrel connector and then commenced to charge the 18ah Reention Dorado battery belonging to the X-Class 52v ebike-- on the “5amp” with “100% charging” settings. NOTHING happened (green light still on, not red “recharging” light). What the ??? There are only 2 wires involved when wiring up the barrel connector. But, what the hey, I undid the cables and then connected them up again. Same results. I then plugged in the 13ah battery at the 5amp/100% setting. It worked like a charm. I then went thru the charging procedure on 4amp, 3amp, 2amp, and 1amp settings (all at 100%) everything worked as it should have. I then turned back to the 18ah Ariel XClass battery. 5Amps. Nothing. 4Amps. Nothing. 3Amps. Bingo-- everything works. 2Amps. All ok. 1Amp. All ok.
So, for some ridiculous reason, the Ariel 52v X-Class beast of an ebike apparently has a restriction of 3amps maximum when charging (or the battery itself is defective). This results in a 6.5 hour duration charging time if battery is mostly depleted. Being able to utilize a 5amp setting should reduce that time to 4 hours. Of all 7 of the aforementioned 48v and 52v batteries, each of them is able to recharge at 5amp or 4amp (or whatever) setting. The X-Class 52v/18ah battery is the lone EXCEPTION. Something is definitely not right. My 48v/21ah battery is at least as powerful as the Ariel ebike unit and it works fine at 5amp/4amp/100% settings (on the 48v LUNA chargers).
I'm telling this info so that you won't waste $100 on a multi-amp charger only to find that it is $$$$ wasted (on this particular battery). Also, in regards to Ariel and their “battery menu”: When you first purchase this ebike, Ariel recommends that you charge the battery for 12 hours and then again for 12 hours after an initial short distance (10 miles or so) ride. I've never before encountered this particular “formula” and it seems that it could be dangerous (lithium battery fire/explosion). Does anyone know what Ariel's mindset is in their madness??
In regards to Ariel ebike 48v/52v X-Class batteries: They are Reention Dorado style. Google that name and you will find a bazillion batteries for sale. I have purchased batteries 2 times from 3rd world internet sellers and in both instances, the battery was total crap. My personal suggestion is that you go through this EBReview link to buy a $500+ battery:
https://electricbikereview.com/foru...es-surface-604-ncm-rize-magnum-aventon.42705/ This vendor will be my go-to for any future battery purchases.
I have not yet contacted the ARIEL company people about this battery question. I have already dealt with them on another issue (to be addressed in another thread) and I'm not at all confident in this companies dedication to their ebike owners-- once that $2,000+ has been deposited and the ebike customer receives delivery of same.
Therefore, my question to any other 52v XClass ARIEL ebike owners: Have you had occasion to deal with charging your battery on a charger capable of charging at 4amps, or 5amps??
I can't imagine any ebike battery needing to have a “limiter” built into it. After all, we are not dealing with rocket science here.
4th ..tire pressure: I recently went out for my initial ride in 6” of fresh snow a few weeks ago. Tire psi was 14.. The X52 performed flawlessly. After returning back to the condo, I decided that reducing the pressure down to 8psi would really be traction-worthy. Big Mistake!! At one point the wheel was spinning like a mutha.. The tire, however, was not rotating one iota. I ripped the valve stem right off the inner tube. Luckily I live right next to a city park that has a open area the size of 5 football fields to play on. So, I only had to walk/push the 80+ beast 200 yards instead of 10 miles (had I decided to do an extended out-an-back route).
In regards to the X52 tire situation: I'm gonna do a stand-alone thread on that item in a month or so.
*** UpDate about swapping out the original 48t chainring for a 56t/58t item mentioned in thread#2:
Using the 48t item, you will be free-pedaling (chain fell off?) at 15mph..
Using the 56t/58t item, you will still be getting normal pedaling “resistance” even at 24+ mph. Quite the difference..***
Finally, Here is a great way to clean up the mess of cables hanging all over the front of any ebike: Mesh 1” cable sleeve; https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08LPK1XQ9?ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details&th=1 This item works great. Looks great, too. If you use a sharp pair of scissors, there is no fraying to contend with. Also, when deemed necessary, I use 1/4” wide strips of duct tape at each end to keep everything tidy..
In regards to the photo (below) showing the mesh sleeves, you will also see two 42” tv's. In 1990, I owned a Panasonic 61” tv (the huge boxy style). It had a 21” picture-in-a-picture feature. Now, 30 years later, I just use 2 different brands of lcd tv (that way the remotes are tv set-specific). Plus, I just use over-the-air antenna stations (40+).
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