New Allant+ 7s owner here. I've put in a little over 100 miles on it and can say that it is a truly awesome bike! I really love it and have no issues at all.
I agree with Dallant that my Performance Line Speed (Gen 4) is also slightly louder than some other motors I tried (for example, the Brose motor on the Specialized Vados I test rode were practically silent), but this is the only minor complaint I have and it really isn't a complaint....just a negligible distraction at times. The motor isn't really loud, but it is noticable, especially when in turbo at lower cadence pushing hard up hill. Most of the time at speed the wind noise and tire noise are louder than or about the same as the motor noise. However, despite this audible hum, I do love the Bosch Gen 4 motor! It has great power delivery and is smooth and really well integrated into the drive train. So much fun!
I also love that I can ride with the motor off and it feels like an normal unpowered ("analog" or "acoustic") bike. There is no noticable drag when riding unpowered. This gives the option of infinite range if desired or needed. Of course the motor/battery weight makes the hills more difficult than an analog bike, but on the flats I have ridden many miles unassisted and it is comfortable and fun (but not quite as fun as powering uphill without breaking a sweat!).
I was contemplating the 8s and the 7s, but since I was already at the upper reach of my budget I settled on the 7s. No regrets at all. The main differences between the 7s and the 8s are:
- 500 Wh battery(7s) vs 625 Wh battery(8s)
- Mobie 25 suspension fork(7s) vs. AL rigid blade fork(8s)
- Shimano Alivio 11-36t 9-spd(7s) vs Shimano Deore 11-42t 10-spd(8s)
- Purion display(7s) vs Smartphone Hub display(8s)
- Herrmans/AXA lights(7s) vs. Trek Lync lights(8s)
- Racktime Lightit rear rack(7s)vs. Lowrider (panniers only) rear rack(8s)
- Schwalbe G-One tires(7s) vs. Bontrager E6 tires(8s)
I was OK with the reduced battery capacity. I was concerned about whether I would like the gearing, but after test riding the 7s and now after >100 miles on it I am perfectly happy with the 9-speed gearing and shifting of the new Alivio system (Shimano technology trickle-down over the decades has resulted in excellent components even in the lower tiers). I don't miss that one lower gear and I am in a hilly area and fairly heavy at over 200lbs, but I also have a lot of riding and hill climbing experience...YMMV. I like the simple display of the Purion, but every now and then my inner nerd wishes it would output wattage (both motor and legs), cadence, and higher resolution battery details. But really most of the time I just like to ride my bike and the Purion displays everything I need for that purpose and it doesn't take up much real estate on my handlebars....simple, small, doesn't attract too much unwanted attention, and it just works....no complaints. The lights seem better than I was initially expecting, but it is summer in the northern hemisphere now and I haven't had to do much night riding. Unlike most people, I'm a fan of rigid forks as I tend to favor efficiency/speed/stability over comfort. But I'm happy with the Suntour Mobie 25 suspension fork. I like that I can choose to use lockout if I want a more rigid ride or unlock to soften out the suspension while traversing rougher areas.
Overall incredible bike! Very comfortable ride. Very fast and powerful when needed. Rides perfectly fine unpowered when desired. Would absolutely recommend to others. 5-stars!
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