Aurora Limited Edition Mid-Drive Review

[smorgasbord]

For those of you experiencing popping/snapping/skipping issues, what I would suggest is getting a friend and a gimbal camera (DJI Osmo Pocket or similar) and see what you can record on video. That will help tremendously to see if the belt is really skipping and whether it's skipping at the front or rear. If you can mount the camera to the frame Court-review-style you can actually see the drivetrain pretty clearly.

With the bike we had (it was for my wife), I was convinced it was the rear, but a LBS (R&M dealer, btw, so they have experience with the Nuvinci) mechanic was pretty sure it was the front, and so probably the motor. Evelo was VERY helpful and supportive; they sent parts and tools and paid for the LBS's repair attempts, but it simply wasn't working for us. In retrospect, I wished we had tried cranking the tension on the belt up a huge amount just for a short time to see if that eliminates or at least reduces the frequency of occurrence.

What attracted us to the ALE was its ergonomics. The step-through design, upright riding position, and easy to twist electronic shifting with hydraulic brakes are great features that almost no other bike has together, except the more expensive R&M Homage (which doesn't have a throttle). The Gates belt was just icing on the maintenance cake. Besides the skipping issue, we weren't happy with the weight, the efficiency (try pedaling with the power off and see what that enviolo sucks up), the battery capacity (see efficiency), how the belt is tensioned, and the 26" tire size (which the display didn't support in our version). We could have suffered through those if the skipping weren't such a problem. We ended up getting a more expensive bike which I've modified with stem, handlebars, brake and drivetrain upgrades to make ergonomically (if not economically) suitable.

That said, Evelo is a great company to buy from. If you are hesitant to buy from an online company, my experience is that Evelo will support you.

 

[Aurora Maven]

For those of you experiencing popping/snapping/skipping issues, what I would suggest is getting a friend and a gimbal camera (DJI Osmo Pocket or similar) and see what you can record on video. That will help tremendously to see if the belt is really skipping and whether it's skipping at the front or rear. If you can mount the camera to the frame Court-review-style you can actually see the drivetrain pretty clearly.

With the bike we had (it was for my wife), I was convinced it was the rear, but a LBS (R&M dealer, btw, so they have experience with the Nuvinci) mechanic was pretty sure it was the front, and so probably the motor. Evelo was VERY helpful and supportive; they sent parts and tools and paid for the LBS's repair attempts, but it simply wasn't working for us. In retrospect, I wished we had tried cranking the tension on the belt up a huge amount just for a short time to see if that eliminates or at least reduces the frequency of occurrence.

What attracted us to the ALE was its ergonomics. The step-through design, upright riding position, and easy to twist electronic shifting with hydraulic brakes are great features that almost no other bike has together, except the more expensive R&M Homage (which doesn't have a throttle). The Gates belt was just icing on the maintenance cake. Besides the skipping issue, we weren't happy with the weight, the efficiency (try pedaling with the power off and see what that enviolo sucks up), the battery capacity (see efficiency), how the belt is tensioned, and the 26" tire size (which the display didn't support in our version). We could have suffered through those if the skipping weren't such a problem. We ended up getting a more expensive bike which I've modified with stem, handlebars, brake and drivetrain upgrades to make ergonomically (if not economically) suitable.

That said, Evelo is a great company to buy from. If you are hesitant to buy from an online company, my experience is that Evelo will support you.

So was it the motor or was it skipping at the front? I think my problem is the motor and I'm getting very concerned because now the noise has increased and occurs almost every time I pedal, even if gently so it may be a motor shaft issue. I may still try the gimbal camera with the belt guard removed.

 

[smorgasbord]

So was it the motor or was it skipping at the front?

I do not know.

I should also point out that the Nuvinci enviolo hub has two really nice properties:

• It doesn't have specific gears, but has a continuous range. I posted a cut-away video of one in action on one of the threads in this forum that's worth watching.
• You can shift under load, unlike most other IGHs.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

For those of you experiencing popping/snapping/skipping issues, what I would suggest is getting a friend and a gimbal camera (DJI Osmo Pocket or similar) and see what you can record on video. That will help tremendously to see if the belt is really skipping and whether it's skipping at the front or rear. If you can mount the camera to the frame Court-review-style you can actually see the drivetrain pretty clearly.

With the bike we had (it was for my wife), I was convinced it was the rear, but a LBS (R&M dealer, btw, so they have experience with the Nuvinci) mechanic was pretty sure it was the front, and so probably the motor. Evelo was VERY helpful and supportive; they sent parts and tools and paid for the LBS's repair attempts, but it simply wasn't working for us. In retrospect, I wished we had tried cranking the tension on the belt up a huge amount just for a short time to see if that eliminates or at least reduces the frequency of occurrence.

What attracted us to the ALE was its ergonomics. The step-through design, upright riding position, and easy to twist electronic shifting with hydraulic brakes are great features that almost no other bike has together, except the more expensive R&M Homage (which doesn't have a throttle). The Gates belt was just icing on the maintenance cake. Besides the skipping issue, we weren't happy with the weight, the efficiency (try pedaling with the power off and see what that enviolo sucks up), the battery capacity (see efficiency), how the belt is tensioned, and the 26" tire size (which the display didn't support in our version). We could have suffered through those if the skipping weren't such a problem. We ended up getting a more expensive bike which I've modified with stem, handlebars, brake and drivetrain upgrades to make ergonomically (if not economically) suitable.

That said, Evelo is a great company to buy from. If you are hesitant to buy from an online company, my experience is that Evelo will support you.

How would you describe the power delivery of that motor compared to Bosch or Yamaha?

 

[Aurora Maven]

How would you describe the power delivery of that motor compared to Bosch or Yamaha?

Not sure how to answer that because I'm not familiar with the Bosch or Yamaha motors but the ALE is reported as having a 750W Dapu motor (1000W peak) with 105 Nm of torque, which is doubtful because torque can be measured a number of ways with these motors and I don't think it is being done in a consistent manner from one make to another. That said, I found the motor to be powerful enough to accelerate me (210 lbs) to 25 mph on a fully charged battery on a non-inclined road with little effort. The motor is remarkably quiet (when not getting those strange popping noises) and it has been reliable without failure after 1100 miles so far.

 

[@AubergeSanDiego]

Not sure how to answer that because I'm not familiar with the Bosch or Yamaha motors but the ALE is reported as having a 750W Dapu motor (1000W peak) with 105 Nm of torque, which is doubtful because torque can be measured a number of ways with these motors and I don't think it is being done in a consistent manner from one make to another. That said, I found the motor to be powerful enough to accelerate me (210 lbs) to 25 mph on a fully charged battery on a non-inclined road with little effort. The motor is remarkably quiet (when not getting those strange popping noises) and it has been reliable without failure after 1100 miles so far.

I own 2 ALEs and also experienced the loud snapping/popping issue on one of the bikes just while cruising around barely applying torque. I could feel it in the pedals as well when riding. I could even produce the problem with the bike up on a stand and turning the pedals by hand, so I took a video of it and emailed EVELO. They suggested REDUCING the tension and that worked. So I think any skipping/popping/snapping issue can be a result of improper tension in general. One can experiment with small increases or decreases in tension and see if the problem resolves, and/or contact EVELO for advice. They have always been willing to help.

 

[Aurora Maven]

I own 2 ALEs and also experienced the loud snapping/popping issue on one of the bikes just while cruising around barely applying torque. I could feel it in the pedals as well when riding. I could even produce the problem with the bike up on a stand and turning the pedals by hand, so I took a video of it and emailed EVELO. They suggested REDUCING the tension and that worked. So I think any skipping/popping/snapping issue can be a result of improper tension in general. One can experiment with small increases or decreases in tension and see if the problem resolves, and/or contact EVELO for advice. They have always been willing to help.

I agree. But I think Evelo does not do a great job in checking the belt tension when shipping these bikes. Mine arrived with tension beyond 100 lbs and it took me some time to realize that the belt tension was the culprit. I finally reduced the tension to about 35 lbs and almost all the noise was eliminated though I still get an occasional snapping or popping sound but it is infrequent enough that it is not longer worrisome. I just hope some permanent damage was not done to the bearings. FYI, I used a Gates 91107 Belt Tension Tester (available through Amazon) to measure the tension.

 

[MuttonChops]

My original production build ALE was stolen a few weeks ago.
Not sure what 'they' will do with it as I have the battery, battery key, and had a password set on the control panel.

Have been fighting with myself for several days regarding how/what/when for getting a replacement.

Did 20 miles or so on my old human-pedal-power NuVinic Hub bike so I know I've got to get another eBike.

Decided today to order the Evelvo Dash folding bike. It only has a 350W motor and IGH 5-Speed but could be easier deal with on road trips being 20+ pounds lighter.

 

[Aurora Maven]

For those of you experiencing popping/snapping/skipping issues, what I would suggest is getting a friend and a gimbal camera (DJI Osmo Pocket or similar) and see what you can record on video. That will help tremendously to see if the belt is really skipping and whether it's skipping at the front or rear. If you can mount the camera to the frame Court-review-style you can actually see the drivetrain pretty clearly.

With the bike we had (it was for my wife), I was convinced it was the rear, but a LBS (R&M dealer, btw, so they have experience with the Nuvinci) mechanic was pretty sure it was the front, and so probably the motor. Evelo was VERY helpful and supportive; they sent parts and tools and paid for the LBS's repair attempts, but it simply wasn't working for us. In retrospect, I wished we had tried cranking the tension on the belt up a huge amount just for a short time to see if that eliminates or at least reduces the frequency of occurrence.

What attracted us to the ALE was its ergonomics. The step-through design, upright riding position, and easy to twist electronic shifting with hydraulic brakes are great features that almost no other bike has together, except the more expensive R&M Homage (which doesn't have a throttle). The Gates belt was just icing on the maintenance cake. Besides the skipping issue, we weren't happy with the weight, the efficiency (try pedaling with the power off and see what that enviolo sucks up), the battery capacity (see efficiency), how the belt is tensioned, and the 26" tire size (which the display didn't support in our version). We could have suffered through those if the skipping weren't such a problem. We ended up getting a more expensive bike which I've modified with stem, handlebars, brake and drivetrain upgrades to make ergonomically (if not economically) suitable.

That said, Evelo is a great company to buy from. If you are hesitant to buy from an online company, my experience is that Evelo will support you.

Update to the popping/snapping/knocking noises: After 1500 miles of experiencing these annoying sounds intermittently, the culprit was finally found. It turned out that the rear cog was skipping on the hub's freewheel causing a metal-to-metal knocking sound. Excessive belt tension may have resulted in the early failure but I quickly reduced the belt tension after I first received the bike so I'm not sure that was the cause. Evelo suspects that the rear Gates cog had a manufacturing defect and they quickly provided me with a new cog and freewheel along with instructions to reduce the belt tension even more. Inspection of the damaged cog and freewheel revealed fracture of the inner teeth of the cog and on the splines of the freewheel. See images. After everything was replaced, the bike is perfectly quiet and a delight to ride!

 

[scrambler]

@smorgasbord , @Aurora Maven, @Don Adams, @MuttonChops or any other owner of the Aurora Limited, could one of you confirm the two dimensions below on the Aurora as illustrated in the picture?

Thank you in in advance for any help you can provide

 

[MuttonChops]

@smorgasbord , @Aurora Maven, @Don Adams, @MuttonChops or any other owner of the Aurora Limited, could one of you confirm the two dimensions below on the Aurora as illustrated in the picture?


View attachment 120396


Thank you in in advance for any help you can provide

Sorry I cannot help as my ALE was stolen ((very nice eBike)
Have you asked Evelo Support ?? They are very responsive and helpful . . .

 

[scrambler]

Thanks, I have also contacted them yes.

 

[MuttonChops]

Any 2022 model year Aurora Limited owners following this thread?

If so please look at the 'general discussion' post asking about Dapu Display Errrors
Your experience could be helpful in solving my issues . . .

https://electricbikereview.com/foru...douts-2022-production-what-is-going-on.48861/

 

[KnobbyGuy]

The wife received her ALE in Oct 2021 but it is the newest version with the wireless cadence control and the braced rear frame. The Dapu display is different then from the earlier Aurora Limited and we haven't had any glitches with it. But we are not crazy about the new display simply because the font is too bold and it now takes 9 button presses to reset the trip odometer (ridiculous).

 

[Aurora Maven]

@smorgasbord , @Aurora Maven, @Don Adams, @MuttonChops or any other owner of the Aurora Limited, could one of you confirm the two dimensions below on the Aurora as illustrated in the picture?


View attachment 120396


Thank you in in advance for any help you can provide

Sorry for the late reply but I have been away from the forum for awhile. Anyway, the top of seat tube height is 29" and the bottom bracket height is 12.5'. Note that these measurements were performed having 26x2.4 inch tires installed. You may want to add about 0.25 inches to these heights if you have use the Innova 26x2.8-inch tires that come with the ALE.