Eahora Juliet 1000 Mile Review

[Explorer-1]

Eahora Juliet 1000 Mile Review

I've travelled over 1000 miles on the original Eahora Juliet. The updated 2024 model is out that changes some things, so I'll not go into too many fine details as they have already changed. They also have the Juliet II and Juliet III bikes as well. So a bit confusing to have 3 different bikes named Juliet.

Overall this bike was a great value. Currently the latest model is $1,199 +$200 shipping which really is a a surprising deal. Overall I've been very happy with this bike for use as a commuter or traveling mostly by road, extremely long distances for an e-bike. I did have to switch up the handlebar stem and added a suspension seat-post to get a comfortable fit for me.

The bike has held up very well for the most part; I've had to adjust the rear derailleur once, but I may need to do it again at some point as I didn't use loctite on the limit screw. It was the easiest adjustment just needed to tweak the high-limit, indexing has remained solid. Another issue is my motor cutoffs connected to the brakes are no reliable, i've not looked into the connection issue there yet. The tires probably need replacement now, although they were never great for traction.

The tires are not very good on wet streets or in the mud, and generally the geometry, dual crown fork, and suspension are just not suited for any serious off-road trail. Clear well traveled trails and pathways are fine.

I only bought it for the battery and range, and while I needed to tweak the fit I've been impressed even though it uses a lot of lower grade components. If you only need a simple long range e-bike for commuting and/or errands it's hard to beat.

Pros

• 48V 60Ah battery, 2880Wh -- almost the best (52V would be even better)
• 100mi on throttle Assist-level 3 or less, 190 pounds rider and gear. I'd say averaging 15 - 20 mph
• Well built for robustness
• Included rack with good capacity.
• Integrated lighting front and rear and integrated signals included.
• The supplied seat is quite comfortable if seated in an upright position.
• Easily Removable battery, charge on-bike or off.

Cons

• Drive train is totally inadequate, ghost pedaling after 15mph and assist level 2. Not meant for pedaling unless using Assist level 1 really, sometime 2 is workable.
• Geometry is bad for pedaling, the pedals are just in the wrong position relative to the seat.
• Low clearance, big problem off road and even on road.
• Generally really cheap components other than the battery. Latest model has some upgrades.
• Too easy for dirt and mud to get into the battery area, which can be hard to clean in some of the nooks.
• A lot of exposed cabling, I don't ming it too much, but bad for off road.
• Not really suitable for off-road.
• Came with a 5A changer, but advertised at the time coming with 8A. 8 would have been the proper capacity for such a large battery. If you really drain the battery down (100mi +) the 5A charger may not charge the battery fully before an internal maximum time safety threshold is triggered. You need to unplug and replug the charger to finish charging.
• Very primitive cadence sensor.
• 1/2 twist throttle (junk)

There are other small things like the funky operation of the cruise control and indicator that only indicates that it is available, not whether it is active or not. The display is workable, but can have issues in bright sun with visibility, in the rain with water damage, and generally physical damage. I could not configure the throttle to not be limited by the assist mode, I didn't waste time trying to update the firmware which may have fixed that.

I do recommend this model for those that don't have a very long inseam or never plan on pedaling. Check the reach, you may need to adjust for a comfortable upright riding position. If you know what you are getting, this is really a great bike due to it's huge battery and utility with the rack. Compared to my other main e-bike, the Juiced RipCurrent S, it just does not ride anywhere near as smooth, or feel as good to ride. The Juliette is great little utility commuter, but not really meant for the bike enthusiast or regular rider. It did exceed my expectations in many ways, but missed the mark a few times as well. I use it a lot when I needed more utility function due to weather or terrain, and I bet the updated model is even better. I'll look at purchasing another Eahore bike in the future if the price is right, and I don't have a similar battery capacity on another bike by then.

 

[Explorer-1]

I changed out the 1/2 twist throttle today today for a thumb throttle. At the same time I removed the cheap hard handgrips and replaced them with Ergon GA3 grips (Pinion/Rohloff twist-shift version). These grips are on the smaller side compared to GA1s, but I think they suit this bike, and they feel so much better than the stock grips. I waited too long to do this mod, I can't believe I put up with the stock grips for so long. Maybe since I where gloves it was more tolerable, and it's not a bike one uses for technical riding. The GA3 worked nicely with the thumb-throttle, I needed to cut a bit off the left grip, and i was able to use that piece with the shorter right-hand grip for a perfect fit. These grips are good quality and have a secure clamp, the stock ones were just friction fit, and were always twisting and never in the right place. I don't ride this bike much in the summer months, but looking forward to taking it out again now.