Early Stages But Kyle Chittock of Bolton Ebikes is Alright With Me

[scout592]

I wonder if the Archon x1 that watt wagon sells and is using as an option on their bikes could be added. Reports say it makes the ultra as refined and smooth as any mid motor available. Maybe Kyle could offer that as an option.

 

[reed scott]

Reed, speaking for my jerky Ultra comments, I thought the throttle, when you first touch it to get the bike rolling, was a bit much. Since fixed (easily). The rest of the time, not experiencing anything I would call jerky either. My other issues were all related to low speed control. the kind of stuff you might run into on single track.

It would appear your bike is not able to be throttled until the bike is moving? Same story with pedal assist?
A new Frey owner is sharing that his new bike is set up the same way.

If the bike has to be moving for the throttle to work, that would explain why you aren't running into the same "a bit too much" throttle response from the start to me.

You're OK with not being able to use the throttle to get the bike rolling from a stop? Maybe an up hill start from a stop sign?

Good to hear from you AHicks. You are one of the voices I listen to intently here on EBR. Yes I do not have throttle from dead stop. As to PAS, it kicks in almost instantly. I mount my bike in the traditional manner and just that quarter turn with mounting has the motor engaged. I am careful never to do this in any assist above eco 3. Uphill start from a stopsign? Hmmm. Maybe a problem. I refuse to ride on the street for the most part and had not thought of this. I will take the bike to my fairly steep hill hereabouts and see how it goes. I do religiously shift to a middle gear however whenever I stop. It's just automatic with me. AND I am seldom in a higher gear, let alone the highest. It would be only a panic stop for an animal or something that would leave me in the highest gear and at a dead stop. I would normally perhaps use the walk mode and the kickstand to get out of such a predicament.

I HAVE noticed that while leisurely cruising around amongst the neighborhood dirt roads in eco 3 that I am regularly coasting off and on during which of course the motor stops and then comes instantly back on with a quarter turn on the pedals. I should stay in eco 1 or 2 more I suppose. Even still there is no surge with the motor kicking back in. Nothing really but my legs becoming smoothly superman strong.

 

[reed scott]

I wonder if the Archon x1 that watt wagon sells and is using as an option on their bikes could be added. Reports say it makes the ultra as refined and smooth as any mid motor available. Maybe Kyle could offer that as an option.

I doubt Kyle would mess with it. I had thought I would eventually get a motor from Wattwagons to replace this motor and maybe I will one day. I have a Wattwagons bike coming and after riding that bike for a while if it is really that much better I will do that. My plan was to buy the new motor form Pushkar and then swap. Then send the Frey motor in for conversion. You can't go wrong having a backup motor on the shelf.

 

[reed scott]

This is as steep as steep gets here on the ranch. It's about 35 degrees ( think common stairs angle ) and the texture is sucky. I never dreamed I'd try to ride it anywhere near the third day of getting the bike. But I have grown in confidence by leaps and bounds with this bike. So I put her in granny gear, set the pas to eco 5 and went down, turned around and started pedaling up. Easy peasy. Sitting. Got bored and hit the throttle. Nearly pealed out and was still making speed at the top. I love this bike.

I'm pretty sure I could shift up 3 or 4 cogs and fly up that hill but I like my drivetrain and na gonna du it.

 

[reed scott]

Nuther test. Took the bike down along the river to an area that is pretty rough. Not single track but lots of flood debris, piles of mashed down sticks and dead limbs, rocks and loose soil like 6 inches thick ( almost like sand ). Rode through it all in 6th and 7th gear and PAS 3 and 4. Bike just plowed through it all with aplomb. Luckily none of the flying twig debris ended up in my derailleur. Don't think I'll go thru that crap again. Swept up some minor hills with throttle, dang this is easy. Really like these 2.8 in. tires. They eat crap for breakfast and expel chunks. I am so grateful having chosen this bike. All my research was spot on. This is exactly what I wanted and much much more. And throttle ? Sorry but you anti-throttle folks .... I pity you. NO I DON'T. I LAUGH. I POSITIELY ROAR WITH LAUGHTER. Silly people.

 

[reed scott]

Kyle, if perhaps you lurk here ... Do it again. Get these Frey bikes out of the hands of Ali bla bla and into the waiting arms of the American people. You hit this one out of the park despite all the horrible
BS. I now laugh in derision at those who accused me of paying more than this bike was selling for direct from Frey. If some AH steals this bike I will be on your doorstep begging for another one. Not only did you appoint it perfectly ( apart from that torture device some might call a seat ) but then the bike arrives with extras we didn't expect! Good work Kyle. Kudos. This bike may be even better than you yourself grasp Kyle.

 

[reed scott]

Hey Reed - Fully assembled on my side. I will note that the wire bundle coming from the handlebars....there was one wire that was not connected and required it to be plugged in before the bike would power on.

Ahhhh, Looking at your bike I so fondly remember how clean she was fresh out of her box. Now she's covered in nasty dust. It's horribly dry here, drought in progress ... again.

 

[reed scott]

Spoke too soon. Was trying to use throttle off the kickstand just to test. No worky that way. Must be rolling/wheel spinning. ( duh ) Throttle works great. Bike is awesome. Either they've done some program refinements or the genesis of complaints on the Ultra are just beyond my ability to sense/comprehend. She pulls even and like a racehorse.

I've since figured out you can tilt the back wheel off the ground with the kickstand. Initiate walk mode then tap the + button real quick and then immediately engage the throttle. This is real handy for distributing slime around the rear tire if you are dealing with a leak and don't want to go outside to run the bike itself, like when it's dark, or cold outside. And you are maybe already in your jammies.

 

[AHicks]

One of my favorite quotes:
"Lazy man finds an easy way to do anything".

 

[reed scott]

One of my favorite quotes:
"Lazy man finds an easy way to do anything".

Yeah, and I'm a PRO.

 

[reed scott]

NEW DP C18 USERS: Biktrix has rewritten the manual and condensed it to a much superior and easy to understand format. Just search DP C18 on their 'support' page. How did I miss this until now?!

Thank you Roshan

 

[smorgasbord]

Especially once I realized it's a Frey AM 1000.

Wouldn't it be more accurate to say that both Frey and Bolton are sourcing frames from the same factory? Like the frame for Luna's X-1 is a Dengfu frame.

Or, does Frey really have its own frame design and factory and is selling their frames to other OEMs like Bolton?

 

[reed scott]

Wouldn't it be more accurate to say that both Frey and Bolton are sourcing frames from the same factory? Like the frame for Luna's X-1 is a Dengfu frame.

Or, does Frey really have its own frame design and factory and is selling their frames to other OEMs like Bolton?

I think it’s the second option. Search Frey on you tube. Factory tour.

 

[smorgasbord]

I think it’s the second option. Search Frey on you tube. Factory tour.

I did and found 2 videos with Electrek's Micah Toll. Both showed bicycle assembly only, not frame building.

 

[reed scott]

I did and found 2 videos with Electrek's Micah Toll. Both showed bicycle assembly only, not frame building.

One of those videos shows CNC machining of parts and computer aided design which Frey claims to have patents on. Certainly nobody else uses that rear suspension design with the extra vertical structure paralleling the rear wheel. Again patented. Maybe they sub out the frame cutting and welding but if they design them and control the process I don't think it can be said they are somehow not Frey manufactured bikes. Most of the parts in a Ford or Chevy are foreign imports. Sometimes ford makes their own engines. Don't know about GM. But they're still Fords and Chevys. Ultimately I guess there is no way to know the whole story regarding rebadged bikes using Frey designs. Kyle at Bolton did tell me that Frey was not controlling the delivery of his Raptor bikes (my bike) but he did not deny that they are rebadged Freys. I think Frey is legitimate in their claims a bike maker in designing and choosing the components of their bikes much like the big 4. Maybe Giant is the only real vertically integrated bike maker. Along with a few small custom makers but even they don't make the components.

 

[lordnox09]

I was on the edge of my seat reading your reply to eachother waiting for your bikes to come

I was stuck between getting the blackbird and the biktrix juggernaut ultra FS but after finding the biktrix forum and realizing that there also Canadian was the deciding factor the USD conversion is killer

I originally found the Frey but when I inquired about it they told me I have to set up the whole shipping within Canada from a port on the other side of the country didn't wanna deal with that hassle either

Very happy with my choice in the end the ultra motor is the real key to beauty of the bikes but as for hills this thing will climb anything you can stay on the bike for. I went up hills so steep I was leaning full into the fork to stop it from lifting and still mad it to the top at like 17 and started at a stop near the bottom it's gotta be 45+ it's just an embankment that leads up to a park not meant to ride up with wavy speed bumps on the way up

 

[reed scott]

I was on the edge of my seat reading your reply to eachother waiting for your bikes to come

I was stuck between getting the blackbird and the biktrix juggernaut ultra FS but after finding the biktrix forum and realizing that there also Canadian was the deciding factor the USD conversion is killer

I originally found the Frey but when I inquired about it they told me I have to set up the whole shipping within Canada from a port on the other side of the country didn't wanna deal with that hassle either

Very happy with my choice in the end the ultra motor is the real key to beauty of the bikes but as for hills this thing will climb anything you can stay on the bike for. I went up hills so steep I was leaning full into the fork to stop it from lifting and still mad it to the top at like 17 and started at a stop near the bottom it's gotta be 45+ it's just an embankment that leads up to a park not meant to ride up with wavy speed bumps on the way up

Thanks for bringing up my old thread. Nothing like reading your own musings from a happy exciting time!

I don't think I will be able to top it when my Hydra gets here in a few days.