Haibike Urban Plus 2017 - The most exciting Urban E-bike!
- Thread starter Moonshine
- Start date
Manu
Active Member
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Spain (Galicia)
If the only problem is the bluetooch connection of old mobiles the easy solution is to take new mobile smartphone for 150 dollars.1750 dollars.
It seems that the model is low-cadence-high speed for the plate and because I see the boy go with a hand on the handlebar.
I understand that everything that Cobi had ... was integrated into Bosch in a short time.
What I do not know for sure is the future of the tranx mid-drive
It seems that the model is low-cadence-high speed for the plate and because I see the boy go with a hand on the handlebar.
I understand that everything that Cobi had ... was integrated into Bosch in a short time.
What I do not know for sure is the future of the tranx mid-drive
Last edited:
Pretty sure it isn't possible. I thought that there was a chance for this bike, b/c you can add a "boost button"/throttle on near identical bikes by IZIP E3 Protout/Raleigh Sprint IE - but I don't think that the Urban Plus has the empty electrical connector like those bikes. They [Haibike] supposedly use a custom programming (the U.P. has shift detection for example).
This was the main thing that drove me away from the bike (and into an ST1 that has a boost button 'hack'). Although after riding my bike for a few commutes, I don't think it is as big of a feature as I thought it would be. There are a few things I would have preferred with the U.P., but my Stromer ticked a few more boxes.
Bottom line, I don't think its easily possible, but also not necessary. The ability to "boost" home with a broken chain on a rear hub bike is still a remote plus, but you can also just carry a link+tool to handle that rare occurrence.
Also, I thought that the U.P. would have turn signals with the COBI, but found out that it didn't have the correct rear light for that functionality (can be added for $50-60) - I did like the brake light setup it comes with. For more of my thoughts and process on selecting a bike you can read: https://electricbikereview.com/forums/threads/radcity-vs-haibike-urban-plus.16042/ - maybe it'll help.
I realize that I would have been just as satisfied with the Haibike Urban Plus, as the Stromer ST1 I bought, though. Solid bike for $1700 for sure. You can find some mid drive's with throttles, just much more rare.
netzeroyakima
New Member
Thank you everyone on this thread, for some reason official information is really slim on the Haibike Urban Plus... Been out for 2 plus years and the reviews are few and this forum thread is the best information I can find. I'm seriously considering a Haibike Urban Plus with the price cut in play. It would be much appreciated if folks who have purchased this bike can share pros, cons and any other thoughts they have.
bob armani
Well-Known Member
It is an all around great bike, however, there is a Bluetooth issue as some members have stated. You probably need a newer model smartphone for the interface with the latest version of the Bluetooth app to avoid connectivity issues.
Another concern I have is with the TransX motor- In the event service is needed, will there be a certified tech available as well as parts availability. If it had a Bosch, Yamaha, Brose' motor etc, it would then be a no brainer to purchase. Perhaps a Trekking 4.0 or the Stromer ST1 would be a better substitute IMHO. Happy shopping.
netzeroyakima
New Member
I emailed Court last night to see if he would consider reviewing this Haibike Urban Plus, turns out he had just done it and was working on getting it posted. What are the odds? Court hasn't posted the full written review yet to the site, but he was awesome enough to send over a private link to the upcoming YouTube review that he said I could share:
Enjoy
Seems like a great deal assuming the motor holds out, the one thing I keep in mind is it has the factory 2 year warranty. TranzX may not be as big as the others in the US (Bosch, Yamaha etc) but according to their website they have been around for 30 years and have service center in California as of 2015.
Enjoy
Seems like a great deal assuming the motor holds out, the one thing I keep in mind is it has the factory 2 year warranty. TranzX may not be as big as the others in the US (Bosch, Yamaha etc) but according to their website they have been around for 30 years and have service center in California as of 2015.
Last edited:
I bought the Haibike Urban Plus today! After a few weeks scouring the internet and reading posts on this thread, I decided to go to a local bike shop and take the plunge. Like netzeroykima said, there isn't a wealth of information out there about the Urban Plus, and my best source of information has been from the awesome folks in this thread. Rest assured, will be posting my experiences with this bike here in hopes that it will help others currently in the decision-making process. However, my bike won't be ready until next week. :-(
I will say though, the bike shop clerk made it pretty clear that he is NOT a fan of the Urban Plus! To be fair though, he didn't seem to be a fan of anything that doesn't carry a Bosch motor. I certainly have nothing against Bosch, but I'm constantly told that as e-bike motors go, they're the best. To me, "best" is a relative term. I mean, at $1,700 the Urban Plus is a whole lot of bicycle! I know there were some issues with COBI connectivity, but the few complaints I've seen were balanced by other owners who've had no such problems (Well, so far anyway). The TransX is covered by a two-year warranty, but at the current price, the bike will have paid for itself by then, especially for an NYC commuter like me. So again, terms like "best" are relative.
The shop clerk's main gripe about the Urban Plus was that the TranzX motor was "inferior", not so much in performance, but reliability. If this is true, I'm hoping the warranty covers this problem. Plus I believe the Urban Plus carries the latest TranzX motor (The shift sensing TranzX M25 GTS, 500W). It's unclear to me if this motor is the one rumored to be an issue. Also, according to a sperate clerk I spoke to in California, the Urban Plus can still operate "blind" without the COBI system (Even lights and assist levels can be manually triggered). I don't know if this is true yet, but I'm guessing COBI connectivity would be less of an issue if it is.
Finally, the store clerk did confirm that the price drop had to do with Haibike's overproduction of the model (not COBI/TransX issues). This overproduction may have been sparked by high sales of the Urban Plus' European counterpart (Marketed under Haibike's Winora brand). I can only speculate, but perhaps the bike was too much of a departure for Haibike's American clientele? Haibike has a very specific style in the US, and the Urban Plus, with its conservative shape and rigid forks, is quite a departure from their norm. All things considered, I bought the Urban Plus for the price point, high-end components, shift sensing 28 MPH motor, COBI System, and price point again because it's worth mentioning twice. Fingers crossed.
I will say though, the bike shop clerk made it pretty clear that he is NOT a fan of the Urban Plus! To be fair though, he didn't seem to be a fan of anything that doesn't carry a Bosch motor. I certainly have nothing against Bosch, but I'm constantly told that as e-bike motors go, they're the best. To me, "best" is a relative term. I mean, at $1,700 the Urban Plus is a whole lot of bicycle! I know there were some issues with COBI connectivity, but the few complaints I've seen were balanced by other owners who've had no such problems (Well, so far anyway). The TransX is covered by a two-year warranty, but at the current price, the bike will have paid for itself by then, especially for an NYC commuter like me. So again, terms like "best" are relative.
The shop clerk's main gripe about the Urban Plus was that the TranzX motor was "inferior", not so much in performance, but reliability. If this is true, I'm hoping the warranty covers this problem. Plus I believe the Urban Plus carries the latest TranzX motor (The shift sensing TranzX M25 GTS, 500W). It's unclear to me if this motor is the one rumored to be an issue. Also, according to a sperate clerk I spoke to in California, the Urban Plus can still operate "blind" without the COBI system (Even lights and assist levels can be manually triggered). I don't know if this is true yet, but I'm guessing COBI connectivity would be less of an issue if it is.
Finally, the store clerk did confirm that the price drop had to do with Haibike's overproduction of the model (not COBI/TransX issues). This overproduction may have been sparked by high sales of the Urban Plus' European counterpart (Marketed under Haibike's Winora brand). I can only speculate, but perhaps the bike was too much of a departure for Haibike's American clientele? Haibike has a very specific style in the US, and the Urban Plus, with its conservative shape and rigid forks, is quite a departure from their norm. All things considered, I bought the Urban Plus for the price point, high-end components, shift sensing 28 MPH motor, COBI System, and price point again because it's worth mentioning twice. Fingers crossed.
Last edited:
I emailed Court last night to see if he would consider reviewing this Haibike Urban Plus, turns out he had just done it and was working on getting it posted. What are the odds? Court hasn't posted the full written review yet to the site, but he was awesome enough to send over a private link to the upcoming YouTube review that he said I could share:
Enjoy
Seems like a great deal assuming the motor holds out, the one thing I keep in mind is it has the factory 2 year warranty. TranzX may not be as big as the others in the US (Bosch, Yamaha etc) but according to their website they have been around for 30 years and have service center in California as of 2015.
Finally!!! Thank you for posting this!
Yeah... sorry it took so long guys XD
bob armani
Well-Known Member
Emerson-Great to hear about your purchase and Congrats! Good to be proactive and purchase from a LBS in the event you have any aforementioned issues. Some of us may opt to buy online to save sales tax etc. However, with this bike, a little bit of extra insurance may go a long way. Hope it all works out for you! I look forward to any posts you may have moving forward. Enjoy!
netzeroyakima
New Member
I ended up purchasing the bike from Electric Bikes of New England, the only few Haibike dealers in Washington state didn't seem to know much at all about the Urban Plus nor did they carry it in their inventory. Given the circumstances I started looking around for at other bike shops that specialize in electric bikes that had free shipping and no sales tax. Stumbled upon Electric Bikes of New England. Paul, the shop owner, was very knowledgeable and helpful. Wish he was closer He also will price match with other shops so I was able to get him to price match with iZip who had the Urban Plus listed for $1,699.
http://www.ebikesofne.com/default.asp
He also will price match with other shops so I was able to get him to price match with iZip who had the Urban Plus listed for $1,699.http://www.ebikesofne.com/default.asp
I ordered mine a couple of days ago for the $1699 price. I don't have a local dealer but I called the local izip dealer and they are able to order it for me.
I was going to go to Toronto and buy it from Amego because they have 30 in stock but the sales tax is 13% in Canada and the only way to avoid the tax is for them to ship it.
Hopefully I will enjoy it.
I was going to go to Toronto and buy it from Amego because they have 30 in stock but the sales tax is 13% in Canada and the only way to avoid the tax is for them to ship it.
Hopefully I will enjoy it.
Court, just ordered one today(from Electric Bike Center in Fullerton, I heard I might bump into you next week when I go to pick it up). It seems you reviewed the 2018 here, any difference between it and the 2017?
Thanks!
Seems like an excellent value-for-money. $1700 for that bike is a steal.
So, yesterday I brought home the Haibike Urban Plus for the first time. I picked it up from the shop in Brooklyn and rode to back to New Jersey. Bear in mind that before yesterday, I'd only ever seen the Urban Plus on the internet. To my surprise, it's a very stout looking bike in person! I was standing right next to it on the showroom floor yesterday and I didn't recognize until the clerk told me that it was mine. That said, the bike is also gorgeous! To me, it looks even better in person than it does online! Before leaving, I also picked up a suspension seat post on Court's video recommendation. The suspension seat post really looks good on the Urban Plus (see attached pics).
As for the ride, the bike is fast! Considering its apparent bulkiness, it's quite nimble under motor assist and I had a blast zipping across the Brooklyn bridge! Naturally, the TranzX motor may not compare to the more premium brand in terms of overall experience, but neither does it disappoint! Two items in its favor are the high speed and super quiet motor (even quieter than the Bosch system). Though, now that I've experienced it first hand, there is a drawback with going TranzX and saving a lot of money. ;-) Primarily for me, its how the TranzX motor handles gear shifting. I noticed after I would shift gears on the Urban Plus that the assist from the motor tends to lessen. I know the shift sensing TranzX motor is designed to do that in order to protect the drivetrain, but after the shifting is complete, the powered assist does not re-engage as fast as I feel it should. Granted, my expectation may be a bit unrealistic since my only other point of comparison is Bosch's top of the line Performace CX/Nuvinci system, which I test rode in the store. Anyway, the effect is much less noticeable on the Urban Plus when shifting through one gear at a time (opposed to multiple gears at once). Also, I found today that if you stop pedaling when shifting through the gears, the effect is lessened even further so yeah, all things considered, not so bad.
The COBI system is pretty sweet too! While it's true that my Apple phone can already do most of what COBI offers, COBI brings all of that functionality to the click of one finger (or thumb). Overall, at $1,699.00 I'm extremely happy with this purchase. However, now that Court has finally reviewed this bike, I'm not sure how important it is for me to continue posting my experiences with it. He did a fantastic job covering the bike. At any rate, I'll post another update after a few weeks for anyone else still considering to buy.
I picked it up from the shop in Brooklyn and rode to back to New Jersey. Bear in mind that before yesterday, I'd only ever seen the Urban Plus on the internet. To my surprise, it's a very stout looking bike in person! I was standing right next to it on the showroom floor yesterday and I didn't recognize until the clerk told me that it was mine. That said, the bike is also gorgeous! To me, it looks even better in person than it does online! Before leaving, I also picked up a suspension seat post on Court's video recommendation. The suspension seat post really looks good on the Urban Plus (see attached pics).As for the ride, the bike is fast! Considering its apparent bulkiness, it's quite nimble under motor assist and I had a blast zipping across the Brooklyn bridge! Naturally, the TranzX motor may not compare to the more premium brand in terms of overall experience, but neither does it disappoint! Two items in its favor are the high speed and super quiet motor (even quieter than the Bosch system). Though, now that I've experienced it first hand, there is a drawback with going TranzX and saving a lot of money. ;-) Primarily for me, its how the TranzX motor handles gear shifting. I noticed after I would shift gears on the Urban Plus that the assist from the motor tends to lessen. I know the shift sensing TranzX motor is designed to do that in order to protect the drivetrain, but after the shifting is complete, the powered assist does not re-engage as fast as I feel it should. Granted, my expectation may be a bit unrealistic since my only other point of comparison is Bosch's top of the line Performace CX/Nuvinci system, which I test rode in the store. Anyway, the effect is much less noticeable on the Urban Plus when shifting through one gear at a time (opposed to multiple gears at once). Also, I found today that if you stop pedaling when shifting through the gears, the effect is lessened even further so yeah, all things considered, not so bad.
The COBI system is pretty sweet too! While it's true that my Apple phone can already do most of what COBI offers, COBI brings all of that functionality to the click of one finger (or thumb). Overall, at $1,699.00 I'm extremely happy with this purchase. However, now that Court has finally reviewed this bike, I'm not sure how important it is for me to continue posting my experiences with it. He did a fantastic job covering the bike. At any rate, I'll post another update after a few weeks for anyone else still considering to buy.
Attachments
Last edited:
So, yesterday I brought home the Haibike Urban Plus for the first time.
As for the ride, the bike is fast! Considering its apparent bulkiness, it's quite nimble under motor assist and I had a blast zipping across the Brooklyn bridge! Naturally, the TranzX motor may not compare to the more premium brand in terms of overall experience, but neither does it disappoint! Two items in its favor are the high speed and super quiet mor (even quieter than the Bosch system). Though, now that I've experienced it first hand, the drawback with going TranzX and saving a lot of money. ;-) Primarily for me, its how the TranzX motor handles gear shifting. I noticed after I would shift gears on the Urban Plus that the assist from the motor tends to lessen. I know the shift sensing TranzX motor is designed to do that in order to protect the drivetrain, but after the shifting is complete, the powered assist does not re-engage as fast as I feel it should. Granted, my expectation may be a bit unrealistic since my only other point of comparison is Bosch's top of the line Performace CX/Nuvinci system, which I test rode in the store. Anyway, the effect is much less noticeable on the Urban Plus when shifting through one gear at a time (opposed to multiple gears at once). Also, I found today that if you stop pedaling when shifting through the gears, the effect is lessened even further so yeah, all things considered, not so bad.
The COBI system is pretty sweet too! While it's true that my Apple phone can already do most of what COBI offers, COBI brings all of that functionality to the click of one finger (or thumb). Overall, at $1,699.00 I'm extremely happy with this purchase. However, now that Court has finally reviewed this bike, I'm not sure how important it is for me to continue posting my experiences with it. He did a fantastic job covering the bike. At any rate, I'll post another update after a few weeks for anyone else still considering to buy.
Appreciate your first impressions. Do you have any good hills to check out the bike's climbing prowess?
bob armani
Well-Known Member
So, yesterday I brought home the Haibike Urban Plus for the first time.
As for the ride, the bike is fast! Considering its apparent bulkiness, it's quite nimble under motor assist and I had a blast zipping across the Brooklyn bridge! Naturally, the TranzX motor may not compare to the more premium brand in terms of overall experience, but neither does it disappoint! Two items in its favor are the high speed and super quiet motor (even quieter than the Bosch system). Though, now that I've experienced it first hand, there is a drawback with going TranzX and saving a lot of money. ;-) Primarily for me, its how the TranzX motor handles gear shifting. I noticed after I would shift gears on the Urban Plus that the assist from the motor tends to lessen. I know the shift sensing TranzX motor is designed to do that in order to protect the drivetrain, but after the shifting is complete, the powered assist does not re-engage as fast as I feel it should. Granted, my expectation may be a bit unrealistic since my only other point of comparison is Bosch's top of the line Performace CX/Nuvinci system, which I test rode in the store. Anyway, the effect is much less noticeable on the Urban Plus when shifting through one gear at a time (opposed to multiple gears at once). Also, I found today that if you stop pedaling when shifting through the gears, the effect is lessened even further so yeah, all things considered, not so bad.
The COBI system is pretty sweet too! While it's true that my Apple phone can already do most of what COBI offers, COBI brings all of that functionality to the click of one finger (or thumb). Overall, at $1,699.00 I'm extremely happy with this purchase. However, now that Court has finally reviewed this bike, I'm not sure how important it is for me to continue posting my experiences with it. He did a fantastic job covering the bike. At any rate, I'll post another update after a few weeks for anyone else still considering to buy.
Emerson-Congrats on your new purchase. Yes the bike is a bit thick, however that probably adds to the rigid frame. Just curious if you found the bike is in need of a front suspension fork. In addition, how long did it take to setup COBI on your phone and if you have noticed any dropouts with the connection while riding. I also like the suspension seat post. Looks like it is spot on to increase riding comfort and also compliments the looks of the bike as well. Your concerns with motor cutout during shifting are valid IMO. I once rode a bike with a Brose' motor, and I was feeling the same sensation opposed to a performance line Bosch speed motor. The Bosch seemed more tight while shifting between gears with no hesitation. I also like the color, which I believe creates a better visual footprint while riding in traffic congestion. Nice choice indeed!
Last edited:
I don't understand this fear of the cobi system.
I think it is actually a pretty good one and I prefer it to anything on the market now. Whenever I can, I prefer using my phone screen
The Bosch, Yamaha etc. displays are a joke in the world we line in today. They don't even show cadence or many relevant information, you have to do the button dance to get something, the displays look like they are from decades ago.
In terms of motor performance I don't think Transx is worse than anything else. It also supports 28mph out of the box.
All these for $1700. The cheap chinese kits are being sold for those prices!!!
Imo this bike is almost as good as the Trek commuter which is $5K. Yeah Bosch may support higher cadence but it is not their motor it is simply because they internally geared it which makes it less pleasant to ride without motor support.
I think it is actually a pretty good one and I prefer it to anything on the market now. Whenever I can, I prefer using my phone screen
The Bosch, Yamaha etc. displays are a joke in the world we line in today. They don't even show cadence or many relevant information, you have to do the button dance to get something, the displays look like they are from decades ago.
In terms of motor performance I don't think Transx is worse than anything else. It also supports 28mph out of the box.
All these for $1700. The cheap chinese kits are being sold for those prices!!!
Imo this bike is almost as good as the Trek commuter which is $5K. Yeah Bosch may support higher cadence but it is not their motor it is simply because they internally geared it which makes it less pleasant to ride without motor support.
Similar threads
