Honbike?

[rudiger]

Any chance on getting a review of the Honbike models (www.honbike.com), mainly the full-size U4, as well as a subforum dedicated to information/questions about them?

I know it's a relatively new company (at least in the US), but it looks like they may have been shipping for at least a couple months now.

 

[PedalUma]

Hi, @rudiger. I looked at the site. Of the four models shown all are sold out. This is going to be a proprietary battery with generic cells. You will need a new one soon and can only get it from one place for whatever they charge. $900? A belt drive to a single speed hub-drive does not make engineering sense to me. That is all I can add at this point.

 

[rudiger]

Hi, @rudiger. I looked at the site. Of the four models shown all are sold out. This is going to be a proprietary battery with generic cells. You will need a new one soon and can only get it from one place for whatever they charge. $900? A belt drive to a single speed hub-drive does not make engineering sense to me. That is all I can add at this point.

Oddly, when you go to the US website (us.honbike.com), it shows the full-size U4 as available.

As to the single-speed drivetrain, seems that would be a severely limiting factor for the top speed of any so-equipped ebike. I suppose the logic is the power settings would be the determining factor but, at the highest power setting of a Class 1 pedelec, one would only be able to go as fast as one could pedal. The lowest priced Serial 1 (Mosh/City) is the same way and someone over on that forum who is experiencing the same limitations is considering changing sprockets to alleviate the problem.

Regardless, the full-size Honbike definitely has an intriguing, minimalist design. Whether it's actually practical? Well, seems almost like an electrified version of a fixie bike.

 

[PedalUma]

Oddly, when you go to the US website (us.honbike.com), it shows the full-size U4 as available.

As to the single-speed drivetrain, seems that would be a severely limiting factor for the top speed of any so-equipped ebike. I suppose the logic is the power settings would be the determining factor but, at the highest power setting of a Class 1 pedelec, one would only be able to go as fast as one could pedal. The lowest priced Serial 1 (Mosh/City) is the same way and someone over on that forum who is experiencing the same limitations is considering changing sprockets to alleviate the problem.

Regardless, the full-size Honbike definitely has an intriguing, minimalist design. Whether it's actually practical? Well, seems almost like an electrified version of a fixie bike.

I like to have the motor drive the chain through the gears. The bike I rode today does this to a cassette of gears that is 11-50. That is a wide choice of gears. The chainring is 42. So, first gear can climb anything. It is still fast on the flats. A bike I made electric last week has internal gears, Nexus 8, and a chain that is as strong as a belt. Here is a photo of that bike. It sold before it was finished. Then her husband had to have one, so I made him one with the green bow. Now their son wants one.

 

[Zoe Johnson]

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