Bruce Arnold
Well-Known Member
I bought a HyperScorpion in November when the Black Friday sale hit their website. I got it about two weeks ago, and I've put a little over 150 miles on it so far. Here are my thoughts and observations up to this time.
First and foremost, the combination of a powerful motor, powerful controller, and a huge battery makes this an awesome bike to ride. My old CCS always felt zippy, especially with a full battery, and the Scorpion I bought in the spring was deceptively quick (as I mentioned in another post.) This one is so different. It's an order of magnitude different. For a bike that weighs over 100 lbs. to have the acceleration and top end that this bike has is truly amazing.
Now, I really liked the Scorpion. I never thought I'd be able to afford the HyperScorpion, and was quite satisfied with its little brother. It didn't have the acceleration or top end the CCS had, but it was fun to ride and very capable for the role I wanted it for -- commuting/errands up to 20 miles round-trip, and recreation -- so I envisioned a long and happy relationship. Then they took $800 off the price of the HS for Black Friday. My wife and I talked it over and decided we could afford it. I'm really glad we did.
Here's another way that it shines over the Scorpion: gearing. The Scorpion had 7 speeds, with a top gear of 14T. The HS has 8 gears. 7th is a 13T and 8th is a 11T, so you have two gears that are higher than what the Scorpion offers. I can comfortably cruise at over 20 mph in PAS 2 on level ground, without having to hamster-wheel. With the Scorpion, I had to put it in Sport and ghost-pedal to get that kind of speed. I don't like ghost pedaling. I like to help make the bike go. You may as well just use the throttle if that's what you're doing. With the HS, I'm still getting the exercise I want, while enjoying the ability to go at a higher speed if I wish. For a commuter/errands bike, that's important.
I haven't gone below 4th gear, so don't ask.
No chain drop, with the bash guard on the chain ring.
The shifter is good. I like it better than the one on the Scorpion. I had to index the derailleur right out of the box, and then fine-tuned it over the next couple of days. Shifts perfectly now. Smooth, accurate.
I wish it had 24 inch instead of 20 in. wheels. I like the fat tires a lot!
I didn't think I'd care about turn signals. I've used hand signals my whole life. Turns out, I really like the blinkers. They work fine at all times, and superbly in low light conditions. Ditto with the brake lights. The horn is really loud. I need to get a bell, though. The horn's too loud for passing pedestrians. Great for cars!
The mirrors are ok. I've got a helmet mirror that I've used for years. Maybe I'm just used to it, but I use it a lot more. These mirrors would work much better for a more slender person.
The shocks are great. Better than on the Scorpion. I don't know if they're on a different setting or what. Doesn't matter to me. They're really comfortable.
The seat is also very comfortable, for the first ten miles. After that, I miss my old Cloud Nine seat.
I haven't used the alarm. I tried it; plenty loud. I didn't stick it under the seat like they say. It rides in the bag on the rear rack. It would work every bit as well, and when it's time to change batteries, it'll be a cinch.
I took off the stock pedals and put on blue mountain bike pedals that match the paint job. Nothing wrong with the stock pedals, although I do prefer the 3-bearing type. Mostly for looks, though. The rear bag is also blue. Stylin'!
That big front light does the daggone job. I like having the "low beam" for daytime running lights, and then high beams for after dark.
The battery doesn't go on and off as easily as the CCS. Coming off, no sweat. Easy peasey. Putting it on, I have to push down and in with a fair amount of force. I hope it will loosen up some with time. Better a little too tight than a little too loose, IMO. By contrast, the Scorpion needs to be lifted up from the bottom to line up right. These are just individual variations, and I'm sure your experience would be different somehow.
I loved the torque sensing on my CCS, and looked forward to having it back. There's something different about the way it's implemented on the HS. I don't like it as well, and I set it to cadence-only. With a superior cadence sensor, it works fine.
It's a different experience from a diamond-frame bike. Honestly, I like the upright seating position, the swept back handlebars, and with the Tall Seat Accessory, pedalling is a breeze with my 5'10" frame.
I'm on the fence about the "ignition key" operation. For someone who was on and off all the time, like a delivery rider, it would be great. Leave the battery on, but use the key and take it with you. No one could jump on and and ride away, unless they're willing to pedal a 100 lb. bike on leg power alone. When the Rona is under control and I'm running more of my usual errands, I might find I love it.
I haven't had the "surge" that some have complained of. Lucky me? Or maybe they (unfortunately) got a fluky controller.
There have been other complaints about the HS. There's a guy on YouTube who has started a cottage industry of knocking the HS. I've had zero problems. As usual, people with problems talk about it, while people who are happy with it are just out riding. Complaints, here or on YouTube, are no indication of how good this bike is. Unless we had figures from JB itself -- bikes sold vs. support tickets filed -- we really have no idea how good their quality assurance is. I sympathize with folks who have had problems, don't get me wrong. With no dealership to take it to for service, like my wife's Pedego, you're on your own and at the mercy of JB's spotty customer service. I'm so glad that hasn't been my experience.
I wish I'd had this bike when I was a bicycle delivery rider in San Francisco back in the 70s! Pony Express riders would have loved it.
The Scorpion is a good bike and my wife wants us to keep it. The HyperScorpion is more than a good bike; it really is a game changer. So much power, utility, distance and fun.
First and foremost, the combination of a powerful motor, powerful controller, and a huge battery makes this an awesome bike to ride. My old CCS always felt zippy, especially with a full battery, and the Scorpion I bought in the spring was deceptively quick (as I mentioned in another post.) This one is so different. It's an order of magnitude different. For a bike that weighs over 100 lbs. to have the acceleration and top end that this bike has is truly amazing.
Now, I really liked the Scorpion. I never thought I'd be able to afford the HyperScorpion, and was quite satisfied with its little brother. It didn't have the acceleration or top end the CCS had, but it was fun to ride and very capable for the role I wanted it for -- commuting/errands up to 20 miles round-trip, and recreation -- so I envisioned a long and happy relationship. Then they took $800 off the price of the HS for Black Friday. My wife and I talked it over and decided we could afford it. I'm really glad we did.
Here's another way that it shines over the Scorpion: gearing. The Scorpion had 7 speeds, with a top gear of 14T. The HS has 8 gears. 7th is a 13T and 8th is a 11T, so you have two gears that are higher than what the Scorpion offers. I can comfortably cruise at over 20 mph in PAS 2 on level ground, without having to hamster-wheel. With the Scorpion, I had to put it in Sport and ghost-pedal to get that kind of speed. I don't like ghost pedaling. I like to help make the bike go. You may as well just use the throttle if that's what you're doing. With the HS, I'm still getting the exercise I want, while enjoying the ability to go at a higher speed if I wish. For a commuter/errands bike, that's important.
I haven't gone below 4th gear, so don't ask.
No chain drop, with the bash guard on the chain ring.
The shifter is good. I like it better than the one on the Scorpion. I had to index the derailleur right out of the box, and then fine-tuned it over the next couple of days. Shifts perfectly now. Smooth, accurate.
I wish it had 24 inch instead of 20 in. wheels. I like the fat tires a lot!
I didn't think I'd care about turn signals. I've used hand signals my whole life. Turns out, I really like the blinkers. They work fine at all times, and superbly in low light conditions. Ditto with the brake lights. The horn is really loud. I need to get a bell, though. The horn's too loud for passing pedestrians. Great for cars!
The mirrors are ok. I've got a helmet mirror that I've used for years. Maybe I'm just used to it, but I use it a lot more. These mirrors would work much better for a more slender person.
The shocks are great. Better than on the Scorpion. I don't know if they're on a different setting or what. Doesn't matter to me. They're really comfortable.
The seat is also very comfortable, for the first ten miles. After that, I miss my old Cloud Nine seat.
I haven't used the alarm. I tried it; plenty loud. I didn't stick it under the seat like they say. It rides in the bag on the rear rack. It would work every bit as well, and when it's time to change batteries, it'll be a cinch.
I took off the stock pedals and put on blue mountain bike pedals that match the paint job. Nothing wrong with the stock pedals, although I do prefer the 3-bearing type. Mostly for looks, though. The rear bag is also blue. Stylin'!
That big front light does the daggone job. I like having the "low beam" for daytime running lights, and then high beams for after dark.
The battery doesn't go on and off as easily as the CCS. Coming off, no sweat. Easy peasey. Putting it on, I have to push down and in with a fair amount of force. I hope it will loosen up some with time. Better a little too tight than a little too loose, IMO. By contrast, the Scorpion needs to be lifted up from the bottom to line up right. These are just individual variations, and I'm sure your experience would be different somehow.
I loved the torque sensing on my CCS, and looked forward to having it back. There's something different about the way it's implemented on the HS. I don't like it as well, and I set it to cadence-only. With a superior cadence sensor, it works fine.
It's a different experience from a diamond-frame bike. Honestly, I like the upright seating position, the swept back handlebars, and with the Tall Seat Accessory, pedalling is a breeze with my 5'10" frame.
I'm on the fence about the "ignition key" operation. For someone who was on and off all the time, like a delivery rider, it would be great. Leave the battery on, but use the key and take it with you. No one could jump on and and ride away, unless they're willing to pedal a 100 lb. bike on leg power alone. When the Rona is under control and I'm running more of my usual errands, I might find I love it.
I haven't had the "surge" that some have complained of. Lucky me? Or maybe they (unfortunately) got a fluky controller.
There have been other complaints about the HS. There's a guy on YouTube who has started a cottage industry of knocking the HS. I've had zero problems. As usual, people with problems talk about it, while people who are happy with it are just out riding. Complaints, here or on YouTube, are no indication of how good this bike is. Unless we had figures from JB itself -- bikes sold vs. support tickets filed -- we really have no idea how good their quality assurance is. I sympathize with folks who have had problems, don't get me wrong. With no dealership to take it to for service, like my wife's Pedego, you're on your own and at the mercy of JB's spotty customer service. I'm so glad that hasn't been my experience.
I wish I'd had this bike when I was a bicycle delivery rider in San Francisco back in the 70s! Pony Express riders would have loved it.
The Scorpion is a good bike and my wife wants us to keep it. The HyperScorpion is more than a good bike; it really is a game changer. So much power, utility, distance and fun.
