Izip E3 Dash VS Easy Motion Neo

[Dave]

I will be purchasing an Ebike in the near future, and thanks to this very informative website, I have narrowed the choice down to a few bikes. My riding will be done in an urban area, paved, hilly streets, mostly around town. Speed, and comfort are my biggest priorities, along with having both pedal assist and throttle. I am really torn between the E3 Dash & the Easy Motion Neo Cross, Neo 650B, or the 29er. To get the 12ah battery I would need to go with the Neo 650B, which is more of a mountain bike. The Dash has everything I am looking for, but I worry about 700c/45 tires being somewhat uncomfortable? Would the Neo 650B offer a more comfortable street ride? I currently have a bike with 700c/38 & a bike with 26/2.0. The 26/2.0 seems to soak up the bumps better. Neither have a suspension fork like the bikes I am looking at currently. I am only looking at bikes that offer more than 20mph in pedal assist, and also have throttle. I am about 6ft. tall and weigh 165lbs. Any thoughts? BTW, I really appreciate the reviews and opinions of this website…very well done!

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Did you consider Neo Jumper 650B?

It is super comfortable both on/off road.

 

[Vern]

You and I both have the same dilemma. I really like the Neo Bikes, but they don't seem as powerful as others. I need to test ride that Dash before I can really make up my mind. It sounds perfect, but as you said with the narrow tires it might have a stiffer ride. I think that is the trade off with having that kind of speed though. I recently changed the tires on my mountain bike from mtb tires to more of a hybrid road tire. I did this to make commuting easier. Although the road tires don't offer the same absorption of bumps that the mtb tires do, it is worth the extra speed and efficiency. My primary reason for an interest in e-bikes is commuting. 95% of my commute is on paved roads, so for me the 700c tires on the Dash sound fine. I would really think about where you will spend the most time riding your bike. Roads and urban areas generally aren't that bumpy so the Dash would be great. You could always change out the tires after the first set.

 

[Dave]

Thanks for the thoughts and suggestions. I agree with you Vern, the Dash seems to be the best match for the kind of riding I will be doing. The price is also attractive with the pre order special at Long Island Bikes. I think it is a lot of bike for $2250. There is just something that really catches my eye on that Neo line, but I think I would be giving up speed, and some battery life per ride. Ravi, thanks for your detailed message, a lot of good info. As far as the tires on the Dash go, I believe a 700/45 is almost 2 inches wide, so it shouldn't be too stiff a ride. I am just too far away from any dealer to do any test ride, so information that comes from sites like this is very valuable. Thanks much.

 

[Admin]

Hi Dave! There seems to be a lot of interest in the E3 Dash and I can understand why considering the more powerful 500 watt motor, medium and large frame size options and pedal assist plus throttle mode. It was one of the smoothest ebikes I rode at Interbike this past year and one of the highest rated IZIP's I've reviewed because of the value it offers. I think it would be a good choice.

Top echo your last comments, there is something special about the Neo line. Their frame designs with integrated batteries are wonderful and their LCD computer are some of my favorites - being simple and removable. Vern made some great points about rolling efficiency with narrow, smooth tires but indeed they are less forgiving. Mountain tires provide more are volume which reduces shock and the rubber nubs also create a forgiving feel. That said, they don't provide the same traction and may slide out if you're riding higher speeds taking sharp turns (this has happened to me, actually hit my face on the ground I fell so hard then slid into a pole). Be very careful when riding at speed if there is any water on the ground or grass that you may come into contact with, this is doubly true for bikes with higher battery mounts... I crashed another ebike just leaving the parking lot of my apartment one morning, the humid air and oily parking spots did me in.

Crashing aside... I finally settled on the Neo Jumper for my daily commuter because the power is great, top speed is still ~27 despite knobby tires, and the full suspension is wonderful. It offers both throttle and torque sensing pedal assist and is relatively light weight. The warranty is also pretty good and I like the way it looks. Even though I'm riding on pavement and sidewalks to work each day, I really appreciate the extra cushion because my back and neck get sore and I tend to carry my laptop and other gear in a backpack vs. using panniers. I'm not sure you can even add a rear rack on the Jumper unless it's a seat post mounted rack. It also doesn't have a kickstand and I wasn't able to find one that would work with it. To Ravi's point, I have test ridden the 650B which has 27.5" tires vs. the jumper's 26" and it's a wonderful bike (bunch of Easy Motion reviews currently in the works). I'm not sure if that one comes in large or not?

As for the motor and battery amp hours. I believe that the 350 watt geared design used across the entire Neo line is very capable. The spec isn't very impressive sounding but their drive system seems tighter and more thoughtfully chosen, it's like they custom built and chose components that would maximize power despite and reduce weight. I've loaned my Jumper to a larger friend (6'2" ~200lbs) and he was very impressed. It had no problem hauling him up a parking garage and he really enjoyed the pedal assist mode The frame size is the biggest question mark with the Jumper only being available in medium. The Neo Cross and Neo City are both available in large and would be good options worth considering. I guess I'm just playing devil's advocate here, all of the bikes we're talking about are great and I'm a fan of the Dash which also offers a solid warranty... and that handy dandy kickstand

 

[Dave]

Thanks Court, for your great reply. As usual you have covered all the bases. I think it will come down to the Dash or the Neo 650B. I have decided to work with Long Island Electric Bikes, as Chris is a dealer for both, and has been very helpful. I probably can't go wrong with either bike, just have to make a final decision.

 

[Vern]

I agree with Court that there is something special about the Neo Bikes. Whenever I try one I am left impressed. Everything just feels right on them. All the little details are there. The grips, the shifter, the computer, but especially the overall design, it's almost perfect. The only thing I don't like about them is that that don't seem as powerful as some other bikes. Perhaps it is just a psychological thing , because I know the motor is smaller. Of all the bikes I have tried, the Neo's feel the most like a regular bike. I hope that the Dash compares well because I would like something a bit more powerful and a bit less expensive. If I don't like it, the Neo 650b sounds good to me too. Good luck Dave. I am fortune enough to live by dealers of both bikes. When I get a chance to try the Dash I will let you know my thoughts.

 

[Dave]

Vern, the power issue, if there is one, on the Neo bikes is my biggest concern. I think the Neo 650B may well be, overall, a better bike. I think it is the best looking as well. With that said, I would hate to buy it and find that it is lacking in power.