Limited Edition Aurora

[TWBKR]

That sucks. Not long after I get my Aurora, they come out with a limited edition one with more of the features I wanted. A bigger battery with more range, plus Gates belt drive. Ugh. I wish I would have known and I would have waited.

I really wanted more range than what I am getting now, and that 48v 14.5 AH battery with a 60 mile range would be great. Does anyone know if this new battery will fit on the regular Aurora?

And I really was interested in the belt drive as well. Bummer. Yeah, I know, I could pony up and buy another one, but a bit too much money to have both.

 

[Al P]

I would think Evelo would have told you they had an upcoming Aurora with new features in the works. Unfortunately, this happens with just about everything that uses technology, including TVs, phones, tablets, computers, etc. You've got a good bike there.

 

[smorgasbord]

Well, there was a post in this forum on June 7 discussing the new bike: New Aurora 2019 Model . No solace, I know. I do have sympathy for manufacturers, as they need to avoid the Osborne Effect (summary: Osborne pre-announced a new computer and then sales of their existing computer tanked, contributing to them going bankrupt).

We got lucky - my wife ideally wanted a step-thru, and she has hand/thumb issues. She liked the expensive R&M Homage with the manual Nuvinci and Gates, but thankfully for my wallet, the lack of a throttle was literally a deal killer (to get going from a stand-still, not for constant riding). The Aurora Limited Edition appears to have all the features she was looking for:

• Step-Thru frame with upright riding position
• Torque-sensing Mid-drive WITH throttle
• Hydraulic brakes (although I am concerned that the disks are only 160mm, so that may mean a future upgrade)
• Easy on the thumbs shifter (The NuVinci Enviolo automatic is electrically driven, so very easy to twist)
• Enough battery for at least 40 miles with pedaling
• Suitable both for road and some light off-road trails

It still ain't cheap at $4K, but that has nicities like the Gates belt drive, the constant cadence automatic shifting of the Enviolo, and 750/1000 watts of power. It appears to tick all the right feature boxes.

We expect the bike in early Sept - I'll start a new thread here when it arrives.

 

[Scarecrow]

Just ordered mine today. I did post an unofficial announcement here several weeks (months) ago of this upcoming possibility. I was amazed they kept their word and included every small design improvement they mentioned to me in Seattle: Drop-Outs for the Rear Wheel; Hard-Wired LED Lights; 3" Tires; 750-Watt Dapu Motor (1000-Watt Peak); Rear Rack; best Bafang Color Monitor; and that Automatic Transmission. Yowza!! Very excited, now! Yes, the price is a punch to the gut -- until you look everywhere for this configuration... and can't find it. Way to go, EVELO!!

 

[Al P]

That bike has all the right features, but it's just too darned heavy. Lifting mine onto the hitch rack is a real chore, even with the battery removed.

 

[MuttonChops]

Ordered mine last Friday afternoon. Been waiting on the Limited Edition feature set for a long time. Happened to see Scarecrow's remarks some months back about the v3 prototype and have been checking the web-site every few weeks since - - - - was pleased and shocked to see the Limited Edition posted.

Do agree the price as well as the weight are a bit high, but it is a great combination of features.

 

[Scarecrow]

That bike has all the right features, but it's just too darned heavy. Lifting mine onto the hitch rack is a real chore, even with the battery removed.

Hmmm... the Ltd. Edition is stated to be about 55lbs without the battery. The Biktrix that I bought was over 68lbs! I think the Aurora is about as lightweight as a configuration like this can get. 4" tires add a lot (unless I'm confused -- which is one of the reasons I like the 3" compromise, albeit, at the expense of maybe losing those soft-sand beach rides... and snow... and heavy mud... and...).

 

[smorgasbord]

The Dapu motor weighs about 12.1 lbs. (Twice as much as the new Bosch motors)
The NuVinci enviolo IGH weights about 8.6 lbs (anyone know the exact model #?)
The Suntour NEX fork weights about 6 lbs, maybe more.

That leaves 28.3 lbs for everything else, except the battery.

 

[Scarecrow]

Here are a few points given to me by Alex at Evelo today (might repeat some info already posted here)...
Brake Rotors are 160mm -- he says "That's the appropriate size for a 26" wheel."
Brakes are the Tektro Auriga.
Seatpost Stem is 27.2mm (in case anyone is thinking of adding the Thudbuster LT).
Bike does have Motor Inhibitors to help with braking.
They have less than 30 Ltd. Editions remaining. I'm not sure if that was specific to the Black version I ordered (sorry!). But I think it's overall.

This eBike pushes all the right buttons for me, although I'd rather have 180mm Rotors.

One question I have not resolved is the tires are listed as CST, whereas, I was told they are a different manufacturer and exclusive to Evelo (I forget the name). These are supposedly already "puncture resistant" without the need of internal liners. I will post the name of that other tire once I remember it. There were a few typos on the original posting for this ebike. I do NOT know for certain if this will work. But if you give them my name, Guy Owen, as a referral source, you might be able to finagle a small discount even though they state emphatically that it's not included in their current Summer Discount program. Again, NOT saying my name carries any weight with them. They do know I've been promoting them in a few forums because I love everything about this company. Their hearts and minds seem to be in the right place! I mean, c'mon... a Seat Guarantee... 4 Years or 20,000-Mile Warranty... 0% Financing up to a year -- who the heck does THAT??

 

[smorgasbord]

Brake Rotors are 160mm -- he says "That's the appropriate size for a 26" wheel."

Alex told me that as well, and I believe it to be nonsense. Brake rotor size need is a function of speed and total weight, and they say this bike can do 25mph in "off-road mode". I expect to be upgrading the rotor size at least in the front. The only reason for smaller rotors is if there's interference from the fork or rear chainstays.

 

[smorgasbord]

This may have been covered elsewhere in the forums, but if you want to see the internals of the NuVinci enviolo, including an actual cut-away of the hub in action, check out this video:

 

[Scarecrow]

Yeah, that's a sweet system! The only concern was answered by Thomas Weber of Evelo: The manufacturer does not Warranty their system if used with a motor over 350W. Evelo gets past that through their experience, and adding their own Warranty. I think I will LOVE this Gates / Enviolo setup on an eBike -- I already have a similar design on my Acme by Spot Brand.

 

[MuttonChops]

More Specific Delivery Date?

Has anyone here asked Evelo about the shipping date, something more than "by end of August"
I'll be out-of-town for most of September . . . . would be wonderful if my Black Limited can join me.

 

[smorgasbord]

I was told to expect delivery the first week of Sept.

 

[AlanDB]

I can't answer that, but I can say when I pre-ordered my Evelo Compass trike, what they told me for expected shipping turned out to be accurate. They were also quite good at keeping me posted of the shipping status. I had it shipped to my LBS for assembly, so I had to wait a few days to get it after Evelo shipped. Overall it was a great experience and Evelo was completely honest about the expected shipping.

 

[@AubergeSanDiego]

I can't answer that, but I can say when I pre-ordered my Evelo Compass trike, what they told me for expected shipping turned out to be accurate. They were also quite good at keeping me posted of the shipping status. I had it shipped to my LBS for assembly, so I had to wait a few days to get it after Evelo shipped. Overall it was a great experience and Evelo was completely honest about the expected shipping.

Agreed. My Aurora Fully Loaded arrived in the time frame they said. I have a post in the "Aurora mid drive ordered" thread about my experience. Now I have a Limited Edition on order. I'm looking forward to its arrival and comparing it to the Fully Loaded.

 

[Nerkdawg]

For current Aurora owners - the higher capacity (14.5 Ah) battery offered on the Limited Edition will be a direct replacement for the original (11.6 Ah) battery.

 

[@AubergeSanDiego]

We got an update from Justin Scott at EVELO this morning. They don't anticipate the Aurora Limited Edition showing up in their warehouse until the second half of September. So those of us with orders can expect later delivery than originally predicted.

 

[smorgasbord]

Just got an email that our Aurora Ltd Edition is in the mail!

(UPS actually). Should arrive Mon/Tues next week.

 

[AlanDB]

Just got an email that our Aurora Ltd Edition is in the mail!

(UPS actually). Should arrive Mon/Tues next week.

Anxious for your review! If I was buying a new ebike today, I think this would be at the top of my list.