Luna Z1 - First impressions

[blueskyca]

Well, 2 1/2 years after starting this thread my main complaint with the Z1 is the junk SRAM Eagle SX groupset they put on this bike. I've cleaned, lubed, and adjusted the derailleur and cable multiple times and had it working well - for a while. But it always seems to degrade after a ride or 2 to delayed up and down shifts, and occasionally jumping in and out of gear. Cassette still looks good and X01 chain is near new. I see the "SRAM XX1 Eagle Rear Derailleur B-Bolt and Limit Screw Kits" advertised but I'm not sure that's a solution. Has anyone made the move to the GX derailleur/shifter or perhaps Shimano?

 

[JRA]

I didn't even make it 2 1/2 weeks with the stock groupset before I had similar issues. I tried a few different things but finally came to the conclusion that the sticky shifting was because of the cable hanging up in the long cable housing. I bought an Archer Components system that got rid of it and have never looked back. I did end up with a Shimano Linkglide derailleur/cassette and chain and it all works well now.

 

[Tom@WashDC]

Well, 2 1/2 years after starting this thread my main complaint with the Z1 is the junk SRAM Eagle SX groupset they put on this bike. I've cleaned, lubed, and adjusted the derailleur and cable multiple times and had it working well - for a while. But it always seems to degrade after a ride or 2 to delayed up and down shifts, and occasionally jumping in and out of gear. Cassette still looks good and X01 chain is near new. I see the "SRAM XX1 Eagle Rear Derailleur B-Bolt and Limit Screw Kits" advertised but I'm not sure that's a solution. Has anyone made the move to the GX derailleur/shifter or perhaps Shimano?

I had issues too with adjustments. Very finicky. I had minor damage too many times on rocks, roots, etc. Then it was too finicky to adjust after tiny mishaps. I finally ditched the whole dearailleur thing and installed the Rohloff 14 Speed IGH. Man it is heaven on an eMTB! I would never go back to a derailleur. Essentially zero maintenance. I installed it a year ago. No adjustments, a clean chain, shifts perfectly every time. I mean every time. I can move from any gear to any gear near instantaneously, even from a standstill with no lag time in shifting. The few people that have tried my bike said they feel like they are one wth the transmission, that it becomes a part of them. It's true, hard to explain. It is an expensive hub, but considering it will outlive all of the other components on my bike, including the motor and the frame, It is a worthwile invenstment. I'll move it to my next bike, and the next bike after that...

 

[blueskyca]

I didn't even make it 2 1/2 weeks with the stock groupset before I had similar issues. I tried a few different things but finally came to the conclusion that the sticky shifting was because of the cable hanging up in the long cable housing. I bought an Archer Components system that got rid of it and have never looked back. I did end up with a Shimano Linkglide derailleur/cassette and chain and it all works well now.

Dear Valued Customers​

It is with mixed emotions that we announce Archer Components will be closing its doors. After years of dedicated service and innovation in the cycling community, we have made the difficult decision to cease operations.

 

[juggernaut]

Well, 2 1/2 years after starting this thread my main complaint with the Z1 is the junk SRAM Eagle SX groupset they put on this bike. I've cleaned, lubed, and adjusted the derailleur and cable multiple times and had it working well - for a while. But it always seems to degrade after a ride or 2 to delayed up and down shifts, and occasionally jumping in and out of gear. Cassette still looks good and X01 chain is near new. I see the "SRAM XX1 Eagle Rear Derailleur B-Bolt and Limit Screw Kits" advertised but I'm not sure that's a solution. Has anyone made the move to the GX derailleur/shifter or perhaps Shimano?

My Frey Beast has the NX cassette, with GX everything else. i dialled it in from new and haven’t had to make any further adjustments since. Can’t fault the shifts and it works very well on my bike.

 

[JRA]

Dear Valued Customers​

It is with mixed emotions that we announce Archer Components will be closing its doors. After years of dedicated service and innovation in the cycling community, we have made the difficult decision to cease operations.

Hadn't heard that. I don't see there is much that can go wrong with the one I have but I guess if it does I'll reach out to Devin and see what he can do? Too bad because it does work at a reasonable price with any cassette and derailleur. Oh well such is the state of the industry I guess.

 

[blueskyca]

Well, 2 1/2 years after starting this thread my main complaint with the Z1 is the junk SRAM Eagle SX groupset they put on this bike. I've cleaned, lubed, and adjusted the derailleur and cable multiple times and had it working well - for a while. But it always seems to degrade after a ride or 2 to delayed up and down shifts, and occasionally jumping in and out of gear. Cassette still looks good and X01 chain is near new. I see the "SRAM XX1 Eagle Rear Derailleur B-Bolt and Limit Screw Kits" advertised but I'm not sure that's a solution. Has anyone made the move to the GX derailleur/shifter or perhaps Shimano?

And the response from Luna:

You can replace the drive train to something like a 10 speed or even 8 or 9 speed drive train. Those will be a lot more stable when shifting. 12 speed drive trains are like that it'll never be perfect.

Lunacycle Customer Support

 

[blueskyca]

Well, as other have suggested, upgrading to the SRAM GX derailleur and GX shifter made a big difference. So far I have a couple hundred miles on the new setup. Shifts up and down are crisp and well defined, the drivetrain responds predictably to adjustments, and there's much less force required on the shifter for down shifts. Not to mention that I can now jump down multiple gears, as opposed to the SX single cog down shifts. In all fairness, my derailleur hanger had a tiny bit of misalignment that I measured with my home-made alignment tool, and the SX derailleur had a slight tweakage to it. But I'm very happy with my $150 upgrade I got from BikeTiresDirect.com. Everything bolted in easily and fit perfectly. My only issue has been infrequently throwing the chain when shifting to the smallest cog. I followed the SRAM Tech video derailleur instructions but think I need to draw in the high speed limit a tad.

 

[highrisedrifter]

I'm looking for a mid drive EMTB/Enduro with a throttle, and there's not many of them on the market. The one that consistently catches my eye is the Luna Z1. Especially as their showroom is only about thirty miles from me

If you have one, i'd love to hear how its been for you over the time you've had it please.

 

[Tom@WashDC]

I'm looking for a mid drive EMTB/Enduro with a throttle, and there's not many of them on the market. The one that consistently catches my eye is the Luna Z1. Especially as their showroom is only about thirty miles from me

If you have one, i'd love to hear how its been for you over the time you've had it please.

I purchased my Z1 for four years ago 17,000 miles. I ride it aggressively every other day on a mix of paved and wooded trails. I really love this bike. The service form LUNA has alays been great. They are fast to repond and very fair. I first started with LUNA Cycle when I built an ebike using thier Bafang BBSHD motor kit in 2001.

I highly recommend the bike. Reliable, nimble, durable, and super powerful.

Main components:

1. Carbon Fiber Frame: I ride the bike hard, the frame is in excellent condition, still looks good (a few scratches), no stress cracks, no visible deterioration of any kind.
2. The Motor: You cannot beat the Bafang Ultra! I've never had a problem, if I did, the parts supply chain is ubiquitous.
3. Derailleur System: SRAM SX Eagle 12-speed. It was OK. It's a derailleur system, they are primitive mechanisms (1895-1910). I installed a Rohloff 14 speed IGH three years ago and never looked back. Perfect, seamless shifting from any gear, into any gear, every time, never a slip. Zero adjustments since day one.
4. Brakes: SRAM Guide 4 Piston Hydraulic. They work great. Still using the original brake system
5. Rear Shock: RockShox Deluxe Select - Still using the original. Need to add a bit of air pressure every week.
6. Front Fork: RockShox Debonair Yari - Still using the original, no problems.
7. Dropper Seat Post: No problems
8. Battery: Still using the oringal battery, as a back up. I like to ride hard and long. On the way home from my long rides, I want plenty of power to rip up the terrain so I carry two batteries, one resting on the downtube secured with velcro straps. See pic below. The biggest criticism of the Z1 was the battery range. It's an eMTB, so if you are riding hard and using a lot of assist, your range will be curtailed. If you ride conservatively, it's got plenty of juice. I ride MTB syle once a week with two of my friends. They both have 20 Amp batteries and they always run out of juice before I do. I love it. I've been able to squeeze 40 miles out out of my battery riding paved surfaces in PAS 1-2, and occiasionally 5.
9.