M-Class Review

[xerxez]

I bought an M-Class about a month ago. The bike arrived within a week of purchasing it, which seemed super fast.

I bought it for my wife. She doesn't care that much about going fast. She prefers a more manageable bike (smaller and lighter than my Juiced CrossCurrent S2). We also wanted to use a tag-along with it. A lot of guys like this bike, but it really seems perfect for women and older people.

The bike was super well packaged. Also, assembly was simple. The hardest part was the front fenders, and they were not a big deal.

So, far the bike has been working great. And I'm really glad we bought it. There aren't many reviews of the newest version of this bike. Keep in mind that the current version has many upgrades from the previous model. These include:


1) suspension fork
2) USB
3) easier interface to use throttle
4) more gears
5) gear sensor

I have a few criticisms.

First, the motor is impressive but the gearing is .... politely stated "focused on hills and not speed." It eat hills, but top speed is maybe 22-24 MPH, and you have to peddle super hard to maintain it. My wife doesn't want to go over 20 MPH, so it's not an issue for her.

I'm considering changing to a " 48-tooth Chainring", as recommended elsewhere. This is a really good review of the bike: https://yondercity.com/reviews-ariel-rider-m-class/. I would strongly recommend the company adjust the stock chainring they sell the bike with.

Second, I have no objections about the motor.... but I have no idea what I have. I thought I was getting a DAPU. But, now some blogs say the updated model might be some TS motor? Bike motors are generally frustrating, as even if you know the nominal wattage, you generally don't know peak, etc. The motor works well, but it's weird that I don't know what I have.

Third, I have had a small issue with the peddle assist kicking out momentarily. I contacted the company, and they suggested moving the sensor. That makes sense. I just haven't ridden the bike for a few days, so I don't know yet.

Let me know if you have any question

Photo is my 75 year old dad riding the m-class.

 

[godotnut]

Thanks for this excellent review. I almost pulled the trigger on one of these but in the end decided I needed a folder.

 

[Retired RV]

Ariel M Class

• WONDERFUL!
• packing
  box inside of box
  both boxes are double thick cardboard
  plenty of large staples to make each rectangle box stiff
  ALL parts are heavily protected with redundant foam and bubble wrap
  ALL parts are secured with redundant ties
  Fork assembled on the frame with quality pieces that are discarded to install the handlebar. A frame from another company had the pieces (headset, cap, spacers, stem, etc.) in a box requiring me to assemble the fork onto the frame.
  No need to assemble the fork, just discard the above pieces and slide the stem onto the fork with handlebar already installed on the stem.
• Tool Kit: more tools than I needed. This is the FIRST bike/frame that I've ordered that included a more than complete toolkit. It has redundancies for pleasant usage.
  Spare nuts, bolts and washers. Great for adding accessories or preferred sizing.
  Rack already installed. Has nuts integrated into the rack which the spare nuts fit.
• The seatpost and stem adjusted to the EXACT fit that my custom $10,000 bicycles have.
• The ride without the battery was AWESOME. Comfortable and pleasant.
• The grips are padded and Soooo comfortable.
• The bicycle stores on end with the installed rear rack.
• POWER
  With the battery and the assist at 5, you can go everywhere in the highest (7th) gear. I NEVER have to shift and I have a steep hill (7%) to climb to get out of my house. I also weigh over 200 pounds.
  I need 2nd gear to climb the 7% hill without the battery, but I would probably need 1st gear if I did not go on 50 mile bike (not eBike) rides every other day.
• A great feature they’ve incorporated is the motor cutoff while shifting. It feels the same as when shifting a regular bike.
• FAST SUPPORT
  When contacting support, feedback is provided within a day. . .
• NOT SO GREAT . . . I am very happy with the bike, but I’ve had to make adjustments and adapt to the quirks listed below. . .
• The 7 speed hub was out of adjustment and shifted in an unusual fashion on my first ride without the battery. This was an easy adjustment, but since no instructions were provided with the bike, you need to search YouTube for and watch a video how to. But with the battery pack, I do not need to shift.
• TERRIBLE!
  NO assembly or operating instructions provided with the shipment. YouTube videos are for an older model. On the Ariel website, the picture matches the bike I received, however, an older model is shown in the video.
• Installing the stem is not obvious and the video just shows it being done, but NOT how to do it.
• Impossible to install the front fender with the bolts provided. I found some spare bolts that allowed installation. The Ariel website video shows installation onto a different fork.
• Could not operate the electronics.
  The video that you need to search for, shows operating instructions for a different display. I had to contact Ariel to ask how to engage the electronics.
• After requesting assembly and operating instructions from Ariel, I was sent a link to a PDF. These instructions had several errors and omissions. For example, I had problems installing the front fender and stem. There were NO instructions how to install these.
• The operating instructions state a 3 button display, then shows 4 buttons.
• The website states, “Ariel Rider M-class ships with a 20mph speed limiter. This limit can be changed from the screen up to 25mph.” A video and review (http://ebikereviewer.com/index.php/2018/07/13/ariel-rider-m-class-electric-bike/) shows a max speed of 28 mph, the sticker on the bike states 20 mph, the instructions state to set to 15.5 mph and impossible to set above 25. My bike was shipped with a max speed of 34 mph. I can feel full power past 24 mph while pedaling.
• The website states: “This means you'll cruise for days and days without charging it.” However, the instructions state that you need to fully charge before each ride.
• The gear system is for 27 inch wheels.
  In the highest (7th) gear, you can only pedal comfortably up to about 20 mph, not the 28 mph max shown in the electronics video. Note that 27 inches/20 inches = 1.35 and 28 mph/20 mph = 1.4.
  In order for it to be geared for 20 inch wheels, it must have a chainwheel with 1.4x as many teeth.
  A standard 52 tooth chainwheel would provide the 28 mph shown in the electronics video.
• Because the 38 tooth chainwheel (optimal for 27 inch wheels) is undersized, you can stay in 7th gear all the time, even up most hills with the assist level at 5.
  This means that with the undersized chainwheel, you don't need any gears, a one speed gear in the rear will take care of all situations (provided you don't run out of battery).
• Claims to have a torque sensor, however, it is not active. The power is NOT proportional to your efforts. It simply puts out a given power level while you pedal at any effort. My other eBike IS proportional, so you feel feedback; the harder you pedal, you can feel more power going to the wheels. No torque until you apply force to the pedals. On the Ariel M Class, as soon as you pedal, you get FULL torque from the motor proportional to the assist level that you set. You will spin out if you are on gravel or a wet surface. You can pedal at any cadence slower than engaging the drive. It is like you have 5 discrete power assist modes that engage as soon as you turn the crank. This is disturbing also when you come to a stop. You expect the motor to relax when you slow your cadence, but, no. You get the full torque from the motor until you stop pedaling or apply the brakes. Slow pedaling does NOT decrease the output from the motor.
• The power fluctuates with constant cadence. 70% up a short hill the power seemed to cut out, then come back on. The same occurred on the way back from the store on a flat road. I have to hold power assistance on for smooth operation. Pedaling allows you to go faster (i.e., adds power).