Magnum & Amego

[Bobsiii]

I've seen comments here that these are same/very similar. I don't have access to Amego dealership but do have a Magnum shop. I'm considering Amego Infinite and Magnum Ui6; unless there are significant differences I'd go with the Magnum because of local service support. Anyone with experience with both brands?

 

[Feliz]

I was considering purchasing an Amego but when I did some research I found out there are subtle differences between Amego and Magnum. I found out from the Canadian Magnum distributor who posted on the Magnum area of the forum in a thread entitled "Magnum in Canada" or something similar, it was a few months back. The fellow was very helpful.
I ended up purchasing neither bike but rather an EProdigy Magic Plus instead.

 

[Deleted member 4210]

Both ebikes come out of the same factory. Amego negotiated slightly different specs. Magnum being US based, may be a better choice than a firm that is canadian based, international shipping costs, and customs, being one of several factors. Magnum has many more US dealers than Amego does, so if you ever move, or go out of town and need service, better chance of a Magnum shop existing than Amego. Magnum is coming out with a lot of new models in 2019. It'll be interesting to see if Amego has access to those same models, and keeps 'riding the tails' of Magnum.

P.S. A lot of ebike firms like Magnum or Amego, share common China factories. They each get their shot at certain production runs throughout a given year. The benefits are, smaller firms like them, can get lower prices and help keep the volume up at the same factory. Some of the downside is, each firm won't necessarily have as much control over the production or quality level, versus having a dedicated factory of their own. If you go on Alibaba, you will see what appears to be a LOT of different Chinese 'factories' or firms, when in reality many of them actually are firms using another factory to make the models they offer. yes there are lot of small vendors (job shops) in a high concentration in certain cities in China. But the risks go way up with those. A lot of these firms like Magnum or Amego, that are really just brands, and that includes Rad Power, usually try to work with the larger China factories for obvious reasons. Firms like Giant have their own factories, both China and Taiwan based. But they are building millions of regular bikes, and not just ebikes, so they can sustain this approach. With over 300 brands out there coming to the US (and more actually being sold in other countries that aren't sold here), I guarantee there aren't 300 different Chinese or Taiwan factories they are each using. I bring this up only, because whether you buy an Amego, or Magnum, the differences are splitting hairs. At the end of the day, its probably a lot more important to find the right local bike shop, who will take care of you, and deal with the hassles of changes that might occur with any particular brand. Good shops can adapt to market changes, and get you parts from other sources, and will bend over backward to make sure you are taken care of.

 

[Bobsiii]

Both ebikes come out of the same factory.
At the end of the day, its probably a lot more important to find the right local bike shop, who will take care of you, and deal with the hassles of changes that might occur with any particular brand.

Thx Mike's, figured common factories was the answer. I put Amego on my list because of the hydraulic brakes - I've got arthritis in both hands and suspect the mechanical ones will become more of a problem as time goes on.

 

[Deleted member 4210]

I just compared the specs on Amego and Mangum websites.

The biggest difference is hydraulic brakes on Amego and Magnum only has mechanical brakes.
If you don't like working on your bike, the mechanical brakes are not good since it requires a lot more adjustments.
Also hydraulic brakes are so much easier to use.

Although I am not sure about the Amego Infinite & Magnum Ui6, here's the comparison between Magnum Peak & Amego Elevate.
https://electricbikereview.com/forums/threads/meet-the-magnum-peak-i-mean-amego-elevate.23294/

The front fork is different, Amego has RST and Magnum has SR Suntour.

Also the Amego Infinite has 27.5 inch tires, and Magnum Ui6 has 26 inch tires and Amego comes with 8 speed whereas Magnum has 7 speed

He can probably get Magnum's Metro very near the price of a Ui6, if he negotiates a bit, if he really wants hydraulic brakes. The Metro is very similar to the Ui6, but it also has a more powerful motor (despite both having stated spec of 500 watts), a higher top end speed, and slightly different display. Definitely feels a lot more powerful when riding vs Ui6. The Infinite is actually more like the Metro Plus (+), which has the larger rims and tires, but it is available in both step through, and step over versions, whereas the Metro Plus(+) is only available in step over version. top speed on Metro's are 28 mph, whereas the infinite is 25 mph.

Magnum's dealers actually make less margin on the Metro's than Ui6's.

 

[LewSchiller]

Both ebikes come out of the same factory. Amego negotiated slightly different specs. Magnum being US based, may be a better choice than a firm that is canadian based, international shipping costs, and customs, being one of several factors. Magnum has many more US dealers than Amego does, so if you ever move, or go out of town and need service, better chance of a Magnum shop existing than Amego. Magnum is coming out with a lot of new models in 2019. It'll be interesting to see if Amego has access to those same models, and keeps 'riding the tails' of Magnum.

P.S. A lot of ebike firms like Magnum or Amego, share common China factories. They each get their shot at certain production runs throughout a given year. The benefits are, smaller firms like them, can get lower prices and help keep the volume up at the same factory. Some of the downside is, each firm won't necessarily have as much control over the production or quality level, versus having a dedicated factory of their own. If you go on Alibaba, you will see what appears to be a LOT of different Chinese 'factories' or firms, when in reality many of them actually are firms using another factory to make the models they offer. yes there are lot of small vendors (job shops) in a high concentration in certain cities in China. But the risks go way up with those. A lot of these firms like Magnum or Amego, that are really just brands, and that includes Rad Power, usually try to work with the larger China factories for obvious reasons. Firms like Giant have their own factories, both China and Taiwan based. But they are building millions of regular bikes, and not just ebikes, so they can sustain this approach. With over 300 brands out there coming to the US (and more actually being sold in other countries that aren't sold here), I guarantee there aren't 300 different Chinese or Taiwan factories they are each using. I bring this up only, because whether you buy an Amego, or Magnum, the differences are splitting hairs. At the end of the day, its probably a lot more important to find the right local bike shop, who will take care of you, and deal with the hassles of changes that might occur with any particular brand. Good shops can adapt to market changes, and get you parts from other sources, and will bend over backward to make sure you are taken care of.

I'd also suggest that a Magnum Dealer could probably change out the brakes for Hydraulic as part of a purchase deal since many Magnum models use hydraulic.

 

[Bobsiii]

Amego Infinite vs Magnum Metro
]

Interesting. I already have the Metro on my list. Should get some test rides next week. Thx.

 

[LewSchiller]

Interesting. I already have the Metro on my list. Should get some test rides next week. Thx.

You might also try the Magnum Cruiser. It's not a step through but rather a drop bar. I chose it because the crankset
is further ahead of the seat position than the others meaning my knees are happy pedalers. The bikes I rode with a traditional pedal position - more in line with the seat - caused knee pain in short order.
JMO - YMMV - LSMFT

 

[Curious George]

I have an Amego Infinite. It has over 3,200 miles on it since July of this year. I weigh 230 and carry 10 pounds of gear. 25 miles an hour is a much more accurate top speed....actually 23 or so for me. I love this bike and have had no issues with it. Since I’ve been riding a bike of some type for years I do most maintenance myself. It’s currently selling for 2,199 Canadian dollars with free shipping. That is 1,637 American. It’s a great value.

 

[Curious George]

yeah that's what I found.

As I said my Juiced Crosscurrent Air's realistic top speed is NOT 28mph. It can definitely reach if I ride HARD, but I won't be able to keep that speed for long.
I have also tested Stromer ST1 (again 28mph pedelec) and same thing, I had to pedal very hard to reach that speed. Same as eProdigy 28mph pedelec among other ones I can't remember, but generally speaking I personally found 28mph is not easy to reach unless you're going downhill or have lots of tail wind.

I think the realistic top speed for those bikes is 23-25mph if you're just commuting or just doing leisurely amount of pedaling.

I agree.

 

[Bobsiii]

Speed is not a prime consideration for me, I only go about 10-12 mph on my me-powered, doubt I'll get much above 20mph on the e-bike.

Ability to climb hills, tho, is huge for me - I live 3.5 miles west of Denver, just below the foothills, and flatland is rare. I really need a boost for the hills that surround me and the headwinds that always seem to blow downhill! Most hills here are short and steepish.

 

[LewSchiller]

Ah then allow me to say my experience with the Magnum dealer - Best eBike on Federal - has been excellent.

 

[Bobsiii]

my experience with the Magnum dealer - Best eBike on Federal - has been excellent.

Interesting, that's the store where an overly-aggressive sales person ruined my visit. I'm going back for test rides - Blix Aveny, Velec A2 and the Magnums, hoping they'll get the message about my budget and forget about Stromer and R&M, etc.

 

[LewSchiller]

I'm sorry to hear that. I had nothing but good experiences. I worked with Christi Gerhardt and Dusty.

 

[Curious George]

That really sucks.. yeah aggressive sales could ruin the experience for sure.

In my opinion hydraulic brakes are the must. This is my personal experience and every time I had to grab on to my mechanical brakes, I hated it.
The mechanical brakes work like charm when they're brand new, and right after the maintenance (readjusting the cable, caliper adjustment, readjusting the levers, cleaning, etc) but that only lasts for couple of weeks.
So I had to upgrade it to hydraulic brakes, I just felt like I really had to.

Honestly, I don't think you can beat the bang for buck factor of Amego.
It's the cheapest, fastest, highest battery capacity, most powerful brakes, highest torque for climbing, etc.

The prices are in US dollars, I clicked their US pricing options:

Amego Infinite
(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)
$1748 + Free Shipping
Top Speed: 25mph (the actual assist goes up to 28mph)
Motor: 500W
Torque: 80Nm
Battery: 48V 13ah
Brakes: Tektro 180mm Hydraulic Disk Brake
Tires: Schwalbe 27.5 x 2.0
Gear: 8 speed
Fork: RST Neon Plus TNL

Blix Aveny
https://blixbike.com/products/aveny/?variant=12692263239735
$1899 + Free Shipping
Top Speed: 20mph
Motor: 350W
Torque: 60Nm
Battery: 36V 11ah
Brakes: Tektro 160mm Mechanical Disk Brake
Tires: Kenda 26 x 1.75
Gear: 7 speed
Fork: Rigid

Velec A2
http://www.velec.ca/us/bicycles/a2
$1799 + Unspecified Shipping (most likely free)
Top Speed: 20mph
Motor: 350W
Torque: unknown
Battery: 48V 10ah
Brakes: V-Brakes
Tires: Kenda 26 x 1.9
Gear: 7 speed
Fork: Rigid

Agreed. The only thing...My visit shows the Amego at 2,199 Canadian currently, which is closer to 1,651 American. I paid more in July but it was worth it.

 

[Curious George]

Ah.....Interesting. Still...it’s a good deal. Cheers!

 

[Bobsiii]

It seems the Amego and the Surface 604 Rook are coming to the top of my list. The Blix and Velec are probably off-list due to rigid fork, and it sounds like mech discs will take more work than I want to put in.

Amego is cheaper but Surface 604 has torque sensors which sound better than cadence.

 

[Curious George]

It seems the Amego and the Surface 604 Rook are coming to the top of my list. The Blix and Velec are probably off-list due to rigid fork, and it sounds like mech discs will take more work than I want to put in.

Amego is cheaper but Surface 604 has torque sensors which sound better than cadence.

When I was shopping around the Rook was also one of the ones I was looking at. Good Luck!

 

[Curious George]

Pretty good description of some of the reasons I picked the Infinite over the Rook. By the way, my Infinite has an Acera, not an Altus. So.....

 

[Feliz]

Personally I've never understood the obsession with torque sensors I would rather ride a bike with a cadence sensor although my favourite bikes have both. (Pedego, Juiced, Haibike, Elby).

Thanks for posting all the specs etc Timpo, very interesting.