Magnum or Dolphin
- Thread starter Erichb
- Start date
Qualisports Dolphin Review | ElectricBikeReview.com
Price: $1299.00 | Model Year: 2019 | An affordable and sleek folding bike that hides its electric system in the frame and seat post, MXUS hub-drive, 36v 14ah battery, 7 speed Shimano cassette, thicker tires, and mechanical brakes with motor inhibitors
electricbikereview.com
Magnum Classic Review | ElectricBikeReview.com
Price: $1299.00 | Model Year: 2017, 2018 | A feature-packed folding electric bike with lots of accessories and multiple color options, great price point and warranty, available through dealers or the Magnum online store
electricbikereview.com
ElevenAD
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
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- Ringoes New Jersey
honestly i would run away from both of those folders like they had Blackdeath because they are 36v 350watt bikes that cost as much as 48v 750watt folders! no way. if i was forced to choose i would go Magnum for the very same reasons Timpo mentioned but man thats way to much cash for a 350watt hubmotor folder,way to much!
all the folders below will give you more power and range for similar price
BPM imports F-15X,48v 21ah battery/ 1000watt motor
$1499
BPM imports F15X 750watt motor/48v 13ah battery
$1199
Lectric XP
500watt motor 48v 10ah battery
$899
Sonders Fold X
500watts 48v 14ah
$1200
all the folders below will give you more power and range for similar price
BPM imports F-15X,48v 21ah battery/ 1000watt motor
$1499
BPM imports F15X 750watt motor/48v 13ah battery
$1199
Lectric XP
500watt motor 48v 10ah battery
$899
Sonders Fold X
500watts 48v 14ah
$1200
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Deleted member 4210
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The alternates proposed as fat tire folders are comparing apples to oranges. They each serve different purposes. The alternate fat tire ebikes are very heavy, the fat tires are quite clunky and cumbersome to navigate in urban places or cities, while believe it or not most folding bikes (non-electric) are bought for situations where people want very light weight bikes and portable. Fat tire folding ebikes are really only 'portable' in the sense they can be folded, but man they are awkward and heavy to lift, and you aren't likely going to want to carry them up any flight of stairs very often. Whereas most folders, and even narrower tire ebike folders can be quite easy to carry, can stow in a sedan trunk, and easily can fit in most vans, Suv's, and RV's.
E-Folders with regular size tires are sold in similar high volume as fat tire folders and serve entirely different purposes for their owners, such as:
The Dolphin serves more multiple purposes, including extra cargo space, a much more comfortable ride, and even much longer rides with its battery and less power consuming motor. Its almost as good as a regular size ebike, but adds that portability element without sacrificing too much in the way of ride comfort. Its tires are definitely trail capable too. The Magnums tires would work ok there as well. The Magnum shocks add weight though, and are lousy low quality shocks. Its a waste actually to see them on. And if you are heavy as a rider, those shocks are notorious for bottoming out frequently. The battery on the Magnum would be more convenient for removing, than the seat post battery on the Qualisports. But maybe not an issue, as the Dolphin folds more compactly, is lighter weight, and easier to just bring indoors. Personally, I can't see as many situations where I'd choose a Magnum over the Dolphin, and honestly can see a lot more situations where the Dolphin would be much more useable than any fat tire folding ebike. Yeah those have fat tires to take in sand or snow, but how often would anyone do that ? And yeah they can ride over rockier or bumpier stuff, but again what are the predominant places and venues you will be riding in ? Again, choosing the right ebike, is about as much as your purpose or intent of how you plan to use your folding ebike, as it is about the content or design of the ebike itself.
I do also like and sell fat tire folding ebikes including a lot of the Bagi B10, B10 Plus, their step through versions, and the Aventon Sinch, which all would be better choices than the Lectric, or Sondors Fold, for a whole bunch of reasons - not relevant to get into here as this is already too long of a read. They do have their purpose, and could be considered very utilitarian as well, but they do presently seem to be more 'e-bike faddish' at the moment, and more of a mini-trend within a secular trend, where the fat tire buyers will likely 'burn out' on their original perceived novelty or even the 'cool' factor, as they become more and more aware of their impracticality as they use them, in terms of heavy weight, cumbersome tires, and inability to easily transport them, or carry them up stairs or lift into SUV's or pick ups. Some fat tire folders aren't really that robust as they look either, as I get a lot of complaints/calls from people with issues on fat tire brands like the 'Lectric XP, Addmotors, Rattans, and other off market on line brands. The Lectric XP was especially bad when I saw a couple this season. The frame look cast rather than hydroformed like the Aventon, or extruded like some others, and the welds were atrocious with separation beginning to occur on one, near the joint by the seat post and stays. The cast frame looked like a whole bunch of aluminum plates were just welded together. Maybe erector set style sans the nuts and bolds? (yikes) Electrical cables were frankly an absolute mess, and interference at the frame and brake cables was not cool. Not fun to service either, and the controller was really cheaply made. One lady had hers only 9 months, and traveled a lot in her RV for her job, and she said shes had numerous problems with it, including many flats, chain falling off a lot, and her brakes just locking up on her. It looked very beat up but only showed 900 miles on it. I've seen better worn ebikes with 5000 miles on them. (Have to be really careful before buying these models, and be very sure to see one in person and compare to others in person. You will definitely see differences that matter in terms of build quality, that you just cannot see in any video on line.) And I really doubt the weight stated for the XP. It felt a lot heavier than the Aventon Sinch for instance, which weighs a whopping 62 lbs, but has much better quality and more robust shocks, fully enclosed and larger battery, and a monster hinge that will likely never see a problem with holding up, or staying strong. (I question the longevity and safety of the hinges on a lot of these on-line only fat tire efolders. Some of them even creak when opening, and you can feel the looseness, and the safety latches are questionable as well. Its more of a potential issue, bc people tend to feel like they can take these anywhere and LOOK like they are possibly able to better handle rough terrain. Thats a big maybe, maybe not as far as I am concerned. Looking at some of these folding hinges first hand, and being a mechanical engineer who has been around a lot of outdoor or industrial products, seeing some of these hinge designs makes me a bit queasy. I have not heard of any breaking, but these have not been around for that long.) Off topic a bit, but that hinge is something to be aware of when considering the fat tire folders.
E-Folders with regular size tires are sold in similar high volume as fat tire folders and serve entirely different purposes for their owners, such as:
- Lightweight for those in situations where they need to frequently take upstairs, such as apartment dwellers, or older folks and others who don't want to, or can't lift a heavy fat tire ebike into the back of an SUV or trunk of a car, which by the way fat tire folders fit into very few car trunks. Rv owners who don't have the room or have class A rvs with lower side compartments that aren't large enough to fit a fat tire folder but definitely could a efolder like the Dolphin. I've had many of these come to my shop, park their RV out front and vainly attempt a fat tire folding ebike for fit, and then ultimately came away with something like the Dolphin and absolutely ecstatic, bc they not only find it fits, but found the ride is very comfortable with it's above average width comfort tires, and super smooth and very strong MXUS hub motor, powered by a sinewave controller, that does not produce the jerky response that most fat tire e-folders do.
- These smaller lighter weight folders are also highly sought after for their very long range, with a 14ah battery that the Dolphin has, and it also has a plenty strong motor that doesn't suck so much power in most assist levels like the 500 watt fat tire motors do, coupled with the high rolling resistance that fat tire models have. The dolphin's spare battery is also less costly, despite being a high quality Samsung. Many of my buyers of Dolphins average 55 to 60 miles on theirs and love how nimble it is. So it really depends on the purpose and how you plan to use a folding ebike, and the advantages you are seeking from its folding capability, its weight, or even its maneuverability.
- The Magnum versus Dolphin are two very different folding ebikes as well. The magnum is very quick to accelerate and a lot of people seeking out folding ebikes, are not looking for that speed, or sudden acceleration. Whereas the Dolphin is very smooth in its response and acceleration, and the speed more user friendly. It nearly feels like torque sensing in how smooth, and it is likely due to the type of control they are getting from the sinewave controller, which is adding a bit to the cost, while as is the uniquely concealed battery in the seat tube. At 47 lbs the Dolphin is a lot lighter than Magnum's 57 lbs. The Dolphin just looks and feels much better made, and the paint finish is a lot better than the Magnums as are the welds. I carry both, and people started choosing the Dolphin over the Magnum and other e-folders I have carried. The Dolphin has a nice front basket. The Magnum has the same darn fender rub issue as their other models, except this time its on the rear. The fenders and their supports are just too dang tight of a fit, so that even pebbles could get caught between the tire and fenders. I have spent sometimes hours trying to re-work their fenders to improve the spacing for customers who have complained about the Magnum Fenders. I would consider the Magnum better suited to someone who doesn't need the portability, and just wants speed and to get from point A to point B quickly.
The Dolphin serves more multiple purposes, including extra cargo space, a much more comfortable ride, and even much longer rides with its battery and less power consuming motor. Its almost as good as a regular size ebike, but adds that portability element without sacrificing too much in the way of ride comfort. Its tires are definitely trail capable too. The Magnums tires would work ok there as well. The Magnum shocks add weight though, and are lousy low quality shocks. Its a waste actually to see them on. And if you are heavy as a rider, those shocks are notorious for bottoming out frequently. The battery on the Magnum would be more convenient for removing, than the seat post battery on the Qualisports. But maybe not an issue, as the Dolphin folds more compactly, is lighter weight, and easier to just bring indoors. Personally, I can't see as many situations where I'd choose a Magnum over the Dolphin, and honestly can see a lot more situations where the Dolphin would be much more useable than any fat tire folding ebike. Yeah those have fat tires to take in sand or snow, but how often would anyone do that ? And yeah they can ride over rockier or bumpier stuff, but again what are the predominant places and venues you will be riding in ? Again, choosing the right ebike, is about as much as your purpose or intent of how you plan to use your folding ebike, as it is about the content or design of the ebike itself.
I do also like and sell fat tire folding ebikes including a lot of the Bagi B10, B10 Plus, their step through versions, and the Aventon Sinch, which all would be better choices than the Lectric, or Sondors Fold, for a whole bunch of reasons - not relevant to get into here as this is already too long of a read. They do have their purpose, and could be considered very utilitarian as well, but they do presently seem to be more 'e-bike faddish' at the moment, and more of a mini-trend within a secular trend, where the fat tire buyers will likely 'burn out' on their original perceived novelty or even the 'cool' factor, as they become more and more aware of their impracticality as they use them, in terms of heavy weight, cumbersome tires, and inability to easily transport them, or carry them up stairs or lift into SUV's or pick ups. Some fat tire folders aren't really that robust as they look either, as I get a lot of complaints/calls from people with issues on fat tire brands like the 'Lectric XP, Addmotors, Rattans, and other off market on line brands. The Lectric XP was especially bad when I saw a couple this season. The frame look cast rather than hydroformed like the Aventon, or extruded like some others, and the welds were atrocious with separation beginning to occur on one, near the joint by the seat post and stays. The cast frame looked like a whole bunch of aluminum plates were just welded together. Maybe erector set style sans the nuts and bolds? (yikes) Electrical cables were frankly an absolute mess, and interference at the frame and brake cables was not cool. Not fun to service either, and the controller was really cheaply made. One lady had hers only 9 months, and traveled a lot in her RV for her job, and she said shes had numerous problems with it, including many flats, chain falling off a lot, and her brakes just locking up on her. It looked very beat up but only showed 900 miles on it. I've seen better worn ebikes with 5000 miles on them. (Have to be really careful before buying these models, and be very sure to see one in person and compare to others in person. You will definitely see differences that matter in terms of build quality, that you just cannot see in any video on line.) And I really doubt the weight stated for the XP. It felt a lot heavier than the Aventon Sinch for instance, which weighs a whopping 62 lbs, but has much better quality and more robust shocks, fully enclosed and larger battery, and a monster hinge that will likely never see a problem with holding up, or staying strong. (I question the longevity and safety of the hinges on a lot of these on-line only fat tire efolders. Some of them even creak when opening, and you can feel the looseness, and the safety latches are questionable as well. Its more of a potential issue, bc people tend to feel like they can take these anywhere and LOOK like they are possibly able to better handle rough terrain. Thats a big maybe, maybe not as far as I am concerned. Looking at some of these folding hinges first hand, and being a mechanical engineer who has been around a lot of outdoor or industrial products, seeing some of these hinge designs makes me a bit queasy. I have not heard of any breaking, but these have not been around for that long.) Off topic a bit, but that hinge is something to be aware of when considering the fat tire folders.
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Deleted member 4210
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By the way, The "$1299" Magnum Classic is no longer available, and the Classic II is $1599 with its availability being 'spotty' at best for the past year. I don't even think Magnum is going to be bringing this model back again, from the signs I am seeing from them, and they appeared to have abandoned all their Premium Folders as well, as those haven't been available either, despite what is shown on their website. And have yet to get a clear answer from them on availability despite asking numerous times this season. Not sure what is going on there. Is it Covid ? Is it a product change, or lack of available components for these folders ? Cant get any solid answers from anyone there on these.Magnum Classic Review | ElectricBikeReview.com
Price: $1299.00 | Model Year: 2017, 2018 | A feature-packed folding electric bike with lots of accessories and multiple color options, great price point and warranty, available through dealers or the Magnum online store
FlatSix911
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Silicon Valley
Neither... take a look at the EBR list of Best Folding Electric Bikes of 2020
Here are our top picks for the best folding electric bikes of 2020. These top five ebikes represent the best combination of features and value right now, but you can see all 118 of our detailed folding ebike reviews listed by date here. Reviewing electric bikes is our primary focus, EBR has the industry’s most complete and objective reviews. Since 2012, we’ve helped millions of people find and choose the best ebike for their needs and budget. Let’s go!
Table of Contents:
- Best Premium Folding Electric Bike
- Best Value Folding Electric Bike
- Best Affordable Folding Electric Bike
- Promoted Folding Electric Bike
- Honorable Mention Folding Electric Bike
- Intended Use. There are many variations of folding electric bikes to choose from… and each sub-category has its own strengths and weaknesses. The solution is to step back and think about your use cases. Do you need the lightest and most compact, even if it means less comfort? Would you prioritize traction and off-road stability, even if it meant adding weight and size? What about fenders and lights for commuting? I know people who never fold these ebike, but chose them only for their compact size and approachability (low stand-over height). Think about your situation, as you consider these top picks, and scan through our entire library of folding ebike reviews to really get it right.
- Battery. Cell quality is important. How far will it take you and last? How expensive is a replacement? Battery location also impacts performance. Those located near the rear wheel are easier to remove but shift weight towards the back. Having it on the main frame spreads weight evenly, improving handling, but makes attachment more difficult. Easy attachment is nice when you remove the battery for lifting the bike or to store and charge the battery separately.
- Size and Weight. How small does it collapse when it’s folded? Will it fit into your space? How heavy is it to lift? Will you be able to load or carry it? Can it be rolled when folded? Can the bike handle your weight and cargo?
- Component Quality. When portability it the primary focus, the quality of parts may be neglected. Make sure the core components can deliver the performance you need. is the the drivetrain, battery pack, shift mechanism, and display protected when the bike is folded?
Best Folding Electric Bikes of 2024 | ElectricBikeReview.com
electricbikereview.com
kmccune
Well-Known Member
There is another "Dolphin" for less than $800, its an "Ecotric step through" 12 plus AH battery and 36 volt 500 watt motor and boy that thing climbs good, it can be upgraded as well, for the money its a nifty little bike, traded it to a Friend for a 26" Fat tire cruiser. Apparently its a pretty tough little ' Aquatic mammal" He puts it through its paces.
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