Panasonic XM-D2
- Thread starter Timpo
- Start date
Nova Haibike
Well-Known Member
Another e-mtb. 
I wanna see more road bikes, damnit!
Good looking bike. Google teases with images of some other Panasonic e-bikes as well, but trying to find any info is an exercise in frustration.
I wanna see more road bikes, damnit! Good looking bike. Google teases with images of some other Panasonic e-bikes as well, but trying to find any info is an exercise in frustration.
Mike TowpathTraveler
Well-Known Member
A two speed internal transmission with added complexity versus a two front chain ring on say, a Yamaha PW set up. Thinking.....
Aside from that, here comes another long historied company with a great reputation here in the US added into the mix of ebikes. And to think, an actual factory in the US that builds ebikes!
We are witness to a great technological war going on in the bicycle industry right now. And I love it!
Aside from that, here comes another long historied company with a great reputation here in the US added into the mix of ebikes. And to think, an actual factory in the US that builds ebikes!
We are witness to a great technological war going on in the bicycle industry right now. And I love it!
JRA
Well-Known Member
"(I don't know if Univega & Van Dessel are the same company or two different companies)"
Kent International controls both brands. The are based in New Jersey and their manufacturing facility is in South Carolina. They are primarily known for producing Big Box store type bicycles but have entered into a partnership with Panasonic for the Van Dessel, actually a well respected brand in the bicycle world, and Univega, one of the early names of MTB, brands they control.
I found a good explanation of the 2spd system here: https://eu.industrial.panasonic.com...es/downloads/files/catalogue_2016_english.pdf
Kent International controls both brands. The are based in New Jersey and their manufacturing facility is in South Carolina. They are primarily known for producing Big Box store type bicycles but have entered into a partnership with Panasonic for the Van Dessel, actually a well respected brand in the bicycle world, and Univega, one of the early names of MTB, brands they control.
I found a good explanation of the 2spd system here: https://eu.industrial.panasonic.com...es/downloads/files/catalogue_2016_english.pdf
I am not sure why, Panasonic's site has all the info. Even if you don't read Japanese, Google does, and most of the info you want is probably specs, written in numbers anyway. What information are you looking for?Another e-mtb.
Good looking bike. Google teases with images of some other Panasonic e-bikes as well, but trying to find any info is an exercise in frustration.
FYI The specs list it as 250W, which makes sense, because that is what the XM-2 uses, and Panasonic said this is the same drive unit as the
XM-2. (Also I believe there is a statutory restriction, though reading the law only indicates power ratio, rather than absolute limit).
The official web page: http://cycle.panasonic.jp/products/...98&_bdld=25PBiu.mATDwVu.1551416645#pointTabs4
I have the XM-1 now, which is single speed, and I have never felt it needed more speeds. I suppose it depends if you will be climbing 60 degree inclines. I will let everyone know my impression after the XM-D2 arrives.
Well they were going on about how the paint is sort special and looks different from different angles, etc., but I figured that's just marketing.
Here are some photos in the daylight, before I scratch it up.
It won't be until next weekend that I have time to try it out on a trail, but today I will ride it to Shibuya. Problem number one : with fat tires I can't park it at bicycle parking. With no kickstand I can't park it at motorcycle parking, so... I can't actually ride it anywhere around town at the moment. I would like to get a motorcycle style center stand, but there is just really no clearance.
I'll probably opt for something that's easily removable for when I am actually going to ride on trails.
Here are some photos in the daylight, before I scratch it up.
It won't be until next weekend that I have time to try it out on a trail, but today I will ride it to Shibuya. Problem number one : with fat tires I can't park it at bicycle parking. With no kickstand I can't park it at motorcycle parking, so... I can't actually ride it anywhere around town at the moment. I would like to get a motorcycle style center stand, but there is just really no clearance.
I'll probably opt for something that's easily removable for when I am actually going to ride on trails.
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Ravi Kempaiah
Well-Known Member
- Region
- Canada
- City
- Halifax
@Angela M.
Could we move this to the Panasonic forum?
Could we move this to the Panasonic forum?
Update: Good, Bad, and Ugly about XM-D2
Good: Battery and Controller compatible with XM-1.
Good: All parts seem to be very high quality, and the paint job is very nice.
Good: Tires are fat enough that in the city you can easily go up and down stairs, etc.
Good: The suspension is really nice!
Good: The internal electric shifting is awesome.
Good: Built in light is a nice feature, even if you might want to use an add-on line at night. At least this way you can never be without light.
Interesting: You are only supposed to shift (manual shifting) when not pedaling with this model apparently. If you shift while pedaling, the gear will not actually shift until you pause pedaling. Not really sure what exactly is different with the derailer compared with the XM-1, as they look similar.
Bad: Tires are too fat to actually park it anywhere. Almost all parking places will support at most 2.2 inch tires.
Bad: No Kick-stand. Parking places without the tire stands require a kick stand.
As a result, it is very difficult to find a place to actually park it. I am considering changing the front tire to a skinnier one just for that reason. It's silly and stupid, but unless you are *only* going to use it on the trails, it just isn't workable. I ordered an "Upstand" - we'll see if it fits - if not, I may need to customize it. For now, I have this silly telescoping thing that attaches to the frame with a velcro strap.
Bad: The brakes are *really* strong. I saw something out of the corner of my eye and squeezed both brakes. Next thing I knew, I was flying like a missile through the air while my bike did a summersault! Amazingly there is not a scratch on me or the bike, except that the center display is cracked. My cycle computer took the brunt of the damage. Now I am careful to start with the rear brakes first!
Bad: There is almost no place for a bottle or bike bag. The XM-1 was small enough inside, but the XM-D2 is even smaller, owing to the rear suspension. Given that there is no rack or anything, this is a bit annoying if you want to carry stuff. I usually use a backpack, but I like to have a small bike bag to keep a spare tire, some fix-a-flat, and an allen wrench set.
Good: Battery and Controller compatible with XM-1.
Good: All parts seem to be very high quality, and the paint job is very nice.
Good: Tires are fat enough that in the city you can easily go up and down stairs, etc.
Good: The suspension is really nice!
Good: The internal electric shifting is awesome.
Good: Built in light is a nice feature, even if you might want to use an add-on line at night. At least this way you can never be without light.
Interesting: You are only supposed to shift (manual shifting) when not pedaling with this model apparently. If you shift while pedaling, the gear will not actually shift until you pause pedaling. Not really sure what exactly is different with the derailer compared with the XM-1, as they look similar.
Bad: Tires are too fat to actually park it anywhere. Almost all parking places will support at most 2.2 inch tires.
Bad: No Kick-stand. Parking places without the tire stands require a kick stand.
As a result, it is very difficult to find a place to actually park it. I am considering changing the front tire to a skinnier one just for that reason. It's silly and stupid, but unless you are *only* going to use it on the trails, it just isn't workable. I ordered an "Upstand" - we'll see if it fits - if not, I may need to customize it. For now, I have this silly telescoping thing that attaches to the frame with a velcro strap.
Bad: The brakes are *really* strong. I saw something out of the corner of my eye and squeezed both brakes. Next thing I knew, I was flying like a missile through the air while my bike did a summersault! Amazingly there is not a scratch on me or the bike, except that the center display is cracked. My cycle computer took the brunt of the damage. Now I am careful to start with the rear brakes first!
Bad: There is almost no place for a bottle or bike bag. The XM-1 was small enough inside, but the XM-D2 is even smaller, owing to the rear suspension. Given that there is no rack or anything, this is a bit annoying if you want to carry stuff. I usually use a backpack, but I like to have a small bike bag to keep a spare tire, some fix-a-flat, and an allen wrench set.
Update: Since lack of kick-stand has been a major inconvenience when using the bike around town and normal bolt-on types did not work, I had to do a lot of research and finally found one that does work well: The Luna Peg Leg. If anyone else has a similar issue, I can recommend it. I will post photos when I have a chance.
Jaxx
Well-Known Member
Designed in conjunction with Bernard Hinault (5 times TDF winner) E road bikes getting seal of approval?
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