Picked up a used Stunner X

[Avg_Joe]

I bought a used Stunner X today, it's in excellent condition and was ridden very little. It is the 24x3 tire model, with hydraulic brakes and the base 17.5ah battery. I also own a Rad Rover Step Through, here are some random thoughts. Obligatory picture first:

• I adjusted the front fender so it looks better.
• Initial riding impressions:
  • I can see doing long rides on it. It's very comfortable, the power is quite nice and the way I ride, the range should be excellent (generally lowest PAS and no throttle, except to cross streets).
  • Love the hydraulic brakes! They feel great, work very well, and are silent.
  • The frame appears quite stout, I could not detect any flex.
  • The freewheel is loud. Wow.
  • The assist is very jerky, not smooth at all. Already having a cadence sensor ebike, this one will pitch you forward (when you stop pedaling) and back (when you start) and is just not refined or smooth.
  • The tires are quite hard. I dropped pressure from the max 40psi to 37 then 34, still trying to find the sweet spot. Combined with no suspension seatpost or seat itself, it's rough on bumpy terrain.
• Some curiosities:
  • The stock front headlight seems like a total afterthought/hack job with the spliced cables. The previous owner said she couldn't get it working, and that was because the spade connectors had come loose from the light.
  • Disappointed the rear light is stand-alone, and no brake light.
  • No frame protection - the downtube or the lower rails to the rear wheel. Already has several scuffs and scratches.
  • No reflective anything on it. Yes I will address, but do Canadians not ride at night?
  • Gearing is terrible. I'll hopefully upgrade the front chainring; as it is now, I use gears 4-7. Or would it be better to upgrade the cassette?
  • No predrilled bosses/holes for water bottle holders (or any other acesssories) - really?
  • What's with the mix of hex head and philips head hardware?
  • Really wish the front fender extended down lower. As it is, the front tire throws water and small debris right at the frame and the grommets. I'll fix this.
• All of the paint and glop in the handlebar clasp == handlebars pivoted up/down on their own. Some sandpaper and a good cleaning solved that problem.
• The machining of every hole from which I've removed bolts or screws appeared to be done by someone who was in their first day on the job (or a new robot that hadn't been tuned). I had to chase every hole, and expect to chase every subsequent hole. There is also plenty of aluminum bits and shards from each hole.
• Quick releases for both wheels and the seatpost will require replacement to afford any security w/o having to carry 3 locks.

I think this bike will work out fine, I expect my wife to ride it quite a bit and I'll do some longer weekend rides on it. I really enjoy tinkering, maintaining, and modifying things, so in the end I suspect it'll be great for us. That said, I am very happy I got it for less than half of retail; had I paid full retail, I would have sent it back, it's just too unrefined for the price.

 

[rtp]

Pick up a Bafang programming cable and you should be able to smooth things out…

 

[Avg_Joe]

Thanks @rtp I'll do so shortly.

I did a longer Christmas morning ride on it, this thing is so easy to ride, and ride, and ride. I was at 14 mi and remembered it was Christmas, so I headed home. Did confirm gears 1-3 are practically useless for me (perhaps my wife will use them); and even the hills in our suburban area required no more than PAS 4 but usually just 2 or 3. Used 1 bar of battery for that ride (approx 16 mi total). Think this thing is going to work out well!

 

[Avg_Joe]

Thought I'd add more words.

Riding this bike is such a pleasure, it is so easy to just ride for long distances at a moderate pace. Swapping out the seat was a huge win.

I'm trying to find some 24x3 tires that aren't hard as rocks. These stock tires, as with many moderately- and low-priced bikes, are harsh. Would also like some with a little bit of tread for dirt - no emtb stuff, just dirt roads and easy trails. Yes I've dropped pressure, but don't care for the diminished range and handling. And I'd rather not swap out wheels, the 24" is a great size for our uses and preferences.

I did get the programming cable, but haven't adjusted anything yet. That is planned for this coming week.

My wife, the primary rider of this one, really has developed a groove with her riding style. I believe on her 2nd ride, we did ~8mi at her pace, and she loved it.

I'll likely get a suspension seatpost to ratchet up the comfort even more.

The brakes - I'm in love. Now I need to upgrade to full hydraulic on my Rover!

The noises this thing makes still annoy both of us. When coasting, wow. When hitting any bumps or whatnot, the aluminum fenders make a racket (they are properly adjusted and torqued).

So, nothing revolutionary in what I have to say, we are both quite pleased with the bike at the price point at which we got it.

 

[ExPatBrit]

I have a 2021 Juggernaut with fat tires, very pleased with it . It seems like your stunner might be slightly older.

A lot of your concerns about the lighting were addressed on the newer bikes , although the specs didn't list a brake light mine came with one. The lights automatically illuminate in the dark.

I found the lower 4 gears pointless, so I installed a larger 48T chain ring and just recently replaced the cassette with a 11-32 T. Now I have a cruiser gear for the street and the low gears can be used.

You might check to see if Bixtrix has updated settings for your bike, mine worked well out of the box. I reduced max current and the BMS cutoff voltage.

 

[Avg_Joe]

I have a 2021 Juggernaut with fat tires, very pleased with it . It seems like your stunner might be slightly older.

A lot of your concerns about the lighting were addressed on the newer bikes , although the specs didn't list a brake light mine came with one. The lights automatically illuminate in the dark.

I found the lower 4 gears pointless, so I installed a larger 48T chain ring and just recently replaced the cassette with a 11-32 T. Now I have a cruiser gear for the street and the low gears can be used.

You might check to see if Bixtrix has updated settings for your bike, mine worked well out of the box. I reduced max current and the BMS cutoff voltage.

Thank you for the wisdom! The lighting is no big thing, just seemed kind of short-sighted by Biktrix, but no big deal. I have their page on programming the Stunner X saved, so probably tonight I will start fussing with settings.

Appreciate the recommendation on ring/gears. My wife is away for a few days, when she gets back we'll take the bike out and I'll see if she's truly ok w/ gearing, or prefers a setup like yours. I personally do not like the stock gearing one bit, but it's primarily her bike, and if she's ok with it, I'm ok with it.