Priority E Coast

[alloo]

What do you think about this beach cruiser?

PRIORITY E-COAST

The e-Coast is the ONLY electric belt drive beach cruiser on the market! Note: Can only be shipped via Ground within the Contiguous US.

www.prioritybicycles.com

 

[kneebenderbiker]

Great! To me it looks like direct competition with the Electric Bike Company in Newport Beach from the New York City company, Priority. And, it looks like they filmed this ad about an hour away in Santa Monica. While they were in not so sunny SoCal, at least on the day they filmed, I wonder if they stopped into EBC to compare notes?
One thing I haven't seen anywhere else is the fancy paint choices available on the 8 Electric Bike Company models - E,R,S,C,X,Y,F,A. They actually assemble the bikes right on site in Newport Beach using local labor and there are loads of options like wood fenders. They come with a whole 30 day warranty.
Priority, on the other hand, now offers 2 different electric bikes with not so many color choices, some options but they come with plastic fenders and longer warranty.
So many choices in the beach cruiser line up. It would be difficult to choose.

 

[Funpilot]

This is the one I talked about in the past. It is a single speed and it should be available sometime soon on Costco I believe. I decided to go with the EBC Model R instead even though it does not have that nice belt drive. Waiting until they put the Enviolo on this one ...

 

[osric]

Definitely a great price, but I'm not a fan of the single-speed, no-name hub motor. Is it UL tested? No mention on their web site. I've also found the fenders on the Coast bikes to be cheap, flimsy, and noisy. Fine for an occasional ride to the beach, but it would drive me crazy as a daily rider. It doesn't present as a high-quality bike, but you get what you pay for.

On the plus side, Priority is the only company that seems to be able to ship bikes with Gates belts at a reasonable price.

 

[osric]

Also, nice short article about the e-Coast at Electrek:

e-Coast launched as 'hassle-free' electric beach cruiser bike with belt drive

Priority Bicycles has just released an eye-catching electric version of the company’s Coast cruiser bike. Known as the e-Coast, the...

electrek.co

 

[kneebenderbiker]

Is it UL tested?

I know this is a discussion about the Priority Current - but thought this was relevant concerning batteries.
The following, in italics, is the answer I got form Evelo CS when I asked them about their batteries. Probably similar case but I don't know for sure;

We use Panasonic and LG battery cells depending on availability. The Atlas main battery is using LG 21700 cells and the dual battery is using LG 18650 cells. I believe they come from the same battery factory that we use for all our bikes.

UL listing is not common in the bike industry yet. Its probably going to be a necessity in the next 1-3 years, but at this point very few electric systems are UL listed. Our chargers are UL listed, however the rest of the electric system on our bikes is not. I can tell you that our bikes/batteries are very safe and I personally charge my ebike batteries in the garage right below my bed. The chances of you having a dangerous issue with our batteries is less than 0.0001%.

On the plus side, Priority is the only company that seems to be able to ship bikes with Gates belts at a reasonable price.

A good point! especially at Costco - and ALL their models use Gates belt drive.

I still think it's hilarious they went to the W coast to film their ad for their E Coast.

 

[Funpilot]

At the very least, this may put to rest the reason some posters felt for Priority not having a throttle on the Current.

 

[alloo]

I own a priority current and will own a priority ecoast. I'll use the priority ecoast for cruising around the neighborhood, going to the store, for a quick bite or bar hopping. I purchased one on the Costco Next website and got a great deal. A local bike shop will assemble my bike and I'll let you know how I like it. I use my Priority Current for commuting and love it, but I'm more of a fan of beach cruisers. My dream bikes for beach cruisers are Ride1up Cafe Cruiser and the Blix Sol Eclipse. I paid $1599 on Costco Next. I figured if Electric Bicycle Company can make a 1 speed ebike beach cruiser I should try it out. I've ridden ebikes now for four years. This is my fourth ebike. Raleigh Retroglide, Blix Aveny, Priority Current and now Priority E Coast. I also thought about the Aventon Level 2 with the torque sensor, but I got a better deal on this one. Aloha.

 

[Funpilot]

Electric Bike Company offers all their models as a single speed with 7 speed as an option. They also just received UL approval for their bike line. I now have 2 Model Rs that I am very happy with. That is not to infer in any way that Priority is still not a great brand as all I read is good things about them.

 

[alloo]

Rode the Priority E-Coast to work that is six miles away. Smooth ride, great over road imperfections. I am concerned with how much battery the hub eats up in Level 3. It seems to me that Level 3 is the level where pedaling is being exceeded by speed. I love level 2. I enjoyed the ride and seating position of the E-Coast. I wish that the E-Coast had bullhorn handlebars, but it works well. The lights are great at night projecting light into the distance. I am getting a front basket soon. My commute is mostly flat.

 

[bobnfl]

Rode the Priority E-Coast to work that is six miles away. Smooth ride, great over road imperfections. I am concerned with how much battery the hub eats up in Level 3. It seems to me that Level 3 is the level where pedaling is being exceeded by speed. I love level 2. I enjoyed the ride and seating position of the E-Coast. I wish that the E-Coast had bullhorn handlebars, but it works well. The lights are great at night projecting light into the distance. I am getting a front basket soon. My commute is mostly flat.

I'm new to this site. I discovered and joined this site as a result of your postings. I'm very interested in your over-all impression of the e-Coast as compared to the Current. I also have a Current and am considering the purchase of an e-Coast, but I don't want to get it and be disappointed as I may replace the Current with the e-Coast. Your mention of the Level 3 battery usage and the battery usage in general is one of my main concerns. My terrain is generally flat with the only exceptions being a few drawbridges. I like the idea of a single speed bike as long as it's not a detriment in real world riding. Which speed on the Current would equate to the e-Coast? I also am a little concerned about being able to equip an e-Coast with a trunk and panniers. I hope I've asked enough questions and given you enough information to help you give me some information if you could be so kind as to do so. Thanks!

 

[alloo]

Priority Current is a pure commuting machine. My current is the 5 speed one. The current is faster, but the e-coast is smoother. You can effectively travel on level 3 while pedaling on the e-coast after that pedaling is useless. Most of my commute is relatively flat 6 miles about 20-25 mins one way. The E-Coast is smoother. On level 3 on the current I go from 18-24 MPH, on the ecoast level 3 is about 15-18 MPH. You do go a little slower. I need to ride the Ecoast more the weather has been windy or wet. After this week, I'll be able to ride more. I found that Priority Accessories bags work best because of the thick rack. I would like the E-Coast with 2.5" -2.7" tires. I think you would have the same issues with the Ride 1up Cafe Cruiser for Panniers. I was thinking about getting Pedego bags/Ride 1 up bags. My hills are gradual and freeway overpasses. Starting out pedaling is harder since the fron spindle is larger, but use the throttle for help.

 

[bobnfl]

Thank you very much for your informative response! Now that you've had a while to experience the e-Coast, can you offer your general impression of the e-Coast? What would you say the battery range is if you kept the bike at level 3 all the time and used the throttle for getting "off the line" from a stop? Any other information would be appreciated also.

 

[alloo]

The more I ride the E-Coast the more that I like it. I've even reduced my level of assist to 1 or 2. I do use the throttle to get off the line from a stop. I'm starting to appreciate the simplicity of the single speed. The E-Coast is a very nice cruiser. I wish they would incorporate the Coast handlebars. Oh well, I keep the tire pressure at 30 psi on the E-Coast. The E-Coast is a nice cruiser. I got rid of my regular coast. I paid about $1599 on Costco Next website and had a LBC assemble the bike. I couldn't be happier with the E-Coast, its my fourth ebike.

 

[bobnfl]

I got an e-Coast also. I also got mine via Costco Next. I got mine assembled and tweaked by riding about 6 miles around my complex. Unfortunately, I suffered a retinal detachment and haven't been able to ride it since, but should be able to start riding again in 2 weeks or so. I really like this bike! The substantial build and the simplicity of the bike are great. There's almost no comparison between the e-Coast and the Current (expected), but it's a blast to ride. I agree the gearing ratio is a too low (for my taste). Peddling is almost useless in level 2 at higher speeds. Now that you've had more time with the bike, do you have more thoughts? What kind of battery life are you getting doing the type riding you said you did (level 1 and 2)? I found a trunk bag that fits perfectly on the built in rack. There is a 7 liter one and a 9 liter one. I got the 7 liter so that it didn't protrude over the sides of the rack in case I find some panniers that are suitable. I'll send a picture of the description on Amazon so that if you're interested, you can search on the description and find it. Thanks for all your input. I'm looking forward to your response.

 

[alloo]

I don't really have a range number. I just ride around the neighborhood. I go to the Pool, restaurants, haircuts, ice cream..etc. I'm probably going to sell my Current on Upend. I use the Pannier sold by Priority it fits well. I am having issues with the bike falling over. I wish the bike had a rear side stand. After about 15 MPH pedaling is useless. You can only add a Pannier to the side of the rack that the wire harness isn't mounted to. I've had a rear flat so I got Tannus insert installed in the back. I love this bike for around the neighborhood. I really like dutch ebikes and might get an Gazelle Ultimate something next.

I have owned multi gear ebikes. I think the simplicity of a single speed is awesome and with the belt drive it's hard to beat.

 

[bobnfl]

I wanted to add something helpful that might help others considering an e-Coast or that already have one. I'll address the two issues that were of concern to me and that I think would concern others.
The gearing issue - the bike is geared too low - peddling is useless in power assist 2 or higher AND (2) That panniers can only be mounted on one side of the bike because of the wiring harness.
(1) The rear sprocket is a 22T (22 tooth) sprocket as the bike comes from Priority. There is a 20T sprocket available from Priority (Gates) that will work with the same belt for about $100. This makes a huge difference. My personal opinion is that the bike should be equipped with this sprocket as original equipment to the extent that I think Priority is doing themselves and purchasers a disservice by not having this sprocket as original equipment. I installed the new sprocket myself which required some special tools. If anyone is interested, I'll be happy to reply with the tools needed. It might be better for most people to let a local bike shop perform the work. Priority support is wonderful! You can email them and you get fast responses from people that are professional and knowledgeable. They provided great information, links to order the sprocket and even links to the tools needed (Amazon).
(2) Panniers can only be mounted on one side of the bike because of the built-in (battery) rack with the wiring harness being in the way. I devised and implemented a method to add my existing large, waterproof, Ibera clip-on (fast to get on and off) panniers to my e-Coast. My implementation is very solid, works just like the rack that's custom made for the panniers, and doesn't damage / cause damage to the bike. Another benefit of having bags on each side of the bike is that the bike can be equally weighted on each side helping to overcome too much weight on one side making the bike prone to falling over. If anyone has questions, please let me know. A picture is attached of the empty bags mounted on the bike.