Want to get into ebikes but I am a little confused now

[Gary R Peacock]

The reason I am looking at 28mph bikes (motors) is that I like to get up downhill speed (without motor assist) so I can coast back up other side of hill as far as possible (to save on battery)....Also, that is how I usually ride my touring bikes. The 20mph bikes that I have looked at do not have high enough gearing to get any 'push' going downhill (without power assist)

 

[rich c]

The reason I am looking at 28mph bikes (motors) is that I like to get up downhill speed (without motor assist) so I can coast back up other side of hill as far as possible (to save on battery)....Also, that is how I usually ride my touring bikes. The 20mph bikes that I have looked at do not have high enough gearing to get any 'push' going downhill (without power assist)

It's very easy to pedal an eBike with the motor even shut off going down a hill. Especially if you are hypermiling to save a battery. I've set high speed on my Haibike Full Seven, at 41.3mph going down a hill without even moving the pedals. Now that's a hill!

 

[VirgilCaine]

The more I read, the more confused I get.
Are there drawbacks to choosing a Haibike FS instead of a hardtail in terms of noise and accelerated wear on the drivetrain ?
Also what do you feel is the minimum spec level for a reliable Haibike ? The last thing I want to do is buying a bike that will constantly be in the shop. 6.0,6.5,7.0,8.0 ?

 

[rich c]

The more I read, the more confused I get.
Are there drawbacks to choosing a Haibike FS instead of a hardtail in terms of noise and accelerated wear on the drivetrain ?
Also what do you feel is the minimum spec level for a reliable Haibike ? The last thing I want to do is buying a bike that will constantly be in the shop. 6.0,6.5,7.0,8.0 ?

As far as I am concerned, ALL Haibikes are reliable. 1,600 on one, 1,400 miles on the other, never been back to the dealer. I've not investigated all the new models. My full suspension has the idler to reduce chain slap. It does add noise, but don't see any accelerated wear after 1,400 miles. I love riding the full suspension. Especially with all the winter street destruction. You can tune the suspension from a street ride to track riding and have a great ride with either. My full suspension has Schwalbe Super Moto X tires. So nearly eliminated the road noise from the knobby tires. Not great for mud track riding, but riding in the wet is prohibited at the place I ride. A non-issue that way.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

The more I read, the more confused I get.
Are there drawbacks to choosing a Haibike FS instead of a hardtail in terms of noise and accelerated wear on the drivetrain ?
Also what do you feel is the minimum spec level for a reliable Haibike ? The last thing I want to do is buying a bike that will constantly be in the shop. 6.0,6.5,7.0,8.0 ?

Once you know what kind of riding you plan on doing, it's easy.
All those bikes Full Nine, Full Seven etc by Haibike are very good bikes. You won't be disappointed. With the current 2017 sale going on, you would be sorry if you didn't get one.

Have you test ridden any?

 

[VirgilCaine]

Once you know what kind of riding you plan on doing, it's easy.
All those bikes Full Nine, Full Seven etc by Haibike are very good bikes. You won't be disappointed. With the current 2017 sale going on, you would be sorry if you didn't get one.

Have you test ridden any?

No haibike demos anywhere nearby, but I'm going to test a Turbo Levo tomorrow and see how it handles the trails.
It will be my first chance to ride an ebike. I'm hoping to find a bike that is versatile enough to be enjoyable on all riding surfaces.

 

[Johnny]

The more I read, the more confused I get.
Are there drawbacks to choosing a Haibike FS instead of a hardtail in terms of noise and accelerated wear on the drivetrain ?
Also what do you feel is the minimum spec level for a reliable Haibike ? The last thing I want to do is buying a bike that will constantly be in the shop. 6.0,6.5,7.0,8.0 ?

As the op of this thread who felt vey similar these are my thoughts after almost 400 miles.

My bike is a hardtail and the decision was easy since the closest FS haibike was a mid level Fullnine Sduro and the best price I got was $2800 so I got my cross RC for $1800 which is a hardtail but with bosch cx system and I am loving it so far.

That being said right now the same Fullnine 5.0 can be had for around $2000 or less and the 6.0 is like 2.500 allmountain is 2600 or sth like that and it would have been a very hard choice.

Here is what I can tell you, your bike's reliability will depend on where and how you ride it. If you buy a FS bike but use it for commuting I see no reason why it should be less durable than a hardtail. These bikes are heavy and going from FS to hardtail brings you almost nothing but takes away some comfort which you want if you are commuting. If you want to take the bike to trails regularly then you should just pay a little extra and get 6.0 with much better components + 500W battery. My choice today would have been one of those $2500 FS haibikes with rock shox forks and components. They will be durable and capable and you wont be paying a premium just for the motor instead you are getting a really nice bicycle with a motor.

And yes I would take a high quality FS bike with Yamaha over Bosch system. Don't get me wrong I think Bosch is better but not so much to negate a FS bicycle with quality suspension.


This is a great time to buy. Enjoy.

 

[VirgilCaine]

I rented Specialized Turbo FSR 6Fattie with 3" tires today and was absolutely floored by it's performance. Rode in lowest assist level on intermediate single track with tons of rocks and lots of climbing, in slick conditions. The bike stuck to trail like it was on rails. Only used 3 bars out of 10 during an hour and 15 minute ride. Still a good workout, but never got gassed. This is a trail that I would have had to get off and rest multiple times on a regular MTB. Loved the brose motor, quiet and natural feeling !!!