Zen Photon - [1000Wh] battery, [500W/120Nm] Torque-sensing motor w/ Throttle, USD 3799 [Pictures and Specifications]

[Ravi Kempaiah]

We had a lot of requests for a bike with a belt-drive and Internal gear hub combo (low maintenance), a long-range battery, and a torque-sensing motor with throttle.
So, we created one - Zen Photon. As we set up a battery manufacturing facility in Canada, it will help us offer higher-quality batteries to all the N.American customers and vertically integrate the supply chain.
We had a few prototypes for a year and tested them thoroughly before getting this into production, and we are confident of the performance. Here are some specifications and pictures and deliveries begin in August.
Thanks to early supporters from this forum, including @Deacon Blues, Nelson, Leo, @vincent, and others.

• 52V,20Ah battery offers massive range and one could easily get ~75 miles or 130 kms with moderate pedaling
• The custom 500W motor is tuned to offer smooth torque-sensing and more power than 350W motors from EU makers.
• Front suspension fork with Air chamber offers a plush ride, and We offer a FREE Zen suspension seatpost for those who order before the end of July.
• The BMS was designed to be UL-standard, and you may compare this to any other E-bike battery, and you will see this is a safety improvement.
• It comes with a 4A charger that is UL-certified.
• It has a color-LCD display with USB-C charging. More importantly, it has a battery %, not just 5 bars, so you get a better representation of the state of charge.
• Left-hand thumb throttle for those who need it; assists up to 32 km/hr or 20 miles/hr.
• Has all the bells and whistles - integrated front and rear rack, fenders, lights, etc.
• We welcome dealers to carry this model throughout the US/Canada and offer generous margins so they can thrive in this tough direct-to-customer market.

Please click on the thumbnail to see high-resolution images.

Motor​	Zen Custom 52V, 500W, 120Nm torque, 32 km/hr (Canada), 45 km/hr (USA) 5-levels of pedal assist + throttle​
Battery & charger​	52V, 20Ah (~1000 Whr) BMS tested to UL standard 52V, 4A, UL-certified charger​
Transmission system​	Gates Carbon Belt drive – 55T (front), 22T (rear) https://www.gatescarbondrive.com/products/ebikes​
Gearbox/hub​	Enviolo Heavy Duty IGH – 380% 36H, Max weight 250kg Enviolo Shifter Pro​
Front suspension​	E-bike specific, Boost spacing, RST Aerial 27.5” x 2.6” https://rstsuspension.com/products/aerial/​
Brakes​	Tektro E-500 Hydraulic brakes with E-cutoff https://www.tektro.com/products.php?p=39​
Wheels and Tires​	27.5” MTB wheels with 36 spokes and Schwalbe Super Moto-X tires​
Accessories, lighting, carrying capacity​	Adjustable stem, Full cover fenders, rear rack (25 kgs), front rack (15kgs), ZEN suspension seatpost​
Size and color​	17” (5ft 8” or below) 19” (5ft 9” or above) Starlight White and carbon grey colors​

 

[Johnny]

Looking great Ravi.

I guess 500W is the nominal power right?

1kwh battery is great. since Ravi is a battery expert it gives me more confidence over the other offerings on the market.

What is the overall weight of the bike?

 

[scrambler]

Looking good.

Any chance you would offer the Automatiq Electronic Shifting option with the Enviolo.
Les wires, and It can be run in Manual or Automatic, so offers the best of both world


Thanks

 

[Gionnirocket]

Very nice Mr. Kempaiah.
Surprisingly I find myself liking the front basket. I guess it's beefy look gives it appeal.
Curious.. what constitutes a UL standard BMS and safety improvements? Visually very clean.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

what constitutes a UL standard BMS and safety improvements?

We actually have UL-2849 and UL-2271 documents, and I will share the details shortly.
From what I remember:

• Batteries must be able to withstand over-charging, over-discharging, short circuit, imbalanced charging, and operation at a maximum specified temperature.
• The enclosure must be resistant to impact, crushing, heat and flame, water, and UV light. Wiring must be designed to prevent excessive strain and inadvertent shorting, and protective circuits must have redundant features that continue to function upon loss of power. Internal protection (BMS) must meet all these safety criteria, so if the battery is plugged in for a week straight, it will not pose a problem.
• There are several more, and I will list them here next week. Our goal with building wire-bonded batteries is that it would be superior protection like the EV batteries and exceed UL standards by a mile.
  To our knowledge, there are no wire-bonded packs in the E-bike industry as of now.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Any chance you would offer the Automatiq Electronic Shifting option with the Enviolo.

Sure, we can make that happen if you are interested. We would test it first and make sure it works very well.
I know some other brands have had issues with the Automatiq shifter. Have you tested one and liked it?

 

[scrambler]

Glad to hear that.

I think the early models a few years back when it was called Harmony had some issues, but on the latest systems, I have only heard good things, and the one I tested (although briefly) worked well.

I like the electronic shifting, the wireless control and the app which all work in manual mode, better shifting under load, and the AutomatiQ mode is just an extra perk that would make it really easy for my wife to ease in Cycling .

At this point I don't see any drawback in using it, even for someone who is not particularly interested in the Automatiq aspect of it.

 

[scrambler]

I had forgotten to mention better shifting under load too.

One indicator, is the fact that Riese % Mueller did not want to use it for a long time because they did not consider it reliable enough, but since the automatiq came out and matured, they have now started offering it with the Nevo Step through
And it has also been picked up by many other brands now.

 

[Rider777]

How much does this very interesting bike and equipment weigh?
Do you have a dealer/dealers anywhere in California?
Thanks !

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

How much does this very interesting bike and equipment weigh?
Do you have a dealer/dealers anywhere in California?
Thanks !

We have dealers on the east coast but don't have a presence in California. If you know of any shops or dealers that might be interested, please drop us a line; we would be happy to work with them.
The bike weighs ~ 27kgs without the battery. The battery is about 5kgs. Most of the weight is centered and low (motor and Enviolo IGH).
Thanks

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Partially assembled Photons are on the way.
They will arrive in Canada and the final assembly, QC/QA and battery installation would happen here.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

An exciting offering! Where would I get it serviced?

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

An exciting offering! Where would I get it serviced?

Thanks, @Jeremy McCreary
Happy to coordinate with any shop of your choice. We were focused on building the best bike possible, so we are a bit behind on signing up new dealers, but more than happy to coordinate with a shop if you could suggest.
Our goal is to ensure serviceability and support for anyone.

 

[Tom@WashDC]

Nice specs Ravi, nice bike, and great price point.

 

[Gionnirocket]

We have dealers on the east coast but don't have a presence in California. If you know of any shops or dealers that might be interested, please drop us a line; we would be happy to work with them.
The bike weighs ~ 27kgs without the battery. The battery is about 5kgs. Most of the weight is centered and low (motor and Enviolo IGH).
Thanks

Good to know... Any dealers in Westchester / NYC area?

 

[Deacon Blues]

Sure, we can make that happen if you are interested. We would test it first and make sure it works very well.
I know some other brands have had issues with the Automatiq shifter. Have you tested one and liked it?

I'd also be interested in the Automatiq shifter for my wife's Photon. My only concern is durability.
Speaking of durability, my WW Hydra's Kindernay hub, with just over 500km, has just starting leaking.

 

[msdisme]

Any dealers in the boston area? Who makes the motor? How "upright" is the riding position?

Also - LOVE the frame mounted front basket.
Any other options for that mount point?
How much weight will it hold?

 

[srl1_sd]

Congrats to Ravi for such an awesome bike.
I use enviolo automatiq and absolutely love it.

I think automatic transmission with no maintenance is the future like car.

Hope you offer Photon with Automatic transmission, I'd buy one for sure .

Mid Belt drive with automatic transmission with throttle is the one I want.

I hope you are able to support this ebikes motor for long time as I see this motor is proprietary.

 

[Deacon Blues]

If Ravi's testing of the auto hub shows that it's reliable I think it will be a very popular option.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Some of our earliest pre-orders are being shipped next week.

@msdisme , the riding position quite upright and you could make it a hybrid style because of the stem adjustability. The front rack holds 15kgs. The motor is a custom version made for us and the parts are readily available. The company was founded by former chief engineers from Bafang.
Currently, we don't have any dealers in the Boston area but we are open to your suggestions.
Alternatively, Halifax is not too far away from Boston and we could certainly host you here.

@Gionnirocket , we are open to your suggestions regarding dealers in NYC area. We can contact any shop that you would recommend.

@srl1_sd , thanks for your kind words. We will test the Automatic hub next month, and we will update you.