Zen Shakti - pictures

[Deacon Blues]

I seem to remember either Ravi or Pushkar mentioning a while back about the possibility of producing an ebike with a pinion gearbox and rear hub. The biggest drawback was the weight.
This is a combo that I would definitely be interested in.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

I see you're now open for business with Samurai pre-orders. Since I already have 4 variations of mid drives, your Shakti is of the most interest to me.
What would be most intriguing would be an upgrade model with a Pinion gearbox --- sort of an acoustic Priority 600x integrated with your rear hub motor.
Maybe too narrow and niche market for a startup, but something to think about down the road when you enter scale up. Unlike some other startups, you seem
to have a well thought out business plan taking advantage of your key personnel's strength and weaknesses, so I'm betting you'll get there.

Thank you for this note!
Pinion drive would a fantastic addition for sure.
Products like Pinion would be appreciated by discerning riders in the EU, whereas in the US, such demography is quite small.
As you pointed out, that is something we would like to do once we have the scale.

 

[pveer]

@Ravi Kempaiah When should we expect you to be shipping the Shakti ebikes? And in which case when will the preorders open? (I'm sorry in case I missed your posts in this regard)

 

[scottsdalecommuter]

Thank you for this note!
Pinion drive would a fantastic addition for sure.
Products like Pinion would be appreciated by discerning riders in the EU, whereas in the US, such demography is quite small.
As you pointed out, that is something we would like to do once we have the scale.

Great looking bike and I would certainly buy one! I bought the aventon pace 500 and very happy with it but think the front shocks would be an improvement. I was surprised how fast I kept hitting bumps on my rides and my shoulders took a beating. If I got a do over, I would get front shocks so smart move putting those in. I would rip the fenders off because I’m ocd but also in az and can appreciate other places need them more, was just in il and got soaked on my dads bike on a ride in melting snow. I got a one year warranty and would have been willing to pay a bit more for the peace of mind of a longer warranty like 3 years to help the roi. Everything else looks great and matches what I have and very pleased with it, about 1200 miles in and planning for 10k miles before convincing my better half I want a new bike!

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

@Ravi Kempaiah When should we expect you to be shipping the Shakti ebikes? And in which case when will the preorders open? (I'm sorry in case I missed your posts in this regard)

@pveer and @scottsdalecommuter ,

Thank you for your kind words.
We hope to open up the pre-order system in February.

We are sticklers to maintaining quality and we have made quite a few changes to the battery and controller system to make it really robust.
Our Torque sensors will have IP-67 rating,
Controllers would be from our own Canadian supplier - ASI
Check out the specifications and you will see it packs far more functionality and capability than most controllers found on E-bikes

BAC855

A high-performance sub-compact Brushless Motor controller / Inverter designed with the latest technology.

www.acceleratedsystems.com

and batteries would have 780 Wh (52V system with top-tier cells and smart BMS)

If we had decided to use average brakes and suspension, we could have brought the bike to market sooner but we are hoping to offer a higher-quality air-suspension fork {XCR-34, something Trek (a very respectable brand) uses on their $4K bike} and powerful brakes. So, these two items are causing some supply chain issues.

Anyway, we are quite eager to bring this bike to the market. We hope our efforts to quality will earn your trust and support in the process.

 

[Ebiker01]

During your test rides you may want to frequently take the wheel off and put it back on to test the durability and ease of use of the through axle setup.

This is the most important crucial aspect and if it's not done properly , over time it can also get the motor cable broken and the whole wheel+motor would be needed to be replaced and there is nowhere mentioning about a torque arm install on each side of the wheel, again that is very important so it must be supplied.

I just bought a 45$ torque arm from Grin Tech b/c that's the only one that is made durable enough for a 500watts motor and higher. Because if you don't put the torque arm you'll have to tighten up the thru axle very tight and that will mess up the torque sensor settings... i'm quite an xpert @ this after having done a brand new motor cable install

Amazon.com

A lot of effort was done to make this a properly quality ebike with a reasonable price,so why not make it great ?

Q- IS THE DISPLAY REMOVABLE ??

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

@Ebiker01 ,

We do have a dual-sided steel torque arm built into the dropout.

 

[Ebiker01]

@Ebiker01 ,

We do have a dual-sided steel torque arm built into the dropout.

oh, i didn't knew. 5️️️️️ then !

 

[onlineaddy]

and batteries would have 780 Wh (52V system with top-tier cells and smart BMS)

Ravi, the website states 48V 750Wh.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Ravi, the website states 48V 750Wh.

Our packs are custom-designed for longevity. The pack voltage is higher than 48V and the full capacity is higher than 750Whr.
We have limited the capacity to improve longevity and for the sake of simplicity, we have used those numbers.
It is always good to underpromise and over-deliver.

 

[mclewis1]

Ravi,

That's a really interesting position and plan. I'm assuming you're building 14s battery packs but advertising and managing the packs as 13s (48v). Aside from those folks who buy soley/mostly on specs I don't see a real downside for bikes with mid drive configurations where top speeds can be determined by gearing and controller settings.

Better longevity with individual cells never charged to 100% could mean increased customer satisfaction (packs last longer with less or no top voltage drop over time), it could also deliver lower warranty costs. If it's appropriate can I ask how you would handle the longer term balancing of individual cells? (my guess would be something like custom BMS programming to balance at 90% voltages)

Your position seems to make a lot of sense for a vendor of ebikes who is positioning them as a highly engineered/integrated product that targets the overall experience of an ebike rather than just a bag of parts with the latest cool specs.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

If it's appropriate can I ask how you would handle the longer term balancing of individual cells? (my guess would be something like custom BMS programming to balance at 90% voltages)

Thank you for this note.
Our BMS balancing kicks in at ~65% and need not go all the way to 90% like other bikes on the market.
The charging takes a tiny bit longer but having a well-balanced pack is more important than saving a few minutes of time.

 

[Ebiker01]

@Ebiker01 ,

We do have a dual-sided steel torque arm built into the dropout.

-any pictures of the dropout area ?
&
-is the display removable ?
- how much is an xtra display in case it gets lost /misplaced ?
- will other parts be available for purchase (controller, cables, Tq sensor, fenders, rack, and other proprietary Shakti parts) ?

- DOES IT HAVE A THROTTLE and how fast does it go ?

 

[Ebiker01]

DOES IT HAVE A THROTTLE

i do notice thumb throttle on left sie of hndlbr., what's the top speed throttle only ?

 

[Ebiker01]

Zen team, here's additional work and needed improvments:

-rack needs to be independent of the fender ; else you'll have the weights (30lb backpack/2x25-35lbs panniers ) on the rack pushing into the fender or most likely breaking the welded connection between the rack and the fender !

- seat clamp has to go for ebikes shipped to Ny/La/Sf unless you send additional seatpost and seat every time they will get stolen;

- charge port is it totally removable ? If so, Someone will definitely mess with the ebike when it's locked and remove that and then we will need additional port covers...

- WHAT IS THAT on the top right hand side of display ? Is it a plastic film covering/obstructing the full display ??

- The REAR DROPOUT AREAS....back to where is all the fun... why is the RD connectting on the inside of the frame ? Never seen that b4 !

That may cause some breakage in the drop out area ( well the connector should break first , But being that it is on the inside of the frame that will be harder , so it will put additional stress on that area)if the bike gets you know dropped/ crashed on that side;

Are the Steel torque arms on the inside of the dropouts ? What is the W of the thru axle ??

That is just for the mechanical stuff , for the electrical I'll have of course another 99 more questions , but I would need to see the battery port/ internals and the downtube port; the controller/motor from what i've read r great ; does the motor cable has a 9 or 10pin connector ?

 

[AleksR]

Tesla blessed them so it must be great . NOT!

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

-rack needs to be independent of the fender ; else you'll have the weights (30lb backpack/2x25-35lbs panniers )

Thanks for this comment. This would be a good place to clarify some doubts so other readers may benefit.
The rear rack is rated for 60lbs of cargo. So, 30lbs on each side is no problem.
The rear rack is independent of the fender. As you can see in the image below, the supporting arm runs below the fender for a very clean look, while maintaining strength.

- charge port is it totally removable ?

The charge port is not removable. It is a rubber flap that covers the charge port so that rain/dirt doesn't get inside.

Regarding the seatpost collar:
If customers are inclined, we could offer an ABUS or HEXLOX as an upgrade for front wheels, seatpost collar, etc.
This is a personal choice just like the saddle.

The REAR DROPOUT AREAS....back to where is all the fun

As I mentioned in my previous post, we designed a custom steel dropout that acts as a Torque arm on both sides.
It is not a typical bicycle dropout. It is a steel dropout that helps secure the thru-axle motor.

Tesla blessed them so it must be great . NOT!

The forum readers are very smart. They can discern helpful comments from troll's comments, comments done out of spite, envy disguised as praise, etc.
We are here to support the E-bike community with high-quality products and they see that. We are fortunate to work with our customers and build a great product.
If we can help you in anyway, please let us know. That is what this community is all about.

 

[mclewis1]

- WHAT IS THAT on the top right hand side of display ? Is it a plastic film covering/obstructing the full display ??

I've got to ask ... over the past 20 years have you never unpacked a new electronic device or appliance?
"THAT" is clearly the tab to make it easier to remove the temporary protective film on the display.

 

[Ebiker01]

I've got to ask ... over the past 20 years have you never unpacked a new electronic device or appliance?
"THAT" is clearly the tab to make it easier to remove the temporary protective film on the display.

IF you are not in a nursing home and can read with the two glasses that you have , you can CLEARLY see that I did mention that possibility of the film covering.

Now the part that I do not understand , is why you did not choose to understand that particular sentence of mine but instead choose to disregard it ??

"Is it a plastic film covering/obstructing the full display" ?

 

[Ebiker01]

We are here to support the E-bike community with high-quality products and they see that. We are fortunate to work with our customers and build a great product.

Thank you for the answers !