Zen Shakti

[Deacon Blues]

This is a battery cover.
We will re-work the graphics on the production model.

Have you considered going with a frame colored battery cover?
To me the match-painted cover looks classier.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Suspension components:
This is the suspension fork we have picked.
As you can see, this is a boost hub fork and I don't think there is any E-bike in the market that uses a $300 boost thru-axle hub AIR suspension fork at this price point of $1990.
We are proud to offer fantastic value to our prospective customers.

XCR34 2CR AIR BOOST 15AH2

The XCR34 LO R Air is intended for XC/Trail riding. It is the first in our boost wheel category with an adjustable air chamber and coil negative spring. The XCR34 features an adjustable air pressure chamber, rebound adjustment and a 2 stage compression lever that can be used on the fly. New 2CR...

www.srsuntour.us

Controller:

We are using a 48V, 22A sine-wave controller with field-oriented control.
Paul has a lot of experience with tuning the controller for very smooth pedal assist. He even built a custom ASI controller for Revel propulsion motor
So, we will make sure to get this dialed in for excellent performance.


E-bike lights:

Paul was kind enough to test various lights and picked these two. Option #1 has a sharp cut-off but it is more focused. Option #2 is not as sharp but it has a wider throw of light.
What would you like to own? Please share your thoughts.

 

[Johnny]

We are using a 48V, 22A sine-wave controller with field-oriented control.

Is there another <$2000 hub motor Ebike that has a FOC controller? I don't think so. These controllers are pretty much the best when it comes to efficiency.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

I prefer thumb throttle’s instead of twist

Thank you. We will keep the thumb throttle and make the twist throttle, an option.

How much extra for second battery option?

Certainly, we will keep the front rack option.
Tentative pricing for 48V, 14Ah with smart BMS is about $450.
We are still in the process of working with the BMS and battery pack manufacturer to include some unique features that will boost the lifespan of these batteries.

Ravi, I like the color ! Of course this means the rest of the world doesn’t , I am used to it though

And I like bike too!

Thanks, Mark!
I am sure you'll enjoy this better than some of your Stromers

I suspect that the front rack option has limited appeal and diminish aesthetics of really good looking ebike.

Thanks!
That is our concern too but some folks prefer a front rack and we will make this an optional accessory.

 

[Asher]

[

E-bike lights:

Paul was kind enough to test various lights and picked these two. Option #1 has a sharp cut-off but it is more focused. Option #2 is not as sharp but it has a wider throw of light.
What would you like to own? Please share your thoughts.

View attachment 74760

I don't know a lot about light throws, but seems like the wider one is better suited for city use, where potential crashes can occur from any direction - cars turning, other cyclists, pedestrians, etc. Narrower beams are better for high speed controlled access highway riding, which isn't your market focus. Rear lights with wider throws are widely recommended for the same reason.

Hard to tell from the photos, but I'd go out and ride and pick the one that gives the rider a better sense of safety and confidence in riding at night.

 

[Ebiker01]

Looks like a definite winner.

Juiced ccx has many failures, their CS seems very unprofessional. So the Shakti (what does the name means ?) wouldn't have any competition .

4Q's :
- What company makes the hub motor ?
-Is the controller 18amps or higher ?
- Warranty time for battery+motor ?
-For the dropout area, are the contact points on the inside of the frame replaceable ? What about the hub motor freehub end points that connect to the dropout ? As you probably know those areas are very demanding and in time they can get damaged/stripped.


As far as the front rack add on , personally I would use it , although I do use an Ortlieb handlebar bag , so maybe it could be made as an option ?

And from my understanding even having the second battery , there isn't a battery sticking out on the downtube ? That's amazing , great engineering esp. since it's a 48/14ah pack !

 

[J.R.]

Looks like a definite winner.

Juiced ccx has many failures, their CS seems very unprofessional. So, for now the Shakti (what does the name means ?) wouldn't have any competition .

3Q's :
- What company makes the hub motor ?
-Is the controller 18amps or higher ?
- Warranty time for battery+motor ?

And from my understanding even having the second battery , there isn't a battery sticking out on the downtube ? That's amazing , great engneering !

Shakti is the primordial cosmic energy and represents the dynamic forces that are thought to move through the entire universe in Hinduism, and especially Shaktism, a major tradition of Hinduism. Shakti is the personification of the Energy that is creative, sustaining, as well as destructive, sometimes referred to as auspicious source energy. Wikipedia

From Ravi's post above:

Controller:
We are using a 48V, 22A sine-wave controller with field-oriented control.
Paul has a lot of experience with tuning the controller for very smooth pedal assist. He even built a custom ASI controller for Revel propulsion motor
So, we will make sure to get this dialed in for excellent performance.

I could be wrong, but I suspect the OP picture doesn't show the second battery.

 

[opimax]

Ravi, no electronics that do not make the bike go or stop, fewer bugs. Have parts available. Modular replacement which a bike tech can actually do at their shop(which actually repair the issue) and lastly set expectations to match real world, if you are a premium brand act like it through actions...just solved all your service problems and even Stromer’s

I agree the battery cover should match , adds class. Hand grips should have a nut and bolt not friction for secure fit. make sure you offer upgrades for pedals, seat and stem

i liked the light on the left

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Shakti is the primordial cosmic energy and represents the dynamic forces that are thought to move through the entire universe in Hinduism, and especially Shaktism, a major tradition of Hinduism. Shakti is the personification of the Energy that is creative, sustaining, as well as destructive, sometimes referred to as auspicious source energy. Wikipedia

From Ravi's post above:

Controller:
We are using a 48V, 22A sine-wave controller with field-oriented control.
Paul has a lot of experience with tuning the controller for very smooth pedal assist. He even built a custom ASI controller for Revel propulsion motor
So, we will make sure to get this dialed in for excellent performance.

I could be wrong, but I suspect the OP picture doesn't show the second battery.

Thanks for sharing that snippet about "Shakti"
Before we named it "Zen", I kept wondering what name would capture the essence of E-bikes. In my humble opinion, it is truly a zen-like feeling.
When I want to clear my mind or think through some problems, I go on an e-bike ride. It is the closest thing to zen-state I have felt. I am sure many others have felt it that way.

As JR mentioned, Shakti refers to the primordial force within this universe. Paul suggested the name and it immediately clicked.

Re: Motor. We worked with a major motor OEM to customize it. It is a 10mm thru-axle, similar to Stromer ST2 but a much simpler power cable design.
We were fortunate to have an engineering partner in Taiwan who helped us with this.

Ravi, no electronics that do not make the bike go or stop, fewer bugs. Have parts available. Modular replacement which a bike tech can actually do at their shop(which actually repair the issue) and lastly set expectations to match real world, if you are a premium brand act like it through actions...just solved all your service problems and even Stromer’s

I agree the battery cover should match , adds class. Hand grips should have a nut and bolt not friction for secure fit. make sure you offer upgrades for pedals, seat and stem

i liked the light on the left

Thanks for this advice, Mark!
Totally agree. Even if the project is delayed by a few months, we will make sure it is trouble-free before it is released to the market.

We will be using Ergon GP1 grips. Mirror, front rack, suspension seatpost will be optional.

 

[Johnny]

Option #1 has a sharp cut-off but it is more focused. Option #2 is not as sharp but it has a wider throw of light.
What would you like to own? Please share your thoughts.

I have ridden at night on almost pitch black paths, I would prefer #2 over #1. #1 has a nice beam shape but #2 has a much better near field illumination, you can see it on the corners of the room. That helps a lot when you have to maneuver around potholes etc at higher speeds.

Even if the project is delayed by a few months, we will make sure it is trouble-free before it is released to the market.

I wish you had a local seller in Bay, I would have loved to try it out. I think your offering will be one of the better ones in terms of trouble-free operation. Every product may need some ironing along the way but with your attention to detail, experience and openness to communication with the community, I believe this will be a pain free process.

 

[fxr3]

So this is where everybody is. I like everything about it. Especially the builder! All the attributes many of other mfgs only claimed or pretended to have.

 

[Asher]

I like rigid forks, but all else equal it's not a huge deal breaker because a fork can be replaced. But if it's not too hard, it's worth evaluating if you can offer a rigid option without too much difficulty/cost, esp since most people are not riding at the full 28 mph. It also let's you advertise a lower curb weight for the bike.

Class 3 Urban eBike Owners: What is your preferred cruising speed?

One of the misnomers about class 3 ebikes is that just because you can ride at 28 mph, everyone will always. I only rode at those speeds occasionally, and I imagine that's common. So I'm curious to know how others ride. For class 3 eBike Owners, what is your preferred day time cruising speed...

electricbikereview.com

 

[Quick514Biker]

So far I like most of what I hear on this bike. Is the bike display for this bike set(it will depend on your final motor)? And will it be removeable? Also forgot to ask, the gearing(chainring size at front, & cassette in rear).

 

[fxr3]

Planetary gear motor- no matter how well you hide battery_ planetary geared motor is the only stealth ebike drive motor. I like that.
Every big earthmover has planetary final drives, suggests they are robust enough for ebike applications. Good choice.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

will it be removeable?

A removable display will be an upgrade option. We would like to be a company that provides excellent customer service and to do that, we would need a healthy profit to keep the customer service department.
I believe we are offering much more than any competitor at that price point. Anything more, we will become a charity organization, not an E-bike company.

gearing(chainring size at front, & cassette in rear).

Front:

48T

Rear:

10 speed Deore/shadow plus - 11-42T (11-13-15-18-21-24-28-32-37-42)

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

I like rigid forks, but all else equal it's not a huge deal breaker because a fork can be replaced. But if it's not too hard, it's worth evaluating if you can offer a rigid option without too much difficulty/cost, esp since most people are not riding at the full 28 mph. It also let's you advertise a lower curb weight for the bike.

Class 3 Urban eBike Owners: What is your preferred cruising speed?

One of the misnomers about class 3 ebikes is that just because you can ride at 28 mph, everyone will always. I only rode at those speeds occasionally, and I imagine that's common. So I'm curious to know how others ride. For class 3 eBike Owners, what is your preferred day time cruising speed...

electricbikereview.com

Unfortunately, most prospective customers at this point are driven by optics, not experience.
If it has a front suspension, good. If it has a quality AIR suspension, even better. People think they need suspension and that's fine.
We did not want to offer a cheap option, in fact, we went the other way and offered a really good AIR suspension that even Trek doesn't use in their $3500 e-MTB.

 

[fxr3]

I’ll take one once they become available.

 

[Quick514Biker]

A removable display will be an upgrade option. We would like to be a company that provides excellent customer service and to do that, we would need a healthy profit to keep the customer service department.
I believe we are offering much more than any competitor at that price point. Anything more, we will become a charity organization, not an E-bike company.



Front:

48T

Rear:

10 speed Deore/shadow plus - 11-42T (11-13-15-18-21-24-28-32-37-42)

Thanks for responding. What would be the cost of the removable display option approx.? It has several advantages for me(protect the display from the elements, make the e-bike less desirable to thieves, not having the display makes the vehicle unable to start any electronics on it). It's almost a absolute must for me(depending on cost).

And what's the weight of each battery approx.? The weight of 54 pounds approx. for this bike, is with a single battery(not dual battery installed)?

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

considered going with a frame colored battery cover?

We have and we could offer a lot more customizations like that Cannondale. It is always a trade-off between performance and cost.

That Cannondale costs $6000 and at that price, we will even offer a Rohloff+Gates belt drive combo with Bosch Gen 4 motor system, not just the matching paint.
In the case Shakti model, we are more concerned with reliability/performance while costing < $2000. In our mind, we think there are 3-4 key components to enable excellent performance.

1. Motor system ( so, we chose a geared motor with 10mm thru-axle + 28mph limit)
2. Battery (LG cells with cell holders and smart BMS)
3. Controller (48V, 22A controller for high performance)
4. Torque sensor ( a good one)

If these are taken care of, the majority of the owners will have a very pleasant experience riding such a bike.

 

[Deacon Blues]

Ravi, I put up the photo of my Lefty 3 NOT to compare my bike with your offering. Rather, I did it to illustrate what a painted battery cover looks like.
I realize that my bike is a lot more expensive than the bike you will be selling. It puzzles me why you would then compare my bike to yours.