Zen Wave - [750Whr] battery, [500W/65Nm] motor, Torque sensor w/throttle, 4-piston brakes, USD 2199 / CAD 2999 [Pictures and specifications]

[Ravi Kempaiah]

We are excited to announce - Zen Wave, the latest E-bike from Zen. Initially, we introduced our flagship Samurai models, but they are in the higher-end category, and the market is geared towards $2.5K bikes rather than $4k or $5K bikes.
So, with this Zen Wave, we can bring some of the latest innovations into the affordable market.
The webpage will be up in a few weeks, but the bike will be priced at USD 2199 or CAD 2999.

We have 6 bikes (sold out), but our first large shipment is in about three weeks. Final battery QC and battery assembly would still happen in Canada. This is a perfect bike gift for the holiday season and something you can enjoy for a very long time.

Key innovations (at this price point):

• Smart BMS
  We designed a custom BMS for this E-bike that offers multiple safety and innovative features. For example, by default, the BMS only charges 80% of the battery, and with one press of a button on the display, it will unlock the full charge to 100%.
  You don't need a Cycle Satiator or some advanced charger. Everything has been built into the pack itself. The pack is made of 21700 LG cells. Even charging 80%, the battery has more than 620Whr capacity, and at 100%, it has close to 780Whr capacity. BMS is built to UL-2271 standard.
• Smart Charger
  The Battery BMS and the charger communicate effectively to adjust the SoC and eliminate the need for advanced chargers, timers, voltage limiting devices

Key specifications and points:

• High-resolution Torque sensor with 104 pole cadence sensor, offering smooth pedal assist (jerky pedal assist is an issue with most bikes at this price point)
• 4-piston hydraulic brakes
• XCM-32 front suspension
• An integrated rear rack that can carry 30kgs
• Fully adjustable stem with integrated cable routing.

Motor​	Zen Custom Bafang 52V, 500W, 65Nm torque, Top speed: 32 km/hr (Canada), 45 km/hr (USA) 5-levels of pedal assist with Dropout Torque sensor throttle to 32 km/hr​
Display computer​	KD-686 LCD color display with USB-C charging. Custom CANbus protocol​
Battery & charger​	52V, 15Ah (~750 Whr) BMS built to UL standard 52V, 3A, UL-certified charger​
Transmission system​	Shimano CUES Linkglide system – gear cluster, shifter, and chain. See the video below, Prowheel 48T front chain ring
Gear cluster​	Shimano CUES Linkglide E-bike specific 9-Speed cassette 11-41T https://bike.shimano.com/en-EU/product/component/cues-u4000/RD-U4000.html ​
Front suspension​	Suntour XCM 32-ATB Coil spring with pre-load adjuster https://www.srsuntour.com/in/products/fork/XCM-ATB-29-5757.html​
Brakes​	4-piston hydraulic brakes by LOGAN with E-cutoff (OE manufacturer for several brands) Images below​
Wheels and Tires​	27.5” MTB wheels with 36 spokes, 13G spokes , and CST CTC06 27.5” x 2.4” tires​
Stem and Handlebar​	Zoom TDS-D636-8FOV, E-bike specific, internal cable routing EN15194-rated Zoom handlebar​
Accessories, lighting, carrying capacity​	Full cover fenders, integrated rear rack (25 kgs), Locking ergonomic grips, integrated front and rear lights ZEN suspension seatpost (optional)​
Size and color​	18” (universal step-thru design) Works for anyone from 5ft to 5ft 11” Starlight White and Sky-Blue colors​

Some pictures for viewing pleasure [please click on the images for higher-resolution]

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Nice offering reminiscent of my 2023 Surface 604 V Rook step-thru but with more torque and style and much more sophisticated battery management at a significantly lower price. (Paid $2,700 at a local dealer 12 months ago.) Love the Rook, so please take that as a compliment.

What tire options are you offering? Though sold as a commuter, the Rook does quite well on light to moderate trails with 2.3" aftermarket hybrid tires.

One of the Rook's best features is its smooth, natural, responsive power delivery. This is achieved with a TMM4 dropout torque+cadence sensor perhaps similar to the Wave's.

Can you share any info on how the Wave combines the torque and cadence sensor data?

A dropout "cadence" sensor can only detect cassette rotation, not crank speed. I think my Rook uses this info mainly to disable the motor when the pedals aren't turning, but I can imagine more sophisticated uses.

BTW, love the blue!

PS: Since I like to pedal at low assist and have no desire to go 35 mph on downhills, I'd want a smaller chainring for my mix of flats and short, steep hills — even with 65 nm of torque at my disposal.

 

[JGcycle]

I predict that this will be your new best seller.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

I predict that this will be your new best seller.

Thanks for your support. This bike was supposed to be released 1 year ago, but the Pandemic-affected supply chain made it very hard to deploy capital.
Moving forward, we hope to offer innovative products and designs. This Wave combines unique battery-related innovation that is not found on many E-bikes.

 

[JGcycle]

Hi Ravi,
How much is a replacement battery for this model?

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Hi Ravi,
How much is a replacement battery for this model?

If the customer ever needs a replacement, it would be CAD 580, and depending on the situation, we will subsidize this cost.
The battery comes with a 3-year warranty, and with the feature we have included, you will get a very long service life (~ 40,000kms or more ).

 

[JGcycle]

If the customer ever needs a replacement, it would be CAD 580, and depending on the situation, we will subsidize this cost.
The battery comes with a 3-year warranty, and with the feature we have included, you will get a very long service life (~ 40,000kms or more ).

That's a great price.

 

[Deacon Blues]

That's a excellent price!
One of the fellows I ride with had the battery on his Bulls ebike fail. The bike came with a Brose or Shimano motor.
The local bike shop that sold him the bike quoted him $1800 (Can) for a new battery.
He a recently spent $500 (Can) for a new display (his fault, fell over and broke it) so he ended up going with the new battery, since he's already down $500 and he likes the bike.
$500 for a display and $1800 for a new battery is absolutely insane!
I toasted my Bafang powered ebike's 750C display (my fault) and a new one from AliExpress only cost $95 Can.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

So far, our battery packs have passed UN38.3, UL-FCC, UL-vibration tests, and UL-1998 and UL991 tests for BMS. These tests are pre-requisite to obtain full UL marking on the battery.
The code name for our project is TP6042, and this is what you’ll find on the Zen Wave batteries.

Here is an Official UL compliance report on FCC for the Zen Wave batteries. Hence, we can use the FCC mark on the battery. Please notice the TP6042 project code name. Our agent in Asia and the pack manufacturer's name have been held confidential for trade secret reasons.

 

[srl1_sd]

Congratulations Ravi.
Kudos to you for cranking out such awesome ebikes.

I am bit scared of derailleurs as I am spoilt by belt drive.

The bike looks good.
what's the weight ?

 

[Neverlost]

Tech specs on website have nothing on them

 

[srl1_sd]

Tech specs on website have nothing on them

It's very new, I am sure, the tech specs would come up in due time.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Congratulations Ravi.
Kudos to you for cranking out such awesome ebikes.

I am bit scared of derailleurs as I am spoilt by belt drive.

The bike looks good.
what's the weight ?

For E-bikes, belt drives are the future.
The weight of this Wave E-bike is ~59 lbs with the battery.
Thanks for your kind words. The support from EBR members and early customers has been crucial for us to develop innovative products.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Did you know that we have included several innovative E-bike Battery Management System features ideally suited for cold climates in Canada, the US, and the EU.
Anyone who wants to learn more about E-bike batteries is encouraged to visit our facility in Dartmouth (1 Research Dr) and learn how these batteries are built.

 

[srl1_sd]

Did you know that we have included several innovative E-bike Battery Management System features ideally suited for cold climates in Canada, the US, and the EU.
Anyone who wants to learn more about E-bike batteries is encouraged to visit our facility in Dartmouth (1 Research Dr) and learn how these batteries are built.

View attachment 162064

Would you be incorporating these innovative battery features across all your models ? Also, curios, if batteries are compatible across different models ? I can se Bosch motor may not take these batteries. I am eyeing your other ebike: Photon for my next purchase.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Would you be incorporating these innovative battery features across all your models ? Also, curios, if batteries are compatible across different models ? I can se Bosch motor may not take these batteries. I am eyeing your other ebike: Photon for my next purchase.

Our goal is to bring innovative features to all our bikes, and your support makes it possible.
We could not have gotten this far without early customers, and as we grow, we will ensure that whatever we build is also backward compatible.
I think you will be delighted with the performance of Photon.

 

[JGcycle]

Hi Ravi, I was just on your website looking at the specs for the Wave. It lists the wave as having up to 45 miles range--that sounds low, considering that the Wave has a 750Wh battery.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Hi Ravi, I was just on your website looking at the specs for the Wave. It lists the wave as having up to 45 miles range--that sounds low, considering that the Wave has a 750Wh battery.

The range we quote is more realistic. Some customers get 100kms on a 750Whr battery, and some get 60kms depending on their weight, terrain, etc.
So many companies exaggerate range claims and we believe a realistic range could be anywhere between 60kms to 100kms.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

To our knowledge, no other E-bike has long-range and long-life modes like we do; especially at this price point.
On our WAVE E-bikes, we are upgrading software to indicate long-rage and long-life modes and this eliminates the need for using charging timers etc to limit the charging to 80%. Just select the mode you like to use.
Our WAVE E-bike has all that programmed into the BMS itself and this is the reason why we are able to offer 3-yr battery warranty. The following images were taken when the firmware upgrade was taking place, so numbers may seem a bit off.

 

[Gionnirocket]

To our knowledge, no other E-bike has long-range and long-life modes like we do; especially at this price point.
On our WAVE E-bikes, we are upgrading software to indicate long-rage and long-life modes and this eliminates the need for using charging timers etc to limit the charging to 80%. Just select the mode you like to use.
Our WAVE E-bike has all that programmed into the BMS itself and this is the reason why we are able to offer 3-yr battery warranty. The following images were taken when the firmware upgrade was taking place, so numbers may seem a bit off.

About time this is incorporated as it's far from rocket science to limit a charge and has been available on hand held devices for a few years now.
Heck I diy'd it with $10 of off the shelf hardware.. but your solution is a lot more elegant.