E-bike Airwheel R8: nedomoped or rebike

Collect in one company the owners of Audi, BMW and, for example, Peugeot, and you will get an ignitional discussion about the advantages of the native car. And this is about iOS vs Android is not remembered. But all these “hacks” are nothing compared to a group of cyclists discussing their iron horses. They are ready to stick a needle into the soul and put on the fork all those who consider all bicycles as equal to each other by means of transportation in urban or park environment. We decided to get involved in such a discussion and tell about the Airwheel R8 - as Carlson would say, the best ~~ghost~~ in the world with a motorcycle (but this is not certain).

More recently, our blog on Habré was mainly about e-books, and now there will be a little about e-bikes :) And all because the hero of this review is Airwheel R8 - an interesting novelty, a bicycle with an electric motor. And, in order not to pull the cat by the tail, let's go straight to the point.

Specifications

Before further acquaintance with the vehicle, it is important to look at its technical characteristics. There are two modifications, which are indicated below by [1] and [2]:

Engine type: motor-wheel, brushless motor
Electric motor power: 235 W (0.32 hp)
Continuous power output: 200 W
Rated output torque: 9 N⋅m
Rated voltage: 36 V
Speed range: 210 rpm

Engine power is relatively small - there are twice / three times more powerful models on the market. But in this issue there is one important nuance, which is in paragraph 1.2 of the SDA. And there:

" A bicycle is a vehicle, other than wheelchairs, which has at least two wheels and is driven, as a rule, by the muscular energy of persons on this vehicle, in particular with the help of pedals or handles, and may also have an electric motor with a rated maximum power continuous duty mode, not exceeding 0.25 kW, automatically shutting down at a speed of more than 25 km / h. "

It turns out that the Airwheel R8 is primarily a bicycle, but on steroids in the form of an electric motor, and with almost the maximum power for this category. Ebike :) By the way, over the hill, vehicles with such characteristics are called "pedelek" - pedelec (Pedal Electric Cycle). A little bit more and he would have become a moped, with all the ensuing consequences: only from 16 years old, the need to have category M rights (and constantly carry them with you), a helmet (however, this is not so much a desire of the law, but common sense) and tons .d And now it turns out that the bike is available to everyone.

Battery Type: Li-Ion
Manufacturer: LG (Korea)
Battery capacity: [1] - 162.8 Wh, [2] - 214.6 Wh
Charging time: 120 [1] or 180 [2] minutes
Charging voltage: AC 220 V, 50–60 Hz
Charger: 2 A, 42 V
Undervoltage protection rating: ⩾ 30.5 V
Overcurrent protection rating: ⩽ 18 A
Voltage on USB output: 5 V
Optimum temperature: -10 ° C ~ 40 ° C
Protection against: overvoltage, overcharge, overdischarge, overload, circuit, overheating, polarity reversal.

Power reserve on one charge: [1] - 15-20 km, [2] - 20-25 km
Maximum speed: 27 km / h
Maximum allowable tilt: ~ 15 °

Frame material: aluminum
Frame length / height: 620 (24 ") / 510 (20") mm
Maximum load: 100 kg
Wheel diameter: 26 inches
Size: 1730 × 630 × 1100 mm
Product weight: 19.5 kg
Color: black or white

Appearance and design nuances

Frame

The basis of any bike is a frame, the design of which determines its potential, character and reliability; it's about like a human skeleton. If we talk about professional driving, then every little thing matters - not only the frame material, its shape and dimensions, but also many other nuances - the height of the carriage, the angle of the steering cup, etc. And as it follows even from the introductory photos above, the Airwheel R8 is not a bicycle for professional and extreme pokatushek, so it would be more correct to consider it primarily as a “civilian” vehicle, from the side of the average average user.

Stability and maneuverability - two important characteristics of any frame, sometimes you have to choose one thing, but in the bike from the review there are design features from each of the characteristics. The frame of the R8 is based on a profiled triangular tube made of aluminum (in terms of stiffness, this is better than a tube with a circular cross section). Upper, lower and seat tube form a triangle with rounded corners (in how!), Welds are not visible on it. The first seam, which catches the eye - in the area of the steering glass, the rest - in the area of the carriage and rear feathers. Slider node below the level of the axles of the wheels. The upper feather of the rear triangle is rather long, it is welded to the seatpost through the contact pad, but it is bolted to the lower feather.

In general, a rather unusual combination - one feels that the engineers fought for this bike, but the designers were stupidly more :) However, one cannot say that the frame turned out to be unsuccessful or unreliable - quite a decent frame, which did not show itself in any way negatively.

But what really upsets in the Airwheel R8 is that it is rigid (rigid), that is, it does not have shock absorbers (not counting the tiny shock absorber springs with a stroke of 1.5 cm built into the seatpost).

This is one of the oldest types of structures, but now it is used somewhere, but mainly on road workers, which is not exactly R8. As he is not a hardcore SUV, despite the relatively "evil" stock rubber. Therefore, in this case, we deal, rather, with one of the ways to reduce the cost of construction, and as a result - with a decrease in comfort (for hands, rolls and potentially attached to the steering wheel of a smartphone) while driving through places with “uneven” coating.

For some reason, a car metaphor called “crossover” - urban terrain cars pops up in my head. Maybe now someone thought, “ hm, I have a crossover and I stopped at it in such places! "And it will be right - the same can be said about the Airwheel - you can drive a lot of it wherever and along any tracks. But with the suspension it would be more comfortable :) On the other hand, the rigid plug also has its advantages, and even as a child, we rode on such greats and Nitsche. In the end, nothing prevents you from separately buying a fork with a shock absorber and putting it in return for a standard one.

As for the wings - they are “out of the box” not, but they can optionally be delivered. From the front, into the plug or with the headlight mount, from the back, either into the holes in the upper feather or through the collar to the seatpost.

Saddle and pedals

Included with the Airwheel R8 is a soft wide saddle, in common - the "sofa". This is comfortable for long trips, although the thing is purely individual, so if the regular seat does not fit, you can always replace it with something else.

The seatpost is quite large, it enters the seatpost, it is possible to adjust the seat height. The frame of the saddle is attached to the pin through an Allen bolt.

The pedals are pretty unpretentious plastic tappers with spikes. For some reason folding. However, sometimes just because of the bulging centimeter, the trunk does not close or something does not fit in the garage, so let it be better folding - it does not interfere.

Steering wheel

Another important, but again quite individual thing, which, if necessary, can be easily and relatively inexpensively changed to meet the needs. But it is unlikely that this R8 needs mustaches, butterflies, lamb horns and other exotic things - the regular (rather simple) flat steering wheel, which is very characteristic of mountain mountains, completely solves the tasks assigned to it.

For example, on the steering wheel fit all the necessary mounted pieces of iron (brakes, gearshifts, on-board computer, headlight / signal switching unit) and there is still plenty of room for potential retrofitting. The grips are smooth, of fairly stiff rubber - you can ride without gloves, but with gloves it will be more comfortable. However, it is also better to choose separately, according to your preferences.

Fastening is carried out on an unpretentious metal removal, which clamps the steering wheel with one hex bolt. Take out long - if you still use R8 for pokatushek forests and fields, it is better to put a shortened takeaway.

Brake system

The front and rear of the Airwheel R8 are fitted with mechanical disc brakes. Excellent solution: more effective rim mechanisms, reliable and not so expensive (and hemorrhoid maintenance), as in the case of hydraulic. Brake handles are pretty simple.

For an unbalanced user, the potential of the braking system is enough.

Wheels

What wheels? All they know about is that they have a diameter of 26 inches. A knob mount, Quando aluminum bushings are used at the front and rear.

Rubber - typical polusliki: low and even tread in the central part with small spikes on the sides.

This rubber is universal, suitable for driving on smooth asphalt (with excellent reeling), and for easy off-road (not very soft ground, although it never stopped from driving on sand). What, in fact, once again underlines the "crossover" of the bicycle, mentioned above.

And yet, one important “wheel” moment is still there, perhaps even the key one in this review - a brushless electric motor is mounted on the rear wheel hub, which will set the bike in motion if necessary.

Slightly larger than the planetary sleeve, with high efficiency, silent, without vibrations, durable - that’s all. Somewhere in the same place there is a gearbox with a freewheel clutch (it is also an overrunning clutch), which will not interfere with the rotation of the pedals if you suddenly want to go on your own.

Gear shifting, headlights and other body kit

As you know, additional options in the car sometimes easily add half to the original cost. A similar layout with bicycles - the quantity and quality of body kit determines the convenience / reliability / toughness is great, but, as a result, its cost. On a simple frame, you can put an expensive and heaped kit - you get a candy, if you put a simple kit on a heaped frame - you get something illogical. I can not judge the quality of the frame Airwheel R8 after a couple of weeks pokatushek, but if we talk about his body kit, it is quite simple here.

Let's start from top to bottom, from left to right.

On the left on the steering wheel, close to the grip, there is a small control block with two buttons - the red turns on the light, the green emits a signal.

Behind the unit is a front brake knob, from which, in addition to the cable, there is a cable that transmits a motor shutdown command during braking.

A front headlight mounted on the crown with a fairly convex lens is responsible for the front light - it shines very well in the dark of day, gives a bright and focused stream of light, the angle of inclination can be adjusted. From it, a sound signal is emitted, which, by the way, never resembles a bicycle signal (but will go to indicate its presence).

A backlight with 27 (9 pieces in 3 rows) LEDs is responsible for the light - it automatically lights up when braking (brighter), or it is constantly lit when the button on the steering wheel is pressed. The light is also very bright.

Simply put, in the Airwheel R8 the issue with lighting is solved out of the box, and this is quite an important point.

The right side of the steering wheel is more loaded - on it, in addition to the rear brake lever, there is a Shimano speed selector, as well as an onboard computer with an electric motor switch, which is slightly lower.

In total, 8 wires go from the steering wheel, which are fastened to the truck with a thick, ugly pigtail and then spread out all over the vehicle. But everything is powered by the battery pack, and not from batteries or batteries (like ordinary mounted gadgets).

By the way, with regard to "speeds" - a 7-speed cassette with a rear switch of the initial level Shimano Tourney TY300 is used. The option is clearly not for riders, but simply for most average cycling users.

On the lower left side there is a side step with which the bike can be put anywhere — the design is very stable. But in general, recently, my friends saw a mounting option: inside the frame of the pedals, they glue a powerful neodymium magnet, thanks to which the bicycle easily “sticks” to the fences and any posts.

As you can see, from the minimum required body kit there is everything (well, except that the cup holder can be screwed to the frame), you can attach a couple more nishtyaks and some handbag under the frame to the steering wheel (for keys and other trifles). But with the trunk for cargo and even more so with a child seat, I'm afraid it will be difficult.

On-board computer

Perhaps the second most important (after the motor) component Airwheel R8 - a small box on the right side of the steering wheel. It is not universal, so you should take care of it - if something happens to it, you will only have to pedal with your feet :)

The device turns on automatically when you press a button on the battery pack (it acts as a power source, with it all data is transferred). Various information is displayed on the screen - battery charge, current speed, distance traveled for a ride, total distance traveled, etc. As well as the current mode of operation and the level of interference of the electric motor in the process of movement. There are three modes of movement: completely on the electric motor, with the help of an electric motor and on muscular strength.

If you go only on the electric motor, then the buttons on the gadget can choose one of 16 power levels, which here go from 1 to 9 and further from A to F, where F is the most powerful mode.

In the mode of help of the electric motor to the cyclist (“Power Mode”), the levels are already 9 — well, such as help in 10% increments, from 0 to 90%. In fact, this is the same mode as the previous one, but there is still need to pedal (taking part of the power expended on the movement itself).

Well, the third mode - in fact, just cycling, when the cyclist himself pedals without the participation of an electric motor.

There is also a fourth mode, secret - skating without turning on the motor and other electronic things, like on a regular bike. In this case, the computer will not show anything, but others will not say that you are a cheater :)

To use the help of the motor in the selected mode, just press the handle under the bike computer and the bike will go. Power is added smoothly, but the harder you press, the more intensively you gain momentum (and the battery is consumed).

With a smartphone bike does not communicate, although some other vehicles from the arsenal of Airwheel are capable of it. However, nothing prevents you from using any RunKeeper or Strava - it will show both speed and distances and everything.

Battery

As you can see, in the “triangle” of the frame is fixed the plastic case of the controller-battery unit - inside there is a battery and microchips for controlling all this arsenal.

On the left on the case is a USB connector, from which you can charge a smartphone or power up a device such as an action camera. But we must understand that the sticking wire can interfere with pedaling, so you need a wire with an L-shaped plug (for the same iPhone, the Nonda ZUS wire with a lifetime warranty is ideal).

On the right there is a button for switching on the electric component of the bicycle, as well as a plug for charging. All three connectors are protected by rubber plugs, but you still shouldn’t ride in the rain.

The bicycle's battery is charged via an adapter from a standard outlet, which takes about three hours (for a version with a battery of 214.6 Wh).

The unit can optionally be removed and carried home, but this is not such an easy task. Therefore, it is better to charge the bike to the outlet while charging - for example in the garage or in the office.

Tests

- Dear, are you sleeping?
- Yes
- Then listen ...

Probably you are not very interested to read about how I rode a bicycle somewhere, but I want to know more about the possibilities of an electric motor. But as they say, the line is bigger, the line is smaller :)

I rode a lot where - in the city, in the woods, and along the sandy career, both uphill and from it. There is no discomfort propounded by sofa bicyclists at the sight of a stiff fork - yes, it may not be as comfortable as it would have been with a shock absorber, but there is nothing terrible. Not S-class, but not UAZ.

For those who know how to ride a bike, you will not have to get used to something new - this is still the same bike that, when you press the lever, will be able to ride by itself. But yes, this very help is unusual and feels like something unusual, alien. Although very soon you get used to it :)

The manufacturer claims a power reserve of 20-25 km for a more powerful version of the R8 - these figures are very similar to the truth, although the measurement “from bell to bell” on a flat road on the battery alone was not possible. In mixed mode, it drove 30-40 kilometers at a time. But the fact that the battery does not sdyhaet before - that's for sure. In other reviews, you can see the information that on a single charge it was possible to squeeze more than 30 kilometers on an electric shock - under certain circumstances this is certainly possible. After all, everyone has everything individually: the weight of the cyclist, its aerodynamics :) speed, uniformity of motion, terrain, quality of the road surface, weather, tire pressure, etc. Even the very beginning of the movement matters: one thing is when you press "sneakers on the floor" for the electric motor, and another thing is when you start driving yourself and only then add electric magic.

On one of the days there was a hard ride in all senses through a forest, a field and a sandy career (right on the sand) - that was where the electric traction rescued. Surely you are familiar with the situation when the wheels "sink" and crawl in the sand, you need to pedal with all your might, but after a couple of meters it is great to stop. So, there is no such thing with the R8 - it rows quite confidently in the sand :) But the battery in this mode is discharged faster, as well as when driving uphill. Just push the lever - the battery with 100% immediately "discharges" twice, but when the load drops, the stock is restored.

Well, no, of course, this is a staged frame - no one would have passed through such thicker sand (and it wouldn’t have failed so much)

That's how it was in fact - on such a relief bike easily passes

R8 enters the hill quite easily, but the maximum speed in this case is no more than 15-20 km / h, while the maximum speed on the electric traction is 27 km / h. Unfortunately, he doesn’t drive himself into a big slide in the sand (as in the background) and in the sand of the R8.

What happens when the battery is discharged? It is easy to guess - ebike turns into an elegant large with 7 speeds, one on one with the “secret fourth mode” :) The reaction to the motor switch disappears - the bike just stops to go. However, to discharge it so that even the on-board computer did not work, I did not succeed.

The chain on the bumps sometimes touches the lower right feather - the standard sore of many bicycles, from which there are a lot of healing tools: from folk rewinds with insulating tape to branded stickers and other peel (the price is 0-200 rubles).

Cost of

Often, manufacturers do not indicate in the reviews the price of the product, rather than enrage. But I want to write about the price not only to avoid the first comment “and how much?”, But also because the price is ... mm ... quite adequate. For the price of a regular bike with a good body kit.

A model with a 162.8 Wh battery costs 43,490 rubles, while a version with a 214.6 Wh battery costs 3,000 more expensive - 46,490 rubles.

10% discount: any modification of the Airwheel R8 can be taken at a 10% discount if, before June 30 (inclusive), enter the code word “ habrr8 ” in the Palmstore online store in the “Coupon” field.

Is it a lot or a little? For this money you can buy a good big with a quality body kit, which will last for many years. But in which the pedals will have to turn on their own (which in general is even good). If we talk about electric bicycles, then it is unlikely that it will be possible to find something qualitative for the same money: even the “conversion kit” sometimes costs more, and here it is already immediately “turnkey” large. Which, I want to believe, will also last more than one year, but this, as they say, only time will tell.

Instead of output

Bicycles of all stripes - the emerging face of a new urban environment. And the Airwheel R8 is a great bike for a measured and non-aggressive ride, which will open you a gate to the world of electric transport (electric bike is the first step to Tesla).