The Best of Eurobike 2018 Haibike Flyon and More!
Eurobike 2018 has officially come to a close. We’ve been processing all the amazing new technology back stateside. This year, your favorite electric bike brands are offering a lot more than just new electric bike models. Whether you’re looking at the Haibike Flyon, Focus’s new Fazua, or any of the other incredible new tech, it’s clear that 2019 is going to be a massive year for electric bikes. Luckily for you, the owners of Fly Rides were at the event! I’ll break down the information for you on our favorite new products, and we’ll have Ike and Megan give their reaction as well. Let’s check out the best of Eurobike 2018 Haibike Flyon and the rest!
Haibike Flyon
Yes, of course we’re starting with everyone’s already most anticipated electric bikes of 2019: the Haibike Flyon Series. You’ve likely heard quite a bit about these, but let’s see if we can’t hammer in some of that new information.
Haibike is the first big name bike brand to make use of the powerful TQ motor. This low-profile machine packs 120 nm of torque and comes with an integrated 630 watt hour battery pack. From what I’ve heard, it still rides like a regular bike as well. It doesn’t feel overpowered. I was initially concerned that Haibike might be going the way of motocross with these motors, but apparently the TQ motor is as refined as it is powerful. It has a unique transmission that allows for a great amount of power while keeping the motor small. Another interesting aspect of this bike is the way it deals with heat. There are air intake vents on the headtube to allow the battery to cool. The faster you go, the quicker the system should cool, theoretically.
These bikes also come with integrated headlights and taillights. The headlight on the NDURO model will offer 5000 lumens which is enough to light up the Mariana trench. The mostly carbon chassis pairs nicely with the lightweight and low-profile TQ motor.
All of the Flyon bikes will be a part of Haibike’s XDURO line. They will offer a few NDURO models, at least one AllMtn, and even a Trekking Flyon bike. But of course this is all information from Eurobike. When can we actually expect these bikes in the United States?
Ike and Megan’s Take:
“No doubt, the Haibike Flyon is getting a lot of buzz already. That said, I wouldn’t hold your breath, it’s likely that this set up won’t be available in the U.S. until late 2019 and most likely not until 2020. It’s still going through rigorous testing to make sure it fits in line with the quality Haibike is known for.”
Focus Project Y and Fazua
Certainly one of the biggest innovations in lightweight electric bikes is the Fazua motor on bikes like the Focus Raven, Bianchi electric bikes, and LaPierre eZesty. This German made system comes in weighing only 10.1 pounds. It’s design is incredibly unique as well making the motor and battery both completely removable in the same way that you would remove a traditional electric bike battery. This means that if you want to ride the bike powerless you’re only adding about two extra pounds. “Won’t this leave a gaping hole in the frame of my bike?” You might be asking. Yes, but the bike also comes with a plastic cover to take care of this issue real quick.
Of course, you give up a little bit in terms of battery size when you go lightweight. The battery only offers 250 watt hours, but the pack itself also only weighs 2 pounds. This makes it very easy to carry an extra battery, and if Focus’s previous battery packs are any indication, an extra power pack shouldn’t be too expensive. Another notable aspect to this bike is its ability to disengage the gearbox at top speed with the likes of Specialized. This means that gaining speed after the governor kicks in should be a breeze.
But, let’s not take my word for it. Fazzio’s! Does this lightweight system offer enough power and disengagement to compete against Bosch, Brose, Yamaha, and Shimano?
Ike and Megan’s Take:
“It’s been interesting to see both directions in terms of motor innovation. On one side you have the Flyon, which is generally all about packing more power and more range, while the Fazua is geared towards refinement and decreasing weight when it comes to an eBike. I think we’re going to have fans of both, but I definitely like the direction Fazua takes things as this will greatly appeal to more acoustic cyclists as well as those wanting to utilize an ebike for urban living! I really think the Fazua will be in a class of it’s own, at least for now. You’ll see this system less on eMTB’s and more on sexy road bikes and compact styles designed for short or small assistant windows.”
Yamaha’s 600 wh battery
This is a piece of news that largely went unnoticed, but I think is great. Yamaha, the progenitors of the “zero-cadence” e-bike motor, have always had an excellent product. They beefed up their motors last year with the Yamaha PW-X and PW-SE systems. The only other place to go was to a bigger battery. Still no full downtube integration from the Yamaha systems, but I still think there is a large part of the market that doesn’t necessarily care that much about full battery integration. If it’s good enough for Sam Pilgrim, it’s probably good enough for you! My personal opinion on downtube battery integration is that while it does look very cool, it will start to matter a lot less as electric bikes become a bigger part of the zeitgeist. Well done, Yamaha for sticking to what has worked.
Bosch Kiox Display
It was a relatively quiet year from Bosch at Eurobike, but they did offer us one neat new piece of tech. The Bosch Kiox is their most appealing and low-profile display yet. My one concern with reporting on this display is whether or not it will be available in the states considering Bosch’s history with the Nyon display and the year lag time in bringing the intube batteries stateside.
That said, the display is beautifully integrated, centered on the handlebars. It comes with gorilla glass, so any scratching issues with the old plastic screens should be a thing of the past. It also has a plethora of information available and many way for you to choose how to see it. You operate the display with a new and more ergonomic thumbpad. But will this display be available in the states? Ike and Megan?
Ike and Megan’s take:
“Bosch is always at the head of the game with innovation, safety, and user experience being at the for front of what they produce. Although Bosch didn’t come out with any new motors this year, they did however release some new tech that will no doubt be received well. The Kiox is definitely coming to the U.S. and one of my favorite innovations to this new display, especially when it comes to mountain biking is that it’s magnetic. This will allow it to disconnect in the event of a fall and be less likely to break. That said, the intuvia and purion will still be available and it will be up to the manufacturer to decide which display they want use on their models.
You also might have heard of Bosch’s Anti-lock Braking System for Bosch ebikes. Super interesting development but it looks like it’s going to be a number of years before this innovation hits the U.S. market. So cool, but not relevant info to consider when looking at a purchase.”