Was very excited to unbox and take first ride on my new Luna X-1 Enduro. Quick background about me for reference: I have a heavy motocross background with almost no experience with analog MTBs.
As far as ebikes, I have experience with: 2020 Turbo Levo Comp, 2019 Turbo Levo Comp, 2018 Motobecane Lurch (fat bike) with Bafang BBSHD kit, 2018 Hardtail Motobecane with Bafand BBSHD kit, Nireeka (crowdfunded) 1000W hub drive, FS ebike, misc rental EMTB including Haibike 2018 (can't remember which model).
On to the X-1, packaging was very good and bike was perfect with not one scratch. Assembly was very straight forward with only the handlebars and front tire to install. As with many shipped bikes, there weren't any instructions. They are hardly needed, but someone with little bike or ebike experience is going to struggle with turning the steering stem around or even turning the bike on. The bike included the battery charger, a very nice tool kit and a water bottle.
First impressions - the bike is very well built and has a high quality appearance, similar to the Turbo Levo. Every component from the tires, wheels, brakes, seat, etc does not look cheap. The display is very small and discreet with the same form factor as a GoPro camera. It comes with a dropper post, but the dropper would barely move upwards with no weight on the seat. It probably needs adjustment of some kind.
First ride - because it was near freezing temperatures outside, I only rode for about a block on pavement. I will be doing a proper ride this Sunday on trails, so will have more in depth report then. First thing, the motor is LOUD. Coming from a motocross background, one of the things I really enjoy about eMTB's is the silence, and this bike is not silent. I'm hoping it quiets down with proper break in, but for my brief ride is was louder than both the 2019 and 2020 Turbo Levos. I would describe the noise as a mix of gear noise and electric motor noise. I'm probably more aware of motor noise than most, as I mostly ride the BBSDH converted Lurch, which has a virtually silent motor. Second, the torque sensing works great on this bike. Our BBSHDs are cadence sensing only, and I've ridden several torque sensing bikes where the assist feels very unnatural. The assist on the X1 feels very natural. I didn't ride long enough to get a direct comparision to the Turbo Levo, but it felt very similar on the short ride.
Battery - Luna says the battery is 48V 13.5 AH, which is 648 watt hours. The battery charger shows an output of 48V at 2.5 amps. Either the battery isn't really 48V or the charger is set to only charge it to 90%, as a 48V battery is typically charged to ~52V. I will ask Luna about this. Also, many chargers will charge at 4 or 5 amps. I don't know if the BMS can only handle 2.5 amps, or if it is a charger limitation only. I would really like to charge at 4 or 5 amps at times, because we have 5 ebikes in our family and don't normally travel with 5 chargers. The battery is the same box type battery found on our Nireeka crowd funded bike, so I believe this form factor is going to be common with many integrated batteries. This is great, as the batteries will be much cheaper if they are not proprietary. I bought an extra battery from Luna for $520.00 but this price will come down over time.
Hits:
- Quality for the price
- Power for the price
- Overall looks
- Torque sensing tuning
- Discrete display
Misses:
- Motor noise
- 48V charger
- Dropper post - needing adjustment to function properly
- Small display - I like the display but some riders may want to see more information
I'll post a complete ride review on Monday...
As far as ebikes, I have experience with: 2020 Turbo Levo Comp, 2019 Turbo Levo Comp, 2018 Motobecane Lurch (fat bike) with Bafang BBSHD kit, 2018 Hardtail Motobecane with Bafand BBSHD kit, Nireeka (crowdfunded) 1000W hub drive, FS ebike, misc rental EMTB including Haibike 2018 (can't remember which model).
On to the X-1, packaging was very good and bike was perfect with not one scratch. Assembly was very straight forward with only the handlebars and front tire to install. As with many shipped bikes, there weren't any instructions. They are hardly needed, but someone with little bike or ebike experience is going to struggle with turning the steering stem around or even turning the bike on. The bike included the battery charger, a very nice tool kit and a water bottle.
First impressions - the bike is very well built and has a high quality appearance, similar to the Turbo Levo. Every component from the tires, wheels, brakes, seat, etc does not look cheap. The display is very small and discreet with the same form factor as a GoPro camera. It comes with a dropper post, but the dropper would barely move upwards with no weight on the seat. It probably needs adjustment of some kind.
First ride - because it was near freezing temperatures outside, I only rode for about a block on pavement. I will be doing a proper ride this Sunday on trails, so will have more in depth report then. First thing, the motor is LOUD. Coming from a motocross background, one of the things I really enjoy about eMTB's is the silence, and this bike is not silent. I'm hoping it quiets down with proper break in, but for my brief ride is was louder than both the 2019 and 2020 Turbo Levos. I would describe the noise as a mix of gear noise and electric motor noise. I'm probably more aware of motor noise than most, as I mostly ride the BBSDH converted Lurch, which has a virtually silent motor. Second, the torque sensing works great on this bike. Our BBSHDs are cadence sensing only, and I've ridden several torque sensing bikes where the assist feels very unnatural. The assist on the X1 feels very natural. I didn't ride long enough to get a direct comparision to the Turbo Levo, but it felt very similar on the short ride.
Battery - Luna says the battery is 48V 13.5 AH, which is 648 watt hours. The battery charger shows an output of 48V at 2.5 amps. Either the battery isn't really 48V or the charger is set to only charge it to 90%, as a 48V battery is typically charged to ~52V. I will ask Luna about this. Also, many chargers will charge at 4 or 5 amps. I don't know if the BMS can only handle 2.5 amps, or if it is a charger limitation only. I would really like to charge at 4 or 5 amps at times, because we have 5 ebikes in our family and don't normally travel with 5 chargers. The battery is the same box type battery found on our Nireeka crowd funded bike, so I believe this form factor is going to be common with many integrated batteries. This is great, as the batteries will be much cheaper if they are not proprietary. I bought an extra battery from Luna for $520.00 but this price will come down over time.
Hits:
- Quality for the price
- Power for the price
- Overall looks
- Torque sensing tuning
- Discrete display
Misses:
- Motor noise
- 48V charger
- Dropper post - needing adjustment to function properly
- Small display - I like the display but some riders may want to see more information
I'll post a complete ride review on Monday...
