Do you use a petrol scooter? You can slowly think about the change!
In recent years, I've had a lot of electric bikes, but nothing like this! The electric Riding' times Z8 has a very motorcycle-like appearance. It has a bit of a retro touch, the tube frame will divide the audience. There will be those who really like it, and those who find it ugly. However, one thing is for sure, it will not leave anyone cold.
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To be honest, I have been trying to get a similar machine for a long time, but so far I have somehow failed. However, I really wanted to try a fixed, non-folding bike with a tubular frame, which is more like a motorcycle. The reason for this is simple, I like to ride motorcycles.
Of course, I drive a much bigger, much more powerful and much heavier machine, but still, ever since the appearance of electric bicycles with thick tires, I have been chasing the experience of riding a motorcycle. The bigger, stronger, 20-inch FAT bikes already reproduced the experience quite well, but it was still not the real thing. They were too high, the saddle was too small, the sitting position was completely different. But I still felt that something could come of this.
Not only I felt this way, but also one of the pioneers of the category, the American Super73. They built (are building) real hit electric bikes (or rather bikes) with desirable shapes, bike frame geometry, long bike seats and great shock absorption. There was a serious problem with these machines, the goods.
The king of the category, the Super73, is not available for less than 4000 euros, and the price refers to the completely basic model, which has a rather short range and a motor of only 250 watts.
Of course, it would be great if there were salaries in Hungary that would allow us to drive these 4000-5000 euro machines, but unfortunately this is not the case, so those who want to forget about gasoline scooters and switch to ones that can be charged at home should look for a cheaper alternative. to machines.
In the spring, I already presented a bike that was a nice transition between folding FAT bikes and electric scooters. Even then, I envisioned the death of gasoline scooters, which tripped the fuse for quite a few readers.
I don't think any differently now than I did then, I think gasoline scooters are doomed to slow extinction.
Before the public anger comes crashing down on my head again, I will refine the theory a bit. The fact is that, like electric cars, electric scooters are not always able to replace their gasoline-powered 50cc counterparts. For now.
Some people run errands and cover hundreds of kilometers a day in the city. There are people who drive on mountain roads, there are also those who carry heavier loads, there are those who tour with their scooters, there are also those who pretend their 125cc engine is fifty. I would definitely not enter into a competition or debate with the latter, because it would be unnecessary.
Well, for them, these cheap electric scooters are not yet a real alternative. But everyone else does, and everyone else will be the much larger set.
The country does not only consist of the capital and the Buda mountains. These machines can already be a real alternative in rural towns and villages (for example, in Pécs, not on the Mecsek side), since, for example, I also live in a county seat, but I can go back and forth across the city twice on one charge with a cheap electric scooter. Here, with spare batteries, a pizza delivery has never been an abortive idea.
Well, after the long introduction, let's see the subject of our article, the machine called Riding' times Z8!
This machine is basically a bicycle (bicycle with an auxiliary motor), which can be seen on its packaging. It comes in a box similar to regular FAT bikes, the difference is only minimal, it might be a little heavier. The net weight is 35,5 - the gross is 43,5 kilograms. The difference is, of course, the weight of the battery, the fender and other small things.
Assembly is no different, the front wheel must be installed, the steering horn, front light, mudguards and pedals must be installed. I don't think this will take more than 20 minutes of anyone's life. What I can recommend is that, due to the relatively large weight, you should seek help to remove it from the box.
The real difference between FAT bikes and Riding' times Z8 is not the electrical system, nor the drivetrain. Actually, these are completely normal things. The motor is 500 watts, unfortunately no data is available on peak power or torque. I was looking for it. This scared me a little at first, I always feel that if they hide something, it is because there is something to hide.
The braking system is the usual, that is, there are mechanical disc brakes both front and rear. The shifter is also the usual, Shimano Tourney at the back, and nothing at the front, as we only find one size of the sprocket behind the pedal.
The battery is also important, which in our case is 48 volts and has a capacity of 15 Ah. With this battery, motor and drive chain, according to the factory data, the highest achievable speed with electric drive is 45 kilometers per hour, and the distance that can be covered on a single charge is 40-90 kilometers. The last figure is surprising, but knowing these machines, it is abundantly clear that depending on the weight of the passenger, the topography, and the speed, there can be such large differences in distance.
The size of the tire makes no difference either, from this point of view too, we get a typical FAT bike solution. 20 inches in diameter and 4 inches in width. The good news is that the tires are said to be better (according to my experience they are) made by CHAOYANG.
The essential differences from a "traditional" folding electric bicycle are the following:
The frame is non-collapsible, a rigid tube frame, with frame and village geometry similar to motorcycles. The latter means that, on the one hand, the double tube of the shock absorber ends in a steering bridge, on which the steering rod is mounted, and on the other hand, the angle of the fork is more like that of motorcycles and scooters.
The front shock absorbers are hydraulic anyway. As on a motorcycle, they can't be locked here either, and I don't think the preload can be adjusted either.
Another, not insignificant, difference is that there is also shock absorption at the rear. This also happened with the more expensive FAT bikes, but they have a central member, while the Riding' times Z8 got a double spring member starting on both sides of the seat. These add a lot to the retro feeling mentioned above.
Another difference is that the height of the seat cannot be adjusted, it is fixed in the frame, again just like a regular scooter, and the difference is that there is a large reflector at the front, and at the back, the manufacturer placed a light integrated with a brake light and a turn signal. As I mentioned, there are also mudguards, which also give the machine an old-fashioned effect.
All in all, it can be said that no one will mistake the Riding' times Z8 for a bicycle. The design, shape, suspension, handlebars and lights all indicate that this is a motorcycle, even if it has pedals and gears.
Of course, the pedal doesn't mean anything, many types of gasoline scooters from the old days also had pedals on the machine, it's enough to mention the Riga and Babetta.
I think I wrote about all the important things, the experience report is coming!
I confess that I honestly had reservations about the Riding' times Z8. One of the reasons for this was that I found this machine under 2-3 different names on the net, which is not necessarily a bad thing, just that it has nothing to do with the Riding' times brand.
This is perhaps best shown by the fact that the brand name simply began to wear off the frame already in the box during transport.
If we're talking about the name, the fact that they would certainly have a podium finish in the competition of the most idiotic bicycle brands didn't give me much confidence either.
And thirdly, there is the above-mentioned fact that I could not find any data regarding the torque delivered by the engine or the peak performance. These antecedents did not bode well, but I'll shoot the joke, luckily I was worried for no reason!
The assembly, as I wrote above, does not cause any problems, and this is also true for moving the machine, despite the large weight (compared to a bicycle), the rear of the machine can be moved easily by holding the tube behind the seat.
Of course, I couldn't stand it, I had to sit on it immediately after installation, and that's how a few things came to light.
The first is that although the machine looks quite short and stocky in the photos, in reality it is perfect for my 184 cm. Although, I sit in the back of the seat rather than in the front, so it will be too small for 2-meter-tall people.
The second is that the shock absorption is not dependent on the bikes, it is much softer, smoother, more pleasant and more comfortable.
The third is that the width of the steering wheel is perfect, at least for me. It is interesting, and this also indicates the nature of the engine, that the throttle lever is not similar to that of bicycles, the inner part of the grip cannot be rotated, it is a regular motorcycle throttle grip.
The brakes were easy to adjust, but I still need to do a little work on the gearbox. Out of the box, neither the lowest nor the highest gear could be switched. It's simply a matter of setting, I wouldn't call it a mistake, and anyway, I won't change it much.
The engine's strength and torque are a pleasant surprise. I would like to note that this has been more typical of bicycles that have come to me in recent times. Engine power has noticeably increased in recent years. With the same performance, the manufacturers are able to squeeze out much more torque, which means that with a 250-watt, 27,5-inch bike, I can easily roll up the biggest hill in the area, which means an inclination angle of over 16 degrees in some places.
The 8 watts of the Riding' times Z500 is simply perfect. It accelerates my weight of 100 kilos almost to the factory specification, that is, on a flat road, the top speed is not 45 but 43 kilometers per hour. The drive is not deregulated here, so 45-50 is also available on a smaller slope, and much more on a larger slope.
If I have to include something, it is the acceleration from zero, which cannot be mentioned on the same page as the acceleration of a gasoline scooter. For this reason, at intersections and roundabouts, you have to think ahead to enter so that you don't have to start from scratch if possible.
Despite the relatively small engine power, the transport is absolutely motorcycle-like. I say this as a motorcyclist, with hundreds of thousands of kilometers behind me. The small weight of the machine, the suspension and the top speed are completely adequate to give me the experience of riding a motorcycle. It's no problem to jump over a policeman, even in a corner I don't dare to choose bigger ones, only because the tires are quite ugly, not really grippy racing tires.
Sometimes the pedal comes in handy, because the engine doesn't take you uphill on bigger climbs. It is important that the sitting position is not close to that of a bicycle, so the pedal should only be used as an aid or in an emergency.
On the above-mentioned 16-degree climb, I rolled up EASILY with the help of the pedal, while pulling the throttle of course. Thus, engine power plus muscle power was absolutely sufficient. Small or medium climbs are basically no problem, depending on the angle of the climb, the machine slowed down to a speed of 25-35 km, but went up.
The terrain of the Riding' times Z8 is clearly the asphalt. Not because the shock absorption or the tires are not suitable for anything else, in fact, it was really good to race with forty on the forest road leading into the city, avoiding the puddles and teasing adults on the bumps. But even then, it's more of a city scooter than anything else.
It is important that the lamps are very good. The front light is exciting, because if you put the machine under power, you get a permanent angel eye effect, like in the case of BMWs. When the lamp is switched on, a projector light in the middle of the angel eye ring turns on, which gives a normal light even in the dark.
The light of the rear light is also sufficient, as I wrote, there is also a brake light. The turn signals appear as small running lights inside the lamp casing. It's yellow, as our party says, but honestly, the brightness is quite low, and the running light is too slow. So, I recommend that you either buy normal indexes for the machine, or use your arm when you change direction!
I left one of the most important things, the range, to the end of the driving experience. A lot of electric vehicles tend to bleed here, but the Riding' times Z8 was quite good here as well.
The factory data is 40-90 kilometers on one charge, of which 40 are available. In city traffic, with lots of stops, starts, and hill climbing (because there are hills in Zalaegerszeg), I drove exactly 42,5 kilometers, at which point only the last, red LED on the indicator light on the battery was lit, and there was still a line on the computer. So I think there are still 4-5 kilometers left in the battery.
It is important that during the 42,5 kilometers of the range test, I did not use pedal assistance at all, this is the range that can be achieved with pure electric drive!
During the journey, my highest speed was 48,9 kilometers per hour, and the average was 24,4 kilometers per hour. I will describe it once again, this is the average, which is understood in city traffic with many stops, and of course this also included the sections where, for the video, e.g. I took the clippings.
If I had to brag, I would dare to say that I did about half of the slightly more than 40 kilometers I drove on coke gas in normal traffic, in which case my speed was more over than under 40 kilometers per hour. Oh, and one more important piece of information, I weigh 100 kilos, so if you're "narrower" than me, there's a good chance you'll have a range of 50-55 kilometers.
This feasible distance in rural towns is more than perfect, but in Pest there is also a connection from Budafok to Dunakeszi there and back, but there is also a Chain Bridge (0 kilometer stone) - Lake Velencei. So it's a pretty long distance.
Overall, it can be said that the Riding' times Z8 turned out to be a really enjoyable machine, during the test it happened more than once that I "forgot" to turn into our street, I had to go 1-2 extra laps, just for the experience.
Sum it!
Let's start with the bad stuff! The brake is completely sufficient in terms of braking power (of course, if there was more, it would be even better, because the more braking power there is, the better), but similarly to other mechanical disc brakes, the brake pads started squealing by the end of the test. So, in my opinion, there is no problem with safety, but the noise is disturbing. If you want something even better, it's also worth getting a cheap, semi-hydraulic brake, where the cable solution can remain, but brake fluid is already working in the cylinder.
I mentioned the transmission, maybe you won't have to adjust it, but mine did, not a little. Of course, this is not a serious mistake, you just need to turn a few screws until it is perfect. You won't be shifting very much, so it's not a problem that the most expensive Shimano is on the market, especially since the torque doesn't even reach the rear wheel through the gearbox due to the hub motor.
What I also miss is that the battery charge is only shown by a 5-segment indicator on the computer display, in the case of a moped, I would have found a regular volt (voltage) display particularly useful. The positive thing is that there is also an indicator on the battery, press a button and you can see the LEDs light up while driving (or no longer light up if the battery is low).
You have to pay attention to the fact that this machine is not a motorcycle, it has pedals. For me, this resulted in the pedal hitting the tarmac in a more final corner. This only happens if the pedal is down towards the curve of the turn, if the levers are horizontal there is no problem. And of course, if you don't ride a motorcycle, you won't make as many decisions as I do, there's a good chance you won't experience this problem.
In the end, the index, which is more of an indicator, I wouldn't trust it with my life. However, the good news is that there is an index at all, so there is also a switch for it on the steering wheel, which means that we have the opportunity to install a more normal direction indicator, not only backwards, but also forwards. Of course, you will have to purchase this separately.
Oops, and one more thing I almost forgot, a mirror at the end of the steering wheel doesn't hurt if you want to drive between cars. Unfortunately, this is not part of the package either.
What are the good things?
Actually, everything is different. This machine is perfect for running out shopping or running errands around town. It's comfortable (but really), it feels really like a motorcycle, so if you're a biker like me, you'll mostly look forward to the opportunity to sit on it and ride it around.
The Riding' times Z8 is no longer just about the obligatory practicality, but thick also about the experience that I have been missing so far. Of course, I am thinking here of the experience of riding a motorcycle.
Riding' times Z8 will be a perfect and relatively cheap solution if you are looking for a gasoline-free mode of transportation. The range even allows you to drive down from Pest to Lake Venice. So it's more than enough to make small purchases, go to work or school, run out to the edge of the village or town for a picnic, drop by friends. It is an added pleasure that on occasion you can have fun with him if you lack adrenaline in your blood.
What's more, with such a range, I would risk that food delivery with a spare battery is not an abortive idea in the saddle of Riding' times, you just need to somehow apply a box to it.
In the end, I think it is important to describe that the Riding' times Z8 is not a bicycle. In no sense is it. The police won't mistake it for a bicycle either. This is indeed a moped in every way, and you will be able to use it accordingly.
Which I am almost one hundred percent sure of, if you feel you can use it, you will enjoy it too. I was hooked, it became love, so I'm sure that one of these or a similar machine will soon move into my garage next to my big eight-hundred sport-touring machine, so that it won't be bored alone in the poor winter.
If you haven't watched the video at the beginning of the article, I recommend that you watch the Riding' times Z8 while in motion and in use!
If you want such a machine, use the BGd4ac54 coupon code, which allows you to buy it from the Czech warehouse for $1020 instead of $914. With Paypal and the discounts for new users described at the beginning of the article, the price will be around 900 dollars (~ HUF 317)! Click on the link below:
