Engwe Mapfour N1 Pro e-bike review: the new ‘premium’

Europe has an electrical motorcycle problem. Direct-to-consumer e-bikes from inexpensive Chinese brands for illustration Engwe and countless others tin beryllium easy purchased online contempt openly flouting EU restrictions. They characteristic throttles and powerful motors that tin beryllium easy unlocked to acold transcend the 25km/h (16mph) ineligible velocity limit — nary pedaling required.

Engwe’s caller Mapfour lineup is the company’s effort astatine going legit by expanding from souped-up electrical fat bikes and foldables into “premium commuter” e-bikes. And because they’re the first e-bikes that Engwe has designed exclusively for European roads, the institution swears they can’t beryllium unlocked for much speed.

I’ve been riding the caller Mapfour N1 Pro exemplary for the past fewer weeks. It lists for €1,899 (almost $2,000), aliases €1,799 during the first motorboat — a value that brings heightened expectations.

The N1 Pro is slathered successful premium capabilities for illustration GPS/GSM search for which immoderate motorcycle makers complaint subscriptions. The monocoque framework and fork are made from c fibre supplied by Toray — “the aforesaid high-quality c fibre arsenic Trek and Specialized,” claims Engwe. There’s moreover turn-by-turn navigation built into the full-featured app, a ample colorful show integrated into the handlebars, and a built-in mechanical fastener successful the rear instrumentality hub that automatically engages erstwhile the motorcycle is turned disconnected and stationary.

My reappraisal motorcycle was missing a fender bolt, occasionally flashed a unusual correction code, and the solar-powered rear ray won’t move on. Still, it’s apt the highest value electrical motorcycle Engwe has ever made.

I person tons of acquisition pinch assembling direct-to-consumer e-bikes and the N1 Pro was fresh to thrust successful astir an hour, which is typical. Even pinch a carbon-fiber framework it weighs 20.1kg (44lbs) afloat assembled according to my scale, which is dense for an e-bike — conscionable not Veloretti-heavy.

In the container you’ll find a basal toolset that includes everything needed for assembly and instructions written successful stellar English dissimilar immoderate erstwhile Engwe tutorials I’ve read. I had to combine the pedals, beforehand wheel, kickstand, handlebar, and fenders, and food retired a replacement fender bolt from immoderate spare bicycle parts I had lying around. I past went to set the saddle to my tallness only to observe that I was excessively gangly for the N1 Pro.

The saddle stem has a marked information statement that stops good earlier the tallness needed for my 6 ft (183cm) frame, contempt being sold successful the Netherlands wherever I’m considered a short king. Nevertheless, exceeding the statement by astir 2.5cm (one inch) hasn’t made the saddle consciousness insecure, moreover erstwhile riding complete unsmooth cobblestones. Engwe claims the N1 Pro supports riders from 165–190cm, and is considering offering the action for a longer saddle stem astatine checkout based upon my feedback.

The N1 Pro’s geometry puts the rider into what’s fundamentally a upland motorcycle stance: a mean guardant thin pinch hands dispersed wide retired successful beforehand of the body. That wrist and assemblage perspective mixed pinch a alternatively stiff saddle are not perfect for riding agelong distances, particularly successful operation pinch a backpack that’ll put moreover much weight connected the hands and derrière. I do for illustration that fun, sporty posture complete short distances, but if you’re looking for a much relaxed thrust past Engwe has the upright €1,399 MapFour N1 Air disposable successful some step-over and step-through frames.

The 250W mid-drive Ananda centrifugal connected the N1 Pro is astir silent nether the din of roadworthy noise, and the integrated torque sensor provides an intuitive pedal-assist astatine each speeds. It produces up to 80Nm of torque that lets maine easy commencement from a dormant extremity successful 4th cogwheel (of seven) connected level roads, but testing connected a elevation pinch a gradient of astir 15 percent required a commencement from first gear. Typically, I only needed to displacement to a precocious cogwheel erstwhile I wanted to usage my limb powerfulness to propel the motorcycle astatine speeds supra the 25km/h centrifugal cutoff.

Despite claiming a scope of up to 100km from its humble 360Wh battery, my first trial performed complete a fewer weeks yielded conscionable 23km disconnected a afloat complaint successful near-freezing conditions. I usually rode successful powerfulness mounting 3 of 5 connected mostly level roads. The 2nd trial performed connected a azygous warmer time improved the scope to 27km pinch 28 percent complaint remaining — aliases an estimated 36km if I had clip to tally the artillery barren for a beneath mean 10Wh consumed per kilometer travelled. The motorcycle artillery seems to suffer from idle artillery drain of astir 1-2 percent per time erstwhile parked wrong my house.

Worrisome for a “premium” e-bike: connected 2 occasions I saw an “09” correction connection flash connected the show which Engwe is still diagnosing. Once, while starting the motorcycle aft it had been sitting extracurricular successful the rainfall for a fewer hours. Another clip aft riding location connected a rain-soaked thoroughfare while switching betwixt the N1 Pro’s regular and high-beam lights. In the first case, a elemental reboot cleared it and I was capable to thrust distant fine, but the different clip required riding location nether my ain powerfulness earlier it inexplicably cleared the adjacent morning.

Other observations:

There was a clip erstwhile premium e-bikes had database prices astir €2,000 / $2,000. Those days are arsenic gone arsenic the free task superior propping up e-bike startups, pushing premium prices up to a starting value person to €3,000 / $3,000. The €1,899 (about $1,960) Engwe N1 Pro is truthful priced astir right. It’s not a bad e-bike, but it’s besides not awesome contempt checking disconnected tons of features connected a trading sheet.

Just remember, servicing a direct-to-consumer e-bike tin beryllium a problem arsenic it requires the fresh readiness of spare parts and the knowledge to switch them. As pinch immoderate electrical motorcycle exposed to the elements and regular roadworthy use, the N1 Pro’s centrifugal and immoderate proprietary electronics for illustration the controller, display, battery, lights, buttons, and integrated fastener will yet request servicing. So you’d amended beryllium connected very bully position pinch your section motorcycle shop aliases beryllium useful pinch a wrench and oscilloscope to forestall your mail-order e-bike from quickly turning into e-waste.

Photography by Thomas Ricker / The Verge