BionX PL-350 Electric Bike Kit Review
http://electricbikereview.com/bionx/pl-350/ this is one of the higher end, more expensive electric bike conversion kits. It offers four levels of pedal assist and four levels of regenerative braking as well as a throttle mode. EBR was paid to perform this review #Sponsored We try to be honest, thorough, and fun! Comparison tools, shop directory, and forums at: ElectricBikeReview.com
Yeah, these kits cost a lot but they have great software with a lot of features like regen mode and regenerative braking. The Lithium-ion batteries are also a big part of why they are so expensive.
Do she get that bike over in the U.S?
Where’s the controller? Is it possible to do a self-build without a spaghetti junction controller?
Very interesting question Peter. My first guess is that it would take quite a bit of effort and require use of feet vs. hand. There are however multiple regeneration settings so you could go on the weakest one and maybe have success. Electric regeneration from kinetic motion loses energy in the form of heat so it’s not perfect but in the kind of scenario you’re thinking of that inefficiency could be made up through the functional benefits of some electrical device such as a computer etc.
this is a WONDERFUL addition to a bike. i have had other "assist" bikes.. this is the rolls royce of kits and i REALLY love it.. I got as much as 45 miles to one charge it TRULY is worth the money. yes it was expensive. but itwas well worth it EXCELLENT video also.
Yeah, that’s a decent bike with a good pricepoint! I’d love to hear what you think about it when you get to spend some time riding around – maybe leave a comment on the review I did back at the site š
heloo please i need help Ā look at this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjBpqHi9Rhc&list=UUZMCI2YA7VARRV8aA0nZnRA
Most electric assists are ‘limited’ by law to 20mph but my current kit in throttle mode will struggle to do 10mph if I’m not pedaling at all/on flat terrain. What’s the speed of the throttle mode alone? What’s the range on one charge without recharge?
Nice review, have you uploaded any videos on the SL350 48 volt kit? (http://www.nycewheels.com/bionxpl350-sl-electricbike-motorkit.html) would be interested to see a comparison. Thanks again for the great video, will share – Jack
remove the back brake pads
This whole bike cost ~$2,200 but the kit alone is $1,500 for the smaller battery. If you want more range you can get the $1,800 kit or upgrade to the SL 350 kit which is lighter and uses a new motor.
i bought a yuba el mundo with 48v bionx system. the yuba is great the bionx hasn"t worked since the first couple of days,the battery wont charge a month later not a very timely response from bionx to my dealer. . if your easily frustrated stay away from bionx.
*A great ebike for the moneyā³ā³>**share4.photo/ebicycle?ć ”119** Ā For the bike I have had it for a day so far and still have half my battery. Havenāt had any problems with it.*
how much did you pay for that?
Seems a bit complicated.
That makes sense but you could save some money by getting the iZip E3 Compact which is built on the Dahon one speed but uses their proprietary motor and rear mounted rack/battery. Alternatively, you could wait until early 2014 and get the Dahon Formula E18 which uses a Dahon frame and comes with a BionX 350 setup pre-installed! It was one of my favorite folding ebikes at Interbike this year. I have full reviews and videos of both bikes back at the ElectricBikeReview website š
only problem is that it looks totally dorky
Good question… this bike actually belongs to my friend and she owns a bike shop so I’m not sure what she paid but I bet it’d cost just under $2K to build because the kit alone is $1,500 unless you go with the PL 250 which is $1,200 then you add the cost of the bike.
Would be interesting to hook this up to stationary bikes at the gym and give patrons small discounts on gym fees if they generate a certain amount of battery recharge. š
Are BionX the best choice for getting kits to put on bikes? I have a friend that is interested in electrifying her bike to. She wants something with a decent amount of power as she lives in the same area as me, its very hilly and she wants something that will really give her a lot of assistance and also good range.Ā Could you recommend a kit?
The battery on the 250 is only ~26 volts vs. 36 volts on the 350. It also only comes with 9 amp hours vs. 9.6. So in human speak that means it is less powerful with less torque (lower voltage) and won’t go for as long or far (fewer amp hours). Hope that helps! Check out the written review for both for more details, linked in description.
How about we make them not suck before we worry about what they look like.
Not sure what you are getting at. My only point is that as a relatively small company, the manufacturer probably spent every research and design dollar they could afford to bring this to market. If they had spent 10% more resources on aesthetics, this would not be a state-of-the-art advancing product. It would just be a bit prettier.
Yeah, I agree on the color options suggestion. I saw a customized BionX bike recently that had been painted black to match the bike and it looked amazing, not sure how durable the paint would be, also a hassle to do.
I hear ya! What ebike do you have and how has it been working? A first electric bike is a tough decision because they are so expensive with lots of different stats to understand. That’s kind of why I created the website and these videos… my first ebike was a little disappointing and I wanted to share as I and learned my way forward š
That’s awesome! I think there are some gyms out there that actually do harvest electricity from users working out and use it to power the lights (search for The Great Outdoor Gym Company) pretty cool š
Yeah, that’s a great question… I guess every bike is different, sometimes I get concerned about front-hub motors because the front fork seems more vulnerable, especially if it has a shock built on. The rider size and weight might also come into play, consider the maximum load the bike is designed for and then factor your weight plus the battery/motor. A rear hub puts the force right where a pedaler would so that’s an advantage.
Yeah, if you got a good deal on the Dahon Speed 8 then a BionX kit would be a good option for converting it to electric. It’s really one of the fancier options though, if you want to save some cash you could get a Hill Topper kit from Clean Republic. It uses a front mounted wheel design for simplicity but depending on how much you weigh this might not be a huge deal, it still works but no pedal assist, only a throttle button.