To run the forums, host the website, and travel, I charge a universal service fee for my reviews. This review was sponsored by AddMotoR. My goal is to be transparent and unbiased, this video and written review are not meant to be an endorsement of AddMotoR products.
AddMotoR has released a new bike for their Motan lineup, the M-60 L7. The M-60 L7 is a 750 watt hub-drive fat tire bike with a stretched seating position so they call it an all-purpose beach cruiser. The first thing you notice here is the banana seat. This seat is very plush and one of the more comfortable ones I have sat on. With this longer saddle, you can either fit a passenger or slide yourself back to change the pedal angle, giving you more of a full extension. If you do add a passenger, I recommend the $80 optional back rest they sell on their website. We tested it with one, and it defiantly kept the passenger from sliding off, but it also complimented the pre-installed folding passenger foot pegs. These are great, but I recommend remembering to fold them back up when not in use, so you don’t strike your leg with it when carting the bike around. A lot of comfort and adjustability on this bike. In addition to the seat position, they also have a tool free adjustable stem. This means you can adjust your riding position on the fly any time you choose. This also works well with the mid-rise bars that sweep back. Also, you get the suspension fork here with 32mm stanchions. It has 63mm of travel with not only a compression click adjustment, but preload adjust as well making it very configurable. And one last area of comfort of course, is the tires. These are Kenda Krusade sport, which is a little nicer since the knobs in the tire actually act as miniature shock absorbers. At 20” x 4”, they are great for loamy or soft terrain as well as sand and snow and are rated for 5-30psi. Another nice point about the wheels here is that these cast rims enclose the hub motor, so you don’t really have to worry about spokes buckling under pressure or truing the wheel at all. Also, with these smaller diameter wheels, you have a more mechanical advantage… it is easier than moving a really large wheel, so you get strength and efficiency, making for a really fun ride. Looking around the wheels though, I see this really long chain since the frame is kind of stretched. Because of the length, the chain definitely bounces around and can nick the frame, so it is a shame they didn’t add a full chain cover or even a slap guard. The did add a plastic chain guard to protect pants, but I would go a step further and get an after-market slap guard or even just getting some box tape and putting it on there to protect the paint. Some other notable additions to this bike are the alloy fenders with racing stripes, really great for keeping your dry. I also like these Wellgo alloy platform pedals which are a little wider and gripper and also made tough which is nice if the bike does take a tip. The bike has a battery integrated headlight, and it also includes a rear light, but this one is independent. It can get confusing sometimes because you notice the headlight turns off automatically, so you may forget the rear light, or assume it is off as well. Be mindful and make sure you manually shut off the rear light to save the independent AA batteries it runs on. This bike is loaded with features, but I really find it quite light weight all things considered, it is something I am really impressed with! Including the optional back rest here, we weighed the bike at 77lbs. Other features include ergonomic (non-locking) grips, an integrated bell, and an internally routed cables, adjustable length kickstand mounted away from the crank to reduce pedal lock. AddMotoR may not be a big name like Yamaha so to compete, you can tell they are really trying to add a lot and keep the cost low, the M-60 L7 is $1,799.
Diving the M-60 L7 is this 750 watt Bafang geared hub-drive motor with 5 modes of pedal assist and a twist throttle. It has a 12 magnet high resolution cadence sensor, which used to be kind of a premium setup, but nowadays it is considered somewhat older technology. Compared to todays top of the line systems, it tends to feel sluggish because it has this very pronounced on or off feeling, so I recommend using the throttle to ramp up your speed if you want that smoother feel. It kicks up to 20mph with no problem and stopping is nice since they also equipped it with motor inhibitors. On the mechanical side, they have a 7 speed Shimano Altus derailleur which is a step up from the typical entry level derailleurs I usually see on value priced ebikes. I love that it has a derailleur guard too, that really helps protect these systems in the shipping process. It has a 14-28 tooth on the cassette… not the best for climbing but is fine for cruising around the city. A thumb shifter is here, and I have never been a big fan of these, but I understand if you have a twist throttle attached, sometimes the thumb style shifter is the only option for the engineers to mount a shifting system. Stopping the M-60 L7 are these 180mm rotor disc brakes with some Tektro 4 finer levers with rubberized edges. Mechanical disc brakes are easier to adjust as well as to maintain, however, you do have to squeeze a little harder to get them to actuate fully and there could be a delay sending braking to the rear since it has to travel all the way through the back with the cable. Overall, the system works great and freewheels efficiently, giving the bike a capable and compact feel.
Powering the M-60 L7 is a 6.9lb, 48v 11.6ah lithium ion battery. 48v systems are fun on a bike like this since the powerful hub drive and smaller wheel base combine to give it a really zippy and eager feel. The battery itself has an on/off switch which is kind of annoying because it makes turning on and off the bike a 2 step process since you also have the display to control. The battery rails have these really sturdy 3 bolts on the mounting rack and the battery has an LED power level readout which is great. It comes with a 2lb, 3amp charger which is nice since it is a little faster of a charge than the standard entry level 2amp. To really care for this and other lithium-ion packs, I have heard that storing in a cool dry location vs. extreme heat or cold will extend the life and try to keep it about 50% full when not using for long periods so you won’t stress the cells. Try not to let it run down to zero, because that’s really hard on the cell chemistry.
Turning on the display itself is pretty simple and requires a long press of the M on the independent button pad. Once the display turns on, the M-60 L7 is ready to ride. It will always start in pedal assist level 1, regardless of what level of pedal assist I leave it in, and it will always start with the lights turned off. When the bike is on, however, the throttle is live. Just a reminder to please be careful with this as I have accidentally activated throttles like this in the past and had the bike run away from me, and once driven a bike into the side of my car (it was at low speeds so no damage). I like this display because it angles a bit, is backlit, has a USB Type A port and provides most of the pertinent information I want to see in a cohesive, easy to understand way. Once the display is activated, I can navigate through the pedal assist modes (1-5) with the up and down arrows and toggle through different display options by tapping the M button and holding the up button. To turn on the light and backlight, I hold the up arrow and M button. To enter walk mode, I hold the down arrow. To enter settings, I hold the up and down arrow. Pretty straightforward and I also like that the buttons are tactile and provide a good grip, and that they have tactile feedback when they are depressed so I can feel what is happening without having to look.
The M-60 L7 is a fun set up and doesn’t disappoint for its intended purpose, however as a value priced ebike, some tradeoffs are of course going to need some weighing. The M-60 L7 is powerful, but has no torque arm, just a washer insert so it could rock over time and might not be as strong as some of the Rad Power bikes. The starting process is a 2 step process, which is a little annoying if you just want to get on and ride, you have to turn on the both the battery and the display separately. I like the integrated headlight, but the independent rear light means the front can turn off with the bike, so you may forget to turn off the rear light, wasting the AA batteries that power it. As mentioned earlier, there is no slap guard and this chain is extra long, so chain bouncing is inevitable. I would recommend getting an after-market neoprene slap guard or at least putting some box tape down on the frame to protect the paint from getting knicked. The electrical system does produce a little delay in pedal assist, so I would recommend using the throttle to ramp up if you want that smoothness. All tradeoffs aside, I really like this bike! I am pleasantly surprised with the suspension, plush seat, and really everything else. It is a very stable offering for $1,799 and even comes with free shipping. I want to thank AddMotoR for inviting me to come check this bike out as well as take a peek at their factory.
As always, I welcome questions and feedback in the comment section below. Whether you own a previous version of the bike, have taken a test ride, or are brand new to the space, my goal is to provide an objective and honest resource. You can also join the AddMotoR Ebike forums and share your own photos, videos, and review updates to help others! Have fun out there, and ride safe :)
Pros:
- The seat is very plush and one of the more comfortable ones I have sat on, with this longer saddle, you can either fit a passenger or slide yourself back to change the pedal angle, giving you more of a full extension
- The seat also makes adding a passenger easy, especially since down below there are folding foot pegs for the passenger, although I also recommend the back rest which is not included and must be purchased separately
- They also have a tool free adjustable stem, this means you can adjust your riding position on the fly any time you choose, this works well with the mid-rise bars that sweep back
- I love the suspension fork here with 32mm stanchions, 63mm of travel, and not only a compression click adjustment, but preload adjust as well making it very configurable
- Kenda Krusade Sport tires compliment the setup well as they excel in loamy or soft terrain as well as sand and snow and are rated for 5-30psi
- Another nice feature is these cast rims that enclose the hub motor, so you don’t really have to worry about spokes buckling under pressure or truing the wheel at all
- With smaller diameter wheels, you have a more mechanical advantage… it is easier than moving a really large wheel, so you get strength and efficiency, making for a really fun ride
- For such a hefty setup, it is surprisingly light weight compared to similar bikes, coming in at 77lbs with the optional back rest we tested
- The 750 watt Bafang geared hub-drive motor with 5 modes of pedal assist and a twist throttle really get up to 20mph quickly and is a lot of fun to tackle terrain
- The 48v 11.6ah lithium ion battery is capable and I love that the mounting rails have 3 attachment points, adding to the sturdiness of the bike
- The display is simple, backlight, straight forward, and even has USB Type A charging, overall a great for the price
- I was pleasantly surprised by this bike and you get a lot for $1,799 and it even comes with free shipping
Cons:
- The starting process is a 2 step process, which is a little annoying if you just want to get on and ride, you have to turn on the both the battery and the display separately
- The integrated headlight is great, but the independent rear light means the front can turn off with the bike, so you may forget to turn off the rear light, wasting the AA batteries that power it
- No slap guard comes with the bike and the chain is extra long, so chain bouncing is inevitable, I would recommend getting an after-market neoprene slap guard or at least putting some box tape down on the frame to protect the paint from getting knicked
- The passenger folding foot pegs are really cool! Make sure you do put them in the up position on when not using it, cause you can hit your ankle or your leg which could really hurt
- There is no torque arm for the motor axle mount, just a torque washer insert, which might not be as strong long term as some of the competing ebikes like Rad Power
- The strong motor is fun, and the motor inhibitors work great for cutting power to the electrical system, but it would be nice to see hydraulic brakes on a peppy setup such as this
- A minor gripe here, but if you know me, you know I am all about those bottle cage bosses, they really do come in handy for many riders, so it is unfortunate that this bike doesn’t have any
- It has a 14-28 tooth on the cassette, not the best for climbing but is fine for cruising around the city
- It has a 12 magnet cadence sensor, which used to be kind of a premium setup, but nowadays it is considered somewhat older technology since it feels a bit sluggish because it has this very pronounced on or off feeling, so I recommend using the throttle to ramp up your speed if you want that smoother feel
Resources:
Tom
6 years agoHi Court, is there a weight or load limit listed for this bike? I like that it can carry two passengers but I do not see a weight rating for the bike anywhere in the review. Thanks.
ReplyCourt
6 years agoHi Tom! I asked about this but wasn’t given an official limit. Most companies I speak with set 250lbs for their ebikes, and possibly use the similar suppliers. This would be my guess for a floor, I’m sorry that I cannot be more specific and that I was unable to get this info… maybe someone else will chime in with info for us. And, I’ll ask again the next time I visit AddMotoR :)
ReplyAaron
5 years agoBelieve you have the wrong link at the bottom of this one…
ReplyCourt
5 years agoIndeed we did, thank you Aaron! I’ve just fixed it :)
Reply