Mod Bike Easy 3 Turned Me Into a Cruising E-Bike
I’ve always been a fan of “near-electric” e-bikes – humble machines that are 90% bike and 10% extra power to tackle the occasional hill – but riding the Mod Easy 3 made me rethink everything. This tired, powerful heavyweight is more likely to be mistaken for a motorcycle than a “regular” bike, but it’s so much fun to ride that I’ve become a convert to the cruising e-bike.
Yes, now I’m big, huge, “don’t give a damn” on a bike. I don’t care about the occasional dirty look I see on the local mixed-use bike path, and I have the Mod Easy 3 to thank for that.
A quick look at Mod Easy 3
pros
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Ultra comfortable ride
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Stylish
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Numerous accessories including stroller.
Minuses
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All the bells and whistles may be too much.
Characteristics
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Classification: Class 2 with the possibility of moving to class 3 or 1.
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Price: US$2999.
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Colors: Charcoal Black, Army Green.
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Weight: 77 lbs
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Rider height: 5’2″ – 6’7″.
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Maximum bike load: 265 lbs.
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Motor: MOD DRIVE 750W (peak power 1000W) with gearbox
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Battery range: up to 50/100 miles
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Charging time: 3-6 hours
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Maximum assist speed: 28 mph
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Throttle: Thumb throttle
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Pedal booster: programmable 5 levels, torque sensor
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Frame: 6061 aluminum frame.
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Rims: 24″ x 80 mm.
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Fork: Mozo, 100mm travel, preload and lockout.
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Brakes: Hydraulic disc brakes with 180mm rotors, twin-piston calipers with engine inhibitors.
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Tires: Universal Kenda Flame 24 x 3.00 inches.
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Shifter: Shimano ALTUS, 7 speed.
Mod Easy 3 is made in retro style.
Visually, Mod Easy 3 is striking. It’s modeled after the motorcycles of the 1940s, with fat tires, a large “gas tank” (which actually houses the battery), and a fat seat. It’s only available in two colors: Army Green and Matte Black, but I’m guessing 90% of people will still choose one of these iconic shades. A large LED headlight above the front fender completes this fat guy’s muscular motorcycle look. (My wife says riding it makes me look thinner, so points for that.)
What it’s like to ride the Mod Easy 3
For this review, I drove the Mod Easy 3 over 100 miles, in all conditions and on a variety of roads. Verdict: I love riding this bike.
In keeping with the cruiser spirit, the key concept of the Mod Easy 3 is comfort. Easy 3’s geometry and rear-swept handlebars keep you upright while distributing all the weight to your butt and legs—the perfect position for a relaxed ride. The 24-inch wheels (with fat 3-inch tires), suspension fork, and plush faux leather saddle with seatpost suspension soak up road imperfections so well that you barely feel a thing. lush, ride.
The Mod Easy 3 says it’s designed for riders between 5’2″ and 6’7″, which is a wide range. I found it to be the right size (5’8″), but I can’t say for sure how it will feel for people on the outer edges of its size range.
Given that this is such a heavy bike, I expected it to feel sluggish or unwieldy, but at very low speeds it does. But once you give it some juice by pedaling or stomping on the gas, the extra weight seems to disappear and the bike feels nimble and durable. It’s not agile, but it’s responsive enough that you can trust it to do what you ask it to do.
In a Class 3 bike configuration, the Mod Easy’s top speed is 48 mph. I’ve ridden cheaper Class 3 cruiser e-bikes that feel downright intimidating at top speed – rattling and harsh and making you think, “Maybe this is too fast.” Mod Easy 3 does not provide such an atmosphere. It still feels safe and solid, even at speeds around 30 mph.
The engine’s power delivery is smooth, it accelerates without swaying, and the torque-based assist feels organic—more like you have super-powered legs than a motor helping you walk. There are 5 levels of assistance: from “fitness”, which does not involve throttling and gentle assistance; to “turbo”, which maximizes assistance. The features of each setting can be customized so you can customize the acceleration rate, top speed, and torque sensing sensitivity.
Before I rode the Mod Easy 3, I was a little concerned about the brakes – it’s a heavy bike and I’m a pretty heavy guy – but the hydraulic disc brakes with 180mm rotors provide amazing stopping power, even with a lot of momentum behind it.
While I mostly drove on paved roads, I also tested the Easy 3 on short sections of gravel and packed dirt. It handled well and never slipped or felt slippery. That said, I wouldn’t take it for serious off-road riding – the tires are advertised as “all-terrain” but this is definitely a cruiser and not a mountain bike.
There are a lot of bells and whistles available for this bike, especially if you add the ‘essential pro’ kit and a second battery (needed for long rides) like I did. I liked all the hardware, but having a motion-activated theft alarm/horn, an extra battery, and a folding lock also means you have to juggle four separate keys and a fob (one key for the battery compartment, one for each of the two). batteries, one for the lock, plus a remote control fob for the alarm), which is too much if you just want to go for a quick drive.
Display and motor Mod Easy 3
The Easy 3 color display is easy to read and understand. It tells you how fast you’re going, your assist level, travel distance and how much charge you have left, as well as whether your helmet is connected – the Mod Easy 3 pairs with the Lumos smart helmet to turn on the turn signals and brake lights on both. your bike and your head.
The cockpit controls are easy to understand and easy to use, with up and down arrows for assist levels and directional arrows for the LED turn signals. There’s even an old-fashioned mechanical bell you can use to call roller skaters to get out of the way. (Though a much louder optional alarm clock works much better.)
What’s under the hood of the Easy 3 mod
An e-bike that weighs nearly 80 pounds needs a powerful motor, and the Mod Easy’s 750-watt rear-wheel drive motor produces up to 1,050 watts of power, enough to propel even this hefty cruiser to the bike’s top speed of 20 mph. hour. If you set it up as a Class 3 bike, it will easily hit 48 mph with a little pedaling.
To test the engine’s external capabilities, I took my Easy 3 and headed up Mount Hollywood in Los Angeles, a 1,300-foot hill with some pretty steep inclines. I pressed the gas with assist at the highest level and refused to press the pedals at all, using myself as dead weight and making it do the work of lifting me. Despite these extremely brutal conditions, the bike still helped me reach the top. Sure, it used up about half its battery and slowed down to 7 mph at some points, but it didn’t explode, overheat, or otherwise give up the ghost.
Speaking of batteries, they promise a range of around 50 miles on a single charge, which seems pretty accurate, but as with any e-bike, the amount of charge you use will vary greatly depending on how often you pedal. how heavy you are and the size of the bike. the hills and headwinds you face.
Accessories include stroller and racks.
One of the main advantages of the Mod Easy 3 is the additional stroller. No one in my life wanted to ride it because they’re cowards, so I didn’t get to test it out, but if you have a dog, a child, or a manly spouse, you’ll make a definite statement driving up to the beach with one of these.
Instead, I opted for a clip-on trunk bag and a front basket. Both attach in seconds and do everything you’d expect them to do, which is give you a place to store your lunch and extra water if you’re going on a long trip. Mod Bike accessories include everything from a stand-up paddleboard to an insulated bag for food delivery and pawls to protect your dog’s eyes while riding in the stroller.
How reliable is Easy 3 Mod? He survived being hit by a car
For this review, I drove the Mod Easy 3 in a variety of conditions, including taking it out on a day when the temperature reached 96°F, purposefully driving it over potholes on the worst roads I could find, and having it drag me through enormous height. Hill.
No matter what I did, the Easy 3 worked perfectly, without any mechanical or electrical problems. I was even hit by a car during testing. Both the bike and I hit the pavement hard, and although it took me a couple of months to recover, the bike was fine except for a few scratches in the paint.
Bottom line: Great cruising e-bike.
If you are looking for a cruiser style bike, the Mod Easy 3 is a great choice. It’s stylish, comfortable, fun and reliable, with plenty of accessories to turn it into your own idea of the perfect cruising boat. It combines power and comfort well and looks cool at the same time. At the risk of overdoing it, this is the type of bike that makes you wish you could take it on longer trips while you’re already riding . It’s fun to smile while riding and makes strangers ask, “What ‘s that ?” If only I could find someone brave enough to ride in my carriage, I would be ready.