Vvolt Centauri II Is My New Favorite E-Bike

Since I started reviewing on Lifehacker in 2023, I’ve tested a ton of bikes—from no-frills models like the Propella 7S to more expensive e-mountain bikes like Canyon’s Spectra l —and although none e-bike is not suitable for every type of bike. a motorcycle for every taste, the Centauri II is my favorite. I likeVvolt Centauri II so much that I feel the need to start with a disclaimer: I am not paid by Vvolt and Lifehacker has no affiliation with the company.

For normal city driving – commuting, short trips on paved roads – the Centauri II is close to ideal. The weight, power, comfort and handling are balanced for everyday driving, and its performance features are better than I expected, including the belt-drive automatic transmission and mid-drive motor. Overall, the Centauri II raises the bar for commuter bikes.

Brief review of Vvolt Centauri II

Pros

• The mid-drive motor delivers smooth power delivery.

• Maintenance-free belt drive of automatic transmission.

• Lots of little details that make the ride more refined.

Cons

• There’s no throttle

• Its range could be greater

• Your friends may be too jealous

Characteristics

• Price: US$2,999.

• Speed: Class III 28 mph.

• Range: 20-60 miles

• Battery capacity: 490Wh/13.6Ah

• Motor power: torque 120Nm, rated power 350W/max. 650 W.

• Weight: 50 lbs (S/M)

• Frame type: Stepper

• Fork with Unicrown monoshock, 30 mm travel.

• Automatic 3-speed rear hub transmission (163% gear range)

• Sizes: S/M, M/L, L/XL | Suitable for riders between 4’9″ and 6’4″.

• Complies with UL-2849 and UL2271 approved battery.

• Available in Forest Planet and Galactic Storm colors.

Centauri II has both a stylish appearance and a functional design.

The Centauri II is a beautiful motorcycle: stylish rather than flashy, with a refined, refined appearance and filled with small details that work together. It comes in two colors: Forest Planet (green) and Galaxy Storm (white) and has a matte finish. The cables are well organized, with most of them hidden inside the frame, and I particularly like the reflective paint details and frame-mounted LED headlight.

In terms of frame geometry, the Centauri II is designed to keep riders in a slightly less upright position than many e-bikes. You don’t double over like a road biker, but you don’t straighten up like the witch from The Wizard of Oz ; it’s a good middle ground between the comfort of an upright position and the control of a more forward-leaning position, and it’s my personal sweet spot. The Centauri II comes in three frame sizes, so you can find a bike that’s right for you if you’re between 4’9″ and 6’4″.

The Centauri II is really fun to drive.

I didn’t have any preconceived notions about this e-bike before I took my first ride, but once I assembled it (assembly was easy and took about 20 minutes) and took it out onto the mean streets of North Hollywood, the Centauri II made a statement: This motorcycle is designed to provide a smooth ride with minimal hassle. It’s just a lot of fun to ride. As I began pedaling and engaged the assist, the quiet motor and automatic shifting engaged and adapted to my pedaling power and cadence, helping me reach and maintain speeds of 20 mph quickly and effortlessly. This is a Class 3 e-bike, so the pedal assist will get you up to 48 mph if you put in the effort to go that fast. Overall the car was a pleasure to drive and felt nimble and fast without losing control.

Four little things I liked about Centauri II

Here are some small details that I appreciated while riding the Centauri II e-bike:

1. Front suspension fork: The Centauri II is equipped with a “monoshock” above the front wheel. While not a mountain bike suspension fork, the monoshock provides 30mm of travel, which is enough to dampen city riding vibrations like potholes and uneven pavement, but not enough for a technical singletrack bike. Although it’s not a mountain bike, I’ve ridden the Centauri II for a few miles off-road and found it handles well on hard fire roads.

2. Weight : Centauri II weighs about 50 pounds. It’s light for an e-bike, but more importantly the weight is distributed in a way that makes the bike feel responsive and in control.

3. Saddle : A comfortable bike seat is a personal decision, but I found the Centauri II saddle wasn’t too soft or too big. It was a comfortable place to spend time.

4. Bell: It comes with a small analog bell and I thought it was great.

Centauri II transmission and pedal assist system.

Good front suspension and a comfortable saddle are great features, but I was especially interested in the pedal and transmission. The Centauri II features a mid-drive motor from Ananda, and at 350W continuous power, it’s not the most powerful motor on the market (the maximum continuous power allowed for e-bikes in the US is 750W), but the mid-drive means fluid flows directly to pedals rather than the wheels, so it gets up to speed quickly and smoothly with a more natural power delivery instead of the jerky torque of a motorcycle. And like most e-bikes, the Centauri II has five levels of pedal assist, but unlike the others, its first level is “cool mode,” a configuration that keeps the bike in its lowest gear and reaches top speed at 12 mph per hour This is useful for climbing hills and maintaining a safe speed on mixed-use bike paths. It’s not a huge innovation, but a small detail that makes this car stand out.

The Centauri II is equipped with a Gates CDX belt drive, which, unlike a chain drive, requires no lubrication or maintenance, does not rust, is quiet and lasts virtually forever. In addition to the belt drive, the Centauri II is equipped with a three-speed automatic transmission that takes care of the question “what gear am I in?” question from your trip. I tested an automatic bike with a chain drive (which supposedly used AI to change gears) and wasn’t too impressed, especially when it came to hills, but the Centauri’s drive was different. It uses a mechanical system that shifts up and down depending on speed. The way the pedal assist interacted with the transmission provided just the right amount of power to allow easy pedaling, even when going uphill. While three gears probably wouldn’t be enough for an analog bike, the Centauri II almost never left me feeling like I was in the wrong gear during my 150 miles of testing. To really experience the shiftless ride, I took the Centauri II on a couple of mountain rides, including one with 2,000 feet of elevation gain, and had no problems with it. Bigger hills require more pedaling, but unless the gradient is steep, like Tour de France level, they are doable.

Centauri II has no throttle

I consider the Centauri’s lack of throttle control to be a “con” as many people enjoy the ability to hop on an e-bike and let the motor do all the work. That’s not my mood so the lack of gas doesn’t bother me, but your mileage may vary. Instead of a throttle, the Centauri II has a “boost” button designed to get you off the road faster and up steeper hills, and it provides about three seconds of peak power before cutting out. It works as intended, but I didn’t use it much and found the boost a little sketchy on hills, where I felt a slight delay between the boost stopping and the pedal assist engaging. This was disconcerting, especially on steeper slopes, as it felt like I was suddenly losing power.

Centauri II battery and display

The trade-off for the Centauri’s lighter weight is more limited battery life. Its 490Whr battery is rated for a range of 20 to 60 miles, which seems about right based on my driving. On one trip, I started with a fully charged battery and drove it through some tough hills, including a couple of miles on dirt roads. On the way home I was tired so I kept the pedal high. I drove about 26 miles and when I got home the battery was almost dead. In other words, it’s not the most durable bike, so if range is your top priority, you could do better. The batteries are UL-2849 rated and charge in approximately 5-7 hours.

As for the Centauri II’s display, it’s functional, uncluttered, and easy to read in bright sunlight. Each power level has a different color for each power level so I could read it at a glance. Inputs are the standard “on” button, “headlights on” and up and down arrows for PAS control.

Overall, I highly recommend Centauri II.

Almost every time I’ve ridden the Centauri II over the past few months, I’ve gone longer than expected because it’s so much fun to ride. If you’re looking for a general purpose city commuter bike that’s reasonably priced, I recommend the Vvolt Centauri II.

More…