EMotorad EMX Plus e-Bike Review: Easy Assistance

What was the first moment where you found freedom, or at least momentary freedom? It was bicycling for me. Two wheels propelled by sheer youthful energy and a thirst for speed. But as time passed, pedal power was replaced with horse power. And somewhere the activity that gave me much joy, passed away. Hence, when the opportunity arrived to test out an e-bike for a long term period, I jumped at the chance. I just wanted to see how seemingly easy was it for me to jump back on a cycle and ride? And whether the e-bike route is the ideal way to go about for those who are not-so-super serious about their pedalling past times. Here’s how the past few months with the EMotorad EMX+ have been.

What Is It?

The EMX+ is the top-of-the-line e-bike in EMotorad’s catalogue with good suspension, gearing and braking components. It is a mountain bike with dual suspension, not a hardtail. Aluminium alloy 6061 material is used for the creation of the cycle frame, making the skeleton light and formidable. It rolls on large 27.5-inch tyres with Kenda rubber wrapped on them. The e-bike is anchored by disc brakes at both ends, keeping the safety quotient high.

One can find a few bits from cycling specialist Shimano, especially the derailleur for the 3*7 speed drivetrain. The 21-speed system is aided by a small 250 W hub motor that is restricted to 25 kmph to meet the Indian road norms for a non-registration two-wheeler. Hence, via pure electric propulsion it does reach 25 kmph and claims to go for around 60 km on a single charge. This figure is bumped up to 80 km during pedal assist mode (PAS) with 5-levels for the assistance, 1 being the least to 5 being the max.

You get a 36 V 13 Ah removable lithium ion battery pack that is not too heavy. It can be easily charged at home via a simple socket and a full charge takes anywhere between 5 and 7 hours. The charge status can be seen on a colour-segmented LCD cluster that also displays the speed, PAS level, and odometer. And finally, the EMX+ is completed with a headlight, tail light and a horn.

Hopping On

EMotorad states that the ideal build for the cycle is someone between 5 and 6 feet with a load capacity of under 115 kilos. Clearly, I fit the bill then as my porky side was starting to show. And considering I had recently invested in a racing leather suit that almost fit me, I needed to shed some kilos.

Happily, the EMX+ is taking over the role of a good trainer. In the few early days of riding the bike, I was super engrossed into fiddling around to find the right suspension settings for my weight. This robbed me of actually enjoying the bike while riding, which I later realised was what I missed the most: the feeling of actually enjoying the ride. 

In that sense, the EMX+ has the bits in place for someone like yours truly who is returning to cycling to be comfy right from the start or for those who have been cycling for a while to be engaged. Yes, suspension tuning can be rewarding if done right and quickly. However, you can really just start with the middle setting and start riding. The Shimano Altus derailleur works neatly, shifting speeds swiftly so that you are in the right zone almost always.

Effective Efforts

The main talking point, though, is just how helpful the electric bit of the e-bike was to the whole riding process. And honestly, that is a big boon for returning cyclists. Once fatigue sets in or when there is a steep incline in sight, the PAS is ultra helpful in amplifying the pedalling effort-to-reward ratio. Each mode is noticeably more useful than the other. And when I just couldn’t muster up the strength to pedal the last mile, I had the juice to get me to my parking lot.

While the 10-16-year-old Jehan would laugh at my current state, the future 40-year-old me might just thank his stars that the 30-something me has gotten back on this saddle and not just the motorcycle ones. There is a caveat, though. Perhaps, the biggest one for most e-bikes. The price.

Asking Much?

At nearly ₹50,000, the EMX+ is a serious investment. Heck, even the most affordable e-bike from EMotorad starts at ₹24,999, while a good mountain bike or cycle would cost half of that. So, paying that much extra for the convenience of electric propulsion is worth it? From my lazy bottom’s perspective, yes. As it has helped me connect back to what I liked without really overburdening my rusty bones in exercising. And while I certainly found the EMX+ to be a great all-round comfy bike, I have my eyes set on the Doodle series from EMotorad. It seems to be something that is small, light and more geared towards casual riding. Hopefully then in 2025 I might dawdle along my neighbourhood on the Doodle.