The state of urban mobility is evolving at a rapid pace. Just take a look at any morning commute in the city and you’ll see a cornucopia of electrified transport options with scooters, bikes, skateboards and even roller skates are all benefitting from the assistance these days. However, it arguably all kicked off with the e-bike.
No longer simply confined to the commuter market, e-bikes options are expanding out into seemingly every category. With the SG1, Californian outfit Super73 have their sights set on the cruisy commuter market. So over the course of a few weeks, we spent a little time aboard the retro-styled steed and came away suitably impressed.
- Related Reading: Ultimate E-Bike Buyer’s Guide
Fast, Fun and Stylish
With an aesthetic that harks back to the birth of motocross, the SG1 (RRP AU$3,590 as tested) oozes retro style and garnered plenty of attention during our short test period. Marketed by Super73 as an “electric motorbike”, the bike certainly looks the part, alas the SG1 is available as either a pedal-assist rear-hub drive unit or with a thumb-operated throttle. In Australian trim, the SG1 comes outfitted with a 250watt rear-hub driven drive unit mated to a 696Wh battery system.
The SG1 has a quoted range of 60-70km, this, of course, depends on external factors such as rider weight, terrain, elemental conditions etc. We found this range pretty true to form over our short test period, with all testers clocking in around 55km before recharging the bike. A full charge comes in around five hours via the included charger, which is more or less bang on with the manufacturer’s recommendation.
The SG1 comes complete with a one size fits most stainless steel frame, a single-speed drive train, Tektro hydraulic disc brakes, alloy pedals, knobby 4.0” wide 20” wheels and tyres and a complete weight of around 32kg. Whilst this bike is definitely on the heavier side, the additional power on tap with our demo bike made this more or less a non-issue.
The Super73 SG1 supplied by Ben Buckler Boards shipped complete with the pedelec controller and the throttle option (for private off-road use only) to give us an idea of the capabilities of this stylish steed. Whilst we used the pedal-assist mode for commuting duties too and from work, the real fun came with the optional throttle option. This removes the speed limiter, boosting maximum speed up to around 40kph and in our opinion, transformed the SG1 into an electric motorbike that was an absolute riot to ride around on.
In pedal-assist mode, the seating position combined with the long cranks did make the bike somewhat compromised and awkward to pedal, however, for those with shorter legs, or under 6ft in height, this shouldn’t present as too much of an issue. The response from the drive unit was linear and progressive, with the brakes adequately powerful enough to bring the bike to a stop. We found the headlight and taillight to be adequate for being seen, however, those wanting a front light to see-by should look into a more powerful bike light.
Whilst a period of two weeks wasn’t long enough to form any concrete opinions on overall durability, the SG1 did appear to be well built, easy to assemble out of the box and sturdy enough to handle years of faithful service. So while the looks and riding position may be polarizing, if you’re in the market for an alternative to the current crop of cruiser e-bikes, check out the Super73 right here, at BikeExchange.
The Super73 SG1 is available right now, from Ben Buckler Boards and carries an RRP of AU$3,490
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