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Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with the manufacturer (or their dealers), and have not been financially compensated in any way for my opinions.
The road that led to one choice…
WINDONE E2
Product Review by Joe Zimmerman
Recently throughout the internet from Instagram to YouTube I’ve been seeing numerous promotions and advertisements for a verity of e-bikes that are being sold all over the country. There’s no doubt e-bikes (electronic bicycles) have now become mainstream, so much so that the Federal Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is now starting to heavily regulate the sale and manufacturing of them. Regulations now include labeling them based on speed and power limits. All this has come about because today you basically can’t go to any park, beach, trail or even walk on virtually any street without seeing one of the many various bikes out in the market. It seems manufacturers; independent startup companies and so forth have unleashed to the masses a growing movement, a reason for human beings to go back outdoors again. In so, I decided it might be time to find out what all the hoopla was about. So, I decided to randomly choose an e-bike to put it through the ringer for this site’s review.
Considering my interest and background is with motorcycles, the choice for which e-bike to review was simple. It would be to choose one that resembled a motorcycle (why not, a motorcycle with bicycle peddles). After spending some time on line looking at the various models, companies, options and prices, I decided on the Windone E2 for its rugged streamline appearance of a black dirt bike.
Within several days of my direct order from the company the E2 was at my front door.
Now, it’s worth noting that I did realize the manufacturer was/had freely given numerous units of these bikes to internet influencers as a marketing strategy for their reviews, but I chose to purchase this product with my own money for a “completely” unbiased review. So I purposely did not contact the company for this unit. I needed to see for myself if what these overwhelmingly positive word of mouth reviews were saying were true.
In opening the large box I found the E2 was about 90/95% assembled and required about an hour or so of slowly and accurately assembling the rest of the bike, which included: the handlebar, a mudguard, peddles, front headlight, front wheel, and sound bell. I also installed “Flat Out” instant tire puncture repair into both tires (to help prevent flats).
(Below) All parts were very well protected with foam and tape during shipping.
The parts were so well protected with foam and tape during shipping that the seat’s rear taillight assembly and license plate holder arrived cracked and broken from possibly the tightness of the wrapping (or maybe before the wrapping).
I’m not sure why an e trail bike designed with off road riding options would have a slanted “plastic” license plate holder with high potential of being cracked by force. If they wanted to stick to this design it would have made more sense that the plate holder be connected to the taillight assembly via “rubber” connectors, allowing for some flexibility in case of an accident.
Regardless, an immediate email to the company had another rear assembly shipped out to replace the broken piece in about a week.
(Below) Replacement light received within a week (Left), and installed (Right).
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It was nice to know Windone took my situation seriously and quickly provided rapid service. As well as the respectable service, the company also offers a diverse range of other (different) e-bikes for various riding applications (Mountain biking, street commuting and so forth). With the kind of professional service that they provided me and their dedication to producing a verity of bikes, I suspect Windone should be a company worth taking notice of if you’re in the market for an e-bike.
As for my new E2, once I got the bike assembled it was time to charge the battery. My battery arrived fully discharged (which I thought was unusual) but after a full charge that took under 6 hours, I installed it onto the bike. Being a detachable (and lockable) battery is nice because it allowed me to easily charge it without having to move the bike around. Another nice thing about this battery is that it has an IPX5 waterproof rating which means you can still ride the bike in light rain. Although I still wouldn’t like to ride this or any bike in rain, it's nice to know I can if I had to.
(Below) With a brushless hub-drive motor, Windone E2’s 624 Wh (48 V 13 Ah) battery provides speeds up to 28 mph and up to 28 miles using Pure Electrical power - (or 46.6 miles using the Pedal Assist (PAS)).
With the battery charged, the following day would have me pull out the E2 for an 11 mile ride that included very sloped hills with as much as 20% grades.
(Below) With Pedal Assist 2 engaged, and Gear 1 chosen I had no issues climbing this 20% slopped hill.
The E2 comes with 7 gear speeds and what appears to be a standard pedal assist system which is common on most e-bikes. Learning to use the pedal assist (PAS) and the gears “correctly” is fairly easy. The more help you need pedaling the higher the number option to choose from on pedal assist mode. To help the bike up a hill choose a higher PAS number (like 5 or 6) with a lower speed gear like 1 or 2 (the lower the gear number the larger the rear sprocket will be, making it easier on you and the motor to get up those hills). But if all that sounds confusing, just put PAS in 1 or 2 and the gear somewhere in the middle (4 or 5) and just ride.
(Below) The Windone E2’s Pedal Assist and Gear lever locations on the handlebar (Left), and the 7 rear gear sprockets (Right).
Top speed that I reached peaked at 28mph, and at the same time the E2 provided an exceptionally smooth ride because of its outstanding front and rear suspension system.
(Below) The E2’s front (Left) and rear coil (Right) dual adjustable shock absorption system provided a very smooth ride on all roads (and non-roads).
Although I only performed a 1 foot jump off the side of a driveway cement curbed incline, more experience online reviewers did note with higher jumps that the front forks do “snap” back into place once you’re air-born (making for a sudden but light jolt). But my short jump felt smooth and comfortable and the bike felt very balanced. The E2’s rider weight capacity is rated for 330lbs and overall the handling was fine for my frame. I’m 6’4” tall and weigh around 200lbs. Although the handlebars are a little too low for my taste, causing me to lean forward more than I liked, I had no issues maneuvering it around. But, I did install a stem riser to extender the handlebar to give me a more upright position.
(Below) Original handlebar height (Left), and the handlebar after I replaced it with a Stem Riser (Right). This made a world of difference for my 6’4” frame.
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(Below) For reference - My 6’4”, 200lbs frame standing (Left), and sitting on the Windone E2 (Right).
(Below) The 20” x 4" Fat Tires handled well on regular pavement, and tight corners were a cinch on both gravel and dirt roads for these knobby tires.
Although the bike supposedly weighs in at around 90lbs it still reminded me of riding one of my old banana-seat bikes from the 1970s, easy and fun to ride and handle. Also worth mentioning is the simple yet respectable front digital color display screen, with speedometer, odometer and Pedal Assist screen indicators, which I found easy to see during daylight.
(Below) Windone E2’s front digital color screen display includes speedometer, odometer, PAS indicator, battery level, and trip range.
One thing that I did take note of that the manufacturer could have improved on is the kickstand. Although the stand is well constructed and looks great, it does have its flaws. One is the constant rattling noise it makes as you ride over rough terrain. As well, for someone like myself with a shoe size of 12/13 I found the back of my heel continually hitting the stand while pedaling. This required my having to adjust how I pedaled because the stand protruded out too far from the frame.
(Below) The Windone E2’s Kickstand although sturdy and dependable …
(Below) … the stand is not without issues. For large feet while pedaling your heel might rub across the stand. As well, it does make rattling noises when riding over rough terrain.
The bike is rated at 500W (Watts) continuous and has a 750Watt peak (watts are basically what horsepower is to motorcycles). So if this bike peaks at 750wat that’s supposedly around 1 horse power.
Theoretically the 500W motor and the 624W battery offer enough power for a range of up to 28 miles and speeds of up to 28 mph, which I can confirm (or 46.6 miles with the Pedal Assist (PAS) engaged). Surprisingly after completing about a dozen miles on my test ride, I found the battery still at its peak when I got home.
As for the brakes, on my model the brakes wear reversed from how they are on my motorcycle. On the E2, the front wheel brake is on the left hand grip and the rear brake is on the right hand grip. This setup is standard on bicycles. Both front and rear hydraulic disc brakes worked excellent.
(Below) Windone E2’s Front (Left), and Rear (Right) disc brakes.
Although I do realize there are advantages (and disadvantage’s) to spoke wheels, I’m sorry but these Windone E2 fat tires wrapped around aluminum mag rims (like on my motorcycle) are just way more astatically cooler looking than weak thin spokes.
(Below) The windone E2’s stylish aluminum mag rims (Left), and my Honda NC700X’s tire rim (Right).
The front LED headlight with its 1950s retro look performed flawlessly at night in pitch darkness. When turning on the E2’s headlight take note that the rear display/brake light behind the seat turns on as well and brightens even more when engaging the brakes, very nice.
(Below) The Front Headlight does a very decent job illuminating what’s ahead of you.
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(Below) A “before and after” example of the illumination power of the Front Headlight. Headlight off (Left), and Headlight on (Right). There is easily well over 100 feet of illumination.
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Lastly, I was pleased to find enough room on the unit to be able to connect and attach all my accessories, which included (below):
AirPump Tool bag (under Seat)
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Locking Cable Blinking Light indicators
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Cell phone and Bottle holders
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(Below) Not really part of the review, I do always recommend “Ankle Straps” to prevent an accident with your pant leg mingling with the front chain sprocket.
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Finally, I’d like to address a YouTube reviewer who felt that the bike’s mudguards were not long enough. Regardless of his comment, I can assure you the designer’s mudguards on this bike are not only adequate, but kind of resemble those I’ve seen on a Triumph Street Scrambler which is very cool. As well, if the reviewer would have looked deeper at the bike’s design they would have noticed the area the front mudguard protects (the battery location) “already” has a shield protecting the battery casing and wires, and the back guard is primarily shielding debris off the rear shock. Under the seat is already well protected by a metal plate.
(Below) The front mudguard and the front protective plate shielding the battery and wires (Left), and the back mudguard protecting the rear shock, and the under-seat metal plate (Right).
In conclusion, after spending an afternoon with the Windone E2, I can honestly say I now understand what all the hoopla is about regarding e-bikes. Riding around town was easy and fun. Going up hills with Pedal Assist was stress-free and simple and going downhill felt perfectly safe with this bike’s superb hydraulic braking system. Overall, minus the streamline more aggressive forward leaning handlebar height (for the young at heart) that I adjusted with a stem riser to extender its height (for my size), and the protruding and noisy but tolerable kickstand, there’s a lot to admire with the Windone E2. Its rugged, durable motorcycle appearance, amplified by its powerful retro front LED headlight, riding comfort, diverse terrain stability traction, ample distance range and generous speed capability, I couldn’t ask for a more perfect ride.
(Below) The Windone E2 with its speeds of up to 28 mph can out run trail varmints including a T-Rex if you should come across one.
Tech Specs:
Battery: 624Wh, 48V 13AH
Charge Time: 6-7 hrs.
Motor: 500W nominal (750W PEAK)
Tires: 20”x 4" FAT AIR-TIRES (w/ Schrader tubes)
Wheelbase: 46.8 inch
SUSPENSION: Front & Rear (Seat)
Top Speed: 28 mph (Pure Electrical)
Range: 28 miles (Pure Electric) and 46.6 miles w/ PAS
Throttle: Half/grip Full Twist Throttle
Waterproof Class: IPX5 (Battery), IPX4 (Bike)
Hill Climbing: 20%
Weight: 90-95lbs
Total Length: 67-69 inch
Handlebar Height: 40 inch
Seat Height: 34.2 inch
Handlebar Width: 26.7 inch
Saddle Length: 23.2 inch
Payload Capacity: 330 LBS.
Recommended rider’s height: 5‘57”-6‘88‘’
Frame: Aluminum
Brakes: Front and Rear hydraulic Disc brakes
Head Light: LED
Tail Light: LED (on when headlight is turned on/Plus Break light)
Horn: Bell
What You Get:
1 x Windone E2 E-Bike
1 x AC Charger
1 x Foot Air Pump
! x Installation Tools
2 x Battery Keys
2 x Pedals (Right and Left)
1 x User Manual
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The Windone E2 is available for purchase at:
Photos: Images within this review are copyrighted by Joe Zimmerman/Damfinoroads. Additional photos uploaded and/or scanned are used for informative, editorial, and educational purposes only. Certain images, logos, and other respective materials may be copyrighted by their respective owners. No rights are given or implied in any way.