Ride Review: The Twin-Battery FUELL Flluid-1E Perfectly Blends The Best Of An Ebike And A Motorcycle

Article written by Bill Roberson, Forbes Magazine - I cover cars, trucks, motorcycles and the evolution of modern mobility technologies.

Click here to read the article on the Forbes website.

There are several schools of thought around ebike design these days. Some makers are trying to make them as similar to regular bicycles as possible. Others are exploring the outer limits of design given the needed inclusion of batteries, motors, electronics and so forth. And still others are seeing just how close they can push the definition of an electric “bicycle” before it becomes an electric motorcycle - weight, cost and complexity be damned.

FUELL is somewhat a member of those companies in the last category, and it should be no surprise that their new Flluid-1E ebike offering will eventually have an actual electric motorcycle counterpart, the Fllow, if things go as planned. To a long time motorcycle rider like myself, that’s definitely not surprising since the Flluid bicycles come from the mind of longtime maverick motorcycle designer Erik Buell - thus the two Ls in the naming nomenclature.

What was surprising was how much I loved riding the Flluid-1E while spending time with it recently, but it was not just any Flluid ebike. My review machine was actually a Flluid 1 “E,” the very first of the new crop of Flluid-1E production bikes to feature the innovative and effective Enviolo NuVinci rear hub that features infinite gear ratio selection between its minimum and maximum ratios. Indeed, it was Serial Number 00001. FUELL Fluid 1S models use a Shimano Nexus 5-Speed internally geared hub.

Looking at the Flluid-1E, it seems rather... conventional, which is a bit surprising, especially considering how radical Erik Buell’s motorcycles were. While many ebike startups feature odd frame shapes and novel if untested tech, the component list for the Flluid-1E features many fairly common bits that I see on many other higher-end ebikes: The as-mentioned Enviolo hub, silent Gates carbon belt drive, a 3.2-inch IPS color center-up LCD panel showing speed, power output and more, Tektro 180mm hydraulic disc brakes, and 48-Volt Samsung batteries, most all of which are off-the shelf tech.

Instead of using a Bafang or Bosch unit, motor power comes from a 500-watt Bofeili mid-drive motor that puts out 100nm of torque. The aluminum hardtail frame consists of two reliable triangles plus a Suntour XCR34 suspension fork up front with a plush 120mm of travel that can also be locked out. So far, it looks like... a bicycle. A burly bicycle, but clearly a thing you can pedal. It doesn’t fold up, use weird wheel sizes or transform into a unicycle.

More good stuff: The Roxim Z4E Pro LED headlight is incredibly bright and even features a high beam, and a bright LED taillight/brake light is under the seat or in my case, on the rear rack. There’s a very loud horn and the best rear-view mirror on a bicycle that I’ve ever used off the left bar end. Again, all very motorcycle-like. But, there’s also a built-in rear wheel lock like they use on bicycles everywhere in Japan and Europe, which is effective on the Flluid since it’s not really a bike a thief would easily carry away.

FUELL also included a very thick chain-link style cable lock, rear rack, metal fenders, a swank set of waterproof bag-style rear panniers, a rack top case and even a very cool branded helmet with an LED marker light in the back. Basically, it arrived as a deluxe commuter setup. The bags clicked on and off the rear rack using a simple key (smart!), but all three could not be used at once, unfortunately.

But it’s the overall design and detail choices, and how everything works together, that makes this ebike so special. Also, we can’t be remiss in mentioning the Flluid-1E is packing two batteries that fit flush into the frame, giving it tremendous range - but also a lot of weight. So how does it ride?

The ride really is the thing

With any bicycle, there is a bit of fettling that occurs to “fit” the bike to your body. After finding the correct seat height, I settled in for an initial ride and was immediately impressed with how comfortable the Flluid-1E is to ride, and I don’t mean “soft-seat cushy comfortable.” It felt like it had been sized and measured just for me. I specified a “large” frame size when talking with FUELL about a review bike, but nothing beyond that. This bike fit me like a glove, although it would be more accurate so say it fit me more like a motorcycle.

The handlebar is essentially flat instead of having the common “beach bar” bend I see so often now on ebikes. And the seat/pedal/bar triangle felt very motorcycle-like to me. Maybe it was a quirk of luck that it was so comfortable, but having ridden Buell motorcycles in the past, it seemed to echo that posture, just modified for a bicycle. As a larger rider (6-foot 1), I sometimes struggle with bikes that are a tick too small because they are trying to fit a wide cross section of humans. Not the case here. This is, so far, the most comfortable ebike I have personally ridden.

As noted, the Flluid-1E comes with two removable 500 Watt-hour batteries for a full kilowatt of juice on board. Interestingly, I had TWO dual-battery ebikes in for review at the same time, and they were very different styles and experiences. However, one common thread was how really, really convenient it is to have that second battery on board. The Flluid-1E is said to have over 100 miles of range and typically on an ebike, that’s if you’re doing a lot of the actual legwork yourself on pedal assist. I would just ride on one battery until it was at about 10%, then activate the other fully charged battery. It was like having two gas tanks on a car. Range anxiety? Zero. And for the record, thanks to the Enviolo hub, it was also easy to pedal the 1E sans assist - in the flat at least. I don’t think I’d like to tackle a steep hill without the motorized boost, but really, it could be done with that wide-ratio Enviolo hub. Slowly.

Also interesting: For as motorcycle-ish as the Flluid-1E feels, it’s actually one of the most bicycle-like ebikes I’ve reviewed, as it does not have a throttle. The assist only happens while pedaling, which you’d think would be a disappointment, but coupled with the idiot-proof Enviolo rear hub, the smooth power output and the great fit and feel while riding, I happily pedaled it everywhere.

On this model and the Flluid-1S, assist continues up to a Class III 28mph limit. The $4,999 Flluid-1 tops out at a Class I 20mph. FUELL’s intention is that the Flluid-1 meets the legal definition of a ‘bicycle’ in places that pay attention to such matters (the EU) and can be legally ridden on bike paths and other areas that may be legally inaccessible to higher speed Class III eBikes. Confused? Well, it is confusing, even to those of us paying attention.

But in getting to those speeds, there’s enough power added in that pedal effort is as light or as heavy as you desire by way of the six power levels available (including zero assist, but all systems on). Even with the heavy weight (about 80 pounds) of the bike, it was again surprisingly easy to pedal with no assist or with all electrical systems off (or dead batteries) since the rear hub is fully mechanical and uses a grip-rotation shifter.

I thought I would miss the throttle (my personal ebike has one), but the Fluid-1E motor engagement and power output is silky smooth no matter the power setting, and while freewheeling on a throttle is fun, I personally feel more in control of a bicycle if I’m pedaling it. Crazy, I know, but that’s the truth, and the Flluid-1E just has the whole assist engagement/gearing puzzle figured out. Yes, the two batteries make the Flluid heavy - almost 80 pounds - but in pedaling, even uphill, the powerful 500-watt mid-motor and fully variable rear hub gearing makes those ascents easy and fast. Plus, the Fluid-1E feels so incredibly solid while riding, with no frame flex and perfectly neutral steering - very much like a well-sorted sport motorcycle feels. When flying down a long downhill at well over 30mph, the Flluid tracks straight and true, and inspires confidence.

And when Battery No. 1 tails out, just push the button on battery No. 2 and it’s like you’ve got a whole new lease on life. The two-battery solution is something I think we’ll see more of in the future. I put in several 50+ miles ride on the Flluid and barely tipped into the second cell each time, even with the panniers loaded up with camera gear, food and whatnot.

Conclusion

It would be easy to say the $5,495 FUELL Flluid-1E rates a demerit for not having a throttle for pedal-free operation, but in truth, I never missed it. I have said repeatedly in reviews that consumers should think of electrified bicycles as low-powered motorcycles, especially when they have a throttle of some sort (and riders should gear up appropriately) and there is no shortage of throttle-optioned choices out there. But the real value of a bicycle that is packing an electric motor is that as a bicycle, its range and usefulness is greatly expanded. The FUELL Flluid-1E, kitted with a rack, pannier bags and fenders, was a reliable and swift commuting option, and since I was lucky enough to receive it during a stretch of fair Oregon weather, I was able to leave my car (and motorcycles) at home for both short trips and quite a few longer ones.

I love bicycles and motorcycles, and ebikes continue to be an intriguing blend of the two modalities. Some have a bit more motorbike in their Venn diagram while others hew more closely to the purity and simplicity of a bicycle. The FUELL Flluid-1E is a rare example of an ebike that deftly and cleanly combines the bigger, more solid presence and spirit of a motorcycle with the utility, ease and joy of a bicycle. I tip my helmet to Erik Buell and his team for creating what is, so far, the best ebike I’ve ridden to date.