My wife got me the Jupiter Bike for my birthday. I have ridden it for a couple of days and here?s my initial reactions.
Pro?s:
The design is brilliant (in the British sense of the word). It is amazing how tightly it folds up and how easy it it to fold and unfold.
Construction quality is good. The only Chinsey part was the original seat which is replaced with a high quality upgrade seat as part of the OSH package deal.
Amazing power and acceleration. I?m a bit fluffy but it right gets up and goes.
It feels a little unstable at first but you catch on quickly and get better at handling it with experience.
Battery range has been good so far. It shows battery bars on your smartphone via Bluetooth. At first I was concerned because it dropped the first two bars quite quickly, but it stabilized and the midrange ?half tank? lasted quite a while. Not a long distance cruiser by any means but should be good for a day around OSH or a run for a burger from a country airport. Top speed is over 20 mph with me on it, but dropping back to 15 seemed to extend battery life.
Cons:
Ride quality is very stiff. The tires are small and are solid rubber, which is good for Maint but bone jarring on things like expansion joints on pavement or concrete. The upgraded seat is a must have and the only shock abortion the thing has.
Needs a better ?smart? charger. The charger works quick (full charge in about 2 hours) but the manual stresses not to leave it plugged in more than three hours.
There is a red/green light in the charger but you can?t just plug it in at night to be ready in the morning. Very inconvenient. I?m guessing that a smart charger will be an upgrade option soon.
Overall, it?s fun and I can think of several situations where it will be handy, airshow ramps being top of the list. Not really a commuter bike except for a very narrow range of situations. It will definitely fit in almost any airplane but it does seem heavy for its size and weight will cause it to be left behind on some trips.
