In the first two months, we evaluated the BLULANS S6 electric power mountain bike equipped with the Bafang M600 mid-positioned torque motor, and the product line of BLULANS is very clear, and it is necessary to create their own electric assistance in the two major types of mountains and highways, so that more and more riders can more easily fall in love with riding. Today we received BLULANS' electric powered road bike, the BLULANS S8.
Vehicle configuration:
Frame: BLULANS one-piece molded carbon frame
Motor system: Bafang M800 mid-positioned torque motor
Instrument: Bafang 2.2 inch color center meter
Battery: LG 18650 cell 36V 12.8Ah/460.8Wh
Transmission components: SHIMANO ULTEGRA transmission system
Fork: BLULANS one-piece molded carbon fiber fork
Handle group: 400mm+80mm carbon fiber integrated bending handle
Seat tube: 350mm one-piece molded carbon fiber seat tube
Cushion: Selle Italia cushion
Brake: SHIMANO R8020 Hydraulic Cooling Disc Brake
Tires: Schwalbe Durano RaceGuard 700x32C road tires
Wheels: BLULANS 50mm 4 Pelin carbon fiber disc brake wheelset
Vehicle weight: 14.5kg
Ride right out of the box
Before introducing the details of this car, Xiaobian felt the need to talk about its box first. Common vehicle unpacking, we need to unbox, unpacking paper, dismantling the front wheel, adjusting the stand, installing the handlebars, installing the front wheels, complex points need to cut through the pipe, install the brakes, adjust the speed; some electric power models also have to connect their own cables, install instruments, a set of processes down as little as half an hour to toss, more than a whole day busy.
But the box of BLULANS S8 is amazingly large, the huge size of 172cmX50cmX100cm is much larger than the common 133cmX20cmX75cm carton, and when it is disassembled, it is found that BLULANS uses a 7-layer thickened cardboard box and four giant foam to fix it, and the whole vehicle is completely loaded into it.
Unpack the box, a completely installed vehicle is displayed in front of the eyes, and the integrated code table seat at the front of the car is directly equipped with instruments and RON600 headlights. Take the BLULANS S8 out of the cardboard box and ride it straight away. Even the accessories that riders need to buy in the later stage are readily available, which is quite thoughtful for users.
The packing method without dismantling the car is more worry-free than the special loading box that costs thousands of pieces, and it will be safer to use this cardboard box for foreign races and rides.
Since this is a "limited edition of the inaugural version", the sense of ceremony of honor and luxury is also full. Push-pull exclusive customized nameplates, personal exclusive one-to-one customer service, Genesis exclusive packages, core components extended for 6 months and other exclusive services, all of which let us see the sincerity of BLULANS to the founder and car owner. On the other side of the custom nameplate is blulans brand slogan:
To challenge, the boundaries of the self;
To explore, the unknown world;
To discover, the beauty of life.
"F.I.R" full inner trace design
The BLULANS S8 features a family-inspired design language with a black and red color scheme, a glossy lava red and a frosted black. The biggest feature in terms of appearance is the use of the full inner routing design of the so-called "F.I.R" system, which is in line with the current road car trend.
In addition to our common brakes, transmission line pipes, in this internal routing system, we must also consider the rational layout of cables between multiple electronic parts such as instruments, motors, batteries, sensors and so on.
The "F.I.R" system does not require too many gaskets and strange vertical fairing covers to complete the ultra-simple full inner walk layout in the middle of so many cables, BLULANS has really made a lot of efforts in the design of this car, at least in terms of appearance, it is seconds to beat the "super ugly" head tube vertical design of a certain line of big brands.
M800 lightweight mini motor
Brusley S8 road car is equipped with the Bafang M800 central electric assistance system, M800 is the Bafang design and development of the central electric assistance system, but also because of its small size of the mini shape, this system was previously used in the Maserati electric powered road car and won the 2019 German Design Award "winner" award, so it is not too much to say that BLULANS and Maserati "out of the same door", after all, they all have the same power heart - The Bafang M800.
In terms of specific parameters, Bafang Motor only weighs 2.3 kg, but can output 200W rated power, and the maximum output torque is 55N.m.
Depending on the local regulations of different countries, the system offers two different dynamics up to 25km/h and 45km/h for consumers to choose from. The point is that even if the speed exceeds the maximum value of the power assist, there is still a smooth and easy pedaling experience.
Although the hard parameters are not as violent as the Octagon M600 system, the volume and weight have been greatly reduced. The average weight of the common mid-motor is about 3.2-3.5kg, and the Bafang M800 is less than 2.3kg, which is an extremely light and compact mid-motor on the market at present, which is much lighter and smaller than flagship motors such as SHIMANO's ep8 and Bosch's Performance Line CX.
The battery is equipped with LG 18650 battery cell 36V 12.8Ah/460.8Wh battery, and equipped with intelligent BMS battery management system, real-time collection of each battery's terminal voltage and temperature, charge and discharge current and total battery pack voltage, to prevent battery overcharge or overdischarge, to protect battery safety. Limited to the extreme requirements of road vehicles for volume and weight, the battery capacity is generally not too large. The bafang's assistance setting for the M800 is more inclined to long-distance or steep climbs, and there is less continuous assistance for general normal riding conditions, which is very suitable for road models.
The official nominal vehicle weighs 14.5kg, and is actually weighed 14.95kg after taking the water bottle holder, flashlight and other accessories. Pinch a calculation, minus the weight of the whole set of motors, batteries 4.4kg, the rest seems to be basically able to reach the passing line of traditional pneumatic road vehicles, but the electric power model is different from the traditional bicycle after all, in the frame, wheel group design and carbon cloth stacking will give priority to strength, in the electric powered road car equipped with the central motor can do this weight is not easy.
Top-of-the-line accessories
Bruceley S8 road car frame using one-piece molding carbon fiber technology, the tube type is aerodynamically optimized, whether it is F.I.R full internal routing design, or integrated carbon fiber handle group, 50mm high frame wheel group, are for better aerodynamic effect.
In terms of transmission, the choice of SHIMANO's next top flagship kit ULTEGRA, because of its single-disc design, the left-handed variable speed lever is temporarily useless, but the Bafang M800 motor system is supported by single disc and double disc.
The front 44T CNC positive and negative tooth reinforcement version of the tooth disc plus the rear 11-32T R8000 flywheel, basically covers the daily needs of the ruler ratio, since there is a motor to help well, there is no need to worry about the problem of insufficient climbing gear ratio. The disc is independently designed and produced by BLULANS, with its simple shape and integrated chain guard disc, which makes the disc have good aerodynamic performance in CFD simulation. Heavy materials, both in strength and rigidity, are very good. As for the weight, is the electric boost still 100g away?
In terms of wheels, BLULANS's exclusive customized straight-pull hub + 50mm high-frame carbon fiber wheelset is also specially designed for the characteristics of strong electric power, fast speed and large impact, and the strength is several times higher than that of ordinary wheels, and the performance is stable under high-speed cruising (40-45km/h).
It is worth mentioning that this pair of carbon knives adopts an inner width of 24mm and an outer width of 32mm design, when the original matching 32C, at a lower tire pressure can provide enough comfort and strong passability, the combination of wide tire wide ring, not only has good aerodynamic performance, but also with the stout battery downtube with more harmony.
Schwalbe Durano RaceGuard 700x32C road tire RaceGuard is top-notch puncture resistant, with good durability and grip.
The one-piece carbon fiber seat tube is matched with a saddle rail chuck that can greatly adjust the front and rear movement range commonly found on Tri-Tricars, and the Cockpit value (cockpit space) can be adjusted by 30mm.
The cushion is selected from the most environmentally friendly X-Tech technology cushion from the well-known Italian cushion brand Selle Italia, fully automated manufacturing, glue-free bonding, popular wide short nose design, the middle incision reduces the pressure on the perineum, the overall sitting feeling is hard, sitting on it can clearly feel the position of the sciatic bone, with excellent support.
Ride experience
As an aero-road vehicle with a Reach value of 398.8mm, the Stack value of the whole vehicle is relatively high, reaching 555.9mm, and it can get a more comfortable upright riding posture without too many washers. This, coupled with the fact that the seatpile also has 30mmCockpit adjustable space, to some extent makes up for the car's current embarrassing single size.
Although the S8 upper tube is visually arched, it is still a micro-compression frame design. However, the higher span height makes the riders under 170cm tall basically say "bye-bye" with this car, with the exception of leg length!
In terms of geometric design, the product manager also said that the later iteration of the model will cancel the bow back model to avoid this embarrassing visual error, and more sizes are also steadily advancing, and the current suitable riders can "buy first and enjoy".
This set of Bafang M800 mid-position torque motor system in the basic design level to take into account the road car needs, the same as the code table function as rich 2.2 inch center instrument, control button integration in place, only in the handlebar under the add a button to add or subtract gear can achieve easy control of the electric boost, completely in line with the road bike rider's riding habits and operating logic, traditional road cycling enthusiasts can easily get started at no learning cost.
Common road cars in order to balance the volume and weight and aesthetics, often use a compact rear hub motor system, so it is easy to break the balance of the weight of the front and rear wheels of the vehicle, while the wheelset, kit and other later upgrades increased the difficulty, at present, only such as Bafang, Specialized and other large factories with strong R & D strength and technology can make the mid-mounted motor to the ultimate mini, and perfectly used in road models.
▲ Most of the motors placed in the whole vehicle are obscured by the tooth disc, which is enough to prove the small size of the Bafang M800
The Bafang M800 motor is the smallest and lightest mid-mounted motor used by Xiaobian so far, and it has been seen at the auto show before, and it has become of great interest in its exquisite structure at that time. Now, after nearly 1,000 kilometers of long-term measurements, Xiaobian has a deeper understanding of the Bafang M800 motor.
In the actual experience process: within the limiting speed range, with the precise capture of the built-in torque sensor and speed sensor, the Bafang M800 electric assist system can quickly identify the rider's pedaling intention, release linear and gradual and unobtrusive power, and quickly enter the optimal working efficiency range with uniform pedaling, with a wide efficiency range, with a reasonable gear ratio to help more silky and natural. Especially in the climbing section, the pedaling force increases at the same time as the boost increases, without any lag.
It's easy for road bikes to exceed the maximum speed limit, so outside the limit speed range, the motor's "no interference" is equally important to the riding experience. While streamlining the internal structure, the M800 optimizes the internal gears, reduces kinetic energy transmission consumption, and realizes a nearly resistance-free pedaling experience.
The timing and intensity of motor intervention of the Bafang M800 are completely different from the experience of the M500 and M600 that I have used before. Motor intervention is quite soft, and even a little less like the Bafang has always given people that kind of "vigorous miracle" sense of assistance, once on other motors more obvious performance of the motor noise in this set of M800 has also been greatly improved, only in the light high-speed high cadence fast approaching the motor no-load rotation of the motor will hear a bit similar to the chain noise of the motor sound, extremely weak, the official claim that the noise level is lower than 55dB, in fact, in the daily riding is difficult to feel, this point to praise!
▲ The average speed is close to 40km/h, and the average heart rate is only 115bpm
With the auxiliary bonus of motor power, it is easier to ride out the data that was once more difficult to achieve in ordinary riding training, and in high-speed driving, it has more time and energy to train riding skills such as high-speed cornering and control technology, and constantly break through and improve their own limits.
In terms of endurance, in several violent tests, the motor finally gave several different answers, but it is certain that the first 50% of the power is quite powerful, and in the test of the undulating section of the 45km undulating section with an average wind speed of 33km/h, less than half of the power is consumed.
Comprehensive tests, the maximum gear (5 gears), the maximum power speed (45km/ h) state, basically can reach 60km endurance, if the use of 1 gear, flat road, theoretically can reach 130km.
Such a long endurance can easily complete a day's trip, obtain higher riding quality, expand the range of activities from tens of kilometers around the city to hundreds of kilometers of exploration, and discover more distant places that have never been visited.
It may be due to the fact that this test ride prototype is equipped with a test motor, and if it is used for a long time with full power output, the motor heat is more obvious. There will be a situation where 30%, 20% of the power directly jumps to 0%, personal guess is that the overload protector starts to protect the motor, and then after a period of cooling, the power will be restored, in the logic of accurate power management, the design of the M800 is just the opposite of the large-volume and high-power M600, and the last 10% of the M600 is more durable.
Like everyone else, Xiaobian is most worried about its endurance problem, because according to some previous electric assist test experience, in the case of no electricity, pedaling will be relatively difficult. Surprisingly, this car can maintain the same riding pleasure as ordinary road bikes in the state of lack of electricity, which is an experience that wheeled motor road bikes can hardly bring.
Taking the average power of less than 150w of vegetable legs as an example, the continuous non-power test for more than 2 hours can easily maintain an average speed of 30km/h.
In the state of no help, when the average speed reaches more than 30km/h, the cadence can be maintained above 80, the pedaling resistance of the motor will become very small, if you find this difficult, you may wish to lower the gear, you can also get easy pedaling, but remember to maintain the appropriate cadence speed.
I often don't use electricity to ride casually during my daily commute, and the motor doesn't give particularly obvious resistance except for the road bike that feels a bit heavy.
▲The first 1 hour of power off riding, the last 1 hour of power on power assist
In the 2-hour test, the average speed of the first 1 hour of power off riding was lower than 32.5km/h, and the average speed of the power on the last 1 hour was greatly improved, resulting in a more relaxed but more exciting riding experience.
Whether it is daily leisure commuting, brush circle group training, climbing challenges, weekend riding can be very easy to deal with, at the right time to open the motor slightly can get a high enough income, with less physical consumption to achieve a longer mileage and faster speed, this is the correct use of S8.
The addition of the mid-motor buff will bring greater load to the transmission system, especially the chain, and more rapid and high-strength impacts will also have a great impact on the wheelset, after more than 500 kilometers of measured, the speed magnet and spoke loaded on the rear wheel are somewhat loose, which may lead to instrument errors and stop the phenomenon of power. This also reminds us to maintain and inspect frequently, and the official said that the improvement will be replaced by elbow spokes.
We can also set our own maintenance cycle in the Bafang instrument, when the maintenance mileage arrives, the meter will light up maintenance prompts, more convenient daily maintenance.
▲1 hour assisted circle test
In the cognition of many riders, there is often a prejudice against electric powered road vehicles. The common reason is nothing more than: since I can easily step on 25km/h, why do I have to bring a motor?
Admittedly, don't say that ordinary road bikes are mountain bikes can easily reach a speed of 25km/h on flat roads, but can you still maintain a heart rate below 120 in the face of steep slopes up to several kilometers, and easily 25km/h?
At this time, with the S8, you only need to add a little electricity, and the electric power output does not need too much power to help you get through the most difficult road section, and then challenge the farther and more difficult route.
For example, it is difficult for ordinary enthusiasts to maintain a flat cruising of 45km/h, and the maximum sprint speed is only 50km/h, which is a piece of cake for the S8, you can easily maintain a speed of more than 40km/h for teammates to lead the wind, and the 50mm high-frame carbon fiber wheels can also play its best aerodynamic performance.
▲Comparison of power-on 5-gear boost and off-power riding data
It seems that the difference in the speed of the two tests in the above figure is not large, but the same section of the road feels like two worlds: riding off the power, sucking the wake of the teammates throughout the whole process, encountering climbing and even crane tails, but it can also keep up, its own power is so high, even if it is replaced by the world champion chariot, it will not change the fact of the vegetable leg.
But after turning on the motor (left picture) everything is different, the average speed has increased, the heart rate has dropped, the wind has not been breathless, the destination has arrived earlier than originally planned, and there is more time to enjoy and explore the beautiful scenery that has not been discovered because of the rush, is this not very relaxed and happy?
Pneumatic, full inside, wide loop wide tire, disc brake road, this BLULANS conforms to the most popular road car design elements and trends nowadays, and is equipped with the ultra-light mini Bafang M800 motor system and top flagship high-end accessories, one-step ultra-high configuration makes people worry-free, really out of the box can ride.
The emergence of the S8 allows more rookie-legged leisure cyclists like me to easily enjoy the thrill of riding a road bike at great speed and breaking the wind throughout the whole process, challenging the limits that once thought it was impossible, obtaining a higher quality riding experience, and expanding the travel range of more than 100 kilometers, conquering more alpine sections, and getting great psychological satisfaction while adrenaline soaring.
Advantages: can be ridden out of the box, the motor mini lightweight, the whole vehicle inside, the motor power soft and silent, the configuration in one step.
Disadvantages: only one size, the screw is easy to fall paint, the real-time power data on the instrument is only for entertainment, and friends who need it can be equipped with a pair of power pedals.