Video Review
General
Frame and Contact Points
Electronics
Bicycle Components
Featured Accessories
Written Review
Power — Hub drive, 750 nominal watts, 1,000 peak watts
Speed — 28 mph
Battery and Range — 48 volt 11.6 ah, 40 miles
Pedal assist sensor — Cadence sensor
Display — LCD
Frame and weight — 6061 Aluminum alloy
Suspension — Zoom suspensions, 80 mm
Gearing — Shimano Tourney, 7 speed
Brakes — Mechanical disc, 180 mm front, 160 mm rear
Warranty — Limited 14 day return (up to 30% charge, accessories non-refundable),
Price — Starting at 1,599 USD
What’s up awesome peeps and welcome back to another episode of Electrified Reviews. I hope you’re having an amazing day and if this is your first time stopping by, hello and we’re very happy to have you. And if you’ve been here before, well then in that case, welcome back.
Today we’re reviewing the Aostirmotor S18. This full suspension, fat tire electric bike has a curvy frame that not only looks super groovy, but also makes the S18 more approachable thanks to that swooping top tube. The standover height here is only 33 inches, and that makes getting on and off the bike that much easier.
The S18 has a starting price of $1,599.00 USD and comes in one frame size and one color, this matte black that you see here, but what’s cool is that Aostirmotor has different versions of this bike with different motor sizes and color options. So if this one feels like it might be too powerful for you, or not powerful enough, there’s probably a version that’s just right, and we’ll leave links to each of those different versions in the written review, which we’ll drop in the description below.
Alright, let’s dive into the specs.
The S18 has a powerful 750 watt unbranded hub motor that drives this ebike to a top speed of 28 mph. We struggled a bit to get it past 25 mph without pedaling, but that’s not uncommon with fat tire ebikes like this one — 4 inches of tread means there’s tons of traction and even some extra suspension, but it also means there’s a ton of rolling resistance to overcome. Even still, with 750 watts of power, the S18 is going to be able to climb most moderate hills pretty easily.
You can reach the top speed of 28 mph by using the cadence sensing pedal assist or the half-grip twist throttle. Like all cadence sensors, this one has some latency with motor activation and deactivation, but that’s not really an issue for the S18. For one, that latency can be overcome with the throttle and brake levers, which are equipped with motor inhibitors. But more than that, it comes down to the the S18’s philosophy of use. Sure, it has fat tires and an aggressive looking frame, but at the end of the day this is less of an e-mtb than it is a comfy, decked out city cruiser. And for that purpose, a cadence sensor works perfectly well.
The battery is sandwiched between the top and bottom tubes and is housed inside a locking, removable case, which has a carbon-fiber style finish that looks super dope. The battery is a 48 volt, 11.6 amp hour system with a max estimated range of nearly 40 miles. And, interestingly, there are two keyholes on this battery — one for locking and unlocking it from the frame, and another to turn the electrical system on. This is a great safety feature that keeps curious passersby from turning on your ebike.
The S18 has mechanical disc brakes with a 180 mm rotor in the front and 160 mm rotor in the rear. Now, with an ebike that has a potential top speed of 28 mph, it would be great to see hydraulic disc brakes here, or at least 180 mm rotors in the front and rear wheels. The stopping power on the S18 is adequate, but if we could upgrade one component on this ride, this would be it.
The derailleur on the S18 is a Shimano Tourney with a 7-speed cassette and a Shimano SIS Index thumb shifter. While the Tourney is considered an entry-level component, it’s still a tried and true work horse of a derailleur. And again, since the S18 is really geared for casual city riding, it feels like the right choice here. The S18 also metal bracket to protect the derailleur from getting damaged. While this is an often overlooked piece of gear, it can really come in handy and we’re happy Aostirmotor included it.
In the front we’ve got a pair of Zoom suspension with approximately 80 mm of travel, preload adjust and lockers, which means you can fine tune them to your liking. And in the rear we’ve got another spring suspension with around 45 mm of travel. The suspension adds a layer of cushiness to the S18 and really helps to smooth out the ride and just make it overall more enjoyable. And look, while we’re pushing this as a pavement pounder, with the full suspension setup and fat tires, it will still fair well on light trails.
Speaking of fat tires, the S18 has 26” by 4” Chaoyangs which add another layer of suspension thanks to their huge air volume. And if you do end up taking the S18 through mud, sand, gravel or snow, that 4” tire patch is really going to help you stay afloat.
The S18 also has an integrated headlight and tail light which draw power from the electrical system, so as long as you’ve got juice in the tank, you’ve also got light. The headlight and tail light are another great safety feature on the S18 and help to increase your visibility to others. Still though, for those of you who plan on hitting the trails under the moonlight, we recommend getting an aftermarket lamp with at lsat 2,000 lumens of output.
Wire management on the S18 is good, with everything wrapped up nice and tight and the main bundle being fed through a channel on the top tube.
The greyscale display is located in the middle of the handlebars and, thankfully, is super easy to read even in direct sunlight. The independent button pad is on the left side of the handlebars and the half-grip twist throttle and shifter are on the right. The grips are flat and rubberized, but they don’t have any lockers and we found they spun around pretty easily during our testing.
Overall, the S18 is an incredibly comfortable urban commuter with an aggressive vibe and a unique, curvy frame and battery case. The motor is powerful enough to chug up some pretty steep hills, and the top speed is high enough to keep up with most traffic on side streets. But more than anything, it just looks cool.
See more of the S18 ($1599.00 USD): https://www.aostirmotor.com/All-Terrain-Electric-Mountain-Bike-S18-p160694.html
See more of the Mini S18 ($1,299.00 USD): https://www.aostirmotor.com/Mini-Electric-Bicycle-S18-MINI-p175509.html
See more of the 1500 watt S18 ($1,799.00 USD): https://www.aostirmotor.com/1500W-Electric-Bike-Snakeskin-Grain-p175366.html
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