2023 EUNORAU E-TORQUE Review

Video Review

Written Review

Hey hi hello, welcome back for another Electrified Review! Today's subject is the E-TORQUE from EUNORAU: A feature-complete, budget-friendly commuter that checks all the boxes and managed to outdo yours truly on the range test. Before we dive in to the bike review, let's talk about the manufacturer, EUNORAU. I learned that their name is a portmanteau of Europe, North America, and Australia - their three largest markets. I thought this company sold mostly direct-to-consumer and was pleasantly surprised to learn that they have a huge global dealer network, with many of those in the United States, check out their Dealer Locator to find one near you. Buying an electric bike sight-unseen is not ideal so it's great to have the dealer option available for test riding!

I also want to point out EUNORAU's warranty because it's quite excellent: 5 years frame, 2 years battery, 12 months for most other components. Many companies only provide a flat 1 year of coverage for everything, so I love that EUNORAU has the extended coverage for frames and batteries! It seems they are really going the extra mile to support their products, something is sadly uncommon in today's e-bike industry.

Online Ordering & Assembly: Good option if you don't live near a dealer

If you're not fortunate enough to live near a EUNORAU dealer, you can still order directly from their website, with free shipping! This means you'll have to partially assemble your E-TORQUE after receiving it. This involves un-packaging it, mounting the handlebars & front wheel, and (sometimes) tuning the brakes and derailleur. If you're lucky those last components will be aligned perfectly right out of the box, but sometimes they weren't set right at the factory or get bent out of tune in shipping.

Assembly is much easier with a friend to help with lifting and positioning things, although you can certainly do it solo; I assemble all my demo models alone, but keep in mind I'm a pretty big guy and I have a LOT of experience assembling e-bikes. The assembly manuals included in the packaging are unfortunately pretty generic, but basic assembly tools are included and there are lots of more in-depth resources online. Here is The E-TORQUE's official assembly video.

Comfort & Ride Feel: Above average!

I was impressed with how smooth and comfortable the E-TORQUE feels. Despite coming in only one size it can still fit a wide range of riders thanks to the adjustable stem and long seatpost; Note that you do need tools to adjust the stem so you can't quickly do it on-the-fly. I had my stem set all the way forward as I prefer a more aggressive riding stance, but you can position it straight up if you prefer to sit upright. The weight limit is 350 pounds, much higher than average, great if you're a larger rider and/or carrying a lot of cargo!

The suspension fork makes a significant difference for a smooth ride. This is a basic spring fork with about 70mm of travel, and you can tighten up the preload clickers to compensate for heavier riders. It's really only designed for city riding but can also handle light trail adventures. There is a suspension seatpost as well, albeit a basic one with roughly 30mm of travel. That, combined with the wide & soft saddle, provides a nice cushion. Keep in mind that if you adjust the handlebars up for a more upright seating position, more of your weight will be on the saddle so your ride comfort will suffer!

Utility: Loaded with quality accessories

The E-TORQUE has it in spades here, it is "feature-complete" which means it comes with everything you need to use it for its intended purpose... which is city commuting! It has full coverage plastic fenders, integrated lights, and a sturdy rear rack capable of hauling up to 55 pounds of cargo. The standard battery pack provides plenty of range so you should be able to manage a full day of commuting without needing to charge up while at work or school; If your commute is particularly long, no worries because the battery is easily removable! It even features a USB port for charging other electronics on-or-off the bike. The E-TORQUE even includes a side mirror, and the kickstand is rear-mounted which provides much better stability when carrying cargo on the rear rack.

Safety: Could be better, but has all the important stuff

A big component of cycling safety is visibility; Vehicle drivers and other cycles need to be able to see you! I give the E-TORQUE a passing grade here. My test model is bright red and stands out very well in light or dark environments, and the rims are quite reflective when viewed from the side. Visibility from the front or back is great thanks to the integrated lights. Side note: I recommend always riding with your lights on, even in daylight, to help make you more visible on the road! The headlight is bright enough to provide good illumination as well and allows for night riding without needing to upgrade to something more powerful. There aren't any turn signals, brake light activation, or horn features on the E-TORQUE. While these features aren't very common on e-bikes in the United States, they are much more common on European models and I'm starting to see them more and more here. These extra features really do make a difference in ride safety, especially if you live in a city with poor cycling infrastructure!

Another safety factor is actually power and speed; sometimes the only way to avoid a collision is to accelerate forward and out of the way. The E-TORQUE isn't strong here, acceleration is pretty tame and it's difficult to pedal much past the top speed of 20mph. For riding on bike paths or in bike lanes this doesn't really matter, but it's a big deal if you need to ride in the lane on busy streets and keep pace with traffic!

Last but not least, BRAKING! The E-TORQUE gets a gold star here because it's got hydraulic disc brakes, which provide much better stopping power (and less maintenance worries) than mechanical brakes. Most e-bikes in this price range have mechanical brakes so I appreciate the upgrade from EUNORAU. These brakes have motor inhibitors which means they cut power to the motor instantly; this is important for scenarios where you need to stop suddenly and forget that you're still holding down the throttle!

Power & Performance: A relaxed and efficient ride

As I just mentioned, the E-TORQUE is less "adrenaline-filled adventure" and more "efficient power-sipper". The motor draws 350 watts of power, and while it has a reasonable 60 newton-meters of torque, it doesn't feel very "torquey". Some of this is the 26 inch wheels; hub motors get a mechanical advantage from smaller wheels, which is why folding bikes with 20 inch wheels feel so zippy! Hub motors in general just aren't great for torque off the line, which means you start off slow but then the acceleration picks up noticeably around the 10mph mark. The benefit here is that the E-TORQUE is incredibly power efficient. Even when riding at maximum assist level and using the throttle frequently you should be able to get at least 50 miles - probably more - of typical city riding. Check out the video review above for my range test!

The E-TORQUE is, as the name might suggest, equipped with a torque sensor for activating pedal assist. This is a nice treat for such an affordable e-bike, and while it's a pretty basic sensor with a noticeable delay of 1-2 seconds when kicking in, once activated it feels smooth and responsive and makes for a satisfying ride experience. This also encourages better rider fitness; You have to pedal harder to get more assistance from the motor! Of course, you could just zoom around on the throttle when you're tired, but the E-TORQUE is really targeted towards more active riders.

Closing Thoughts: Great value for money

Overall I think the E-TORQUE is a real home run for EUNORAU. It is fully loaded with all the needed accessories for city commuting, has nice upgrades in the form of the torque sensor and hydraulic brakes, and is supported by a large dealer network and an outstanding warranty. I think this is an excellent first e-bike for active riders who live in a city with decent cycling infrastructure, who are looking for a do-anything city bike to use for commuting, running errands, exercise, and light trail adventures.

If you already own an E-TORQUE or a different model from EUNORAU, I'd love to hear from you! Chime in with a comment below and let me know what your experience has been. And hey, thanks for stopping by to read this review!