It is more expensive to equip a bike with a geared hub motor, and hats off to Currie for making the right choice and outfitting this bike with a very nice hub motor indeed. Larri Pizzi (Currie President) has figured out that geared hub motors are some of the most efficent and lightest hub motors available, and the Metro is equipped with a nice one (Bafang BPM). Batteries built into the frame are a much more elegant solution than the old school weld the battery pack to the rear rack (such as in the Izip Zuma) where the bike becomes back-heavy. Also this gives the bike an extremely clean look with all the wires hidden and no obvious elements that this is an electric bike. With the battery built into the down-tube, the Currie Metro has a perfect weight balance when you consider the motor mounted in the rear hub. The Izip frame, with the battery built into the downtube, is my favorite element on this bike. It is rare for an electric bike company to build a bike from the ground up to be an electric bike ( read about purpose built frames). These days all electric bikes have their hits and misses. Recently I got a chance to test ride this E-bike out of the new Izip store in Santa Monica and the following are my findings: Recently, Currie was bought by the Dutch bicycle giant Accel Group (read story) and they have decided to add a few higher quality $2000+ lithium powered bikes (the Izip line) to the Currie brand line-up, with the Izip Metro being the most popular. DRIVE Exclusive Currie Electro-Drive(R) Geared Hub Motor, Shimano Acera Rear Derailleur, SRAM Grip Shift, 7-Speed Drivetrain BRAKES Avid BB5 Disc with Alloy Motor Inhibit Levers WHEELS Alex 26' Double Wall Alloy Rims with Stainless Steel Spokes, QR Front TIRES Kenda Kiniption 26' x 2.00', Slime Self-Sealing Flat Tire Prevention System HANDLEBAR / STEM Moto Bar and 4-bolt Ahead Type Stem, Stitched Cruiser Grips USER CONTROLS Power and PAS/TAG Switches Conveniently Mounted on the Handlebar, Easy Access Charger Port in Removable Battery Pack, Twist Throttle w Gauge SADDLE Velo Suspension Comfort and Micro-Adjust Post FRAME Exclusive Currie Aluminum CRANKS AND PEDALS Alloy 44T NET WEIGHT 57lb / 26 kg RIDER AGE & WEIGHT LIMIT 13+ 240 lb Read More Detail.Currie Technologies until recently has been focused on mass market ultra affordable sealed-lead-acid (SLA) powered bikes and scooters ( see our $500 Ezip TrailZ review). MOTOR:500W DC Brushless Geared Hub Motor BATTERY EV Rated Li-ion type 36V / 11.4Ah, Rear Rack CHARGE SYSTE UL Listed Currie Smart Charger with LED Status Display CONTROLLER Exclusive Currie Electro-Drive(R), 36 Volt otted with Power Gauge TOP SPEED Up to 20mph / 32km/h (Rider Weight, Rider Terrain Contingent) RANGE Up to 20- 30 Miles / 32 - 48 km with Normal Pedaling (Rider Weight, Rider Input and Terrain Contingent). The IZIP E3Zuma features a powerful, state-of-the-art, 36V / 500 Watt Currie Electro-Drive® hub motor, paired with our PAS/TAG system that puts you in complete control at all times.

Old-school simplicity paired up with modern eBike technology and design for an uber-comfortable laid-back ride. And top quality components from head to toe. 500 Watts of 'Power on Demand' in a retro styled package. This top-of-the-line electric bike is fast and powerful with tons of torque! Easily hit 20+ mph and tear up hills with a range of 23-30 miles (in pedal-assist mode). It's 500W geared hub motor is unmatched by most pre-built e-bike models and the removable 36V / 11AH Li-Ion battery is long-lasting and lightweight. The IZIP Zuma is a powerful electric cruiser loaded with features.

Izip E3 ZUMA 36 Volt 11AH Lithium Ion 500 Watt Electric Bicycle - Hub Motor - Currie Tech Find recommendations and reviews Izip E3 ZUMA 36 Volt 11AH Lithium Ion 500 Watt Electric Bicycle - Hub Motor - Currie Tech.

Izip e3 zuma 2013