Review

Review of JI-MOVE MC: Do you need a long distance ebike?

JI-MOVE MC LTA approved ebike main (1)

JI-MOVE MC is the first ebike (or electric bicycle) with a battery capacity higher than 10AH to be type approved by the Land Transport Authority (LTA). In fact, the JI-MOVE MC battery is a whopping 20.8AH, twice the capacity of the previous leaders, KUDU and JI-MOVE LC, at the time of approval.

* ebike is also known as Power Assisted Bicycle (PAB) in Singapore

JI MOVE LC LTA approved ebike main 2 - Review of JI-MOVE MC: Do you need a long distance ebike?

120km per full charge

To give you some context, a ride around Singapore perimeter is around 160 km. Therefore the JI-MOVE MC can assist 3/4 of the ride, while the remaining 40 km will be solely by your leg power.

The battery is mounted below the seat. You can charge the battery while it is on the JI-MOVE MC ebike or detach to charge when you need to leave the ebike outside. Do take note that you would need to remove the seat if you choose the latter option. Nevertheless, most of our customers will charge it directly.

In addition, the battery comes with a key lock to prevent unauthorised access.

Without a doubt, a large battery capacity is essential for food delivery riders, but for a leisure rider, it would likely be overkill.

JI MOVE MC LTA approved ebike battery - Review of JI-MOVE MC: Do you need a long distance ebike?

So is a long distance ebike for everyone?

I would say no. Ebike is unlike cars where there are no limitations on the specifications except that it passed the homologation and current environmental regulations.

Therefore you can buy the fastest or the biggest car within your budget and liking. But ebike has speed (25 km/h) and weight (20 kg) limitations. Therefore long distance ebike usually has smaller wheels (16″ and below) while larger wheels (20″ and above) ebike has smaller battery.

And the trade-off is: bigger wheels means when the battery runs out, you would use less energy to cycle, as compared to smaller wheels.

Therefore if you fall into any of these 3 categories, the JI-MOVE MC (in this review) and the AM GT are for you:

  1. you require to cycle long distance (more than 50 km);
  2. your leg only has sufficient power to pedal you across a traffic junction;
  3. you have knee injuries.
JI MOVE LC and JI MOVE MC - Review of JI-MOVE MC: Do you need a long distance ebike?

Nevertheless, the JI-MOVE MC packs several good features.

75 cm when folded

The JI-MOVE MC is a 14″ ebike, similar to its sister, JI-MOVE LC. This ebike measures at 129 cm and a surprising 75 cm when folded.

Therefore if you ever cycle too far away and is too tired to make the return trip, just fold it and take the MRT back home.

It is interesting to know that the JI-MOVE MC weighs 20kg, similar to the JI-MOVE LC which uses a 9.9AH battery. As both ebikes use 6061 aluminum, the engineers probably had to crack their brains to make this happen. And one of that is the use of pneumatic tyres with inner tube on JI-MOVE MC instead of pneumatic tubeless tyres of JI-MOVE LC.

DYNAMIC MINI 16 and JI MOVE MC folded size comparison - Review of JI-MOVE MC: Do you need a long distance ebike?

The JI-MOVE MC can be folded into half like the DYNAMIC MINI 16.

The stem can be folded down into a compact size to store inside car boot or under the work desk.

Small size does not mean small power

The general perception is that a smaller ebike means smaller motor which in turns means smaller power. This statement is generally valid overseas but not in Singapore.

LTA requires all ebikes motor to have a maximum continuous motor power output of 250W. Most of the LTA approved ebikes have power output between 200 to 250W.

In other words, they will have quite similar performance on a flat path (if you are riding the ebike correctly).

Having said that, there are other technical parameters affecting the riding experience. You can learn more at our FAQ.

JI MOVE MC rear hub motor - Review of JI-MOVE MC: Do you need a long distance ebike?

The JI-MOVE MC uses a 36V 250W rear hub motor with 5 modes of electronic assistance.

The electronic assistance is equivalent to a conventional bicycle with selectable gears. The difference is that instead of physically changing the gear, the motor power output is adjustable electronically. Mode 1-3 is for flat ground while mode 4-5 is for up slope.

For those on the heavier side, you may have to wait for the AM GT or OCRA which are using 48V 240W rear hub geared motor. The combination of a higher voltage and geared motor give a larger torque.

JI MOVE MC and JI MOVE LC tyre width comparsion - Review of JI-MOVE MC: Do you need a long distance ebike?

I find the JI-MOVE MC and LC very similar in power. On flat ground, the ebike can assist up to 24.0 km/h with a 70kg rider and full battery.

But in terms of stability and riding experience, I find the JI-MOVE LC more stable. It might be because of the 2.125” wide pneumatic tubeless tyres , compared with the 1.95″ of the JI-MOVE MC.

JI MOVE MC battery connector - Review of JI-MOVE MC: Do you need a long distance ebike?

Something different

Concealed in a hard and splashproof battery casing are the 20.8AH LG 18650 cells. The entire battery pack weighs 4.8 kg.

Unlike traditional battery connectors using a cable, the battery has a female connector that automatically engages the male connector on the ebike.  According to JI-MOVE, this improves waterproofing and connection. As such, problems such as loose battery connections or corroded connectors are minimised.

JI MOVE MC battery connector - Review of JI-MOVE MC: Do you need a long distance ebike?

Safety

For riders who are using ebikes on road, a good disc brake system is highly recommended. Though

It also comes with front and rear light which is a must have feature. Some ebikes only have rear reflector. This is not a huge problem as there are many third-party lights available in the market.

JI MOVE MC LTA approved handle bar - Review of JI-MOVE MC: Do you need a long distance ebike?

Sadly, it will be great if the JI-MOVE MC ebike is factory fitted with key lock, anti-theft alarm and integrated electronic horn. Until now, only the KUDU ebike comes with a key lock.

JI MOVE MC controller exposed - Review of JI-MOVE MC: Do you need a long distance ebike?

Needs some improvement

The JI-MOVE MC rear rack seems flimsy with worrying mounting points. It is misleading when a cushion seat is installed but it can only support 10kg.

I do not recommend using for pillion riders. And if you remove the cushion seat, the controller compartment is exposed. ECO DRIVE also has a similar problem.

Therefore keep the cushion seat there. But if you are a food delivery rider and prefer to retrofit with a food delivery rack, do make sure you have a plastic cover to cover the controller compartment.

JI MOVE MC LTA approved ebike main 3 - Review of JI-MOVE MC: Do you need a long distance ebike?

Low ground clearance

This is a typical problem for bicycles and ebikes with small wheels. Though it did not hinder my riding, which may be due to leisure riding style, I have some customers who shared that the pedal might rub against the ground when turning at fast speed.

Summary

In all, I find the JI-MOVE MC ebike a good choice for food delivery riders. The distance and power are sufficient.

Though this ebike may not be the best looking, its foldable design adds some flexibility to how you can use it.

Some of the misses will be flimsy rear rack, key lock with anti-theft alarm, electronic horn and suspension. Anti-theft alarm and electronic horn are readily available as third-party accessories.

But for key lock and suspension, there is not much anyone can do as it involves modifying the electric circuit and the frame which is illegal and not recommended.

For detailed product specifications, visit here.

For MOBOT range of ebike, visit here.