Full-suspension, all-terrain bikes typically stock well in the comfort department. With a suspension fork, a rear shock, a big saddle 4-in-wide tires the Eunorau Defender S is essentially a foam pit on wheels. Riding this during an earthquake would likely increase someone’s chances for survival. Kidding, mostly.
The combination of front and rear suspension plus the fat tires has a fundamental influence on the bike’s handling in that control depends on keeping the wheels in contact with the ground and not sliding. Its particular combination of weight; fat, knobby tires and suspension makes breaking these tires loose won’t be easy. So rider confidence in turns should run high.
The Eunorau Defender S comes in two sizes—17 in. and 19 in. We’re pleased to see this bike offered in multiple sizes, however, the 17-in. frame has a standover height of 30.7 that few people shorter than 5 feet 9 inches will likely be able to fit. We would have some concerns about a rider controlling an 84-lb. e-bike if they can’t get both feet flat on the ground.
The two-wheel drive aspect of this bike takes some getting used to. The heavier a wheel is, the more gyroscopic effect it generates. A heavy wheel spinning at high rpms will be fairly resistant to changing direction. Practically speaking, what that means for the rider is that the Eunorau Defender S loves going in a straight line. Initiating a turn is a different matter.
As a reviewer, I can say that the front wheel on the Defender S is among the heaviest front wheels I have ever ridden. This bike required a little bit of muscle to enter a turn and I was able to feel a certain amount of steering momentum; that is, once the front wheel started to turn, it wanted to keep turning. That could result in oversteering for some riders. This is why I keep envisioning this bike as something more suited towards folks a bit more comfortable on bikes as opposed to those new to the game.
With the two-wheel drive engaged, the Eunorau Defender S was perceptibly more resistant to turning; once the motor started turning in a given direction, the front wheel became rather partial to that direction.
This isn’t to say that the Eunorau Defender S handles poorly. The bike handles fine, but this is a ride that will take some adjustment in the rider’s expectations for how a e-bike handles. It’s just different, but certainly not wrong.
The color LCD display is bright and easy to read and the buttons are reasonably easy to reach. It shows four data points at once with speed, odometer, pas level and battery readout. Worth noting: the battery readout wasn’t always accurate in our testing so get to know the batteries limits while riding close to home.
The selector switch that chooses between the rear motor, the front motor and both motors is a red, three-position switch that sits below the display. It is easy enough to see when off the bike, but when riding the display obscures it from view, so it’s necessary to develop a feel for where the switch is located, by muscle memory; it’s no harder than discerning between the gas pedal and the brake pedal.
One note regarding the various hoses, cables and wires: most bikes need a bit of attention to keep everything looking neat in the front of the bike. The leads that run to the fork to power the front wheel would benefit from a more elegant routing.
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