Zen Samurai Review, 2023 | Electric Bike Report

The Range Test was one of the “wow” parts of our testing, not only because the Samurai did what it was supposed to, but also what it did – travel almost 100 miles in between charges. Our Samurai came with two 13.4 amp-hour batteries to accomplish our 98-mile ride in the minimum PAS test, using Eco/PAS 1.

Weighing in at 57 lbs with one battery, the second battery only added another 6.3 lbs to the bike, and it still felt like a relatively lightweight commuter e-bike during our rides. There is a lot to be said about the Bosch technology Ravi Kempaiah and his team chose for this bike.

Unlike most other e-bike power units you see now, which have a 48-volt system, Bosch uses a 36-volt system exclusively. Not only is it safer and less prone to breakdowns, but it also consumes electricity more efficiently, and it’s the voltage limit for all e-bikes in the European Union (EU).

Chances are, with a 350W mid-drive motor, using two 13.4Ah batteries on a 48-volt system, you’re likely going to get a maximum range that’s 15-20 miles less than what the Samurai reached in our test, using Bosch’s 36-volt system. We were so impressed with the Bosch system that our only complaint – the charge port being a little too low to the ground, and more likely to attract dirt – seems nitpicky.

The Zen team really deserves accolades as industry leaders in their work with batteries. Among their list of priorities are standardizing batteries industry-wide, and making them interchangeable with other bike brands and with a variety of household electronic products (like gardening equipment and tools). They are also developing batteries that will have an 8-10 year lifespan, and are recyclable after their time is up. In a recent phone interview, Mr. Kempaiah cited the huge positive environmental impact this battery design will have, preventing millions of batteries from ending up in our landfills each year.

We designed the hill test to be the most difficult part of the review process. This isn’t a “make or break” test, some great bikes have gotten below-average results on this test. That doesn’t mean a bike is lousy, it just means hill climbing isn’t its forte. The Samurai passed our hill climb test, but it did so at a slightly slower pace than many of the other commuter e-bikes we tested. There are two main reasons: mid-drive motor and 36-volt system.

Most e-bikes we’ve tested have rear hub motors and cadence sensors. They are designed to output maximum power based on the PAS setting the rider chooses. This gives the sensation of going faster, regardless of how much the rider is pedaling, and it also uses up battery power more quickly. Mid-drives usually come in smaller watt sizes (in this case 350W vs the 750W rear hub motors we see most often now). They can do more with less power because they work with the pedaler (not in spite of), and that power output is going to the belt that works with the gearing.

The Zen Samurai performed very well in our brake test, with an average stopping distance of 17’9”. We can attribute these results to several factors, including its light weight and premium Magura MT5 braking system and we were not disappointed.

The Magura MT5 hydraulic disc set features 4-piston calipers, which is better than the twin-piston calipers we see on most e-bikes. The caliper 180mm rotors grab really well, make no funny noises, and stay consistent. This was also the case when I did a lot of downhill braking. Magura’s 4-piston calipers activate the brake pads to the rotor with great precision.

The average distance among all the e-bikes we test is between 20 – 22 feet. To come in at more than 2 feet shorter, that’s a bike with great brakes! This should make you feel safer as well as feeling more confident when you’re out there riding.

When you sit on this bike and feel the ergonomics, you will understand how this bike was designed by a world record holder in long distance rides. I rode for two hours and felt good enough to ride at least two more. My only issue was the saddle lacked the added padding my tush needs. But that’s a personal preference that most other riders don’t share with me.

The 680mm handlebar was sized just right. The stem was simple and quick to adjust for giving me the proper reach. The grips were snug and comfortable to hold for hours on end. The levers were easy to reach, using my standard two-finger method, and the display buttons were easy to see and find while riding, which enabled me to control the PAS levels with simplicity.

The Enviolo CVT gear hub, grip shifter and Gates belt drive are real game changers. They make this bike feel so smooth. I never found myself in the wrong gear, nor did I ever experience shifting issues. It simply doesn’t get any easier than this. There’s comfort in knowing that the motor and battery are from Bosch. They are leaders in this field and I had a lot of confidence knowing their motor and battery would not fail on me.

And then when you consider this bike, and company, is the brainchild of a very accomplished tech wiz, Ravi Kempaiah, who set a world record in riding an e-bike farther than anyone else, then you know that you’re getting a smartly designed, smartly built e-bike in the Zen Samurai. There’s so much to love about this bike that I could keep writing about it.

It was difficult for any of us to find something we didn’t like about the Samurai. The things we did list are rather mundane. For example, we love the super fast battery charger but would like to get a 2nd charger for charging the 2nd battery at the same time. And the battery charge port is a little too close to the ground that it might be more susceptible to attracting dirt, but that’s about all.

Zen is a direct-to-consumer retailer and ships their bikes, free of charge, to all 48 contiguous US states and to Canada. I know this is a lot of money to spend on an e-bike you haven’t even ridden, but I have to admit that I was happily surprised when I hopped on the saddle and ride 50+ miles, and discovered the greatness of this e-bike. That’s why I am comfortable recommending this bike. You get a lot for your money, and should have a lot of reasons to enjoy riding this bike. Each of us had grins and thumbs up for this bike by the time we were finished reviewing it – that’s how highly we think of the Zen Samurai!

Happy Riding! Make sure to let us know if you have any questions down in our comments section or if you think we left anything out in this review of the Zen Samurai.