Skip to content   Skip to footer navigation 

Smartmotion E20 Step Thru Folding With Suspension review

Hybrid (Road) Folding model. Rear hub motor. Priced at $2199.

  • Smartmotion E20 Step Thru Folding With Suspension carousel image
  • Smartmotion E20 Step Thru Folding With Suspension carousel image
  • Smartmotion E20 Step Thru Folding With Suspension carousel image
  • Smartmotion E20 Step Thru Folding With Suspension carousel image
  • Smartmotion E20 Step Thru Folding With Suspension carousel image
  • Smartmotion E20 Step Thru Folding With Suspension carousel image
  • Smartmotion E20 Step Thru Folding With Suspension carousel image
  • Smartmotion E20 Step Thru Folding With Suspension carousel image
  • Smartmotion E20 Step Thru Folding With Suspension carousel image
  • Smartmotion E20 Step Thru Folding With Suspension carousel image
  • Smartmotion E20 Step Thru Folding With Suspension carousel image
Image thumbnail 0
Image thumbnail 1
Image thumbnail 2
Image thumbnail 3
Image thumbnail 4
Image thumbnail 5
Image thumbnail 6
Image thumbnail 7
Image thumbnail 8
Image thumbnail 9
Image thumbnail 10

CHOICE Expert Rating

Unlock rating

What is the CHOICE Expert Rating?

CHOICE Expert Rating

This is the product's overall performance score, based on key tests conducted by our industry experts in the CHOICE lab (and out on the road).

Sign in

Good points

The product's best features and benefits

Bad points

Drawbacks or issues you need to know about
locked content

Unlock our expert review and more

  • Reviews and ratings you can trust
  • Easy side-by-side comparison
  • Recommended products at a glance
Bike type View more details.

Electric bike types include tour, commuter and mountain bikes. Some are also folding bikes.

Hybrid (Road) Folding
Frame type View more details.

Full frame means the bike has a cross bar you have to lift your leg over, while step through means the bike has no cross bar and it's easier to get on.

Step-through
Recommended View more details.

We recommend e-bikes that score over 75% and also meet the current e-bike regulations for use on public roads.

CHOICE Expert Rating View more details.

The CHOICE Expert Rating, our overall score, is a combination of the comfort, ease of use and accuracy scores. The scores are weighted as follows: Pedal assistance score (15%), braking score (15%), turning and low speed score (10%), ride comfort score (10%), handling score (10%), controls score (10%), battery use (on-bike) score (10%), battery use (off-bike) score (10%) and display score (10%).

Pedal assistance score View more details.

How well does the motor assist when pedaling?

Braking score View more details.

How quickly does the e-bike respond to the cyclist's braking action.

Turning and low speed score View more details.

How well does the bike perform in uphill and slow riding?

Comfort score View more details.

How well does the bike perform on bumpy and rough surfaces?

Handling score View more details.

This includes ease of mounting, dismounting, off-bike handling (walking the bike), safety and comfort.

Controls score View more details.

How easy is the controller and display to use?

On-bike battery score View more details.

How well does the battery perform for access and charging when on the bike.

Off-bike battery score View more details.

How well does the battery perform for access and charging when removed from the bike.

Display score View more details.

Our tester looks at the quality of the screen and menu items.

Comments
Availability View more details.

'Tested model' means the bike was tested most recently in our labs, whereas 'Discontinued model' means these models were most likely tested by Consumer NZ in 2022 with the performance information provided for interest but can't be directly compared to our latest test. Note, NZ also has different speed and power regulations for e-bike use.

Tested model
Price View more details.

Recommended retail price as of the publication date.

$2199
Sizes available View more details.

Most bikes come in a variety of sizes, so make sure you choose one suitable for your height and build.

1
Bike weight (kg) View more details.

Configurations vary considerably, so while we give the weight on some of the bikes, they'll vary based on how you order the bike with regards to size, frame option and battery size. 

23
Motor brand View more details.

Model choices include Bosch, Shimano and Bafang.

Smartmotion
Motor model
Not stated
Motor location View more details.

Usually the motor is located either where you peddle (mid) or at the rear of the bike.

Rear hub
Power (W) View more details.

How much power (Watts) is delivered to the bike. This can be limited generally to 250 watts. 

250
Max assist torque (Nm) View more details.

The higher the amount of torque generally means the more acceleration when assistance is needed.

Not stated
Max assist speed (km/h) View more details.

This is a restricted setting to meet current Australian laws such as a continuous motor power of 200 watts (and 500 watts in NSW) with power assistance cutting out when a speed of 25km/h is reached. Any e-bike on test not meeting these restrictions can not earn a recommendation, regardless of it's performance in the test.

25
Assist settings View more details.

Assist settings or modes are the level of settings, generally from 1 (the least amount of assistance) to 6 or above.

5
Battery size (Wh) View more details.

How many Watt hours does the battery have? This directly correlates with how long it will last in a constant stream of assist. The larger the battery, the more expensive it is to replace.

460
Battery location View more details.

Batteries are usually in the seat tube, rear or down tube.

Down tube (top side)
Wheel size (inches)
20
Tyre width (mm)
51
Mudguards View more details.

What the mudguard is made from.

Plastic
Kickstand location View more details.

Where is the kickstand located on the bike?

Rear mount
Rear rack View more details.

Does the bike have a rear rack?

Yes
Lights View more details.

Does the bike come with lights?

Yes
Gears View more details.

How many gears can you cycle through and how are they changed? This is usually through a trigger or twist mechanism.

7 (thumb shifter)
Suspension fork travel View more details.

Is there much fork suspension and how much can it travel? This is useful for smoothing out bumpy roads.

Yes
Suspension seatpost View more details.

Is there suspension built into the seat post? This is also good for bumpy roads.

Yes
Brakes View more details.

What kind of brakes are on the bike? Hydraulic and cable both have their pros and cons, though most bike professionals prefer hydraulic.

Disc
Frame warranty (years) View more details.

The frame warranty is usually longer than the battery or motor.

3
Battery and motor warranty (years) View more details.

Some companies offer more than one year but don't expect more than 2 years warranty for either battery or motor.

2
Battery origin View more details.

The battery is sometimes made in a different country to the motor and frame.

China
Frame origin View more details.

The frame is sometimes manufactured in a different country to the motor and battery.

China
Motor origin View more details.

Country where the motor was made.

China
Walk mode View more details.

Some bikes have a walk mode where if you have to push the bike for whatever reason, it will still give some assist.

Yes
Thumb throttle View more details.

This is very handy to have if you're starting the bike from a hill or slope, as it allows you to trigger the assist, though it should be at a low acceleration as it's purpose is different to a throttle on a motorbike.

Yes (25km/h)
Quick release seatpost View more details.

A quick release seatpost allows quick adjustment for different riders.

Yes
Quick release wheels View more details.

This feature allows you to either fix a puncture or also take a wheel with you to help discourage theft.

Yes (front)
Member reviews

Average rating

Get full access to all our tests and reviews