Oyama CX E8D Folding Electric Bike Review – Beyond My Expectation

I’ve just received some Oyama bikes in exchange for honest reviews and the Oyama CX E8D impresses me the most since it is my first folding electric bike. Earlier, I tried some electric scooters but they are totally different. That’s the reason why I am excited to write the review first.

Specifications & Features

Unboxing Video

Product Images

Performance

Before testing the CX E8D, I’ve tried some electric scooters but they are nothing like this electric bicycle. The bike doesn’t have a full throttle mode, that means you will have to keep pedaling on the road. However, it has the pedal assist mode with 3 power levels, which are Low, Med, and High. You can use the control installed on the handlebar to change the power level, here you can also check the current battery level, and turn on/off the engine.

Once you turn on the engine and start pedaling, you can immediately feel the engine kick in at full power. I’d recommend you to use the lowest level of pedal assist on flat roads. The riding performance is not as smooth as I expected, this is probably because Oyama used a six-magnet cadence sensor. The cadence sensor will measure your pedaling rate and tell the motor to give you a high or low assist. Basically, it will give you more power when the speed is low, and less power when you are pedaling fast. This works well most of the time but you might find it inconvenient when climbing up or riding down a hill. My experience is that you pedal slowly uphill and stop pedaling or turn off the engine completely when going downhill. The riding style feels a little unnatural but you need to get used to it when riding this bike. The cadence sensor is outdated and it is replaced by torque sensor on high-end bikes.

The bike is bulky and heavy. I’d not recommend this bike if you have to walk upstairs, so check carefully if your building allows carrying a folding bike in elevators. Specifically, the total weight of the bike is 43.7 lbs and the battery itself weighs over 4 lbs.

The bike is very heavy but I’m surprised that it is still rideable without turning on the motor. Of course, you can feel the weight and more resistance, but you know that you can completely continue cycling in case the battery drains out.

Since I moved to a suburban area, the only way I could commute to work is multi-modal commuting with a folding bike. With a folding electric bike like this, I can ride 8 miles to work without breaking a sweat.

Obviously, the CX E8D can’t compete with high-end folding electric bikes like the Brompton Electric or Tern Vektron. However, notice that the bike costs just 1/3rd the price of the others, so it could reach a wider range of cyclists. Most people will get excited when they ride on an electric bicycle, it’s like you become a superman as you can ride very fast and climb hills effortlessly.

I really appreciate that the battery is hidden inside the frame tube, you can even take it out with the provided key. Therefore, you don’t need to bring the whole bike to a power outlet. The battery life is quite impressive as I could ride around 30 miles in a single charge. A full charge will take around 5 hours.

Riding the bike is also more comfortable than most other 20-inch folding bikes, thanks to the fat 2.3″ tires. The bike also comes with some good-quality components like the Tektro disc brakes, comfortable rubber grips, a soft padded seat, a rear carrier rack, and mudguards. My only concern is that the riding position might be too aggressive for some people.

Conclusion

Pros

• Good-quality components
• All accessories are included
• Long battery life
• Comfortable
• Affordable

Cons

• The cadence sensor is not so responsive and feels unnatural
• Aggressive riding position
• Heavy and bulky

All in all, the Oyama CX E8D is a decent folding electric bike that doesn’t cost you a fortune. This is a very sturdy and well-built bicycle, so we at BikeFolded totally recommend it when you can’t afford the more expensive options.