2023 MOOV8 Mag20 E-Bike Review: My Christmas Gift to Myself

This Christmas I bought myself a lovely gift, a shiny new 2023 MOOV8 Mag20 E-Bike. It was to replace my Leitner Super T e-bike which has seen better days Although the latter is almost the same price and specification as when i bought it 4 years ago, the Leitner has seen the display panel upgraded, and minor changes to the battery. However, the entry level bike was heavy by comparison, at around 26kg.

It wasn’t all bad though. After 4 years, I came to appreciate its nifty thumb throttle. The throttle could be unlocked from the 6kph walk assist speed, to a more convivial 25kph. This is meant to be used off-road or on private property, but give a man speed, and he will apply it with gay abandon.

It you live in a big city, a quick look at the million Chinese delivery bikes tells us that many of the e-bikes on the road use a throttle to control the power to the motor from the battery. That makes them ineligible to be ridden on the roads.

This is where laws around e-bikes and e-scooters blur the edges, confusing a shambolic list which seems terribly outdated. In almost all states, e-scooters are not permitted on public land, although rented units are being trialled. In other words, the governments of Queensland and Victoria are prepared to allow multinational companies to rent punters a scoot for short trips, but will not permit privately owned scooters to be used for the same trip. That sounds like corruption doesn’t it?

That brings us to the MOOV8 Mag20.

E-bikes come in very many designs but it is not unusual to see the same design sold under many different names. The MOOV8 Mag20 is no different, and looks spookily similar to the E100 Swift and the Ducati MG-20. All consider themselves to be premium e-Bike brands with bespoke designs.

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ABOVE: 2023 Moov8 Mag20 e-Bike

The look:

e-bike technology has come a long way, not only in technology, but in design. MOOV8 Mag20 looks the business, with a subtle sweep from front to rear, highlighted by an upswept rear guard. Front and rear guards are flimsy plastic, which means easily and cheaply replaced at any time.

Folding:

The clever folding mechanism uses clever, easy to use locks that can’t be released without the locking tab being operated first. Folding is easy, with the handle bars folding in the same way. The seat is a different matter. If you are tight for space, best take it out completely.

Adjustments:

The seat has a around 15cm of adjustment, but the lowest setting is still quite high, making the MOOV8 Mag20 too tall for many height-challenged buyers. The seat is prevented from intruding into the battery compartment by a rivet in the stem, so its lowest setting needs a rider to be around 170cm despite the maker’s claims.

There is no adjustment in the height of the handle bars, but they can be rotated slightly. This doesn’t appear to serve any useful purpose.

Lights
The LED lights are quite effective, with the front operating off the main battery, and the rear from a small button battery. The light unit is integrated, and mounted under the back of the seat with a small button facing downwards for on/off/mode selection. The front light is turned on from the main LCD panel by holding the + button.

The Panel

The backlit LCD panel shows basic info including speed, battery status, and PAS level. There are only 3 buttons, on/off, PAS + and PAS -,

The ride:

It starts with my first niggle, the keys.

My old Leitner which used a key to power on and unlock/remove the battery. The MOOV8 Mag20 is always ready to go, and only uses the key to remove the battery. In other words, if someone nicks your bike, they have full use of it.

There is no walk-assist, but the bike is just under 20kg so easily walked. It is also light enough to pedal should the battery fun flat. MOOV8 advises not allowing the battery to run completely flat. The charger is small enough to take with you too, another big bonus.

The 250w hub motor has loads of torque, but to activate, the pedals must be turning. You need about half a turn to get if going, so starting uphill, even in low gear, is a pain in the arse.

On order to use it to its fullest, try shifting to lower gears as you stop, unless on a flat surface or facing downhill. Once moving, you can shift to 6 and stay there unless you encounter a hill you’d struggle to walk up.

20” wheels, even the sexy magnesium ones, struggle for grip if you corner too fast. For the record, transitioning from road to driveway is best done at 90⁰ if you don’t want a commotion.

Another niggle is that the seat like sitting on a brick BBQ. I get it, little folding bikes with a 40km range aren’t meant to be ridden on a marathon, but I wouldn’t want to sit on it for longer than half an hour at a stretch.

I’ve only covered 20km during the last couple of days and have noticed a few other trifles. There is no phone app, so no tracking of stolen units. There is no USB port for your phone, so using maps to navigate is a drain. You’re best setting the address and using earbuds in transparent mode. The alternative of mounting the phone on the handlebars and leaving the screen on will suck the battery dry in no time flat and make you look like a delivery driver.

Another noticeable absence was the double suspension of the Leitner. The MOOV8 Mag20 has only the tyres between the road and your bum, something that becomes obvious after a few metres of pedalling.

To comply with regular, the motor cuts in and out as you reach 25 kph. It saves battery power too, and the power will also cut out if the brakes are used.

TOP TIP: the electric motor works if sensors detect the pedals rotating, regardless of speed. For example, you have the PAS at 3, and the gears in 1^st, pedalling very slowly is enough to have the PAS working full bore.

On a flat road you’ll be able to stick at 25kph without effort.

It would be indecorous to move on without talking about the brakes. Hydraulic brakes are unusual on a bike, even on an e-bike. The MOOV8 Mag20 uses NUTT brakes and they work with the determination of a granny at a buffet, so watch out, they’re lethal.

Remember, all E-scooters are illegal. E-bikes are only legal in PAS mode.

Buying Price:

Here’s another TOP TIP: Ask if your local bike shop price matches. Mine does, and will beat the price by 5% for good measure. The MOOV8 Mag20 was on sale at 15% off, but I found it at 30% off and another shop. My local franchise beat the 30% off price by a further 5% with a sale price of a thrifty $2,198, and as I was able to collect, also saved on shipping.

I’ll drop another review after a few months to see if the inner glow of a new toy has been stirred into a comforting flame or a dying ember.

The MOOV8 Mag20 Specs: