My Family LOVES the Vitilan U7 E-Bike - Review

[@larryg5151]

Hi Steve- I bought myself a Prodeco Outlaw SS e-bike 7 years ago and it is really a blast even after all this time. You mentioned in this video about how your son and his wife were smiling over the e-bike,, and one thing I really enjoy doing with my bike is letting especially people who have never tried an electric bicycle, take mine for a spin. So cool to see their big ole smiles when they hit the thumb lever accelerator for the first time! Anyway, an e-bike is perfect for a 71 year old aging fuddy/duddy with a bad knee, such as myself. All that aside though, I wanted to thank you for having your awesome family in this last video. So nice and really a treat to finally meet them, so to speak! You have much to be proud of Steve! Thanks a heap for all that you contribute to the FPV hobby, and all the tons of time and effort you put into your KZbin channel for the sake of your followers. God Bless you and you family buddy. Take care.

[@CAPTAINDRONE798]

Thank you Larry!

[@InMyBrz]

I am 71 and riding a 26 inch regular buke is scary for me, feels like I could kiss the pavement at any point. I like the huge tires, must be much more confortable riding this one and not so squirrely as a bike with narrow tires, and besides WHO wants to pedal all the way to your destination ! Hope you enjoyed your trip to Brasil, I am still here in Florianoplis !! Summer just arrived finally , 6 months of nice weather !

[@jimanderson4865]

Hi Steve......Very nice bike. Love it when the family joins in on the show.......👍

[@hebertyaraujo832]

surdo

[@Didjeridoolove]

Captain’s family 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼…. Also that bike is sweet 🎉🎉🎉the price is so right!!!!!!!🎉🎉.. definitely getting in a order👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼🤟🏼🤟🏼

[@peterlewis4386]

Well done. I have seen a lot video on this topic but yours stands out for clarity detail and completeness

[@CAPTAINDRONE798]

Wow, thanks so much for the comment!

[@stevewoodruff5872]

Your family seems lovely

[@sirhilsam]

The women seem happier riding this bike...the men are all serious. A lotta bang for the buck with this bike...🍺cheers

[@petejansen8098]

That's pretty crazy. I've been watching your drone vids for years and just searched for Vitilan U7 vids. You guys ha e the same ebike as me and my son. They are awesome!!!

[@sumner407]

Love electric bikes. Built my first one in 1975 and saw the potential of it back then. So jumping forward to 2019 I decided to build another and then my wife wanted one so she could ride with me. When I say build, I mean convert a mountain bike to electric by replacing the front wheel to one with an brushless motor. The only thing I actually built was the batteries for them. Mine was a 48 volt (13S) with 39 18650 cells in it. A total of 10.5 AH for the capacity of it. This gave me about 20 to 25 miles of range depending on how fast I wanted to push it. The batteries are still in good shape today. The motors are 1KW with a top speed of 35 mph on a fresh charge. Loads of fun!😊

[@larryg5151]

That is extraordinary- 20-25 miles and 35 mph, and on18650 batteries. I am surprised to hear the 18650s were around back in 75. Sounds like you may very well have missed a big opportunity to get in on the ground floor of the e-bike evolution etc., That’s a trip! So cool!

[@CAPTAINDRONE798]

Wow! You saw the potential of e-bikes back then. Well done!

[@sumner407]

@@larryg5151 No, 18650s were not around in 75. that first bike was very crude, I used 2 motorcycle batteries over the rear wheel and a friction drive on the front tire. Sorry to have caused confusion. It was later in 2019 that the LG batteries were available. I bought a Chinese spot welder and used nickel tape to make connections which protected them from the heat of soldering directly to the cells. I also use a BMS board on the battery. The motor is a 1KW power and it will do 35mph only for a few minutes then as the batteries discharge , the speed would fall off proportionally. I did not use the petal assist on it, which would not let it go as fast as could. Thanks for the interest.

[@Eyes0penNoFear]

@@sumner407 what was your cost to diy it like that?

[@sumner407]

@@larryg5151 sorry for the confusion, the first bike I built was not made with lithium ion, but I used a couple of 12v lead acid motorcycle batteries. They were too heavy to mount well on the bike and made it top heavy. The motor was a 24v surplus that was used on a gun turret. It was just a fun project to occupy my time. But it did work and road it until the batteries failed and then I junked it. The li batteries were from the most recent builds I’d did. They were good batteries and preformed well.

[@KindCreature1]

Great video Captain Drone! I was thinking there might be a trail of birdseed to your home, but all is well. Mike in Oregon

[@DannyFyffe]

Very cool you helping out your son.

[@pixelpeter3883]

Fun to see the Captain Drone family :-)

[@niveketihw1897]

- 4:20 - dirt bikes, including competition ones, use spokes rather than solid alloy wheels. Perhaps there's a continuum -- street only = spokes, light off-road = solid alloy, intense off-road / competition = back to spokes again. - 4:40 - isn't the word "damping" instead of "dampening?" I think dampening would imply little water misters come out to moisten the suspension. 🤠 - 8:57 - totally agree with the need for mirrors - gears - I suppose it makes sense this has selectable gear ratios, given that it is a dual-purpose bike intended to be used partially as a normal bicycle... but it does make me think about a discussion I've been having for years -- transmissions for all-electric cars and motorcycles. There was one fully-electric motorcycle (the Brammon Empulse) that had multiple gears, but almost all fully-electric vehicles have only one direct drive ratio -- most people state that this is because an electric delivers all of its torque in a solid plateau from right at idle through the point where torque starts linearly declining, but that one ratio is a compromise being acceleration and speed, so it's always seemed to me that a LO and a HI gear, even on something like a high-end Porsche Taycan, might be advantageous from a mechanical advantage standpoint. On another note, from 2001 to 2004, my college years, I went everywhere on a Specialized Hard Rock mountain bike -- around 15,000 miles (24,000 km) in four years. During the normal class hours I was commuting next to other bicyclists. It always amazed me how many people would consistently fail to downshift when coming to a mandatory stop, and then awkwardly try to take off again in a way-too-tall cruising gear, and then even more awkwardly have to try to downshift while trying to accelerate at very low speed... -overall - interesting to get a glimpse at your family, and to show novices taking the bike out; I've never ridden one of these electric assist bikes but my overall take on this is that that riding position (the "sit up and beg" position we used to call it on motorcycle forums) would not work for me at all. I would need MUCH lower handlebars that would facilitate standing on the pedals and getting weight on the front of the bike.

[@stevennagley3407]

Spoked wheels are common in mx because maintenance is quite straight forward, light weight easy to repair and durable as it absorbs a lot of abuse, solid alloy is common in street cause the physics and so on… you want weight and mass on a street or sport bikes because there is that gyroscopic phenomenon to help aid in stability, I’ve contemplated switching to carbon fiber rims on my 1000cc street bike but I’ve met riders and they told me you need to learn how to re learn how to ride because the stability you encounter turns and so on and also the price is astronomical

[@Kmrc1213]

Thanks!! I really appreciate all the info you included for first time e-bike riders

[@CAPTAINDRONE798]

Glad it was helpful!

[@henrytaaffe7058]

hi steve. class video. nice to see your family joining in.

[@eugeneaustin]

wow super duper go fast bike Mrs Drone {Nicki} looked great. But £2000 beyond my pension. great review Captain🚴

[@MrBvbike]

Well done Drone Family ! 😊

[@martinmaddox5315]

I purchased the BriskMore mirrors, 2 for $23 from Amazon.I didn’t know whether to buy the blue tent or the clear lens. The description said blue helped with glare but might not be as good for nighttime or wearing sunglasses. I got the clear. They fit on my U7 as they they were welded to the bike. They seem to be very sturdy and go good quality. The lens are slightly convex, much better than a more robust convex mirror. I can clearly see what’s behind me. They are of a high quality glass and look beautiful on my u7.

[@jamesceastep8874]

This was a first rate review. Who wouldn't want one?

[@crystalclearwindowcleaning3458]

Great to see your family. Looks like a fun bike. I just bought a. Inexpensive e mountain bike. There's quite a bit more to put together. But it only weighs 50 lbs.

[@ColinRussianForce]

I got my first fat tyre e-bike 2 weeks ago and am in love with it

[@willrine8614]

Fun video ! 😃 Get some mirrors and it’s perfect !

[@lynsmith1096]

Good review Steve and a very nice bike.

[@ColinRussianForce]

Nice to meet your family, happy cycling guys

[@petermainwaringsx]

At last, something I already have Steve. I converted my old mountain bike three years ago during lockdown, using a mid drive Bafang. Great machine and fun to ride just a shame about the weather in South Wales. Wish it did fold, as it's a bit of a brute to get it into the back of the car. I always charge mine outdoors.

[@CAPTAINDRONE798]

You are ahead of the curve in creating your own e-bike

[@dougcooper4917]

Excellent Video. Very Nice Electric Bike. Thank You Steve.

[@bobbylefebvre6298]

Good evening captain nice review cool bike

[@olabergvall3154]

Good video Steve! That's actually not at all expensive for a proper e-bike 😊

[@tommymcevilly2413]

I have a large building complex. Bronson E-bikes are a Tennant and sell these same e bikes. You did great job explaining the assemble. The store has had some issues with parts being missing from time to time. This is one of the better quality. To buy online and assemble when received is not as simple as you demonstrated. There are some adjustments need before taking a ride.

[@CAPTAINDRONE798]

Thanks, but I can assure you that what you saw in the vid is all that was done (no adjustments at all). E-Bikes today have to be made for the person with zero skills at bike knowledge or else all the non-skilled people will write negative reviews on AMAZON and GOGGLE.

[@tommymcevilly2413]

@@CAPTAINDRONE798 your the hero off mine I'm 78 and your just a great example of Intelligent that is dominated buy your creativity 🙏

[@julianmclean3869]

Well done Captain (and "Mrs" Drone!!!!); looks like an amazing bike; also noticed you hover your finger / fingers over the brake, assume this is a carry over from riding the VFR?

[@CAPTAINDRONE798]

Exactly! 😊

[@bobbylefebvre6298]

Nice set up

[@rcafmaintainer3723]

My Teslica had a bit more assembly. I’m surprised you didn’t go with them being in Ottawa.

[@ericpe2.12]

Bonjour Steve.. 😁 Aller, hoop.. Tout le monde a vélo ! 😁🚴🚴‍♂️🚴‍♀️👍 Super vélo, mais je mettrai un très gros doute sur la qualité des pneus NCT... 😟 Je préfère les CHAOYANG.. Merci pour le test 👍😉😉

[@ColinRussianForce]

Looks a long fun bike for sure. The horn sounds the same and looks the same. I have 26.3 tyres. I like the colour display. 7 gears seems slandered like mine.

[@Loverboy_Bernice1977]

Vruuuummmmm... Beep.... Beepppp... Great E-bike Steve. Drive safety. Buckle up. 😂😂😂. God bless you

[@dennisluz6453]

Lots of nice features for the price. However I find the 70lb weight excessive. I understand this is mostly intended for off road use which is not my intended use. Why is it that reviewers dont discuss workmanship such as cable management, welding quality,, paint finish, to name just a few things? In my opinion a folding bike is meant to be reasonably portable (RVers especially would like that). Otherwise just get a 26 inch tire sized bike. You will have more choices.

[@DIY_Projects_Tech]

Nice review Steve not sure we allowed to use them in uk 🇬🇧 only assist no throttle. Lovely to see the family hope your all well.

[@3putri31]

Really great bike, I really like it ❤

[@juliuscaesar8801]

I have not chimed in for a long while…I’m back! I’m looking into an elect scooter. Have you done a review non elect scooter?

[@CAPTAINDRONE798]

So far I have only reviewed one electric scooter. Just do a KZbin search for CAPTAIN DRONE SCOOTER

[@jwill6820]

Steve. I was wondering how your son is liking the bike so far. I'm looking for an ebike in that price range. I'm considering a lectric or heybike as but this looks like a good optionas well. I watch your videos all the time. You do a great job but have cost me a lot of money on some cool toys! 😂

[@CAPTAINDRONE798]

My son and his wife love the bike. His wife takes the car to work and he takes the U7 bike (rain or shine). He drags it up and down stairs at his work. So far he has not had any issues and he uses it daily.

[@renetriay1469]

Excellent review for all newbies. And the photography is fabulous. My first eBike is supposed to arrive tomorrow. Your great explanations of the Pedal Assist and of the Gearing has given me a better understanding of how the system works. Just to solidify my understanding. If the battery is out of the bike, can one still pedal the ebike as if it was a regular bike? (Of course one wont have a working computer.) Now if the battery is dead, as long one pre-selects Pedal Assist "0" and Gear 1 or 2, before the battery completely dies, can one still ride it like a normal bike without the bike feeling like a Lead Sled? Sorry! one last question, is it OK to shift GEARS while the bike is stationary without harming the gear shifter? I thank you in advance for your reply!

[@CAPTAINDRONE798]

Here are the answers to your questions. With no battery, the bike simply functions as any other bike. You can pedal and switch gears. This is also the same with a depleted battery. Once the power ends, it is then up to you to pedal away and shift gears. If you switch gears with the bike stationary, it is the same as per any bike and that is that the gear shifter in the rear will move to the correct gear but the chain won't, because the chain can only move when the wheel is in motion (this is the case for every bike on the planet). Also, the bike rides best (any bike for that matter) when the tires are filled with air near their max PSI, without exceeding it. So if you have fat tires and the PSI on your tires reads max 20PSI, then fill to 18 PSI. If you have skinny tires and your max PSI is 80 PSI, then fill to 75 PSI. Enjoy!

[@rcafmaintainer3723]

I will suggest a timer for the charger.

[@chicken6470]

Day 1 of asking if you could review the AE3 Pro Max drone

[@gregoriosmith6994]

my default setting is pedal assist 3 and gear 7

[@MammothPaige]

Very cool

[@juliuscaesar8801]

How long does the battery last on one charge? I know the typical answer is , depends how fast you push it etc. from your experience how long does it last and how long have you had the e-bike?

[@CAPTAINDRONE798]

Answer: In the video the optimum range is stated as well as the lesser range. Now your question was HOW LONG DOES THE BATTERY LAST? Well that would be many, many years. I’m in the electronics hobby and have to recharge batteries (lipo and li-on) daily for the various products. Such batteries last for years… like 5 to 10 years or more and it all depends on one thing. If you fully charge a battery and never use it, then you reduce the life. If you run a battery down to zero then you reduce the life. This bike was received this year.

[@peteroxley4973]

'Love your channel and when I get too fragile to pedal, I am planning to get an e-bike. The U7 has a 750W motor and has a max speed of 45 kph. Are you concerned that Ontario regulates e-bikes to only 500w max and 32kph?

[@CAPTAINDRONE798]

No worries because there is no human in the world in law enforcement concerned about the speed of e-bikes, e-scooters or e-skateboards

[@bobbylefebvre6298]

I like the price

[@CLUB-th7pp]

Dangit , not to long ago I bought my daughter the v3. New with shipping it was around $1100 . What’s this one going fer my friend. Will it fit in the back of a C8 Corvette ya think??

[@CAPTAINDRONE798]

Probably not a Corvette

[@chelseafn104]

Wondering if you still have it? Any problems with the Bike? Battery?

[@CAPTAINDRONE798]

My daughter in law rides it to work daily. Only issue is a few flat tires over the year driving it daily, but still works fine.

[@originalsusie]

Hi, how tall is your wife or DIL? I’m 5’3 inseam 29” - wondering how it will fit my small 110# self. Thanks and great vids!

[@CAPTAINDRONE798]

Ana, in the video is 5’ 3”

[@romavillamiguel9845]

Is there lock 🔐 for the battery..?

[@CAPTAINDRONE798]

A key is used to unlock battery

[@romavillamiguel9845]

@@CAPTAINDRONE798 thanks..coz you just pull out the battery upon moving the seat ..ok..👍🏽❤️

[@rockinws6567]

I bought one of these and its nothing but trouble. Warranty is useless all they do is lie and run you around.

[@CAPTAINDRONE798]

America? Hmmm… Never heard of it.

[@rockinws6567]

doesn't suprise me@@CAPTAINDRONE798

[@waynewaddingham5313]

GOOO MRS DRONE

[@kirfdtyuszsaijknmol2469]

great like your all family too.also i like pedelec assist middle hub,i have kalkhoff