As we announced on Monday March 15, the Mustache J is arriving with two new transmissions. The first is the Nexus 5, a hub suitable for urban travel, and allowing the J.on to lower its price to 5,199 euros. The second is based on an Enviolo Automatiq variator which constitutes the new high-end model, at 6,599 euros. What does this new version of the 2023 electric bike of the year, elected at our Frandroid Awards, bring? Answer in this guide.
First laps of the wheel with the “Moustache J auto”
We were able to take in hand the new version of the Mustache J.on during a stroll in Paris, in the company of the brand. Firstly, we find all the original advantages of this high-end electric bike. Having ridden with the Mardi 27.6, already very comfortable as we felt during a first test, the J belongs to a completely different category of cycle.
Going from Tuesday 27.6 to D gives you the impression of changing dimension, with suddenly the feeling of having a cushion between you and the road. The double suspension is a delight, through the SR Suntour Mobie 25 front fork with 100 mm of travel and the in-house Magic Grip Control pneumatic rear shock absorber of 115 mm. The 2.4-inch wide Schwalbe Moto
Despite a weight of around 30 kg, it feels easy to slip through Parisian traffic. You don’t feel this extra weight when maneuvering with it, knowing that the position is slightly elevated compared to a classic urban bike. The other reassuring observation is the braking. No more common and poorly performing Alhonga brakes for this high-end bike.
The Mustache J Automatiq brings with it new, more powerful Magura MT A2 brakes, with 2-piston calipers and 160/180 mm discs. They nevertheless remain less biting than the MT4 or MT5 visible on competitors such as the Riese & Müller Homage.
A transmission that makes driving easier
Regarding the Enviolo Automatiq transmission, it’s a joy to use. Finally to experiment, since we have absolutely nothing to do to benefit from it. There is in fact no gear to shift and we forget the manual variator to turn when stationary or when picking up speed. Everything works automatically, but with a small delay on startup.
Between the first pedal stroke and electronic activation, the latency causes a brief grinding at the pedals. This fades in just a second, but more slowly than on the Decathlon LD 920 E motor system or electric bikes equipped with the Shimano Di2 system.
This small latency was also perceived by the other journalists present alongside us during the press event. In addition, a high-pitched noise accompanies the operation of the system. We therefore perceive it at each green light or after an interruption in pedaling (downhill for example).
An automatic Enviolo that fits everywhere
A small inconvenience therefore, but which only represents an anecdotal period of time in the driving time. The pleasure of the Enviolo Automatiq will delight more than one, combined with the ease and comfort of the Mustache J which can take hills and reach 25 km/h in a matter of seconds.
La Butte Montmartre was able to put this transmission to the test, which adapts without any mechanical movement felt – and here without noise – to the steepest slopes. The cadence thus remains identical, up to a limit, that of the engine and its ability to maintain speed at 25 km/h. The 75 Nm Performance Line motor is not the most powerful from Bosch – inferior to the Line CX (85 Nm) – and therefore encounters a ceiling on the hardest climb. We climb at a maximum of 20 km/h, which is already not bad.
The cadence is also adjustable thanks to the dedicated Enviolo App, which is added to the eBike Flow application in the Bosch Smart System environment. Here too, we encounter a latency between the cadence change in the app and on the bike. Fortunately, this manipulation is very occasional, depending on your desire or if several people use the same Mustache J.
An expensive automatic Mustache J, but so pleasant
This Mustache J.on Automatiq is therefore sold at a price of 6,599 euros. Our model has the larger of the two batteries (625 Wh), enough to cover 146 km in eco mode, and probably around 70 km in maximum Turbo mode.
The more versatile Mustache J. all Automatiq is also priced at 6,599 euros. It stands out from the J.on thanks to its wide 2.6-inch Schwalbe Johnny Watts tires, and its 120 mm Suntour XCR34 pneumatic suspension fork.
As before, removable QL3 side mounts are included as standard. This is not the case for the suspended luggage rack specific to the Mustache J, available as an option (200 euros). Another option (50 euros), the Smartphone Grip allows you to hang your phone with the display of the Bosch app, but the Kiox 500 screen is already very pleasant in itself. The only interest consists of having much easier navigation on a large diagonal.
Conclusion, the Mustache J increases its pleasure with the Enviolo Automatiq transmission, and has thought about modifying the brakes which were previously a tone below. If the automatic variator is a little latent and noisy, we forget about it in the long run, and only a small defect remains. The Performance Line engine is certainly already powerful and sufficient for many, but the competition generally offers the higher CX version and its additional 10 Nm.