SkunkWerX

Amazon purchase, just for fun and to have in my SUV for riding at lunchtime, or time when the full sized bikes aren't the best option.

The Overall bike: The bike, as delivered, is a nice bike. The latching mechanism had a bent bolt, (dang!) which was taken care of by customer service sending me a new bolt, no questions asked. Otherwise, the bike is as described, Shimano rear derailleur, disc brakes, etc. It is everything they portray it to be.

Using a magnet, the only things I found that are not Alloy are the front forks (steel for strength?) and the rear rack. Everything else appears to be alloy aluminum. I have not weighed this bike, but it is NOT heavy, not like a cheaper steel framed folder would be. I believe their published weight is true or very close.

-The Disc Brakes needed the cables tightened. Doing this made them grab well. I have hydraulic discs on my Trek bike, and these mechanical discs are not bad at all in comparison, very similar to the mech discs on my Scott bike. These are fully adjustable, so with tweaking I now have them "in the zone".

-The Shifters shifted fine out of the box. The rear Altus derailleur operates flawlessly after a minor tensioning & adjustment-new cables. Front derailleur/shifter is 3 or 4 clicks total...so once it changes chain-rings, you can still click once more to trim out chain rubbing/noise on the cage mostly when cross chained.
I found a shimano 105 FD, installed it, now much better! The only chain rub now is when totally cross-chained, and only when crossed up on the small chain ring small cog. I don't ride crossed-up anyway, so I am considering it good enough....will fool with it more this winter.

-Paint job seems of good quality, it's thick and well done. Nice color combo on this blue/gray model.
-The Compass brand tires seem very nice, they each are rated for 132 lbs. at 43 psi. I have rear at 45 and front at 40psi, I weigh 185lbs. and it rides fine. Quick release skewers on front and rear wheels, the latches anodized to match the colored alloy hubs.
-The Seat/Saddle is surprisingly comfortable! Not too firm, not too squishy. I thought I'd have to get a new saddle, but this one is a keeper.
-The Gearing is well spaced with plenty of Low End for climbing hills. At the high end, I spun it up and ran out of gears going down a respectable hill, but it was plenty fast. The front chain-rings are 52t/42t. The rear cassette/freewheel is a Shimano CS-HG200-8 with 12-32 cog range. The 32 is a nice low gear for sizable hills. I don't see ever having to walk this bike up a hill, unless it's a monster steep hill. Update: upgraded to a Shimano 11-32 cassette. The 11t cog shifts fine, and provides a little bit more top end. No chain slack issues either, going down to the 11t cog. The only thing I can do for more downhill/top end speed is go to a 54t or 56t big ring...maybe some day?
-Fenders are black plastic with rubber-like mud guards, they seem to be decent.
-Rear rack seems durable and able to take as much weight as you want to pack onto it. It's solid, not flimsy.
-Packaging was very good, solid box, no damage. One very small scratch bottom of frame, it's gray, was easy to touch up.
-Instructions cover how to Fold/Unfold, and has pictures, but that is all. The rest is basic bicycle stuff, brakes, shifters, you either know it already, or don't.
-Main Frame Hinge where it folds is stiff when brand new. Really stiff. Takes some muscle to fold/unfold right out of the box. I think this is a good thing versus being too loose. After a couple of days of folding/unfolding, it has gotten easier to hinge open and closed.
-There is no folding lock that keeps it folded, no magnets, no latch. A bungee cord works for me.
-The kickstand is adjustable, telescopes.

The front derailleur is probably the weakest point, due to the need to shift more than once to 'trim" it from chain rubbing.
I replaced it, problem solved.

I like this little ZXMOTO bike, for what it is.
Background: I own two full sized Treks and a Scott. I ride regularly and do my own maintenance, in case that helps someone reading this review.

Overall, I like it, good value for the dollar and features in this price range.

if you don't do your own maintenance & adjustments then you would have to see your LBS and pay to have it tuned up, out of box most likely. In this case, a buyer may want to pay a little more and seek a seller that goes over the bike top to bottom and has it in 100% ride-able shape. if you don't mind some fiddling and adjusting, I was able to dial it in without a lot of effort. Check all bolts, tighten cables, etc.

I will follow up after some decent mileage is put on this bike to see how it holds up.

ttakata73

Photos would be nice.
I couldn't find it on Amazon or the web since a search brings up Kawaskai Ninja stuff instead.

tds101 

I don't see it on Amazon either. When I did it was listed as "unavailable'.

SkunkWerX

Sorry about that, I'll get some photos posted soon.
I just searched, and they are indeed not there any more! wow.

I found the same exact bike, different seller, with a hefty price hike.
Mine was $350 shipped free.

https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51CN-1iTjrL._SX450_.jpg

Ultralight

Thanks an excellent price, especially for included disc brake. What's the published weight? I spent $10 to pick up a luggage scale where you can hang things off it and it weighs luggage. Great for weighing bikes too...

UL

SkunkWerX

Ultralight,
The published weight was 30 lbs. which was inclusive of the rack and fenders.
I see the Origami Gazelle on Amazon (at a great price point, I will add) and it is listed at 28lbs. without fenders and rack.

This ZX bike is now being sold under the name K7S on Amazon, and the price is measurably higher. I think I would buy the Gazelle and add the fenders and rack "if" I so desired.
You would get the support of a US company (a value if you are in the USA) and a member on this forum.

I do like this bike, I take on shorter hops mostly. The big plan is to take it on the Wash. DC Metro subway and tool around the monuments and downtown area.

SkunkWerX

Update: This bike is now being sold on Amazon as the Camp 20" Thunderbolt 16sp or its companion the Camp 20" Supersonic 7 sp (Mine was ZXMoto Thunderbolt).

Still apologizing for no pictures...my photo hosting site had issues, now went belly up. It's on my list of things to take care of.

After putting some miles on this thing, and numerous tweaking sessions....

(Apologies for duplication with the original post, I just re-read, and some of this is redundant, just now with miles ridden and more certainty.)

OK, here's the update.... The biggest issue was pursuing smoother shifting. With a 2 speed derailleur up front, and 8 gears in the back, and a short chainline distance, the cross chain angle is pretty severe. I swapped to a Shimano 105 front derailleur which helped a lot. After tweaking and fiddling with it, there is very slight chain rubbing when fully crossed up. As we all know, we shouldn't ride crossed-up anyway, so I am satisfied with where it is now. When I do hear chain noise, then I know it's time to hit the other chain ring. I think I could get rid of it entirely if I tweak the derailleur cage (read: bend/spread it) but do not like bending derailleurs. Anyway, so much for running a 2 speed set up on a short chainline. Moral of Story: An inexpensive 16 speed folder *may* require some thinking and wrenching if you want your bike to run smoothly.

The 8 speed cassette 11-32 swap was, and still is, working very nicely! Still running the original Altus RD, it steps through the gears just fine. I see there is an 11-34 cassette available, but my lowest gear would be so many revs per distance of linear travel it might only be for those in very steep areas. It could use a little more top end speed, actually. The 11 tooth cog did help. The big ring is 52t on a 110mm BCD. I'd love to go with 54t or even 56t but that will mean going to a 130mm crankset..... I miss the extra few mphs, especially on the downhill side, and especially when it's a valley and could use a little more momentum on the way back up.

Still running stock tires, the rear tires at 45-47 psi and the front at 40-42 psi. The squishiness is nice over gravel and bumps but would prefer some more stiffness. At some point they will be replaced with higher pressure tires. Looking at Schwalbe Marathons when that time comes. I need some tread grip for the varied surfaces I encounter, so a super smooth tire may not be the best for my situation. If anyone has any tire thoughts, feel free to chime in! I ride a combo of asphalt road, concrete with seams, paved trails, sometimes wet, packed blue stone crush-run...and even a few places with only packed clay. Which tire? I need an all 'rounder, I think?

Final thoughts... if you buy directly [cough] from China [cough] then you are on your own. I have spent a fair amount of time tuning, tweaking, even spending money (judiciously) on the weak points. The lower initial price point comes at a cost...I knew this...it was not one of my more serious purchases, more of a little fun project. Out-of-the-box expect having to adjust brakes and shifting, at the very least. *Check and tighten fasteners too! There is no middleman unboxing, checking and adjusting, so, you get whatever came over on the boat.

Having a front derailleur on a folder adds more shifting complexity, not a show stopper, but better to know about it going in. If you are a casual rider, and don't do your own maintenance, and not riding steep terrain, maybe the 7 speed is the better choice?
Otherwise, it's OK. Not fantastic, but not shabby either.

If I were selling a folder with a front derailleur, i would be making sure it was a sound design, shifted properly, and my retail cost would probably reflect it.
When you see other 16, 18 and 20sp folding bikes with a higher price tag, there is likely a reason for it.

Aftermarket adds, so far:
8 speed cassette 11-32
Shimano 105 FD
3rd eye bar end mirror (doesn't interfere when folded)
Rear LED light (working on a detachable flashlight/headlight set-up)
FD-7 aluminum folding pedals (original pedals had flex when I was pressing hard, probably OK for a more casual rider)
Duet Bell (mounted upside down does not interfere when folded)

[x] pictures needed....yes.

jaynh

...Still apologizing for no pictures...my photo hosting site had issues, now went belly up. It's on my list of things to take care of...

[x] pictures needed....yes.[/QUOTE]

Skunkwerx ..If you don't know yet, you can post pictures directly to this Bikeforums website.
Just click on the 3rd icon (looks like a tree in a square) in the "Quik Reply" box (which you are already using for your replies and posts) and select "from computer" tab, then select the picture file you want to upload.

Let's see your pictures !!!

SkunkWerX

thanks jaynh!