The Super73-R Brooklyn E-Bike Feels More Like a Motorcycle Than a Bicycle

The raw metal frame that distinguishes Super73's e-bikes from other ones is in full force with the latest Super73-R Brooklyn model. With fat road tires and throttle acceleration, it's almost a motorcycle for people who don't need the full force of what an actual motorcycle provides.

The R Brooklyn does have pedals, and you don't need to engage any electronics to ride it, but no one will use it like that. It only took me 3 minutes on my first ride before I forgot the pedals were even there. Using the throttle to zoom around while sitting on a wide padded seat is too good to pass up.

To that end, you can think of the Super73-R Brooklyn less as an e-bike and more as electronic transportation. I fell in love with it quickly, but because of its unique features, price and single occupancy, a lot of my time with the R Brooklyn was spent deciphering who this product is actually for.

TL;DR

Pros:

• Comfortable seat and riding position
• A front headlight and brake light are helpful for night riding
• Smooth acceleration

Cons:

• The Super73 mobile app is nonintuitive and disappointing

Buy at Super73.

Cruising on the Super73-R Brooklyn

There is nothing cheap about this bike, from its build to its price. The R Brooklyn costs nearly $3,500 but, if it's any consolation, you do get quite a bit of bike for your money.

The R-Series drive system will take you up to a speed of around 30 miles per hour with its throttle—after changing a setting in the mobile app. Out of the box the top throttle speed is set at 20 miles per hour. The BDGR all-terrain tires are wide and provide amazing stability. The dual suspension makes uneven street riding manageable. And the LED headlight makes riding at night much safer.

The R Brooklyn has a 960 watt-hour battery that should be able to provide about 40 miles of range using the throttle and around 75 miles using the Eco pedal assist mode. I couldn't exhaust the battery in a single day, but those distance numbers ring close to accurate in my real-world use.

No license or registration is needed to ride the R Brooklyn. The default 20 miles per hour speed is fine for most uses, but in certain cases, you'll probably wish for a tad bit more speed under throttle. Using the mobile to unlock faster speeds isn't intuitive, but it does give the bike an extra oomph. I didn't have much of a desire to go faster than the 30 miles per hour top speed.

The R Brooklyn is built well enough to be able to handle its top speed. The ride is smooth and stable. I didn't feel uncomfortable mashing the throttle.

It's hard to choose the best parts of riding the R Brooklyn, but certainly, the Speedster seat is among them. The seat is long and softly padded so it's easy to hop on and feel right at home instantly. Equally as comforting are the front and rear suspension. Riding over uneven sidewalks, bumpy streets or whatever else might appear was never a problem for me. In fact, minor imperfections in terrain were the fun parts of rides.

The Super73 Mobile App

When trying to connect the R Brooklyn bike to the Super73 mobile app, I was met with "Error 400." Some quick digging uncovered that this is a common issue for Super73 customers trying to register their bikes through the app. The solution, as strange as it might be, is to email the company so they can manually add the bike and serial number to the system.

Once you do get a bike connected, the app will provide a dashboard of stats and information, along with navigation. Most features on the bike can be used without the app. You can even change a few settings directly on the circular screen, like brightness. That's why when using the app, I was most excited to try the turn-by-turn directions, which will show arrows on the bike's screen without needing to look at your phone.

Navigation on the bike worked fine, but the feature does feel a little unnecessary in hindsight. The Super73 app is nonintuitive to use, and it mostly tries to be another mapping app, which I don't quite understand. Anyone wearing an Apple Watch should probably use their map app of choice and get direction taps on their wrist instead of relying on the bike's app.

Should You Buy the Super73-R Brooklyn E-Bike?

The Super73-R Brooklyn is a paradoxical product. On one hand, it's nearly flawlessly executed, worthy of a premium price. On the other hand, its high price only triggers thoughts of all the other vehicles that could be purchased for the same use but maybe provide more versatility.

I loved riding the R Brooklyn bike: It's both fun and convenient. More than once I had thoughts about buying one for myself, but each time the price stopped me. I found the cost is just too high for occasional leisure activity. There are close places I need to commute to regularly, so the bike could provide utility over just a fun time, but I would need to transport additional people than only myself. Whether it's school or baseball practice, I would need to take at least one kid with me, which really isn't possible on the R Brooklyn.

That brings me to my primary concern with this e-bike: I don't know who it's for. It's an amazing experience that lots of people should try, but it is challenging to recommend it broadly. If you're reading this and can think of a scenario in your own life for which an e-bike like this would work well, then I do heavily endorse it. Everyone I saw ride this bike had a blast on it.

Buy at Super73 for $3,495.

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