The Dahon Matrix offers a comfortable ride, a beautiful design, and 24-speeds that will cover any type of riding you might do, whether it be up and down steep hills or across long stretches of flat ground. The Dahon Matrix provides the durability of a mountain bike and the speed of a road bike. Its fork suspension makes for a smooth ride no matter how many potholes you face, it features durable, flat resistant tires, and its Shimano disc brakes allow for safe all-weather riding. With a full-size frame, you will get a full-size fit and ride.
The Bionx electric motor system is customized for this particular folding bike and has options of a 250 Watt or 350 Watt motor (of continuous power and a peak of 400Watt/700Watt.) If you are a rider of average weight and your commute is mostly on flat ground, the 250W motor would be the option best suited for you. If you're above average weight, plan on lugging a lot of bags or heavy objects, or live in an area with a lot of steep hills, the 350W motor would be a better selection. Both versions of the Bionx kit come with both pedal activated assistance and throttle assistance modes. The Bionx conversion kit offers an excellent range per charge. Using the bike's regular gearing in conjunction with the electric assistance just makes it that much more effective.
The battery is Lithium Ion (Li-Ion), which is a simple, lightweight power source. It will fully recharge within two to four hours (five to six hours if it was completely drained) and requires very little maintenance. The battery can be charged on or off the bike, and the smart charger won't over-charge it; you can leave it plugged in overnight and not worry about it. The removable battery locks into place on a bracket anchored on the water bottle mount on the frame (keeping it out of the way) and the control console is easily accessed right on the handlebar.
The Dahon Matrix folds with quite some ease. Using an included ergonomic hex key, you simply loosen a couple of bolts on the folding hinge and the frame can fold in half. The entire process takes about thirty seconds. The folding hinge on the frame is virtually invisible, making it so that no one will even know you're on a folding bike. The folded package comes to 13.7" x 37.8" x 33.2". For an even more compact package, you can easily pop off the quick release wheels as well. This is perfect if you're looking to put the bike in the trunk of a car, store it in your apartment, take it on an elevator, or bring it into your place of work.
The Dahon Matrix and the Bionx electric bike kit are a great combination if you're looking for a wide range of levels of effective electric assistance on a durable, full-size folding bike great for all kinds of riding conditions. The converted bike comes with everything you need.
| Bike Specs | |
| Color | Tech bronze |
|---|---|
| Speeds | 24 |
| Gear Inches | 19" - 99" |
| Folded Sizes | 35 x 97 x 85 cm (13.7" x 37.8" x 33.2") |
| Weight | (32.6 lbs.) |
| Folding Time | 30 seconds |
| Max Rider Weight | (230 lbs.) |
| BionX electric drive system specs | |
| Battery | 250 Watt / Lithium |
| Maximum Speed | 20mph |
| Torque | 7 Newton-meters/25 peak |
| Weight | 14 lbs. total |
| Motor Type | Direct drive generative wheel motor (gearless - brushless) |
| Motor Power | 250 watts/450 watts peak |
| Battery | 24 volt Li-ion battery |
| Charger |
|
| Maximum Speed | 20mph |
| Torque | 10 Newton-meters/32 peak |
| Weight | 17 lbs. total |
| Motor Type | Direct drive generative wheel motor (gearless - brushless) |
| Motor Power | 350 watts/700 watts peak |
| Battery | 36 volt L-ion battery |
| Charger | Li-ion Bionx charger |
| The Bionx Warranty | |
| The Bionx warranty is another source of comfort for electric bike riders. Bionx covers the motor and control console for 2 years. The battery has a one-year warranty against any manufacturer’s defects in material or workmanship, making the Bionx warranty the most extensive in the market. | |
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View DetailsWith 26" wheels, the Matrix is a full sized folding bike manufactured by Dahon. It has 24 speeds (3 spd. front derailleur and rear 8) and weighs about 30 pounds. What makes this bike great, is it has a road bike look and feel, but with folding aspects, ready to be unlocked with the included hex key. The Matrix I rode was equipped with the 350 watt BionX electric motor kit, which made navigating through the New York streets not only easy, but fun.
Dahon Matrix | BionX electric motor
The tires and suspension added for a smooth, comfortable ride, and with 24 speeds, it was no problem picking up speed, even with the BionX kit off! When it comes time to fold the bike, you just make about one rotation with the key in two joints, and its done! With the same key used to unlock it, you can also remove the handlebars so that you have more compact of a fold. The pedals are also removable with the assistance of a standard wrench. Although the folding process is both fast and easy, the fold itself isn't as compact or efficient as some of its folding brethren. It is, however, fitting for a rider who's need for speed outweighs a need for space. In other words, if you only need the bike to fold compact enough for the trunk of a car, your apartment, or workspace, the Matrix BionX is perfect for you; you get a full-size fit and comfortable ride.
The BionX kit has 4 possible levels of assistance, ranging from 25 to 200%; this meaning that as I pedaled, it would assist me, up to 200%, or until I hit 20 MPH. The throttle, which is used only for (but not limited to) short bursts of speed, was kept handy for starting out, tight spots, and yellow lights. As slowing down is a priority on this bike, it is obviously befitting for the bike to have a regenerative braking feature as well. If I were to have to progressively slow down, for a hill, for instance, I can just set the regenerative mode to brake for me, and as it slows, it also recharges the battery. If I just need to hit the handbrake, it momentarily kicks the regenerative braking mode in until I let off.
I personally liked to keep the Matrix in second (front) gear, and adjust through the 8 spds. and skip to a higher third (front) later; but depending on your strength, you can start out in 1st or 3rd. Riding at a comfortable speed with the 2nd level assist was more than enough to keep me at speed, and the regenerative brakes that recharged when engaged, kept me from speeding past taxi cabs. All in all, this bike is a perfect marriage of comfort from a full-sized electric bike, and functionability from a folding bike.
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Dahon Matrix with BionX drive system
