Do you remember the Tamagotchi? For young people in the 90s, it was almost mandatory to have one. And as soon as I looked at this Yadea, it reminded me of a big Tamagotchi with wheels. Am I the only one?
Yadea is an unknown brand for many and another Chinese manufacturer that is now entering the electric motorcycle market, but don’t be fooled. Yadea is one of the world’s largest two-wheeler manufacturers, with millions of motorcycles sold worldwide in recent years. Therefore, it was not surprising the quality of construction of this G5S, which proved to be up to the most meticulous standards.
WITH PERSONALITY
It is hard to overlook the “cute” and unique appearance of this Yadea G5S. It has very round and modern lines that set it apart from many of the electric scooters we see today. And up close, we can see that the components are of high quality, immediately dispelling any prejudice against Chinese motorcycles – something we have been saying about many of the bikes from this country that we have tested in recent editions. The full LED lighting also stands out, especially with the rear turn signals embedded in the plastics of this Yadea. The motorcycle exudes uniqueness and personality, and in this case, resembling a Tamagotchi with wheels is a good thing. It seems like something we want to have in our garage to take care of, just like we did with small pocket electronic devices.
THEORY AND PRACTICE
After looking from the outside, we also realized how this Yadea G5S behaves. We always have to take into account that it is an electric scooter approved for A1 license, which means that it falls into the segment of 125cc combustion scooters. We are talking about a central motor of 4,100W, which receives its “fuel” through two 72V and 20Ah lithium batteries, one located under the seat and another (better positioned) under our feet. The announced range with the two batteries is 115 km, something that we found to be ambitious in normal use. We would say that aiming for 85/90km of range is more realistic, with a mixed use of open road and city, without worrying too much about battery life and without traveling several kilometers at maximum speed. In case of running out of energy, Yadea promises a charging time of 4 hours from 0 to 100%.
But if we have numbers below the promised range, the maximum speed recorded was the opposite. This G5S has two driving modes – ECO and Power – with Eco mode limiting our speed to about 60 km/h and Power mode theoretically allowing a maximum speed of 80 km/h, but the G5S proved to be more lively and reached close to 100 km/h – and no, it wasn’t on downhill slopes. We still have another mode, which is like a parking mode that prevents the throttle from being activated. And although it may seem unnecessary, here we give a positive note, since some accidents can happen to less experienced riders with electric motorcycles, considering that from the moment the ignition is activated, the throttle can be activated and the response, as we know, can be quite abrupt at times. Yadea does not equip this motorcycle with ABS, something that may scare less experienced riders, but the CBS and the entire braking system proved to be quite effective and pleased us.
THE NOT SO GOOD
It is true that the Yadea G5S is cute in appearance, but it also has some drawbacks. First of all, the lack of space under the seat when adding the second battery is a major downside for two reasons. We lose the space that we seek in a utility motorcycle, and if we want to gain that space, we will lose half of the range, which means we will have about 40 km to travel with one battery. Then we have suspensions that are too basic and soft for someone of average height – about 1.80cm and 75 kg – both at the front and rear. On the Portuguese pavement and within the city, as long as the irregularities are not too pronounced, it feels like we are floating – also thanks to the comfortable seat and good legroom – but do not attempt to ride on roads with poor pavement, because you will quickly exhaust the suspension travel and back pain will become a reality. We did not expect the performance of a trail bike, but this scooter deserved a better set of suspensions. Finally, the 7″ panel promises a lot, but it seems to fall short, even though it is possible to connect the phone and identify incoming calls and messages, it seems like something is missing to fill such a large and monochromatic space. The information you have when starting the bike is basically what you will always have – battery charge information, odometer, speedometer, trip and driving mode. And yes, it is essential and has good visibility, but it seems to be lacking something.
HONEST PROPOSAL
Do not be fooled, because Yadea will not do that to you either. This motorcycle has its qualities and its flaws, but at the end of the day, it delivers what it promises. Its entry into the European market is relatively recent and for sure – considering Yadea’s power – a lot will change in the coming years, with new updates of this model to address the less positive aspects, while maintaining the quality they have shown from the beginning.
YADEA G5S
CENTRAL electric motor with belt
DISPLACEMENT n.d, equivalent to 125 cc
POWER 4,100W
TORQUE n.d
AUTOMATIC gearbox
FRAME cold-rolled steel
RANGE 115 km (announced with 2 batteries 72V 20Ah)
FRONT SUSPENSION telescopic fork, 30 mm
REAR SUSPENSION dual shock absorber
FRONT BRAKE 220 mm disc, CBS
REAR BRAKE 220 mm disc, CBS
FRONT TIRE 90/90-12
REAR TIRE 100/80-12
WHEELBASE 1,270 mm
SEAT HEIGHT n.d
WEIGHT 81 kg (without batteries)
MSRP from 4,890€
