The Liv Amiti E+ 2 is a low-step electric bike that’s more capable than it perhaps first appears. Not just bound to be an urban commuter, it can also handle towpaths and some bridleways thanks to the suspension forks and wide, tubeless ready tyres.
At just shy of £3k, the Amiti E+ 2 is quite competitively priced for a mid-drive powered e-bike, sitting just below the E+ 1 in Liv’s Amiti hierarchy. The difference between the two lies in the groupset choice – the E+1 gets Shimano 10-speed Deore, whilst the E+ 2 uses Shimano’s 9-speed Altus.
It’s a versatile bike with a comfortable, upright riding position, making it ideal for leisure, commuting and everything in between.
Motor and battery
The Amiti E+ 2 is powered by a SyncDrive Sport2 motor, which is a product of Giant’s partnership with Yamaha. This tops out at 75Nm of torque, which is pretty punchy for a leisure-oriented bike. It’s one of the reasons I felt confident trying it on some gravel-style tracks – the other being the wide, gravel-ready tyres.
Neither the motor nor the tyres let me down, even when the signposted cycle routes did. The bike also comes with a 625Wh Giant EnergyPak battery, situated in the down tube, which is removable.
The motor system is controlled through the RideControl Dash, a full colour LCD screen on the handlebars. From there you can change the information screen to display odometer, ride distance, time spent riding and more. There is also a walk assist button and a way to turn the integrated lights on and off.
The bike can also be paired with Giant’s RideControl App, which is very similar to other operating system apps, like Bosch’s or Specialized’s, where you can adjust your riding modes and peruse ride data. If you want to use your phone while you’re riding, you can charge it as you go via the USB-C port hidden in the display unit on the handlebars.
Components and accessories
The drive system and battery capacity are by far the most sophisticated parts of this bike, but I think it’s important to remember that the price is still below £3,000, so we can’t expect to see expensive groupsets or top-end forks for that. That said, I perhaps would have expected to see a belt-drive option in the Amiti E+ fold, and maybe the Shimano Deore 10-speed groupset for this price, rather than on the E+ 1 for a few hundred pounds more.
As mentioned above, on the Amiti E+ 2 model, you get Shimano’s 9-speed Alivio mix groupset. There is nothing wrong with it. It fundamentally works and required no adjustment from me throughout the testing period. The gear ratio also worked quite well for the terrain I rode it on – a 46T single chainring up front and an 11-36t cassette at the rear, joined together by an e-bike optimised chain.
The brakes are from Tektro, are hydraulic discs and use 180mm rotors, which I felt provided the stopping power necessary for this e-bike. You’ll notice it also uses suspension forks. These are from SR Suntour, the XCM34 model with 100mm travel. Sometimes I wonder if adding forks like these does little but add weight to a bike, but I will admit as soon as I headed off-road it made a noticeable difference to the ride quality – perhaps not enough to justify the extra maintenance/servicing requirements of a set of suspension forks if you ride enough, but I can certainly see the attraction.
The Amiti E+ 2 isn’t just a leisure or gravel-capable e-bike, it’s also designed to be an urban runaround and commuter’s dream. It comes with built-in lights front and rear, decent length mudguards, a kickstand and a rear rack.
Performance and ride quality
I tested the size small, which is intended for riders between 1.58m (5ft 2in) and 1.69m (5ft 7in). Don’t be put off by the longer than usual top tube length (58.5cm in size small), as the angle negates some of that and provides a more upright riding position.
One thing I did really like was the shorter crank length of 165mm. The XS and S sizes get 165mm and the size M gets 170mm. Crank length is a hotly debated topic in the road cycling world (and beyond that), but bike fitters are more likely to suggest shorter cranks these days, so it’s great to see this being recognised by Liv, as a self-proclaimed “women’s bike brand”.
The actual ride quality of the Amiti E+ 2 is everything you’d expect from an established and well-respected brand. It’s well balanced, even when the rear pannier is fully loaded, and it handles well even on Britain’s patchwork roads. It’s a pretty uneventful ride, but I mean that in a really good way – there was nothing that stood out to me as being annoying, or uncomfortable. It’s simply a good bike with a decent geometry and great capabilities on or off-road.
If someone was looking for a commuter or a leisure bike to head to the shops on, it would be pretty high up my list of recommendations – especially if you want a punchy mid-drive motor and high capacity battery to boot.
The only thing about this bike that niggled me a little was the weight. Where I live, hallway and doorway space is somewhat of a luxury that the 620mm wide bars didn’t really suit. That and the fact it weighs 26kg does not a smooth exit from the house make. In fact, I can still hear the cries of, “watch the paintwork” in my sleep.
Value and conclusion
At £2,799 the Liv Amiti E+ 2 is pretty good value for something with such a torquey mid-drive motor and a decently sized battery. That being said, you can get more for your money if you’re open-minded about styling.
If value it top of your list then something like the Ebco Urban 3R which retails for just under £2k may be more suited. It comes with a mid-drive Bafang motor (which isn’t as torquey as the Yamaha), and a 417Wh battery.
At nearly £400 less than the Amiti E+ 2 is the Mako Shark, a step-through that Richard gave 9/10 when he reviewed it. It’s another mid-drive option, Bafang this time, combined with a belt drive so you don’t need to worry about getting chain oil on your clothes.
Another step-through is the Giant Expression E+ 1 which Tony described as a “silky smooth and virtually silent workhorse” for just £200 more.
Specialized’s Turbo Como 3.0 may also be worth a look as it’s currently available for a significantly discounted £2,250. It features the Enviolo CVP stepless transmission and a belt drive. The motor is Specialized’s own Brose-based 2.0E motor and the battery is 530Wh.
Overall, I enjoyed my time with the Amiti E+ 2. It’s more than capable for leisurely rides through the countryside as well as being a utility vehicle able to carry a very decent amount of snacks from the bakery. The weight is the only real gripe I have with it, but for the most part it’s a good value offering from the women specific brand.
liv-cycling.com
