Review: The Vvolt Centauri II has just become my new favorite e-bike

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I’ve tested a lot of bikes since I started writing reviews on Lifehacker in 2023 – of budget models like this Propeller 7S to higher-priced e-mountain bikes Canyon’s spectral – and although no e-bike is suitable for every type of rider and every taste, the Centauri II is my absolute favorite. I like that Vvolt Centauri II So much so that I feel the need to start with a disclaimer: I am not paid by Vvolt and Lifehacker has no relationship with the company.

For general city driving – commuting, shorter trips on paved roads – the Centauri II is almost perfect. Weight, performance, comfort and handling are balanced for everyday use and its features worked better than I expected, including the belt drive with automatic transmission and mid-drive motor. Overall, the Centauri II raises the bar for commuter-style bikes.

The Vvolt Centauri II at a glance

Advantages

• The mid-drive motor ensures smooth power transmission

• Maintenance-free, automatic belt drive

• Lots of small details that create a noble driving experience

Disadvantages

Specifications

• Price: $2,999

• Speed: Class III 28 miles per hour

• Range: 20-60 miles

• Battery capacity: 490Wh / 13.6Ah

• Motor power: 120 nm torque, 350 W nominal / 650 W max

• Weight: 50 pounds (S/M)

• Frame type: step-through

• Unicrown monoshock suspension fork – 30mm travel

• Automatic 3-speed rear hub gear (163% gear range)

• Sizes: S/M, M/L, L/XL | Fits riders 4ft 9in to 6ft 4in tall

• UL 2849 compliant with UL2271 approved battery

• Available in Forest Planet and Galactic Storm colors

The Centauri II has both a sophisticated look and a functional design

The Centauri II is a good-looking bike – classy rather than flashy, with an overall look that is understated, sophisticated and full of little details that fit together. It comes in two colors, Forest Planet (green) and Galactic Storm (white), and has a matte finish. The cables are well routed, most of them hidden in the frame, and I particularly like the reflective paint details and the LED headlight integrated into the frame.

When it comes to frame geometry, the Centauri II is designed so that the rider adopts a slightly less upright seating position than many e-bikes. You’re not bent in half like a racing cyclist, but you’re not straight as a witch either The Wizard of Oz either; It’s a nice balance between the comfort of an upright posture and the control of a more forward-leaning position and it’s my personal sweet spot. The Centauri II has three frame sizes, so you should be able to find the right bike for you if you are between 1.90m and 1.80m tall.

Driving the Centauri II is really fun

I had no preconceived ideas about this e-bike before my first ride, but after putting it together – assembly was easy and took about 20 minutes – and taking it to the streets of North Hollywood, the Centauri II made a statement: This bike strives to provide a smooth ride with as little effort as possible. It’s simple Really is fun to drive. When I started pedaling and turned on the assist, the whisper-quiet motor and automatic shifting kicked in and adjusted to my pedaling force and cadence, allowing me to reach and maintain a speed of 20 mph quickly and with little effort. Since it’s a Class 3 e-bike, the pedal assist will get you up to 28 miles per hour if you bother going that fast. Overall, it was a lot of fun to ride and I felt nimble and fast without feeling like I was losing control.

Four little details about the Centauri II that I liked

Here are some of the smaller details I liked while riding the Centauri II e-bike:

1. Front suspension fork: The Centauri II features a “mono shock absorber” over the front wheel. Although it’s not a mountain bike suspension fork, the mono shock offers 30mm of travel, enough to dampen noise like potholes and uneven pavement in city traffic, but not enough for a technical singletrack ride. Although it’s not a mountain bike, I rode the Centauri II off-road for a few kilometers and found that it worked well on a paved forest trail.

2. Weight: The Centauri II weighs approximately 50 pounds. It’s light for an e-bike, but more importantly, the weight is distributed in a way that makes the bike feel responsive and in control.

3. The saddle: The comfort of a bike seat is a personal decision, but I found the Centauri II saddle wasn’t overly padded or too big. It was a cozy place to spend some time.

4. A bell: It comes with a small analog “ding-ding” bell which I thought was great.

The drivetrain and pedal assistance of the Centauri II

Good front suspension and a comfortable saddle are great details, but I was particularly curious about the pedal assist and drivetrain. The Centauri II is powered by a mid-engine from Ananda and with a continuous output of 350 W it is not the most powerful motor on the market (the highest permitted continuous output for e-bikes in the USA is 750 W), but it is mid-engine which means that the Juice flows directly to the pedals rather than a wheel, so speed increases quickly and smoothly and power delivery feels more natural than the jerky torque of a motorcycle. And like most e-bikes, the Centauri II has five levels of pedal assist, but unlike others, the first level is “chill mode,” a configuration that keeps the bike in the lowest gear and the assist at 12 miles per hour reached. This is useful for climbing hills and maintaining a safe speed on mixed-use bike paths. It’s not a major innovation, but a small detail that sets the vehicle apart.

The Centauri II features a Gates CDX belt drive that, unlike a chain drive, requires no lubrication or maintenance, doesn’t rust, is quiet and essentially lasts forever. Beyond the belt drive, the Centauri II has a three-speed automatic transmission that takes care of the entire “which gear should I be in?” Question from your trip. I tested one Automatic bike with chain drive (which supposedly used AI to shift gears), and I wasn’t overly impressed, especially when it came to hills, but the Centauri’s drivetrain was different. It uses a mechanical system that shifts up and down depending on speed. The way the pedal assist interacted with the gearbox provided the right amount of power to keep the pedals moving smoothly even when going uphill. While three gears probably wouldn’t be enough for an analog bike, I almost never felt like I was in the wrong gear on the Centauri II during my 150 miles of testing. To really test out driving without a shifter, I took the Centauri II on a few mountain trips, including a ride with a 2,000-foot elevation gain, and had no problems. Big hills require more pedaling, but if the gradient isn’t steep at Tour de France levels, they’re entirely doable.

The Centauri II does not have a throttle

I consider the Centauri’s lack of throttle control to be a “con” as many people like the ability to sit back on an e-bike and let the motor do all the work. That’s not my mood, so the lack of throttle doesn’t bother me, but your mileage may vary. Instead of a throttle, the Centauri II has a “Boost” button that lets you start faster and climb steeper hills, and delivers maximum power for about three seconds before shutting off. It works as intended, but I didn’t use it much, and on hills I found the boost to be a bit lacking, as I felt a bit of a delay between the boost stopping and the pedal assist kicking in. It was particularly unsettling on steeper hills as I felt like I was suddenly losing power.

The battery and display of the Centauri II

The downside to the Centauri’s light weight is a shorter battery life. Its 490 watt-hour battery is rated for a range of between 20 and 60 miles, which seems to be accurate based on my driving. On one trip, I started with a full battery and took a hilly ride, including a few miles of dirt roads. Since I was tired on the way home, I set the pedal assist to high. I drove about 26 miles and the battery was almost dead when I got home. In other words, it’s not the bike with the longest mileage. So if reach is your priority, you could do better. The batteries are UL-2849 compliant and charge in approximately 5-7 hours.

The display of the Centauri II is functional, clear and easy to read even in bright sunlight. Each power level has a different color for each power level, so I could read them at a glance. Input is via the standard “on” button, “headlights on” and up and down arrows to control the PAS.

Overall, I can highly recommend the Centauri II

Almost every time I’ve taken a ride on the Centauri II in the last few months, I’ve gone longer than planned because it’s so much fun to ride. If you are looking for an all-purpose city bike and the price is affordable, I recommend the Vvolt Centauri II.