Gogoro Eeyo 1 review: Minimalistic minor masterpiece

Gogoro Eeyo 1 review in a sentence: Slick styling, a clever powertrain and effortless riding make this electric bike one that’s hard to forget in amongst a sea of rivals.

While Gogoro’s quirkily monikered Eeyo 1 doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, this is an electric bike that not only has a name that’s hard to forget; it's got the looks to go with it. Taiwanese electric bike maker Gogoro has already garnered a solid reputation for itself in the e-bike world, having produced some decent two-wheelers alongside mopeds. However, the Gogoro Eeyo 1 is likely to bag itself a place in our best electric bike guide because it’s rather impressive. 

I’ve been trying the Eeyo 1 out over the course of a few days before it sadly had to go back for another lucky reviewer to experience. However, in the short time I’ve had the e-bike, it’s been a blast. Not only that, the Gogoro Eeyo 1 boasts very distinctive styling and has a carbon frame. What that means is the bike is light, at just under 12 kilograms, in fact, which really isn’t much at all. I’m used to heaving heavy electric bikes in and out of their boxes for review purposes, whereas this one was a doddle to unpack.

As always, before you hit the road on any new bike, don’t forget to check out the best bike lights and best cycling helmets, so you can be seen and stay safe on your new investment. In the meantime, read on to find out a little bit more about this amazing electric bike.

(First reviewed April 2023)

Gogoro Eeyo 1 review: Price and availability

The Gogoro Eeyo 1 might be Taiwanese, but the good news is there’s a distribution network set up around the world. So, for example, you can currently get the Gogoro Eeyo 1 electric bike in the UK from £3,999 (approx. $4,991/AU$7,571), with size settings ranging from XS (5’5” – 5’ 7”) right up to XL (6’1” – 6’ 3”). The phone mount mentioned in this review doesn’t appear to be standard issue and can be ordered as a £94 ($117/AU$178) extra, which seems quite expensive for what it is.

Gogoro Eeyo 1 review: Design and build

If you’ve become a little jaded about electric bikes of late, with many of them having lots of the same components (Bafang electric hub motor, anyone?), the Gogoro Eeyo 1 is a revelation. There are lots of features that make this e-bike stand out from the crowd, with a not-so-common belt drive instead of a chain, which runs to the single-speed back wheel. The centrepiece of this spoked treat is the Smartwheel, which is a hub-style motor and battery setup.

Quite how the manufacturers have managed to cram in a 250W rated motor, 123Wh battery, and some technical gubbins inside there is a mystery to me. It all looks very slick from the outside, though. There’s a compromise around this, however, which means the rear brake is a low-slung, old-school style calliper with rubber pads. No matter, as you’ve got a nice shiny brake disc at the front to help balance things out.

Talking of balance, the Gogoro Eeyo 1 has an 11 kg payload that feels very evenly spread out, despite the fact that most of the mechanical stuff is at the rear end. I guess the carbon frame helps a lot, and there’s very little else to ruin the delightful lines of this, too, with no cables or unsightly fixtures and fittings ruining the clean lines of the bike. Flat handlebars come supplied with a middle-mounted phone holder, complete with rubberised grips.

The saddle isn’t the nicest one I’ve encountered, but I’m sure I could live with it. My review bike was a trendy Cloud Blue colour, but there are several other shades in the Eeyo 1 palette to choose from, with Magma Orange being the one to go for if you crave attention. When I don’t have one, I really miss a fold-down stand, but the compact pedals allow you to prop the bike up on a kerb without fuss, so it’s not exactly the end of the world. Keeps the weight down, too, I guess.

Gogoro Eeyo 1 review: Riding experience

The Gogoro Eeyo 1 was pretty straightforward to get out of the box and set up. As it happens, this simplistic experience continued when I got it out on the road. I presume it’s because of the belt drive, but the rear wheel does feel quite stiff and drags the tyre when you pull it over a slick tiled surface as it did on my patio. I did initially wonder if the rear brake calliper was binding, but that was fine. A minor point, really.

To get ready to go, you’ll need to wake up the bike by pairing your smartphone and app with the bike. After fixing my phone into the rubberised holder on the handlebars, I found it was necessary to remove it again and hold the phone closer to the rear hub-mounted motor. Once this was done, I was able to put the phone back in the holder and select drive modes and, indeed, anything else using the app’s interface. This is a suitable minimalist to make changing anything relatively easy to tweak on the go, but stopping first is the best advice.

The Gogoro Eeyo 1 is a very easy bike to ride, though, with the lightness of the frame and components making it feel very agile from the off. The torque sensing inside that clever motor simply provides more power the harder you pedal.

The slimline tyres aren’t really to my liking, and even though there’s nothing wrong with them, I would have liked a little more give that comes from chunkier rubber. Care is needed if you hit a gravel track, too, because of their narrow dimensions. On a good road or cycle path, the Gogoro Eeyo 1 gathers pace with ease, and the delivery of the power is slick and smooth.

I was a little worried that the rear calliper brake, which is mounted down low, would feel less impressive than the front disc, but the combination of rubber pads and metal rotor makes the Gogoro Eeyo 1 stop on a dime. The riding position is quite heads-down rather than upright, and this is something the saddle is perfectly in tune with. The ride itself, though, leaves you feeling quite relaxed, and it’s easy to eat up the miles as the power comes through.

Gogoro Eeyo 1 review: Verdict

The Gogoro Eeyo 1 really is a rather good electric bike. It’s got dazzling looks and performs admirably. The type of ride you get isn’t going to be for everyone, but it’s really worth investigating if you fancy an e-bike that makes a statement. Some of the technical innovation on show here is also admirable while delivering an assisted experience that has to currently be one of the best on the market.

While I initially wasn’t too sure about having to wake up the bike using the app and then control everything using the same method, it all worked as it should. Besides, spend some time dabbling with the inner workings of the app, and you can tweak it to suit your own preferences. You can have assistance set at nothing or adjust right up to the Sport setting, which obviously gives you a real boost on the hills and any smooth flat sections you’re lucky enough to find.

Oh, and charging takes around two and a half hours and is a doddle too. The Gogoro Eeyo 1 has this neat little prong-cum-large-spanner thing on a cable which actually attaches to the rear hub in order to rejoice the battery. Ride sparingly, and you might eke out 30 miles on full power and up to 45 on Eco assist from this beauty, though in reality, it’ll be less because you’ll be enjoying yourself so much. Yup, the Gogoro Eeyo 1 is hot stuff.

Gogoro Eeyo 1 review: Also consider

As I mentioned earlier in the review, there are oodles of e-bikes out there, many of which fade into the background with their fairly generic list of components and dull design lines. That could be a good thing if you live in a city or just a lousy neighbourhood where the less conspicuous your electric bike is, the better. However, if you’re keen to show off your wheels, aside from the Gogoro Eeyo 1, what else pops?

Well, there’s the recently reviewed Honbike Uni4, which is, I think, slightly more comfortable than the Eeyo 1. Anything else? Sporting an equally unique design, the Supertrata E will catch your attention with its unusual 3D-printed frame. The custom frame size options are a nice touch, but the components used to complete this bike are decidedly hit-and-miss. Plus, this e-bike delivers a somewhat lacklustre ride, which, coupled with the hefty price tag, might put off some riders. Read my full Superstrata E review.

Need another quirky e-bike option? Check out our VanMoof S3 review. With its urban styling, this e-bike is fun to ride and cuts a dash. It handles well for a big bike but feels reassuringly sturdy, and you can get it up to a decent speed. The range is quoted as 60km to 150km – obviously, that upper figure is based on having minimal electric assistance and never turning on the lights.