This bike was obviously the brainchild of sophisticated designers. In addition to the stem fairing, which guides almost all cables and wires into the frame and appears to have been carved in one piece with the front radiator, it is the missing seat stays that catch the eye. And: the frame appears to lack any seams. It consists of two parts: the step-through V and the rear swingarm. The two are connected by a joint and the damper, which can be adjusted and locked using gas pressure - and this makes the bike very comfortable.
Gliding instead of driving. No matter how big the pothole is, it will be ironed out here! The suspension fork is a big help here: The Mobi 25 from Suntour has a full 100 millimetres of travel and is adjustable in preload and damping. The built-in Vario seat post is incredibly important for the J rider: when you stop at a traffic light, you press the lever on the handlebars and the saddle lowers so that you can stand comfortably on both feet. This is no gimmick, as the rear swingarm means that you would otherwise only just reach the ground when stopping.
Moustache J.On with seamless frame
But it is not just the look of the frame that is unusual: it was manufactured in one piece using the so-called gravity casting process, in which the liquid aluminium is poured into a prefabricated mould - largely new in bicycle production.
The challenge: to integrate all elements of the drive into a hollow cast aluminium body. The result is a seamless aluminium frame with slim lines. There is currently only one size, which is adjusted with the seat post and, if necessary, the stem setting. The drive swing arm, which accommodates the motor, bottom bracket and rear wheel suspension, is also intended to increase the efficiency and therefore the range of the system. However, it was not possible to save weight: the Moustache J.on weighs a good 30 kilograms - like all the bikes in the field.
High-tech for comfort at the front too
The bike rolls on fat Schwalbe supermoto tyres with a good six centimetres of width. The Enviolo hub rotates in the rear wheel and harmonises perfectly with the Bosch Performance Line system. Shifting gears without steps has never been better. The Bosch Performance provides a powerful but gentle push with up to 75 Newton metres; that's all you need for off-road riding.
The very long wheelbase favours straight-line stability, yet the bike remains agile enough for city riding, even if the high rotating mass of the thick tyres requires active steering. The pannier rack, which is almost hidden on the rear wheel, only accepts panniers with Ortlieb QL carrying systems. If you load it with 27 kilos, you will of course feel the weight on bends, although not as much as you would expect from the design. Alternative to this carrier: A carrier attached to the seat tube and therefore with suspension is available for an extra 200 euros.
Conclusion on the Moustache J.On
The Moustache shows how much comfort and innovation is possible on a step-through bike. However, the bike is not a "carefree bike", as suspension elements and bearings need to be serviced. You have to pay 6199 euros for it. Attention: limited size range!
The Moustache J.On in detail
- Price: 6199 Euro
- Frame sizes: One size fits all, 1.65 to 1.85
- Test bike weight: 30.8 kg
- Permissible total weight: 135 kg
- Frame: Aluminium AlSi10Mg T6
- Fork: SR Suntour Mobie 25, 100 mm suspension travel
- Circuit: Enviolo hub gears, Gates belt drive
- Motor/battery: Bosch Performance Line Smart System/Bosch, 625 Wh
- Brakes: Disc brakes, Alhonga HJ-472
- Tyres: Schwalbe Super Moto-X, 27.5 x 2.40
- Lighting system: Trelock, Lighthammer 100 Lux; Spanninga Presto 2 Guard
- Maximum carrier load: 27 kg
