Zemo ZE FS P12 in the test: The most comfortable e-bike with Pinion MGU?

Test / E-Bike: The Zemo ZE FS P12 is a versatile touring and everyday bike with the Pinion MGU. Thanks to full suspension and clever choice of components, it scores with a lot of comfort and good-natured driving behavior. Only the high weight could put some people off.

When the Pinion MGU was introduced last summer, the Zemo ZE FS P12 was one of the first bikes to be presented to the public with the innovative drive system. With the bike, the premium manufacturer is concentrating on the touring and everyday segment and particularly wants to appeal to comfort lovers. Accordingly, the bike comes with full suspension and offers 100 mm of travel at the front and 70 mm at the rear. Compared to modern mountain bikes, this seems a bit poor, but on the one hand it is sufficient for touring use and on the other hand, Zemo has come up with a lot of ideas, especially with the rear triangle, to make use of every millimeter of suspension travel.

The ZE FS P12 is available with both a classic men's frame with a horizontal top tube and as a low entry version. The frame is made of aluminum and its down tube houses a 700 Wh battery that can be easily removed to the side. If the capacity is not enough, you can even use the appropriate range extender, which increases the total capacity to over 1.200 Wh. The battery is connected to the Pinion MGU in the bottom bracket area. The innovative drive combines a gearbox with a powerful mid-engine in a low-maintenance unit. To match this, Zemo specifies a carbon belt that also requires less maintenance and is more durable than a conventional chain.

12-speed Pinion MGU with large display

The Pinion MGU made waves when it was introduced last year. The idea of ​​combining a gearbox and a mid-engine is not entirely new, but it has never been implemented in such a convincing form. Both “components” are completely convincing on their own: the mid-engine is powerful across the entire cadence spectrum and also copes well with difficult gears. In its 12-speed version, like the Zemo, the gearshift offers a range of 600% and thus beats all the competition, including modern derailleur gears from Sram or Shimano.

In the middle of the handlebars is the large FIT Comfort Display, which shows all the necessary information about the drive in a modern design and remains easy to read even in direct sunlight. In combination with the FIT E-Bike Control app, navigation instructions can also be displayed here, but unfortunately a real map display is not possible, even though the screen itself would actually be large enough.

You can find more information about the Pinion MGU, including bench testing and further practical impressions in our corresponding article

Elaborate rear triangle and decoupled luggage rack

A highlight of the Zemo ZE FS P12 is definitely its rear end: a lot has been thought of here to create a classic four-bar linkage, which in combination with a low step-through is a rarity on the market. This made it possible for the developers to optimally adapt the kinematics to the bike's area of ​​application: the characteristic curve is linear and the response is sensitive. This means you can ride the bike with significantly less sag (= negative spring travel) and have significantly more usable spring travel. This means that the rear triangle feels extremely comfortable despite “only” 70 mm, even on really bad surfaces.

As a further special feature, the Zemo ZE FS P12 also comes with a decoupled luggage rack. Since this is attached to the main frame, it is protected from impacts from the rear wheel - this not only improves driving behavior, but also protects the load. Speaking of load: Zemo is currently working on increasing the payload for the rear carrier to at least 25 kg. For this reason, our test bike was officially still a prototype. That would be a real coup, because rear racks with such a design and high payload are a rarity on the market.

If the carrier at the rear is not enough for you, you can also attach a basket or a small front rack to the corresponding eyelets at the front. The total load capacity of the bike is around 120 kg. The fact that this is not even higher is also due to the considerable weight of the Zemo ZE FS P12, which weighed around 32 kg without pedals.

Good facilities with attention to detail

The Zemo ZE FS P12 is available in one equipment variant, but two basic versions. In addition to the Pedelec we tested, the bike will also be available as an S-Pedelec. The bikes are priced at 8.499 euros and 8.799 euros respectively and are therefore definitely in the premium segment. This is also reflected in the components installed. The air suspension with RockShox Deluxe shock and Suntour Mobie fork is definitely sufficient for a bike in this class. The Magura brakes with 4-piston calipers at the front and two pistons at the rear ensure strong deceleration and the long brake levers are easy to grip. The rear brake is also coupled with the Supernova TL2 taillight, which also functions as a real brake light. The lighting at the front also comes from Supernova, here an M99 Pro Mini headlight with high beam function illuminates the darkness.

Zemo hasn't skimped on the important add-on parts either: the by.Schulz seat post can not only be lowered from the handlebars for easy mounting and dismounting, but is also suspended. The all-up stem allows the handlebar height to be adjusted without tools with just one hand. And the cranked handlebar itself fits very well with the bike's rather long geometry and ensures a comfortable sitting and grip position.

The Zemo ZE FS P12 in practice

In practice, the high level of comfort of the rear triangle is immediately noticeable from the first few meters. No matter potholes, coarse gravel or bad forest roads: the chassis takes the harshness out of almost any surface and makes the ride extremely comfortable. Clearly: the Zemo ZE FS P12 is not suitable for real off-road use, as the Schwalbe Marathon tires, which have only a small profile, show. But the Zemo is a great companion for long tours or everyday trips across town and country; Unless you have to leave the saddle and lift the bike over a step, for example. Then the very high weight becomes noticeable. This should also not be underestimated when lifting onto the rear rack.

As usual, the Pinion MGU shines with a lot of power and great switching behavior. At high power, the engine can get a little louder, but this is often resolved with just a gear change. However, as with any mid-engine, anyone who is sensitive to the background noise should definitely take a test drive before buying.

When it comes to the seating position, Zemo has hit the mark: you sit very upright and comfortably, small adjustments can be made quickly using the easy-to-adjust stem. Only those who prefer a more sporty seating position may not be completely happy.

Availability

According to Zemo, the ZE FS P12 will be available in specialist retailers from late this summer.