Just what can you do with your Jetson J8 Electric Bike? We’ve got the ultimate J8 Cheat Sheet right here for you. Read on—before you ride on—so that you can expertly maneuver your e-bike on exhilarating adventures.
Key features
- Lock and charge – The J8’s removable battery fits in a compartment at the base of the handlebar and can be locked in using the included key. You can charge the battery inside the bike or out. It takes four to six hours to fully charge; you’ll know when it’s done when the battery’s indicator light switches from red to green.
- Lights and sounds - Your J8 has a push-button horn (at the right thumb), push-button bell (near the left handbrake), and headlight, which can be turned on and off by holding the “+” button down for three seconds.
- Fold and stow – The J8 can be made more compact for storage in small spaces and to carry for light transport. To do so, tilt its pedals up and out of the way; then unlock the clamp in the center of the frame and hinge the front of the bike towards the back—essentially, folding it in half.
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Settings and stats –There’s lots of info on the J8’s LCD screen, including the battery’s charge level, your riding speed, your trip time, and which Pedal Assist Mode you’ve set the bike in. (More on that later!) Icons will pop up if your headlight is on, when the brake is engaged, and to alert you to problems with the bike’s electrical systems.
To change your display from MPH to KM/H:
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Simultaneously press the “+” and “-“ buttons to enter the settings screen.
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Press the “M” (power) button until P1 appears on the screen.
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Press “+” to toggle between miles and kilometers. Stop pressing on the unit of measurement you’d like displayed on your screen.
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Press “M” until you return to the original display (speedometer) screen.
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- Cogs and chain – The J8 has six gears. You can move to a lower gear by pressing the Gear Release Shifter on the right handlebar, and a higher one by pressing the Gear Shifter just above it.
- Stop and go – There are two handbrakes on the J8: One on the left side to control the front brake, and one on the right side to control the rear brake. Acceleration happens via the pedals, a twist throttle, and Pedal Assist Modes that can be set using the “+” and “–“ buttons.
Ways to ride
There are three ways to ride the J8: You can move it using all-muscle power, all-motor power—or a little of both. (So cool, right?)
Before you hit the pavement, you’ll need to power on. With a charged battery in place, hold down the “M” button to the left of the LED screen for three full seconds. (You’ll do the same thing when you want to power off.)
Then, you can decide how you want to ride. Here are the details on all three methods:
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Pure pedaling
For exercise or battery conservation, you can ride the J8 just as you would a traditional bike: by pedaling. Once the bike is on, push the “-“ button until you see a “0” on the screen to set the bike in Pedal Assist Mode 0, which means the motor will not provide you any acceleration assistance.
Just as you would when peddling a “traditional” multi-gear bike, make good use of the gears to control resistance, speed, and cadence. Lower gears ease resistance on the pedals, which makes it easier to pedal up inclines; higher gears add resistance and give you the ability to propel your bike at a faster pace on flat roads or downhills.
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Power-assisted pedaling
When you still want to pedal—but maybe not so hard—partner up with the J8’s Pedal Assist System, which draws power from the motor to keep you riding at a certain speed, even when you slow your cadence. The system’s sensors tell the motor when and how much extra “oomph” to deliver to the pedals—so you can exert whatever effort you’d like but still maintain a steady riding pace.
There are three paces that can be reached and maintained through Pedal Assist. Use the “+” and “-“ buttons to set your bike in Pedal Assist Mode 1 for riding at 9mph; Pedal Assist Mode 2 for 12 mph, and Pedal Assist Mode 3 for 15.5 mph. You’ll see the number corresponding with the mode you’re set in on the LED Screen. (Recall from above that there’s also Pedal Assist Mode 0, in which no power will be drawn from the motor and your pace will be set entirely by your pedaling output.)
To slow down or come to a stop while using Pedal Assist, just engage the handbrakes. You can also still make good use of the gears—as you would when pedaling without any motor assistance.
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Total throttle control
If you don’t want to pedal at all, you can still get where you need to go on the J8. Make those pedals a resting place for your feet, and use your right hand to rotate the twist throttle towards you. The throttle will engage the motor just as an acceleration pedal would a car: The more you twist the throttle, the faster your bike will go.
To slow down and stop, just ease up on that throttle and engage one of the handbrakes.
Battery management
Having a removable battery is especially cool if you’ve got a spare: When you head out for a long ride, you can carry a fully charged one in your backpack or front bike basket and swap it in when the first one has run out of juice. (That’s double the amount of motor power you’ll get on a single outing!)
How much riding time or distance you can get from a single battery charge depends on how you ride. The more work you ask your motor to do, the quicker it will deplete—so go easy on the throttle and pedal assist functionality if you’re planning to be out for a while.
Show your J8 lots of love by taking good care of it, and it will take good care of you on all your awesome adventures.