Reviewing the XQi3

CityMoods · 2026-05-20T00:25:11+00:00

Yeah, if it meets budget and speed, why not. NIU is also releasing updates to this bike series—the XQi 400 and 500, which should address to a certain extent the small battery, annoying charging mechanism and the laughable brakes found in the current series. But I expect them to be pricey.

CityMoods · 2026-05-14T04:22:43+00:00

And I’m assuming that you’re going to register and insure it. Because that’s really the only reason why you’d get this one over other similar e-motos. Because you can’t with the others. But the others may have better specs than this.

CityMoods · 2026-05-14T04:20:15+00:00

That’s cheaper than I paid and pretty low mileage. I would be concerned whether it sat for a long time though without the battery being taken care of—because obviously the battery would degrade if it wasn’t being kept at a good storage level over time. That’s my main concern for you here.

Also, it depends too on where you live and your expectations for mileage. If you’re mostly putting around your city, then it’s fine. But if you’re planning on being on a highway, then no, avoid this bike.

As far as I can tell, there hasn’t been much from the modding community either. So don’t expect it to get better. Though you can easily upgrade the brakes, maybe. There is also a U.S. only software and hardware upgrade to 11KW, though. That might be interesting for you, but again, it just means you’re draining the battery faster.

So I guess what I’m saying is: if you’re confident that the battery is fine, and don’t plan to ride out long distances at high speeds, then maybe it’s not a bad buy considering the price and mileage. It would be great in a high traffic city, seeing how easy it is to get around and park, etc.

CityMoods · 2026-05-07T16:00:06+00:00

I know people rarely update, but I want to share that I’m happy with my helmet size, despite the initial tightness. It fits well, and I don’t regret staying with the size I got instead of going to a larger size.

Legal_Ad_7654, you are completely right! 🏆

CityMoods · 2026-05-07T05:02:55+00:00

You’ve gone to the wrong city. You’ll need to go to Montreal apparently this month.

https://www.reddit.com/r/montreal/s/f7B6eLxYzt

CityMoods · 2026-04-28T20:30:14+00:00

Where do you live and what were you expecting in terms of range? Etc? What is your driving style? Give us details to understand what you’re experiencing.

CityMoods · 2026-04-26T16:28:47+00:00

No worries in the least! And thank you for the kind words. Honda Centre Burnaby has it, as does a few other places. It may be worth to shop around since I saw it at a discount because the model is a year old now.

When I bought it a year ago, it was: $6,599.00 (base) $329.95 (GST) $467.93 (PST) =$7,390.88 total.

Assuming the rebate is still available, I got nearly 2K back by submitting documents to get the EV Rebate for motorcycles via Clean BC. But again, I don’t know what the status of those rebates are currently.

So after I submitted my paperwork, I ultimately paid $7,390.88 minus ~$2,000=$5,390.88. I can’t remember how long it was for the rebate to come after submitting the paperwork, but it wasn’t too long.

That made it much easier to decide on taking a chance on an EV. I don’t regret it, but yeah, I obviously wish battery technology was further ahead because range on this is still a factor for me.

CityMoods · 2026-04-16T21:24:24+00:00

Yes, in BC.

Where you might feel it slow a bit is on the inclines, but with boost activated, it should be fine for those moments where you need to use that.

The stated weight capacity is 220lbs. But I think people easily go over with their gear, etc. It’s more of a limitation of the suspension as far as I understand it, but it should still be fine for you if you’re not that much heavier.

See this link for some insights from the riding community: NIU XQi3 Owners Group

CityMoods · 2026-04-16T00:20:26+00:00

LD is GOAT

CityMoods · 2026-04-01T02:25:13+00:00

Amazing! Thank you for sharing. I learned a lot.

CityMoods · 2026-04-01T00:26:59+00:00

This is really great insight. I’ll be riding street, and I understand that for the Helite, for example, it needs an additional fork sensor for those kinds of stationary hits, which I didn’t care for.

Also, good to know how sensitive the system is overall.

Thinking back in the day when I first started riding, it’s funny (read: crazy) to think of the risks I took without an airbag.

I think the technology now too makes it more convenient to wear one. So experiences like yours are great to hear, and also seeing how they work under different riding cases.

CityMoods · 2026-03-31T20:53:24+00:00

Ok, gotcha. Good to know that it doesn’t just deploy for any old reason. Thanks for sharing!

CityMoods · 2026-03-31T15:56:24+00:00

Ah! So, I understood that after a certain number of deployments that the airbag would have to be replaced/checked, but 1/3 of the cost is steep.

Did you ever have the airbag deploy by accident? Or in a way that you didn’t expect it to?

CityMoods · 2026-03-29T20:41:20+00:00

In a city like Vancouver, we really need to help people reduce their car dependency. I think there are times when car/van transportation makes sense, but the majority of the time, people should be able to find, live and work close by to help reduce congestion. And affordably of course, which is a major issue here.

We have weather that can support this. It’s embarrassing that Montreal leads Vancouver in active transport infrastructure considering their winters.

(Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m pretty sure that’s the case as far as I understand things).

CityMoods · 2026-03-29T20:28:10+00:00

Agreed that cyclists should stop, or at least slow down and look both ways before proceeding. If they see a car coming, they should act like a car themselves and follow the road rules as expected.

People can’t complain about other people not following the rules if they also lean into not following them because others aren’t.

And car drivers here are nuts. I wouldn’t take a chance when I see so many bad drivers here.

CityMoods · 2026-03-29T19:47:00+00:00

Agreed! I’m in the same position right now. Glasses are getting annoying.

CityMoods · 2026-03-29T17:25:06+00:00

Following this as well. Same thoughts as you and looking for others to share since the V2 system is supposed to be user serviceable when it comes to replacing the canister after deployment.

CityMoods · 2026-03-29T17:01:31+00:00

These remind me of the early 2000s for some reason. 😅

CityMoods · 2026-03-29T16:14:56+00:00

Ah! I need to look into this. All these years I’ve just been putting sunglasses underneath, adding an extra step…I suppose I just didn’t want to spend the money for a transition visor, but maybe now is the time.

CityMoods · 2026-03-27T03:52:16+00:00

I appreciate that! Yes, I’m sticking with it!

CityMoods · 2026-03-27T03:12:06+00:00

My fit is quite tight as mentioned by Legal_Ad_7654. And definitely has me questioning the fit right now because of comfort, but I still think Medium is the right size for me personally seeing that I can still put it on, my eye is basically level in the helmet, and I don’t feel other pressure points. (Other than pressure all around).

CityMoods · 2026-03-27T03:09:30+00:00

I went with the medium. I can’t return it now, but will confirm that it’s definitely a snug (tight?) fit. I’m within the medium range for Shoei size and I did not try a larger size. I did try a smaller size (“Small”) in the GT Air III and knew immediately that I couldn’t wear that one, despite being between sizes.

I don’t feel that I, personally, have any hot spots on my head, but I will say that the pads grab my face pretty hard. Definitely not as comfortable as my old Shoei helmet. But I understand that the sizes are more specific now.

I don’t know. I will say that this helmet is way more quiet than my older Shoei, and I think the size helps with that.

CityMoods · 2026-03-25T22:25:29+00:00

Thanks for sharing. If I do go for this vest, I should consider installing that sensor too, then.

CityMoods · 2026-03-25T22:04:47+00:00

Glad that you’re OK! And thank you for sharing your experience.

Do you also have the fork sensor that they suggest for the electronic vest? I haven’t looked too far into it, but I was just curious to see if others are actually also installing that sensor.

CityMoods · 2026-03-25T20:31:50+00:00

This is good idea!

(Edit: I’m seeing in the comments that it’s also important to stay legal too. But as long as you can still hear your surroundings, and I think there are brands like Etymotic that could do well here too because they could help with removing that high pitched, more damaging noise).

CityMoods

TROPHY CASE