Super73 S2 First Impressions on Detroit Streets: Faster, Smoother, and Way More City-Ready
August 13, 2020
Detroit is the kind of place that tells you the truth about an e-bike fast. Rough patches, surprise potholes, broken pavement, and real traffic that doesn’t care about your top speed.
So when I finally got time around the Super73 S2 on city streets, I focused on one thing: how it actually rides when you’re trying to keep up, stay comfortable, and feel confident rolling with a group.
This wasn’t a parking-lot spin. This was a proper cruise through the city with friends, stopping, starting, flowing with cars, and letting the S2 show what it’s about.
First look: the S2 feels like a step up
The S2 carries that unmistakable Super73 vibe, but the overall finish and “put-together” feeling comes across more refined. The frame design language still feels consistent with the lineup, but everything about the S2 experience reads like upgrades layered on upgrades.
Even just weaving through city turns and quick direction changes, the bike felt easier to handle than older Super73 experiences I’m used to seeing in the wild.
Comfort on bad roads: suspension makes itself known
I’ve ridden plenty of bikes around the city with zero suspension and just accepted that potholes are part of the deal.
The S2 changed that mindset quickly.
The first time I clipped a pothole on the S2, the difference was immediate: the hit felt muted instead of violent. The front suspension doesn’t just exist on a spec sheet—it shows up in the moments when the street gets ugly and you don’t have time to pick the perfect line.
If you ride in a city with real road texture, this is one of those upgrades that pays you back every single ride.
Seat and body position: more room, more flexibility
One of the most noticeable day-to-day improvements is the longer seat.
It gives you room to slide back, shift your weight, and generally get comfortable depending on speed and street conditions. It also opens the door for carrying a second rider, which is a very different vibe compared to shorter, more single-position seats.
If you like to move around on the bike—especially on longer rides—that extra real estate matters.
Lights: better visibility where it counts
City riding means riding around people who aren’t looking for you.
The S2’s lighting setup felt like a genuine usability improvement, not just a styling choice. Up front, the headlight spreads wider, which helped illuminate more of the road around me instead of only throwing light down a narrow lane. That wider spread is what I want in the city because hazards don’t only appear directly in front of your tire.
Out back, the brake-activated tail light is a big deal for communicating with riders and cars behind you. In group rides especially, that extra cue helps everyone ride smoother.
Speed and traffic flow: the S2 feels more “street capable”
The big practical difference with the S2 is how easily it can keep pace with the flow of the street when you need it.
With a stronger hub motor than some earlier models, it’s less of a “bike lane only” feeling and more of a “I can move with traffic when it’s appropriate” feeling. I found that confidence matters as much as raw speed—being able to accelerate and hold speed in a predictable way makes the whole ride feel safer and less stressful.
On a city cruise, that translates to fewer awkward moments where you feel like you’re slowing everyone down or getting squeezed.
The app experience: more control, more options
The S2’s app integration adds a modern layer to the ride. The most useful parts in real life are simple:
Seeing speed clearly
Navigation style mapping
Switching pedal assist modes
I also like that it unlocks more tuning options than what you get out of the box. In practice, that means you can tailor how the bike behaves depending on the kind of ride you’re doing—slow cruise, group pace, or “let’s move.”
And if you’re like me and tend to ride throttle-heavy, having easy mode changes still matters because it lets you choose how aggressive you want the bike to feel.
Fit and sizing: who the S2 feels best for
Compared with the smaller Super73 models, the S2 feels like it’s happier under taller riders. If you’re over six feet, the S-series footprint makes a lot of sense.
That said, the overall Super73 family still feels cohesive—each model is clearly related, just tuned for different priorities.
What We Like
Front suspension noticeably reduces the sting of potholes and rough pavement
Longer seat adds comfort, movement, and flexibility for different riding styles
Wider headlight beam feels better suited for city streets at night
Brake-activated tail light improves visibility and group-ride communication
Stronger, more traffic-capable feel when accelerating and keeping pace
App adds useful real-world features like navigation and mode control
Things To Consider
The larger S-series size feels best suited to taller riders compared to smaller models
If you mainly cruise casually, the S2’s speed and tuning potential might be more than you need
To get the most out of ride modes, you’ll actually want to use the app rather than ignoring it
Final Thoughts
After riding the Super73 S2 through Detroit, the biggest takeaway is that it feels built for real city conditions.
It’s smoother over bad pavement, more confident in traffic flow, and more comfortable over longer stretches thanks to the seat and suspension combo. The lighting and app features aren’t gimmicks either—they directly improve how the bike fits into everyday riding, especially at night and in groups.
If your rides involve rough roads, mixed traffic, and the kind of cruising where you want to keep up without feeling on the edge, the S2 comes across as a meaningful upgrade in the places that actually matter.
Links
Super73 discount promo: https://www.talkable.com/x/fqj0WT
RunPlayBack Merch: http://shop.runplayback.com/