Santa Monica Ebike

The Aima Santa Monica is a bike that seems to morph from a laid back, easy going beach cruiser to a high performance sports bike whenever I take it out for a ride. I'm a seventy something that enjoys speed and this bike serves that up in spades. I ride in PAS 2 and my typical cruising speed is 22 - 24 MPH at an easy cadence and effort. The large 203mm brakes stop it quickly without any gyrations from any speed and the handling in the turns is confidence inspiring. Outside of me tensioning the chain after a year of riding (a routine adjustment), the bike has been trouble free. My only complaint is the 64 lb. weight but the bike, like some sports cars, rides much lighter than that. To be fair, most 750 watt cruiser ebikes are in the mid 60 lb. to 70 lb. range.

Two recent independent reviews (done in the fall-2025) from Electric Bike Reports and Electric Bike Reviews were highly complimentary; EBReviews mentioned putting it on their top bike list, using adjectives like "fantastic" and "fun" and "quick" to describe the bike. EBReports picked it as their personal choice in one of their 2026 videos. In the EBReports Santa Monica test, the Santa Monica Hill Climb time was 20 seconds quicker than the class average, causing the reviewer to say the SM "crushed" the hill test. One reviewer there is recommending the bike to his family and friends, high praise for the bike. Both reviewers commented on how comfortable the bike was.

great bike but couple of months ago my rear fender broke down and I still can't get anyone to fix this, no way to order parts 5 dealers in Bay Area haven't returned my messages, so whenever it rains I get extremely wet ride as even with poncho, overpanst and shoecovers the wheel splashes water everywhere. Hope you just allow online parts distribution otherwise it's not a bike I'd recommend.

I'm 5'10" 270 lbs. Choose this one due to the higher weight limit and the bigger motor and I have no issues at all with the size or power. The motor is considerably more quite than most. I like the throttle set up, makes getting going from a stop easy. The step through design is nice but definitely adds to some wobble at higher speeds. I took it in to have the wabble checked out and was told it's normal. I'm getting about 40 miles per charge. However, when the battery gets to 20-25% I'm only getting about 1/2 the power. I don't like that I cannot fully turn off my light during the day. Seems like a waste of my battery life. I got the front basket but it did not come with any wire extension to relocate my light. That required the local bike shop to do some custom install. Seems silly you would not send an extension so the light could be mounted how you show it should be. Mine is mounted underneath my basket since no extensions was available. Last it would be nice if the handle grips were ergonomic. Overall a few minor tweaks and this would be 5 stars. Currently 3.5 stars.

I'm a senior and this bike matched my purchase criteria of: low step over height, powerful motor, strong brakes, proven components, and a sub $2k purchase price (summer 2024). The Santa Monica has exceeded every performance criteria; it effortlessly climbs the steepest hills I ride on (mostly in PAL2), stops on a dime, and handles fast turns with stability and balance. I ride at around 20 MPH and get a good workout every time I go out (mostly riding in PAL1). The fit and finish are Mercedes quality; the welds are seamless and the paint is flawless. Great attention to detail and it gave me confidence that the rest of the bike is similarly well executed. The silent Bafang motor (very healthy at 750/1200 W and makes this bike a rocket in PAL5) and coordinated electronics have performed perfectly. I go over 50 miles on a charge, mostly riding in PAL1. The only negative is its 64 lb. weight; it is a heavy bike but that weight seems competitive with other cruiser eBikes. Once rolling, I don't notice the weight. The bike has been trouble free for the year I have been riding it. If you are looking for a cruiser eBike, it would be a mistake to not take a Santa Monica for a test ride.

The bike satisfies almost all my needs with the exception of two things: I wish it would travel further on a full charge and I wish it was more water proof.