Another contender vs. LECTRIC XP and again defeated by LECTRIC XP. No fenders. No rear light. No rear rack. No free pannier bags and most importantly, no bell!!! How dare they?? Lol. But the killer? $600 difference in price. The winner again is......LECTRIC! Bring on the next one Kev! Great video as always.. 👍
says you get a free suspension seat post too and it's not painted olive drab ( for those that don't want to fantasize they are stalking something or someone)
@John Pierre all depends what you're wanting to do. If you're looking for light trail riding and on road country exploring the LECTRIC XP is great! I'm 53 yrs old and enjoy my XP very much. If you're younger and want to extreme ride, then it's not what you should purchase. Overall all though i really haven't seen any electric bike that gives you as much than the LECTRIC especially for the money. Good luck to you..
@@zoomev3023 yes sir. That is what they're including with it now. When i bought mine 7 months ago it was a free pannier. And i only paid $799.. Awesome deal!!
I was thinking the same thing. By the time you add in the fenders and rack, it's double the price of the XP. Of course, this assumes these things are important to you, they are to me.
Thanks for the honest review. I had been looking for one to compare my Lectric XP to. For the type of riding I do, I spent $20. to change the freewheel for better gearing and added a $65. Suntour suspension seat post. The $500 difference, after my add ons, the XP is working great for me. I purchased 2 XP's so with the savings I could get another XP for "free". I really like that the XP has a peppier motor, a big plus for me, I like 28 MPH . Thanks for the review.
Two things that would make this one a true winner at least for now. 1. Right hand twist throttle. Left is different from tradition and thumb is worse. 2. 750 Watt motor. 500 ok but needs the extra 250 to get it over the hump in tricky situations. Competitors. Same framework, different set up. A. Jupiter Defiant. 750 Watt motor 1400 price No front and no rear suspension Right twist throttle B. Lectric XP 500 Watt motor Right twist throttle 899 for the month of May You decide.
One of the best folding e-bikes I've seen lately hydraulic brakes dual suspension it pretty much checks all the boxes and the price isn't bad either. 👍👍
Excellent review!! I have a similar folding bike ( there are many producers out there doing almost the same bike ) and after a year of riding it, I can tell that the bike is amazing! Very solid and powerful ( mine is 750w th) !
Ok. This is the first folding e-bike you've posted that I'm interested in. Full suspension?! Amazing. Looks nice too. I'd actually consider buying this one.
Good review Kev. I pre ordered the new Rattan XL version of this bike on Indiegogo. A friend has the Fat Bear Plus and loves it. I'm looking for a 200 miles a week foldable ebike with good power and range and the XL seems to be at the top of the food chain in both regards. A ;low introductory price and some nice perk options with the XL make it a better choice for me. BTW, a LECTRIC XP owner purchased the Fat Bear Plus and did a fairly comprehensive comparison review of both on the Rattan Forum. It was that and other reviews that pushed me toward Rattan. Time will tell ;-)
Hydraulic brakes w/regen, nice display, improved suspension make the price fair, IMO. The motor is my only concern. Wife has a Lectric XP and is quite happy. I've got a full size fat tire with hydraulic brakes, Deore derailluer, full suspension, 750w 16aH motor, all for $1999. Keep up the good work. I clicked the bell!!
Greg Geisler Fantastic comment, Greg. Did you custom build your fat tire e-bike? Do you love it? And would you recommend a similar build to someone considering a quality e-Bike?
@@mvanalst2003 I bought mine two years ago from Perrys Power Bikes online, a small independent. I got lucky with my selection because this was my first ebike after many motorcycles. The bike fit and rides great. I live in a very hilly area (Ellijay, GA) so a regular bike would have been much too limiting, at least for me. Warning: Your wife will want one, too.
That little baby looks like a baller! I think 1500 is a fair price but I don't follow e-bikes too closely. If that motor holds up, I don't think you can go wrong.
Did you notice significant cogging when in pedal only mode? Because that is the downside of regen. The Samsung 18650-29e cells do not fill me with confidence. They are rated for a 2.75A maximum discharge rate (continuous) with a max discharge of 8.25amps (momentary). The standard 25E cells are rated for 20amp continuous discharge. The 20" wheel form-factor should make this very good at climbing hills. The 52 tooth chainring helps with high speeds. Though it's more to do with the form factor, one disadvantage I see right away is that you wouldn't be able to get a U lock through the frame and back tire. I am assuming something like this is aimed at commuters. The inability to quickly throw a lock on it to get into a store is a bit disappointing. However, if you carry a good quality, albeit long, chain, you can fold the bike and lock both wheels and the frame to a post and easily remove and carry the battery. Of course, this will require carrying several pounds of chain and lock. Something else every commuter needs is fenders front and rear as well as a good rack. Sometimes it rains when you have to go to work. While nothing will keep you totally dry in the rain, not having filthy water srayed on you by the small and therefore fast moving wide tires is a must. The wide tires will make this worse. Roads being wet by melting snow also requires the fenders. Factor this in. The price seems decent until you take that motor into consideration along with some of the no-name components.
Since the regen doesn’t kick in until 14-15mph, below that there isn’t any noticeable drag. Go above that and there is noticeable resistance. It becomes a workout bike at that point. As far as a lock, I think an integrated carry handle would solve that issue. As you mentioned, that doesn’t help with the current design. I don’t have to worry much with bike locks, so that’s not something I routinely think about. I may need to factor that into the next folding eBike review.
@Techtonic... Sure you can. Most come within an inch or 2 or 3 at the closes point. However, most people are not using the type of mountain bike where it really would be an issue to ride around town or to ride to work.
Don’t forget that the rear triangle is part of the bike, so if you lock through the rear triangle, you’ve locked through the frame. Also, a trick I learned from the website of the late and great Sheldon Brown is that if you lock a u-lock around the rim and tire of the rear wheel, with the lock located inside the triangle, on most bikes you won’t be able to take the frame away because the lock won’t fit through the dropouts.
I think if you run a U lock just through the back rim to a post, you have effectively locked both the frame and the rim because the rear triangles are both solid.
I bought two of these back in November when they were $1299 with discount and free fenders (which I haven't bothered to install). Great little bike to take along camping. Fits easily in the back of a small SUV or Jeep without having to put the seats down. Gets 30+ miles on a charge and super easy on the rear-end for long rides (I did replace the seat with a nice gel seat). Suspension is great and handles all the little bumps along the side of the road. Will durability be a concern? Maybe but we bought these for portability and moving around in campgrounds and on local trails. Perfect for motorhome trips where you just want to explore around the town and might need to use some rougher trails (unpaved). BTW- I rode a Lectric XP. Hated the shifter quality and selecting the right gear(the Shimano Tourney shifters are mostly garbage), hated how the brakes were jerky (the hydraulics are much smoother but do make a squeal after 200 miles- probably need adjusting), and really wanted to have some suspension on the bike (we don't use them to commute). I was willing to pay the premium for the upgraded components and didn't really see any difference in power between the bikes- both went easily up just about any hill (granted with a bit of pedaling on really steep hills). I guess it depends on what you are looking for.
Decent features for a folder. Don't underestimate 500 watts. Many e-bikes post the max output rather than the nominal output and Rattan probably is giving us the nominal output which may peak as high as 750 watts. Even at 500 watts, in a 20 inch wheel, that should be plenty of torque. The Rad Mini is similar in price and features but doesn't have a full suspension. I'm a DIY e-biker and have that same throttle but since I rarely use it I placed the control pad between it & the hand grip. Puts the controls within easy reach but I do have to stretch to reach the throttle.
Why not carry the charger with you they can be relatively small and then you can charge the bike wherever you go if there is a power point. Can't see e-bikes coming with 2 chargers unless someone starts doing a 12V charger that allows you to charge in a vehicle but it would only be useful for EV vehicles that have huge amounts of stored power.
Well, you're on a bicycle and already carrying a chain, a lock, a patch kit and a small pump. Adding a bunch of cord is just more stuff to carry. Unfortunately, the chargers are not really standardized.
My charger weighs like 1 pound, maybe 1.5 lb. my puck lock weighs 3 pounds plus a 2.5 ft short chain at 8 pounds, so kind of minor. My personal bike I even go to the point of having a bare carbon fiber seat, no pads, it was nicknamed the “@$$ hatchet” by my team, as it’s thin and the edges are indeed useful as a letter opener or cutting packaging tape (a really handy feature), but comfort isn’t particularly the best, and if you’re not wearing licra it’s kind of like sitting on slick ice and it’s a challenge not just sliding off (possibly because I do Turtle wax it along with the rest of my bike). It’s all about dropping every ounce or gram. In school I’d take out all un-needed pencils and erasers (I used to have a huge 1 pound eraser, I had to swap that out for a normal sized one for weight). I even raced without a phone and my normal speedometers ripped off and not even a reflector left on the bike because dang it, those add weight! That said, carrying a 1-2 pound charger on a heavy bike is kind of not a big deal... Plus I’ve still got room on my ebike to add another frame pouch or double my battery size or add a cargo rack on the back (though to be fair I probably wouldn’t since I love to use carbon fiber seat posts on all my bikes when possible, and CF is not great for the bending applied with a seatpost cargo rack and it’s also designed to flex a lot to take up bumps so you’d need a design that can flex with it) You can always buy another charger if you need one, or a small frame bag to put it in.
This looks really nice!! Looks perfect for someone that isn't hardcore to put in the back of there vehicle and head to the light trailhead get outside and enjoy a long pleasure ride. I am still bent on staying away from e bikes and pushing myself around for now, but I think that is a great deal! If I had the money I would definitely consider getting one for my parents
Another thing, thanks for making this awesome videos, they helped me to find a cheap entry level bike without buying a big box one here were i live, in argentina.
Given the ratcheting up of bike prices, this is pretty much in line. Some of the parts are off brand, but that's why it's no a $2000-2500 model. They did use name brand for the derailleur/shifter, and none of the off brand parts came up as particularly limiting in the review.
So the max payload is 330lbs!!! Well I weigh 301 right now and would love to see the difference in battery life measured in distance, between you and myself....its gotta kill the battery wicked fast...please do a video with weights on to test the bikes maximum payload....should do all the ebikes!!!!!
In their interview with Court Rye, the Lectric guys said they were considering a fully featured version of the XP. I'm pretty sure this is where they might end up. They threw out some huge numbers for the sales of the XP, with some help from your review I guess. I think people are very price sensitive. This is better than the Rad offerings, and for some weird reason their low bar version is limited to about 5' 10" riders. They didn't even lie to me about this number. If people really want to go 30 mph on a bike like this, I would want hydraulic brakes. The suspension is definitely a worthy upgrade. I don't know if this is a small direct drive motor, where regen is very easy, or some kind of fancy geared with regen. A big DD motor is almost enough braking, which is cool. Try the Golden Magic Pie. The thing is that there are more refined and heavier duty motors, the Golden and the MAC in hubs, the BBS series for a DIY mid drive.Tora Harris put a MAC in a bike he sells online (Juiced), but most people stay at the Bafang level of hub quality. There are refinements that people can make, and still stay under $2k. I wish there was a Schwalbe Marathon kind of thorn proof tire in 20x4 inch. These are swell reviews. Most reviewers come from a background of high dollar Euro ebikes with Bosch or Brose middies. You ever looks at a Zizzo, cheap folder? Thanks
Thanks. They (Lectric) were supposed to have me out in February for a tour and interviews, but for some reason I got 2nd string treatment and they allowed someone else to get first dibs. You would think the guy with the most popular videos on your bike would be the logical first choice...🤔 I’m not familiar with the Zizzo brand you mentioned. I’ll look it up.
@@KevCentral Don't feel bad. Lectric probably gave Court the bike 1st knowing he wouldn't say anything negative. Your honest reviews are worth the wait over Court's gushing over any junk sent to him!
I know you say you don't accept payment for reviews, but you could. You're extremely professional and thorough. I guess though, if you get to keep the bike, you got paid about half retail at least if you're gonna sell it. As for the bike, that rattling battery rolling cowbell effect would drive me nuts. Maybe, a little two sided Gorilla Tape with felt on the frame side would quiet that down a tad. As for the rest of the bike, not my bag personally, but the market is flooded with them I'm sure for a reason.
I ride a folding bike whit regular 20 x 1.75 tires whit out suspension and it is not bad at all for the city use. Fat tires and full suspension together seems to be just over kill.
Awesome video! Perhaps in the future you could do an in depth review and ride a big box fitness hybrid like the Schwinn Super Sport. It’d be awesome to see a hybrid bike project to make it a faster commuter!
Great looking foldable bike, I'd never ride one of these because I think tall people look ridiculous on them, but I can appreciate what they did with it.
I totally want electric ebike that is so freak'n awesome i been planning to order one so i could use for work and get around places easier without paddling all the time with a normal bike because that is so freak'n exhausting to do. But for now i'm looking forward to get one so i could test it out for myself in person just cannot wait to get one.
It's a nice looking bike. I don't mind the mechanical disc brakes on my Lectric XP. The front suspension fork and better looking crank and grips would be nice accessories.
Consider doing a video on the ipas technology. How does it work and can it be added to an existing bike. XP owner here thanks to your video. Nearly at 1000 miles. Them grips are the WORST! I put cheap dollar foam grips and a four dollar thumb throttle and it made a world of difference. Thanks for what you do!
Looks pretty good, but I very much doubt that it is making as much power as they claim with “slight resistance”. A motor that small in diameter is going to be a geared motor, and geared motors usually have free wheels built in, so no regen is usually possible. If you weld the freewheel, you can do regen, but to make a mile of charge in a mile, you would need to produce it at the same rate the motor consumes it - I.E., you would need to be putting out 200-500 watts in addition to what it takes to keep the bike moving. For most people, that’s about their continuous limit on its own, so it would come across as very difficult to pedal, maybe even impossible, if it were trying to make that much power.
I’m not really into these type of bikes I am really a true mountain biker but I would love to see the faces of people when I pass them on the mtb trail on this
I just got the Yamme Fat Bear brand of this bike. Came with metal fenders and the rack but I have a few problems. Rear brake either low on fluid or not bleed on 1% affective. I need to figure out how to bleed it don't see a bleeder valve. And the orange I-Pas regen indicator does not appear to be working. The battery seems to move up and the indicator shows consumption in green but no orange negative.
Kev Central: I bought one of these on your recommendation and could not be happier (thus far). I sourced a bike rack for it (the OEM version) and slapped some panniers on it. Viola! A good little commuter bike. Complaints? Mine had the 180 rotors front and rear, but the rear brakes squeak like a sunuvagun. Gotta work on those. So far, excellent battery life and no rattle, thank you very much. The ride as you said, is comfortable and the fat tires make a good complement to the beer I drink (Fat Tire). The headlight is ok but not bright enough, so I augmented it with a Ding light that I'd sourced in South Australia (check it out at ... dinglights dot com). Slapped a rear LED red light on it. I live at 7300 feet and the pedal assist will most likely save this old man's life. Oh, one other complaint: Finding fenders has thus far proved impossible. Rattan's customer service is very good and their web site near-useless. Hopefully I will find some soon. Anyway, thanks for the great video!!
I also just purchased the Fat Bear and waiting on it to arrive.... hopefully tomorrow. When I purchased the bike in early May, I also bought fenders from the website as well as a rear rack. May check out the website again for the fenders. Cheers
Most of the folding electric are in that range 1k-1.5 k , there are less pricier ones in the Amazon web site but will not have the same features. The motors, batteries and frame for all ebikes are made in China, anyone saying they are not is lying to their teeth....
You do fine reviews. Thanks. I have an XP which is working well for me, but damn I do miss suspension, which makes this bike so attractive. Seems as if the Onway is a better deal for a fat folder with suspension, though.
I’m surprised you didn’t mention that it’s almost the same as the Mate X if not maybe even a copy. Regardless, good bike. I have the Mate X myself and I’m 6ft tall, fits me perfect, great power with my 750w and you get alot of looks and compliments on the road.
Nice review and bike. I bought a Lectric XP and that was highly influenced by your review. The Rattan is really cool looking bike. Has everything the XP dosen't but a premium. The regen is cool. For the money I'd still take the XP. $600 is $600. I've got a few XP vids if you care to take a peep. Keep up the good work.
How portable is it? Video didn’t show what it is like when you take it along with you. Weight of 50# might be ok is it balances alright and there is a handle to lead it around.
The biggest thing this bike has going for it is rear suspension. I like the regenerative braking too but the motor has me a bit concerned about it's durability. The price is still too high though, for $500 less you can get something almost as good and for $500 more you can get some real beasts.
being that its a cassette, how upgradeable would this drivetrain be? could a 10-11 speed mtb compact cassette fit back there? ofc the whole drivetrain will need to be swapped as well, just curious. i live in a very hilly area and i want a folding fat tire bike that i dont absolutely need to rely on the motor with.
You can have the throttle on the right with trigger shifters. I have 8 speed shimano alivio trigger shifters on the right and a twist throttle on the right.
500 Walts.......IT'S A DISNEY BIKE! No, seriously, I am looking for something like this for my travelling RV-minivan. This looks to have some level of decent quality. The question is.....Can anyone find the generic version in Aliexpress? I mean, this ebike is purchased by a reseller from a manufacturer in China and they add improvements, trim, colors, extras, a warranty, etc. I have two issues with this 1) Folding it for storage or carrying it 2) The weight like you said at almost 60 lbs! Thanks for your video!
Looks cool kinda industrial. I am a sucker for earth greens. I think its from growing up on Air Force bases with all the green vehicles. In the right setting this bike would be a blast. Would I pay $1500.00? No , seems more like a 11-$1200.00 item. All IMO .....
I guess its a comfort bike as the suspension isn't really suitable for off-road and the wheels are too small anyway. Personally I feel its too expensive and part of that is the un-necessary suspension but I realise for some comfort is the number one priority. However those huge tyres with the correct pressure should deliver all most people need in comfort I would of thought. Still looks a very nice bike though with decent components and no major failings except for the suspension.
Hi Kev, just wondering if you've had a chance to review The Aniioki A7 Pro folding ebike? Would love to see your opinion on that particular one. Best to u.
Wait! I'm listening to everything you are saying; I've not finished the video I'm at 6:08 6:09 minutes and I noticed you are not peddling. Earlier you said you can not freewheel; but you can stop peddling? ...In the middle of the video; I'm just throwing out a question😁
Do you wish all the e-bikes had regenerative braking or was it just a nice oddity? Also, very few hills where I live. Would that feature be kind of pointless in that situation do you think?
I bought this bike (minus the color screen) back in November for $1299 and it included the fenders. The first buyers only paid $1099 back in September so they have been steadily raising the price as demand has gone up. I have to say, the bike is awesome. We have done 30 miles on a single charge with no issues and they are super comfortable for the long trips over semi-rough terrain. One thing to note- the bike is faster in throttle only than with pedal assist. It seems to cap out at a lower speed while pedaling than if you are only on throttle.
Howdy Kev, Kevin here ,been awhile,I got a "Yamee" Fat Bear, I was underwhelmed- until I cried to the company and they sent Me a brand new quality controller I pulled the little cheap controller out and had to redo the wire tuck, the difference? Day and Night, the bike is very rideable now with good to very good performance, hope this helps,best-Kevin M
I really love your ebike videos. I am a new subscriber. Is the rattle of the battery really annoying. I think that’s a deal breaker for me as I do not like rattling noises when I ride. Love the shocks as I am a curb hopper What city are you riding these bikes in? Just curious. If you had to pick one ebike which is your favorite and why. Maybe you can do a video on that?
This looks like the MATE that has been super hyped and $2500. This bike needs a 750 watt motor, fenders and rack and bigger battery.... if it was $1200 I would buy it
What ebikes can you suggest in regards to 20 inch ebikes? I’ve been looking at Sondors folding x, Sdream, Rattan fat bear and forgot the other brands. What can you suggest?
Left side Throttle? Someone forget about all of the years, generations of Motorcycle experience that two wheelers have learned and are automatically committed to muscle memory? That ill conceived device location will go over like the left side anythings in a right hand co-ordinated world. At the least, when the riders do transition to a motorcycle of any substantial size, they will only learn by 'accident', hopefully minor
I hear that. I've been shopping for an electric folder but this one is not even on the radar. Been riding motorcycles for 50 years so that left side throttle would probably kill me.
