To run the forums, host the website, and travel, I charge a universal service fee for my reviews. This in-depth review was sponsored by AddMotoR. My goal is to be transparent and unbiased with you, this video and writeup are not meant to be an endorsement of AddMotoR products. I welcome your corrections, additions, and feedback in the comments below and the AddMotoR electric bike forums.
Observations:
- AddMotoR has been in the electric bike business since 2011 and for a long time they had an online-only, direct-to-consumer model. In recent years they have begun working with dealers and have about 15 of them in the United States, operating with a hybrid model as they also continue to sell direct. I appreciate that they are working with dealers as no amount of online research can compare with actually getting hands-on and test riding a bike!
Pros:
- Covered by a one-year comprehensive warranty, AddMotoR also has a network of dealers now so you can take it to an authorized dealer for repairs and support after purchasing if you live close enough to one. Being near a dealer is also a plus so that you can test ride before purchasing, something that wasn’t possible in the past when AddMotoR Ebikes were only sold online
- The M-330 P7 is a powerful hauling machine, the included front and rear baskets and sturdy frame mean that you can carry a lot of cargo in addition to yourself. The official weight capacity is 350 pounds, which seems a bit conservative to me since the frame is built with grade 7075 aluminum alloy (tougher than the 6061 we usually see for bike frames)
- The Shimano Tourney derailleur is the entry-level option from Shimano which helps save cost while still being reliable, this is a pretty basic setup that has a range of 14-28 teeth across 7 speeds. This gets the job done for a trike where the shifting and pedaling range needs are lower than on a standard bicycle, and I appreciate the double-sided alloy chain guide that will keep the chain from jumping free, this is especially important on a trike since the chain is longer than standard
- The ride experience is quite comfortable thanks to the upright riding position, suspension fork, and fat tires. The MoZo fork is spring suspension and fairly basic with only 50mm of travel, but it pairs well with the Kenda Crusade Sport fat tires, these provide a great amount of cushion and you can also lower the pressure down as far as 5psi for riding on really bad terrain such as snow or sand. Keep in mind that this is a trike, you should not be riding at high speeds on rough terrain due to tip-over risks
- Helping out on the comfort side of things are the Velo saddle which is wide, soft, and very comfy to sit on, plus the ergonomic grips that also feel nice. These grips aren’t locking, but the upright relaxed riding position and trike use case means that you really aren’t going to be bearing down on the grips enough to get them to twist
- The stem is a folding-style stem which can fold down like on a folding bike, but the more important feature to me is that it can telescope up to raise the handlebars for taller riders. AddMotoR didn’t skimp on the control cable length either, allowing you to raise the handlebars a good 180mm from the starting position, I was able to raise them to a comfortable height for myself as a tall rider at 6’3″. I also appreciate the step-through design of the frame, getting on and off of the M-330 is easy and adjusting the handlebar and saddle heights is simple thanks to quick-release skewers
- The mechanical disc brakes provide plenty of stopping power thanks to four-finger levers which provide a mechanical advantage combined with a 180mm rotor in the front and twin 160mm rotors in the rear. These are Tektro MD300 brakes, these are reliable brakes found on many bikes – just remember that mechanical brakes require regular tightening and maintenance to keep them performing optimally! These brakes do have motor inhibitors which means that they will cut power to the motor when you actuate the levers, a necessity on such a heavy vehicle with a cadence sensor
- The display is easy to see in direct sunlight, center mounted and while it is not removable it is adjustable for angle so you can position it to remove glare. It also has a full-size USB port on the bottom, great for charging mobile devices while you go… but don’t get too excited if you’re an iPhone user as the port only supplies 0.5 amps of power which will charge an Android but not an Apple device
- The combination of a 12-magnet cadence sensor and a twist throttle is one we see on many bikes, it’s a winning combination that keeps costs down while providing adequate performance, you can use the throttle when getting started to compensate for the delay inherent to all cadence-based sensor setups. The twist throttle has a kill switch and starts in the “off” state, I appreciate this for safety so that the trike won’t take off unexpectedly if you accidentally twist the throttle. One last note here, AddMotoR configures their bikes to have full throttle power from any assist level, I prefer this configuration compared to other bikes which tie the throttle power to the current pedal assist level
- The battery is high-capacity at almost 700 watt-hours, and while it is fairly heavy at 9.1 pounds it is easy to remove thanks to the grab handle on top, and I appreciate that while it is mounted on the trike the charge port is well away from the crank arms to prevent any damage while charging on the trike
- The Shimano Tourney groupset is basic but gets the job done here, Tourney is the entry-level setup from Shimano but a trike doesn’t need anything special as far as shifting is concerned. The SiS thumb shifter is easy to use even with gloves on, and I always appreciate the gearing readout window for being able to see at a glance what gear I am in
- Integrated lights from Spanninga and Blazelite are welcome accessories, both are nice and bright and can be easily operated from the control pad
- Simply massive amounts of power from the 500-watt Bafang geared hub motor, this is a fat tire specific motor that is mounted in the front wheel. Riding with myself and a backpack (about 205 pounds of weight) I could twist the throttle and “peel out”, granted some of this is due to the motor being in front while most of the weight is in the rear… but the motor is very powerful, it is rated for 80 newton-meters of torque so it will have no problem with heavy loads and steep hills
- Beautiful appearance thanks to tasteful branding, color-matched accessories, and internally routed cabling
Cons:
- Fairly heavy at 74.1 pounds, this combined with the trike form factor means that the M-350 is difficult to maneuver in small places such as the garage or the bike rack, not to mention storing inside your house or transporting in a vehicle. Fortunately, there is a “walk mode” available to help while moving the trike without riding it. Obviously, the M-330 would not be easy to pedal home without electric assistance, fortunately the high capacity of the battery means that getting stranded is unlikely if you make sure to charge up before every ride
- Mechanical brakes require regular tightening and more frequent maintenance than hydraulic brakes, and the length of this trike means that the cable for the rear brakes is long which causes a slight delay when braking. Of course, the four-finger levers give a mechanical advantage so these are still fairly easy to actuate, but if you have any problems with grip strength these may require too much force
- The tires don’t have reflective striping on the sidewalls, nor do they have included puncture protection. Of course, fat tires are naturally somewhat puncture-resistant due to their thickness and the size of the nubs, but you may need to add sealant or protective liners if you ride in an area with lots of puncture hazards
- Trikes seem more stable than bicycles since you don’t have to balance, but this is deceptive… trikes are vulnerable to tipping over especially when turning and at high speeds. Be especially cautious and stay under 5mph while turning, also while traveling downhill or when trying to stop quickly
- The cadence sensor for pedal-assist keeps costs down but it also means a delay when you start pedaling, fortunately, you can simply use the throttle to get started and then ease off once the cadence sensor kicks in. I do also have to point out that the cadence sensor is not sealed, this means it is vulnerable to getting bumped and damaged and magnets can fall out. This is an unlikely scenario for a trike but still something to be aware of
- No bottle cage bosses, I’m sad that these aren’t included since there is plenty of space on the downtube or the seatpost tube due to the step-through design. These attachment bosses would have been great not just for bottle cages but also for mounting all sorts of other accessories, yes you can just mount directly to the tube but it won’t be nearly as secure as mounting to bosses
- Only available in one frame size, while the saddle and handlebar height are highly adjustable and the step-through design is approachable, the sheer size and weight of this trike combined with the power of the motor means this may not be a good fit for small riders
- No fenders are included, and unfortunately, there aren’t any attachment points for easily mounting them… of course, you shouldn’t be operating this trike at high speed anyways so you can probably get by without fenders, but I would really like to see at least one up front
- The motor is very powerful, overall this is a good thing – especially for hauling cargo! – but the power can be intimidating due to the use of a cadence sensor for pedal assist. Cadence sensors aren’t variable, they don’t track how fast or hard you are pedaling, they behave more like an on/off switch to activate the motor if you are pedaling. If you are in a high level of pedal-assist and you start pedaling slowly the motor will kick in with full power, and that can catch you off guard… this happened to me a few times in the review video, and a smaller rider might be at risk of falling over backward due to the sudden burst of power
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