AddMotoR MOTAN M-66 R7 Review

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.

Pros:

• Available in two frame colors with a one-year comprehensive warranty, and you get the option of buying directly from AddMotoR or visiting one of their dealers to test ride before purchasing
• The M-66 R7 is a fun and exciting bike to ride with a distinct moped feel, the Bafang motor is powerful and responsive, and the fat tires can tackle any terrain. I appreciate that AddMotoR configures this Ebike to have full-throttle power available from any assist level, this is useful (and fun) if you are cruising slowly in a low assist level and suddenly need or want to accelerate
• The motor is integrated inside the rear wheel which helps to reduce volume, and it really is quiet – I found I could hear the tires on the pavement more easily than I could hear the motor! It is rated for 750 watts which is the maximum in California, with a hefty 80 newton-meters of torque, and you can definitely feel the power as soon as you twist the throttle
• The 20″ wheels are cast alloy which makes them very sturdy, not to mention never needing any spoke adjustments! The 20″ size also lends a mechanical advantage to both the brakes and the motor, making for easier stopping as well as faster acceleration
• Good quality Panasonic cells in the 48 volts 11.6 amp-hour battery, which means a total capacity of 556 watt-hours. This provides good range that I estimate at 25-50 miles depending on terrain and assist level, and the battery mounting position under the seat helps to protect it from moisture if you get caught out in the rain
• Nice bright lights are included on the front and rear, the Trendo by Spanninga headlight is integrated and draws power from the main battery and is operated from the main display. The rear light isn’t integrated which is less convenient, but it’s highly visible and I’m glad it is included
• I love the Promax stem, it can be adjusted across a huge range in just a few seconds thanks to the tool-free design, just lift the clamp, reposition, and clamp it back down! This is a huge plus since you may want to adjust the handlebar positioning if you’re carrying a passenger (more on that ability later), or if you share this bike among differently-sized riders
• The M-66 R7 ships as a Class 2 electric bike which means throttle or pedal-assist with a top speed of 20mph. However, the motor is more than powerful enough to handle Class 3 speeds of 28mph, and this can be configured in the settings – just make sure this is legal in your area first, and check with AddMotoR for help with the display settings since they can be a bit cryptic
• I didn’t find myself pedaling and shifting gears a great deal, but when I did the experience was smooth and comfortable. The Shimano Altus derailleur is a bit higher tier than Shimano’s entry-level Tourney, the thumb shifters are easy to interact with even if you’re wearing heavy gloves, and I appreciate the guards on both ends: an alloy derailleur guard to protect against impacts and tip-over damage, and an alloy bash guard to protect the chain as well as prevent it from bouncing off
• The ride comfort is excellent! The banana-style seat is soft and large so you can slide back and forth on it to find a comfortable seating position, you can use the tool-free adjustment clamp to position the handlebars wherever you want, and the suspension fork + the fat tires do a great job of smoothing out bumps. The Addshox suspension fork has 80mm of travel and is adjustable for compression and preload, I’m a big fan of the triple-clamp design for sturdiness as well as aesthetics
• Kenda Krusade Sport tires have great traction and performance, you can drop them down as low as 5 PSI to tackle snow, sand, and other soft terrain
• Included front and rear fenders constructed from aluminum alloy, which keeps them lightweight and durable as well as resisting the dings and rust that can accumulate on steel fenders
• I think AddMotoR did a great job with their control cable management, wrapping up cables in a heavy-duty plastic shield to keep them consolidated and providing plenty of cable length up front so that the cables never restrict how you can adjust the stem and handlebars. Cabling on the rest of the bike is either internally routed or hidden well
• The brakes here do a great job, they are Tektro Aries mechanical disc brakes with 180mm rotors, and they’re fairly easy to actuate thanks to the combined mechanical advantages of 4-finger brake levers and the smaller 20″ wheels. Motor inhibitors are included and cut power to the motor as soon as you squeeze either lever, a good and necessary feature on such a heavy cadence-sensor-based Ebike
• AddMotoR has added some new comfort features that were not on previous versions of this bike, the first of which is a plastic footrest on the downtube, allowing you to rest your feet there instead of leaving them on the pedals if you are riding on just the throttle. The second feature is rear footpegs that fold down so that you can carry a passenger! With a weight limit of 350 pounds you can pretty easily fit two people on the large banana seat, but as the “driver” you have to scoot pretty far forward which can make pedaling difficult, so you’ll certainly appreciate that front footrest when riding double
• The twist throttle includes a kill switch toggle, definitely appreciated on such a powerful Ebike, make sure you use it to disable the motor when moving the bike around in the garage or at a bike rack
• The display includes a USB type-A port on the bottom, great for charging mobile devices on the go! Unfortunately, it only provides power at 0.5 amps, which means it can charge Android devices but not Apple
• You can charge the battery on the bike or off, and when on the bike the charge port is located up high and well out of reach of the crank arms, which prevents accidental damage if the bike gets moved around while charging. Similarly, the kickstand is rear-mounted and out of the way of the cranks, so you can easily maneuver the bike with the kickstand down without it getting locked against the cranks

Cons:

• Only available in one frame size, the large banana seat and adjustable stem means it can accommodate a wide range of riders, but tall people (like me) will still find pedaling uncomfortable. On the other end of the spectrum, small riders will be able to sit comfortably but may struggle with the size and weight of the bike
• The M-66 R7 is one heavy Ebike at 74 pounds, there are a lot of heavy components here including the cast alloy wheels, big banana seat, and of course that hefty 750-watt motor. This weight makes it a difficult Ebike to maneuver in tight spaces, and if you ever run out of battery power when you’re away from home… be prepared for a workout pedaling back! Of course, the positive trade-off here is that the M-66 R7 is very sturdy and feels powerful and stable, even at high speeds on rough terrain
• The frame geometry makes for an awkward and uncomfortable pedaling experience, particularly for us long-legged humans. I’m 6’3″ tall, and I could get a comfortable seating position by scooting all the way back on the seat, but still wasn’t able to get close to full leg extensions on the pedals. It was adequate when riding with pedal assist, but pedaling without assistance became unpleasant fairly quickly
• The gearing range of 14-28 teeth is pretty limited which also affects pedaling comfort, making it harder to start when you are completely stopped, and limiting how fast you can get going on the high end. Of course, the powerful motor and on-demand throttle effectively negates both of these issues… as long as you have battery capacity remaining! You’re probably sensing a trend here, which is “don’t run out of battery far away from home!”
• The tires don’t include any puncture protection which is always a bummer to me, but I do live in an area with a lot of natural puncture hazards. Fortunately, you can add puncture protection fairly cheaply, although if you opt for adding liners that can be a bit of a pain on the rear tire thanks to the integrated motor
• I’m glad that fenders are included and they do a great job of protecting the bike itself, but only a moderate job of protecting the rider. I would love to see both of them be just a bit longer to provide some extra coverage
• The rear light is not integrated which means that you must remember to turn it on and off manually, and change out the AA batteries periodically… but hey, it’s still better than no rear light!
• Mechanical brakes require more frequent maintenance compared to hydraulic, which mostly means regularly tightening them as the cables stretch over time. There is also a bit of a delay when braking particularly for the rear wheel, and they require more grip strength to actuate. This grip strength factor is mostly mitigated on the M-66 R7 thanks to the large four-finger levers and smaller 20″ wheels which provide a mechanical advantage
• The cadence sensor is high resolution with 12 magnets, but it is unsealed, which leaves it vulnerable to damage and magnets getting knocked out. If you start to notice any strange behavior from pedal assistance, check your cadence sensor first!
• I mentioned how much I love the Promax stem, just keep in mind that these tool-free stems do tend to loosen a bit over time so check and tighten it with the appropriate tools every few months

Useful Resources:

• AddMotoR Official Website