Electric Bike Technologies Electric Fat Tire Trike Review

To run the forums, host the website, and travel, I charge a universal service fee for my reviews. This review was sponsored by Electric Bike Technologies. My goal is to be transparent and unbiased, this video and written review are not meant to be an endorsement of Electric Bike Technologies products.

If you haven’t noticed, Electric Bike Technologies has been keeping their new names straight forward and simple. Such is the case with the bike we are reviewing today, the ‘Fat Tire Trike’. To reduce redundancy and confusion, we will refer to it as the FTT for the rest of the review. As the name says, it is just that; a fat tire trike… it should also be noted that it is competitively priced at $2,000. The trike is a sturdy step-through design with a front hub motor and a large basket in the back. It really balances a ‘go anywhere’ kind of mentality with a concept of comfort and stability. Starting at the tires, you have a 24” x 4” Kenda fat tire in the front with strong 12 gage spokes and color matched punched out rims to save weight. In the rear, you have two smaller 20” x 4” wheels with 13 gage spokes, so all in all a tough setup capable of holding up to 330lbs. On the comfort side, you have a Mozo 30mm fat tire specific front suspension fork with both preload adjust and lockout. There is even a suspension seat post here too, under the Velo gel saddle… all of this adds to the comfort quite a bit. So do the ergonomic stitched grips and the higher seating position which provides more visibility than a recumbent. Since trikes don’t really need a kickstand, Electric Bike Technologies added a parking brake instead, this makes loading and mounting quite easy. I also like the included bell and front fender to keep you dry. It is little considerations like that that make this a perfect companion trike for trails and camping.

Driving the FTT is a front hub-motor from Bafang. This is a powerful motor rated at 750 watts nominal and about 1000 watts peak. It can handle hills and a load very well thanks to the twist throttle on the right handlebar and the cadence based pedal assist. Mechanically it has a Shimano Altus 7 speed setup with 14-28 tooth cog and a 48 tooth chain ring in the front. I noticed it had a pant guard on the chain ring, something I really appreciate so you don’t get your clothes caught or snagged. Stopping the trike is set of Tektro Aries mechanical disc brakes. Mechanical disc brakes are easy to maintain as well as adjust, however, they lack the immediate stopping power that hydraulic brakes offer. Mechanical brakes are still quite capable, but they take a little bit more hand actuation compared to hydraulic brakes. Thankfully, this bike includes motor inhibitors, a motor cut off switch built into the brakes making stopping easier.

Powering the FTT is a 48v 11.6ah lithium ion battery pack. I would consider this a high capacity battery pack and really necessary for that super powerful motor. The battery is mounted behind the seat and is secured via lock and key. The battery has a power button and I love the LED display read out on it so you can check to see round about how much juice is left. Some bikes and trikes that use this battery position make it so you have to remove the seat post just to get the battery on and off. Luckily, Electric Bike Technologies added a latch to the seat so tilt it forward, allowing you easy and quick access to the battery. To really care for this and other lithium-ion packs, I have heard that storing in a cool dry location vs. extreme heat or cold will extend the life and try to keep it about 50% full when not using for long periods so you won’t stress the cells. Try not to let it run down to zero, because that’s really hard on the cell chemistry.

Operating the trike is simple. Once the battery is mounted, start by turning the key in the on position. From there, the display will come to life and give you the read outs. The battery is shown across the top in 16 ticks. These ticks are in an infographic that somewhat resembles a ruler. Shown below that is you speed in MPH and the various levels of pedal assist you might be in, 0-5. To change the pedal assist, simply hit up or down on the arrow controls mounted on the left handle bar. There is an odometer readout below that and pressing the mode button will change that to display max speed, average speed, and trip set. Hold the up and down arrows together for a moment and that will unlock the deep drive menu. Here you can mess with top speed as well as other electrical power configurations to really get the setup how you want it.

My time with the FTT was nice, I really think it strikes a great balance of comfort, utility, and price. But there are some tradeoffs here, so let’s look at those. There are no integrated lights or flag pole accessories included here, these would be nice to have because they would improve convenience while enhancing safety… but you do get reflectors which is good. The trike is cumbersome, so moving it around a garage, storage, or tight spaces and corners is somewhat difficult. And finally, after trying out all their recumbent trikes, I noticed that having the weight up higher (as is the case here with the FTT) makes you want to go slower and take turns more carefully. At the end of the day however, the trike was really cozy and has a great price ($2,000). I love that it is backed by the same company that brought us E-Bike Kit as well as the Liberty Trike, they have quite the stellar customer service reputation here too. I would like to thank them for the opportunity to come out and check out the Electric Fat Tad Trike.

As always, I welcome questions and feedback in the comment section below. Whether you own the trike, have taken a test ride, or are brand new to the space, my goal is to provide an objective and honest resource. You can also join the Electric Bike Technologies ebike forums and share your own photos, videos, and review updates to help others! Have fun out there, and ride safe :)

Pros:

• A fat-tire front hub-motor powered electric trike that is purpose built for backwoods adventures or anything else you can come up with thanks to its powerful motor and large cargo rack in the rear
• 3 separate Kenda Krusade fat tires, you have a 24” x 4” Kenda fat tire in the front with strong 12 gage spokes and color matched punched out rims to save weight, the rear has two smaller 20” x 4” wheels with 13 gage spokes, so all in all a tough setup capable of holding up to 330lbs
• The big basket in the back could easily carry a load of camping equipment, comes with a dry bag to keep moisture away, we measured it to fit about 33 liters of capacity
• The trike has comfort as well, like the ergonomic grips, Velo comfort saddle, approachable step-through frame, and front suspension fork
• The fork is a fat-tire specific Mozo spring fork with about 30mm of travel, lockout, and preload adjustments
• Features a suspension seat post as well, this has 40mm of travel and is a great included accessory for taking the comfort up a noticeable notch
• Uses a Bafang front hub motor with an impressive 750 watts nominal rating and 1000 watt peak rating, very powerful and capable
• Has a Shimano Altus 7 speed setup with 14-28 tooth cog and a 48 tooth chain ring in the front and a chain ring pant guard
• Since trikes don’t really need a kickstand, Electric Bike Technologies added a parking brake instead, this makes loading and mounting quite easy
• The trike is really fun and the powerful system and stability make it great for adventuring, we had a lot of fun taking it out on the trails

Cons:

• For such a beast of a bike with a bunch of sturdy parts, I was surprised the grips were non-locking. If you are being really hard on the trails and twist too hard, then they get some play in them
• There are no integrated lights or flag pole accessories included here, these would be nice to have because they would improve convenience while enhancing safety… but you do get reflectors which is good
• The trike is cumbersome, so moving it around a garage, storage, or tight spaces and corners is somewhat difficult
• After trying out all their recumbent trikes, I noticed that having the weight up higher (as is the case here with the FTT) makes you want to go slower and take turns more carefully, not really a speed demon
• The trike is very purpose built, so it may not be for everyone, it defiantly has an appeal to it, but make sure it fits your lifestyle before choosing it

Resources:

• Official Site: https://www.electricbikestore.com/