EMOJO Panther Review

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

The Panther is the 2nd bike I have reviewed so far from EMOJO, the 1st being the Caddy Trike. The Panther though is named after a big cat like the rest of their bikes in their lineup so you should see some more in the future. The Panther here is an interesting bike… Upon first look, it is a fat-tire electric cruiser bike. Now while the motor, fenders, hub spacing, rack, and other details are indeed fat-tire specific, the tires themselves are not. These are actually 27.5” x 3”, so technically the widest available plus size mountain bike tire rather than an actual 4” wide fat-tire. So you may loose some of those sand and snow capabilities and comfort, but you do gain a bit more nimble and agile riding. The frame just has 1 style and 1 size but there are 3 colors to choose from as well as some adjustability in this approachable step through frame. As is standard, the seat post is adjustable but you could also use the tool-free adjustable angle stem with swept back handlebars to get the perfect geometry for your setup. The step-through frame here is a little flexy, but I like that the battery is mid-mounted to help keep the weight low and center. Front suspension on this bike is available with this Mozo suspension fork. This is a spring fork and has lockout and preload adjustments. I like that there is suspension here, but it is on the basic side and can be a little bouncy. There is also a rear rack on this version, this rack has a spring latch, standard gage tubing, pannier blockers, and a bungie loop. I should mention here that the MSRP of the bike is $1,899, but the one here as tested is $2,199 since we added the fenders, adjustable stem, suspension fork, and LCD display instead of basic LED light readout. There are more upgrade options too, like a color LCD display, but the one we tested here is the most common setup I am told since most people opt for the rack, fenders, and suspension. In total this setup weighs about 66.7lbs and that includes the battery. There is a lot more included here too that come standard on all variations. I love the Wellgo aluminum alloy extra large pedals with fixed pins, usually value priced bikes like this skimp with cheaper plastic pedals, so this is a good upgrade. There is a comfortable saddle, stitched leather grips, and a plastic chain guard that all help make the cruising better. Other features include internally routed cables, a kickstand mounted in the rear to eliminate annoying pedal lock when reversing, and a flick bell.

Driving the bike is a 500 watt fat-tire specific rear planetary geared hub-motor from Bafang. The pedal assist has 5 different modes and is measured by a more basic 6 magnet un-sealed cadence sensor. There is a throttle here too, mounted on the right, along with a SIS index thumb shifter for the gears. Overall, the system is rated for a top speed of 20mph and the throttle here is governed by what mode of pedal assist you are in, so I would keep it nice and low until you feel comfortable enough to get it up to speed. Mechanically, the bike features a 7 speed Shimano Altus system with a 14-28 tooth cassette.. So a little limited, but should be fine for neighborhood cruising. Stopping the Panther is a set mechanical disc brake rotors. The rotors here are 160mm and both brake levers employ motor inhibitors which cut power to the motor when breaking. When working together, they all combine a decent stopping effort I would say.

Powering the bike is a lithium ion battery pack at 48v 10.4ah. This makes for about 500 watt hours and offers a lot of get up and go as well with that 48v power rating. The battery is easy to get in and out of the housing and is protected by lock and key. It also has an LED lights on it that indicate how much juice is left in the battery via 4 LED bars showing 25% increments each. There is also a USB Type A port on here to charge devices or use as a mobile power bank. Charging is done with a 1.5lb 2amp battery charger. 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 bike is straight forward. The display is grayscale, backlit, and not removable, but easy to read. Once the battery is charged and locked into place, you can start using the display. The display will show the battery level in a 5 bar battery infographic (so 20% steps for each tick) and starts out in pedal assist level 1 with a hot throttle. That throttle will disengage if you turn it down to level 0. You can change the assist level by pressing the + and – buttons. If you press M it will cycle through trip, time, watts, odometer, max speed, and average speed. If you want to activate the backlight on the display, hold + for a free seconds while holding – will active a walk mode. If you hold + and – together for a few seconds, it will take you to a settings menu where you can continue to press M to cycle through available settings. Holding M will take you back out of this menu.

The Panther is a fun beach cruiser that does well in neighborhoods as well. I like the mix of comfort and agility here. However, there are some tradeoffs to consider. The 6 magnet cadence sensor is pretty old fashioned by current standards, it has a lagged feel and the sensor itself isn’t sealed to keep out gunk and debris. The frame has some flex to it, I noticed it in the review video and this is something to be aware of when riding. The tire setup is interesting here, and it does have its benefits, I just wonder with so many fat-tire specific parts why you wouldn’t just complete it with actual fat tires. But still, it works well and EMOJO has a headquarters based in Irvine CA and backs their product with a 1 year comprehensive warranty. Way cool! EMOJO has a passionate and helpful team, I look forward to checking out their other bikes as well.

As always, I welcome questions and feedback in the comment section below. Whether you own a previous version of the bike, 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 EMOJO ebike forums and share your own photos, videos, and review updates to help others! Have fun out there, and ride safe :)

Pros:

• A value priced and fun electric cruiser bike with a lot of options, comfort, throttle, pedal assist, and nimble tire setup
• A lot of fat-tire specific parts for strength like the motor, fenders, hub spacing, rack, and other details
• The tires themselves are a 27.5” x 3” setup, so technically the widest available plus size mountain bike tires, you do gain a bit more nimble and agile riding
• As is standard, the seat post is adjustable but you could also use the tool-free adjustable angle stem with swept back handlebars to get the perfect geometry for your setup
• Front suspension on this bike is available with a Mozo suspension fork, this is a spring fork and has lockout and preload adjustments
• There is also a rear rack option available, this rack has a spring latch, standard gage tubing, pannier blockers, and a bungie loop
• I love the Wellgo aluminum alloy extra large pedals with fixed pins, usually value priced bikes like this skimp with cheaper plastic pedals, so this is a good upgrade
• A lot of comfort here like the saddle, stitched leather grips, and a plastic chain guard that all help make the cruising better
• You get a 500 watt fat-tire specific rear planetary geared hub-motor from Bafang, thumb throttle, and cadence based pedal assist
• The bike features a 7 speed Shimano Altus system with a 14-28 tooth cassette, paired with 160mm mechanical disc brakes with motor inhibitors
• A lithium ion battery pack at 48v 10.4ah, this makes for about 500 watt hours and offers a lot of get up and go as well with that 48v power rating
• 3 available displays to choose from, a basic LED display, backlit grayscale LCD, or a color display
• EMOJO stands behind their products with a 1 year comprehensive warranty, has a US headquarters in Irvine, and is really passionate and helpful about their bikes

Cons:

• The 6 magnet cadence sensor is pretty old fashioned by current standards, it has a lagged feel and the sensor itself isn’t sealed to keep out gunk and debris
• The frame has some flex to it, I noticed it in the review video and this is something to be aware of when riding
• The tire setup is interesting here, and it does have its benefits, I just wonder with so many fat-tire specific parts why you wouldn’t just complete it with actual fat tires
• No slap guard to protect this beautiful paint from the chain stay, I would recommend getting an after market slap guard or at least putting some clear box tape on there
• I wish there were integrated lights here or even independent basic battery operated lights, but unfortunately there are none
• 160mm mechanical disc brakes are not the best versus some other bikes out there, but I guess they do work well here since there are motor inhibitors

Resources:

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