To run the forums, host the website, and travel, EBR charges a universal service fee for reviews. This in-depth review was sponsored by EUNORAU. The goal is to be transparent and unbiased, this video and written review are not meant to be an endorsement of EUNORAU products.
The EUNORAU FAT-HD is one of the more powerful production eBikes on the market today. Built entirely around the Bafang BBSHD 1000w motor, this bike packs a wallop in torque and power, yet still is refrained by the city accessories adorning this fat tire bike. One important note is the the 1000w motor on this bike pushes it into a classification outside accepted eBike laws in many states. It’s common to see eBike laws cap at 750w for the bike to be considered a legal bicycle or legal electric bicycle. As a result, the EUNORAUT FAT-HD may be a legal moped or motorcycle. Be certain to check your local laws and regulations before venturing into protected or public areas. On the features list we have the two height pannier rack has a wide plate and the spring tensioned arms for holding small, pliable items, and the metal fenders are a great plus. With plastic fenders it’s just my luck to have to adjust them constantly to prevent wearing and rubbing against the tire of the bike. Metal fenders stay in place much better, especially when encountering loose and packed terrain such as mud. The strong 13ga spokes are well fitted for the size and torque of the system, and the wheel punch-outs make for a great look on the bike overall. For the mechanical gear set, the 7 speed Shimano Altus works, but the temptation of immense electric power at the throttle is too great to succumb to mere pedaling. Equipped with mechanical disc brakes, the FAT-HD could be a viable option if the bike was limited to lower speeds, however with a heavier bike, traveling at high speeds I would encourage those interested in this bike to opt for brake upgrades (either locally or from EUNORAU direct). With a monster bike like traveling at high speeds, the brakes will require adjusting more often to stay optimal, these stock mechanical discs are easier to fix over hydraulic, but do require more fixing in the first place. The FAT-HD does include a front head-light, that is integrated into the main battery. This is great for being seen while commuting, or lighting a dark trail as the sun goes down. The rear light on the FAT-HD is detachable light that operates on two (included) AAA batteries. It’s too bad they didn’t include an integrated light on the rear of the bike, however I appreciate they did include a light at all, something some bike companies opt out of completely.
The motor on the FAT-HD is really the focal point of the bike. Come to think of it, it’s also the central point: utilizing a mid-drive motor, the FAT-HD can produce an immense amount of torque and move the rider up very steep inclines without hesitation. The BBSHD motor from Bafang has been popularized in conversion electric systems, but in the case of the EUNORAU FAT-HD, the motor is encased in a hard metal shell, and the bike is designed to use this motor from the get-go, rather than adding to a bike in witch the the original designer had never considered electric. The hard metal case protects the motor from abrasions and obstacles while riding in un-even terrain, and the motor is tilted up into the down tube, rather than arching downward as it does in some conversions. The 1000w of power is simply phenomenal at catapulting the rider into the wind! My only hesitation on declaring a total top speed is the lack of length for testing ground. I was able to get the bike up to 28mph fairly quickly, but ran out of “runway” space before having to slow down and maintain a semblance of safety. Weather full-throttle, or pedal assist the bike could reach speeds very well, keep up in traffic on par with everything in the area. This motor utilizes a cadence based pedal assist system. What this means is, when the electric system is turned on, and the pedal assist is activated on the display, from this point on pedaling the bike will engage the electric motor to power the chain, and therefore the bike. The specification “cadence based” means that the pedal assist knows how much power to deliver based on counting the rotations of the pedals. Systems like this are quite prolific in the industry, and are especially nice for riders that have issues with keeping tension on their legs during regular riding. With a cadence based system set for a high level, the rider can rotate the pedals as a formality and keep the bike riding very fast. The motor casing leaves room for the name plate and the cables to escape from the bottom of the bike, which is great for servicing the motor.
It’s common to see electric bikes using 36v 14Ah batteries, or a 48v 10Ah in other cases, but the FAT-HD is rocking a 48v 15Ah battery which has the 48v pressure to keep the bike reaching high torque, but also has the 15Ah to maintain for a fair distance. I’ve had the chance to range test many electric bikes until the battery stops, about 30 in all. This particular set-up is one I haven’t had the pleasure of testing, primarily due to the high top speed. With that in mind, I will give my professional estimate as to the anticipated range while road riding this kind of bike. Having tested 4 different 28mph bikes and their 20mph counterparts, I can report that the higher top speed has shown a pattern of depleting the battery about 60-100% faster. Given the weight of the bike, along with the increased surface area of the tires I would estimate about 35-40 miles of road-riding range using pedal assist at 20mph. Blasting at 28mph, I would venture about 17.5-20 miles. At speeds of 30+? I really can’t say with confidence as I’ve only done short trips at high speed (any trip is short at that speed), but I would toss out about 14 miles or so at full pedal assist, maybe 10 at full throttle with no holds barred. It’s a great addition to the bike to have a battery capable of this kind of performance, and longevity. The battery locks into position on the downtube, keeping the weight centered and lower on the frame as compared with rack-mounted batteries. The battery includes a specific key that is required to remove the battery, however, the key is not required for ignition or starting the electric system. The bike includes a 3a charger, which is great paired with the overall watt hours of the battery (748.8wh). In this case, charging the battery from a full discharge would take about 4-5 hours. Aside from its off-road capabilities, I think this bike has a great place on the road as well. The presence of metal fenders and a rear rack first sparked the idea of a winter commuter. One great way of using an electric bike in the winter is to lower the seat allowing the rider to extend their legs on either side to maintain balance on slippery terrain. Of course, this lowers the effectiveness of the rider’s contribution through maximum leg extension, but the thrill can’t be beat! I’ve ridden several Utah winters in this fashion, but in many cases with skinnier road tires.
The display is both out of the way, and offers an easy read-out. Located on the left side of the handlebars, the display has two main buttons for controlling pedal assist that are easy to locate without having to glance down at the display. The buttons have a vibrating feedback (called haptic feedback) that will buzz a tiny bit when the button is pressed. This sort of feature provides a great way of understanding the control the rider has on the bike, and generally improves the ride with more peace of mind. The display, though small, utilizes a full color screen with a very recognizable automobile motif for the speedometer. This enables any rider (who drives a car) to easily recognize the display without having to learn a new system. The display works, and works immediately! It does lack some customization features, such as a heart rate monitor or cadence counter, but I personally stick to the basics when I’m riding. The front LED light on the bike is integrated to the main battery and is toggled easily by the main display. The backlight for the display has two setting, tied into the toggle for the head-light. The backlight feature is really great when riding in low-light conditions, and I really like the automotive styled display that is quick and easy to read. Being in an industrial area, the roads were a bit uneven from excessive wear from heavy industry vehicles frequenting the factories and warehouses in the vicinity. This gave me a great chance to feel the stoutness of the bike and utilize the front fork. The front fork has a 100mm travel, which is a bit much for road conditions. Using the bike off-road, the fork would be utilized more, and the cushion from the fat tires would be greatly magnified. Riding on the road with fat tires provides more comfort and stability, once the rider conquers the odd steering characteristics.
Overall, I really enjoyed my time on the FAT-HD. I think it has a unique blend of sheer power, speed and utility, contrasted by the day-to-day accessories that make the bike strangely practical. EUNORAU eBikes is a direct to consumer brand based in Hangzhou China, with USA shipping and service support. Kind of a blend of both worlds. Chinese made and sold bikes have one great appeal to them; price. Since China is hub of bicycle manufacturing, the vast resources available to these companies can make for a compelling offer. However, in many cases direct bikes take months in shipping, and have literally no support at all, so it’s nice to see EUNORAU filling a less-charted space between affordable price and addressing customer needs. EUNORAU does have some upgrades on offer from their site, though shipping times and availability are not as clear compared to their standard models.
Pros:
- Top-of-the-food-chain 1000w Bafang BBSHD motor can withstand 1000w of continuous power all day, peaking at 1500w for maximum output
- The full color display is easy to see, easy to use, and easy to understand. I really like this APT 500c model of display, as it gives all the basic readouts very quickly, with the right combination fo additional features
- The large motor is mounted in the center of the bike, keeping the weight very low and centralized; which is great for maintaining balance on un-even terrain
- Lockable 48v 15.6Ah battery has it’s own unique key to prevent theft while keeping the battery firmly attached to the bike, also the downtube mount for the battery keeps the weight centered and lower on the bike
- Included rear rack has rails for both tall and short panniers, as well as a wide platform for trunk bags. The matte metal frame of the rear-rack also matches the fenders and other default accents from the components
- Black metal fenders are great; as they won’t bend and rub as easily as plastic fenders. Also includes metal mounting rods for front and rear
- Front suspension eases the bumps of the ride, a great compensation for the lack of frame suspension or a suspension seat-post. A suspension seat-post is an easy upgrade that can be done at the local level for around $50-$200
- Sloping top tube provides a more accessible stand-over height, and the slight sweep handlebars and lowest position of the seat enable for a range of adult riders to comfortable access the bike
- Fat 4” Kenda juggernaut tires can maintain grip on loose surfaces, such as snow, sand, mud, gravel, this is especially useful for off-road riding where utilizing two motors would be ideal
- Thicker 13ga spokes on the front and rear wheels accommodate the torque of two motors more effectively, and the 160mm brake rotors are well suited for the varied uses this bike can offer
- Internal cadence pedal assist is easy on the legs for riders with leg stress considerations, the pedal assist levels control the top speed of assist, which also caps the throttle at these same levels
- Integrated front light runs from the main battery, without the need for spare batteries or recharging provisions. Also employs an LED light for greater longevity and brightness from a small package
- Center mounted kickstand makes for easy loading of cargo on the rear rack, tons of fun burning dual rubber with the throttle, and is very convenient for commuting or errands
- Two color options Blue, Dark Gray
Cons:
- While the pannier rack allows for all sorts of cargo options, the bike is lacking in bottle cage attachments
- The mechanical disc brakes would not be my personal choice on this bike. I’d be much happier (and safer) with hydraulic disc brakes that require far less attention once installed properly
- Using the bike at full throttle, at high speeds will afford a drastically lower range compared to operating at a lower speed. For full adventure, definitely start with a full battery
- Rear light is included, but it’s a loose light with it’s own batteries. This is an odd choice since many integrated light systems have both front and rear lights, or include no lights at all. I’m not a big fan of changing batteries, but I’m quite a big fan of staying seen, and staying alive
- Customizing the bike from EUNORAU is a great option, but it does increase the usually fast shipping time
Resources:
Bill
6 years agoI could not give this (WAY OVER PRICED), E-bike, nor the review a thumbs up. There are to many things wrong with this bike that were not mentioned. Also there are a lot of improvements that could, and should be made to this bike. I wouldn’t even test ride this bike, never mind purchase it. If you ask me this bike is not safe to ride, as is. I rode bicycles, dirt bikes, mopeds, motorcycles, quads, you name it, my whole life, and never ran across a thumb throttle on the LEFT. That is just plane ridiculous. The front sprocket with all that power, and speed has no chain guide or chain guard. Not only cheap & unsafe, but that is downright scary! The mechanical brakes are totally inadequate, and unsafe for a bike of this weight, tire size, and speed, (cheap & scary). The seat has to be the cheapest, and most uncomfortable looking seat I ever saw in life. As for that small, badly located LED Display. How am I even suppose to see that tiny thing there on the left while watching the road or trail. It would most likely be wiped out, broke off with the first tree limb I brushed by anyway. May as well have no display then to have one you have to squint to see and then go off trail and crash, very unsafe. The color choses are black or blue, that’s it. I do like blue, but would prefer a bright color choose like white with orange. Something that can be easily seen on the road, and at night. Noteworthy to mention is there is only one sticker, (decal) on the side motor, and a tag in the front to an otherwise solid colored bike. Not a lot of imagination nor thought put into that one. I do like the battery style, and how it seems to mold, or blend into the frame. That is most likely the only thing I do like about this bike. At first I did like the metal fenders, but then thought, metal they will dent easy, and most like rust fast. This made in China bike does offer some limited US support, and with all the grinding, and banging noises I heard test riding it in the video I’d say your gunna need it. In conclusion I see an E-Bike that was designed in a way to keep manufacturing cost As Low As Possible, while maintaining the highest possible profit margin. I should also address the fact that this bike with a top speed of 28 mph with or without PAS, and the 1000 Watt battery make this bike NOT STREET LEGAL in most, if not all US States. Like I stated in the beginning of this comment, the bike is way WAY OVER PRICED ! I will not give my opinion on the value of this bike, to me there is none.
ReplyCourt
6 years agoHi Bill! Thanks for sharing all of your concerns with the bike and calling us out to do better. I agree, there’s always so much to say and I believe that Joey will continue getting better over time based on this sort of feedback. Thanks man :D
ReplyKen Fox
5 years agoCourt, I’m a huge admirer of your website and of your reviews.
I think you should have been more supportive of your colleague (or employee) than you were in this case. I think it was a very good and thorough review, and most of the points raised by the poster (Bill) were either ill-founded, or simply expressing his own personal opinion. He has, admittedly, zero experience with this particular bike.
Ken
5 years agoI watched the review myself and actually bought the bike. I have to agree with some of the stuff Bill claims. I like Joey’s reviews but you can tell he is bias.
Ken
5 years agoQuite an indictment of a bike you have never seen in the flesh, nor ridden.
Yes, nearly every product out there, including this one, has compromises made that allow it to be sold at a certain price point. As to the comment that it is way overpriced, you clearly have no clue about pricing of mid-engine high powered e-bikes. The electrical/electronic components alone, including the motor and the battery, in this bike would probably cost you close to $1000 if purchased in kit form. I’d be surprised if they could ship this large and heavy bike within the USA for less than a couple of hundred dollars, and then there is the bike and components, labor, packaging, etc. Show us another bike with this motor and this sized battery that sells for significantly less; you can’t. And then your comment about throttle placement. I have 2 folding e-bikes, one of which is a commercial conversion and one that was done for me from a kit on a bike I owned previously. One has the throttle on the right, and one on the left. So what? There is no safety issue here at all.
Hydraulic brakes would be nice, and that’s an available upgrade. Perhaps they should have been included in the bike as offered, but I think that they wanted to sell the bike at a lower price and to instead offer that as an upgrade. This is not uncommon, whether you are buying cars, bicycles, or even a dishwasher.
Obviously, a bike like this needs to be sold to a responsible adult. If you give a Subaru STi to an irresponsible adolescent, he is likely to wrap the car around a tree. A responsible adult will rarely if ever push a bike like this to its limits. Reserve power is nice to have, but you don’t have to use it 98% of the time.
Reply91MikeMike
4 years agoIDK what Bill’s mad at but it shouldn’t be the bike lol. 2020 version has hydraulic brakes and a torque sensor. for the same price! looks like they just had to get models out the door cheap to keep the lights on in their first years but are in full swing now. I paid around $2,100 for mine, Euno had codes hidden all around their site for 7-10% off. The company’s mission statement is to “empower ppl who can’t afford cars and improve the Ebike industry”, which they actually commit to by not selling this bike for $3-5K like every other manufacturer, offering 2 YEAR warranty and sales/service in US. The whole left right thing is hilarious because there’s left handed ppl lol and as a plastics processor who went to a welding high-school, metal is the choice all day unless the plastic is sulfone/keytone based like Raydell or Avispire or a truly insane nylon like Rilsan. Ships are steel, grind it, bang out the dents and paint it to infinity and beyond lol. Nothing on the 2020 bike seems like a compromise, they don’t gold plate the thing but every box for a quality commuter/hunting bike is checked. Plus if anything breaks down the road just call Eunorau and they’ll hook you up. Might see if they’re traded, they seem like they’ll be one of the tippity-top dogs in the industry when the gold rush of fly-by-nighters settles.
Dave C.
6 years agoI am not sure where all the negativity from Mr. Bill came from without ever seeing or riding this bike. I on the other hand, seeking a thrill and speed rush, will purchase this bike and THEN review it and share my thoughts. I agree with an upgrade to Hydraulic Disc brakes that would be adequate for this system though. Has anyone actually purchased this bike that could share some thoughts? or worked with EUNORAU in the past?
ReplyDave Choj
5 years agoI purchased this bike from the Eunorau website in April of 2019 for $2400 after saving through the winter and spring. I received a confirmation that the bike was in stock and would be shipped within 1-2 days from their Las Vegas warehouse. After 3 days I contacted their website via messenger and they told me that they would be shipping within the next 2-3 days. After waiting another entire week, I messaged them again, and was told that they were sorry, but cant “find” the bike they were suppose to send me, that I had already purchased. After several more days of dialogue, I was told that they had “found” my bike in the warehouse, and would be shipping immediately.
My bike finally arrived about 3 weeks after my initial order. The box was damaged, well basically destroyed, with parts of the bike exposed. I inspected to bike to see that the pedals were dirty from apparent use, and the frame had several scratches. Because I was so excited for this (my 2nd ebike but with much more power) I was OK with most of these issues. I went to my local bike shop and spent another $80 to have the bike fully assembled and tuned. When I turned the bike on for the first time, I noticed that the bike had 45 miles on it already. I was told later by the owner of Eunorau that this is because they have “test models” and that is why. To remedy all of the troubles I had in the first week of my purchase the owner sent me a $15 bike helmet, and extra controller for the bike.
Now to the riding, for the first few weeks I did really enjoy this bike. It had A LOT of power! The torque was pretty low for a 1000W motor, but reached speeds of 28-30 MPH on all levels (throttle and PAS 4/5). I use this bike as my daily ride to and from work/gym totalling about 5 miles a day. I ride on basically flat road the entire time. I have received so many compliments on the look of this bike, beautiful! After about a month, I had to replace the brakes because of the power. My first issue was a “communication error” with the controller. I was told this was normal for the bike even through the thing would just shut off while riding full speed sometimes. I also started to experience a chain slip while riding which felt very unsafe. None of these issues would be addressed by the owner besides a message telling me it was “normal”.
About two weeks ago, I was riding to work, and the motor basically seized up on me. I contacted the owner right away because the bike comes with a two-year warranty. Eunorau told me that I burned the motor our from overuse even though I don’t weigh that much, and never go up steep hills. My bike currently has under 350 miles on it. The solution that was offered to me, was for ME to take the bafang mid drive motor out of the bike, and ship it (on my cost) to China. They would then fix the motor, and ship it back to me, which I must reinstall.
Sorry if this seems long but I am typing on the fly because I am furious. I have spent 3 days trying to get this motor out, buying special tools and unscrewing everything in sight. I finally got the motor out to realize that there are 4-5 wires going directly from the motor up the frame of the bike to the cockpit. I am not going to cut wires from this bike to successfuly remove the motor.How is this customer service for a bike novice to take an electric motor out of a bike???? I am now left with $2500 in useless electric bike parts, and a company who wont resolve the issue.I have no bike and no transportation to work because of my decision to buy from China. DO NOT BUY FROM THIS COMPANY! THEY HAVE BEEN UNRESPONSIVE FOR THE PAST THREE DAYS PLUS.
ReplyBrian
4 years agoI own one of these. The weight of the bike is 73-74 lbs. Way below what you have published. That should be changed as it is miss-leading. I purchased the bike partly on your published weight.
ReplyCourt
4 years agoHmm, that really disappointing. I’m so sorry Brian. Mikey reviewed this electric bike and I provided a scale and instructions for him to weigh the product exactly as I do, as shown in the pictures and video (not without the battery or anything). Two things come to mind: I no longer work with some of these collaborators due to some inconsistencies with the stats they gathered and the resulting complaints from manufacturers. This may be such a case, and your comment here might rectify the issue since it sounds like you weighed it out. Second possibility is that the model we reviewed was a different generation or had a different battery pack that weighed less. Since I did not cover the bike myself, I am not able to say. We do specify in the terms here that we try our best, but are prone to make occasional mistakes or have the data get messed up as we’ve migrated the sites and had challenges with programmers from time to time. Having spent thousands of hours reviewing ebikes, nothing frustrates me more than having the correct info, and then seeing it get lost or deleted by a programmer who I’ve paid good money to help make an upgrade… I’m pushing forward, still doing my best, and I’m apologizing here to you because my goal has always been to be accurate in an industry where the manufacturers themselves often embellish the stats. I’m sorry man.
ReplyAllan Kalcov
3 years agoSame here…
Reply