Moped-style ebikes sell a feeling. The chunky stance, the moto-inspired looks, the fat tires, and that punchy motor that makes every ride feel a little more exciting than it probably should. Riders who gravitate toward this style know what they’re signing up for, and long range capability is generally not part of the pitch. That tradeoff is pretty well understood in this category, and most buyers are fine with it.
GoTrax apparently wasn’t.
With the Mustang, GoTrax equipped a full moped-style ebike with a torque sensor that dynamically applies power based on rider effort rather than just spinning watts at full tilt every time you pedal. The result is one of, if not the longest range moped-style ebikes we have tested at EBR. All the looks, all the attitude, and a lot more miles than you would expect. So, let’s get deep into the details in the GoTrax Mustang review.
My Experience Riding The GoTrax Mustang E-Bike
Curb appeal is solid moto styling with a capable look that infers the Mustang is just as ready to rip on city streets as it is on dirt roads. Classic moto look, a fixed position moto-saddle, with a fully integrated battery into the frame’s downtube, and a large empty space in between the frame top tube and bottom bracket where a storage container sits for bring a little bit of gear along for the ride.
The riding position is true to what you would expect from a moto-style e-bike, where you don’t really have a proper pedal extension despite the presence of cranks and pedals, but, with a little bit of sliding backwards on the saddle, you can find a comfy riding position.
Once out riding, the motor is punchy and you can feel the 90Nm of torque doing its job getting the Mustang up to speed and confidently tackling hills. The Mustang is one of the rare moped-style e-bikes that comes equipped with a torque sensor as opposed to the more commonly seen cadence sensors that better match the ‘all or nothing’ power delivery a moto wants. However, with the throttle, you can still punch it up to speed quickly, but, if you want to push out the range, that torque sensor will come in handy with feathered power delivery based on your pedaling effort.
As far as motor noise, the motor itself is typical for most moped style e-bikes, the sound is there and noticeable but not overbearing or annoying. The motor is mostly heard when accelerating from a dead stop, hill climbs and anytime you’re using peaking watts and in higher pedal assistance levels.
Although, I did have a mystery rattle coming from the rear wheel when I first started testing by default and started blaming the motor, largely because of the sounds coming from that location. But, after further inspection, I found the rear alloy fender had one of its mounting screws just slightly not tight enough giving a small ‘wiggle’ room for the fender and at speed or during hard acceleration would get the right harmonics to produce an annoying rattle.
Finally, after dropping the rear wheel and tightening the mounting screw located at the underside of the highest point in the fender, the noise went away. While it was a straightforward fix, It’s really on me for failing to check every nut and bolt on the bike like the user manual advises, so, lesson learned on my part.
All-in-all, the GoTrax delivers exactly what it says it will, a punchy and fast moped-styled e-bike that can deliver solid range and still tick the ‘classically cool’ looks box, all at a price point that is hard to find in this moped segment.
Range
Estimated Range (from GoTrax): Up to 86 miles
Real World Range Test Results:
- Throttle Test: 31 miles
Range is generally not a strong suit for moped-style ebikes, but it’s clearly an area GoTrax considered when designing the Mustang, evidenced by their 86-mile range claim.
GoTrax says on their website that the 86-mile figure is based on ideal conditions across rider weight, terrain, temperature, wind, tire pressure, and riding conditions. They also offer a handy range calculator that estimates expected range at each pedal assist level. In ideal conditions on PAS 1, the bike tops out at 10 mph with 86 miles of range, while the highest assist level yields around 40 miles.
At EBR, our standard approach for moped-style ebikes is a single throttle-only range test, for two reasons. First, the pedal ergonomics on the Mustang aren’t conducive to efficient pedaling, particularly given the fixed saddle height. Second, we prefer a minimum usable speed of 11-12 mph for real-world conditions, and the 9-10 mph cap on PAS 1 falls short of that. Beyond our testing methodology, most people buying a moped-style bike intend to throttle around or pedal at higher assist levels anyway.
Our test rider stood 6 feet tall and weighed around 190 lbs, and we ran all range tests on public routes with real-world conditions: stops, restarts, and slowdowns throughout. On throttle only, the Mustang delivered 31 miles before the battery gave out. That number makes a lot of sense in context. Throttle-only operation is essentially full power at all times, with constant watts and torque, including repeated acceleration from stops. Introducing pedal assist, particularly with a torque sensor that applies power proportionally to rider effort, would extend range considerably. Based on our result, riding at PAS 2 or 3 in the 12-17 mph range could reasonably yield around 50 miles, and cruising at PAS 1 could push 70-80 miles.
Overall, 31 miles on throttle only is a strong result for this category. Benchmarked against the 22 other moped-style ebikes we’ve range tested the same way, the Mustang lands in 7th place, including against some models with larger batteries, which makes it a genuinely competitive performer.
Power (Motor & Battery)
The Mustang is powered by a rear hub drive motor rated at 750W with 90Nm of torque. GoTrax doesn’t disclose the peak wattage, but during rides the display’s power graph showed peaks of up to 990W.
The motor is paired with a torque sensor, giving riders the ability to feather power delivery based on pedaling effort. During testing, soft pedaling at PAS 2 would maintain a cruising speed of around 15 mph while the display showed only 60-150W of consumption. That efficiency is likely the key to the Mustang’s range potential, as a cadence sensor would push watts to the max with every pedal rotation regardless of effort.
The power character is what you’d expect and hope for in this category: punchy, fast, and capable of climbing hills with relative ease. It suits the bike’s aesthetic well.
I did encounter one testing hiccup along the way, The Mustang is advertised as a Class 2 ebike, though GoTrax’s website and user manual both indicate the speed limit can be raised to 25 mph through the display settings. However, despite following the manual instructions, I was never able to get the bike beyond 20 mph. I reached out to GoTrax to troubleshoot and had not heard back by the time this review is published. If that changes, I’ll update the review and pin a comment on the YouTube video. For now, based on our testing, the Mustang remains a Class 2 ebike.
The battery is fully frame-integrated, 48V, and comes with a keyed lock for security. It’s removable for off-bike storage or charging and weighs around 9 lbs. The cell specs come in at 15Ah and 720Wh, with LG cells inside.
The Mustang ships with a 3A charger, a welcome upgrade over the 2A chargers more commonly bundled with bikes at this price point.
Components
The frame is a moto-styled aluminum alloy build with a large center storage area, though as noted earlier, it’s unclear whether the storage bin is included or optional.
The cockpit runs an aluminum alloy BMX-style handlebar with enough room for add-ons like a phone mount or mirrors. Tektro alloy brake levers and black lock-on rubber grips sit at each end. On the right is a 7-speed Shimano index shifter, and on the left is a push throttle alongside the control pad for the color display.
The saddle is a fixed-position moto-style unit with deep padding that makes for a comfortable ride. Alloy platform pedals with traction studs and reflectors round out the contact points.
Up front is a large moto-style headlight that adds to the overall aesthetic. GoTrax doesn’t disclose a brightness rating, but it’s genuinely bright and visible even in daylight.
Below the headlight sits a dual crown front suspension fork, an unbranded coil spring setup with 80mm of travel and preload adjustment knobs at the top of each 34mm stanchion.
The wheels are 26″ alloy rims wrapped in Arisun 26×4″ fat tires with a mild all-terrain tread pattern suited to most riding conditions. Stopping power comes from Tektro hydraulic disc brakes with 2-piston calipers and 180mm rotors front and rear. The brakes include motor cutoff sensors that kill power the moment a lever is pulled, a useful safety feature in emergency stops.
Finishing it off is the drivetrain, a Shimano 7-speed setup with a 14-28T rear cassette, Shimano Tourney rear derailleur, and a 48T chainring with a dual-sided guard. Cranks are 170mm alloy.
Screen / User Interface / App
The Mustang features one of the better displays I’ve come across, with a large 5″ screen that’s bright and high contrast in any lighting condition, including direct overhead sunlight.
The home screen covers the usual metrics: speed, PAS level, battery charge, and odometer. It also shows a live power meter displaying real-time wattage consumption and a temperature gauge, both useful for keeping tabs on how hard you’re pushing the system.
Tapping the power button, without holding it, cycles to additional data including trip distance and trip time.
The advanced settings menu has five options: display brightness, units of measurement, trip reset, wheel diameter, and speed limit. All worked as expected with the exception of the speed limit setting, as covered earlier in the review.
The control pad handles headlight activation via a dedicated button, and holding the minus button engages walk mode, letting the bike motor itself along slowly without you having to push it.
The control pad allows you to turn on the headlight by tapping the designated headlight button, or activating ‘walk mode’ by holding the ‘minus’ button allowing you to walk with the bike rather than you needing to muscle it around.
GoTrax Mustang Model Options
The Mustang comes in one size: an 18″ aluminum alloy frame with a large integrated storage area. GoTrax advertises a fit range of 5′ 4″ to 6′ 2″. At just under 6 feet, the fit felt good overall, though I found myself wanting a slightly longer saddle to slide back for better leg extension and arm reach. Riders under 6 feet likely won’t notice that.
There is one color offered, the silver and black colorway you see pictured in this review.
The Mustang includes the large moto-style headlight. The metallic storage bin shown in GoTrax’s product photos may also be included, though our test unit did not arrive with one. I reached out to GoTrax for clarification but had not received a response at the time of publishing.
Standard optional add-ons like handlebar phone mounts, helmets, and bike locks are available.
The Mustang ships with a 2-year warranty and carries an IPX4 water resistance rating, though the user manual advises against riding in the rain, which sends somewhat mixed signals.
GoTrax also offers an optional accident and damage insurance plan, available in 1, 2, or 3-year terms. Per the product page, it covers zero-deductible repairs and replacements, accidental damage, and extended failure protection. It’s worth reading the fine print, but it’s a notable option that isn’t commonly seen from other brands.
Is The GoTrax Mustang Worth Buying?
The GoTrax Mustang positions itself in a unique spot among the moped-style e-bikes that tend to dominate the market. Where we usually see cadence sensors with punchy speed and relatively short throttle ranges, the Mustang opted for the dynamic and more efficient torque sensor and gave us a very strong throttle-only performance when compared against its moped peers, earning 7th place out of the 22 we have tested and still keeps the same, fun punchy motor that makes mopeds so fun to benign with.
I think many folks who don’t like to squint at small and hard to read displays will love the big 5” color display with easy to read metrics, and the frame storage bin a genuinely useful feature.
I did have some issues getting to see the bike at its advertised 25 MPH max and I’m still waiting for a reply from GoTrax on whether or not that is normal. Also, having one frame size and one color option will leave some riders out.
When it’s all said and done, the GoTrax Mustang delivers what it intended too, an electric moped that still manages to have all the cool looks, with a fast and fun personality you would expect, but now with the ability to go much further than what appears to be any other e-moped on the market. And that’s generally pretty cool.
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