Sun Seeker Eco Delta Electric Trike Review

The Sun Seeker Eco Delta is one of the more affordable recumbent electric trikes I’ve tested. It doesn’t offer quite as much power as some of the other conversions built by Electric Bike Technologies but their choices were smart… By that I mean, they went with a geared hub motor for more zip given the lower voltage 36 volt 10 amp hour battery. Many of the other Sun Seeker conversions I tested recently offered gearless motors with peak output around 1,000 watts vs. this one at ~750 watts but they also had 48 volt packs. That means more weight and more money! What you get here is an electric trike in the delta form which means it has one wheel up front and two in the back, like a traditional tricycle. The steering is slower and much easier to manage (less muscle required) than the recumbent tadpole trikes. Those are the ones with handles at the side down by your waist. They tend to have more complex steering mechanisms and be more difficult to mount. I love that the seat on the Eco Delta is positioned a bit higher up but that it’s still fully adjustable (the back rest swivels and the frame boom extends easily). Overall, it’s one of the few recumbents I’ve tried that didn’t cause my neck to feel tight after lots of riding. There’s no suspension but the canvas back rest combined with vibration-dampening long handle bars and average sized tires makes for a relaxed time.

One of my favorite features on the Eco Delta is also a source of concern. It’s the big, bright display panel (that’s backlit if you hold the up arrow for a few seconds). This thing is mission control, it shows your speed, power level, ride stats and battery bar… And this is one of the gripes. While it shows 10 little bars, only the main sections appear and disappear depending on battery capacity so you really only get 5 bars. That 20% increment can mean a lot when you’re far from home. And while I love that the display swivels to reduce glare (especially relevant given how close it comes to your face on this trike) it is not removable. That means it may take more sunlight, rain water and scratching at the bike racks than if you could take it along with you. Many other, more expensive, ebikes have removable displays like Bosch, BionX, and Impulse but at least the E-Bike Kit battery used on the Sun Seeker here can be taken off. And for those who are concerned about the display, consider a small black sack or knit glove… but don’t leave it on if it’s wet or it could trap condensation :)

Turning this trike on is a two step process and it starts with the battery pack. You can charge it on or off the bike but then slide it onto the rear mount rails, insert and turn the key. The key is required to be left on the trike during operation and has a nice folding head but might jingle if connected to a keychain. From here, hold the M button on the control pad (near the right grip) and look for the display to flash to life. I like that Electric Bike Technologies mounted the control pad close to the grip but opted to make the trigger throttle the closest because it’s the more useful interface. Once you’ve selected a power level, either the trigger throttle or cadence sensor allows you to activate the motor and zip away. Many times, I’m reviewing sporty ebikes geared towards riders who want MORE speed but it sounds like the Eco Delta often appeals to those who are looking for the stability of a trike and lower speed neighborhood riding. This is a great platform for getting outside and stretching, sitting in a way that’s comfortable and steering without having to stretch too much or get a sore back and neck. I loved how easy it was to sit down on this compared with many other tadpole style trikes.

I’ve listed a whole bunch of pro’s and con’s for your consideration below. Keep in mind that this is a professional conversion e-bike. It’s a bit less expensive at face value but does require $350 shipping which basically gets it to you in a “ready to ride” state. I’ve seen this company doing stand alone conversion kits for many years and in fact you can see some of them reviewed here, so if you’ve already got this recumbent or just like to set things up yourself, they do sell the exact same kit and even have instructions on how to install it back at ElectricTrike.com. Overall I was very pleased with my experience on this bike and definitely prefer to get help (and am willing to pay slightly more) for a well-done conversion. Everything from the wire management to the oversized torque arm was well thought out. I did have a couple of hicups with pedal assist (and that’s why it is only shown briefly in the video) but the bike was converted on short notice just for me during a visit to Pennsylvania (at their headquarters in Croyden). I got to meet the founder, Jason Kraft, and his engineering and support team. They may not make all of the parts used on this thing but they do assemble it and do offer several customization options. It’s neat to see and if you’re someone who appreciates that kind of thing and is looking for a unique bicycle that will keep you stable, help you manage your speed and offer good support I feel like this would be a good choice. Big thanks to ElectricTrike.com for partnering with me for this review.

Pros:

• One of the most affordable electric recumbent trikes, you don’t get as many gears or as much power but for neighborhood riding and short urban trips it’s great
• The long handle bars, higher mounted seat and tricycle design (as compared to tadpole with two wheels in the front) make the Eco Delta easier to mount and less aggressive to ride, it’s like a more efficient and more active version of a tricycle
• Highly adjustable frame and seat designed to accommodate a wide range of riders, tall or short, I like how the seat can be very upright to spot traffic and relax the neck or way back for maximum aerodynamics ;)
• Available in several fun color choices including the bright red in the photos and video above, I tend to go bright to stay visible but the black wires blend in nicely with the black accents
• I love that the chainring has a plastic guide to reduce drops and that there are two extra-long plastic tubes to protect the chain and keep your pants clean when riding
• Zippy geared motor provides instantaneous torque, is compact and light weight but isn’t as quiet or durable as some of their gearless motors, I think it’s a “pro” here because the battery voltage is lower at ~36 volts so you maximize power with a geared motor
• Extra thick and sturdy spokes on the front wheel (to support the motor weight and power) along with a large torque arm to distribute force into the fork, supporting the dropouts
• Both the battery pack and charger are encased with Aluminum making them tougher, the charger is a bit faster at 3 Amps and only weighs ~1.5 pounds, I like that you can charge the pack on or off the bike frame
• You get a responsive 12 magnet cadence sensor for pedal assist as well as trigger throttle operation with lots of power and speed settings to choose from, additionally you can set a maximum speed for riders who want to feel safe
• Both brake levers feature motor inhibitor “cutoff” switches that stop the power when pulled, it’s a great safety feature and I like that the right brake lever also has a parking brake latch
• Electric Bike Technologies closely maps their battery discharge rates to presets in the controller so the display is very accurate AND they leave it open so you can use other batteries in the future and map your own

Cons:

• Unlike some of the other Sun Seeker electric trikes, the Eco Delta does not come with a rear basket for stowing gear, just the battery pack
• Being a conversion product, the wires for the motor and battery aren’t internally routed so they stick out and don’t look quite as nice
• Interesting brake design… one mechanical disc brake in the rear and one v-brake up front, it works well enough but isn’t as easy or powerful as hydraulic or two rear disc brakes
• The display panel is really beautiful looking but cannot be easily removed when you park the bike, this exposes it to more weather and potential vandalism
• There are no integrated lights on this bike so consider picking a set up and adding them yourself, this isn’t as low as some of the tadpole trikes but a tail whip LED flagpole might also be worth adding so cars see you
• The battery case is tuff but made from an older style which requires that you leave the key in while riding… if you have a keychain and other keys attached it can dangle and be vulnerable but if you don’t have a keychain then the key becomes easier to lose, consider using a small carabiner like these, I do like that at least the key folds :)
• Be careful when sliding the battery pack off the rear rack because the key may collide with the seat back supports, I believe you need to unlock the pack then take the key out first to avoid bending it
• For some riders, the recumbent “feet forward” may be easier to slip off of and have a foot go down or drag, consider foot pedal straps in that case, metal BMX pedals for improved grip or even clip in shoes and pedals
• The support rails for positioning the seat back both have bosses for adding water bottle cages, mini pumps or locks! This helps to make up for the lack of a basket or rear rack
• Power output is limited by the level you choose even though the throttle itself is a variable speed trigger, for some this is a good safety design and for others it may feel annoying to click up each time you want to go faster while also pulling the throttle

Resources:

• Official Site: https://www.electrictrike.com/collections/recumbent-electric-tricycles/products/sun-seeker-eco-delta-electric-trike
• More Pictures: https://goo.gl/photos/BvwNycjWTYALqX9s9