Electric bike technologies electric fat trike mid drive

• A fat-tire mid-drive 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
• Comfortable as well as capable with the ergonomic grips, Velo comfort saddle, approachable step-through frame, and front suspension fork
• Powerful Bafang Ultra 1000 mid-drive, reliable single speed mechanical system, high capacity battery, and wonderful hydraulic disc brakes all around
• Extremely heavy (if you are more used to ebikes), could be hard to maneuver in a crowded garage, grips are non-locking which you may want to upgrade to locking for intense rides, and the front light bounces a bit off-road

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 bike names straight forward and simple. Such is the case with the trike we are reviewing today, the ‘Fat Mid Drive Trike’. To reduce redundancy and confusion, we will refer to it as the FMDT for the rest of the review. As the name says, it is just that; an electric fat-tire mid-drive trike. But there is a lot more going on here, this thing is a beast and something to really behold. So most trikes have a slightly larger foot print than bicycles, and it seems as if they wanted to accentuate a trikes strength so to speak with this one. Even bigger, even stronger, even more stable is the name of the game here; this thing is long and massive, so it’s no surprise it weighs a whopping 102lbs. But that weight brings a lot of adventure with it, so let’s take a closer look. As you might expect, there are 3 separate 20” x 4” Kenda Krusade fat tires here, each with their own set of brakes (which we will get into later) and each with a separate sturdy metal fender to keep you dry in off-road terrain. The big basket in the back could easily carry a load of camping equipment or even a hunting trophy. At 20” long, we measured it to fit about 55 liters of capacity, pretty cool! There is some comfort here too, like the ergonomic grips, Velo comfort saddle, approachable step-through frame, and front suspension fork. The fork is a fat-tire specific RST Guide spring fork with about 50mm of travel, lockout, and preload adjustments. I also want to mention the battery integrated lights mounted in the front and rear, these are great for visibility and are a welcome addition on any electric vehicle. The cables in the front are wrapped by these nice wire loom sleeves, and the stem is even capable of folding down, so you can get this beast into the back of a truck or stow it away easier. Going back to the go-anywhere sturdiness of the bike, I want to talk about all the metal in the rear. If you were backwoods exploring, you would want something that is built for the task, and this trike definitely is. For support, there is a seat stay bridge, a 2nd seat stay bridge, 2 chain-stay bridges, and dropouts that are 3x as thick. If you want more information, check out the video review, but this basically means that the long rear and cargo rack will stay sturdy and stiff. The rear end here also connects securely to the frame with 3 M10 sized bolts with nyloc nuts. Additionally, there is a differential gear in the rear, similar to a car, so you can turn easy. Other trikes typically have one wheel do a tight turn while the other one follows. In this setup, you can make tight turns either way as the wheels can spin independently to help you turn better. Great for navigating tough terrain.

Driving the trike is one of the more powerful motors out there, the Bafang Ultra 1000. It is named so after its 1,000 watt nominal rating, and it looks like EBT has the trike set for a massive 1,440 watts peak. This not only offers power, but like a large truck motor, is able to carry the weight of the vehicle as well as any potential load. The electrical system has both a throttle and torque based pedal assist with 0-5 modes of varying assist. Mechanically, the trike is a single speed setup with a 20 tooth sprocket in the rear and a 46 tooth chain ring in the front with a dual bash guard and rust resistant chain. The FMDT really shines in the brake category. You get not 1 or 2, but 3 separate disc brake rotors for each wheel. And if you can believe it, they are hydraulic brakes too. That makes for some pretty high end stopping power, they are all 160mm and dual piston too. To kick it up a notch even more, the left brake lever has a motor inhibitor built in to cut power to the motor siamotainously when stopping, and there is even built in parking brake! It is so nice to see such a power and capable stopping system on such a beast of a bike, definitely not overlooked in the safety department and I really appreciate that.

Powering the bike is a lithium ion battery at 48v 14ah. With the combination of the voltage and amp hours, I would consider a very high capacity pack. The battery is easy to get in and out of the housing and is protected by lock and key. It also has a battery readout via LED to let you know where the charge lever is at. One other thing I have to mention is that the battery has its own USB you can plug devices into. Whether you want to charge something while you ride the bike, or take the battery off to use it as a portable power bank, this battery can do both. I also like that is mounted center to keep the weight balanced, a pretty good setup overall. 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 simple enough. I’m kind of a control center geek and I always love to see comprehensive stats while riding. The control center on the FMDT does just that. It displays pretty much everything, including current speed, top speed, average speed, range, battery level, pedal assist mode, wattage output and more. More importantly, I could read it in direct sunlight! I love that it is color and uses an automotive motif. A big win here is that the battery power is listed in percentages. Some ebikes use just 4 or 5 ticks on the display to portray battery life. This can leave you guessing at the last tick. Do you have 25% battery life left? Do you have 2% left? You simply will have to guess. Not with this display… since it is written in percentages, you know exactly how much battery you have at all times. The only downside to this display was that it’s not removable, so I might worry about it getting dinged up when the bike is being parked or transported and just taking more sun and rain damage over time. It does however angle, and I love that the controls can be pressed easily by your left hand since they are positioned well as to keep your eyes on the road. Electric Bike Technologies was kind enough to enter a deep menu mode. By holding the UP and DOWN button, it will allow you to get in there and change things like the top speed or motor output. A great feature that goes well with Electric Bike Technologies customer support that can help you get it to where you want. There is also a USB port on the bottom of the display to charge devices, just like the battery has one.

In conclusion, I would say this sturdy trike is one of a kind. If it speaks to you, it is unlikely other offerings will sway you from your decision, but there are some tradeoffs to mentions, so I will go over those anyway. 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. The integrated lights are appreciated, but the front light is mounted on the fork, so it could bounce up and down when you take if off-road, affecting visibility. But probably the most important tradeoff is the weight. Tipping the scale at 102lbs, this is defiantly a heavy vehicle. It is nice that the stem folds down to load it in a truck or canopy, but you may not want to really lift it in and out alone. But this thing is still so cool! I love Electric Bike Technologies customer service and support as well. When you couple that with all that you are getting, I think the offering is simply great. I want to thank Electric Bike Technologies for letting me check out the FMDT.

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 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 mid-drive 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 20” x 4” Kenda Krusade fat tires, each with a separate sturdy metal fender to keep you dry in off-road terrain
• The big basket in the back could easily carry a load of camping equipment or even a hunting trophy, at 20” long, we measured it to fit about 55 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 RST Guide spring fork with about 50mm of travel, lockout, and preload adjustments
• I love the battery integrated lights here, they have them both in the front and the rear, safety has always been a priority for myself and other cyclists, so it’s nice to see that more and more companies are including these
• For rear support, there is a seat stay bridge, a 2nd seat stay bridge, 2 chain-stay bridges, and dropouts that are 3x as thick, this means that the long rear and cargo rack will stay sturdy and stiff
• The trike has a differential gear in the rear, similar to a car, so you can turn easy, other trikes typically have one wheel do a tight turn while the other one follows, in this setup, you can make tight turns either way as the wheels can spin independently to help you turn better
• Uses the Bafang Ultra 1000, named so after its 1,000 watt nominal rating, and it looks like EBT has the trike set for a massive 1,440 watts peak, very powerful and capable
• Has a reliable single speed system here, with a 20 tooth sprocket in the rear and a 46 tooth chain ring in the front with a dual bash guard and rust resistant chain
• A big win here is the hydraulic brakes, they have a 160mm rotor for each wheel, so yes, 3 separate brake discs, there is also a motor inhibitor in the left handle and a parking brake, really a great setup
• 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
• The integrated lights are appreciated, but the front light is mounted on the fork, so it could bounce up and down when you take if off-road, affecting visibility
• Tipping the scale at 102lbs, this is defiantly a heavy vehicle, it is nice that the stem folds down to load it in a truck or canopy, but you may not want to really lift it in and out alone, it is not the easiest to maneuver in a crowded garage or tight space
• 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/