RadRover 6 Review
Reviewed by Eddy Trier
Overview
Max Speed
20mph
Max Range
45 Miles
Motor Power
750W
Engine Type
Brushless Geared Hub Motor
Charge Time
5-6 Hours
Weight
73 lbs / 33 Kgs
Reasons to buy
As someone who was new to the world of e-bikes, I found the Rad Power RadRover 6 to be a great choice for various reasons. Firstly, its versatility impressed me. With its fat tires, it was designed to handle both urban travel and off-road adventures, making it suitable for a wide range of terrains. Whether I wanted to commute to work or explore unpaved trails, this e-bike had me covered.
Secondly, the RadRover 6’s performance exceeded my expectations. Its powerful 750W motor provided smooth acceleration, especially for a hub motor. I appreciated the ample torque it delivered, allowing me to conquer steep hills without exhausting myself. Additionally, the integrated 48V battery offered a reasonable range, giving me the confidence to go on longer rides without worrying about running out of power. With five pedal assist levels and a throttle, I had plenty of options to customize my riding experience and reach my desired speeds comfortably.
Reasons to Avoid
One drawback I noticed was the inconsistency in pedal assist levels. While the lower levels provided noticeable differences in assistance, the higher levels offered less discernible changes. This could be attributed to the bike’s sizeable motor, which made it easy to hover around the top speed even at lower assist levels. Similarly, the throttle’s power output was more significant at certain assist levels, providing less usefulness at higher levels.
Another aspect to consider is the visibility and tidiness of the handlebars. The dual LCD display units provided a wealth of information, but I found the brightness of the second screen to be lacking. It was not as clear as the main display and had a distracting array of wires tucked behind it, making the handlebars look untidy. While this may seem like a minor concern, it can impact the overall aesthetics and user experience.
RadRover 6 E-Bike Review
One of the biggest differences between many of the e-bikes available these days is the size and type of wheels and tires they are fitted with. To make things simple to understand, especially if you are new to the world of e-bikes, there are fat tires and thin tire bikes. Thin tire bikes are seen as being better suited to urban travel and daily commutes, whereas fat tire bikes are considered to be the go-to if you intend on taking on both paved and well-maintained surfaces and off-road, less well-maintained surfaces.
That is at least one good way to determine which is the right type of e-bike for you. In the following review I will be looking at the Rad Power RadRover 6 e-bike. Rad Power have a great reputation and the last time I tested and reviewed one of their bikes I was very impressed. So, I was looking forward to using the RadRover 6. Did it live up to the hype of the manufacturer? Find out in the review below.
Rad Power RadRover 6 Overview
A Class-2 fat tire e-bike, the RadRover 6 is one that is designed with all surfaces in mind. So, whether you are looking to traverse offroad or just want to get from a to be around town, this is at least designed with those kinds of trips in mind. The Rover roots are still intact, but the RadRover 6 offers some new features. There are some huge upgrades that were noticeable the moment we removed the bike from the box it came in. There is a new dual-screen display unit and integrated battery pack. According to the company, the RadRover 6 is the biggest evolution ever made by the company.
Its Speed
As is the legal limit, the bike can get you to 20mph with the pedal assistance and throttle. This is standard among Class 2 and higher electric bikes. The speed is delivered by the beefy 750W motor which engages in a consistently smooth manner during acceleration, particularly for a hub motor. But we will discuss that in a little moment.
The Battery, Motor and Pedal Assist
This fat tire e-bike has been built with a brand new integrated 48v battery that fits nicely into its downtube. In terms of aesthetics, this is one place where I noticed the biggest change between this model and previous RadRover iterations. The battery offers a reasonable range for a bike of this class and price. The battery provides power to the impressive, geared hub motor that has a maximum power capacity of 750W.
Although it is designed to be able to achieve quick accelerations and huge bursts of power, it has been calibrated and is better suited for safer acceleration levels while still offering what you need to reach top speed quickly.
There is enough torque provided by the motor to help you handle the steepest hills and most difficult surfaces, so you don’t have to suffer from rider fatigue trying to work hard on the pedals.
Interestingly, I noticed that it was a very rare thing for the bike to ever get to the maximum power output of 750W. Rather it was usually hitting the 600 to 650W mark when working on steep hills and travelling around the top speed.
The bottom line when it comes to this motor is that there is always some extra wattage on reserve when you need it to help make steep hills seem easy and make it light and easy to keep to the high speeds you want to ride at.
As is very much the standard these days, there are 5 pedal assist levels. Interestingly, what has been true of many other e-bikes I have reviewed was the opposite of this one. For example, the changes from Pedal Assist Level 1 to 2 and then 3 all provided clear differences. Whereas changing from 3 to 4 and 5 provided less noticeable differences.
A lot of this is largely down to the size of the motor. It is quite easy to hover around the top speed by the time you have increased to pedal assist 3. The provided throttle works similarly. Provides a lot of power to get you to those top speeds when you are at power assist level 3, but not really much when you are at levels 4 and 5.
Nutt Hydraulic Disc Brakes and 180mm Rotors
It’s fair to say that Nutt, a Taiwan-based company, are one that I was not especially aware of or familiar with when it came to testing out the RadRover 6. After a while of riding and using them, though, I can confirm that they work reasonably well and are good quality for the price tag. They do not stand out especially, they just offer good solid power modulation and bite when locked up using both rear and front brakes.
The Frame
Moving onto another important aspect of any bike, the 6061-alloy frame that was used on the RadRover has been given a major makeover for this model. There is so much to like about this bike, particularly from an aesthetics point of view, and a lot of that is thanks to the frame. It has a battery integrated, very low-profile welds and that stunning charcoal and extremely glossy paint job.
The change was definitely needed because there are more and more fat tire versions of e-bikes entering into the market with hidden batteries and sleeker frames. So, RadPower
The RST Spring Suspension Fork
Most fat tire e-bikes tend to come with suspension in the fork. The RadRover 6 is no different and features the incredibly effective RST Spring Suspension Fork which offers 60mm of travel and includes preload and lockout adjustments. It’s a bit surprising that it has less suspension travel than the previous model. It didn’t really make sense until I rode the bike.
The slightly smaller suspension made the whole front end of the bike feel a lot better than previous incarnations.
This is likely due to stanchion size. Less suspension travel actually works to the benefit of overall performance of the spring fork because there is far less unwanted and unnecessary flexing due to the smaller lengthen stanchion.
Geometry and Ride Comfort
Moving on a little, considering the bike from the point of view of its geometry and the ride comfort it offers, the RadPower 6 toes the fine line between offering a comfortable ride for all riders and maintaining the sporting handling characteristics the model is known for. Thanks to the 4-inch rise of the handlebars, the riding position on the RadPower 6 is very upright, which is perfect for cruising and commuting. I never experienced any pain or discomfort in my neck or lower back, and I believe that’s, in part at least, down to the handlebars.
The ergonomic seat also adds to the overall comfort of riding this bike. It is extremely soft and distributes your weight evenly and comfortably across the saddle. The softness and shape meant I didn’t have to always reposition. Over the curse of long journeys, the seat’s paddling maintains its form rather well.
The Dual LCD Display Units
As noted at the outset of this review, there is not just the standard of one LCD display unit, but two, that mount neatly onto the 700mm length handlebar. Why two? Each has their own specific set of uses and features.
For example, the one mounted on the center of the handlebars offers similar features to one you might have in a car, as it shows the live wattage-use, trip mileage, mileage, and speed.
The additional display unit sits on the left-hand side of the handlebars and is used for showing battery life and altering pedal assist levels. There is also a button for headlights and power.
The two screens, as you may imagine, provided me with all of the information I could ever have wanted to know while riding the bike. If I had any complaints, it was that the brightness offered by the second screen is not particularly great. It doesn’t make sense to me that the one that displays battery life and pedal assist settings is not the same brightness as the middle screen. There are also a lot of wires tucked behind the second screen.
This may only be a small thing, but it makes the handlebars and bike in general look untidy and can be quite distracting.
Summary – Is the RadPower RadRover 6 Worth It?
Now, before I conclude this review, it is important that you understand I can only give my suggestions and can’t say that you should definitely buy this bike or that you shouldn’t. That comes down to you and a wide variety of factors you need to consider when buying any e-bike. If you are looking, th9ugh, for a good quality fat-tired e-bike, this is a premium-grade model made by a company that has a sterling reputation in a busy market with lots of competition. The fact that they are able to hold their own and produce fine and fun bikes like this is a measure of their quality.