NEW-Trike

1 review for NEW-Trike

1. 

   CC E-Cycles – July 6, 2023

   Video Review

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   Written Review

   To run the forums, host the website, and travel, I charge a universal service fee for my reviews. This review was sponsored by EUNORAU. My goal is to be transparent and unbiased, this video and written review are not meant to be an endorsement of EUNORAU products.

   EUNORAU is a new company to the scene that originates in China, but has a US headquarters here in Las Vegas. Aside from cementing a US presence to show how invested they are in North America, EUNORAU has also released a steady flow of various bikes to meet consumer needs to set it apart. One of those is the ‘New Trike’ an interesting take on the etrike with folding, value ($2,299), and utility in mind. The step through frame is very approachable, it also is about 39” wide from end to end so you can even fit it through some doorways. The frame is also sturdy at 80lbs and is meant to hold 300lbs as a max weight altogether. Probably the first thing you will notice is the utility of the New Trike… Not only does it has a front metal basket that stays straight when you turn, but there is also a cargo box in the rear. This box has a flat wood board at the bottom and keeps the load away from the riders back with a long seat stay and chain stay. There are also metal fenders all around, keeping you dry and surrounding these 20” x 3” (so kind of a fat tire) tires with a fair amount of grip. It makes for a very cozy ride, also because of the ergonomic grips and super comfortable seat with a lot of gel and rubber bumper springs underneath. 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 on ebikes. And of course, there is the folding aspect on the main frame tube and telescoping stem. This does not fold extremely tightly, but acts rather as more as a shape change that may allow it to store in and out of other areas better. I do love that the main folding latch has this coiled metal spring-like cover over the wires to keep them protected.

   The trike is driven by a 500 watt nominal, 750 watt peak front hub-motor. Activating that motor can be done by the twist throttle here on the right, or by using the cadence based pedal assist. The throttle here is tied to whatever mode of pedal assist you are in, meaning, that to have full throttle power, you must be in the highest assist mode (level 5). The pedal assist has levels 1-5 and is operated by a 12 magnet cadence sensor at the crank arm that senses when you pedal. Mechanically, the bike makes use a 7 speed Shimano Tourney derailleur with a 14-28 tooth cassette and a 44 tooth chain ring in the front. Stopping the trike is a set of 160mm mechanical disc brakes. Now when I say set, I really mean it… the stopping power is increased since there are 3 disc brakes all around for each tire. Some trikes just have 1 or 2 discs for the rear and some even forget the front or back altogether (if it is a tadpole trike for example), but here you get a brake for each wheel and there are even motor inhibitors.

   Powering the trike is a high capacity 48v 11.6ah lithium ion battery. Now you may notice the battery is mounted behind the seat on the post like many other ebikes. However, this is actually using a new design that works quite well. With similar seat post bikes, you either have to remove the seat entirely to access the battery and take it on and off. Some manufacturers try to alleviate this by putting a latch under the seat that allows it to tilt forward and out of the way to access the battery. But here, they have gone a step further and make the battery release in an up-and-out motion that eliminates any extra steps to getting it on and off. Make sure to check out the battery removal section of the review video to see an example of this. 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 trike is simple and straight forward on this grayscale backlit display. Once the battery is charged and ready to go on the trike, press the power button along the bottom. From there, the screen will turn on and you will see speed, a 5 bar battery infographic, and pedal assist on the right. Press the + or – buttons to raise or lower that level of pedal assist. Remember, this also coincides with the throttle power as well, so use it to select that too. Near the power button along the bottom is a mode button. Use this to scroll through information like average speed, max speed, trip-set, odometer, and a timer. If you want to turn on the battery integrated lights, hold the + button to do so.

   EUNORAU’s New Trike is pretty cool, you can tell by the review video that I had fun taking it up hills and giving my little girl rides around town. Before I praise it too much, let’s look at the tradeoffs I noticed. Included are a set of plastic folding pedals, typically, these are on folding bikes to make the frame more narrow for stowing away, but having those fixed back wheels kind of eliminates the convenience. Maybe it helps to walk closer along side it? I also noticed that folding it doesn’t quite make it very compact like some folding bikes. It more or less changes the sitting shape of it. Thats not to say it couldn’t come in handy in certain situations, but I wouldn’t expect to reduce the size of this thing to fit in a trunk unless you had a large Cadillac or Town Car. But, as I mentioned, it could help storing it in an area that it seems to suit it better, so you may find some benefit. Also, with EUNORAU having a US headquarters and support, it makes this $2,299 trike that much more tempting. Speaking of which, most trikes are usually more expensive that bikes because of all the extra materials as well as shipping, so I am surprised they found competitive price point such as this. Anyway, I want to thank EUNORAU for letting me check out the New Trike.

   As always, I welcome questions and feedback in the comment section below. Whether you own 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 EUNORAU ebike forums and share your own photos, videos, and review updates to help others! Have fun out there, and ride safe 🙂

   Pros:

   • An e-trike that can fold, is value minded at $2,299, has lots of comfortable features and utility like the rear cargo box or front metal rack
   • The step through frame is very approachable, it also is about 39” wide from end to end so you can even fit it through some doorways, it is also sturdy at 80lbs and is meant to hold 300lbs as a max weight altogether
   • The rear cargo box has a flat wood board at the bottom and keeps the load away from the riders back with a long seat stay and chain stay
   • Features metal fenders all around, keeping you dry and surrounding the 20” x 3” (so kind of a fat tire) tires with a fair amount of grip
   • I found the ride to be super comfortable from the ergonomic grips, cozy high volume tires, and super comfortable seat with a lot of gel and rubber bumper springs underneath
   • A big win here are the battery integrated lights in the front and rear, I love that more manufacturers are including these and it really is a great feature
   • There is a folding aspect on the main frame tube and telescoping stem, I do love that the main folding latch has this coiled metal spring-like cover over the wires to keep them protected
   • Features a 500-750 watt front hub motor with both twist throttle and 12 magnet cadence based pedal assist, works great with the 7 speed Shimano Tourney mechanical system
   • The stopping power is increased since there are 3 disc brakes all around for each tire. Some trikes just have 1 or 2 discs for the rear and some even forget the front or back altogether (if it is a tadpole trike for example), but here you get a brake for each wheel and there are even motor inhibitors
   • A high capacity 48v 11.6ah battery with a new mounting system that allows you to place or remove the battery much easier than other bikes that mount it on the rear of the seat post
   • With EUNORAU having a US headquarters and support, it makes this $2,299 trike that much more tempting, especially considering that trikes are typically more expensive due to more material being used to make it as well as shipping costs

   Cons:

   • Included are a set of plastic folding pedals, typically, these are on folding bikes to make the frame more narrow for stowing away, but having those fixed back wheels kind of eliminates the convenience…maybe it helps to walk closer along side it?
   • Folding it doesn’t make it very compact like some folding bikes, rather, it more or less changes the sitting shape of it, it may come in handy in certain situations, but I wouldn’t expect to reduce the size of this thing to fit in a trunk unless you had a large Cadillac or Town Car maybe
   • The battery integrated lights are really cool, but I noticed the headlight is sandwiched in-between the top of the front fender and the bottom of the cargo basket, there is not a lot of adjustment that can be made to get full visibility out of the light
   • The display is straight forward and simple, but does lack a lot of the newer features you start to see on newer bikes, such as my favorite, an actual battery percentage readout so you know exactly how much is left
   • If you are used to bikes, keep in mind trikes are more cumbersome, they are heavy (80lbs in this case), large, and are not the easiest to maneuver around a tight garage or to travel with