ET.CYCLE F720 Electric Fat Tire Bike Review

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ET.CYCLE is an electric bike builder that was founded in Hanover, Germany, in 2014 and is said to be the “rebellious problem child” of Leon Cycle. ET.CYCLE took Leon Cycle’s decade and a half of R&D expertise, innovation and technology and added a touch of American motorcycle inspired spirit right into the heart of their fat tire electric bikes. Their goal was to engineer an e-bike with a strong frame, dynamic drive system and a powerful motor that offered freedom across all terrains whether that is in the city or the country. We will be testing out the F720 Electric Fat Tire Bike to see if ET.CYCLE accomplished that goal.

Build of the ET.CYCLE F720 Electric Fat Tire Bike

The ET.CYCLE F720 Electric Fat Tire Bike has a step thru design, built with a folding 6061 aluminum frame which allows for easier transportation and offers a space saving design. Even with the aluminum frame the F720 comes in at a hefty 75 lbs., which is about average for an e-bike, but since this is a folding bike, I wanted to make sure that I pointed out the weight as this is not a bike you fold up and just carry around with ease. To that point the frame folds up to 36″L x 24″ W x 30″ H which allows it to be stored out of the way and fits in most vehicles for those faraway riding destinations.

Folding up the F720 is truly simple, and done in three steps; pull out and flip up the pedals; push the button on the steering column lever, pull down lever and fold down the handle bars; and lastly, push the button on frame lever latch, pull lever and fold bike in half. Unfolding is even easier and faster, just by reversing the steps and the bike is ready to ride in under 5 seconds.

Overall the frame is solid, the folding hinges are stout and the entire assembly feels like it is built for incredible durability and will last for many years to come.

Power of the ET.Cycle F720 Electric Fat Tire Bike

The power for the ET.CYCLE F720 Electric Fat Tire Bike is supplied by Das-Kit which consists of a 48V 15A battery, a 48V 500W motor, Das-Kit Controller, a C7 Advanced LCD Display with button module, cadence pedal sensor and a push lever style throttle.

ET.CYCLE F720 Electric Fat Tire Bike Battery

The integrated lithium-ion battery is a 48 volt 15 amp pack that supplies up to 720 watt hours of energy to the motor. The battery pack has a very nicely designed fold down handle that allows for easy removal and installation as well as carrying. It has a built in capacity level indicator that shows the charge level of the battery with the push of a button.

The pack also includes a built-in USB port (5V 1A) that is super convenient for charging a smart phone or other small electronic devices on the go. A Das-Kit 48 volt 3 amp charger is included with the bike and the average charge time for the pack from nearly empty to full is right around six hours.

ET.CYCLE1 F720 Electric Fat Tire Bike Motor

The Das-Kit integrated rear rim hub 48 volt motor offers 500 watts of continuous power with the ability to peak at 750 watts. The motor is compact, but powerful and has proving to be completely reliable over the testing period. It has delivered a smooth and quiet ride at all pedal assist levels and reacts quickly and accurately thanks to the Das-Kit cadence pedal sensor. When fast take offs were needed a push of the throttle gives instant signaling to the motor which in turn delivered powerful torque and speedy starts.

ET.CYCLE F720 Electric Fat Tire Bike Display

The Das-Kit C7 Advanced LCD Display gives you full control over the entire electric system. The simple yet intuitive setup provides all the information that you may need about the F720 Electric Fat Tire Bike, such as battery level and voltage, assist level, speed, distance, trip distance, lights on/off and errors codes (should there ever be any, which there were none during testing). The button controller is easy to use and clearly marked with +, -, on/off and set buttons, these allow you to cycle through all of the modes, options and settings on the display. If you would like to dive into all the things the display can do there is a PDF instruction manual for it here. The C7 display has a nice large, easily readable screen that also has a backlight for those night time or pre dawn rides. The LCD display provides the pertinent information you need to know about the status of the F720 with just a quick glance and this allows you to spend more time enjoying the ride rather than worrying about battery levels or miles till empty.

ET.CYCLE F720 Electric Fat Tire Bike Throttle

The throttle is located on the right handlebar and propels the ET.CYCLE F720 Electric Fat Tire Bike forward without having to pedal. When the throttle lever is pushed, it starts the motor and generates plenty of torque for fast starts and gives a very noticeable speed boost if you are already cruising.

The Das-Kit components are true German engineering at it’s finest, they work in harmony to deliver an impeccably smooth, yet powerful and effortless riding experience.

Tires on the ET.CYCLE F720 Electric Fat Tire Bike

The ET.CYCLE F720 Electric Fat Tire Bike comes equipped with 20″ x 4″ CST Big Boat puncture resistant fat tires. The CST tires do not have an overly aggressive tread and look closer to a motorcycle tire than they do a MTB tire.

They roll smoothly on asphalt and concrete, can easily handle gravel and dirt as well as hard packed sand and even perform well on non technical trails. The CST Big Boat tires lean towards road riding, but are more than capable to veer off the pavement and hit the trails.

Brakes on the ET.CYCLE F720 Electric Fat Tire Bike

The ET.CYCLE F720 Electric Fat Tire Bike is equipped with Tektro mechanical disc brakes. They offer good stopping power and are easy to adjust and maintain. While hydraulic brakes are a better option for an e-bike and require almost no maintenance, they do add to the overall purchasing price. In the case of the F720 the Tektro mechanical disc brakes are a sensible fit.

Lights, Racks, Seat and Hand Grips on the ET.CYCLE F720 Electric Fat Tire Bike

The F720 comes with a headlight and taillight that can be turned on and off through the Das-Kit display. Not only do these allow you to see where you are going during low light riding, they also allow you to be seen, delivering a level of safety that offers a bit of comfort for riding in the dark. The rear light also works similar to the brake lights on a car, when the rear brake lever is activated the light comes on to let people know you are stopping.

Next on the list of nice add-ons is the front and rear rack that comes with flat bungee tie downs. These would work great for storing and carrying a helmet, tying down beach wares for a trip to the lake, hauling a small load of groceries, carrying bike camping gear….the list is really endless and the racks will definitely come in handy in a multitude of situations.

Last but certainly not least are the Selle Royal seat and handgrips. The saddle brings an exceptionally comfortable riding experience thanks to the large foot print, the layer of soft, supportive memory foam padding and the spring rails that really help smooth out any bumps in the road. The handgrips provide an ergonomic cushy hold that returns soft but firm control. The Selle Royal saddle and grips truly make longer trips on the F720 a whole lot more enjoyable due to the premium comfort they provide.

Ride Experience on the ET.CYCLE F720 Electric Fat Tire Bike

On road and off road the ride of the ET.CYCLE F720 Electric Fat Tire Bike is very comfortable, smooth and fast. The F720 does have a lock out front suspension fork that keeps things tight on smooth roads when it is dialed up or it can be dialed back to help with more shock absorption for those bumpy trails.

The pedal assist levels go from 1 to 6 and allow you to choose how much effort you want to put into pedaling. At level 1 there is a more noticeable effort that needs to be put forth and as you cycle up through the levels it gets easier and the ride gets faster. Setting the pedal assistance on level 6 the F720 tops out at a speed of right around 28 mph. Where as choosing to use the throttle only the F720 tops out right around 21 mph. Both speeds being exceptional fast and getting you were you want to go in no time at all.

As for being able to give you an exact distance the F720 can go before it runs out of battery, there are far too many variables that go into that equation to answer it accurately. The variables are everything from rider weight, tire pressure, terrain, weather, wind speed, pedal assistance level, throttle use, ride style and list goes on. With that being said, you can count on the bike to easily tackle 20 miles using the throttle full time with no pedaling or set to assistance level 6 before the battery gets to empty. Set the bike on assistance level 1 and you should be able to go far beyond the 60 mile mark and likely still have some of battery left, but this will of course be traveling at a slower speed of around 10 mph the entire time, which can truly seem quite slow once you have experienced the top end speed of the F720.

The ET.CYCLE F720 Electric Fat Tire Bike can also be used without the electrical components as a regular standard bike. There is an eight speed rear shifter that makes manually pedaling it a breeze. This is also nice to use if you want to save the battery charge for later in the ride when you are tired or if you were to run out of battery, it is easy enough to ride it home.

Specs on the ET.CYCLE F720 Electric Fat Tire Bike

• Display – Das-Kit C7 Advanced, LCD Display
• Battery – 48V 15Ah, 720Wh
• Brake – Tektro Mechanical Disc
• Motor – Das-Kit, integrated Rim Rear Hub Motor 48V 500W
• Saddle Selle Royal – Extra Large
• Tires – CST, CTC06, 20″ x 4.0″
• Weight – 75 lbs
• Charger – Das-Kit, 48V 3A

Final Thoughts on the ET.CYCLE F720 Electric Fat Tire Bike

The ET.CYCLE F720 Electric Fat Tire Bike is a good all round e-bike for just about anyone. It would work nicely for commuters and everyday riders that sometimes hit the trails. The folding frame is likely to appeal to apartment dwellers or riders that need to save on home storage space, but if you don’t need a bike that folds, don’t let that steer you away, as the frame is rock solid and most people would not even recognize it as a folding bike. The F720 gets a solid recommendation from us as a comfortable, reliable, easy to use and fun to ride e-bike. If you are wanting to purchase an e-bike the ET.CYCLE F720 Electric Fat Tire Bike is definitely worth taking a look at.

MSRP $1,699 For more information on the F720 Electric Fat Tire Bike or other ET.CYCLE bikes visit etcycle.com