A Comparison review for the Rattan Fat Bear Plus vs. Lectric XP

[Dan37Tz]

A comparison between the Lectric XP and Rattan Fat Bear. Just a disclaimer, I don't work for either company, I bought 2 XPs and a Rattan Fat Bear Plus, all with my own money.

The first impression out of the box, the Rattan FB weighs in at 58.8 lbs which is impressive since it's full suspension but the Lectric does have a rack and front/rear fenders. Lectric comes in at 63.6 lbs for comparison

The Rattan FB sits higher than the Lectric XP, by 2-3 inches because of the suspension fork, which might be a problem with step-over height for shorter people. My wife is 4'11" so she felt more comfortable stepping over on the XP.

Packing- The Rattan FB and Lectric XP were packed similarly but the Rattan came with zero damage out of the box. The Lectric XP came out with a big scratch/damage on the midsection where it folds, also a deep scratch on the fender as well.

The computer is UNLOCKED on the Rattan so you can change the wheel sizes in P06 if you please but keep in mind it only allows you to go from 18 to 20 to 24. It was factory set at 24, I found out of the box the speedo is pretty spot on so I didn't mess with it. The default speed for the Rattan was set at 40km/h in P08 but you can set it to max 51 in the settings, it doesn't go any higher than that. The Lectric will error out anything above 45.

Build quality and details -
I'm going to be straight to the point and blunt. The Lectric XP feels like a Walmart/Target bike, the Rattan, on the other hand, feels like it should cost 3x more and come from a pro bike shop, everything from the cable management to the components screams bike shop quality on the Rattan, very premium. The cable management on the Lectric looks like electrical tape, the Rattan has these nice little cable wraps, it's all in the little details. Even the seat posts and kick stands look very cheap on the Lectric XP compared to the Rattan FB. Here are some comparison shots.

Components-
The Rattan uses the Shimano Atlus "groupset" which is a big step above the Tourney on the Lectric in my opinion. The chainring/crank on the Rattan looks like a lightweight beautiful machined piece that would look right at home on a higher-end Cannondale or Giant, the Lectric XP uses one that looks very cheap, plastic-covered and what you would see on a $99 Walmart kids bike.

The Shimano SL-M310 rapid-fire trigger shifter is MUCH more satisfying and accurate to use on the Rattan FB, a single click up or down and it will change gears correctly, the thumb shifter or what I shall call it the "dumb shifter" on the Tourney equipped Lectric is quite terrible in comparison, you can totally miss your gear change by using too much force since there isn't a definitive stop you can always feel, you can do a full sweep gear change by pushing it all the way, I find myself having to look at the numbers while changing gears on the Lectric. Shifting seems to be much smoother overall on the Atlus equipped Rattan. The Rattan FB uses an 8-speed system, with an 11T-32T cassette compared to the Lectric XP which uses a 7-speed system, and it looks to be a 14T-28T. The extra-low gear on the Rattan FB should definitely give it good torque if you ever take it off road or up really crazy hills and the 11T high gear will allow you to actually pedal at top speed without feeling like you're freewheeling. A few Lectric XP owners are swapping cassettes to get the 11T, with the Rattan FB it already comes with it. Another bonus, the handles on the Rattan FB are nice soft leather stitched and locked compared to the cheap friction fitted hard plastic ones on the Lectric XP which can move when you give it some twisting pressure. Tires on the Lectric XP are puncture-resistant which is a great thing to have, not exactly sure if the Rattan has any protective liner inside because the website doesn't list it.

Brakes -
The Rattan FB uses Logan hydraulic disc brakes and the Lectric XP uses Tektro mechanical, now if you've ever used hydraulic you would never go back to the cable mechanical type. It just feels way more potent and much MUCH smoother, for example, if you pull just 25 percent effort on a Hydraulic system, it's about 100 percent on a mechanical system. You have A LOT more braking confidence and clamping power with a hydraulic actuated system. The brakes on the Rattan feels smooth like butter, the Lectric XP feels gritty and noisy in comparison and not that reassuring going downhills. Things like smooth shifting action and brakes make the bikes feel in a totally different class.

Ride-
So as you can tell, the Rattan FB is a full suspension bike, front and rear shocks so yes it absolutely rides like a Lexus. The front shock has BOTH pre-load adjustment and lockout, again another area where it just screams higher end. The Lectric XP still isn't a bad ride, but with a solid fork and no rear suspension, it's stiff compared to the Rattan FB. The ride quality comparison as you expect though is night and day, the Rattan feels like you're on a cloud over any imperfections on the road. I blasted at top speed through a pretty big dip and barely felt it on the Rattan. More on that next...

Speed and Power -
Okay, so here is where the biggest surprise comes. The Rattan FB is rated at 500watt, same as the Lectric XP, the XP can crank it up to 750W peak but the Rattan can do almost 1000W peak and holy cow can you feel the difference. On a flat road, both computer set to their highest allowable speed setting, 45 for the Lectric and 51 for the Rattan, I'm 210lbs THROTTLE ONLY I can get up to 22mph on the Lectric XP, on the Rattan I can do 27MPH on Throttle only, no pedaling. Both verified by my DRAGY performance meter. The Rattan feels much more powerful.

PAS system-
Another area where the Rattan excels is the PAS system, it seems to be more sensitive to your input, half a crank rotation will engage PAS, on the Lectric XP it feels very hit or miss, sometimes it almost feels like I need to pedal 2 complete rotations for it to pick up. I even went into the menu and changed P011 sensitivity to 1 and it made no difference in the XP. The difference is surprising because looking at both cadence sensors, they seem to use the same one. I'm guessing it comes down to the programming? The motor engagement feels smoother as well on the Rattan with a nice ramp-up in power, it uses a Gearless motor that feels very refined and quiet.

Battery and Endurance -
Rattan "Claims" 70-90 mile range which I think is a bit optimistic, it does use a larger battery though - 11.6Ah vs 10.4 for the Lectric XP and does have regen, when you brake, coast or pedal quicker than your PAS setting which in theory should help put some charge back into your battery. I haven't been able to test the regen features since Rattan sent me a Pro model, I ordered the PLUS model which comes with regen activated and a nice color LCD display. I reached out to Rattan and they said the difference is in the LCD display, they sent me a "PLUS" display (still in the mail) and I just need to swap it out and the I-PAS regen features will be activated automatically. The PLUS LCD display also comes with a side USB charging port, which is a nice feature the Lectric XP is missing. The Plus model is $100 more and I think it's definitely worth it for the cool Color LCD, USB charging port and regen features. The plan was to ride 25+ miles today and check out the battery life but things changed and we only did a 5-mile ride. Both Rattan and Lectric still show full bars, towing two girls behind us on their Co-Pilot tandem attachment. I will update once we have more miles on the two.

Pricing and Extras.
The front LED on the Rattan FB is nice and bright, projects a wider beam with a nice cutoff, similar to a car. The LED headlight on the Lectric XP feels like a spotlight, not very bright and seems less efficient since it just throws light everywhere. The Lectric XP also comes with a rear LED, the Rattan FB only comes with a rear reflector.
You also get fenders and a rear bike rack on the Lectric XP, which my wife LOVES. There seems to be nowhere to attach fenders or a rear bike rack on the Rattan FB, this could possibly be a deal-breaker for some. You could opt for a seat post mounted rack if needed on the Rattan FB.

The Rattan FB Plus is currently still on Pre-Order sale for $1199, which is $200 more than the Lectric XP. If you don't need the regenerative features, USB charge port and color LCD of the Plus, you can opt for the Pro model for $1099.

For $100 more than the XP, you don't get fenders or a rear rack but the bikes themselves feel like they're in a totally different class category. Like I said earlier, the Rattan sure feels like a $2000-3000 bike. It's an absolute no brainer to choose the Rattan FB over the Lectric XP, even if it cost $500-600 more I'd still recommend the Rattan.

For $999 the Lectric XP seems like a good value.
For $1099 or $1199, the Rattan FB PRO/PLUS feels like you're stealing it from the company. I know it almost sounds like I'm working for Rattan with all the positive praise I have for this bike, unfortunately, I'm no way sponsored by them but hey if they want to send me an extra battery that would be very nice. I'm a little upset they sent me a Pro model instead of the Plus I paid for but communication and customer service has been very good, no phone number so you'll have to communicate with them through email or Facebook which is less than ideal. I hope you enjoy the review guys, be safe out there.

 

[Drapers]

Wow Great review, I agree with all the above!! I emailed them last week with a general question and their customer services has been very responsive and helpful! Due to the great review by this website, the $300 off (which BTW is still available as of morning 10/16) and quick responses from the company I ended up ordering the Plus Fat Bear on Sunday. I received on Tuesday WOW (live in California). I also didn't get the colored screen yet (in the mail), I think they were already prebuilt with the mono displays. Still need some time to explore all the settings and use it a couple more days but I’d say I am very satisfied. My parents have the Lectric XP so ill be comparing them later today as well. I prefer the styling and colors the Fat Bear offers. Love that the fat bear has suspension as I plan on using it everywhere. I kind of wish they had mud guards and a rack like the XP but I did see a post they plan on having rack and mud guards at a later date, we will see if that will happen.

 

[joeo]

A comparison between the Lectric XP and Rattan Fat Bear. Just a disclaimer, I don't work for either company, I bought 2 XPs and a Rattan Fat Bear Plus, all with my own money.

The first impression out of the box, the Rattan FB weighs in at 58.8 lbs which is impressive since it's full suspension but the Lectric does have a rack and front/rear fenders. Lectric comes in at 63.6 lbs for comparison

The Rattan FB sits higher than the Lectric XP, by 2-3 inches because of the suspension fork, which might be a problem with step-over height for shorter people. My wife is 4'11" so she felt more comfortable stepping over on the XP.

Packing- The Rattan FB and Lectric XP were packed similarly but the Rattan came with zero damage out of the box. The Lectric XP came out with a big scratch/damage on the midsection where it folds, also a deep scratch on the fender as well.

The computer is UNLOCKED on the Rattan so you can change the wheel sizes in P06 if you please but keep in mind it only allows you to go from 18 to 20 to 24. It was factory set at 24, I found out of the box the speedo is pretty spot on so I didn't mess with it. The default speed for the Rattan was set at 40km/h in P08 but you can set it to max 51 in the settings, it doesn't go any higher than that. The Lectric will error out anything above 45.

Build quality and details -
I'm going to be straight to the point and blunt. The Lectric XP feels like a Walmart/Target bike, the Rattan, on the other hand, feels like it should cost 3x more and come from a pro bike shop, everything from the cable management to the components screams bike shop quality on the Rattan, very premium. The cable management on the Lectric looks like electrical tape, the Rattan has these nice little cable wraps, it's all in the little details. Even the seat posts and kick stands look very cheap on the Lectric XP compared to the Rattan FB. Here are some comparison shots.

Components-
The Rattan uses the Shimano Atlus "group set" which is a big step above the Tourney on the Lectric in my opinion. The chainring/crank on the Rattan looks like a lightweight beautiful machined piece that would look right at home on a higher-end Cannondale or Giant, the Lectric XP uses one that looks very cheap, plastic-covered and what you would see on a $99 Walmart kids bike.

The Shimano SL-M310 rapid-fire trigger shifter is MUCH more satisfying and accurate to use on the Rattan FB, a single click up or down and it will change gears correctly, the trigger shifter on the Tourney equipped Lectric is quite terrible in comparison, you can totally miss your gear change by using too much force since there isn't a definitive stop you can feel, you can do a full sweep gear change by pushing it all the way, I find myself having to look at the numbers while changing gears on the Lectric. Shifting seems to be much smoother overall on the Atlus equipped Rattan. The Rattan FB uses an 8-speed system, with an 11T-32T cassette compared to the Lectric XP which uses a 7-speed system, and it looks to be a 14T-28T. The extra-low gear on the Rattan FB should definitely give it the edge if you ever take it off road or up really crazy hills. Another bonus, the handles on the Rattan FB are nice soft leather stitched compared to the cheap hard plastic ones on the Lectric XP. Tires on the Lectric XP are puncture-resistant which is a great thing to have, not exactly sure if the Rattan has any protective liner inside because the website doesn't list it.

Brakes -
The Rattan FB uses Logan hydraulic disc brakes and the Lectric XP uses Tektro cable, now if you've ever used hydraulic you would never go back to cable type. It just feels way more potent and much MUCH smoother, for example, if you pull just 25 percent effort on a Hydraulic system, it's about 100 percent on a cable system. You have A LOT more braking confidence and clamping power with a hydraulic actuated system. The brakes on the Rattan feels smooth like butter, the Lectric XP feels gritty and noisy in comparison and not that reassuring going downhills. Things like smooth shifting action and brakes make the bikes feel in a totally different class.

Ride-
So as you can tell, the Rattan FB is a full suspension bike, front and rear shocks so yes it absolutely rides like a Lexus. The front shock has BOTH adjustment and lockout, again another area where it just screams higher end. The Lectric XP still isn't a bad ride, but stiff compared to the Rattan FB. The ride quality comparison as you expect though is night and day, the Rattan feels like you're on a cloud over any imperfections on the road. I blasted at top speed through a pretty big dip and barely felt it on the Rattan. More on that next...

Speed and Power -
Okay, so here is where the biggest surprise comes. The Rattan FB is rated at 500watt, same as the Lectric XP, the XP can crank it up to 750W peak but the Rattan can do 865W and holy cow can you feel the difference. On a flat road, both computer set to their highest allowable speed setting, 45 for the Lectric and 51 for the Rattan, I'm 210lbs THROTTLE ONLY I can get up to 22mph on the Lectric XP, on the Rattan I can do 27MPH on Throttle only, no pedaling. Both verified by my DRAGY performance meter. The Rattan feels much more powerful.

PAS system-
Another area where the Rattan excels is the PAS system, it seems to be more sensitive to your input, half a crank rotation will engage PAS, on the Lectric XP it feels very hit or miss, sometimes it almost feels like I need to pedal 2 complete rotations for it to pick up. I even went into the menu and changed P011 sensitivity to 1 and it made no difference in the XP. The difference is surprising because looking at both cadence sensors, they seem to use the same one. I'm guessing it comes down to the programming? The motor engagement feels smoother as well on the Rattan with a nice ramp-up in power, it uses a Gearless motor that feels very refined and quiet.

Battery and Endurance -
Rattan "Claims" 70-90 mile range which I think is a bit optimistic, it does use a larger battery though - 11.6Ah vs 10.4 for the Lectric XP and does have regen, when you brake, coast or pedal quicker than your PAS setting which in theory should help put some charge back into your battery. I haven't been able to test the regen features since Rattan sent me a Pro model, I ordered the PLUS model which comes with regen activated and a nice color LCD display. I reached out to Rattan and they said the difference is in the LCD display, they sent me a "PLUS" display (still in the mail) and I just need to swap it out and the I-PAS regen features will be activated automatically. The PLUS LCD display also comes with a side USB charging port, which is a nice feature the Lectric XP is missing. The Plus model is $100 more and I think it's definitely worth it for the cool Color LCD, USB charging port and regen features. The plan was to ride 25+ miles today and check out the battery life but things changed and we only did a 5-mile ride. Both Rattan and Lectric still show full bars, towing two girls behind us on their Co-Pilot tandem attachment. I will update once we have more miles on the two.

Pricing and Extras.
The front LED on the Rattan FB is nice and bright, projects a wider beam with a nice cutoff, similar to a car. The LED headlight on the Lectric XP feels like a spotlight, not very bright and seems less efficient since it just throws light everywhere. The Lectric XP also comes with a rear LED, the Rattan FB only comes with a rear reflector.
You also get fenders and a rear bike rack on the Lectric XP, which my wife LOVES. There seems to be nowhere to attach fenders or a rear bike rack on the Rattan FB, this could possibly be a deal-breaker for some. You could opt for a seat post mounted rack if needed on the Rattan FB.

The Rattan FB Plus is currently still on Pre-Order sale for $1199, which is $200 more than the Lectric XP. If you don't need the regenerative features, USB charge port and color LCD of the Plus, you can opt for the Pro model for $1099.

For $100 more than the XP, you don't get fenders or a rear rack but the bikes themselves feel like they're in a totally different class category. Like I said earlier, the Rattan sure feels like a $2000-3000 bike.

For $999 the Lectric XP seems like a good value.
For $1099 or $1199, the Rattan FB PRO/PLUS feels like you're stealing it from the company. I know it almost sounds like I'm working for Rattan with all the positive praise I have for this bike, unfortunately I'm no way sponsored by them but hey if they want to send me an extra battery that would be very nice. I'm still a little upset they sent me a Pro model instead of the Plus I paid for but communication and customer service have been very good, no phone number so you'll have to communicate with them through email or Facebook which is less than ideal. I hope you enjoy the review guys, be safe out there.

Nice write up. I just received the regular fat bear (not plus), changed the controller p08 to 51, but still only reach a top speed of 20mph. Care to share your controller settings here?

 

[PDXzap]

Nice review.

the Rattan FB Plus is currently still on Pre-Order sale for $1199

I didn't see you mention any websites but on rattanebike.com it shows me the Fat Bear Plus @ $1,499.99 and the Fat Bear @$1,399.99. At the top of the page they show a coupon code to get $100 off. Do you have a different website?

 

[Drapers]

Nice review.


I didn't see you mention any websites but on rattanebike.com it shows me the Fat Bear Plus @ $1,499.99 and the Fat Bear @$1,399.99. At the top of the page they show a coupon code to get $100 off. Do you have a different website?

The code is “fatbear” during checkout on rattanebike.com works for either fatbear bikes it was suppose to expire yesterday but it’s still active today! Or was about an hour ago.

 

[joeo]

Wow Great review, I agree with all the above!! I emailed them last week with a general question and their customer services has been very responsive and helpful! Due to the great review by this website, the $300 off (which BTW is still available as of morning 10/16) and quick responses from the company I ended up ordering the Plus Fat Bear on Sunday. I received on Tuesday WOW (live in California). I also didn't get the colored screen yet (in the mail), I think they were already prebuilt with the mono displays. Still need some time to explore all the settings and use it a couple more days but I’d say I am very satisfied. My parents have the Lectric XP so ill be comparing them later today as well. I prefer the styling and colors the Fat Bear offers. Love that the fat bear has suspension as I plan on using it everywhere. I kind of wish they had mud guards and a rack like the XP but I did see a post they plan on having rack and mud guards at a later date, we will see if that will happen.

I'll ask you..could you share your controller settings here? I checked the basic ones like, back light, wheel diameter, P08 to 51 for speed etc, but some I don't recognize what they are/do and the owners manual doesn't indicate what setting they should be at. I'm thinking that may be why I can't gain the full performance out of my Fat Bear Bike.

 

[vincent]

Excellent write up!

 

[GrandPaw]

Thanks for the great pictures and comparisons....it helped a lot. I ordered the Rattan Fat Bear Plus today.

 

[barry1685]

Very nice comparison! I know this is a lot, but can some one please provide either a way to reset the controller settings or a guide to all the default p1-p21 settings?

as a side note I think I found the manufacturer of the fat bear screen:

NAKTO LED Display instruction for Ranger, Discovery ,Super Cruiser

1.Size（unit：mm） Voltage and Wiring Voltage：DC24V、36V、48V、60V、64VWiring No. Color Function 1 brown（VCC） Power source 2 Green（RX） Data receiving 3 Black（GND） Ground 4 Orange（K） Power switch for controller 5 white（TX） Data Sending...

www.e-bikes.com

 

[GrandPaw]

Ordered a fat bear plus 10/19. They told me they sold more bikes than expected. New bikes are in and will ship your order tomorrow.

 

[GrandPaw]

I'll ask you..could you share your controller settings here? I checked the basic ones like, back light, wheel diameter, P08 to 51 for speed etc, but some I don't recognize what they are/do and the owners manual doesn't indicate what setting they should be at. I'm thinking that may be why I can't gain the full performance out of my Fat Bear Bike.

I have the Fatbear Plus and with easy peddling in PAS 3 it cruises at 15-17 on flat ground. With some effort it goes 20. I can get 23.5 down hill and peddling hard. I thought it should go a little faster. I raised the top speed to 25 mph also. On the Plus you can select 0-5 PAS modes but that didn’t help top speed. It just spread the power assist out. I changed it back to 0-3 PAS modes. I want it go faster too but I don’t see anything else to change. Mine did come with 0.8 miles and top speed of 24.5 recorded on it ?

 

[Tim Young]

I have a FAt Bear Pro and just got it unboxed last weekend. Mine will not shift into the last three or four sprockets and I will try to figure that out this morning. Where I really need help is with the controller settings. Mine on setting 1 will give significant assist just by spinning the pedals. So on level ground at lower speeds I'm not putting any pressure on the pedals, and going along pretty good. If I turn the assist level to 0 then I have to pedal too hard. I'd like to have the bike on level 1 give less power assist. Like joeo said the manual does not give me any direction on what the settings should be just a range of what they can be. I tried assist sensitivity P11 but that did not seem to change the amount of power. Also I could not tell any power assist difference between PAS- 1, 2, or 3 but I'm guessing the 2 and 3 setting let you go to higher speeds before the assist stops? I hope Rattan will tell me how to set all the parameters and make sure they are correct such as P13 magnetic steel disk type etc. Maybe something is not set right on my bike or the worst case is it is working correctly now and I don't like it.

 

[Tomg]

I have had my Fat Bear (B&W display version) since mid October...it arrived fully assembled in good shape. I did make sure all the fittings were tight and adjust the seat and handle bars. I also have a Lectric XP bike that I got in September. Except for the upgrades as noted in the review and the front and rear suspension, I have found the two bikes almost identical. However, the post sale customer service for the Rattan Fat Bear has been non-existent!

I too have a problem with the electronic controller. In throttle mode (no peddling), it works just fine. However, the PAS mode only seems to have one power level, regardless of the PAS setting; about 18MPH on a flat street. For instance, when going up a steep grade street, the Fat Bear e-bike will just make it with the throttle controlling the power. If I try to use the peddle to assist the motor in throttle mode, on the same hill, the motor will almost shut down (I can still hear it running) no matter what PS mode I am in (1-3). In comparison, my Lectric XP PAS modes work as they should and will allow me to use either PAS or throttle (or both) to get up the hill.

One other issue is the battery key on the Bear...it does not turn the power off (unless you remove the battery); it is always on regardless of the position. I guess I’m lucky it’s always on and not always off!

I have tried to contact Rattan many times over the past few weeks (via their email addresses as listed in the manual) with no reply. They have no phone support that I can find...just email addresses that they never reply. By contrast I have contacted Lectric (about getting a replacement inner tube) by email, with fast and excellent after-the-sales support! I did get an email from Rattan asking me to write a review for their WEB site! If I ever hear from them, I’ll let you know....tomg

I have both an Rattan Fat Bear (B&W display) and the Lectric XP. Here are the setup numbers which I haven’t changed except as noted:

ID. Bear. XP

1. 1 1 (backscreen brightness)
2. 1. 1
3. 48. 48
4. 10. 10
5. 0. 1
6. 24. 20
7. 1. 1
8. 40. 32
9. 0. 0
10. 2. 2
11. 3 3
12. 3. 3
13. 12. 12
14. 18. 18
15. 39. 39
16. 3. 50 (current Odometer setting)
17. 0. 0
18. 100. 100
19. 0. 0
20. 1. 0

 

[Deleted member 4210]

A comparison between the Lectric XP and Rattan Fat Bear. Just a disclaimer, I don't work for either company, I bought 2 XPs and a Rattan Fat Bear Plus, all with my own money.

The first impression out of the box, the Rattan FB weighs in at 58.8 lbs which is impressive since it's full suspension but the Lectric does have a rack and front/rear fenders. Lectric comes in at 63.6 lbs for comparison

The Rattan FB sits higher than the Lectric XP, by 2-3 inches because of the suspension fork, which might be a problem with step-over height for shorter people. My wife is 4'11" so she felt more comfortable stepping over on the XP.

Packing- The Rattan FB and Lectric XP were packed similarly but the Rattan came with zero damage out of the box. The Lectric XP came out with a big scratch/damage on the midsection where it folds, also a deep scratch on the fender as well.

The computer is UNLOCKED on the Rattan so you can change the wheel sizes in P06 if you please but keep in mind it only allows you to go from 18 to 20 to 24. It was factory set at 24, I found out of the box the speedo is pretty spot on so I didn't mess with it. The default speed for the Rattan was set at 40km/h in P08 but you can set it to max 51 in the settings, it doesn't go any higher than that. The Lectric will error out anything above 45.

Build quality and details -
I'm going to be straight to the point and blunt. The Lectric XP feels like a Walmart/Target bike, the Rattan, on the other hand, feels like it should cost 3x more and come from a pro bike shop, everything from the cable management to the components screams bike shop quality on the Rattan, very premium. The cable management on the Lectric looks like electrical tape, the Rattan has these nice little cable wraps, it's all in the little details. Even the seat posts and kick stands look very cheap on the Lectric XP compared to the Rattan FB. Here are some comparison shots.

Components-
The Rattan uses the Shimano Atlus "groupset" which is a big step above the Tourney on the Lectric in my opinion. The chainring/crank on the Rattan looks like a lightweight beautiful machined piece that would look right at home on a higher-end Cannondale or Giant, the Lectric XP uses one that looks very cheap, plastic-covered and what you would see on a $99 Walmart kids bike.

The Shimano SL-M310 rapid-fire trigger shifter is MUCH more satisfying and accurate to use on the Rattan FB, a single click up or down and it will change gears correctly, the thumb shifter or what I shall call it the "dumb shifter" on the Tourney equipped Lectric is quite terrible in comparison, you can totally miss your gear change by using too much force since there isn't a definitive stop you can always feel, you can do a full sweep gear change by pushing it all the way, I find myself having to look at the numbers while changing gears on the Lectric. Shifting seems to be much smoother overall on the Atlus equipped Rattan. The Rattan FB uses an 8-speed system, with an 11T-32T cassette compared to the Lectric XP which uses a 7-speed system, and it looks to be a 14T-28T. The extra-low gear on the Rattan FB should definitely give it good torque if you ever take it off road or up really crazy hills and the 11T high gear will allow you to actually pedal at top speed without feeling like you're freewheeling. A few Lectric XP owners are swapping cassettes to get the 11T, with the Rattan FB it already comes with it. Another bonus, the handles on the Rattan FB are nice soft leather stitched and locked compared to the cheap friction fitted hard plastic ones on the Lectric XP which can move when you give it some twisting pressure. Tires on the Lectric XP are puncture-resistant which is a great thing to have, not exactly sure if the Rattan has any protective liner inside because the website doesn't list it.

Brakes -
The Rattan FB uses Logan hydraulic disc brakes and the Lectric XP uses Tektro mechanical, now if you've ever used hydraulic you would never go back to the cable mechanical type. It just feels way more potent and much MUCH smoother, for example, if you pull just 25 percent effort on a Hydraulic system, it's about 100 percent on a mechanical system. You have A LOT more braking confidence and clamping power with a hydraulic actuated system. The brakes on the Rattan feels smooth like butter, the Lectric XP feels gritty and noisy in comparison and not that reassuring going downhills. Things like smooth shifting action and brakes make the bikes feel in a totally different class.

Ride-
So as you can tell, the Rattan FB is a full suspension bike, front and rear shocks so yes it absolutely rides like a Lexus. The front shock has BOTH pre-load adjustment and lockout, again another area where it just screams higher end. The Lectric XP still isn't a bad ride, but with a solid fork and no rear suspension, it's stiff compared to the Rattan FB. The ride quality comparison as you expect though is night and day, the Rattan feels like you're on a cloud over any imperfections on the road. I blasted at top speed through a pretty big dip and barely felt it on the Rattan. More on that next...

Speed and Power -
Okay, so here is where the biggest surprise comes. The Rattan FB is rated at 500watt, same as the Lectric XP, the XP can crank it up to 750W peak but the Rattan can do almost 1000W peak and holy cow can you feel the difference. On a flat road, both computer set to their highest allowable speed setting, 45 for the Lectric and 51 for the Rattan, I'm 210lbs THROTTLE ONLY I can get up to 22mph on the Lectric XP, on the Rattan I can do 27MPH on Throttle only, no pedaling. Both verified by my DRAGY performance meter. The Rattan feels much more powerful.

PAS system-
Another area where the Rattan excels is the PAS system, it seems to be more sensitive to your input, half a crank rotation will engage PAS, on the Lectric XP it feels very hit or miss, sometimes it almost feels like I need to pedal 2 complete rotations for it to pick up. I even went into the menu and changed P011 sensitivity to 1 and it made no difference in the XP. The difference is surprising because looking at both cadence sensors, they seem to use the same one. I'm guessing it comes down to the programming? The motor engagement feels smoother as well on the Rattan with a nice ramp-up in power, it uses a Gearless motor that feels very refined and quiet.

Battery and Endurance -
Rattan "Claims" 70-90 mile range which I think is a bit optimistic, it does use a larger battery though - 11.6Ah vs 10.4 for the Lectric XP and does have regen, when you brake, coast or pedal quicker than your PAS setting which in theory should help put some charge back into your battery. I haven't been able to test the regen features since Rattan sent me a Pro model, I ordered the PLUS model which comes with regen activated and a nice color LCD display. I reached out to Rattan and they said the difference is in the LCD display, they sent me a "PLUS" display (still in the mail) and I just need to swap it out and the I-PAS regen features will be activated automatically. The PLUS LCD display also comes with a side USB charging port, which is a nice feature the Lectric XP is missing. The Plus model is $100 more and I think it's definitely worth it for the cool Color LCD, USB charging port and regen features. The plan was to ride 25+ miles today and check out the battery life but things changed and we only did a 5-mile ride. Both Rattan and Lectric still show full bars, towing two girls behind us on their Co-Pilot tandem attachment. I will update once we have more miles on the two.

Pricing and Extras.
The front LED on the Rattan FB is nice and bright, projects a wider beam with a nice cutoff, similar to a car. The LED headlight on the Lectric XP feels like a spotlight, not very bright and seems less efficient since it just throws light everywhere. The Lectric XP also comes with a rear LED, the Rattan FB only comes with a rear reflector.
You also get fenders and a rear bike rack on the Lectric XP, which my wife LOVES. There seems to be nowhere to attach fenders or a rear bike rack on the Rattan FB, this could possibly be a deal-breaker for some. You could opt for a seat post mounted rack if needed on the Rattan FB.

The Rattan FB Plus is currently still on Pre-Order sale for $1199, which is $200 more than the Lectric XP. If you don't need the regenerative features, USB charge port and color LCD of the Plus, you can opt for the Pro model for $1099.

For $100 more than the XP, you don't get fenders or a rear rack but the bikes themselves feel like they're in a totally different class category. Like I said earlier, the Rattan sure feels like a $2000-3000 bike. It's an absolute no brainer to choose the Rattan FB over the Lectric XP, even if it cost $500-600 more I'd still recommend the Rattan.

For $999 the Lectric XP seems like a good value.
For $1099 or $1199, the Rattan FB PRO/PLUS feels like you're stealing it from the company. I know it almost sounds like I'm working for Rattan with all the positive praise I have for this bike, unfortunately, I'm no way sponsored by them but hey if they want to send me an extra battery that would be very nice. I'm a little upset they sent me a Pro model instead of the Plus I paid for but communication and customer service has been very good, no phone number so you'll have to communicate with them through email or Facebook which is less than ideal. I hope you enjoy the review guys, be safe out there.

Best review ever by a forum member here at EBR. Doing a comparison like this, highlights the real differences between marginal product and something really decent. Lectric XP buyers are seduced by the price and are unable to accurately compare since they are viewing only online, what they are actually getting vs anything else. For example unless they've tried two ebikes side by side with different levels of derailluers they really don't understand what they might be missing. Same with cadence sensing difference. On line buying is really challenging to do any decent assessment, and fraught with serious unknowns , especially on ebikes priced this low. Trying to go by people's opinions on line who have completely different preferences, or different levels of competency or even awareness of what is how there and how a particular component affects an ebike ride or feel, is really making a big shot in the dark.( Though if price is your only concern, then just buy the cheapest and take whatever gets to your door - you'll probably like it and simply not know any better, since almost anything electric will impress over an analogue bike.)

EBR could actually learn a lot here, and reconsider how they review products. Comparing two ebikes side by side helps people understand relative differences. They could do 3 side by side, with one priced in the middle, one lower and one higher. Of course this is what buyers could accomplish and benefit from , who go to a good ebike shop with enough brands, and a proprietor knowledgeable about the products and components, willing to share that for those who want to learn.

Way to set an awesome example for everyone!

 

[Tim Young]

I have a FAt Bear Pro and just got it unboxed last weekend. Mine will not shift into the last three or four sprockets and I will try to figure that out this morning. Where I really need help is with the controller settings. Mine on setting 1 will give significant assist just by spinning the pedals. So on level ground at lower speeds I'm not putting any pressure on the pedals, and going along pretty good. If I turn the assist level to 0 then I have to pedal too hard. I'd like to have the bike on level 1 give less power assist. Like joeo said the manual does not give me any direction on what the settings should be just a range of what they can be. I tried assist sensitivity P11 but that did not seem to change the amount of power. Also I could not tell any power assist difference between PAS- 1, 2, or 3 but I'm guessing the 2 and 3 setting let you go to higher speeds before the assist stops? I hope Rattan will tell me how to set all the parameters and make sure they are correct such as P13 magnetic steel disk type etc. Maybe something is not set right on my bike or the worst case is it is working correctly now and I don't like it.

Update on my post. After watching youtube and getting my bike off the floor so I could shift while spinning pedals I discovered the problem I had with the gears was shipping damage. The derailleur guard was bent towards the tire which was preventing the derailleur from moving to the outside gears. Rattan responded to my email I sent them with photos of the problem, and they are shipping me a new guard. Meanwhile I removed the guard and found the derailleur itself was also bent making the gears skip settings. I was able to bend it into alignment and now the gears shifting properly at least on the work stand. Also I ordered the color display for $100 which has a different parameter setup menu and hope to be able to tune the level one through level three power assist levels to get that working correctly. Rattan has ignored my requests for the proper settings of the parameters but thanks to another forum member I have screen shots of the Plus display setup very different from the B&W display and it looks like it has better assist level settings. My experience is the same as others that the I-PAS-1, 2 or 3 levels all seem to have the same power assist and my guess is its a high level of power.

 

[GrandPaw]

I have the fatbear plus...color screen. I attached a few photos. The bike came in a box labeled “Discovery” one of their other models. Some of the controller settings were set for the 26 inch bike. I changed a few things, including it was set up for 36 volts which freaked me out at first. The settings are easy to change and the manual in English-Chinese is not too hard to follow. It came with a default of PAS 1,2,3 and there was only a slight difference in top speed, and hard to tell the difference. I don’t remember the voltage settings for 1,2,3. I then changed to the option of 5 PAS settings of 0-5. At PAS 1position (50%) power I can definitely tell the difference between 2-5. Bike now cruises slower at (PAS 1) 10 mph with easy peddling compared to 15 or so originally. The speedometer mph is right on with gps.
Regeneration - you need to be going around 15 mph and go to PAS-0. It feels like engine breaking and I need to be going down a steep grade to use it. It does work great for slowing down on steep hills too. But No way I can do it on flat ground.
Compared to the XP....Fatbear - front and rear suspension ! hydraulic brakes, 52 tooth front sprocket, 8 speed (better rear derailer and gear RATIO) leather grips, good head light, tires, nice beefy and wide black rims and spokes, thumb throttle, rear hub is DIRECT drive not a gear drive - that’s why it can regenerate (magnets) -quiter drive, but it is only 500 watt, no cheap fender or rack, quality parts and build, tech support - sometimes right away and sometimes not at all- keep emailing on China time seems to work better. I love the bike, everything working great, only have 32 miles in 30-40 degree weather. The bike looks bad. I have been riding in normal mode, you can also select eco and sport. You can enable a password to turn on. No issues with turning the controller off or on. Controller is pretty much unlocked and lots of settings you can change.
Pictures, rear derailer, manual screen shots, display showing it in go to PAS 5 ..........

 

[GregC]

We bought two Fat Bear Bikes (b/w version), one black and one grey. The grey bike came with a derailer protector that was too small and kept the bike from shifting into the smallest three gears. The black bike had a different protector that extended about 3/4 of an inch further from the bike and had a bend in it to allow free shifting to all gears. I reached down in grey bike and bent the protector out from the bike and now it works but it seems like they have two different ones and some are not made right. I also played with some of the computer settings. The bike started with a 24 for wheel size, however I think they mean tire diameter since 24 was the size of the outside of my tires and the speedo was consistent with my gps speed at 24. I tried going down to 20 but the bike speedo was showing slower than my gps by almost 1.5 mph.

For those out shopping, I really like this Fat Bear bike. I originally purchased a Swagtron EB-8 and my dad bought the Fat Bear. The Swagtron has the same basic frame and full suspension (not really) but only costs $799 so thought it was a better bargain. One ride with both bikes was enough to send the bike back to Swagtron (it had some warranty issues) and purchase a Fat Bear. Will write up a better comparison between the two when I get a chance.

 

[Warrick]

2020 Rattan X / XL $899-999

(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

Anyone onboard for the 750w model?

 

[Warrick]

Here's another link to the new Rattan e-bikes...

RattanXL: Over 100 Miles on Most Affordable E-Bike

IPAS System|100 Miles with One Charge|750W Motor|All Terrain|Cruise Control|Starting At $699 | Check out 'RattanXL: Over 100 Miles on Most Affordable E-Bike' on Indiegogo.

www.indiegogo.com

 

[emtbdude]

Someone mentioned that the fatbear plus might be compatible with a rear rack. Is that really going to happen? There might be one or two specialty racks that are designed for rear suspension, but has fatbear stumbled upon a revolutionary design? I doubt it.

I'm amazed by how downmarket these bikes are getting (in price not necessarily in quality) with the features they can offer. The XL as case in point. If it had a torque sensor....