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

[barry1685]

I didn’t preorder it because the motor sounds like it’s the same as the rattan bear plus which peaks at 750w. (Don’t quote me on that). I did notice it looks like the crank is mounted higher off the ground.

 

[Drapers]

I got this picture from rattan support they said the rack and mud guards will be available in early December.

 

[RMK!]

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.

Excellent review, any updates on your Rattan experience?

 

[LaramieJoe]

Terrific comments above and the review was fantastic. Comprehensive is an understatement. One thing, however: contrary to some of the comments above, I have found Rattan's customer service to be worse than horrible. In fact, AWOL. No responses to emails and the "hotline" rings to a full mailbox. Their web site hasn't been updated in weeks. Have they gone out of business?

 

[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

10/21/2020 - Update by tomg
I have gotten some replies now from Rattan Service via email. On my questions about the lack of motor power in PA mode, the reply was basically “that’s how it works”...they did mention that they know how the Lectric XP works on hills....on the Rattan, the steeper the hill, the less motor assist you get in PA mode...I guess, this is one way they can increase battery range. I have 300+ miles on the Rattan and have upgraded the display to color...I now get regenerative charging on the down hills as long as a put PA to “0”. The color display dims when the headlight is on...which makes the display hard to read during the day (if you turn the headlight on for safety during the day). Also with the color display, you loose the battery voltage and current readings of the B&W controller (M5). Other than standard maintenance, the bike has not have any issues and I have purchased an extra tire and intertubes just in case. I ride the Lectric when I ride the hills around the neighborhood and the Fat Bear when I go on more level trails. With full suspension, the Fat Bear is a better ride! Thanks, tomg

 

[ki11a]

Terrific comments above and the review was fantastic. Comprehensive is an understatement. One thing, however: contrary to some of the comments above, I have found Rattan's customer service to be worse than horrible. In fact, AWOL. No responses to emails and the "hotline" rings to a full mailbox. Their web site hasn't been updated in weeks. Have they gone out of business?

I think they have sold off a part of their business to 'Yamee' because now the Fat Bear is not available from Rattan, but from Yamee or they have stopped 'producing/selling' them altogether . But this is expected as its just a generic Chinese bike with a rebrand...I believe eAhora sells a 'Fat Bear' Model...heh just about the same exact bike.

Fat Bear 750S

✅ I-PAS System Allows 100 Miles Travel on A Single Charge✅ 750W Motor✅ Full Suspension✅ 20 x 4.0 All Terrain Fat Tires✅ 48V 14.5AH Samsung Cells✅ Shimano 8 Speed Transmission✅ Alloy Foldable Frame✅ Retina LCD Display✅ Cruise Control

yameebike.com

 

[RMK!]

I think they have sold off a part of their business to 'Yamee' because now the Fat Bear is not available from Rattan, but from Yamee or they have stopped 'producing/selling' them altogether . But this is expected as its just a generic Chinese bike with a rebrand...I believe eAhora sells a 'Fat Bear' Model...heh just about the same exact bike.

Fat Bear 750S

✅ I-PAS System Allows 100 Miles Travel on A Single Charge✅ 750W Motor✅ Full Suspension✅ 20 x 4.0 All Terrain Fat Tires✅ 48V 14.5AH Samsung Cells✅ Shimano 8 Speed Transmission✅ Alloy Foldable Frame✅ Retina LCD Display✅ Cruise Control

yameebike.com

Yep, The owner of Yamee was a partner in Rattan. I have an Eahora X7 that shipped out of China just before Covid took hold. It is very like the Fat Bear and was my alternative to the Fat Bear which was not available when I ordered. Mine has 2300 miles on it and has been a great little Fat/Folder. Unfortunately, many of the inexpensive Chinese ebikes have had serious quality control issues that are directly related to Covid. After a 6 month wait, my Rattan XL arrived with a misaligned bottom bracket which could not be fixed. I was lucky and got a refund.

 

[kmccune]

I had an XP, couldn't get rid of it fast enough, the battery range didn't seem to be very great and it felt, well not top line-Yamee had a year end sale($1149) and I couldn't believe the value for the price point, usable 8 spd, 180 mm disc brakes( hydraulic) fenders ,rack,, my biggest disappointment was no vehicle battery sourced rear light( my Maxfoot had this)

 

[Kam1936]

I had an XP, couldn't get rid of it fast enough, the battery range didn't seem to be very great and it felt, well not top line-Yamee had a year end sale($1149) and I couldn't believe the value for the price point, usable 8 spd, 180 mm disc brakes( hydraulic) fenders ,rack,, my biggest disappointment was no vehicle battery sourced rear light( my Maxfoot had this)

How do I reset the trip meter. The odometer and trip meter say the same thing. I have the green color display unit. Thank you.
Yamme XL 750w foldable.

 

[kmccune]

How do I reset the trip meter. The odometer and trip meter say the same thing. I have the green color display unit. Thank you.
Yamme XL 750w foldable.

The best thing to do is download the owners manual, because these things can change within a short period get the specific manual then you will save yourself a lot of frustration,I do not really own the 500 FB anymore, the only thing I could find in the manual is just to use the "i" function till the miles traveled comes up and play around with it till you get it reset.I couldn't always get the promised results. When I installed the higher quality controller the company sent, the performance was much better!

 

[Kam1936]

Is this the controller you're referring to? I have the manual. It came with the bike. Yamme XL 750w. Nothing in the manual about resetting the trip meter.

 

[kmccune]

Yes that looks like the display, tell you what, just bring the trip odometer up and play with the other controls till it responds( try the plus and minus buttons or try to toggle on the display itself it should reset, now some People have the opposite problem when the power is off, they lose the odometer reading, good luck I know these things can get aggravating( do you have a youngster in the house that is more new tech savy than us old Guys? put them on the problem( My daughter saves my bacon innumerable times)

 

[Kam1936]

Yes that looks like the display, tell you what, just bring the trip odometer up and play with the other controls till it responds( try the plus and minus buttons or try to toggle on the display itself it should reset, now some People have the opposite problem when the power is off, they lose the odometer reading, good luck I know these things can get aggravating( do you have a youngster in the house that is more new tech savy than us old Guys? put them on the problem( My daughter saves my bacon innumerable times)

Yeah the youngsters can run circles around us when it comes to tech. This old man figured it out. Hold +- at the same time until Display and advanced settings pop up. Scroll up and select Display. Scroll down and select Trip meter, select yes to reset trip meter. After that it will say its cleared. Back out of settings and your Golden. Trip meter says 0 now. Also, we can't disable the power of the motor with the key. No problem, enter into Display settings and select password. Turn it in. Create your unique 4 digit password. Back out of settings. Turn the bike off. Turn it back on and notice that your bike is asking for your password to activate the display. That's a cool feature. I think it's better than locking or unlocking with a key. Just don't forget your password.

 

[Kam1936]

Works really well. Bike's display and motor is rendered inoperable. Thief would have to pedal a heavy bike away by manual power. No motor, throttle, or even walk mode. None will work unless the know your password. Also, each display is unique to your bike's serial number. So just removing your display and replacing it with another won't activate the power features either. I'm getting my display replaced with a new one due to hairline crack from shipping or production. CS asked for my serial number so the new display can be programmed to my bike and said I need to return the damaged one. I filed a dispute with Paypal because they didn't offer to replace it for free. I uploaded pictures of the damage. Not even a day passed they contacted me and said they would send me a new display, chainring/crank, handle for where the battery folds and a new charger at no cost to me. They also offered to pay for the labor for local bike shop to adjust my derailleur. I got most of the foam off the handle and chainring. The charger seems to be working as it should. Just takes longer than the 4-6 hours that the manual advertises. Thankfully, Paypal has my back.

 

[kmccune]

Works really well. Bike's display and motor is rendered inoperable. Thief would have to pedal a heavy bike away by manual power. No motor, throttle, or even walk mode. None will work unless the know your password. Also, each display is unique to your bike's serial number. So just removing your display and replacing it with another won't activate the power features either. I'm getting my display replaced with a new one due to hairline crack from shipping or production. CS asked for my serial number so the new display can be programmed to my bike and said I need to return the damaged one. I filed a dispute with Paypal because they didn't offer to replace it for free. I uploaded pictures of the damage. Not even a day passed they contacted me and said they would send me a new display, chainring/crank, handle for where the battery folds and a new charger at no cost to me. They also offered to pay for the labor for local bike shop to adjust my derailleur. I got most of the foam off the handle and chainring. The charger seems to be working as it should. Just takes longer than the 4-6 hours that the manual advertises. Thankfully, Paypal has my back.

Glad you figured it , Yes they are responsive to customers and that (more than anything else) will help their business grow.They didn't argue about the bad controller and charge Me for it, treat customers right and your business is safe. Wish Eahora had been as good.