Have I found the perfect fat bike for renting out on the beach? ( Is Belt Drive with a mid motor the answer ) Sobowo??? anyone heard of it?

[Wookey Ideas]

I have a beach resort, the criteria is

- fat tire
- very robust bike that will be very low maintenance
- powerful enough for the heaviest people in thick sand
- top speed of around 40km on the hard sand
- a frame that can adjust to fit the maximum variety of body types
- a range of 80Km
- idiot proof
- available on alibaba, ( Im in Mozambique so its cheapest and easiest to order straight from china)

after months of research I have found only 1 bike on alibaba that seems to fit my bill the Sobowo sf6

It has a bafang mid drive 750 or 1000w with belt drive and Sturmey Archer 3 speed geared hub, it a folding bike so I think it will have adjustment to fit most people

only problem is I can't find any real reviews on any of the bikes this company makes so Im reaching out for help please tell me that this is a real company and this bike is any good for me.

https://www.sobowo.com/SOBOWO-SF6-Powerful-Belt-Mid-Drive-with-Hidden-Battery-Folding-Electric-Bike-for-Adults-pd46215975.html

 

[JRA]

What sticks out to me, I have many miles of beach type riding experience, is the BBSHD might be too powerful for the 3spd IGH. While it is a slog to get to the hard sand, where the best riding is, it can cause problems if people who you rent to don't understand that you have to gear down before you hit the softer sand and not try and plow through it in a big gear which will lead to stress on the drivetrain, especially when they start to shift and throttle to keep up momentum while getting mired down. In my experience you don't need any more than 500w to ride beach area, mostly level, terrain and the factory should be able to de-tune the system for that by adjusting the controller Amps to suit. 500w would be sufficient to get to 40kmh unless into a strong headwind.

There is more ground resistance on even hard sand than pavement and the fat tires add more to that. In order to go 80km you will need their 14ah battery and even then it might be iffy to get that distance riding a beach.

 

[Wookey Ideas]

Ya I thought the same about limiting the power going to the motor, but I was also wondering if the lowest gear will have enough torque to go slowly through thick sand with a big guy say 120kg. I would probably end up buying extra batteries to get the range I need especially in a head wind. but on paper this works right? I just wish there was a reveiw out there, the factory says 3-4 months lead time for manufacture and then 2 month for shipping we get to almost 6 months if i just order 1 to test and then I want to get more it's another 6 months, that's a year!

 

[JRA]

It doesn't specify the gear ratios on the website but in your favor is that it seems to have a smaller front chainring than usual for a 20" wheel bike. As you are dealing with a factory built bike it would seem that they would be able to work with you to fit your needs. For instance I still think the BBSHD is overkill for your needs and a BBSO2 with a 36v system running at 500w with as large a battery as they can stuff in there would work better and result in a lighter bike which will aid in performance.

Unless there are any reviews on where that CO advertises on Alibaba you won't find one I'm sure. If you can get ahold of a list of components then you can research the reliability of them and add it all up? It is encouraging that they specify using a Gates belt and known Sturmey Archer hub that are known entities, although I am still a bit reluctant about the hub although it makes sense in combo with the belt over a derailleur based system in a salt environment.

When you look at the math it seems a bit daunting eh? There is alot of good faith in trusting a company in a situation like this and the lead time to conclusion could be as you say. Good luck!

 

[Wookey Ideas]

Good news I had the idea to ask if they had any demo bike laying around and they have one with a slight defect on the fraim, and it had branding too so i googled it and found a us company and found more info, check out the videos if found below,

This makes me feel much better I'm going to go for this demo but i have asked for an extra battery. thanks JRA

Experience Boating with a QuietKat Electric Bike

QUIETKAT ELECTRIC BIKES STOW IN SECONDS FOR STORAGE ON YOUR BOAT OR RAFT With their compact size, corrosion-resistant 6061 aluminum construction, and corrosion-resistant components, QuietKat's electric bikes are perfect for the marine environment. Our batteries are housed in a waterproof and...

quietkat.com

 

[vincent]

Wow, I like this bike, might have to order one

 

[vincent]

Well the quietkat is a rip off, no belt or igh and very overpriced

looking forward to hearing how the sobowo does for you

 

[534eab]

I have a beach resort, the criteria is

- fat tire
- very robust bike that will be very low maintenance
- powerful enough for the heaviest people in thick sand
- top speed of around 40km on the hard sand
- a frame that can adjust to fit the maximum variety of body types
- a range of 80Km
- idiot proof
- available on alibaba, ( Im in Mozambique so its cheapest and easiest to order straight from china)

after months of research I have found only 1 bike on alibaba that seems to fit my bill the Sobowo sf6

It has a bafang mid drive 750 or 1000w with belt drive and Sturmey Archer 3 speed geared hub, it a folding bike so I think it will have adjustment to fit most people

only problem is I can't find any real reviews on any of the bikes this company makes so Im reaching out for help please tell me that this is a real company and this bike is any good for me.

https://www.sobowo.com/SOBOWO-SF6-Powerful-Belt-Mid-Drive-with-Hidden-Battery-Folding-Electric-Bike-for-Adults-pd46215975.html

View attachment 65524

Hi Wookey Ideas, My name is Mike and I’m in the UK, I recently purchased my model SF6 Ebike so I may be able to help with your decisions, first time on the forum so a bit unsure about finding my way around.
Took a long long time finding this bike, like you I was very particular as to its specification, had to be folding ,fat tyre , internal gears, belt drive , big motor built into the frame, big battery spec 48v 14AH . Suspension front forks, After a long while I contacted SoBoWo in China and established a very good relationship with the sales dept . The lady I dealt with is called Kelsey, and she was a very obliging and patient person. This was the first time I have purchased an Ebike from China so I to was concerned as to the companies credentials, I need not have worried, they are a very large and very busy company and deal with big outlets around the world.
They build certain models of bikes dependent on orders that they receive, I had to wait while the model I wanted had sufficient orders, yes it was a long wait ..about six months, but I am well pleased with the bike,
Construction is solid and the welding first class, everything worked first time out of the (well packaged) box, only had to fit the front wheel and the mud guards and rear rack. I’ve now done over three hundred miles with no problems, top speed in the highest setting is about twenty six to twenty nine mph on flat tarmac , second gear starts are the order of the day, as this is direct drive, first is thirty per cent lower and third is thirty per cent higher. Hope this info helps, ask more if you are still concerned.

 

[AGuy]

Hi Wookey Ideas, My name is Mike and I’m in the UK, I recently purchased my model SF6 Ebike so I may be able to help with your decisions, first time on the forum so a bit unsure about finding my way around.
Took a long long time finding this bike, like you I was very particular as to its specification, had to be folding ,fat tyre , internal gears, belt drive , big motor built into the frame, big battery spec 48v 14AH . Suspension front forks, After a long while I contacted SoBoWo in China and established a very good relationship with the sales dept . The lady I dealt with is called Kelsey, and she was a very obliging and patient person. This was the first time I have purchased an Ebike from China so I to was concerned as to the companies credentials, I need not have worried, they are a very large and very busy company and deal with big outlets around the world.
They build certain models of bikes dependent on orders that they receive, I had to wait while the model I wanted had sufficient orders, yes it was a long wait ..about six months, but I am well pleased with the bike,
Construction is solid and the welding first class, everything worked first time out of the (well packaged) box, only had to fit the front wheel and the mud guards and rear rack. I’ve now done over three hundred miles with no problems, top speed in the highest setting is about twenty six to twenty nine mph on flat tarmac , second gear starts are the order of the day, as this is direct drive, first is thirty per cent lower and third is thirty per cent higher. Hope this info helps, ask more if you are still concerned.

Thanks for sharing. If I may ask, how do you use the bike? Is it a commuter? What's the range you are getting on the bike? How is the belt chain holding on?

 

[534eab]

Thanks for sharing. If I may ask, how do you use the bike? Is it a commuter? What's the range you are getting on the bike? How is the belt chain holding on?

Hi AGuy, I will be using the bike to commute to work(when all this unpleasantness goes away ) it’s only a couple of miles down the road, but there several slightly longer ways to get there using disused railway tracks footpaths , cycle tracks etc, so I can avoid the busy direct route,
I dare say your next question has been asked a thousand times ! Here goes ,in number one assist ( out of four ) I think around thirty or so miles that is of course whilst you are peddling, in third gear this results in around twelve miles per hour, which is comfortable for me , level two assist is of course an easier ride giving you around sixteen miles per hour, which is as fast as I can peddle ! and so on, level four is what I leave for the thumb throttle only as this will take you up to nearly thirty mph, on flat tarmac ,good fun for the last bit of the ride home if you’re tired and still have a few bars showing on the electric fuel gauge . It’s all a bit how long is a piece of string ! Hammering the throttle when you have not got much battery left results in the controller deciding that you can have assistance but at a much reduced sustainable level , ie level one assist ,which I consider sensible. There is a ‘walk’ assist mode that will take the sweat out of pushing or peddling if there is very little power left. The belt I had retightened once, i let my bike shop do it as I think it will require adjust infrequently, which is one reason for why I didn’t want a chain, clean strong, quiet reliable long lasting etc, as long as it is kept absolutely in line with the crank gear there should be no problems, but never ever try and put it over the pedal crank gear like you might with a conventional steel link chain, that will damage it and may cause premature failure. Hope this helps, I am waiting for some decent weather to go out and have some fun.All the best Mike.

 

[vincent]

Very intrigued by this little bike, I just wrote the company, my concern was the battery size but on the website it says they can put a 14 amp hour in there...

We’ll see what they say but I would like a couple of fat tires to play with on the beach whenever we can travel again LOL

 

[indca]

How much US$ does this bike cost with best dpecs like 14AH battery, hydraulic break and hydraulic suspension post?

Do i buy from Alibaba or their website?

 

[vincent]

I wrote them and they said I cannot buy it here in the US something about they have a US dealer now and guess they don’t carry this particular bike????
Wrote back and asked if I could buy this bike from the US dealer and they never replied

 

[vincent]

If you get one through alibaba let us know how it goes

 

[534eab]

How much US$ does this bike cost with best dpecs like 14AH battery, hydraulic break and hydraulic suspension post?

Do i buy from Alibaba or their website?

Hi indca , I purchased my bike directly from their factory, they have an excellent distribution division.
My bike was sent overland by train to Minsk ,a large sea port , from there it was transported by a reputable courier to the UK. Took about four weeks .I paid about £1800.00 Sterling . Bank transfer on credit card, this gives you additional loss protection, be careful when filling out the form for payment to their bank that you do not print any letters or numbers outside the frame work of the form , or it will not be accepted, this mistake cost me one hundred pounds in bank charges and transfer exchange rate fees !
Contact a lady named Kelsey in the sales dept, hope this helps. Mike ,UK.

 

[vincent]

Kelsey is the one that replied to my emails and she indicated we can get other bikes but not that one from whoever the US distributor is

they never gave me a name for the US distributor

 

[534eab]

I wrote them and they said I cannot buy it here in the US something about they have a US dealer now and guess they don’t carry this particular bike????
Wrote back and asked if I could buy this bike from the US dealer and they never replied

Hi Vincent, the American version seems to be marketed under the Quiet Kat Voyager model, (boat TEST.com). which seems to be aimed at the well heeled boating fraternity , as you have probably seen SoBoWo makes several different Ebikes for ‘different’ purposes, stealth when out hunting looks to be a popular reason to purchase certain models ,giving the rider the ability to get deeper into the woods more quickly and quieter than on foot.
Prices are consequently higher in the USA I believe , which could be due to profit margins taxes, or import duties.
My bike certainly gets plenty of ( envious ) looks when I’m out and about ,to the point that I never leave it unattended even when well locked up. .....it is perhaps the only one in the UK !
Mike. UK

 

[vincent]

I will check out the quietkst site and see if they have this 20 inch belt drive, that’s the only one I am interested in

 

[dmark]

Does anyone know if the SF6 has a torque sensor?
Thanks.