Rattan XL on Indiegogo

[MJ9094]

The Indiegogo total was what I was charged at the time of purchase e.g. no additional hidden fees or charges. It is pretty certain that these prices will be going up once the Indiegogo campaign ends. These ebikes are priced several hundred less than comparably equipped bikes.

What I like about Rattan is that the owners and designers are Chinese (Erik Yam is the Chief Engineer and is very visible and approachable on Facebook). Many others are US based owners who simply private label bikes built in one of many of China's ebike factories. Virtually all of of the ebike components are sourced from China so buying direct from a chinese source eliminates a couple of layers of cost. The shipping ($200 per bike) is a little steep but considering it includes freight, customs and then FedEx to your doorstep is actually a fair price. IMHO, these bikes with the level of components and performance would sell for at least $3K from a US bike shop.

So I bought the RattanXL 6 days ago. And today I was charged a foreign exchange rate of $42.03 from my bank. This is what I was talking about. Anyway another $42 doesnt matter where I've already payed $1400. And Erik on the Rattan Page on FB told me that the bike will be shipped in 5 - 6 days If I bought the California Stock. So I did, and later I figured out It was a lie as I got an email saying that it will be shipped in mid June which kind of sucks real bad.

 

[RMK!]

So I bought the RattanXL 6 days ago. And today I was charged a foreign exchange rate of $42.03 from my bank. This is what I was talking about. Anyway another $42 doesnt matter where I've already payed $1400. And Erik on the Rattan Page on FB told me that the bike will be shipped in 5 - 6 days If I bought the California Stock. So I did, and later I figured out It was a lie as I got an email saying that it will be shipped in mid June which kind of sucks real bad.

Sorry to hear that. The ebike world is full of (I'll be nice) opportunities and promises due to a very hot market. They are essentially all made in China and the C-19 pandemic has all manufacturers in panic mode.

I remain committed to ebikes (have purchased 5) because I have been getting great fun and utility out of owning the only one I have actually received. That doesn't make it any easier to deal with the delays and mis-statements (where have I heard that before) by people trying their best to keep their jobs and businesses afloat. Hang in there and hopefully you will eventually be as happy with the product as I am.

 

[MJ9094]

Sorry to hear that. The ebike world is full of (I'll be nice) opportunities and promises due to a very hot market. They are essentially all made in China and the C-19 pandemic has all manufacturers in panic mode.

I remain committed to ebikes (have purchased 5) because I have been getting great fun and utility out of owning the only one I have actually received. That doesn't make it any easier to deal with the delays and mis-statements (where have I heard that before) by people trying their best to keep their jobs and businesses afloat. Hang in there and hopefully you will eventually be as happy with the product as I am.

Yeah and I totally get that, as long as they deliver in a month or two It should be fine haha. It just that got my hopes up haha. I wouldve gotten it anyway If he had told me the real timeline. Anyway, I am happy I made a purchase.

 

[RMK!]

Yeah and I totally get that, as long as they deliver in a month or two It should be fine haha. It just that got my hopes up haha. I wouldve gotten it anyway If he had told me the real timeline. Anyway, I am happy I made a purchase.

Well, after rationalizing all of the poor communication and delays due to C19, I just received notification that my preordered in Dec 2019 Model X bikes for the wife and daughter will not be built or delivered for several months. All of my communications with Rattan involved the Holiday Combo (XL and X models) and only today was I informed of this inconvenient truth ... My XL will be delivered in a couple of weeks but the X's are not even built yet.

Considering cancelling all my Rattan orders ...

 

[Jaylowe]

Well, after rationalizing all of the poor communication and delays due to C19, I just received notification that my preordered in Dec 2019 Model X bikes for the wife and daughter will not be built or delivered for several months. All of my communications with Rattan involved the Holiday Combo (XL and X models) and only today was I informed of this inconvenient truth ... My XL will be delivered in a couple of weeks but the X's are not even built yet.

Considering cancelling all my Rattan orders ...

What would be your next choice? I really dont want to wait several months for a bike even if the bike checks all the boxes of what I want. Maybe I need to re evaluate what I need.

 

[RMK!]

Yeah, I ordered the bikes for family use and wanted folders so that I could travel with the bikes and have them for exploration. I have 1 folder now (Eahora X7 Plus) with over 1100 miles on it and it was delivered late Feb so I'm obviously bought into the ebike concept. I found these bikes and after test riding the dual battery mid-drive model, I was sold. I want that range and additional power for my daily rider non-traveling ebike. So I'm good with Eahora and the Bikonit bikes but I need to find 2 smaller folders for my wife and daughter. The Rattan X seemed perfect but waiting another 3 + months is unacceptable. This assumes that Rattan agrees to refund my 3 bike order.

It looks like all ebikes are hard to get right now and I don't want to make a quick decision so I will try and get a feel for what smaller folders will be available and what Rattan does before making a final decision.

 

[RMK!]

Update, I ended up getting 2 refunds from Rattan for the 2 model X's I ordered in Dec. These credits were conditioned on my purchasing a LF500 step through for my daughter that they had in stock. It is a bit underpowered but she is enjoying it and it was perfect out of the box. Still looking for a lightweight step through folder for my 5'9" wife. She feels the Eahora X7+ plus that I've been riding is a little too big for her (suggestions welcome).

I received my XL Friday and although the box was in good shape, the chainring and chainring guard were bent during shipping. That is due to welded on stand to protect the chainring when the bike is folded is about 1/2" too short. The chainring makes contact first and when sitting in the shipping box being thrown around many of the recent shipment of 200 bikes had bent chainrings. I removed and tried to straighten the chainring with no luck. The bike will not shift and even pedalling in 1 gear (no shifting) leads to losing the chain.

I've sent 3-4 emails requesting replacements parts and Rattan CS requested photos and, blamed FedEx " The Fedex treated our package violently". Truth is, the bike was poorly packaged and the chainring issue along with some others makes this ebike a risky purchase. Actually it's a nice looking bike with decent components and if they work out these problems it represents a great deal especially at the price I paid but I'm not done paying. I just dropped it off at a bike shop to give them a shot at either straightening or replacing the chainring. They will be charging me TBD and no way Rattan will cover that. For all my troubles, Rattan did send me a bike lock that might be perfect for a toddlers training wheel ride.

If I sound bitter, I am ... but I also realize that my quest for the best product at the best price can have consequences. Once I'm able to ride it I'm pretty sure it will grow on me and these bad experiences will fade. First world problems indeed. ;-)

 

[RMK!]

Update #2

Well I did finally hear from Rattan and they will be shipping me a new chainring and chainring guard at some point. In the meantime, the XL sits in a bike shop who when they can get to it, will attempt to bend it straight or replace with another chainring if they can source one. Since my daughter is loving her Rattan 500LF, and after hashing several options around, I decided to get the 750W (750LF) version of that ebike for my wife. It's light, foldable and should travel well in our SUV and the price was right.

I now have over 1500 miles (99% pedaling) on the Eahora X7 plus that I have been riding for 4 months now and it just keeps on running. I love ebikes for their utility, economy and the health benefits they provide. Putting up with all the hassles around availability, purchasing and problem solving is just part of the total cost of ownership.

 

[Kyle44]

Love mine. Got the X. Wish that I had selected the 750W though. Need the extra power for the outback!