Hi Harry! Great to see you here. Finding an ebike that's both affordable and somewhat functional/reliable is something I've struggled with plenty over the years. I think there are a lot of people in the industry who have bad memories of old electric bikes that were heavy, unreliable, poorly supported and hard to repair when they did break down. I hear this from bicycle shops all the time, someone will buy an inexpensive ebike online (like from
Prodeco or
eZip) and then it will break and they will take it to the local ebike shop and hope to get help repairing it... Some shops will help and others will not. For them it's a form of "showrooming" where they provide all the support but don't get the sale and then have to struggle to fix a bike that uses parts they don't carry or simply isn't cost effective to fix. To their credit, many of these shops just charge what it actually costs to fix in terms of time and parts but then the customer really suffers because they just spent ~$800 on an ebike that costs $250 to fix or maybe $300 to get a replacement battery after a year or so. I've made it one of my goals to review these "fringe" ebikes because some are really good and have a dedicated team behind them (like
Motiv for example) but aren't very well known yet.
Okay, now with all that said I can make some suggestions for you. Firstly, even though I was just hating on eZip, they are one of the original ebike brands out there and their batteries and technology has been improving since they were acquired by the Accell group in December 2011. One of their newer entry level ebikes, the
Trailz Commuter, is quite good offering Lithium batteries, pedal assist and throttle mode with a solid six month warranty. Sure, it only goes 15 miles per hour and has a bolt on rack that will rattle and get loose over time. Yes, it uses an external, chain drive motor that is a nightmare to deal with if you get a rear flat... but the bike only costs ~$1,000. That's how it goes. ProdecoTech bikes are similar to this offering a high-mounted rear battery (that I've heard can crack and fall off) with a heavy gearless hub motor and twist throttle only mode. They are mostly available online but some shops are starting to pick them up and I've seen improvement in their rack design that could do a lot to improve durability with future releases.
Taking all of this into consideration, when I look at the X-treme XB-300 pictures on eBay, watch their video and read through all the specs this is what comes to mind. I actually like the battery positioning and warranty and feel they have a decent product (at first glance). For reference, I've posted some thumbnails just below to aid in the specs portion and help others get an idea of what this ebike is all about:
These are the specs as I read them or heard them in videos along with some thoughts and comparisons to other ebikes:
- 300 watt geared (I think it's geared) rear hub motor, most standard US ebikes offer 350+ watt motors but in Europe and Asia most ebikes are limited to 250 based on legal restrictions... So 300 isn't all that bad
- 7 Speed Shimano Tourney with trigger shifter (reminds me of what Pedego and Motiv use with the big thumb trigger, works well enough and seven speeds is good for climbing or pedaling if the battery runds out)
- 24 volt 8 amp hour Lithium battery (most US ebikes offer 36+ volt 10+ amp hour packs so this bike is weak with limited range - they say 15 to 20 miles, again the battery is more akin to what they use in Europe and Asia and in the video they say they use Lithium Phosphate chemistry which may get hotter and not last through as many charge cycles... I did find a replacement battery online through one of the sites for $269 though it took me to another website when I clicked for details and it said the security certificate was expired... So, I took a screenshot of the battery for you below so you can search on it). Note that in the video review they shot (posted at the very end of my response here) they say it's the best ebike battery technology but that's debatable (and may just be marketing fluff), Lithium Cobalt has a higher energy density and is less prone to over heating but doesn't provide as much throughput
- Top speed 20mph (standard), Smart charger (means it won't overcharge the battery, 26" wheels (standard mountain bike size, provides better leverage for climbing, not as efficient on road due to tires but that offers cushion which is nice for comfort)
- Twist throttle (half twist on right bar) and pedal assist (I assume using a pedalec sensor) this is great because it will extend range if the battery is getting low but... how will you know the battery is low? All I see is an on/off button for switching from pedal assist to throttle mode. There aren't even levels of pedal assist to choose from or a speedometer. I did notice the battery indicator on the rear battery pack but that's going to be a bit inconvenient and annoying to check when riding.
- Very basic suspension fork and seat post shock with no lockout (may bob when pedaling, reducing efficiency but still offers comfort which is nice)
- Very basic (though standard) rear rack for adding panniers or a bag, be sure to keep it tight because it will start rattling and eventually lose screws and fall off if not maintained. Some people put loctite glue in when assembling these things.
I love that it comes with a 15 day return policy, 90 day guarantee and one year battery warranty! This is tough however because just getting an ebike in the mail, assembling it and testing it can be a lot of work. Imagine having to repack the bike (hopefully you didn't destroy the box) and carrying an awkward ~70 pounds to Fedex then paying $100+ for shipping. These things are big and heavy and it's actually illegal to ship large Lithium batteries so that could also become an issue. I feel like a lot of companies just ignore this or have special shippers but it makes returning stuff hard or risky.
Here's a review I shot of an online purchased ebike so you can see what it looks like to get in the mail and how to assemble it. Watch the video portion of the review for the 2012 Volton Alation 500.
Overall it's a gamble but I do like the design of the X-treme XB-300 and appreciate that it has a Lithium battery and pedal assist. For a friend who is down on his luck, I'm guessing due to a lost license based on drug or alcohol abuse, this could be the mobility needed to get to work or see friends and family. The battery pack appears to be removable which means it could be charged on site, effectively doubling the "max range" to something like 30 or 40 miles. The company selling it actually has a website at
http://www.farbike.com/ and it is also available at with a return policy. If you've got a limited budget this thing looks like it would do the job. I'm sure you've seen this review but here it is anyway, reminds me of my own windy microphone recordings... it's pretty positive though for an unbiased review. We're talking about a very low end ebike here and none of the cons are really pointed out - because it was produced by the manufacturer. Get ready for some funky guitar background music!
I like that it has mechanical disc brakes for improved stopping and also an LED headlight for safety (be sure to also get a tail light as it is a legal requirement in most states... along with a helmet). Since the light it comes with appears to be battery powered (in addition to the add on light which will also be battery powered) you have to worry about keeping those batteries charged and removing your light each time the bike is parked so it doesn't get stolen. At just 52 pounds this bike is pretty reasonable as compared with other higher end
city style or
mountain ebikes. It appears that they offer only one frame size (probably medium/large 19") and have a 350 pound weight limit. Regardless of that spec, this is not going to carry anyone over 100 pounds up a hill without pedaling assistance. If your friend is a recovering alcoholic and may choose to drink and ride please help them with a helmet and be careful about letting them ride when intoxicated as it is entirely possible to get more-hurt on a bike than in a car because there are no seatbelts, air bags or roll cages to protect you from yourself or another vehicle.
Let me know if you have any other questions or thoughts. It's nice of you to help your friend out and he's lucky to have your support
