America’s biggest-selling ebike manufacturer has updated its flagship fat-tire ebike. The new RadRover 6 Plus is a practical, flexible and sturdy hard-tail hub drive, and it’s the first ground-up overhaul of the Rover since it launched in 2015.

Rad Power Bikes says the new frames – regular and step-through – fit a broader range of riders, from 5.17 ft (1.575 m) and up, and are tweaked for more relaxed ergonomics all round. The 180-mm (7.4-in) disc brakes are now hydraulically actuated, where previously they were on a cable, and the front fork offers 60-mm (2.36 in) of travel with preload adjustment to soften any bumps those meaty Kenda fatties can’t deal with.

Rad Power deals exclusively in hub drives, and as the owner of a couple of beefy mid-drives that have chewed their way through chains and sprockets distressingly quickly, I’m starting to come around to the idea of a motor that doesn’t put electric torque through components that were never built to handle it.

The RadRover 6 runs a new geared hub motor making 750 W, which the company says has been re-geared to climb hills an average of 25 percent faster than the previous model. Pedal power – and only pedal power – runs through a 7-speed Shimano gearset.

Rad Power Bikes

The removable battery is now semi-integrated into the frame for a somewhat neater look. The size of the battery is oddly not listed in the press release, but we’d guess it’s the same 48-V, 14-Ah, 672-Wh capacity as the previous bikes, just packaged a bit neater. You can expect ranges up to and over 45 miles (72 km).

The company has overhauled its little LCD dash somewhat, but these guys aren’t about fancy dashes or thumbswitches. You get the basics, presented practically, and that’s just fine. Big, fat fenders, headlights, tail lights and integrated brake lights are standard, and as with most of these guys’ bikes, there’s a broad range of accessories, from front and rear racks to kid seats and panniers ready to build it out the way you like.

Rad Power Bikes

The upgrades have pushed the price up somewhat – from US$1,699 for the RadRover 5 to US$1,999 for the RadRover 6 Plus – but it’s still very much at the affordable end of the ebike spectrum, and while it’s unspectacular to look at, and unlikely to win you too many admirers among the local Lycra crew, this is the kind of ebike most people would find a hugely useful addition to the household.

Source: Rad Power Bikes