Having gotten the chance to review the Turboant X7 Pro electric scooter, we didn’t waste much time agreeing to follow up with another product. The Turboant Thunder T1 Fat Tire Electric Bike represents the company’s flagship electric bicycle, with tons of power, ample range, and the ability to cruise for as many as 60 miles on a charge!
This E-Bike actually works pretty well for an in-town commuter solution. It also has the safety features you need to make sure you’re the only one taking it for a ride!
Turboant Thunder T1 Fat Tire Electric Bike Overview
By way of introduction, the Turboant pitches the Thunder T1 Electric Bike as. solution for commuting, in-town driving, or even when you need to traverse hills or uneven terrain. This electric bicycle goes well beyond what you might tackle with a scooter!
Having spent a lot of time reviewing products with brushless motors, we didn’t need much convincing to know that more powerful designs can provide lots of torque and speed. We didn’t, however, know how Turboant would integrate this technology into the full-size Thunder T1 Fat Tire electric bike.
They chose some very specific technology partners and design choices that, when put together, make this a very appealing package. Even at its $1700 retail price, we find it hard to ignore the value proposition of this E-bike.
The Overall Design
Immediately, you can’t ignore the oversized pair of 26×4-inch Kenda puncture-resistant fat tires. Fat tires have been around for a while, and they let you tackle off-roading in a way that delivers lots of confidence. We first saw them on the beaches up in South Carolina. There, these fat-tire bikes glided over the sand in a way that regular tires simply couldn’t.
While we’d prefer a regular tire for street-riding, there’s something about fat-tire bikes that makes them super comfortable. Most of that has to do with air pressure. With these larger tires, you can fill them with less pressure (PSI). We frequently put our road bikes up around 60 psi or more. Mountain bikes typically see around 20 psi or so. With the fat tires on this Turboant T1 Electric Bicycle, you can drop the PSI down to 8 to 10 psi. If you want to use it in the street, plan to inflate the tires to around 20 PSI. It will still give you a very comfortable ride.
Integrated Technology
You can’t ignore some of the technology and names that appear on the Turboant T1 E-Bike. First, you get a Shimano drivetrain with 7-gears available from a thumb shifter.
The Shimano derailleur also seems solid and has a lot of adjustability to dial everything in just right.
The Turboant Thunder T1 Electric Bike also gives you some adjustability on the front forks. When riding on streets, you can lock the forks for a better ride.
LCD Display and Mode Indicator
The LCD display doesn’t win any awards for design, but it gets the job done. You gain quick visual access to your current speed as well as trip distance and time. You can also monitor things like your maximum speed and average speed (my favorite).
The most important part of this display, however, centers around the display of the Pedal Assist level. You can control your pedal assist from 0 (none) to 5 (maximum). This influences just how much power the Turboant T1 bike puts out once you begin pedaling.
Possibly the most advantageous aspect of this particular E-Bike is the combination of 7-speed gearing and pedal-assist. When you put the two together, you really create an almost limitless customizable powertrain to get you where you want to go in the most efficient manner possible.
How the TurboAnt T1 Electric Bicycle Works
Hop on the TurboAnt T1 Electric Bicycle, and you may spend some time wondering how it all operates. You have two critical things to know about this E-Bike. The first involves the aforementioned Pedal-Assist modes. With these modes, the hub-integrated 750-watt brushless motor contributes to the work of pedaling. As you ramp up from 1-5, Pedal Assist grants you more and more power as you pedal.
Stop pedaling, and you coast. Apply the brakes and you stop much more quickly—as you might expect. Experimenting with these modes seems critical for anyone wanting to really operate this electric bike proficiently for commuting. It only took us a short time to feel comfortable not only deciding on our favorite pedal-assist modes but also practicing switching between them when needed.
Of course, using the half-twist throttle, you can press the red button and increase or decrease power manually. For those wanting to operate the T1 more like an electric scooter or motorbike, this method works really well.
Possibly the most advantageous aspect of this particular E-Bike is the combination fo 7-speed gearing and pedal-assist. When you put the two together, you really create an almost limitless customizable powertrain to get you where you want to go in the most efficient manner possible.
How Fast Does This Fat Tire E-Bike Go?
In a word (or two): It’s pretty quick (OK, that’s 3-1/2 words!). The speed really impressed us for commuting applications. The Turboant T1 Fat Tire E-Bike lets you go up to ~20 mph and hold it for a considerable amount of time. If the auto shop keeps my son’s car past the weekend, he could easily use this to get to and from work.
With the pedal assist modes, I could easily find a pedaling speed that worked great for getting around my neighborhood. While we did most of our testing on the road, the bike did fare well over grass. Hills, as anyone who lives in Florida knows, are a bit hard to come by!
Braking with the Tektro Aries brake levers felt smooth. They quickly brought me to a stop when coming up to a stop sign or light. They complement the already excellent ergonomics of the leather-wrapped handles.
48V 14Ah Locking Removable Battery
For safety, the Turboant T1 E-Bike includes a 48V 14Ah locking removable battery. With a key, it quickly unlocks and can be removed from the frame. We recommend taking it inside for storage and charging as that will extend its life. However, the removability serves a dual purpose—making the bike less appealing to thieves when you have to leave it parked. The Dorado battery, made by Reention, has some heft to it, but it also easily fits into most full-size backpacks.
The battery offers a considerable amount of runtime and we rode this bike for dozens of miles before recharging. Depending upon how much pedal-assist you use, it could go up to 60 miles according to Turboant.
While you can see the charge level on the LCD display while you ride, the battery itself has a 4-bar display for checking charge level. We like the way it unlocks using a key and we keep that right with the charger to avoid losing it.
Turboant T1 Electric Bike vs RadRover 5
It seemed to make good sense to compare the Turboant T1 Electric Bike vs the RadRover 5. Overall, these bikes match up pretty well—from features to price. The RadRover claims a bit more load capacity, but we could chalk that up to how they chose to rate it—or the additional frame weight.
| Thunder T1 E-Bike | RadRover 5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Max Speed | 19.9 mph | 20 mph |
| Max range | 35-60 miles | 45+ miles |
| Battery | 48V 14 Ah (~605Wh) | 48V 14 Ah (~605Wh) |
| Removable Battery | Yes | Yes |
| Charge Time | 7 hours | 6 hours |
| Motor | 750W | 750W |
| Wheels | 26″ x 4 fat | 26″ x 4 fat |
| Derailleur | 7-Speed Shimano Acera | 7-Speed Shimano Acera |
| Braking | Tekto 7.1″ rotors | Tekto 7.1″ rotors |
| Max Load | 264 lbs. | 275 lbs. |
| Weight | 73 lbs. | 69.6 lbs. |
| Price | $1700 | $1700 |
Conclusion
The Turboant Thunder T1 Fat Tire Electric Bike presents a pretty excellent value for those looking for a commuter or just something fun for the weekends. It also compares favorably against much more expensive products. The capacity, speed, range, and features all come together into a package that’s easy to appreciate.
Turboant Thunder T1 Fat Tire Electric Bike Specs
- Tires: 26 x 4 in. tubed pneumatic
- Motor: 750W brushless
- Battery: 48V 14Ah Samsung removable
- Charge time: 7-hours
- 7-speed Shimano derailleur
- RST hydraulic front fork
- Max speed: 19.9 mph
- Braking: Tektro Aries
- Range: 35–60 miles
- Max load: 264 lbs
- 3W LED headlight + LED brake light
- Price: $1699
Get more info here.
