Velowave Ranger FMTB3 Review - Not My Favorite E-Bike

[@tbahry202]

As a guy who rode dirt motorcycles for over 40 years, I wanted the controls to mimic those bikes. I swapped the hydraulic lines so the right lever was the front brake, bought a $20 twist throttle for the right side, and put the gear changer on the left side. So, you can customize these bikes any way you want for cheap. I'm dig'n my ranger. Well built bike.

[@bradleyzucker4694]

me too, i added 3 batteries and the offroad controller. i also have the fenders and rack. Bought it for $700 broken, fixed it for $0 so i splurged on upgrades. also upgraded my derailer to the altus

[@jimmykwok6064]

I bought one. I can say I am a big fan! The shipping is insane. They sell rack and fender separately. I love my Ranger! I have added on an off-road controller and reached 32mph! Btw, the price is unbeatable $1499 at the final price. I compared a lot before ordering.

[@itslight2507]

Yo can you help me on how to reach 32mph

[@SsShadowbaneSsS]

@@itslight2507 you need the off road controller it’s 175$ use the code BACK to get like 20$ off not an affiliate code

[@0_1_2]

I know that you work for the company, so tell me why the batter is so expensive!?

[@cooloutac]

@@0_1_2 not sure what velowave brand battery is made of, but the batteries with samsung cells inside are crazy expensive. talking like $500 for 48v 15ah. insane.

[@timshanemelton]

I've been riding The Ranger in town commuter for over 1,300 miles now. I weight over 200lbs and am always loading 30-45lbs extra in my backpack. I didn't get the fender pk. At take off my bike lacks big torque but makes up for as times I'm easily topping speeds of 30mp without the off road upgrade. Lately I'm thinking of exploring exchanging & wheel sizes getting an extra wheel set

[@richardthomas1743]

Another thing that you would not like had the conditions been wet is that this bike has no fenders, the snap cycle did! Personally I do not like being covered with mud and water because there are no fenders. Thanks for the honest review.

[@jimmykwok6064]

I bought one. I can say I am a big fan! The shipping is insane. They sell rack and fender separately. I love my Ranger! I have added on an off-road controller and reached 32mph! Btw, the price is unbeatable $1499 at the final price. I compared a lot before ordering.

[@cooloutac]

the fenders all these electric bikes come with are noisy though and not that great imo. They bend, don't cover whole tire. I like simply plastic cardboard type fenders you just put on yourself they weigh nothing and are silent. I have one on the front of my bikes been going strong for years velcroed right on and never came off since. and one I clip on and off for the back I switch between all my bikes only when I know weather is bad. Plus if you really hate mud you can also put the mudshovel on the bottom for the full monte with all three which I do sometimes. They cheap. pop right off so you can wash them. I use the portland design brand for my fat bike.

[@OregonMike]

I love honest reviews like this, the typical YT "influencer" reviews are useless and simply disingenuous. Please keep this type of real feel content coming. 1) I would be interested in a video/information on options for replacing the wimpy sprocket with something robust. DIY or if a local bike shop can do the job and I would think that the Bend area would have bike shops with the experience to do it. 2) I would think that the very first mod needed would be to add some fenders for mud mitigation. 3) How do the various bikes compare in non-powered petal mode, even compared to a basic mountain bike? I am in the market for one of these bikes for exploring so I have been paying extra attention. Give Daisy an extra back scratch for me.

[@crocslocked5288]

Thank you for sharing! Always a great video…I do worry about the Ebikes battery catching fire… VTA lost a bus, do to a passenger returning a defective battery…

[@Ridewithgorilla]

No offense but this seemed more like a comparison than a review. I may be a little partial because I love my Velowave bikes. I loved the high quality video! I know how much work goes into that. I've subscribed to your channel.

[@PuffinPass]

That crank is probably a square taper crankset which they do to shave money and the chainring is super low cost. The 7 speed cassette and derailleur is older tech so again a money shaver on the build, the gear shifter they set it up with are notoriously bad and prone to failure but again it costs less than a thumb shifter. Overall this bike looks to have cut every corner possible including having the motor in the hub that they possibly could and the price is honestly too high for what you get with it. At that price you are right, they should have tossed in the rack and fenders at no markup.

[@amieldeshazor1663]

I found it for 1,300 and will not be going on trails and need something cheap would this be an okay purchase at that price for me

[@PuffinPass]

@@amieldeshazor1663 I couldn't say exactly and wouldn't feel comfortable suggesting anything I haven't given a long term testing to. I would see if you can find some long term test reviews and if there are common issues that come up, how difficult the repairs and parts are and if there are any warranty concerns. Honestly though I would look into swapping the grip shifters for a thumb type shifter if possible, grip shifters are known to have short lifespans and are something you would have to replace completely as repairs on them usually aren't possible.

[@amieldeshazor1663]

@@PuffinPass thank you

[@tbahry202]

@@PuffinPass My old specilized FSR has the original grip shifter, thousands of hours - no sense in swapping unless it actually fails -

[@BlazinBlades]

So bottom line: screwy, cheap but expensive e-bike Very helpful 🍻 Thanks 🙏

[@cooloutac]

Nice honest review, would love to see you compare this to the freesky fat tire electric mountain bike. X-5e. It's the other similar priced ebike on amazon.

[@raident29]

about the sprocket or also known as crankset (crank + chain ring). if that's your biggest complaint i suggest buying a shimano deore m5100 without the chainring and buy a similar tooth count chainring of your current crank set.. shimano deore is known to be bombproof. i use it on downhill rides and it holds well. it's also relatively cheap. you can get a crank for about 50-70 depending on where you buy and a chain ring for about 20

[@rshutterbug47]

I Like That You Told Everything About it & The Price & Maybe They Will Change Some Things & The Cons Out Weigh The Prows thanks

[@darrylphillips6301]

The freesky Himalaya is such an under rated brand. Samsung batteries, 32mph, headlamp. Shimano gears, suspension, bafang motor and a lot more. $1399 can find easily. Got mine Amazon 1299 plus shipping.

[@guidok3762]

As a professional Mountainbike test reporter, try to test a real e-MTB, like a Trek, Specialized or Giant. You will see the difference right away! Try a full suspension. PRO TIP! The saddle must be horizontal placed, and the saddle hight must be right ( it’s far to low now) plus you need to cycle in a fast RPM (80). Greetings from the Netherlands

[@Sthilboy56]

I agree these are all generic cheap end bikes with cheap components

[@jimmykwok6064]

Not all people can afford expensive e-bike. I think my Ranger is great. They provide a 1-year warranty on parts also.

[@frstesiste7670]

@@jimmykwok6064 Agree, these bikes are for a completely different market than the e-MTBs from well known companies. Even a non-electric MTB could easily cost more than the bike in this video, but a Ranger and similar should work just fine for dirt roads and even easy trails. Personally though I prefer not to buy bikes online as it's just too much hassle to package and send the bike back if anything is seriously wrong. Much easier to go to a local bike store and get warranty things fixed.

[@Sthilboy56]

@@jimmykwok6064 this is too high price for a generic cheap component Ebike

[@bobcobb6809]

@@Sthilboy56 you should ride it before you talk that much trash about it. 90%of first time ebike owners will be more than happy with this bike.

[@0HARE]

Thanks for a thorough, honest review. Many of us have an e-bike in our future, and your reviews help. I was at the Yamaha-Triumph-Husqvarna motorcycle shop today, shopping for my next adventure motorcycle. They had some Yamaha e-bikes on display in the showroom, and a Volcon electric scooter with BIG fat knobby tires. I recommend you check out the Volcon. It looks like just what you need. Go For It

[@kahisawheel]

7:58 oh hey Daisy!

[@bobbysnow5478]

Thanks for the video!! Keep moving up in the food chain..the real deal is out there for the $’s…unfortunately the baseline starts at 5k for An EMTB!

[@StacySalmans]

Great review. Thanks for the upfront review.

[@TrueLifeRetelling]

Would this bike be usable in urban terrain

[@GeorgeDukes-d7u]

I bought my bike 4 months ago I put 200 malex on my bike. I just wrote it and parked it now it doesn't pull on its own. Where do I get parts

[@dougsfan9984]

Get Rad Rover by Rad Power Bikes out of Washington, curious how you'd like it. I have original 2014 Rad Rover with 800 miles.

[@Morongobill]

Fair review and the only knock applied to both bikes, chintzy sprockets.

[@VoodooDewey69]

I still like it ,thro on another crank set ,a couple upgrades ,it does have hydraulic brakes though .What size is the bottom bracket ? Has anyone installed a mid drive motor on one ?

[@mediaguy4037]

If you use the ‘2022’ code you get the rack and fender and bike for around $1900

[@Eric-gi9kg]

I would agree 100% with the Twist Shift, that is right next to a twist throttle....Very Confusing. I come from a pedal road/mountain bike background, so having a Thumb Paddle shift controller is much easier to manage. Far as a power "bike "...I've only had quads, so to be honest, a twist throttle would be very new.

[@annabassett2426]

Oh man... we JUST ordered one - bummer! Luckily those things are smallish that we can switch out over time - as long as it gets us to point a - b safely and fun! Haha

[@SsShadowbaneSsS]

Y a bummer it’s a great bike

[@anniestruna]

@@SsShadowbaneSsS so far we really love it! But the grip shifts gotta go lol

[@cooloutac]

@@anniestruna eew i don't like grip shifts either lol.

[@85bigGMC]

What type of bike rack are you using?

[@metaglypto]

If you get the opportunity I would like to see some reviews of Rad Power Bikes. Specifically the RadWagon. It looks to be a beast.

[@GW-yz8fo]

How about actual battery life and charging times?

[@recall227]

VELOWAVE RANGER E-BIKE its a ToTally Awesome!!! i owe one!!

[@tjkrueger2655]

How hard would it be for them (and other bike mfgrs for that matter) to include rugged sprockets? In the scheme of a $1700 bike, the additional cost is negligible... cut corners elsewhere

[@PuffinPass]

They cut a ton of corners then marked up for profit.

[@underscr0e]

Is that bike rack on the back of the van good and sturdy? Is there a link to it?

[@oldgeezersendurochannel8487]

www.1up-usa.com/ Yes, one of the better racks you can get.

[@marciabyram6003]

Does it spook wildlife?

[@Eric-gi9kg]

Thanks to Casey's channel... I found yours...you have a New Sub

[@Charlieandbellasadventures]

what did it cost to have the van lineXed in seaside??

[@dimitristsagdis7340]

What kind of range do you get from a fully charged battery? Does it differ from the other bike?

[@aulii11]

Daisy!!

[@0HARE]

Seems like the ideal situation would be an extremely capable off-road/on-road adventure motorcycle like the Honda CRF300 Rally, or the Kawasaki KLX 300, coupled with a good quality mountain bike (bicycle). Leave the electric bicycles behind, and get the best quality mountain bike you can afford. Bicycles are for pedaling, motorcycles are for riding, whether on-road, or off-road. Go For It

[@tbahry202]

A KlX 300 is about 300 lbs (ugh) and NOT allowed to go on most trails bikes can go on. I've spent many hundreds of hours on mountain bikes, pure dirt bikes and dual sport motorcycles - electric bikes are a cool way for access to nice trails at reasonable cost and they don't destroy terrain like a motorcycle too often does.

[@richardthomas1743]

Hello Jason

[@JohnDoe-xm9ql]

Hi Jason They are no bueno. Get a little Honda trail bike.. they get big mpg. Very reliable.

[@jackdipper7686]

He mad he didn’t get the bike for free

[@watertiteman]

Thumb throttle is better/safer than the half grip throttle. My dad has a hospital bill to prove it.

[@PrimalOutdoors]

First off sorry to hear about your dad. Him going to hospital doesn't prove anything really other than he might not have been familiar with controls of the bike or he was more use to a different setup or he possibly he just had a overall lack of skill. Coming from a motorcycle racing background I am more use to the twist throttle setup, so the thumb throttle actually almost caused me to wreck several times, so I can argue that half throttle is better and safer but in reality neither are better or safer than the other. It really just comes down to user preference and taking the time to practice and familiarize yourself with the controls of the bike your using. Jason

[@outlaw7x77]

Those are Hydraulic Disc Brakes...NOT "Mechanical Disc Brakes." Also that thing on the handlebar "throttle twist" thingy that "acts like sort of a throttle twist" is a "Seven Speed Shimano Revo Grip Shifter...get it right lol...

[@nosibalasi6869]

purchased a 1400 bike and expects it to perform like a 10k bike!

[@cooloutac]

I hate when they just say "shimano" And don't tell you exactly what model derailleur as if that is not important lol. This guy didn't even show it. ITs also crazy how the expensive ebikes, meaning $2000 bikes like for example aventon aventure originally shipped with the shimano alcera, bengal ares brakes. now they only shipping with altus gears, and zoom brakes. I think they taking the hint from the chinese companies, most people would not notice the difference. SO why pay $500 more especially if we want ebikes to become more popular? And ironically the european and american companies have horrible customer service and the chinese companies actually are quick to support their bikes.

[@chriskenmotsu9]

For the price should be a higher quality, but anyway appreciate your time and effort to bring us your videos and reviews, hang loose see you lathas brahda 🤙 👍 👊

[@27slobass]

The price is low and cheaper so your not gonna get top line components as a $6000 bike, I just bought this bike for $1000 plus $200 for shipping can't beat it also look at other reviews on KZbin

[@bisayangdako1901]

I like that one twist shifter than a thumb shifter gear because it's easy for me to change gears and also it's not visible when I shift the gear's. Overall about the bike I like almost it all except the back break in my bike parts. Hey, watch my video about Velowave in my channel I've reached 4,000 plus miles check the odometer, This e-bike is enough for you to understand how good it is by reaching more than 3,000 mileage is a myth!

[@endrigjoni8317]

"25-40+ miles per full charge" Can it go 40miles fully charged? The price is affordable.

[@Bill-tp5md]

You could let me have it😝

[@PNWXMATT]

HEY BUDDY🤙🏻

[@sierramantrvlnus]

Yay!!

[@andiruslan7113]

Asyik ❤️😊❤️

[@marek199]

👍🏻

[@steveparr7816]

Would love to see you ditch this ebike bs and get back to your awesome camping videos. you cant go wrong with videos about camp fire cooking and a dog named Daisy.

[@RimfireAddicted70]

E-bikes, separating people from their money just like every other fad that rolls into town. A simple search will show a vast vast majority of these branded bikes are not manufactured here at all but simply "kits" sold by Chinese builders to your specs that you slap a label on and mark up. A builder will show you how to order all the parts directly, have the builder assemble it and save 40-60% the cost. Do your research before shopping!

[@SighOp]

So how do you find a builder?

[@RimfireAddicted70]

@@SighOp I've seen several have channels on KZbin clearing up questions and myths on Ebikes. I would do a simple search in a larger city near you and make a few phone calls asking them about what they do, where parts are ordered and pricing.

[@cooloutac]

@@RimfireAddicted70 thats a nice dream.

[@johnwilson6494]

stop being a comercial. I loved your on road concerns , things you took pics of. I have no desire to watch primal commercials. DUDE STOP !

[@andarilhoblackpillimortal4579]

Andarilho

[@BirdPhish]

I rode regular mountain bikes a lot...and I mean A LOT....I always saved up for the mid to higher end models when I purchased a bike.... the lower end bikes were always cheaply made with cheap components and would not hold up to my abuse. Same is going to be true for E-bikes....to hit the low end price point they are installing the cheapest parts around....like flimsy cranks that will let you down miles from home....no thanks. Saw a guy pushing his fat tire E-bike home just the other day with a big fat flat while I zipped by on my One Wheel GT...the sad, sad look on his face....who goes riding without a way to fix a flat??....someone who buys the cheapest E-bike he can find...hahaha

[@caninphx]

same.wirh every hobby though. people will get into it and be unprepared to handle the basic maintenance

[@jonpeterson4085]

Logan brakes suck

[@GeorgeSemel]

Well, it's an overpriced bill of goods that will not last. 2K is a lot of money to spend. This whole EV business is way overhyped and as PT Barnum once said "There is a sucker born every minute". It seems to me there are only two real choices for what you do a good proper Mountain bike and muscle power or a small dirt bike, aka offroad motorcycle. Yeah, I know you feel it will be gasoline well you are already using gas quite a bit so it's kind of moot. I see somewhere I live with small gas engines on their bikes and they get the 30 to 40 miles and about a .5 gallon or a little less. I hope you are not having to buy these things so you can do content reviews. 2K will buy quite a bit of good whiskey and even more good dog food for your companion. Plue your own bowl. Or just put it away for that time when some expensive repairs come along.

[@cooloutac]

2k is waht you spend for the more expensive ebikes that also will not last lol. At least this is 500 dollars cheaper and you actually get better customer service from these chinese companies believe it or not.