E-bikes (best list) with wide tires, so-called fat bikes (best list) such as the Engwe L20 (test report) or the Himiway Cobra (test report), offer clear advantages over Pedelecs with classic tires, especially in winter on snow-covered paths. Thanks to the wide tires, they are much more stable, especially on soft surfaces, and offer better braking performance than conventional e-bikes. Of course, this doesn’t just apply to snow-covered roads, but generally to forest paths or meadows.
Engwe also offers a folding e-bike with the Engine X, among others. The battery integrated in the foldable frame with a capacity of 624 Wh (48 volts, 13 Ah) is said to offer a mileage of up to 120 km in conjunction with the 250 watt rear wheel motor with a maximum torque of 55 Nm. There are also front and rear lights that are illuminated by the integrated e-bike battery and are not powered by their own battery, as is often the case with cheap bikes. It also comes with metal mudguards and a rear luggage rack with a maximum load of 25 kg, double suspension and mechanical disc brakes as well as 7-speed Shimano gears.
Conclusion
Despite its size and weight of over 30 kg, the Engwe Engine X is a maneuverable and agile e-fat bike. However, due to its design, it does not come close to the agility of conventional e-bikes. The rear-wheel drive reacts quickly and gets the e-bike going even on inclines thanks to 55 nm of torque and 250 watts of power. With the 624 Wh battery, it offers a range of 50 to 120 km – depending on the selected drive level, rider weight and terrain.
Thanks to the wide tires, you can steer the Engine X safely even in winter road conditions. We were particularly impressed by the driving and braking behavior on snow-covered forest paths. In addition to the wide tires, the double suspension ensures comfortable transport on uneven roads. The comfortable seating position also contributes to this – you feel like you’re on a Harley.
If you want to transport it by car, you don’t even need a bike rack; you simply fold up the Engine X and store it in the trunk.
The workmanship of the EU-approved (PDF) folding e-bike is good, the equipment with 160 mm disc brakes, bright lighting system including brake light and 7-speed Shimano gears is appropriate. However, the welds are not polished. According to the manufacturer, the Engine X is suitable for people between 165 and 195 cm tall. Thanks to a payload of almost 120 kg, the Engine X can also be controlled by heavier drivers.
If you are looking for a very comfortable e-bike with good range, decent workmanship and appropriate features, you can’t go wrong with the Engwe Engine X. A trip into the railings poses no problem for the bike. But a warning sticked on the bike warns against freeride experiments. That’s not what it’s intended for.
Preis
Engwe sells the Engine X in red, black and white at a price of 1299 euros. With the code DeliaKOL50OFF this decreases by 100 euros 1199 Euro. The bike is delivered from a European warehouse. The delivery time is between three and five working days.
Engwe also offers interesting accessories for the Engine X. There is a luggage rack with an integrated additional battery for 399 euros. Luggage bags are available from 25 euros and an aluminum phone holder for 19 euros. Various luggage racks for the rear are available from 69 euros.
We show other fat bikes in the following overview:
Optics and workmanship
The Engwe Engine X is delivered partially assembled in a large box. The English-language manual describes the structure in great detail and should not be a problem even for people without English language skills, as the procedure is also explained in the form of meaningful diagrams. You don’t need your own tools as they are included in the scope of delivery.
First we assemble the fork with handlebars and then insert the front wheel. Then follow the front mudguard and the pedals, clearly marked L and R. The front and rear brakes on our example are well adjusted. If they grind due to more robust transport, this YouTube video explains how to do it.
It took us about half an hour to set it up. However, you have to allow about the same amount of time for unpacking the bike, as all parts that could be damaged during transport are padded with foam and secured with cable ties. Before the first trip we tighten all screws. We don’t have to inflate the wide tires. You are already ready to drive. We recommend a helmet for the ride, which is also available in smart. Our top 5 will help you choose: The best smart bicycle helmets with indicators, Bluetooth & music in the test.
Fat bikes are still a rarity in everyday life, which is noticeable by the surprised looks from passers-by. In addition, the bright red paintwork of the frame provides a strong contrast to the remaining black components such as tires, rims, handlebars, rear luggage rack, front wheel suspension, front chainring, as well as seat post and saddle. The high frame crossbar in which the battery is integrated is also very noticeable. The high position of the handlebars is just as unusual. The handlebars and saddle are height-adjustable, so that our test riders, who are 156 cm and 186 cm tall, were able to adopt an ergonomic sitting position. According to the manufacturer, the bike is suitable for people between 165 cm and 190 cm tall.
Using the folding mechanism integrated into the frame, users can fold the bike, which is over 170 cm and up to 130 cm high, into 104 × 55 × 84 cm.
Otherwise, the Engwe Engine The cable management also leaves a tidy impression.
Builder: Elephant Engine X
Pictures
Furnishing
The handlebars are slightly curved in the middle and almost 64 cm wide. The handles are ergonomically shaped and offer a surface for the palms of the hands. The bell is conveniently located on the left brake handle. There is also a throttle lever on the right handle, but it is deactivated by default. With it you can activate the motor support even without pedaling and thus accelerate the bike up to a maximum speed of 25 km/h. But this is forbidden in Germany, so it’s better to leave the throttle turned off.
The relatively large display is backlit and is still easy to read even in the sun. The bike computer control unit is located on the left side of the handlebars. The driver can use the plus and minus buttons at the bottom to set the motor’s assistance level (1-5) and switch the light on and off. The front light is extremely bright, and the rear light also offers a brake light.
The 624 Wh battery is located in the cross frame and can be removed using the folding mechanism.
Drive
An e-fat bike is a little more sedate than a conventional Pedelec with normal tires. We were already able to notice this with the Eleglide Tankroll (test report) and notice it here too. On the other hand, it stays on track and thanks to wide tires, a soft seat and double suspension, bumps on cycle paths, but also off-road and in the forest, do not reduce the ride comfort. On the contrary: we find the Engine X to be particularly comfortable thanks to its double suspension and ergonomic seating position. This is not only evident in the forest with lots of roots and snow, but also in the city: it swallows curbs without any problems. However, the driving noise is higher than with normal e-bikes due to the larger contact surface of the 4-inch wide tires on the asphalt.
We are also grateful for the installed metal mudguards, which protect against splashes on clothing when the road is wet. The mechanical disc brakes with a diameter of 160 mm bring the Engine
Motor
The rear motor offers the permitted 250 watts of nominal power and a high torque of a maximum of 55 nm. In order for it to develop its power, one of the two battery keys supplied must be inserted into the lock below the cross frame and turned over. Only then can it be activated via the control panel. It accelerates quite strongly and can easily bring even heavy drivers up to the permitted speed of 25 km/h. Moderate increases are easily possible with the drive. In the test, the bike also mastered steeper climbs of up to 13 percent without any problems, as did the Engwe L20 (test report) with a similar engine.
The gear ratio of the 7-speed Shimano gears does not go down low enough for steeper mountains. As is usual with rear engines, the engine needs about half a turn of the pedal to get started. When you apply the brakes it stops immediately. We didn’t notice any lag. While driving, just simulated pedaling is enough to trigger the engine’s propulsion.
According to the manufacturer, the 624 Wh battery should offer a range of up to 120 km. Due to the changeable and cold conditions of the last few days, we have only driven 40 km with the Engwe Engine so far. After a long and steep climb in sub-zero temperatures, the display at the top of the mountain only shows two out of five bars. The next day, however, five bars were displayed again.
Basically, the manufacturer’s range information refers to ideal conditions, measured with a light driver, good weather, a straight route and so on. In practice, the battery is exhausted much earlier, especially when you are traveling in sub-zero temperatures and with the highest support levels. In addition, you should not run the battery completely empty, as this will have a significant negative impact on its durability.