Electric Bike Company Model R e-bike review: ultimate e-bike construction kit
MSRP $1,765.00
DT Editors' Choice
“With Electric Bike Company's component quality, finish, and ten-year motor and frame warranty, the Model R is a bargain.”
You select all colors
Soft ride: Wonderful seatpost suspension
Rugged build: 420 pounds cargo capacity
Excellent braking power
Unmatched customization
You might want help with colors
Brake lights are not standard
Table of Contents
Would you like to design and equip an e-bike exactly as you want it? Electric Bike Company (EBC) offers more ways to customize your best e-bike than any other company.
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EBC is best known for offering an unlimited palette of colors for nearly every component on its e-bikes. You can also select drive trains, batteries, suspensions, handlebars, wheels, tires, and more. EBC focuses on cruiser-style e-bikes, so if your ideal ride is a mountain or trail bike or you want a 28 mph-plus e-bike, EBC isn’t a fit.
EBC is the best choice for custom colors and configuration.
When EBC invited me to spec out and design a bike for review, I chose the step-through model as the best starting point to configure an ideal cruiser. My concept for this bike included simple maintenance, easy operation, and riding comfort, all at a reasonable price.
Configuring an e-bike on EBC’s website was simple and enjoyable. The e-bike that arrived at my home a few weeks later was preassembled and ready to ride. It included the features and components in my chosen colors.
Electric Bike Company Model R e-bike: purpose and best use
Electric Bike Company Model R parked with headlamp turned on.
Having established that the Model R is a cruiser-style e-bike, it’s important to mention that with EBC’s extensive option and accessories list, you could add racks and bags for carrying cargo or local touring.
The base bike weighs 56 pounds. Even with the heavier accessories I specified, including a front shock suspension, jumbo seat, suspension seatpost, and a single bar end mirror, it weighed only 67.4 pounds on my digital scale. That weight makes it a fine commuter bike because it isn’t too heavy to move over and around curbs and tight spaces.
You can find cruisers that cost less than EBC’s Model R, but the price differential won’t be much. Given the quality of the e-bike’s parts and finish and the longer-than-usual warranty on the motor and frame — 10 years on both — the Model R is a bargain. EBC assembles and adjusts the bikes in its facility in Southern California, which is also a plus.
Electric Bike Company Model R e-bike: by the numbers
Electric Bike Company Model R rear hub motor and single speed chain drive.
The standard (and only) motor is a 500-watt continuous-power electric rear hub motor that peaks at 750 watts. It can be programmed to peak at 1250 watts with an unlocking procedure obtained from EBC. The maximum torque is 60 Newton meters, which is acceptable for standard cruising applications.
EBC ships the Model R as a Class 2 e-bike, which means it has a maximum speed of 20 mph using five levels of powered pedal assistance or the bike’s throttle. With the unlocking codes from EBC, you can set it to Class 3 mode, which supports speeds up to 28 mph with pedal assistance.
You’re still limited to 20 mph with the throttle. You can order the bike with a thumb or half-twist throttle. I chose a half-twist throttle, as it’sa personal preference. Some people consider thumb throttles safer.
My happy zone while pedaling the Model R was around 22 mph.
The Model R has several 48-volt battery options, starting with a single 12Ah version with 576 watt-hours of power. There are larger battery options, but I stuck with the standard 12Ah battery, which charges in about 4.5 hours with the standard 2.5A output charger.
EBC rates the Model R’s range at 50 miles maximum in Pedal Assist Level 1 at 13 mph. If you pedal in Level 5 at 28 mph, the range drops to 17 miles. EBC does not rate the Model R range using the throttle only, but it will be less with pedal assistance.
Rear hub electric motor Class 2 48 volts
Continuous power 500 watts
Peak power 750 watts (1250 watts in Class 3)
Maximum torque 60 Newton meters
Electric Bike Company Model R battery is integrated in frame tube.
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Pedal assist level Maximum speed Maximum range
1 13 mph 50 miles
2 17 mph 43 miles
3 20 mph 35 miles
4 25 mph 21 miles
5 28 mph 17 miles
Range estimates are always rough. Mileage varies based on rider and cargo weight, speed, incline, air temperature and wind speed, road surface, and more.
Electric Bike Company Model R e-bike: comfort and convenience
Electric Bike Company Model R rear view showing taillights and the view over the saddle including the handlebars.
Bruce Brown / Digital Trends
I opted for a Jumbo Seat and an optional EBC-branded suspension seatpost, plus an adjustable front fork suspension. The front suspension absorbed minor bumps and irregularities in the streets and roads in my neighborhood, but I was even more impressed by the suspension seatpost.
The private road I live on has seams in the asphalt. E-bike front wheels usually roll over the seams with little bother, but when the back wheel hits the seam, it hurts even with a good rear suspension.
The EBC’s suspension seatpost minimized the seams’ impact better than any of the other 50-plus e-bikes I’ve tested. When I rode over the seams, it felt like the entire seat rocked back, with no shock to my rear end or back.
Electric Bike Company Model R with plush seat and Suntour NCX seat suspension.
Bruce Brown / Digital Trends
The jumbo seat and the suspension seat post had a slight downside. Together, they raise the minimum seat height to about 36 inches, up from the standard bike’s 33 inches. I’m 5 feet, 8 inches tall. I soon adapted to the extra height, but during my first rides, I strained to reach the ground with one foot when stopped.
EBC suggests 24-inch wheels for riders under 5 feet, 5 inches tall and 26-inch wheels for riders taller than that. I suggest choosing 24-inch wheels if you are shorter than 5 feet, 9 inches tall and intend to order the suspension seatpost and thicker seat.
A three-button keypad on the left side of the handlebar powers the bike on and off, selects the pedal assistance modes, and turns on the standard headlight and dual taillights under the seat.
Brake lights are not standard, which is a mistake. You only get brake lights if you select a $399 optional Tech package, which also includes turn signals, an anti-theft alarm with remote, and an EBC repair kit.
The Model R does not include a mirror as standard equipment, but an optional $39 bar end mirror (which I ordered) is available. I strongly believe that bikes ridden on public streets must have mirrors.
Electric Bike Company Model R e-bike: riding impressions
Electric Bike Company Model R motorcycle-style adjustable front suspension.
Bruce Brown / Digital Trends
I enjoyed riding the Model R, especially once I got used to the relatively tall seat height. I generally prefer to power e-bikes using a throttle, but the direct drive gear made pedaling easy, and certainly simpler than the optional 7-speed Shimano gearset, which I did not choose.
I also passed on a torque sensor for pedal assistance. Torque sensors adjust power added in pedal assistance modes based on pedaling force, instead of reacting to the rider’s pedaling speed with the standard cadence sensor. There was a slight delay before the pedal assistance power kicked in, but when I’m just cruising with an e-bike, an immediate response is not a big deal.
Electric Bike Company Model R right profile view of front wheel showing thru axle and front disc brake and brake rotor.
Bruce Brown / Digital Trends
I did miss not being able to go faster than 20 mph via throttle use only in Class 3, although I know that would compromise the legality of the Class 3 configuration. An increasing proportion of e-bike brands are sticking to the Class 3 rules.
In Class 3 mode, I could not pedal fast enough to reach 28 mph. The fastest I could go was a bit above 25 mph, and that was too much like work. My happy zone pedaling the Model R was around 22 mph, which was much easier than trying to max out.
Electric Bike Company Model R rear wheel disc brake and brake rotor.
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EBC equips the Model R with excellent hydraulic disc brakes with four pistons that grab the 180mm disc rotors firmly. I never felt a lack of braking power. With such large wheels, if the bike’s top speed was in the 30-mph range, larger rotors would be a good idea, but 180 mm is fine for a bike that is likely to be ridden no faster than the mid around 25 mph.
Electric Bike Company Model R e-bike: options and accessories
Electric Bike Company Model R left side of the handlebar with mirror, brake lever, and control pad.
Bruce Brown / Digital Trends
EBC is all about choosing colors, options, and accessories. Depending on how you configure the bike, the price can range from the base $1,499 with no options to more than $3,700 if you pick all the upgrades, including the maxed-out 30Ah battery setup. I was happy with my component choices, especially as I was focused on ease of operation.
I mentioned seat height above, but another slight surprise was using the optional mirror with the cruiser-style handlebars I selected. The bars extend back for a comfortable, upright riding posture, but the bar end mirror is also far back. It took some mirror adjusting so I could monitor the roadway behind me.
Our take
Electric Bike Company Model R front view of headlamp and carefully managed cables.
Bruce Brown / Digital Trends
If comfortable e-bike cruising is your aim, buy the EBC Model R. As I fitted out the Model R, with the jumbo seat, suspension seatpost, front fork suspension, and mirror, the price rose to $1,765 from the $1,499 base price. There really isn’t a comparable company. Solé Bicycles’ E(24) scrambler-style e-bike is available in five attractive colors, but you cannot pick colors for specific components, plus the E(24) starts at $1,899. If colors don’t matter much, the Himiway Cruiser, starting at $1,699, is nicely equipped, except for its mechanical disc brakes. The step-through model only comes in white. EBC is the best choice for custom colors and configuration.