E-Bikes for hunting, fishing, general outdoors trail usage?

[Parasite]

Since the technology on these things keeps getting better and better and more brands come to market, what have you found to be the best for the outdoorsman currently? I am in the market for a e-bike, or maybe even a e-motorbike, or e-scooter.

Im not really interested in going fast. Range, quality, reliability are the features I am looking for. I also think I would prefer a step-through frame if I was getting an e-bike. Not interested in bikes that are no longer in production (like the Ranger by QuietKat for example) just due to availability, etc.

Use cases:

1) Carry it with my on a boat float down a river and use the e-bike in lieu of using a shuttle service.
2) Hunting big game miles behind closed gates.
3) General scouting, wildlife watching during the summer months out in the wilderness.

[TommyH]

Near 0 experience from me on this but am also interested in one, buddie has a “rad rover 5” and has liked it but had some issues I guess. I’d love one.

[freshgrease]

2) Hunting big game miles behind closed gates.

I own a bandit x-trail and love it when I can use it but this right here is the biggest drawback... E-bikes aren't allowed on pretty much all state and federal land where you'd want to take one over a car, they're considered motorized vehicles 

[NOCK NOCK]

Tried one this year. my  ,

Hard to go slow on them,(brakes got a workout)
Spend to much time watching the road/trail/rocks so I didn't wreck.
Didn't seem to be able to handle much of any grade at all without me pedaling alot. Im too dang old fat for that chit!

Mine is a few years old and was free. If I was purchasing, I would look into a E motorcycle type personally.

[boneaddict]

I can tell you deer absolutely hate the sound of them.   Antelope Island case in point, used to be a decent place to go to see big bucks.  Among other things one of the biggest impacts have been an ebike rental shop and the use of them on the trails on the east side of the island.   It has pretty much driven all the deer away from the road.    When it first started and I was down there taking photos, one of those bikes would come through and the deer would vacate the scene.   A car load of squeeling Japanese tourists would hardly catch their attention, but one of those bikes and they were gone.   

[luvmystang67]

There are two main types, mid drive and hub drive. Mid drive bikes allow you to “gear down” the motor and get more climbing power. Hub motors are direct drive to the wheel and cannot take advantage of gears. Mid drive is more of a diesel equivalent… workhorse, more expensive and louder. Hub motors are quieter, cheaper, and good, but not great for heavy loads on steep grades. Basically all of these bikes are the same… Chinese motors, batteries and frames with American branding. I like M2S brand for value… same motors and gear as like Backou or Quiet Kat, half the price. The whole BS of higher quality components is kind of crap. They all use Shimano gear sets… kenda tires and a host of other traditional bike components that all together might cost $500 to completely replace. Not worth spending $2000-3000 more for.

Keep in mind that even lighter ones weigh 70+ lbs and might be hard to use for rafting. But you could drive down and stash one in the bushes at your pull out location.

Pretty good used deals now days as well. You should be able to get a good hub motor bike for <$1500 and a good mid drive for <$2500 if you wait for a sale or look for slightly used.


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[CarbonHunter]

We have 3 in our family and the mid drive is definitely better going slow but still having power for the hills. I can climb the steepest of hills with just the thumb throttle if I choose. When shopping either new or used make sure you get a generic battery design so you can buy replacements cheap direct from China.

I would stick with an e-bike over the E-motorcycle as when the motorcycle runs out of battery there is no peddle backup. Depending on how much peddling you do and how big of a battery you have you can ride most of the day on an e-bike. Heck I am usually wore out before the battery is but then again I’m an old fart these days.

[CP]

Your use case #1 is a good idea if you have the room in your boat.  A moped style E-bike would be perfect for riding the road back to your rig.  These can usually hit speeds of north of 30mph.  The downside is they are bit heavy for loading and unloading.  Also, drivers can be real *censored*s when it comes to sharing the road.  There’s a lot of passive aggressive E-bike haters and inattentive drivers to deal with.

I'll add a use case #4.  They are fun to ride!

[bearpaw]

2) Hunting big game miles behind closed gates.

I own a bandit x-trail and love it when I can use it but this right here is the biggest drawback... E-bikes aren't allowed on pretty much all state and federal land where you'd want to take one over a car, they're considered motorized vehicles 

  and wardens are actively looking for this illegal use

[hunthard]

Lot's of e-bike haters on this site, take it for what it's worth.

[Humptulips]

Maybe I am considered a hater but really not. I have considered buying one. The problem I see is there is just not many places I can legally ride one that I can't use the PU.
I can see the merit in your first use but the others I have found at least where I hunt don't really exist. I understand it is different in other areas especially other states so it might make sense out of my area.
I do get upset if I run into one in a place I have pedaled back into because no motorized vehicles are allowed.

[Parasite]

Lot's of e-bike haters on this site, take it for what it's worth.

Yeah, I see that. I never mentioned about doing anything illegally but people just assume that and cant stick to the topic at hand.

[chester]

They are pretty pointless in my eyes. The only places to legally use them I’d rather be on a motorcycle, or in a side by side. Seems like they hit a niche market when they first came out but most land has seen them for what they are. Motorized. So basically worthless unless you’re trying to be quiet while illegally riding.

[Parasite]

They are pretty pointless in my eyes. The only places to legally use them I’d rather be on a motorcycle, or in a side by side. Seems like they hit a niche market when they first came out but most land has seen them for what they are. Motorized. So basically worthless unless you’re trying to be quiet while illegally riding.

Again, off topic.

[CarbonHunter]

#2 - I will say the thing that has keep me from doing this is that when you get 5-10 miles behind the gate you are stuck with a 70# bike that needs a trail or road to get back out. You can no longer just head up and over the ridge or down the draw to hunt your way out.

And for the haters of e-bikes, it is just as illegal to drive down a paved road at 5 mph hunting the asphalt in my opinion as it is to take an e-bike or motorcycle behind a gate. If you’re going to cry foul for one call foul for all. Some states allow vehicles under 50” wide and others do not. Some treat e-bikes the same as bicycles and others treat them as motorbikes. Know before you go and follow the rules of the area you intend to use it.

[blackveltbowhunter]

The eMTB world has gotten craaazy good. I would look into that market if concerned about weight and ease of getting in and out of a boat. Many of them are lighter than most of the standard models I see guys using for hunting bikes. Down side is cost and they are pedal assist only ( if looking for one with a throttle, most of them are not setup to run that way).

   Research components more than brands IMO. Its been mentioned nearly all the major players are using the same components and simply building ( or branding ) frames. However not all component levels are the same so make sure your comparing apples to apples when looking at price.

   If using it in any kind of hilly terrrain, or putting any load on it do not waste your time or money on anything other than a mid drive.

 

[CP]

Back to use case #1.  The Lectric XP Lite 2.0 - 50lbs, 20mph, folds into a small package, less than $1000.

[The G Spot]

I have a specialized Levo. It’s pedal assist. I ride it mostly for mountain biking all over the state but it doubles as a great quiet transportation on roads/trails while hunting. I’ve ran into multiple WA LEO on it and they say if it’s pedal assist you can stay loaded as well- unlike quad, SxS or pickup. In turbo mode I can do 20-25 mph to get somewhere quicker and quieter than my truck. In eco mode I can cruise at 3-4mph with no effort. Battery lasts forever in eco mode.