Ridden: Engwe's "Take My Money" L20 Surprises Us With Low Price, Comfort, and Capability

Ladies and gents, and seekers of their very first e-bike, gather round so that I may share with you a rather pleasant experience that I had with Engwe's L20 urban rager. The L20 is the electrified, step-through, cargo basket-filled two-wheeler you see in the image gallery, and just to kick things off, you're looking at a rather mean machine for no more than $1,200 (€1,100 at current exchange rates), sometimes less, with a discount code. Let's dive deeper and see why this e-bike might be worth every penny of that price.

You may have heard the name Engwe pop up several times on our site. After all, I've been testing this California-based company's gear for about two years now. Sure, they're put together in China, but over the years, this crew has grown to be sold worldwide, from Europe to the US; I tested the EU version and was not let down one bit regarding its performance.

Design

In order to understand a bit of what the L20 is designed to achieve, we first need to dive a bit closer into how it's all designed. Let's start with the backbone of the L20, or the frame. Here, Engwe uses aluminum to craft a step-through frame that isn't just easy to mount but also allows you to plant your feet firmly on the ground in case of an emergency or to simply keep your balance at a red light.

Onto that backbone, Engwe then mounts a pair of 20 in fat tires with a 4 in cross-section, again dictating the precise terrain where you should be using such a beast, the urban landscape, at best, a dirt road. Suppose you're looking to hit some trails found in the middle of some woods. In that case, I recommend that you don't, not because the motor wouldn't be able to handle the ride but because the frame simply isn't built to handle stresses encountered during wild trail runs. Airtime? That's strictly out of the question for bikes like these.

As for the electronics needed to power your experience, we can see a 13 Ah removable battery pack mounted against and behind the seat post, and the rear hub hides a 750 W motor that peaks at 960 W. With the 50 Nm (37 lb-ft) of torque it can produce, I can safely say that you can actually speed up as you tackle a 10% hill.

The rest of this puppy is topped off with a front suspension fork, a seat with integrated springs to please your bottom, and, above all, the two cargo carriers seen at the front and rear of the L20. The one at the front is limited to 13 kg (29 lbs), while the rear can handle a solid 25 kg (55 lbs) of cargo. Throw on a twist throttle, the same display found on other Engwe products, and cable-driven brakes, and you're set with a rather nifty, speedy workhorse.

Real-World Testing

Now, I've been riding the L20 around for a couple of weeks, even clocking in over 450 km (280 mi) in that time, which may not seem like much for an e-bike because it isn't, but it was more than enough time for me to gauge all that this bugger can do, and frankly, I am surprised. It really looks like Engwe is listening to its customer base and creating machines that appeal to the average Joe, myself included.

For starters, let's begin with this bugger's weight. As standard, we're looking at a 34 kg (75 lbs) e-bike, which means quite a bit for urban-locked people. First off, it's going to be a hassle to take up a flight of stairs; I live on the fourth floor, so you can imagine my hell. Luckily, this one can fit in an elevator, and that saved it some points in my book. And no, the frame is not foldable; I prop it up vertically, but if you've got a garage, lucky you. For everyone else, the battery pack is removable, so as long as you lock your L20 up with a strong device, you're set.

My first impression upon getting on the L20 was the ease with which I could mount it; thank you, step-through frame. Since it shares a cockpit with other Engwe machines, it didn't take long before I knew where everything was, and before long, I was flying around the parking lot. However, the 25 kph (15.5 mph) limited speed for the EU isn't enough to feed my need for speed, so I unlocked the speed cap up to the full 25 mph (40 kph) possible. That's the sweet spot for this bike.

Luckily, for people like me, who also like the feel of a moped or light motorcycle, the whole throttle function the L20 has works wonders to offer that feel. The fat and rounded tires also mean you'll be cornering similarly to the way you would on a moped or motorcycle at low speeds; just lean a little. This feeling also comes from the rather upright rider position found on the L20.

But it is a noisy one. Not only do the knobby tires produce that off-road whir whir whir we're used to, but once the motor starts to kick in, not only will you feel it, but you'll also hear it. At least all that noise is accompanied by an equally impressive level of response and speed that the motor offers.

Speaking of motor, I found it rather nice that Engwe managed to strike a balance between capability and price. For example, I can hit the top speed on this bugger in around 8-10 seconds, depending on the load of cargo I have. Best of all, the 50 Nm is enough to catch some speed as you ride uphill and can even tackle light off-road use. I'm talking about unpaved hard surfaces, light gravel roads, and sandy beaches. Again, no jumping these babies.

Regarding the range for these babies, this is where things get a bit interesting. If you happen to make it to Engwe's website, you'll notice that they advertise the L20 as having a 90 mi (140 km) range. It's not going to happen with just one battery back; I can tell you that much. Using just throttle, I was able to squeeze out around 50 km (31 mi), flying around at nearly full speed, and with pedal assistance, a tad over 60 km (37 mi) is the maximum range I could attain. The number they advertise is most likely achieved with a second battery pack, which is believable. Considering that the battery pack is a removable one, if you grab another, you can double your range anyway.

Now, this sort of power and range is rather good for how much this e-bike costs, but once you start using your cargo racks, you'll really unlock this e-bike's true potential. For example, the front rack can support up to 13 kg (29 lbs) of cargo, which means the ability to carry eggs, milk, water, juice, bread, and even some veggies. But you will need to work out a way to secure your goods; I recommend a milk or veggies crate. As for the rear, once you've thrown on a set of pannier bags, you're good to go with another 25 kg (55 lbs) of goods.

What does this mean for you and me? Well, it means the ability to carry up to 38 kg (83 lbs) of extra cargo, plus yourself. These features are indispensable in an urban setting but also allow you to take nice long trips out of town. Bring along water, food, tools, a tent, and that second battery pack, and off you go. If you encounter nasty terrain along the way, the fenders do a pretty good job of protecting the frame from debris.

Regarding ride comfort, this thing is bouncy, sometimes too bouncy. This is the result of the frame missing that top tube, which typically brings more resistance to racking and torsion forces, and those fat tires, which place four inches of air between the bike's rim and the ground, airbags. Luckily, the fork helps control some of that bounce, so mess around with rebound settings and lockout.

But, there are downsides to the L20 that I do want to point out. Because Engwe made an effort to craft an affordable machine, some systems aren't as strong or reliable as they should be. For example, anytime you build an e-bike that can hit 25 mph (40 kph) speeds while carrying cargo, you want a pair of reliable brakes.

I'm not saying cable-driven brakes aren't reliable, but hydraulic brakes would offer more control, and they aren't that much more expensive to throw on. So far, I've had no problems with these babies; I just personally feel a stronger setup is needed on any e-bike of this nature. Luckily, those knobs do one hell of a job at helping you stop on asphalt, albeit, with a skit in the rear.

Downside number two would be the drivetrain, where good old Shimano provides a 7-speed setup with a Tourney derailleur. It doesn't boast the best gear ratio, so uphill, you'll need to activate the motor, especially if you're loaded down.

Conclusion

In the end, no e-bike is perfect unless it's specifically built for you, and even then, I'm sure we can find something to complain about. But, when we put two and two together, the L20 comes across as an affordable, capable, and rather reliable e-mobility alternative. It has speed, it has comfort, and it won't break the bank, all the while achieving a bit more than the other guys. In short, "Take my money!"

Pros

• Speed
• Comfort
• Affordable
• Cargo-carrying abilities

Cons

• Brakes
• "Bouncy" frame
• Low-budget drivetrain

Rating: 4.5/5.0