Ridden: Engwe's Triple, No, "Quadruple Suspension" X26 Is Unlike Any Other E-Bike Around

Ladies and gents, feast your eyes on the behemoth of a machine before you today and really let it sink into your visual cortex. After all, when's the last time you've seen anything like this? If you're like me, probably never, because who in their right mind would design a bicycle with such a frame? Apparently, Engwe, and before we go on, let me point out that there is a bit of method to their madness, and it all starts with this machine's design.

Design Evaluation

Right off the bat, we can tell that the X26 is different than other e-bikes we typically see around town. It's not shaped like a classic bike frame, nor is it shaped like other two-wheelers, the likes of Super73's machines, or cafe racers.

Instead, we're looking at a machine with one massive and hollow top tube that holds together a rear composed of two swing arms. No down tube is in place, which frees up a whole bunch of space from the front wheel, which, in my opinion, is a very smart move because this thing is rocking 26 in wheels with 4 in fat tires wrapped around those alloy rims.

Now, fat tires already prove to be quite effective in riding around town over cracked asphalt and pebbles, but another benefit is that they tend to offer a more lush riding experience, with a small downside: lots of bouncing action. In short, we can consider fat tires as a sort of suspension system.

But Engwe decided to take things one step further and make this e-bike the softest ride on the planet. At least, that's the idea. In short, the manufacturer included three suspension systems in the frame's design, and this is the main reason why the rear of the bike looks the way it does.

At the front of this monster - in comparison to my body size - lies a dual-crown fork that screams moto design, but it's clearly made just for bicycles that stick around to city streets or, at best, a rough dirt road. More suspension is found in the center of the bike, right above the BB, in the form of a shock designed to reduce any hits you take up from the road.

Finally, it's the addition of a third set of shocks and springs that really make the X26 what it is, once decently smooth and surprisingly stable ride. After tampering with those shocks a little bit, I realized you can tune the level of bounce experienced in the rear, which is rather neat, especially if you're carrying someone around on that seat.

And this is really where we realize what Engwe has done with this monster. This bike is big, and there's a reason for this; it's designed to handle those riders among us who have bigger bones and often have a hard time finding anything to support their body weight.

At least, that's one way Engwe is marketing this machine. But, with a total payload weight of 150 kg, of which around 42 kg (93 lbs manufacturer reported) is a pure e-bike, it leaves us with 108 kg |(238 lbs) to work with, which is enough for the average Joe and a couple of bags of groceries on the rear seat. Still, it seems we can push that number way further because I cruised around town with a colleague on the back, albeit very slowly, so as not to hit any bumps too big to blow up those balloon tires.

More on the design here, it's important to note that this thing is fast, even for its overweight stature. This is made possible by a 1,000 W nominal motor, which peaks at 1,200 W. It's more than enough power to handle any hill your town throws at you and enough juice to take the X26 outside of Class 3 e-bike standards; it can be unlocked to catch 31 mph (50 kph). In short, you better be wearing a helmet for this one, and watch out for the 5-0. Standard, 28 mph (45 kph) is the top speed.

But, there's one massive downside to the X26's design and one that you need to know about. If you happened to see the images in the gallery, you noticed me holding the seat in hand, with a very big hunk of something attached to it. Well, that's one of the battery packs that is housed in an X26; the second is housed in the top tube and accessed by unfolding the frame.

Back to the seat tube battery pack, I feel this could be improved for two reasons: because it's filled with batteries, there's a minimal and maximum depth where the pack must reside, and often, for riders, that may be a tad shorter, the X26 is hard to mount. Even I've had trouble getting the hang of it at first, and since the top tube is also very high, you may need to tip the bike towards you to get your leg over it.

Another problem is the frame in which this battery pack resides, or the seat tube, albeit I have never seen a seat tube quite like this one. I want to bring your attention to that hunk of aluminum tubing that extends well below the BB (Bottom Bracket) and hovers ever so close to the ground. I think you can see where I'm going with this. Read on.

As for the rest of this Frankenstein, it's got integrated lights, hydraulic brakes with motor cut-off, a decently intuitive controller, a thumb throttle, and a display that does a rather good job of letting you know what's going on with your EV. Shimano is also found on the X26 and supplies a 1x8 drivetrain setup that won't be doing much if you don't have any juice in your packs.

Ride Assessment

Now, if we take all that I mentioned above and place a human at the center of it all, what do we have? Well, that's what we did, and the experience I had with the experience I had with the X26 was, and continues to be, a rather good one, but it's not perfect, so stay with me here.

First off, there's that whole business of mounting and dismounting this bugger, a problem created because of that seat tube battery pack and even the raised top tube. But once you're on this monster and the motor kicks in, I can safely say that you'll enjoy the ride.

There's more than enough power in that motor to not only handle whatever your town throws at you, but it'll do it with a speed that most other e-bikes can't legally attain: an e-bike that goes beyond the standards set by a Class 3 rating should only be driven on a closed course or private property.

What does this relate to in terms of riding around at speeds upwards of 31 mph? It means a rather neat feeling as though you're riding a motorcycle. Even the position, slightly leaning forward, gave me this impression, let alone the speed it can catch. Its weight also helps with this effect.

The motor is also strong enough to, as I mentioned, carry two people weighing around 75 kg (165 lbs) each, but that's outside any of Engwe's product guidelines, so if anything happens, you're on your own, as I was. But this thing took it like a champ. Then, there are the speed settings that Engwe places at our disposal. Until now, the four other Engwe products I've encountered don't offer the option of selecting different power classes in which your five speeds can operate.

There's Eco, for optimized range - I squeezed out around 53 mi (85 km) with various road conditions down from the manufacturer-reported 62 mi (100 km) of peak range - Normal, for more power, but clearly less range, and finally, Sport mode, my favorite setting and unleashes this puppy's full potential. I've even seen the LCD display showing me that I'm actually pumping out over 1,200 W; around 1,312 W is the peak number I've witnessed, so there's clearly more power to be accessed.

However, this is no motorcycle, and a few aspects I feel could be improved are front-end stiffness, typically modified by paying closer attention to the fork in place, possibly a shorter-travel one, and the brakes. Only two-piston hydraulic brakes are used to stop you and all the inertia you may have atop this beast. Still, with a bit of foresight and prudent riding, you'll avoid any mishaps, as I've done to date.

Finally, three suspension systems, four if you count the tires? Yup, and Engwe is making a big deal out of this. Should they? Honestly, yeah, they should. While it comes across as a rather odd design, the functionality behind it actually sparks results. Once you hit bumps and cracks in the road, you'll barely feel it. So, for city use, this idea gets a thumbs up.

Not to go beyond the confines of city limits, you can ride your X26 to destinations nearby, but like most other riders, you'll probably want to load up this bike onto or into your car. This is where the folding frame comes in, or does it?

Remember, the X26 is heavy, bulky, and rocking the biggest wheels the industry has to offer, so once you've folded it, you're still looking at a rather bulky sack of potatoes with which you're going to struggle if you've been skipping out on your gym membership. Honestly, I had trouble fitting this into a Hyundai Tucson.

But things are different once we take the X26 off of city streets and onto rougher ground. Once off-road, there are a few things you need to know about the X26 and fat-tire bikes in general: the bounce produced by the tires can often become tiresome and doesn't offer the best level of control you can get out of a bicycle with smaller cross-section tires.

And then there's the fork and rear assembly. At the front, the fork is fine on dirt roads and even some more very small drops, but I can't really say the same for the rear. Sure, the suspension does take up small bumps, but if you hit anything too big, you'll be thrown upwards ever so slightly, causing you to come down onto that seat; you'll feel it once it happens multiple times. A slight lack of control can also accompany this event, so keep both wheels on the ground at all times.

Finally, a big feature I noticed as being problematic on the X26 is the seat tube jutting out from underneath the BB. Let me put things into perspective: you're riding along on some trail, as you see in the image gallery, and suddenly, a large stone embedded into the ground creates a little ledge. Avoid such interaction as much as you can because, as I tested, that piece of seat tube can snag on obstacles, damaging your X26 in the process and, god forbid, damaging yourself.

Also, if you don't have any experience with maneuvering a fat tire around on trails, make sure you practice a bit because the dynamics are different than your typical 2.25-inch rubbers. Throw in a rather beefy motor, and you could be ready to go home a bit battered and bruised. Always wear a helmet.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, the X26 isn't perfect, but then again, what is? Still, a few notable features to land this puppy in your garage are the triple, even quadruple suspension while in a city setting, its sheer power and speed, and the feeling that you're on some 50 CC dirt bike. But, do these features offset off-road handling and efficiency, its weight, and then, cost (currently priced at $1,800 for dual-battery)? Well, it all depends on what you're going to use your X26 for.

If it's city use you're planning on, go for it, but if you're looking for an off-road-worthy machine, this X26 wouldn't be my first choice. Then again, I come with a bit of an MTB background, and what I want my off-road experience to be like is on a different level than the X26 is built for. Weigh your options, and if you can, always go for a test ride before committing to any e-bike.

Oh, and if this puppy sounds like the kind of e-bike you'd like to get your hands on, there's a little promotion going on now (at the time of publishing) where you can win an X series from Engwe that even includes a special color scheme.

Pros

• Fast
• Good Range
• Powerful motor
• Price for punch ratio
• Comfortable on city streets

Cons

• Not the best suspension fork
• Rough on off-road use
• Hanging Seat Tube

Rating: 4.0 / 5.0