We had been looking to review a full suspension folding electric bike and were excited when we were delivered the Engwe Engine Pro. E-bike frames with rear suspension are designed to handle the rougher parts of the terrain, as opposed to a suspension seat post that keeps you bouncing throughout your ride.
Right out of the box the Engwe Engine Pro is one good looking electric folding bike. The dark gray-ish matte finish with a few pops of color from the logo on the main body is actually an eye draw. In fact, so much so that within the first few seconds of pulling the Engwe out of the car, we received a compliment.
Engwe Engine Pro Folding Electric Bike: Design specs
The Engwe Engine Pro is built for more than just riding the local streets in your town. While this may sound like an odd place to start a review we have to begin with the saddle. It seems that every bike manufacturer uses a cheap seat almost like a placeholder. Maybe because they know that everyone has their own saddle preferences or they are all invested in Cloud 9 seats which seems to be the aftermarket bike seat of choice. However, the Engine Pro is equipped with a basic cushioned bike seat that is wide, comfortable enough that it actually does not need to be upgraded.
Moving beyond the seat the handlebar cockpit uses slightly ergonomic leather lock-on grips. Lock-on grips are very important especially since you will be taking the Engine Pro off-road where non lock-on grips would constantly be twisting.
The KD718 color display has become more common on electric bikes and the USB port (for phone charging) is a great added feature not found on all displays. As mentioned in our Sondors Fold XS review these color displays can be hard to read at times on really sunny days. Beyond this, the color display nicely lays out all relevant biking info and automatically turns the front and rear lights on as the sunlight dims. The display is located in the center of the cockpit so there is no adjustment clamp to rotate the handlebars.
The Engine Pro uses a 8-speed trigger shifter for gear shifting which moves the thumb throttle to the left side of the handlebars next to the plus/minus/power control pad. The thumb throttle is needed to set the cruise control (which is activated by maintaining a speed for 10 seconds) and includes a button for an electronic beeping horn.
The alloy frame houses the 48V 12.8AH lithium-ion battery. The battery does require a key that inserts under the frame to turn on the e-bike (similar to a Lectric XP). The battery can be removed when the e-bike is in the folded position for charging (key required to unlock) or you can use the in-frame charging port that is covered by a removable plug.
The full suspension is made up of a spring suspension front fork with full lockout and a rear suspension built into the rear triangle that pushes down on a mini-shock. The mini-shock provides good resistance so you are not bouncing up and down while pedaling as you feel with suspension seat posts.
The Engwe Engine Pro magnesium alloy wheels really add to the overall look of this e-bike. The rear mag houses the 750W 48V I-ERS hub motor which we will get to in a moment. Both wheels are equipped with 160mm disk rotors and Logan hydraulic brakes. Braking power is more than ample for an electric bike. The fat tires are 4″ wide CST fat tires capable of handling any trails or rough terrain. Metal fenders are included for those that don’t like mud on their pants and a heavy-duty rear rack for carrying gear with built-in rear light.
Engwe Engine Pro Folding Electric Bike: 750W Hub Motor
What sets Engwe Engine Pro apart from other hub motor e-bikes is the use of their I-ERS regenerative motor system that provides battery recharging while you ride. It is worth noting that there are conditions as to when the recharging takes place as explained in the section below.
When the regenerative system is working you will notice the amps on the display will go from green (using battery energy) to red (returning energy). With enough riding in the “red”, you will notice the overall battery indicator increase. Depending upon your riding this hub motor system, and the number of downhills, one could really extend the battery charge, thereby miles ridden on a charge.
Due to the regenerative feature, there is some drag on the hub motor. When standing with the e-bike and rolling it back and forth it is noticeable and can be felt in PAS 0. When biking in PAS 1 or higher the drag is much less noticeable, but you are also creating useable energy!
So what is I·ERS technology?
Basic Questions about I-ERS
- Q: What is I-ERS?
- A: I-ERS is an intelligent energy regeneration system that will add charge to your battery during your ride that can extend the duration of your riding time.
- Q: How does I-ERS power regeneration work?
- I-ERS is designed to provide energy regeneration in one of two ways – 1) ride faster than 14 m.p.h. while in PAS 0/1 which will regenerate 20% of the excess energy back to the battery; or 2) the intelligent sensor will rengerate 60% of the energy created while going downhill since this does not require any energy consumption.
- Q: Will the battery charging cycles be affected by I-ERS?
- A: The simple answer is, no. I-ERS power rengeneration technology keeps the lithium ions active during usage which increases the battery life. Lithium battery life is usually shortened by continual fully discharging the battery as opposed to recharging at 30-60 percent of charge capacity, not regulary charging your e-bike battery and lack of battery usage (meaning you need to be out riding).
Engwe Engine Pro Folding Electric Bike: Weight
The Engine Pro weighed in at 64 lbs. While fat tire e-bikes tend to be on the heavier side the Engwe is not unmanageable to move when folded and tires strapped together.
Engwe Engine Pro Folding Electric Bike: Riding performance and No. 1 Tip
The gearing is set up well and we were able to make full use of the gears while biking especially the low gears. The 750W hub motor with 60 nM torque provided enough power for street, trail, and off-road riding. Surprisingly we were able to ride up quite a steep hill in PAS 5 with pedaling and even added some charge back to the battery on the way down. Score!
The thumb throttle is limited to the speed of each pedal assist level. For example, riding on PAS 1 the throttle will only take you to approximately 7 m.p.h. Full e-bike speed, using throttle only, is only capable when riding on PAS 5. There are pros and cons to this type of Throttle/PAS setup. One positive is that you can easily maintain a PAS programmed speed by using only the throttle. Holding a specific speed with a thumb throttle is difficult over long periods of riding. The drawback is you cannot get an extra boost of speed beyond the PAS level you’re riding in. Cruise control also activates after maintaining a throttle speed for 10 seconds which is easier with this Throttle/PAS setup.
Our Number 1 Tip – turn off cruise control. The cruise control setting can easily be turned off by going into the Display >Advanced Settings on the display panel (display manual on Engwe website).
While cruise control is a great feature you need to be too aware of it when riding. There are times when you want short periods of speed so you use the throttle, cruise control kicks in, then you release the thumb throttle expecting to immediately slow down but you don’t because cruise control has been activated. This pattern happened a number of times while riding causing the need to quickly pull one of the brake levers to disengage the cruise control.
Engwe Engine Pro Folding Electric Bike: Bottom line
The Engine Pro is a fully equipped full suspension folding electric bike priced less than other 750W e-bikes with the added bonus of an I-ERS hub motor. We really enjoyed the full suspension feel as it did smooth some of the rougher terrains we rode on. The front spring suspension can get a touch bouncy but there is the lockout feature for street riding.
One standout is the slimmer middle frame. Compared to a Sondors Fold X which is like sitting over a barrel with a large bracket near your knees, the Engine Pro is more narrow yet still houses a large capacity battery.
The Engine Engine Pro is similar to other models we have seen such as the Rattan Fat Bear Plus, Yamme Fat Bear 750S, and the Eahora X7 which just shows the overall demand for these types of folding electric bikes and feature specs.
The Engwe Engine Pro 750W unboxing video below is very creative and worth watching. The actual unboxing starts at the one-minute mark and ends around the 11-minute mark.
Engwe Engine Pro Folding Electric Bike: Pricing and Specs
The Engwe Engine Pro Full Suspension Folding Electric Bike is currently priced at just $1,650 USD and includes free shipping. They offer discounts for their electric bikes so look for them before you order. The Engwe Engine Pro 750W either comes fully assembled or requires the assembly (front tire, stem, and pedals). Our e-bike required assembly but we have seen other videos of the Engine Pro arriving fully assembled. Engwe offers for all their e-bikes a 1-year all-inclusive warranty which is quite impressive.
The main features are as follows:
MOTOR 750W Hub Motor with I-ERS, 60 nM torque
BATTERY 48V12.8AH / Lithium cells (Battery cycle lifetime 500 cycles)
RANGE 30-35 miles (E-bike) | 60-65 miles (PAS)
PEDAL ASSIST 5 levels of PAS, Walk Assist and Cruise control
MAX SPEED 25 mph
LCD KD718 color display with USB port
THROTTLE Yes, Thumb
FRAME 6061 Al-Alloy Folding Frame
FORK Spring Suspension with Lock Out
REAR SUSPENSION HLT-100 with 30mm travel
BRAKES Logan Hydraulic Disc Brakes with motor cutoff, 160mm rotors F/R
GEARS Shimano Altus 8 Speed, Chainwheel – Prowheel 52T, Freewheel – Shimano 14-28T
HANDLEBARS Low Rise, Aluminum Alloy, 570mm
GRIPS Ergonomic leather grips
STEM Adjustable Height
RIMS 20-inch Mag rims
TIRES CST 20″×4″
PEDALS Wellgo metal folding pedals
LIGHTS/RACK Fully Integrated Front Lighting and Rear Light, Rear rack included
FENDERS Metal, included
WEIGHT 64 lbs
FOLDING SIZE 38″ x 21″ x 31″
