Prodeco Outlaw SS Electric Bike Specs, Video & Pictures
Feb 22, 2013
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Prodeco makes 2 other Outlaw models, the SE and EX, that are limited to 20 mph and therefore are street legal.
After you review the fllowing specs, video and pictures make sure you checkout the full review of the Prodeco Outlaw SS that includes ride characteristics, range test results, pros, cons, and overall impressions!
Prodeco Outlaw SS Specifications
Frame: Prodeco aluminum frame
Fork: HL Corp 650 double crown magnesium 140mm (5.5 inches) travel suspension fork with 20mm thru axle
Motor: Rear hub direct drive 48 volt, 750 watts (1200 watts peak) motor
Battery: 51.2 volt 9 amp hour LiFePO4 (lithium iron phosphate) 32 cell battery
Assist Options: Thumb throttle with battery level indicator on right side of handlebar
Drivetrain: SRAM XO twist grip 8 speed shifter, SRAM X9 8 speed mid derailleur
Brakeset: Avid Elixir 5 Hydraulic Disc Brakes with Avid 200mm HS1 Rotors
Stem & Handlebars: Truvativ bar and stem with leather lock on grips
Cranks: SRAM S600 42Tx170 PS crankset
Pedals: Truvativ Hussefelt platform pedals
Tires: Continental Trail King 26″ x 2.4″ wide tires
Seat: Gyes leather saddle
Total Weight: 62 lbs.
Sizes: Medium
Price: $2,199 (at time of testing)
Warranty: Lifetime frame warranty, 2 year warranty on all other components.
Here is a link to the information page of the Prodeco Outlaw SS electric bike.
Checkout the Video & Pictures of the Prodeco Outlaw SS!
The Prodeco Outlaw SS in it’s off road element!
The Outlaw SS on the trail.
The Outlaw SS and the red rocks of Sedona, AZ.
The Outlaw SS sports a 140 mm (5.5″) double crown suspension fork. That’s a lot of travel!
The command center of the Outlaw SS. Truvativ handlebar and stem, thumb throttle with battery level indicator, Avid Elixr 5 hydraulic disc brake levers, SRAM XO grip shifter, and leather lock on grips.
The Avid Elixir 5 hydraulic disc brake lever, leather lock on grips, and the backside of the thumb throttle.
The thumb throttle and the battery level indicator on the Outlaw SS.
Avid Elixir 5 hydraulic disc brake lever, SRAM XO 8 speed grip shifter, and leather lock on grips.
Closer look at the double crown suspension fork on the Outlaw SS.
200 mm rotor of the Avid Elixir 5 hydraulic disc brakes. You need powerful disc brakes when traveling at 28 mph!
The fork on the Outlaw SS has a 20 mm through axle for keeping the flex at the fork / front wheel connection to a minimum.
Continental Trail Kings 26″ x 2.4″ wide knobby tires come stock on the Prodeco Outlaw SS. These are aggressive off road tires!
Truvativ platform pedals and SRAM cranks come stock on the Outlaw SS.
The Outlaw SS motor and 8 speed freewheel.
The Outlaw SS motor provides 750 watts of nominal power and sustains speeds up to 28 mph (45km/h)! Also shown is the Avid Elixr 5 hydraulic rear disc brake.
The 51.2 Volt 9 amp hour lithium iron phosphate battery. The pack easily slides off the back of the rack when the key is turned to release the pack. There is a battery level indicator on top of the battery and a built in taillight on the backside.
Your’s truly out riding the Prodeco Outlaw SS amongst the cactus!
Putting the Prodeco Outlaw SS to the test on the Sedona, AZ trails!
The Outlaw SS and an Arizona sunset.
Now checkout the full review of the Prodeco Outlaw SS!
-Pete
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Build spec is getting better, but why an off-brand, dual-crown, super long travel fork? Why not just a Rock Shox or Fox 100-120mm standard fork? And why the goofy frame?
I don’t understand why e-bike makers think their off-road bike should be so different than what works for normal mt bikes. Take a regular, popular hardtail mt bike, and put your motor and battery on it. Why is that not understood?
That frame is totally dorky looking, and where else do you see hardtails with dual crown forks?
I guess they’re not really marketing to actual mountain bikers, they’re marketing to people who are currently non-riders? Must be a different demographic.
I’m interested to hear how it rides. I don’t see why i would buy this bike though, instead of just installing a kit on a nice, normal mountain bike.
One word Troy – FLORIDA. The only mountain bike trails are the bridges. 😉
I’m glad I just picked up a Stealth Bomber instead. You get what you pay for and if you want a real off road machine – there is only one and it rocks. Goto youtube and search “stealth bomber e-bike columbia” to see what it can do on and off roads outside the USA. Got to love the Australians for making a real e-bike from the ground up ignoring all of the US and Europe regulations and then finding a legal way to import them.
Hi Greg,
We did not design and build the bike strictly for Florida. The bikes were designed to appeal to the masses across all states and have done so quite well.
I love the Stealth Bomber but not everyone has $11,000 to spend for an e-bike. We also do not try to compare the Outlaw to the Stealth Bomber however the Outlaw could easily go up against any of the $3500-$4500 bikes while only costing $2199 to the consumer. You could buy 5 of the Outlaws for the cost of the Stealth Bomber. The Stealth is a complete different animal and an incredible e-bike and if someone has an extra $11,000, by all means should buy one. It is in my opinion the best e-bike in its class (price not being a concern) and an inspiration to all of us at ProdecoTech.
When we unveiled the Outlaw this past year, we believed most Americans would love the fact we can build such an electric bike as the Outlaw in the USA, adding 50 American jobs this past year and another 50 American jobs this upcoming year. That does not including all the man hours in building out our 60,000 sq ft facility.
The majority of people were even more positive because besides adding all these American Jobs, we were still able to offer the bikes for 40% less than what is being produced overseas under private label for the USA. While I am not knocking the China and Taiwan bikes and some of our parts do come from China and Taiwan, we just eliminated all middle channels by being direct on each and every single component or manufacturing the individual component ourselves. There are also other incentives by building the bikes here in the USA such as on the fly revisions if required and high in house quality control. All designs are done in-house besides 3rd party engineers. The final Outlaw for example was designed to appeal only to the USA buyer and not a bike brought in from overseas being changed. The Outlaw concept originated from a request from one of our European dealers but it was all the collective input from USA riders attributing to the final bike being produced. This is exciting news to most instead of people knocking it.
We wish more companies brought their production to the USA but realize it is extremely difficult because we lived it for the last 5 years. Our learning curve has now passed and we entered the industry at the absolute perfect time. We are now able to produce high quantities while maintaining our low pricing and actually improved the quality even further. It may be more difficult for existing manufacturers or new companies to mimic what we have done but more companies should at least do final assembly in the USA.
Regarding your comment “you get what you pay for”, what is the implication? In this case, the customer is getting much more than they paid for. If they attempted to build such a bike on their own with a DIY (Do it yourself) kit such as Troy mentioned and utilize the same components we do, the cost would be much higher than $2199. If you do the math, just the bike alone would sell for close to $2000 when taking into account the Elixir 5 Hydraulic Brakes, Avid 200mm HS1 rotors, SRAM X9 XO drivetrain, leather saddle and grips, dual crown Magnesium fork with hard anodized aluminum stanchions (or RockShox XC32), 20mm sealed bearing thru axle hub, Conti Trail Kings tires, Triple Box Anodized rims, Truvativ Components including Truvativ sealed bearing platform pedals. The pedals along are $100 in a bike shop. Even the headset is a sealed bearing integrated CNC’d aluminum cup set that is $50 in any bike shop. We took every single individual component into account when producing this flagship bike.
Greg, you should also look into battery cost if making the statement “you get what you pay for”. Have you ever priced a 32 Prismatic cell Lithium Phosphate (LiFePO4) 48V battery system? Most companies would charge over $1000 for that battery alone. It is produced from the highest grade auto industry cells. We have an under 1/10 of 1% failure on the cells and offer a full warranty for 2 years on that battery.
I apologize if it seems I am being a little defensive but the Outlaw is an amazing bike offering the rider tremendous value in a very high quality product. If a rider does not like the fork as Troy suggested, there is plenty of savings in an Outlaw purchase that they can afford any fork they want. When our team spoke with dealers and riders in regards to the decision of the fork, we found the majority wanted the double crown fork once they actually seen and tested the fork in person. It looks incredible yet has a very simple 2 coil spring design. There are 2 adjustments to increase or decrease the spring tension but firms springs are used instead of medium. Double crown forks are found on many style bikes from an Electra beach cruiser to the Stealth Bomber e-bike that Greg just mentioned in his comment. It really depends on the individual. Currently we inventory RockShox Recon Gold forks (a $500 fork) for another model bike we produce in the USA under private label for someone. We are more than happy to offer an Outlaw rider a trade if they directly request at a nominal charge. If the Outlaw owner does not want the upgraded RockShox Recon Gold but still a RockShox, in less than a few months we will have in our facility RockShox XC32 forks and we will trade an Outlaw owner the XC32 for no cost but they must ship the Double Crown fork back to us. We believe most owners will love the Double Crown fork once they see and ride it but that may depend on their riding style and use of the bike.
Once again I apologize for leaving such a long comment but we are very passionate about the electric bike industry and what we produce. Our huge team of American workers has so much pride in the bikes being produced each day and they read the blogs and websites. They can understand certain criticisms and understand not every bike design is for everyone but only when the criticism truly makes sense.
Robert Provost
CEO
Prodeco Technologies
Very nice video. The Outlaw looks great on those trails. Looking forward to the full review.
Hi Troy,
Thank you for sharing your thoughts about our Outlaw bike and your opinion. The frame design for this model is the same as our folding frame withg the exception of the hinge and adding a downtube versus gussets. The folding frame geometry points where a huge hit for our company and such an incredible success we did not want to change other than a rigid frame.
We do realize everyone has their own opinion and not everyone will love the design or color perhaps. We have 22 models total and why designs may vary from model to model. I know when I go into a bike shop I may fall in love with only 1/2 of the designs in the shop and sometimes wonder why some other designs exist but realize what floats one person’s boat will not float anothers. As a USA manufacturer, we have to realize there are many personalities out there and we must do our best to produce a design we believe will accomodate the majority and that is what we have in the Outlaw. The reception has been overwhelmingly positive and higher than we could have expected. The Outlaw design was first placed as a prototype at different events and dealer evaluations including guidance on line drawings were requested. There was basically a 99% thumbs up as how it stood and nobody wanted to revise. We felt our USA in-house design team at that point had it right. Actually, based on sales so far, we are confident they did succeed. Color wise, the Outlaw is available in a more subdued Graphite or White Metallic for those who do not like Orange.
The dual crown fork was also a cross road decision for us. We had to speak with many dealers and get their input. Some dealers requested their buyers of this style bike wanted over the top where we could easily have just done a RockShox.
Since we are a USA builder, if a dealer prefers RockShox, we could do a RockShox Recon Gold if requested and have them in stock. There would be no delay to utilize the RockShox but ask that the dealer order 10 if doing so and we can ship in about 1 week.
Regarding the rider the Outlaw was designed for. The off road rider buying an Outlaw for downhill riding we realize may be limited to less than 5% of purchasers. I believe out of the 100 or so Outlaws just shipped since last month, I think Pete is the only one who when mountain riding with it. Most riders cruise or ride light trails but we loved seeing the videos of the bike off road.
Troy, as far as what you may feel is a real mountain bike, we do have a full suspension mountain e-bike on the horizon coming out this summer. That bike does have front and rear RockShox suspension and designed for very aggressive riding with tons of torque off the line for climbing steep inclines. That bike may be better suited for your style and will have a complete different frame design. It will be out this summer in time for Interbike in the fall but production is slated for year end. The Outlaws are shipping now.
Robert Provost
CEO
Prodeco Technologies
I have recently had three of my friends purchase Phantom x 2 s’. Although they insisted on purchasing a chinese folding bike like the one i own to which is discontinued.My type of bike has duel suspension,it folds and has a pedal assist sensor feature. Has Prodeco designers ever thought of producing such a combination?
Hi Robert,
First, thank you for your friends buying the 3 Phantom X2 bikes. We appreciate any support and spreading the word on our bikes and company.
There are a few reasons we do not have more pedelec bikes than our Titanio currently but that is changing this year. One reason has been that past 500W, pedelec systems can become dangerous for the unsuspecting rider. When a bike propels forward when pedaling, this can be dangerous on high powered bikes. Bikes under 500W are not a concern but we know of previous accidents were new riders on 500W bikes accidentally pedaled into harm’s way by not applying the brakes (brake inhibitors shut power to motor) when slightly pedaling near obstacles or traffic.
We also required a highly detailed torque sensing system rather than a speed sensing system for 500W bikes. We tested all systems available today and either not satisfied with the performance or there were availability issues. Nothing in the USA we liked and everything we did like was out of Europe, however most of the European e-bikes are pedelecs of 250W or less.
In regards to the full (front & rear) suspension folding bike: we have in-house drawings for full suspension folding bike in a 26″ wheel set but pursuing more a 20″ wheel set folding full suspension bike which may be out soon.
The full suspension bike we do have coming out this year is a 26″ wheel set and rigid frame but this bike is way over 1000W nominal and peaking at over 2000W and only throttle driven.
With that said, here is a little information on the pedelec systems we do have coming out this year. When reviewing the pedelec systems available, the one that stood out for us the most and our European dealer was the sensing system of a particular crank drive. For the past year we started working with the company that produced the torque sensor for that crank drive. The company is utilizing the same technology and producing a bottom bracket torque sensor that will work with a hub motor. We prefer a bottom bracket torque sensor combined with a hub over a crank drive for this particular line of bikes. We did not want a crank drive bike yet due to crank drive systems being better suited to riders who understand how bike gears work and will properly use their gears. With a crank drive, if gear changing is not done properly, especially off the line and inclines, the efficiency of the crank drive is lost.
A reason the system was not available sooner to our riders is due to our requirement for a high quality programmable controller that could bring the motor, battery, computer, brake inhibitors and torque sensor together. The keywords being: high quality and programmable. We needed a controller that could be programmed to the specific rider and now we have just that. The controller we will be using with the new torque sensor can be programmed in detail via a USB cable attached to a PC. This allows the dealer to fine tune the adjustment of the pedelec sensor for their customer such as torque levels for flat areas versus hilly areas. This would be done according to the rider’s preference. Some dealers may opt only to allow riders to adjust via the LCD handlebar computer which may be enough for most riders.
It was important to us that a pedelec bike be able to be adjusted for every type of rider. When field testing pedelec systems, we could never get all riders to agree to how other pedelec systems performed. We wanted to have in house and dealer available adjustments other than the handlebar computer because of the 500W bikes being obviously twice as powerful as 250W bikes.
We also will be using SRAM’s higher end aluminum cranksets instead of the cranksets that usually are associated with torque sensor systems or found on most ebikes in our price range.
So in summary, later this year we will have pedelec systems with both throttle and torque sensors and next year’s line may include the release of the full suspension folding bike with a throttle and pedelec. The full suspension high power bike this year being released will be throttle only and a rigid frame.
Robert Provost
I hate to be critical of anyone trying to advance the ebike cause, but I have to go with troy on this. Putting a dual crown 6″ travel downhill fork on a hardtail is simply an insult to anyone who knows even the basics of mountain biking. If ebike companies are ever to earn respect of actual cyclist they need to show they know the fundamentals of bicycles first. Ebike companies should strive to evolve the bicycle, not make a mockery of them.
Hi CJW,
I may not be explaining this properly or my point is not coming across for some. The double crown fork offers the increased strength/rigidness we required for a 28mph bike but a big influence was style. Sort of like what Trek did with the 69er single speed and a double crown fork. Did one of the world’s leading bike manufacturers (Trek) make a mockery of the MTB bike? Where I can respect your opinion, you should do the same for what e-bike riders are asking for. If you do not like it, that is fine but because you do not like it does not make it a mockery. Soft suspension robs an electric bike of its distance. The firmer the ride, the longer the distance and that is just basic 101 e-bike fundamentals. I believe even most road bike riders understand that.
There is a reason why so many e-bike companies have come and gone. They built bikes they felt would sell or based on their own opinions. We did the opposite and went to the public. Before we built our first production bike, we placed concepts in front of 2 million sets of eyes and did surveys. We built what the public wanted and we did not do so by attending bike events but instead Auto events to get people out of their cars. If we would only listen to a few opinions or built only what we personally believed would work, we probably would have been a statistic. We however are extremely proud of our bikes and not for 1 second believes we are mocking the e-bike. It is actually the complete opposite or why else did we become 1 of the top 3 companies in the industry in 2 short years of production. I don’t think because we mock it if that is what you are suggesting.
Where we also wanted the strength associated with a double crown fork due to this bike traveling at 28mph, we were going for a certain over the top look as well. From our market research, we have achieved it and find the majority love it as it stands. I think this may be the first time we are hearing that someone is insulted by the Outlaw having a double crown fork and feel we are mocking the industry. I believe your criticism is off basis and does not take the majority of public opinion into account.
About the Outlaw being considered a full blown off-road bike. The Outlaw is considered an offroad bike due to not being bike path legal. We do not anticipate many riders however taking this bike on a downhill race which is what a double crown fork would be only be intended for. Even though you may not agree with someone using a component for a style image besides just use, there are many individuals who build their own bikes as hardtails and install double crown forks because they like the look. Check online, you will find plenty of proud riders who took photos of their personally built hardtail bike utilizing a double crown.
If someone does not like something, it does not mean it should not be done. Why does Electra place a double crown fork on a beach cruiser? They obviously have done the market research just as we have. We do not look to insult riders as you suggest but we do want to offer to riders and our dealers what they are asking for. In the case of the Outlaw, it was over the top style and the riders love this bike as it stands. I also mentioned yesterday a rider can trade for a single crown fork if they do not appreciate the dual crown. I do have to say though; our inbound positive testimonials when comparing to units sold for the Outlaw have surpassed all our other bikes we have built. The testimonials are amazing and they love their bikes.
I have one quick analogy. If someone changes their rims/wheels on their car to 20″ from the stock 18″, most do so for look. In many cases the 20″ rims will ride much harder, have higher tire cost and the only benefit would be in cornering. The majority of cars I see with owners who replaced the rims to 20″ or even 22″ was for the over the top style and nothing to do with cornering. Maybe it would be insulting to the designer who designed the car but that is what the car buyer wanted.
I believe our company has impacted and advanced the e-bike industry in a positive light and I am surprised how a few people try to take that away. I can understand the competitors doing so and they do, but not from an e-bike fan.
On a last note, we understand bike fundamentals better than almost anyone in this industry but have to cater to the demand as well. When reviewing the 18,000,000 bikes that sold last year, there are reasons why certain models sell over others.
Once again I apologize to the readers for such a long comment but I wanted to make it clear, we know exactly what we are doing and our designs are for the majority and not for a few. We do not want a potential rider to believe by purchasing an Outlaw they are riding a product that makes a mockery of e-bikes because of a double crown fork. That is just completely off basis and the demand for electric bikes is increased when the neighbors see the Outlaw riding around. The Outlaw is a head turner everywhere she goes. There are more riders buying Outlaws because their friend or neighbor has one they seen in person than almost any other bike.
Our goal and we believe the e-bike industry in general is to get people out of their cars and riding e-bikes. It is not about converting existing MTB or Road bike riders to start riding electric bikes. We are designing and building e-bikes that appeal to the masses and will excite someone to get out of their car and on an electric bike. It is about saving fuel and money and having fun while doing so. We want the rider to be proud of their electric bikes and every one of our models look incredible.
As far as the fork, if a rider prefers a single crown fork, we will do a trade for them. We have however found once a person has the bike in front of them and take it for a ride, they fall in love with it as is and would not change anything.
Robert Provost
Robert, yes too long to read, maybe later, hey how do I remove the batteries? Slid on, didn’t read the instructions, works great but hated to have to lay on my back to read serial number to register and I am sure someday I might want to remove it. Also when I registered bikes I didn’t submit ## from packing,long gone, left at store.
( oh yea, didn’t submit motor SS# couldn’t find it)
Thanks,
Carl
I’d like to add to my previous comments – it’s surely difficult to pinpoint and appease mass markets when dealing with a new consumer product like the ebike, and not every model and design decision will be a hit with everyone. I’d like to commend Prodeco as one of America’s top ebike builders for making high quality products and advancing the industry in the U.S. It’s a bold decision today to forego the overseas ‘container bike’ business model and bring jobs and production home to the U.S. and the quality shows in the Prodeco bikes. But being a cyclist and builder myself I know it’s a uphill battle to win over the cycle crowd and bring legitimacy to ebikes. Why wouldn’t ebike companies want to win over this billion dollar segment of avid knowledgeable cycle consumers? Prodeco spec’d high quality name-brand components on the Outlaw that cyclists would recognize and appreciate but undid that be spec’ing a humorously large long-travel fork (intended for a very specific type of mountain biking), and did it just for looks and to be “over the top”. People that dont know what that kind of fork is for, will probably think it looks cool. It may prove to be a commercial hit. As a cyclist and ebike advocate though, I hope Prodeco stays focused on making smart, efficient, purpose-built ebikes.
Hi CJW,
Thank you for the added comments. I understand where you are coming from and do respect your opinion. Please hang in there, I think you will be pleasantly surprised with the full suspension e-bike we have coming out. It is 100% off road and not a cruiser style.
The Outlaw is an amazing looking bike in person and maybe the photos do not do it justice. The bike was on display in all 3 colors at the previous Interbike 6 months ago. We had 6 Outlaws there including 1 at the Demo Track. Those Outlaws were the first off the production line and we had plenty time to make revisions if needed. We did not start shipping until a few months ago. The bikes however received rave reviews as they stood from almost every person that seen them at the event. This included bike shop owners and other exhibitors. There were a few competitors who looked like they had tears coming from their eyes but otherwise everyone loved it. The tears part is a little joke.
Our team is so proud of the line of bikes we produce, especially the Outlaw and why this time I wrote such long commentary regarding everyone’s remarks. I feel some individuals did not understand what we were trying to achieve. The USA traditional bike industry has not had great luck in getting people out of their cars and on a bike for the short trips, we went to the public and asked them what do we need to do for that to happen. Our bike designs are the result of our asking what it would take.
Thank you again for the added comments, I do appreciate it and completely understand and respect where you are coming from.
Robert Provost
Early December 2012 I purchased the Prodeco Outlaw EX. It arrived within two weeks and was packaged quite well. Out of the box setup was simple and quick. Due to Colorado winter weather this year I have only been able to log 70 miles thus far on the bike. I bought this bike sight unseen, just research on the internet. Throwing just over 2k on my first E-bike purchase on the internet without ever seeing or riding the bike was a bit daunting, but this bike has met and exceeded all my desires and expectations. I live in an elevation challenging area and was concerned with the bikes ability to power and perform on the terrain. This bike exceeded my expectations. Componentry is quite good and the bike is well built. I look forward to many more years of fun riding. Thanks Prodeco (Robert). Pete I look forward to your full review on the SS. I will stay tuned.
Hi Robert,
Is there any price point for the full suspension mountain e-bike?
and what wil the motor be? 500W? 750W?
Thanks
Hi Grant,
Price point is $3500 but could hit $4000. One main reason is due to either a 51.2V 36Ah (powering a 48V 1500W motor with a 50 Amp peak) or 64V 27Ah (powering a 60V 1500W motor with a 40 Amp peak) battery system. The component list is the best of the best but this bike is a 2014 model year and not out until later this summer. It is strictly off road and the design is 100% off road.
We may put it up on our website by June but not shipping until late summer. The original release date was this Interbike coming up September but may release a few months early. There is no other bike we have which is similar.
Thanks for the information request,
Rob Provost
Okay, I’ve never posted before, but I’ve got to speak up. A little background, I’ve ridden only one other e-bike before, but I have had a few mountain bikes, several electric “kick” scooters, and I ride off-road motorcycles. I always wanted an electric bike since I was a kid but the cost was always an issue, hence, the scooters, I even hot rodded one.
When looking for a new solution to keep my truck on the driveway while gas hits $4 a gallon again, I was disappointed until I found the Prodeco Phantom X2. From a fair amount of research, you can not beat the combination of speed, distance, and durability for that price, you just can’t. But in the end if the bike was ugly, I wouldn’t buy it anyways. I’m not the type to ride in on something that looks like my 65 year old neighbor would ride. No offense Robert, but even if you gave me a Mariner, I wouldn’t ride it.
My 5 month old, 350 mile Phantom may not be perfect, but it works great, better than expected. I have been so pleased, (and since my wife is awesome), I just ordered an Outlaw SS. I can’t wait, and yes I do like the fork, it looks cool, and I have no intention of taking it off-road.
Bottom line, I AM their market, someone who wants to save vehicle miles, but has no delusions of what kind of bike is suited for a certain type of terrain or use.
Hey Robert, that full suspension high power bike sounds cool, it had better not make my new SS obsolete, or I’m going to be pissed! I can’t have 3 e-bikes.
Hi Robert,
My comment “you get what you pay for is exactly that.” You pointed out that I’m comparing a Ferrari (Stealth) to a Honda (Outlaw). Both are high quality, well loved machines. In some ways, they should not be compared. The line is that you get what you pay for. If want 7X times the performance and capability on and off road with 4500watts 50mph and 50 miles on a charge then you must pay $8-10k now for the best ‘legally’ sold bike vs $2k for the Outlaws 750watts 28mph and I don’t know the range. If you are riding on the flats of Florida that is great… but in the real mountains of California and San Francisco… you’ll be walking the outlaw up the steepest hills or riding the bomber up them silently at 5-10mph… so you get what is it worth – to walk vs ride to work for $2k or $10k? Lots of people buy $10k+ cars and don’t commute on under powered e-bikes for that very reason here. Honda’s new cheep 250 motorcyles kick the electric motorbikes performance and cost. The beauty of the Stealth is that it can go where both street and dirt motor bikes are illegal and blend in quietly with a normal bike on bike paths and off road – leaving them in the dust going up hill.
That is simply my point. Do you want a Hummer that goes everywhere at 100k or a Ford Explorer at 20-30k? It’s up to the person, price point and use. In the army, I’d take the hummer, for my family the explorer. FYI the military is considering the Stealth for example.
I rode a $4000 Strommer that DeCaprio is illegally riding in NY after watching the famous “Stealth Bomber electric bike columbia” – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BBRX1nCEgM – video that I fell in love with and was not impressed. It was fun pedal assist worse than 2 second turbo lag and nothing like a motorcycle torque. I thought e-bikes had torque like the Tesla beating the Ferrari except for the Bomber with Dangerous Torque. I also waited 3 months to see customer reviews on the Outlaw to no avail until now on amazon or youtube. This is the first one.
I mean no disrespect for you or your company, I am glad you are employing Americans and attempting a mountain bike from Florida. The Stealth is a true Electric Dirt Bike / mountain bike hibred that can take big people like me 240+ pounds up steep hills that no legal e-bike can do.
Youtube shows videos of the $10-12k Optibike with 750 watts and that bike with a small rider barely makes it up an average hill with a screaming geared engine at walking speed.
The Bomber is dead quiet and truly stealth and like the expensive Stealth airplanes costs more… but yes, it costs 5X and it is exclusive less than 250 of the new models so far, less than an Enzo ferrari and cheeper than the e-bike street motorcycles available and with better performance and range. People stop and go wow – what is that?! The silence and performance sold me over an Optibike, Strommer and at the time unreviewed Outlaw.
I look forward to more companies making an electric bike from the ground up like Stealth rather than adapting normal bikes and adding noisy geared motors and non optimized battery placement which should be low and center for best handling – not an issue per say for a cruiser or commuter, but it is for off road, racing, jumping, and downhill performance.
I’d love to see you guys make a 4-5k version of Stealths Fighter or Bomber, but you need to open an office in California or Colorado and get a Pro off road Red Bull winning spokesperson to give your street credit plus cool.
Anyway, off road dirt bikes are not going to be affordable for a few more years when the batteries get smaller, lighter and more powerful and Congress adjust some of the wimpy 750 watt, 20mph motor laws. I don’t mind the speed limiter – 20-30mph is fine on and off road… but limiting the power is just lame like limiting Pick Up truck’s to 100hp would be to haul stuff.
Best of Luck, I like your company and bikes – but not with the current laws and restrictions.
Hi Greg,
Thank you for the comments and I do agree with you in many areas. I don’t have much time to write today but I also believe the Stealth is an amazing bike and hard to compare to standard electric bikes. It is in it’s own class and when being compared should be compared to a motorcycle versus a traditional e-bike. It is basically an electric motorcycle. The Brammo is another great e-motorcycle but meant for street riding.
There is a bike we have coming out which will be full suspension and high wattage. That bike will be more along the lines of what you are talking about.
Thanks for the response and some of the nice comments. Later this week I will try to comment more myself, Rob Provost
So Rob, back to my earlier question, is your upcoming high power, full suspension, bike going to compete with the new Outlaw SS I have coming?
Hi Dennis,
First, let me thank you for your previous comment. I truly appreciated that and yes, 100% you are the market we are going for. The majority of our sales are to the under 50 age category because of the style. We have bike shops telling us they have 18 year old kids coming in looking for our bikes when they never expected anyone under 60 coming in for an e-bike.
Our company is aggressively working on getting people not completely out of their cars but perhaps doing a local trip on one of our bikes. According to the Bikes Belong Foundation, I believe they state that 70% of all travel in the USA is a trip of 3 miles or less. More and more cities are putting in sophisticated bike lane systems. However, to get riders on the bikes, we knew we had to make the bikes high quality, affordable, exciting and the least boring. They had to be fun to ride and for the rider not to be embarrassed riding one. We believe we have achieved that with great success. The frosting on the cake is the addition of 100 more USA jobs in 2 years (50 last year and 50 more this year) and flying to the top of the industry in record time.
In regards to the new model, it will not compete with the Outlaw and closer to the Stealth. It is 100% off road and there is not a street legal version of it. It will definitely grab the attention of a police officer as if a dirt bike was on the road. That bike will require a full face helmet and a niche market.
With that said, there is chance possibly for a more civilized version but not for a while. We have had numerous requests for a full suspension path legal e-bike but have not made that decision.
Thank you again Dennis but as of now, there is no concern of any model bike we have competing with the Outlaw for the 2013 model year and most likely the 2014 model year also.
Robert Provost
Isnt it illegal to have a 28mph electric bike? Wouldnt it need to be registered as a moped? Prodeco needs to address these concerns. I just wanna be sure, because i dont want the cops stopping me and having to pay a fine.
Hi James,
We do explain to all dealers the bike is for “off road” use only in most states. The front page of the manual is dedicated to clearly explaining the bike is considered “off road” and riders need to check their local laws. It would be too late if someone purchased it not knowing their local laws so we rely on the dealers in their area to know their e-bike laws and explain them properly to their customer.
There are other multiple companies producing 28mph e-bikes and we are not claiming to be the first but more in a reasonable price range with ultra high quality components.
As far as being legal, it depends on the area and state. Even the small Razor scooters and electric sit on skateboard style scooters are not bike path legal in most states.
For someone that wants a street legal version of the Outlaw, we have the Outlaw EX and Outlaw SE. The Electric Bike Report mentions that above in his article about the Outlaw SS. We have not had anyone I know of confused yet but if someone accidentally purchased an Outlaw SS and wanted to change it to a path legal version, it is no more than changing the rear wheel. We program the motor to stop powering at 245 RPM for the path legal version instead of 345 RPM for the SS. I know if there was confusion, we would be more than happy to help the rider with the trading of the motor. With our quick disconnect and slotted stainless steel torque dropout plates, the motor is now no more difficult than changing a traditional solid axle bike wheel.
Thanks for expressing your concern,
Rob Provost
James, do you really think the cops will be hiding in the bushes using radar to see if you are doing 28MPH? Really? Just tell them you are peddling. Most bikes around here are going a lot faster than 28. How do they know it’s human power or battery power? Lets not get paranoid. IMHO.
I purchased an Outlaw SS in January. Like another had mentioned previously – without a test drive or any review of it to speak of. It was a leap of faith. I am very interested on reducing the money I give to the oil companies, this is my primary reason for getting one. I am not a bike guy, that is, I don’t study up on gear or ride a lot. What sold me on an Outlaw was 1. I looked up a bunch of bikes and found many people very happy with Prodeco. 2. Fastest of the bunch. 3. Looks Great. 4. USA made. As far as I’m concerned I am their customer base. So far I’ve got only 10 miles or so on it as it is rotten weather up here in the north. My fingers froze to the bars. What I can say about it is that it is fun and a great ride. The power was there, even in the cold which was much needed. The spring can not come soon enough.
It does seem that e-bikes should be taking off, maybe another energy crisis would do it. Perhaps the laws need to catch up to e-bikes too? Anyway my two cents as a novice biker who likes their Outlaw.
ok enough with the Prodeco spam posters praising the product!!
Tom,
These are 100% real customers and we do not gorilla market. They are responding to negative comments left by others and have every right to do so if they believe the negative comments are not reflecting their experience or opinion of the bike. Do you prefer only negative comments and no praise of the product?
Robert Provost
Does owning one and wanting to contribute to a conversation make me a spammer? I am not affiliated with the company in any shape or form. Just putting some info out there I wish I had when I was looking.
Very nice video, photos and review: Thanks! — Bike also looks tough and powerful. The question of who is the market came up. I think our media and storytellers tend to look at extremes – the snowboarder doing flips, the mountain biker doing 28mph. — I want to commute. Um…and my 65 year old neighbor wants to carry groceries.
Hi Citizenbfk, don’t worry there will be many other bike reviews that will cover commuter and cargo style electric bikes. Stay tuned 🙂
Hi Citizenbfk,
I understand you may feel the Outlaw is not for everyone and I agree 100%. This bike was designed for the 18 to 40 year old category but we do have some people in the 60’s loving them.
There are also multiple models including 4 step through versions with 250W to 500W motors. We developed over 20 different e-bikes with each one being different enough to appeal to an individual rider’s style and purpose.
Robert Provost
I am 59 and loving it, but only day one and it was a pleasure. I was a little disappointed it couldn’t make it up my driveway. Had to get off and push with some power. My driveway is 300 feet long and about 22% grade. Made it half way. I do weigh 200pounds but my son is only like 135 at the most and he couldn’t make it also. But over all it did help out on those long grades. I did wish for just a lower gear ratio for the motor. I would gladly give up a little high speed for some low end power.
Carl
I agree with above posters that OUTLAW ignores basic rules of building MTB.
Notice that is specifically Mountain Bike off road only.
putting this kind of fork on rear heavy bike goes against any design common sense.
It is not noticed in all those reviews , because I strongly suspect they are come, most of them from the same source.
You cannot cheat law of phisics
Battery and motor in the rear – it cannot be stable for sure.
Made in USA is for sure exagerrated claim, at most assembled from China brand parts in USA – would be most appropiate.
Let me respond to this one before Robert, also I need to point out that I am the same Dennis that commented earlier on this thread, NOT the Dennis that commented on the Outlaw “review” article, for all future posts I will include the “M”.
After riding my Outlaw SS for almost 500 miles over the last 4 months, I wanted to make a few statements, not a full review, just statements and clarifications.
1. The bike and fork are awesome! I get lots of “cool bike!” comments yelled out at me, and that’s without them even knowing it’s electric.
2. The double crown fork and rake angle ARE needed for this kind of speed, yes the bike is a bit much to handle at slow ( less than 5 mph) speeds, but, over 25 mph it settles down so nicely! That’s when you realize why they chose this setup. FYI, where I live, you can ride legally up to 30 mph, other restrictions apply of course.
3. Everyone that loves to point out how the bike should be made different or better, in their opinion, needs to ride one, and then consider again the major factor is choosing a bike, PRICE. Yes, full suspension would be nice, the battery integrated into the frame would be nice, as would twin motors, 85% less weight, folding, built in lights, etc. But if the bike costs as much as a motorcycle or scooter, then what’s the point? E-bikes are only practical and can only thrive in a market that supports their price point.
And no I do not work for Prodeco, I have two of their bikes, and would love to have another, and yes I did have some issues, but Prodeco took care of them. Bottom line as I’ve said before, you can’t beat Prodeco bikes “value”.
Hi everyone,
I have been reviewing the recent comments about the Outlaw models over a few of the forums including this one. I held off responding due to when I respond, I tend to want to get my point across and very verbose. I want to thank Dennis M. however for responding and I can assure you 100% he is a genuine customer. For someone to imply the positive writings are from the same source is completely false. Because they have a different opinion does not mean everyone must follow their opinion. The Outlaw has proved to be even a better seller than we originally anticipated. The off road status for the SS was due to the bike not being road legal in many states and not that it has to be ridden off road. I believe 90% of all Outlaws sold are only ridden on Asphalt.
Our company has completed the move to our new facility. This was a huge undertaking and it set me behind on my schedule and why I did not respond sooner. We are fully aware we cannot make every potential electric bike customer want our specific bike or the Outlaw but that is why we offer 22 different models. There are however a huge number of riders who purchased the Outlaw and love every second they are on it.
Regarding the battery over the rear wheel, the other choice is in the diamond but this is a big high powered LiFePO4 lithium battery. The weight over the rear wheel is roughly 12 lbs (9lb battery and 3lb mount). Millions of bikes every day are being ridden with racks over the rear wheel. Whether books for a student or some other form of baggage, there is weight often placed over a rear wheel on a bike and we did not invent this, many ebikes have the battery over the rear wheel. For our customers, it has not been a big issue. I do not understand how someone can make a blank statement that it is not stable when they have not even tried the bike. At Interbike, the largest bike event in the USA, over and over and even by our competitors we were told the Outlaw was the best riding ebike they test drove at the demo event. They actually went on the bike and tested it. We hear over and over from riders who have had the bike for some time how they love how the Outlaw ride. Maybe the disparaging comments are from a competitor, I am not sure but the weight has not been an issue.
The way Dennis M. explained it, I almost do not have to respond any further and again, he is a genuine customer. I want to thank Dennis for taking the time to write.
Our teams of workers are very proud of our bikes and the designs. This is not an exaggerated claim and we have recently opened 20 new job positions needing to be filled over the next 60 days. We are then on schedule to offer on top of the 20, another 30 positions within the year. Last year we hired roughly 50 people. For someone to comment otherwise and again, based on their opinion is shameful.
We will continue to hire over and over in the USA regardless if commenters prefer to disparage. We realized a long time ago why some people prefer to attack, it is based on their own issues, especially when attacking a product they have never seen in person or tested.
SRAM did a training session this past week in our new building and they told us there is no other facility like ours in the USA. It is not only the largest electric bike production facility, but one of the most efficient and inspiring.
Regards,
Rob Provost