ProdecoTech Rebel X9 Electric Fat Bike Review Part 1: Pictures & Specs
Aug 31, 2016
8 Comments
Share
The ProdecoTech Rebel X9 fat tire electric bike just arrived for testing and review!
With 4″ wide off road tires and 600 watts of power, this fat eBike is ready for sand, snow, rough roads, and the daily commute.
This eFat bike features a 600 watt front hub motor, a 36V 14.25ah Samsung frame integrated lithium battery, the continuously variable NuVinci N380 rear hub, and much more!
The ProdecoTech Rebel X9 is a do it all fat eBike that is priced at $2,799 USD.
In this first part of the review you will get a detailed look at this bike with a BUNCH of pictures and the specifications.
Part 2 of the ProdecoTech Rebel X9 review will give you information on the ride characteristics, results from the range test, pros, cons, and overall thoughts on this e-bike.
Alright, let’s get into the details!
Here’s a closer look at the Rebel X9 aluminum frame and the integrated 36V 14.25ah Samsung lithium battery.
The 36V 14.25ah Samsung lithium battery is integrated into the down tube of the frame for centered and low weight distribution. This is a good location of the battery weight to provide solid overall bike handling. This battery is weather resistant (IP65) because it is fully silicone sealed from the inside out, including ports for enhanced water resistance. The on/off button is located on the top of the battery and there is also a charge level indicator.
At the bottom of the battery is the charging port (left side) and a USB port (right side) for charging your phone, tablet, lights, or other USB charged accessories on the go.
The battery is removed by unlocking it with the supplied key and sliding it to the side. The battery can be charged on or off the bike.
Here’s a look at the bike when the battery pack has been removed.
Here is a the battery removed from the bike with the charger. The ProdecoTech charger is about the size of a laptop charger. The battery can be charged on or off the bike.
This is the 600W (828W Peak) ProdecoTech 5 to 1 reduction high torque geared front hub motor. This hub motor has a solid looking hub shell with thick spoke flanges. A front hub motor makes this a 2 wheel drive fat eBike and that can be very advantageous for riding in sand, snow and other slippery terrain.
Truvativ Hussefelt components are spec’ed for the pedals and cranks. The pedals have a wide platform with a solid grip!
Like almost everything on the Rebel X9, the KMC K 810 Kool Chain is oversized and it looks like it can handle a lot of pedaling torque!
And this is one of the highlights of the Rebel X9. The NuVinci N380 is a continuously variable internally geared rear hub; there are no set indexed “gears”. It has a range from low to high of 380% and the range is adjusted from a grip shifter on the left side of the handlebar.
Shifting the bike is like adjusting the volume on a radio, you can dial in the exact “gear” that you want to pedaling in. This is nice because on a traditionally geared bike you may want the gear that is between the gears that are available.
Also, with the NuVinci system you can easily shift when you are pedaling hard. There are no “hard shifts”. In addition, you can change the hub to a different gear ration when at a stop.
SRAM 4-piston hydraulic Guide disc brakes are used front and rear and they provide solid stopping power. This is the rear disc brake with 180 mm stainless steel rotor attached to the NuVinci N380 continuously variable rear hub.
This is the 200mm front Centerline stainless steel disc rotor. You can also see how large the alloy dropouts are on the double crown fork! This is a good thing when using a front hub motor.
This is the ProdecoTech custom double crown aluminium fork with thick alloy dropouts to handle the torque of the geared front hub motor. It certainly adds to the style of this rugged looking fat eBike! Truvativ Hussefelt handlebar and stem also underscore the solid build of this fat eBike.
Here’s another view of the double crown fork and the Vee Devist8er 26 x 4.0 fat tires.
This is a view of the same fat tire on the rear wheel. The Rebel X9 is ready to ride on any terrain!
Now let’s take a look at the control center on the Rebel X9.
A closer look at the Truvativ Hussefelt stem and double crown fork.
On the right side you will find the twist grip throttle with battery level indicator and the rear SRAM Guide hydraulic disc brake lever. The red button on the throttle is a toggle to enable or disable the throttle. The lock on grips are a nice addition for a solid grip.
On the left side of the handlebar is the twist grip for the NuVinci N380 continuously variable hub drivetrain, the front SRAM Guide hydraulic disc brake lever, and the bell! The NuVinci grip shifter is like a volume dial on a radio; you can dial in the best gear ratio for your riding without having to select a preset indexed gear ratio.
Here’s a look at the SRAM Guide hydraulic brake lever. The Guide brake lever reach (brake lever distance from the handlebar) can be easily and quickly adjusted by turning a dial to fit your riding preferences.
The Velo Plush saddle on the Rebel X9 has a narrow performance style front and a moderately wide back part for a comfortable ride.
The profile of the VeloPlush saddle.
It’s all in the details; it’s nice to see the internal cable routing through the frame to keep the cables protected and to create a clean looking bike.
Speaking of details, ProdecoTech sends a bunch of tools and Boeshield T-9 lubricant along with their quick start guide. I have never seen so many tools included with any other bikes and the same is true for including lubricant. The Rebel X9 came mostly assembled. To ride it: install the front wheel, handlebar, and pedals.
ProdecoTech also send their lithium batteries in this box (within the bike box) and this battery box can be used again if you ever have to ship your lithium battery.
Finally, here’s a closer look at the Metallic Military Green paint job in the sun light.
ProdecoTech Rebel X9 Electric Bike Specifications
Frame: Aluminium frame.
Fork: Aluminium double crown fork with thick solid alloy dropouts fork.
Motor: ProdecoTech’s 5 to 1 Reduction High Torque Planetary Geared Motor w/ 600W (828W Peak) of power.
Battery: 36V 14.25ah (522 Wh) weather resistant (IP65) Samsung 50 Cell (18650-29E) down tube battery.
Assist Options: Twist grip throttle on the right side of the handlebar.
Display: Battery level indicator on the twist grip throttle.
Drivetrain: NuVinci N380 continuously variable internally geared rear hub. Twist grip shifter on the left side of the handlebar.
Brakeset: SRAM GUIDE 4 Piston Hydraulic with Centerline stainless steel disc rotors 200mm Front / 180mm Rear.
Handlebars/Stem: Truvativ Hussefelt
Cranks/Pedals: Truvativ Hussefelt
Tires: Vee Rubber Devist8er 26 x 4.0.
Stated Weight: 66 pounds.
Price: $2,799 USD at the time of this review.
Where to buy a ProdecoTech Rebel X9: Check with ProdecoTech for a dealer near you or purchase online.
Here is a link to the specifications page of the ProdecoTech Rebel X9 electric bike.
Checkout part 2 of the ProdecoTech Rebel X9 review for info on the ride characteristics, the range test, pros, cons, and overall thoughts!
-Pete
Review Note: Each company pays a fee for a review on Electric Bike Report because of the considerable amount of time that it takes to provide an in-depth review of each eBike. A lot of time is spent on the full range test with distance & elevation profile, the wide variety of detailed pictures, in-depth video, and the write up with the specifications, ride characteristics, pros, cons, and overall thoughts. The reviews on Electric Bike Report are focused on providing you with a detailed “virtual” look at each eBike to help you determine if it is the eBike for you or not.
P.S. Don’t forget to join the Electric Bike Report community for updates from the electric bike world, plus ebike riding and maintenance tips!
About Pete
Reader Interactions
Comments
Leave a Reply
Mfgr and model number of the chain and width of the chain pin? I have a BBS-02 750 w motor & controller with a 48v 20ah battery plus the Nu380 on a recumbent trike and was wondering if a heavier more substantial chain was available which could be subbed for the Z-10 on my single sprockets front and rear set-up. Want to do some x-country 400 km trials before attempting runs over 1000 km.. That Rebel looks like one fearsome well-built machine. I would not want to be bounced out of the saddle on that baby.
Hi Andy, that is a KMC K810 Kool Chain.
Thanks Pete!
I’ve bought 7 e-bikes over the past 6 years for myself, and my family. Almost every time, I’ve looked seriously at the Prodeco bikes, and they always seemed to have good price-performance ratios. But every time they’ve fallen short because of one criteria.
The bikes are throttle only. There is no pedelec, no pedal-assist. I greatly prefer a bike with a torque and cadence sensor on the pedals, and the more proportional the assist is to my muscle power, the better the user experience.
My Currie iZip Dash E3 is great for street riding, and responds in noticeable increments to my pedal efforts. It’s not invisible, and you definitely can feel and notice the motor’s output choices.
My Bosch Haibike Xduro FS RS is delightful, and it feels like the motor isn’t there, but I’m superman. Their torque, cadence, and gear shifting sensors blend the motor’s output with my own.
Prodeco is locked onto throttle-only eBikes, which reduces cost, but I find inferior. Also, in California, we now have laws that limit throttle-only bikes to 20mph, but pedelecs can legally go 28mph.
I hope they add a good pedal-assist.in the future.
This is a great price point. Great job Prodeco.
Amen, Derek. The criterion you mention (throttle-only) is a deal breaker for me. Pedelec is the future.
Very recently I bought a Genesis R Prodecotech. The bike is an improvement over my previous Phantom XLi, which was stolen. The Genesis handles much better, and of course, due to the higher power, is much peppier. Two hesitations have presented themselves; The downtube battery doesn’t make a consistent connection with the frame connector, many times requiring me to stop and reseat the battery. It’s frustrating when it happens several times in a row. Secondly, I’m having trouble keeping the handle bar tightened to the fork assembly. I have used enough tightening pressure to fear breaking something.
Regards…………….. Jon
Yeah, Prodeco make some very powerful and fast bikes.
I still think they’re a “bike experience”, but just barely so. With the lack of pedelec, it’s not a slam dunk. But if they add much more power, they’ll seem less like bikes than motorbikes.
I never understood the hobbyists who spend a lot of money and time modding a e-bike to where it can go 70mph, and such. It’s hard to claim that pedaling has any relevance on a vehicle of that speed.
I have a motorcycle. If I want to twist and go on a heavy two-wheeler at higher speeds, I can ride that. But I prefer pedaling a light, quiet vehicle at slower speeds.
Prodeco is good. But they’re on the edge between an e-bike and a wannable motorcycle. Go any further, and it’s not a fast bike, but a slow motorcycle.