Link: Narrak S180 on Amazon

E-trikes meet the needs of a specific market. They offer most of what a traditional e-bike offers, but with more stability and safety. While you’re not going to be jumping an e-trike off a ramp or covering extreme terrain on one anytime soon, they’re perfect for cruising, transportation, or just having fun on!

E-trikes come in a variety of sizes and Narrak’s S180 is a big boy. It’s designed for riders between 5’0 and 6’5 and the frame shows it. It’s physically big. At 6’0, I have to stand on the pedals to to hop up on the seat. This is not an e-trike for kiddos. The 20″x4″ off-road tires are ready for roads, gravel, or dirt.

The Narrak S180 comes 90% assembled. The thing is packaged incredibly well with zip ties and foam padding everywhere. It took me about two hours to put everythig together although if pushed to do it again, I could do it in half an hour. All the tools needed to assemble the trike are included. One thing I really likes was that all the nuts, bolts, and screws were already in place so I was able to skip the frustrating step of digging through a plastic bag in search of the right piece. From fenders to baskets, all you do is remove the bolt from where it goes, put the part in place, and reattach the bolt. This greatly simplified the assembly process. All of the hard stuff like brakes and electronic lines come pre-conencted.

Unlike the other e-trike I own, the Narrak S180, like most e-bikes, has pedals. It’s chain-driven and has seven gears. You can pedal around for as long as your legs will hold out, and when you get tired that’s when the pedal-assist feature comes in to play. When turned on, the pedal-assist will kick in while you’re pedaling, giving you a boost depending on the level of assistance you’ve set. And when you’re tired of pedaling, simply use the throttle located on the right hand grip to drive around, giving your legs a rest.

The S180’s 750w (1,350w max) battery provides up to 50 miles of range on a charge. Of course that’s under ideal conditions and if you’re going full throttle up steep hills all day long, I’m sure you’ll get less. The LCD screen has both an odometer and a speedometer, and shows (among other things) how much battery life is left. The screen is not the easiest thing to read in direct sunlight, but out of the box the Narrak S180 hits speeds up to 20mph, so chances are your eyes will be focused on the road, anyhow.

Physically, this thing is built like a tank. The fenders and baskets are made of metal. All that metal adds up and the S180 comes in at 100lbs, but it feels solid. Both of the storage baskets are large and made of solid metal. On a recent trip to the convenience store I put two 12-packs of pop in the rear basket, no problem. The e-trike does fold up to make transporting it easier and the battery is removable, but in the end you’ve still got to lift 100lbs to take it on the road; easier done with two people.

Other niceties include an electric horn, a headlight, and a tail light. The seat is large, with an adjustable back rest.

After putting a few miles on the Narrak S180, here’s my esperience. First, 20 miles per hour on an e-trike feels super fast, and there are ways to make it go even faster if you want. Even at the lowest setting the seat is pretty high which gives you a good view of the road ahead, but also made it feel a little top heavy in the corners. The rear of the trike doesn’t bend or flex in the curves, so you’ll want to slow down before making a sharp turn. Out of the box there’s a bit of hesitation between the moment you twist the throttle or start pedaling before the motor kicks in, but this can be changed via the display and the manual will walk you through the process. The battery’s 50 mile range is outstanding — I’ve been driving this around since I got it and haven’t recharged the battery yet. The knobby tires invite riders to head off road and although I’d be hesitant about wandering too deep into the woods, it handles dirt and gravel just fine. The storage baskets are large and convenient and I was able to store my helmet and backpack in the rear with no problems.

If you’re looking for a large and rugged e-trike, the Narrak S180 is waiting for you.

Link: Narrak S180 on Amazon