Engwe E26 3.0
A full-suspension fat bike with a secret button that switches on a second motor. 2,000W peak and 160 Nm when you want it, a tame single-motor cruiser when you don't. 32 mph on the GPS.
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From the Review
Out on the Trail
Up Close
Detail Gallery
The Engineering
Built On Better Technology
Two Motors, One Button
Dual 600W hubs · 2,000W peak · 160 Nm combined
Hold Both Signals
The bike runs on the rear motor by default. Hold the left and right turn-signal buttons together and the front motor joins in; the display shows both. Ben's hill climb started single-motor and bogged, then switched to dual and accelerated uphill.
A Front Motor With Finesse
Most dual-motor bikes he has ridden have an on-off front hub. This one ramps: push gently and it gives a little, push hard and it pulls. On gravel the front wheel tugged instead of skidding out, and it went through the beach on throttle alone.
21 mph Inside 60 Feet
In dual-motor sport mode the acceleration test read 17, 19, 21 mph well before the driveway. Then it hit the 20 mph wall, because the bike ships locked to Class 2 and the lock is real on both throttle and pedal assist.
Full Suspension
Linkage-driven rear air shock · front fork
The Linkage Is The Star
A top-and-bottom linkage drives a small air shock, the kind of layout Ben is seeing more often on bikes at this price. It stays sensitive to small bumps, nothing rattles over potholes, and his word for it was buttery.
The Shock You Can't Tune
His one real miss. The air can has no rebound, no compression and no valve, so you cannot set it for your weight. Around 200 lbs it was dialed; 300 lbs may bottom it and 120 may never compress it. Measuring eye-to-eye and swapping in a DNM-style shock is an easy fix, and the bushings carry over.
Fork: Good, Not Long
Engwe lists 120 mm of travel on the triple-crown fork. On the trail it felt closer to 80 to Ben. No clunk, nothing cheap-feeling, adequate for gravel and light trails, but he wished for more on an adventure bike.
Brakes, Rubber and Battery
Tektro HD-E3520 · 203 mm rotors · 26×4.0 Chaoyang
A Few Feet Past The Marker
From 28 mph the two-piston Tektros ran a few feet past the 20 ft line. Respectable, but Ben felt the front keep rolling and would fit a four-piston front caliper if he owned it. They come pre-bled and swap in without cutting a line.
The Tire On 70% of Bikes
Chaoyang 26×4.0 fat tires: aggressive enough for gravel, sand and snow, with a constant centre channel that keeps them quiet on the road. Wraparound fenders keep the mud off the shock and off your back.
Battery Saver Built In
Dual-motor bikes usually chew through a pack. Ben did 17 hard miles, mostly on two motors, and still had two of five bars. Turn the front motor off on the flat and pedal in torque mode and the 960Wh battery goes a lot further.
Controls & Ride Modes
The Sneaky Bits — Second Motor and the Unlock
Five assist levels (Eco to Sport) + single/dual motor + torque or cadence + cruise control (no app)
The left-hand remote does all the work: power, plus and minus for the five assist levels, hold minus for walk mode, hold plus for the lights, and the two signal buttons that, held together, wake the front motor. A small button below cycles the screen through trip, time, max, average and live watts, which is the one Ben kept checking.
Unlocking is a coded dance rather than a menu item. Hold plus and minus to enter settings, hold plus to reach the speed limit, then hold minus for five seconds and 20 becomes 28. It took Ben a look at the manual the first time and about ten seconds the second. Cruise control lives in the same menu. Check your local laws before you do any of this.
Find Your Fit
Size & Fittings
Engwe E26 3.0 One size · 26″ × 4.0″
Engwe's own drawing. A handlebar height 47.2″ · B length 78.7″ · C reach adjustable · D seat height 34–44.4″ · E wheelbase 48.8″ · F standover 22″.
Ben is 5'9″. Seat at the bottom he was an inch or two short of flat-footing it, and the cockpit was roomy with the stem in the middle of its range.
Will It Fit You?
- Recommended rider height5'4″ – 6'4″
- Standover22″ step-thru
- Handlebar height47.2″
- StemAdjustable, 0° flat to 60° upright
- Wheelbase48.8″
- Overall length78.7″
- Max load400 lbs
- Bike weight85.9 lbs with battery
One frame, a big height range, and the adjustable stem is how Engwe covers it. Ben ran it in the middle and called the position roomy and cruiser-like with the seat low; flat and further away, it turns into more of a mountain bike stance. He thinks the stem looks a little dorky and would happily trade it for a short stem and riser bars on his own bike, but for fitting a family of different-sized riders it is the right call. The seat is the surprise: firm foam, no pressure points, and two hours in his words were “my bum is very happy”.
Plan Your Ride
Your Range, Not Mine
Engwe says 100 miles on one motor and 70 on two, both in level one. Ben's 17 hard miles, mostly dual-motor and throttle, left two of five bars. Set it for how you actually ride. A spare 20Ah pack is $359 from Engwe if you want the second-battery line.
The Numbers
Full Specifications
Source: us.engwe.com →⚡ E-System
🏁 Performance
🔧 Suspension & Brakes
⚙️ Frame & Fit
The Bike Cave Verdict
Ben's Take
“I'm blown away, man. I was not expecting this from Engwe. The bike just feels very refined. Maybe they've been at it for long enough to know what makes a good bike. Everything feels buttoned up. Everything feels tight the way it should be. And it's got a lot of power in two different very sneaky modes.”
“The seat is amazing. This seat doesn't look like it has a lot of padding, but what it does have is very tight foam everywhere on the seat. I've been out here for about two hours now filming this review and my bum is very happy sitting on this seat.”
“At its retail price of $2,399, I don't know if it's the best deal out there, but right now they've got special pricing on the bike and they told me it comes all the way down to like $1,799. At that price for this package, you're getting a lot of bike.”
👍 What I loved
- Second motor on a button: tame cruiser or 160 Nm, your call
- A front motor that ramps instead of switching, so it pulls rather than skids
- 32 mph on the GPS when Engwe only promised 28
- Linkage rear end that Ben called buttery, and a seat his bum loved after two hours
- Tektro brakes on 203 mm rotors, perfectly balanced hands-off at 25 mph
- Rack, fenders, lights, signals and horn all in the box, plus the basket at launch
👎 What to know
- Rear air shock has no valve or damping adjustment, so it fits riders near 200 lbs best
- Fork feels like 80 mm, not the 120 on the spec sheet
- Brakes ran a few feet past the 20 ft marker from 28 mph; a four-piston front would fix it
- Single-motor mode can feel underwhelming on its own
- Thumb throttle is hard to feather in dual sport mode; it wants to go
- The unlock is a coded button dance and the menu is basic
Frequently asked questions
How fast is the Engwe E26 3.0?
It ships as a Class 2 bike locked to 20 mph, and Ben confirmed the lock holds on both throttle and pedal assist. Hold plus and minus to enter the menu, hold plus to reach the speed setting, then hold minus for five seconds and it unlocks to 28. On the GPS it did 32 mph on throttle alone in dual-motor mode, and 29 pedalling in single-motor mode. Check your local laws before unlocking it.
How do the two motors work?
Both wheels carry an identical 600W hub motor and the bike runs on the rear one by default. Hold the left and right turn-signal buttons together and the front motor joins in; the display shows which motors are live. Single motor is deliberately tame and stretches the battery. Dual motor is where the 2,000W peak and 160 Nm live, and Ben used it for hills, gravel, sand and the top speed run.
What range did Ben actually get?
Engwe claims 100 miles on one motor or 70 on two, both in assist level one. Ben rode 17 miles of hard testing, mostly in dual-motor mode with a lot of throttle, and had two of five battery bars left. His estimate for that kind of riding is a little over 20 miles, with a few more if you switch to single motor for the ride home. Pedal in torque mode and turn the front motor off on the flat and you will do far better.
What is the suspension like?
The rear is the good news: a linkage-driven air shock Ben described as buttery and a little cloud, sensitive to small bumps and quiet over potholes. The catch is that the shock has no rebound, compression or air valve, so it cannot be tuned. Near 200 lbs it was dialed for him; a 300 lb rider may bottom it and a 120 lb rider may not compress it. The fork is claimed at 120 mm but felt closer to 80 to him, smooth but not long.
How much does the discount code save?
Use code THEBIKECAVE at checkout on top of Engwe's current price. The E26 3.0 lists at $2,399 and was on sale at $1,799 on the US store when this page was written, with the rear basket and a 35-litre rack bag thrown in for a limited time. Prices and bundles change, so check the link.