Engwe Engine Pro Test and Review

Full Off-road testing with detailed review

Folding e-bikes come in all shapes and sizes, from tiny commuter-orientated machines, designed for last mile travel through to high performance fat tyre electric bikes. This article features one of the latter – In this Engwe Engine Pro 750w review, I’ll take a detailed look at the specification and give you a full test ride report.

Engwe Engine Pro First impressions

Prior to receiving this e-bike, I was familiar with the Engwe brand – their range of fat tyre folding electric bikes are popular and have a good following in many European countries.  I was initially expecting to receive the entry-level model, so was pleasantly surprised when I opened the box to find the ‘top-of-the-range’ Engine Pro 750w with peak power of 1000W.

☑️ Packaging and delivery: The bike was dispatched localy and I received the Engwe Engine Pro within 4 days of the order being placed. The bike was very well packaged (see photos) and delivery was through UPS tracked delivery.

☑️ Package weight: It should be noted the box is very heavy for one person to lift on their own – I would recommend two people to move the box as it weighs nearly 35kg.

☑️ Assembly: There is some assembly work involved. Thankfully, Engwe have included all the necessary tools and a well written manual. The front wheel needs to be fitted. Plus, the steering column, pedals, front mudguard and seat post / saddle. If you’re not comfortable assembling the bike yourself I would recommend finding a local bike mechanic.

☑️ Charging the battery: It is recommended to charge the battery fully before use – this takes 3-4 hours. The charger has an EU plug, but came with a UK plug adapter.

☑️ General condition: I couldn’t find any marks or scratches on the paintwork and the bike was very well protected within the box.

Engine Pro Key Features

One thing that impresses me about this e-bike is the specification. The Engwe Engine Pro boasts full suspension, hydraulic disc brakes and a very smart full colour display with loads of functionality and customisation. Plus, there’s the added bonus of a motor regenerative feature. There’s a lot of tech features for an e-bike priced under €1500.

☑️ Motor: The Engwe uses a 750w 48v geared rear hub motor, integrated into a six-spoke mag wheel design. Maximum nominal power output is 750w, but it will peak at 1000W off a fresh battery. The controller can handle a maximum of 18 amps which would give a maximum power output of 979 watts (when the battery is fully charged).

☑️ Regenerative engine braking: This puts a small amount of energy back into the battery when the bike is coasting – I have tested this out, please see the more detailed appraisal below.

☑️ Battery: This latest version has a 48v 16Ah battery (768Wh) which is a decent capacity on a bike at this price. I’ve yet to test the full range, but after a ride of around 6 miles (9km) 17% of the battery was depleted (I used full power mode a lot for the test).

☑️ Display: A full colour display is brimming with features and functionality that puts a lot of more expensive e-bike displays to shame. You can do things like customise the individual assist levels and enable features like the regen engine braking. Also, you can view real-time power output and battery voltage.

☑️ Remote keypad: The five-button keypad is very tidy and is located next to the left hand grip (next to the thumb throttle).

☑️ Dual suspension: There’s some meaty looking suspension forks upfront which seem quite sturdy and a rear shock absorber. Even with me sitting on the bike (I weigh 102kg) the rear suspension works very well and didn’t bottom out. The front forks have a lock-out feature and have some preload adjustment.

☑️ Hydraulic disc brakes: Logan brakes are not a brand I’m familiar with. But, they work very well and I can’t fault their performance so far. I would put them on a par with Shimano MT200.

☑️ Shimano Altus 8-speed gearing: An 8-speed trigger shifter paired with the Shimano Altus rear derailleur make for very precise and crisp shifting right out of the box. No adjustment was needed my end, although this may vary from bike to bike.

☑️ Cargo rack: There is a very tough cargo rack included and you could fit a dog carrier or even a child’s seat. Alternatively you could fit a large basket for trips to the shops.

The Engwe Engine Pro 750w is packed full of features not usually found on an e-bike of this price. It’s good to see hydraulic disc brakes and 8-speed gearing. The suspension works well and the general feel of the bike is sturdy. The large cargo rack expands the versatility making it feasible to be used for carrying large items (like shopping) especially together with huge Engwe rear carrier bag.

First test ride – Initial impressions

I’ve been sent the Engwe Engine Pro to keep, so I’ll be putting in more miles over the coming weeks. This is based on my initial test ride of around 6 miles.

☑️ Comfort and sizing: The Engwe is a big bike, but is designed to be ridden by riders of various heights. I’m 6’1″ (185cm) and with the handlebar height and saddle adjusted found the Engine Pro to be very comfortable indeed. The gel saddle will offer support for riders with wider sit bones. My daughter who is 5’8″ (176cm) also found it comfortable – I would imagine anyone much shorter than 5’4″ might struggle as there is quite a long reach and the handlebar height is still quite high, even when lowered fully.

☑️ Performance (pedal assist): The Engwe uses a traditional cadence pedal sensor (measures pedalling rpm) and is very smooth in operation. It doesn’t jerk on and off – the power comes in strong enough for that initial push-off and then builds progressively. In full power mode the power just keeps on building until your pedalling cadence can’t keep up at around 22 mph. You can continue ghost pedalling and the motor will keep going until about 28mph (on the flat).

☑️ Performance (throttle only): A thumb throttle fitted next to the left hand grip will be very useful for riders with limited mobility. It can be used in conjunction with the pedal assist or on its own. On the flat (in full power) it took me up to 28 mph comfortably and on a slight decline went up to 32 mph. On slight inclines, speed would drop significantly and on steep hills it was necessary to pedal to keep the bike going.

☑️ Motor noise: Unlike a direct drive motor (which are virtually silent) this motor uses a planetary gear system to improve efficiency. This does make it rather noisy in full power mode and the motor emits an audible whine. This is quite normal for this kind of motor.

☑️ Hill climbing: I did try the Engwe on a couple of very short and steep hills (20% max gradient) and in full power mode I only needed to add moderate pedalling force to keep going – definitely within most riders comfort zone. As stated above, you do need to pedal on hills if using the throttle (this maybe less of a problem for a lightweight rider).

☑️ Handling: Fat tyre e-bikes aren’t always the best choice for riding on tarmac – the higher rolling resistance and width of the tyres can make them feel somewhat sluggish. The Engwe Engine Pro didn’t feel too bad in this respect, but you could feel the tyres effecting the handling on tight, low speed turns. At higher speeds this wasn’t so noticeable.

☑️ Braking: The Logan hydraulic brakes impressed me – I didn’t get any brake fade on steep descents and they performed well with good bite and modulation. The pads look like regular Shimano hydraulic brake pads.

☑️ Suspension: The front suspension coil spring suspension fork with lock-out and preload adjustment. These forks look ‘beefier’ than some forks found on similarly priced e-bikes. Combined with the large tyres they did a great job of smoothing out the rough road used for the test ride. I, was equally impressed with the rear suspension – there’s 100mm of travel and despite my heavy weight, it worked really well and didn’t bottom out during the test ride. Plus, it added to the comfort giving the bike an almost ‘magic carpet’ ride.

☑️ Folding: Folding the Engwe is easy and once you get the hang of it takes less than a couple of minutes – the weight can make it a bit tricky at first though, and I would recommend two people to lift it into the back of a car or van.

 

Based on my first ride impressions, the Engwe Engine Pro 750w is great fun to ride! It’s very comfortable and feels nice and stable out on the road. The high volume tyres combined with dual suspension makes it feel like you’re floating on air!

 

Performance is very strong from the 750w motor and all but the steepest of hills are almost effortless, with only minimal rider input required. Being able to configure the assist is also a big bonus factor (more on that below). Having a throttle will be great for riders who have trouble with the initial start due to health problems and it’s great if you just want a break from pedalling.

How does the Regenerative system work?

I’ve had a chance to test the regenerative system to see if it actually works. Below I’ve detailed how (and if) it works and how to activate it.

☑️ First of all you need to be in Eco mode. Then, it seems to only work in assist level 1 or 0. You will know it’s working when the power bar (on the display) goes green. As you are coasting down a hill (or pedalling with no assist) the green bar will get longer, as more power goes back into the battery.

☑️ To get the maximum regeneration, you will need to be coasting at 20 mph. The motor is effectively turned into a large dynamo and you can feel the drag as you go down a steep hill. In fact, I tried this on several steep descents and the bike would not coast above 21 mph, and it feels like the brakes are on slightly.

☑️ If it’s a long enough descent you should see the battery percentage increase – after a descent of about half a mile, the battery went from 54% to 71%. But, as soon as I rode up another hill, battery was back down to 54%.

 

 

Is the Engwe Engine Pro legal?

This is where things get tricky. In the UK and EU, current e-bike law states 250w continuous power output (higher peak power of 500w is acceptable) with a maximum assisted speed of 15.5mph (25km/h) and a throttle that cannot be used about 6km/h.

Personally, I think in order to encourage more people to use e-bikes, the law needs to be revised but electric bikes like the Engwe blur the lines between e-bike and moped as they can be used as both. The Engwe Engine Pro can be easily restricted if desired or there is the Engwe Engine X which is a road legal version.

Shimano Gears

🏆 Winner: ENGINE PRO

Conclusion – Is the Engwe Engine Pro the best choise?

The Engwe Engine Pro 750w (peak 1000W) is a lot of e-bike for the money. It feels rugged and comes across as being well put together. There is only one negative – it’s quite heavy. It comes in at 32kg, which for some people is going to be too heavy to take up stairs or even get into the back of a car.

Performance from the rear hub motor is strong and smooth. I’ve yet to test the full battery range, but anecdotal reports suggest a real-world range of around 40 miles (64km) using mixed assist.  There’s an eco, normal and sport mode – plus, a choice of up to 9 assist levels (5 out of the box). And, you have the ability to fine-tune the assist levels and turn on the regenerative system. There’s also an auto light function which switches the lights on as soon as it gets darker.

I’m impressed with the amount of customisation you can do through the display – you can really personalise this bike to suit your individual needs. All in all, I can highly recommend the Engwe Engine Pro 750w – if you’re after a versatile and rugged folding e-bike with bags of power, comfort and lots of tech features, it’s hard to beat for the price. 

Latest User Reviews

Check what other users think about

  1. ENGWE ENGINE PRO - Original price was: 1.499€.Current price is: 1.479€.

    3
    Reviewed on July 24, 2024 by Vicent Gari Isach

    Ahora ya estoy utilizando mi Engwi y, aunque aun no he relizado todas las pruebas puedo decir, que si la suspension funcionara como esperaba de ella y como dicen otros evaluadores, le podria asignar las 5 estrellas. Por lo visto me ha tocado a mi la unica Engwi con la horquilla delantera i la suspension central, que de vista estan muy bien per no funcionan en absoluto. He intentado que algun taller me lo solucione, pero tampoco lo encuentro. Ahora eligiria otra que a ser posible tuviese el respaldo tecnico necesario.

    + PROS: Excepto las suspensiones, todo me parece bien.
    - CONS: Las suspensiones un fracaso que decepcionan a cualquiera.
  2. ENGWE ENGINE PRO - Original price was: 1.499€.Current price is: 1.479€.

    Reviewed on June 21, 2024 by PayHelp

    Hola Juan,

    Aquí hay un video que muestra cómo puede limitar la velocidad en su ENGWE ENGINE PRO.

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1egrZaNjMTRvLqWx08yGUu91yGx7Q5-KD/view

    ¡Gracias y por favor avíseme si tiene alguna pregunta!

    Miguel

  3. ENGWE ENGINE PRO - Original price was: 1.499€.Current price is: 1.479€.

    5
    Reviewed on June 19, 2024 by juan david ordoñez

    hola, quiero limitar la bicicleta a 25 km hora pero no me deja, como puedo hacerlo?

  4. ENGWE ENGINE PRO - Original price was: 1.499€.Current price is: 1.479€.

    5
    Reviewed on June 15, 2024 by Hansi franke

    Gutes fahrad

    - CONS: Finde nichts wegen Display Sperre Code falsch eingegeben kann es nicht mehr startenh
  5. ENGWE ENGINE PRO - Original price was: 1.499€.Current price is: 1.479€.

    Reviewed on June 4, 2024 by PayHelp

    Bonjour FOURMENT,

    Merci de nous faire part de vos commentaires. Nous sommes heureux que vous soyez satisfait de votre vélo.

    N’hésitez pas à nous contacter si vous avez des questions !

    Salutations,
    Équipe Engwe

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2024-12-14

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