I hope everyone is surviving the long winter if you live in a cold climate like I do. It’s really difficult to get in any reviews since outdoors is quite inhospitable but in a few weeks I’ll be at it again.
Over the past couple of years I’ve developed a deep interest in electric bikes so you can expect many more articles and reviews over the coming months. Electric bikes have opened up so many possibilities for people like me who have health issues. It’s sometimes difficult for me to regularly ride a traditional bike but I do want to begin riding those again as well.
In about a week I’ll be receiving the RadRunner from RadPowerBikes.
I first learned of the RadRunner from ElectricBikeReview.com which does excellent reviews on e-bikes – very thorough and helpful.
Honestly I wasn’t all that impressed with the RadRunner the first time I saw it. I thought it looked strange and wondered what was up with that weird tall rear rack. It also only has one gear, no suspension and a more basic controller, though now for $99 you can order a display upgrade which shows current speed, distance, and other data not available through the more basic controller.
Still, I kept going back to that video because the RadRunner, while I wasn’t sure what to think of it, intrigued me so I dug a little deeper.
I saw online what other RadRunner owners had done with their bikes and started getting a lot of ideas for my own. The best thing about the RadRunner is that it is so easily personalized and customized.
Yeah, it did seem like it wasn’t a finished product out of the gate with the bare looking rack but there are several accessories to make the RadRunner become a cargo bike, a recreational bike, a city commuter, or a little bit of all three.
Many have added painted fenders, applied vinyl striping or graphics, mirrors, racing plates, and you name it and made their bike into whatever they want it to be.
I have a lot of ideas for customizing my own RadRunner and hopefully I’ll find links to some great third-party accessories and modifications to share with you.
Yes, I am also expecting the receive the Juiced HyperScorpion this spring or early summer, depending upon how successful China is at containing the coronavirus. The HyperScorpion is still in the pre-production phase while the Scorpion has begun mass production. That production got halted by the virus which I can certainly understand.
Juiced had been on target for a March delivery and they might be able to pull that off for some lucky customers. The black Scorpion was the first batch manufactured and some were delivered to the states before the quarantine and travel bans. Most bikes and/or their components are made in China and bike companies are going to be hurting for a while.
So, I’m not sure when I’ll be getting the HyperScorpion but I can wait. There are more pressing issues in China at the moment to say the least.
When I do receive the HyperScorpion, I’ll be comparing it to the RadRunner because both are moped style e-bikes. The Scorpion (top speed 28 mph) and HyperScorpion (top speed 30+ mph) are very much like mopeds while the RadRunner still retains the bicycle look, which I hope means that I’ll be able to ride it on bike paths without fear of being told to get lost.
The RadRunner has a top speed of 20 mph and a throttle which means it is a class 2 bike. It’ll be welcome in more locations while the Scorpion will be relegated to the streets in my city and state.
Anyway, stay warm, look forward to spring, and be healthy! Photos and my first impressions of the RadRunner will be coming soon.
