Hi Tim, I'm a fellow Beast owner (version 1), and if you don't mind I'll piggyback my comments on your vid for anyone looking for reviews. Owned over a year, over 3k miles, live in the "high desert" (Mojave) near Gig Bear, steep slopes, high winds, brutal heat, horrible conditions for accoustic bike. Never had a problem with motor overheating even in 120°F. Batteries don't seem to have degraded much; LG 2170 seems to live up to its claim. Never got the claimed 90 mile range in my terrain; max 54 and could have exceeded 60 based on battery left, but I picked a route with only 4k feet of climb and gradual enough that I could stay in level 1. At a gangly 6-1, bike fits perfect on pavement but offroad wish my feet extended farther than wheels. Even with fat tires, sand that's deep, fine, dry, and soft enough has no traction. Beast is great on jeep trails, not so good on technical biike trails, especially tight switchback - it's just too long. 11-speed cassette is finicky, and the powerful motor chewed mine up; had it replaced recently, had to drive a ways to find a shop that will work on ebikes they don't sell. Someday I'll get a Rohloff hub with a belt, for the triangle has a break to accommodate installation. Minor complaints fenders are crap and basket fell out, but I don't miss either. Nothing fits on the frame - have to use cable ties. Quick release on electric cables come undone when handlebar turns too tight, like on a spill or in a car - guess I need a hitch carrier. Fits in big SUV (Dodge Durango) without disassembly, fits in compact SUV (Subaru Crosstrek) with only front wheel removed, if front passenger seat pushed forward. (If you're big enough to ride it, you're big enough to pick it up.) Never tried to see how far I can go on just throttle; usually saving power for best distance. Overall great fun, ride every day at least to work, getting fitter and glad I purchased it. Still think it's best value based on stock features for anyone tall enough. Had a small warranty issue (upper battery didn't lock in) and Biktrix shipped a replacement part right away.
This is fantastic, Geoffrey! Thank you for sharing your experience. First off, I learned how to pronounce Biiiiiktrix around my third video release! I was such a Noob!! 🤣 I've done so much exploring since this video and have grown to absolutely love the Beast. I agree that it's a huge bike and definitely not a great fit for someone too much shorter than 6 feet tall. I haven't done an serious off-roading with it, yet, but being an experience cyclist I can tell it's going to be challenging on tight single track (which we have a lot of in my area). I definitely agree that some of front cables get disconnected pretty easily if you're not careful. In fact, my right cut-off cable that attaches to my rearbrakek lever incessantly disconnects when I turn the handlebars more than about 30%. I never use the throttle, except to do my one video testing the throttle only. It was okay, but I felt kind of detached from the ride by not pedaling. My goal riding is always distance over speed and laziness! 👍🏻 Thanks, again, for your thorough review based on your experience. That's that kind of channel I'm trying to create here. Advocate, educate, appreciate. Please be sure to subscribe and keep sharing your experiences, Geoffrey.
Tim, I love the videos & have watched the whole series. Like other's, I'm suffering from paralysis by analysis in researching me first ebike purchase. Similar to you, I'm a big drink of water at 6'2" & 345 lbs. I was thinking the Juggernaut Ultra Beast 2 was the right route for me as I would surely be losing weight as I get more active. The Biktrix website was showing two different weight capacities for the Ultra Beast 2 (397 lbs & 330 lbs.) which caused me to contact Customer Service. They confirmed 330 is the correct info. That being said, could I get away with exceeding the weight limit of the Ultra Beast 2 for a short time or would you recommend going with the Juggernaut Ultra Duo 3? Whatever your recommendation is, what customization would you suggest for my size as far as fork, brakes, seat post, etc.? I don't want to overdo it now, but I'd rather buy smart & have the correct components to begin with. Thank you kindly for the informative videos and any suggestions you may offer.
Hi Dick. Thank you for the kind sentiments. I realized after the fact that I started out at about 322 lbs. I've since lost 36 lbs and am down to 286. I originally ordered the short-travel Thudbuster suspension seatpost, but it came with the low, medium, and high firmness elastomers. I had to order the extra firm elastomer for the seatpost directly from Cane Creek. It's ok, but I'm not 100% sold on how much of a difference it really makes. Also, another issue I've had is, because the Thudbuster is a small diameter than the seattube, it comes with a shim. While it fits and works perfectly fine, I do notice that over time my seat starts to slowly drop into the seattube because I can never get the seat collar to tighten enough to prevent this. It's not a huge problem; more a small annoyance. Keep these things in mind regarding your seatpost options. As far as your weight and the bike; as long as you're not bombing hardcore trails I see no reason why it can't handle your weight for moderate riding; it has mine! Just keep in mind when we exceed the weight limit, they may not honor the warranty if the frame breaks. Although, this is one damn solid and heavy bike and I would not discourage you! I mean, I had to ask myself, "What other options are out there for me?" I upgraded to the Tektro 4-piston brakes, which I think is a must for our size. Biktrix didn't have a higher upgrade option, like Maguras, when I bought mine, but I'm totally satisfied. The fork is perfectly fine for me. It has a lockout feature in the right leg, and an air compression chamber in the left. Just buy a high pressure shock pump (not a tire pump!!) so you can adjust the compression for your weight (I run between 100-110 psi). Don't fall into the "I need a huge fat comfy saddle" pitfall. This just makes bigger contact points on your butt and sit bones. The stock saddle was fine for a while, and after about two months I swapped out to a Terry Men's Liberator saddle. It's a big-butt's dream! At least, for mine! 😆 I can feel l that my rear wheel is going slightly out of round near the seam of the rim. Not sure I'm too stoked on 100mm wide rims with such a seam, but it is what it is. I've been looking to by a brand new rear wheel, but finding a 100mm rim on a prebuilt wheel has been challenging. I may just need to buy all the parts separately and see if I can get a local shop to custom build the wheel for me. Another problem I'm having is, the hub on my bike is a 36-hole, and it has been really hard to find a 36-hole rim. Finally, your height should be not problem with the bike's geometry. I've tested couple other brand e-bikes (Sondors and Aventon) and they just feel too small for me. I've been a pretty avid cyclist my entire life and I know how my bikes should feel. 🤷🏼♂️ Sorry for not releasing videos more frequently, but I work full time and it has really been cutting into my passion for bikes and videos! 😆 I'll be doing the following videos in the next 6 weeks or so: -Receiver hitch rack demo and review -Recap, follow-up review, and upgrades I've made after 6 months of owning the Beast -A 3-day Easter weekend e-bike trip (weather permitting) where I'll be testing the range and showing some great scenery.
There are a lot of variables impacting top speed. The fastest I've gone on flat ground using pedal assist is around 32 mph. The fastest I've gone on flat ground using only throttle is about 24 mph. You'll see more of this if you continue watching my other videos. 👍🏻
I'm afraid you would have a difficult time fitting the Ultra Beast 2. It's very big and weighs around 85 lbs. with both batteries. Elaine is 5'8" and it's really too big for her to stand flat-footed or ride comfortably. You might want to check out the Biktrix Juggernaut Ultra Duo line of bikes. They have a hub-drive model, and two mid-drive models with 750 watt and 1000 watt motors, respectively. As long as you don't buy the smallest frame, you can buy a second battery that mounts to the top of the downtube for extra distance (like 90-100 miles depending on how you ride). lddy.no/11uc6 I'm just finishing up a ride and review of new Elaine's Hub Duo model so you can see how that line of bikes looks and rides. At 5'6", the 18.5 is likely to just fit you. Quite frankly, the Ultra Duo models are just as badass as the Ultra Beast 2. :)
Most definitely, yes. The only problem you may have would be the rear tire rubbing on the fender, but it’s a cheap plastic fender that mounts on the seat post and is easily removable.
If you have have an 11-speed cassette it will be very close, but in my best estimation it should just clear. I swapped out my 4.8 Minions for Vee 3.5s because I wanted something a little more road oriented, but I just did a quick measurement and I think you'd be good with a 5.05. Just nothing larger.
The taillight you see in this video came preinstalled as is not hardwired into the battery; it's powered by two AA batteries. It's okay, but I also use a seatpost mounted taillight called a Light and Motion VIS180. It's insanely bright at night. You can find it here on eBay for $80: ebay.us/QYrciP I haven't done any videos focussing specially on taillights...🤔...but if you check out the following link, I briefly show the two VIS180's on our dog trailer at the 3 minutes and 13 second mark: th-cam.com/video/LW_z3oOL1ww/w-d-xo.html Here is another point in a video at 9 minutes and 18 seconds where you can see me riding with one VIS180 on my seatpost, and two on the dog trailer. It wasn't extremely dark at the time, but you can get a sense of the lights even though it's twilight out: th-cam.com/video/x5Gtqenhj6s/w-d-xo.html Best wishes! 👍🏻
It's published as 90 miles, but I haven't pushed it to that limit just yet. On this ride I used only 24% of the battery over the 20+ miles, so on a ride like this and doing the math I would feel confident pushing it to 80 miles. On my second ride, however, it involved a lot of climbing and I was pushing PAS 3-5 for most of the ride. I discuss that in this video if you haven't watched it yet: th-cam.com/video/M6Zt4XNGHjw/w-d-xo.html Thank you for your comment!
This video will answer your question. Thanks! E-Bike Ride | Burley Trailer & Biktrix Ultra Beast 2 Compatibility Test | Ep. 4 th-cam.com/video/NZICKlqZ3EU/w-d-xo.html
Hi Tim, I'm a fellow Beast owner (version 1), and if you don't mind I'll piggyback my comments on your vid for anyone looking for reviews. Owned over a year, over 3k miles, live in the "high desert" (Mojave) near Gig Bear, steep slopes, high winds, brutal heat, horrible conditions for accoustic bike. Never had a problem with motor overheating even in 120°F. Batteries don't seem to have degraded much; LG 2170 seems to live up to its claim. Never got the claimed 90 mile range in my terrain; max 54 and could have exceeded 60 based on battery left, but I picked a route with only 4k feet of climb and gradual enough that I could stay in level 1. At a gangly 6-1, bike fits perfect on pavement but offroad wish my feet extended farther than wheels. Even with fat tires, sand that's deep, fine, dry, and soft enough has no traction. Beast is great on jeep trails, not so good on technical biike trails, especially tight switchback - it's just too long. 11-speed cassette is finicky, and the powerful motor chewed mine up; had it replaced recently, had to drive a ways to find a shop that will work on ebikes they don't sell. Someday I'll get a Rohloff hub with a belt, for the triangle has a break to accommodate installation. Minor complaints fenders are crap and basket fell out, but I don't miss either. Nothing fits on the frame - have to use cable ties. Quick release on electric cables come undone when handlebar turns too tight, like on a spill or in a car - guess I need a hitch carrier. Fits in big SUV (Dodge Durango) without disassembly, fits in compact SUV (Subaru Crosstrek) with only front wheel removed, if front passenger seat pushed forward. (If you're big enough to ride it, you're big enough to pick it up.) Never tried to see how far I can go on just throttle; usually saving power for best distance. Overall great fun, ride every day at least to work, getting fitter and glad I purchased it. Still think it's best value based on stock features for anyone tall enough. Had a small warranty issue (upper battery didn't lock in) and Biktrix shipped a replacement part right away.
This is fantastic, Geoffrey! Thank you for sharing your experience.
First off, I learned how to pronounce Biiiiiktrix around my third video release! I was such a Noob!! 🤣
I've done so much exploring since this video and have grown to absolutely love the Beast. I agree that it's a huge bike and definitely not a great fit for someone too much shorter than 6 feet tall. I haven't done an serious off-roading with it, yet, but being an experience cyclist I can tell it's going to be challenging on tight single track (which we have a lot of in my area).
I definitely agree that some of front cables get disconnected pretty easily if you're not careful. In fact, my right cut-off cable that attaches to my rearbrakek lever incessantly disconnects when I turn the handlebars more than about 30%.
I never use the throttle, except to do my one video testing the throttle only. It was okay, but I felt kind of detached from the ride by not pedaling. My goal riding is always distance over speed and laziness! 👍🏻
Thanks, again, for your thorough review based on your experience. That's that kind of channel I'm trying to create here. Advocate, educate, appreciate.
Please be sure to subscribe and keep sharing your experiences, Geoffrey.
Tim, I love the videos & have watched the whole series. Like other's, I'm suffering from paralysis by analysis in researching me first ebike purchase. Similar to you, I'm a big drink of water at 6'2" & 345 lbs. I was thinking the Juggernaut Ultra Beast 2 was the right route for me as I would surely be losing weight as I get more active. The Biktrix website was showing two different weight capacities for the Ultra Beast 2 (397 lbs & 330 lbs.) which caused me to contact Customer Service. They confirmed 330 is the correct info. That being said, could I get away with exceeding the weight limit of the Ultra Beast 2 for a short time or would you recommend going with the Juggernaut Ultra Duo 3? Whatever your recommendation is, what customization would you suggest for my size as far as fork, brakes, seat post, etc.? I don't want to overdo it now, but I'd rather buy smart & have the correct components to begin with. Thank you kindly for the informative videos and any suggestions you may offer.
Hi Dick. Thank you for the kind sentiments. I realized after the fact that I started out at about 322 lbs. I've since lost 36 lbs and am down to 286.
I originally ordered the short-travel Thudbuster suspension seatpost, but it came with the low, medium, and high firmness elastomers. I had to order the extra firm elastomer for the seatpost directly from Cane Creek. It's ok, but I'm not 100% sold on how much of a difference it really makes. Also, another issue I've had is, because the Thudbuster is a small diameter than the seattube, it comes with a shim. While it fits and works perfectly fine, I do notice that over time my seat starts to slowly drop into the seattube because I can never get the seat collar to tighten enough to prevent this. It's not a huge problem; more a small annoyance. Keep these things in mind regarding your seatpost options.
As far as your weight and the bike; as long as you're not bombing hardcore trails I see no reason why it can't handle your weight for moderate riding; it has mine! Just keep in mind when we exceed the weight limit, they may not honor the warranty if the frame breaks. Although, this is one damn solid and heavy bike and I would not discourage you! I mean, I had to ask myself, "What other options are out there for me?" I upgraded to the Tektro 4-piston brakes, which I think is a must for our size. Biktrix didn't have a higher upgrade option, like Maguras, when I bought mine, but I'm totally satisfied. The fork is perfectly fine for me. It has a lockout feature in the right leg, and an air compression chamber in the left. Just buy a high pressure shock pump (not a tire pump!!) so you can adjust the compression for your weight (I run between 100-110 psi).
Don't fall into the "I need a huge fat comfy saddle" pitfall. This just makes bigger contact points on your butt and sit bones. The stock saddle was fine for a while, and after about two months I swapped out to a Terry Men's Liberator saddle. It's a big-butt's dream! At least, for mine! 😆
I can feel l that my rear wheel is going slightly out of round near the seam of the rim. Not sure I'm too stoked on 100mm wide rims with such a seam, but it is what it is. I've been looking to by a brand new rear wheel, but finding a 100mm rim on a prebuilt wheel has been challenging. I may just need to buy all the parts separately and see if I can get a local shop to custom build the wheel for me. Another problem I'm having is, the hub on my bike is a 36-hole, and it has been really hard to find a 36-hole rim.
Finally, your height should be not problem with the bike's geometry. I've tested couple other brand e-bikes (Sondors and Aventon) and they just feel too small for me. I've been a pretty avid cyclist my entire life and I know how my bikes should feel. 🤷🏼♂️
Sorry for not releasing videos more frequently, but I work full time and it has really been cutting into my passion for bikes and videos! 😆 I'll be doing the following videos in the next 6 weeks or so:
-Receiver hitch rack demo and review
-Recap, follow-up review, and upgrades I've made after 6 months of owning the Beast
-A 3-day Easter weekend e-bike trip (weather permitting) where I'll be testing the range and showing some great scenery.
Can someone tell me how fast his bike he is on flat ground
There are a lot of variables impacting top speed. The fastest I've gone on flat ground using pedal assist is around 32 mph. The fastest I've gone on flat ground using only throttle is about 24 mph. You'll see more of this if you continue watching my other videos. 👍🏻
Hey tim, any plans on doing a video on throttle only capabilities? Especially on hill's
I hadn't thought about it because I'm not a throttle user, but I can definitely do that in the near future. Thanks for the input! 👍🏻
@@twowheeltim I'm really considering the beast, as I too would not be a heavy throttle user, but really curious on its capabilities..thanks
I’ll be publishing a beach ride video in a day or so.
@@twowheeltim quanto é o valor
I’m female, approximately 5’6” with a 30” inseam. Could I fit on the frame flat footed and somewhat sit on the lowest seat setting?
I'm afraid you would have a difficult time fitting the Ultra Beast 2. It's very big and weighs around 85 lbs. with both batteries. Elaine is 5'8" and it's really too big for her to stand flat-footed or ride comfortably. You might want to check out the Biktrix Juggernaut Ultra Duo line of bikes. They have a hub-drive model, and two mid-drive models with 750 watt and 1000 watt motors, respectively. As long as you don't buy the smallest frame, you can buy a second battery that mounts to the top of the downtube for extra distance (like 90-100 miles depending on how you ride). lddy.no/11uc6
I'm just finishing up a ride and review of new Elaine's Hub Duo model so you can see how that line of bikes looks and rides. At 5'6", the 18.5 is likely to just fit you. Quite frankly, the Ultra Duo models are just as badass as the Ultra Beast 2. :)
Thank you so much for your quick response! I am looking at Ultra Duo 3 step-thru now! :)
Hi Susan. I just published our ride & review of Elaine's Juggernaut Hub Duo, if you'd like to check it out.
th-cam.com/video/x5Gtqenhj6s/w-d-xo.html
I might be mistaken but I think the rim and tire size is a 29 inch?
No, sir. It's a 26-inch, 36-hole rim. The tire is the Maxxis Minion 26x4.8.
@@twowheeltim hello do you think the frame will fit 26x5,05 2xl tires?
Most definitely, yes. The only problem you may have would be the rear tire rubbing on the fender, but it’s a cheap plastic fender that mounts on the seat post and is easily removable.
@@twowheeltim Thank you so much. What about the chain on the lowest gear? Appreciated the response. Thanks, again.
If you have have an 11-speed cassette it will be very close, but in my best estimation it should just clear. I swapped out my 4.8 Minions for Vee 3.5s because I wanted something a little more road oriented, but I just did a quick measurement and I think you'd be good with a 5.05. Just nothing larger.
I liked it man but I want you to go full speed in a safe area
Thank you. I do go pretty fast in these videos:
th-cam.com/video/RcfIsIe2SBo/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/oHLBYwfvNUE/w-d-xo.html
I noticed you have a taillight, did it come manufactory installed or did you installed it?
The taillight you see in this video came preinstalled as is not hardwired into the battery; it's powered by two AA batteries. It's okay, but I also use a seatpost mounted taillight called a Light and Motion VIS180. It's insanely bright at night. You can find it here on eBay for $80: ebay.us/QYrciP
I haven't done any videos focussing specially on taillights...🤔...but if you check out the following link, I briefly show the two VIS180's on our dog trailer at the 3 minutes and 13 second mark: th-cam.com/video/LW_z3oOL1ww/w-d-xo.html
Here is another point in a video at 9 minutes and 18 seconds where you can see me riding with one VIS180 on my seatpost, and two on the dog trailer. It wasn't extremely dark at the time, but you can get a sense of the lights even though it's twilight out: th-cam.com/video/x5Gtqenhj6s/w-d-xo.html
Best wishes! 👍🏻
@@twowheeltimTY ❤️
How far is the range on the battery for a charge? Thanks for the content.
It's published as 90 miles, but I haven't pushed it to that limit just yet. On this ride I used only 24% of the battery over the 20+ miles, so on a ride like this and doing the math I would feel confident pushing it to 80 miles. On my second ride, however, it involved a lot of climbing and I was pushing PAS 3-5 for most of the ride. I discuss that in this video if you haven't watched it yet: th-cam.com/video/M6Zt4XNGHjw/w-d-xo.html
Thank you for your comment!
Does this have a throttle?
It does have a thumb throttle on the left side.
Can you attach a pet trailer?
This video will answer your question. Thanks!
E-Bike Ride | Burley Trailer & Biktrix Ultra Beast 2 Compatibility Test | Ep. 4
th-cam.com/video/NZICKlqZ3EU/w-d-xo.html
@@twowheeltim thank you