ATC King
08-30-2024, 01:23 PM
These are already getting some promotion through Dirt Wheels Magazine.
Many comments on social media sites already seem to ignore some obvious issues, but this trike is being marketed on nostalgia more than function or value.
Here's what I've seen and noticed so far:
They're not in production yet and everything is preorder with a $250 deposit and estimated $6,000 price, which doesn't include taxes, fees (?), and shipping.
No production yet, no set price, and their yearly production estimates seem lofty in terms of actual sales. A deposit does not represent a sold vehicle, we've seen the effects of this all to many times recently and it's usually done to attract investors. I don't know where the company is getting the funds from, themselves or investors.
That's enough to scare me away to start, and there's some other things of concern.
There are basically no technical specifications on the website and only three pictures.
It's sold as and E-bike, which has been approved by the CPSC, the same government group that ban-hammered ATCs. Now, people are already acting like the company has done something special to get a 3 wheeler approved for production, which isn't the case at all. There are already many electric trikes available, and some with more ATV sized tires than bicycle tires.
Being an E-bike, it has bicycle type pedals, is limited to 20mph, and only has a 750w motor. It is not anything close to a proper electric ATV or motorcycle, it is very much an electric bicycle in ATV form.
I've already seen a dangerous comment posted by Dirt Wheels.
"@hitorquemags
It's actually very torquey and loves to wheelie. It's GOVERNED to 20mph for e-bike classification. The aftermarket will have no problem getting a lot more performance out of it with a few electronic tweaks."
This isn't some typical ATV, it's only avenue for production was to be classified as a very restricted, regulated vehicle. You can't just go hopping it up an expect it to be ignored.
The company has already linked their product with classic ATCs, which you all know is going to draw attention from the wrong people. If they make it easy to modify these so it no longer meets legal E-bike requirements and people begin to get hurt or killed, there will very likely be a repeat of the 1980's lawsuits and subsequent business closure. The ATC stigma still exists today, there's no way of getting around that.
We've recently seen it affect some of the conversion trike businesses. It's naive to ignore that.
It's belt drive. Rocks and drive belts don't play well together. They can have nearly full covers to aid in damage prevention. The downside is a bulky looking, complex cover with multiple pieces, which is prone to damage itself.
Some of the terminology on their website seems poorly chosen, like the HUD. The instrument on it is most certainly not a HUD. I don't know if it's some brand name or other reason, but that bit rubs me a bit wrong.
Long travel tunable suspension? Compared to what? For an (estimated) $6,000, post the specs and let the buyers judge whether that's correct.
Tuned paddle tires? Can we just presume they're air adjustable paddle tires? The owner did make a comment on how the tires have their brand on them. That's marketing folks, nothing more. He can't be blamed for promoting his brand, but I don't see how that adds value to the product to match the total sale price. It's all very carnival barker sounding to me. If someone orders enough tires, the factory may work with them on specialized branding, but they're not changing the entire assembly line to produce as specific, 'tuned' tire unless it's a major global player with deep pockets. The R&D to produce a truly unique tire is...expensive.
Advertised range is always suspect on electric vehicles. Very, very few companies will post absolute minimum ranges. I understand, but that doesn't mean I'm satisfied to spend my money to have to find out. They say a "4 hour range", but what the hell does that mean. If it was a time machine, ok, I can go four hours, past or future, understandable and could be useful. That's not a distance though. 1,000 miles in four hours, or 10 miles in four hours? 20x4, 80 mile range, not a chance with that much rolling resistance and weight.
In one video, the owner says something along the lines that it'll carry a 300lb person. If someone that heavy is on it, range is going to quickly diminish. That's a bad idea to even mention something like that. Test your product, fully, and post actual, true specifications, for varying conditions. If you don't believe in your product and continue to sidestep the reality of what a customer is paying for, they're going to sidestep your product.
I think it's great when someone comes out with new trike products of any kind, we need that, but the whole thing feels like some corporate speak startup that's looking for an answer to a problem that doesn't exist. The owner may really feel inspired, and his heart may be in the right place, but there's a corporate type of disconnect that is all too prevalent now, like these are the people whose lives have been far more comfortable than most others, but that's the group they're trying to sell their product to.
"REVIVING NOSTALGIA - ELECTRIFYING THE FUTURE"
That would be a great slogan for a time machine, not so much for a very limited use trike.
Many comments on social media sites already seem to ignore some obvious issues, but this trike is being marketed on nostalgia more than function or value.
Here's what I've seen and noticed so far:
They're not in production yet and everything is preorder with a $250 deposit and estimated $6,000 price, which doesn't include taxes, fees (?), and shipping.
No production yet, no set price, and their yearly production estimates seem lofty in terms of actual sales. A deposit does not represent a sold vehicle, we've seen the effects of this all to many times recently and it's usually done to attract investors. I don't know where the company is getting the funds from, themselves or investors.
That's enough to scare me away to start, and there's some other things of concern.
There are basically no technical specifications on the website and only three pictures.
It's sold as and E-bike, which has been approved by the CPSC, the same government group that ban-hammered ATCs. Now, people are already acting like the company has done something special to get a 3 wheeler approved for production, which isn't the case at all. There are already many electric trikes available, and some with more ATV sized tires than bicycle tires.
Being an E-bike, it has bicycle type pedals, is limited to 20mph, and only has a 750w motor. It is not anything close to a proper electric ATV or motorcycle, it is very much an electric bicycle in ATV form.
I've already seen a dangerous comment posted by Dirt Wheels.
"@hitorquemags
It's actually very torquey and loves to wheelie. It's GOVERNED to 20mph for e-bike classification. The aftermarket will have no problem getting a lot more performance out of it with a few electronic tweaks."
This isn't some typical ATV, it's only avenue for production was to be classified as a very restricted, regulated vehicle. You can't just go hopping it up an expect it to be ignored.
The company has already linked their product with classic ATCs, which you all know is going to draw attention from the wrong people. If they make it easy to modify these so it no longer meets legal E-bike requirements and people begin to get hurt or killed, there will very likely be a repeat of the 1980's lawsuits and subsequent business closure. The ATC stigma still exists today, there's no way of getting around that.
We've recently seen it affect some of the conversion trike businesses. It's naive to ignore that.
It's belt drive. Rocks and drive belts don't play well together. They can have nearly full covers to aid in damage prevention. The downside is a bulky looking, complex cover with multiple pieces, which is prone to damage itself.
Some of the terminology on their website seems poorly chosen, like the HUD. The instrument on it is most certainly not a HUD. I don't know if it's some brand name or other reason, but that bit rubs me a bit wrong.
Long travel tunable suspension? Compared to what? For an (estimated) $6,000, post the specs and let the buyers judge whether that's correct.
Tuned paddle tires? Can we just presume they're air adjustable paddle tires? The owner did make a comment on how the tires have their brand on them. That's marketing folks, nothing more. He can't be blamed for promoting his brand, but I don't see how that adds value to the product to match the total sale price. It's all very carnival barker sounding to me. If someone orders enough tires, the factory may work with them on specialized branding, but they're not changing the entire assembly line to produce as specific, 'tuned' tire unless it's a major global player with deep pockets. The R&D to produce a truly unique tire is...expensive.
Advertised range is always suspect on electric vehicles. Very, very few companies will post absolute minimum ranges. I understand, but that doesn't mean I'm satisfied to spend my money to have to find out. They say a "4 hour range", but what the hell does that mean. If it was a time machine, ok, I can go four hours, past or future, understandable and could be useful. That's not a distance though. 1,000 miles in four hours, or 10 miles in four hours? 20x4, 80 mile range, not a chance with that much rolling resistance and weight.
In one video, the owner says something along the lines that it'll carry a 300lb person. If someone that heavy is on it, range is going to quickly diminish. That's a bad idea to even mention something like that. Test your product, fully, and post actual, true specifications, for varying conditions. If you don't believe in your product and continue to sidestep the reality of what a customer is paying for, they're going to sidestep your product.
I think it's great when someone comes out with new trike products of any kind, we need that, but the whole thing feels like some corporate speak startup that's looking for an answer to a problem that doesn't exist. The owner may really feel inspired, and his heart may be in the right place, but there's a corporate type of disconnect that is all too prevalent now, like these are the people whose lives have been far more comfortable than most others, but that's the group they're trying to sell their product to.
"REVIVING NOSTALGIA - ELECTRIFYING THE FUTURE"
That would be a great slogan for a time machine, not so much for a very limited use trike.