Ride1Up REVV1 FS review: How I hit 37 mph on an e-bike built like a motorbike

The Ride1Up REVV1 FS is a rare breed of e-bike. It’s not that the design is that unique. In fact, it’s obviously another SUPER73 imitation. But what makes it so unique is that it’s a really good SUPER73 imitation. And by that I mean it’s built more like a moped or motorcycle than like an electric bicycle, which translates into an amazingly good ride.

Now don’t get me wrong here: This is not an electric motorcycle.

The purists out there will try to claim that it is. And I understand their argument. But it’s based on the misinformed premise that anyone can take this 20 mph electric bicycle out of the box and turn it into a crazy powerful speed machine. And while that’s true with many other e-bikes, it’s not true for the Ride1Up REVV1. To actually unlock it outside of Class 2 (20 mph) mode into Off-Road mode, you’ve got to contact the company to request the unlocking procedure that includes multiple passwords used at several steps.

It’s not something that a kid is going to figure out, and it allows Ride1Up to control who gets Off-Road mode while giving them one more chance to remind you that it’s for use outside of public streets.

Even when left in 20 mph Class 2 mode, the REVV1 is an awesome electric bicycle that offers an incredible ride. But when you unleash the beast, it gets so much better. I tested out both types of riding, which you can see in my video review below. Keep on reading after the video to see the rest of my written review.

Ride1Up REVV1 FS video review

Ride1Up REVV1 FS tech specs

• Motor: Bafang 750W continuous hub motor
• Top speed: 20 mph (32 km/h) stock, but I hit 37 mph (59.5 km/h) in off-road mode
• Range: 30-60 miles (48-96 km)
• Battery: 52V 20Ah (1,040 Wh)
• Weight: 93 lb. (42 kg)
• Tires: CST Scout eMoped All-surface Tires, 20?x4.0?
• Brakes: 4-piston hydraulic disc brakes
• Front suspension: Dual-crown 120mm air fork, preload and rebound adjust with lockout
• Rear suspension: DNM AOY-38RC, rebound, air pressure adjust and lockout
• Extras: Long bench seat, included fenders, large LED headlight with hi/lo beams and tail/brake light, turn signals, horn, LCD display, kickstand

Out-of-the-box riding

Just from looking at it, the Ride1Up REVV1 is obviously a beast. But many e-bikes talk tough. The REVV1 walks the walk, too.

The bike’s CST Scout moped tires combined with that front and rear suspension let riders carve hard into curves and hit larger obstacles than you’d expect to be comfortable.

The long bench seat actually feels really nice under you and is thicker than it looked when I first covered the bike’s unveiling. It’s also made from nicer material than I had imagined, giving it a real fabric upholstery that feels good under you. There’s no cheap imitation leather or plastic-feeling vinyl here. This feels like a motorcycle saddle.

Regarding suspension, I will note that the rear suspension felt a bit stiff for me, but I’m a light rider at 150 lb. (68 kg). I kept it on the lowest setting and that felt better for me, but heavier riders can crank up the suspension to fit their weight and ride style, which is a big improvement over non-adjustable suspension on other e-bikes.

The components used on the bike also inspire confidence, from the high-power four-piston hydraulic disc brakes and the quality-feeling brake levers.

The whole bike just has a solid and planted feeling to it. Many cheaper moped-style e-bikes feel more like a moped-shaped electric bicycle, in that they feel like a collection of weaker bolted-together parts. But the Ride1Up REVV1 FS feels like a purpose-built, solid, refined design that gives me motorcycle-quality vibes. It feels planted underneath me. There’s no rattling. There’s no flex (other than a nice give of suspension and a soft seat). There’s just a solid feel to it. I don’t know how else to describe the feel without telling you to just sit on it. But trust me, you can simply tell the difference between a cheap e-bike and a solid one within a few revolutions of the tires. And the difference here is astounding. As someone who rides high-power electric motorcycles, this e-bike gives me that feeling.

But what about pedaling?

Ha! Forget about it!

Okay, it’s not that bad. You can pedal the bike. But it’s not comfortable. Your knees travel up quite high. The cadence-based pedal assist sensor doesn’t do you any favors either with its laggy response. As much as I love this bike for its throttle riding, I can say it’s not a pleasure on pedal assist. It works as a pedal bike, but it’s far from ideal.

If you ran out of battery and needed to pedal home, you could do it. It’s possible. It won’t be fun. But you can physically make it happen.

For the 99.9% of time that you’ve got charge though, you’ll probably just be throttling around. That’s the most fun way to ride a bike like this.

Again, the purists may rip their hair out over this. An e-bike that can’t be pedaled comfortably?! But then again, the purists probably stopped reading this review a while ago. If you’re still here, it’s likely because you appreciate that this is an e-bike for having fun. Other e-bikes are great for exercise. There are other models for taking kids to daycare. And other models exist for cargo duty. The REVV1 isn’t for any of that. This is for getting around fast and having fun.

Speaking of both, let’s talk about Off-Road mode.

What happens when you unlock the REVV1 FS?

This is where things get really interesting.

Unlike many e-bikes that come with higher power and higher speed modes that simply require playing around in the settings menu for a few minutes to unlock, you’re not going to figure out how to unlock the REVV1 on its own. It comes as a 20 mph (32 km/h) e-bike out of the box and that’s all you get.

That’s also likely enough to fulfill stricter e-bike laws that would disqualify 20 mph e-bikes from Class 2 status if they can be easily unlocked by the rider to achieve higher performance.

In this case, Ride1Up holds the keys to the power and speed that wouldn’t be legal on public roads in many states. So you have to ask them really nice for permission (and instructions) to get to the good stuff. Theoretically once enough people are granted the instructions, the secret unlocking procedure could get out there into the public domain. But I think the goal is to make the process complicated enough that the average person (and especially the average kid) can’t figure it out on their own.

Once you’re welcomed into the walled garden though, you’re in. And you’ll love it.

The 28A controller is unlocked, giving you access to nearly 1,500W of power.

I took the bike to a non-public road so I could test the speed on a long stretch of tarmac.

As you already know from the title of this review, the highest number I saw on the speedometer was 37 mph (59.5 km/h). And in fact that was the same figure I saw on a GPS speedometer I also used, just to make sure I was keeping Ride1UP honest. For the record, I was also wearing my full moto gear, including my motorcycle helmet, armored jacket, leather gloves, and boots. Sure, I put myself on the line for you guys to test this stuff. But my wife still wants me to come home at the end of the day.

In fact, the top speed might even be a bit higher than what I saw. I didn’t do a full tuck and I was even at around 75% battery charge. A 100% charge will give the highest speed, but I burned off part of the charge just riding to the test location. I tried to save as much as I could, but I just couldn’t resist going fast on the way there. I tried to stay at 20 mph, but I kept looking down and realizing I had gotten to 30+ mph without realizing it.

And that’s a testament to just how well the bike rides. That rubber feels good on the asphalt, the suspension takes up any road vibration, and the entire bike is nicely balanced. It doesn’t feel like it’s going to shake itself to bits, which I’ve experience on other e-bikes at high speeds. And so you can be cruising along at over 30 mph while still thinking you’re at a leisurely 20 mph.

Basically, this is an e-bike that can easily handle going twice as fast as its out-of-the-box programmed speed, meaning it’s overbuilt. And for a lot of people, overbuilt is exactly how a vehicle should be built.

The e-bike/e-moto gray area

I’ve talked before about how electric bikes can be a nice gateway drug into the world of electric motorcycles, especially when the power and quality walks up the ladder like in the Ride1Up REVV1 FS.

There are light electric motorcycle models like the SONDORS Metacycle that fall somewhere in the gray area, though the Metacycle is more on the motorcycle end of the spectrum. The REVV1 FS feels like another gap filler, though this time more on the electric bicycle end of the spectrum. It’s an e-bike, but it simply feels closer to the experience of riding an electric motorcycle. And that’s a rarity in this industry.

When you add in the turn signals, the motorcycle-style saddle, the quality rubber to keep your wheels down when you’re riding hard, and of course that adjustable suspension, you end up with a bike that offers motorcycle-style riding at a price point closer to e-bikes. $2,395 is a fair price for such a capable machine.

If I could make one change, I’d have asked for mirrors. When I’m riding fast, I want to be able to look over my shoulder without doing a full head turn. And so a nice set of mirrors would have been some great gear to include.

But as it stands, it’s hard for me to complain too hard. Sure, the bike sucks at pedaling. But it was never really meant for that. As a fun urban bike for zipping around like a motorcycle that doesn’t have to pay for registration, parking, insurance, or licensing, the Ride1Up REVV1 is a solid entry.

Of all the SUPER73 imitations out there, this is the one to get if you can’t afford a real full-suspension SUPER73. It’s not quite at S73 level, and I’ve pushed those bikes hard, but it’s pretty darn close for a lot less cash.