I waited almost a week for a break in the wet and gloomy weather, and then today dawned bright and sunny. It was my opportunity for a first ride on the Mooncool Folding TK! RWD (rear wheel drive). I had already been very impressed with the looks of this e-trike and the obvious care Mooncool took in protectively packing it for shipping.
It arrived at my house on time and in great condition, without even one scratch in the gorgeous Slate Gray paint. I really appreciated that it was already mostly assembled. It takes only about an hour to complete the assembly, even if you are inexperienced. This is very nearly a “plug n’ play” trike. The quality control was obvious from the minute I opened the shipping box, so I was eager to begin riding.
Let me say right up front that if you are an avid bike or e-bike rider (or if you have not been on a trike in years), then at first you may feel uncertain on a trike. This was the case for me, but after several minutes of riding time, I began to feel much more comfortable and less hesitant. At the end of the hour, I was right at home on the TK1.
Power — and lots of it!
I almost didn’t approve of the Mooncool Folding TK1 because it has only a 500 watt (750 peak) motor. That would be a mistake. From the performance, I would think it was a 750 watt (1000 peak) motor. The 500 watt Mooncool motor is very impressive.
This e-trike has more than plenty of power and excellent torque. I live in an area that is full of hills, and many are steep. In fact, level roads are rare. The TK1 has no problem getting up even the steepest hills. What’s amazing is that I never went beyond PAS 2.
Sweat? Only if you want it.
If you aren’t familiar with PAS (power assist}, it is the level of assistance for pedaling effort provided by the motor. The Mooncool Folding TK1 has 5 user-selectable levels of PAS. I can vouch that most riders will almost never need to go beyond Level 3.
Of course, you have the option of not pedaling at all and using the twist throttle. The throttle works flawlessly and takes the TK1 up to about 16 mph on level terrain. In other words, the rider can pedal uphill and maybe sweat a little in hot weather. Or the rider can choose to ride with throttle only and not sweat at all! How much exercise do you want — you get to decide. CLICK HERE to check out all the Mooncool features AND get 5% off any product.
You May Want to Get Off the Pavement
I also tested the TK1 Folding Rear Wheel Drive trike on a variety of terrain. I had discovered this e-trike has tremendous power and torque for the steep hills. Now I wanted to try it off-road. I wondered if it would be o.k. for fairly rough terrain. The answer is…yes! I hope you can see the roughness of the trail in the photo below.
To get through the roughest spots, I kept the speed low and was mindful of avoiding severely slanted places. I also was alert for boulders or large tree roots and navigated around them. I never had to get off the trike and walk, but I was ready to do so if it looked advisable for safety. I recommend this e-trike for slightly rough trails, gravel roads in good to fair condition, and grassy terrain that isn’t too rough.
Insist on a RWD Trike
I love that the Mooncool Design Team gave this e-trike a rear wheel drive PLUS a rear wheel differential. E-trikes with front wheel drive are notorious for losing traction on hills and in gravel or sand. That’s because the majority of the weight in on the rear wheels. I have never lost traction while riding this Mooncool Folding TK1 with a great RWD.
The differential allows the rear wheels to rotate independently, each rotating at a different speed in a turn. This adds significant stability and safety to every ride.
Need for Speed
E-trikes are not intended to be super-fast trikes. For really fast riding, stick with e-bikes. I don’t have level riding conditions where I live, but I managed to find a stretch of paved road that was only slightly uphill. My top speed using PAS level 5 was 15.5 mph.
Riding some of the steep downhill stretches, my top speed was 24 mph. I could have gone faster, but it didn’t seem wise. At 24 mph this Mooncool Folding TK1 felt very stable.
These steep downhill runs also gave me a good opportunity to evaluate the brakes. There are 3 wheels, but two brakes. The rear brake stops both rear wheels equally. The TK1’s hydraulic brakes provided excellent stopping power…quick and stable.
A Great Ride
This first ride on the folding TK1 was an excellent experience. I now have a lot of confidence in this e-trike. Priced at just $1799, it not only provides the convenience of a folding trike, but also a fun ride with great power, torque, and range. Plus, get another $100 with the coupon code CRAIG100…nice!