Talonebike Talon T787 Patriot Limited Edition Dual Motor Ebike Review: More Motors, More Batteries, More Fun

Ebikes are all the rage. The limited-edition Talonebike Talon T787 Patriot Limited Edition Dual Motor Ebike brings full suspension, dual batteries, dual motors, and a ton of fun to the Ebike game. It isn’t perfect, but this motorcycle-inspired ride delivers a lot for a reasonable price.

Will a Motorcycle-Style Bike Be a Good Fit?

I hadn’t ridden a bike in several years. A few years ago, my wife and I bought ourselves Ebikes as a means to get around our retirement community and an alternative to taking our golf carts. It sounded good on paper, but after riding for a while, I had to accept the new reality of my aging body. I tried a bunch of different saddles, and not a single one didn’t cause pain in my lower regions. Plus, the bike’s geometry made me lean forward, putting significant pressure on my wrists and palms. Ultimately, the bike gathered dust in the garage.

I had been intrigued by the motorcycle-styled Ebikes with elongated and padded seats. This new Talon T787 Ebike from Talonebike seemed to hit my complaint list in all the right places. Let’s see if this solves my Ebike woes.

What’s in the Box?

The Talon T787 arrives in a sizable and heavy box. The FedEx driver slid it up my driveway and into the garage.

The packaging was a little annoying, as the packing straps were all taped to the box. I guess they really wanted it to remain intact.

The Talon T787 was well protected with spongy foam surrounding all the components. I zip-tied loose items to the bike frame, and I put smaller items in smaller boxes tucked inside.

Other parts of the bike were wrapped with thin sheets of protective foam.

The headlight was in its own box inside the big box and had a protective film applied to the lens.

Separate boxes held the Talon T787’s charger, user manual, passenger foot pegs, front axle nut covers, the pedals, and all the tools – several hex wrenches and a couple of multi-end wrenches that you need to assemble the bike.

The front fender was also in the large box, but I forgot to photograph it.

Assembly: Don’t Count on the Manual

With everything out of the box, I started the assembly. The Talon T787 manual started with a muddy photo that looked like the handlebar area and sketchy instructions to remove the four bolts. Huh? Then it said to place the handlebars. Uh, OK. Here’s a look at that area.

That bracket that was facing sideways is the handlebar bracket, and yes, it turned out that there were four bolts there. I removed and disassembled the bracket, inserted the handlebars, and bolted them in place with the bracket and four bolts. The instructions never mentioned that you also need to straighten them and tighten the bracket that holds everything on the front tube.

I had a similar experience with the wheel assembly. There were no instructions for attaching the wheel. I was frustrated that the front wheel’s brake disk wouldn’t fit into the disk brake caliper. I finally figured out that a plastic shipping spacer was in the gap. The axle had a split lock washer, a tabbed washer, and the nut.

I determined that the tabbed washer needed to be inserted into a hole to lock the wheel assembly to the fork; instructions ure would have been nice.

I also installed the front fender, but I obviously had fender blindness because I once again forgot to photograph it. It attached at three points: one on the front down tube and one on each side of the fork.

I installed the passenger foot pegs.

They fold up and out of the way when not in use.

I finished up by installing the Talon T787’s light, front fender, and pedals. At least the pedals were labeled “Right” and “Left,” since the bolt threads go in opposite directions.

The front sprocket has a nice chain guard that helps keep the chain aligned.

The entire assembly took me about 90 minutes, plus another half-hour to package the box and pack the trash.

After I finished the assembly, luckily with no leftover parts, I discovered that there was an assembly video on Talonebike’s website. It wasn’t perfect, but it was light-years ahead of the awful manual.

I would say that if you’re not handy and can’t figure out mechanical things, assembling this bike isn’t for you. It wasn’t overly difficult and only took me about 90 minutes, but it was frustrating having to figure things out.

Each Talon T787 battery has a one-button charge indicator. This is the one on the top battery.

And here is the indicator on the lower battery.

Each battery slides into place on the top tube and down tube. Each has its own built-in key lock and a set of two keys that securely lock the batteries to the bike.

Each battery has an on/off switch and a charging port with a rubber cover.

Although each battery indicated a full charge, I plugged each into the charger to top them off.

The indicator on the charger glows red while charging, and then flips to green when the battery is fully charged. This is another shortcoming. This bike is a dual-battery bike but comes with only one charger, which seems like an oversight.

The charger is fairly standard. Talonebike sells them for $90. Compatible ones are available for much less on Amazon and elsewhere, but, of course, Talonebike only recommends using their charger.

I also inflated both Talon T787 tires. The sidewall is labeled with the max inflation pressure: 20 psi. That, along with the full suspension, makes for a nice, cushy ride.

Let’s take a look at the handlebars, starting on the left side.

We see the front brake lever and the button pod. The upper pod has the “+” and “-” buttons and the power button. The “+” and “-” step you through pedal assist levels. Holding the “+” button toggles between single and dual motor mode.

Holding the “-” activates walking mode, an undocumented feature. Holding the power button turns the bike on/off. Tapping it cycles the display through odometer, trip odometer, voltage, and amperage. The lower pod has the headlight on/off button, turn signal switch, and horn button.

Here’s a look at the right side of the handlebars.

We see the rear brake lever and seven-speed indexed shift lever (up) and button (down). The inside of the handle features the 1/4-twist throttle.

Here’s a look at the nice Shimano gear system on the Talon T787. As you’ll see, you won’t use these much. You can also see the wheel reflector. The front wheel also has a reflector.

On the left side of the wheel, we see the hydraulic disc brake, fender, suspension, and kickstand.

All The Specs and Stuff

Size & Fit

• Rider Height: 5’3”-6’5” (more on that below)
• Reach: 15.75″
• Head Tube Length: 6.69″
• Wheelbase: 43.3″
• Handlebar Height: 48.81″
• Saddle Height: 31.88″

Technical

• Battery: 48V 15.6Ah*2
• Charger: 2A Fast Charger
• Water Resistant: IPX6
• Speed Class: 28 MPH (CITY) 36 MPH (OFF-ROAD)
• Weight: 112 lbs
• Range: Max 90 Miles
• Motor Power: Dual 750W Rated (3000W Combined Peak)
• Max Load Capacity: 330 lbs

Performance

• Tires: 20*4.0 Puncture-resistant tires
• Display: LCD Color
• Brakes: Hydraulic disc brakes
• Chain: Corrosion-Resistant Chain
• Crank Set: 170mm steel crank
• Derailleur: 7-speed Shimano
• Suspension: Front 125mm / Rear 50mm
• Frame: Carbon Steel Frame
• Gearing: Direct Mount 1-7 Speed, Black
• Throttle: Twist Throttle
• Handlebar: Custom Carbon Steel Frame
• Kickstand: Sturdy Aluminum Alloy
• Rims: Aluminum Alloy
• Saddle: Leather Cushion
• Sensor: 48V Pedal Cadence Sensor
• Spokes: 13 Gauge Front and 12 Gauge Rear

More Documentation Woes

OK, the manual sucks. It’s hard to read, the photos are marginal, and information is just plain missing. But the website is better, right? In a word, no.

I mentioned the installation video, and that it was better than the manual. That is true. But the video has wrong information too. The video shows that, instead of using the NFC card, you can use a combination PIN. Power on and use the +, -, and power buttons to enter a PIN. I can do that, but nothing happens when I use the 6666 code from the video. And there are no instructions for how to create a PIN.

So, does a PIN work? I had no idea. Eventually, thanks to a series of emails with their PR person, I found out that there is indeed a PIN that will unlock the bike. But it’s fixed and not changeable. I won’t disclose it here, for obvious security reasons, but c’mon, make it user-settable and a feature.

While trying various button combinations and holds, I stumbled on an undocumented feature: walking mode. It turns out that holding the “-” button puts the bike in walking mode, where the motors propel it at a very slow speed. An indicator showing a person holding a bike lit up on the screen. This is designed for when you need to walk the bike a distance rather than ride it. It is a nice feature. It would be nice if they told me about it.

The website shows that you can connect to the bike via Bluetooth and an app.

However, it doesn’t mention the app’s name. I couldn’t find any Talonbike app in the Google Play Store. A quick call to tech support only added to the confusion. The guy I spoke with wasn’t aware that the Talon T787 had Bluetooth support. I directed him to the webpage, and he then confirmed it has Bluetooth support. I asked about the app, and he said that he had no idea. But he personally uses a third-party app called SmarGoo to connect to his Ebike.

I downloaded the app, set up an account, and tried to connect to the Talon T787. As you’ve probably already guessed, it didn’t connect. There is no Bluetooth indicator on the display, so website notwithstanding, I don’t think that the Talon T787 has Bluetooth support. Well, I didn’t. More emails with the PR contact led me to a different app called Modern Bike. It is partially in Chinese and doesn’t really offer much. It did connect to the bike via Bluetooth, so I guess it does have Bluetooth. But I’m going to say that Bluetooth and app functionality are, at best, very limited.

The bottom line here is that the documentation, both printed and online, is incomplete, misleading, or just plain wrong.

Bringing On The Power – Getting The Bike Going

Now that I’ve gotten through the goofiness and frustration with this Talon T787 Ebike, mainly due to the rotten documentation, let’s talk about the bike itself. Is there anything good? I am happy to report that yes, the bike itself is fine. Actually, it’s more than fine. It is just plain fun to ride. But I’ll get to that shortly.

With the batteries charged and locked in place and the tires inflated to 20 psi, I was ready to test the Talon T787. The startup process involves multiple steps:

1. Turn on one of the batteries (either one)
2. Turn on the other battery
3. Turn on the display by holding the power button
4. Tap the NFC card on the upper right of the display (or enter the PIN, now that I know there is one and what it is)

It is a little convoluted, but once you get used to it, it’s easy. You can turn off the bike by either holding the power button or tapping the NFC card again.

Once you do that, the display wakes up. The display shows the following information:

• Top left: brake indicator – it lights up when either the front or rear brake is applied
• Center top: velocity
• Top right: pedal assist level (0-5)
• Center right: NFC indicator – not sure why it’s there, as it’s always on
• Center right: Odometer – pressing the power button cycles it through odometer, trip odometer (resets at power-off), voltage, and amperage
• Lower left: Motor mode (single/dual)
• Bottom: Charge state, sort of – I’ll explain below

Let’s take a closer look at the Talon T787’s motor indicator. Holding the ” ” button on the left handlebar toggles between single-motor mode and dual-motor mode. The display shows a green lightning bolt inside the wheel when the motor is on. This is single-motor rear-drive mode.

And this is dual-motor two-wheel drive mode.

The issue is that the lightning bolts are really small. And, as I discovered when riding, if you’re in the sun, the entire screen is really hard to see.

Let’s take a look at the Talon T787 Ebike, now that it is ready to go. Please note that the cell phone holder in these photos is mine and not included with the bike.

In this view, you can see the nice, long seat. It is nicely added, but for my behind, it could use a little more padding. Still, it is comfortable and roomy. You can see the suspension on all four struts and the fat tires. The sturdy kickstand holds the bike up very securely. You can also see the vastly different designs of the two batteries.

The battery on the top tube has a bulbous, curved design, whereas the battery mounted on the down tube is rectangular with a sloping edge for the charge indicator.

To my eye, this is a great-looking bike.

On the back end, we see the bright and highly visible taillight. It gets brighter when you squeeze the brake lever and acts as a brake light. Flipping the turn signal switch flashes the outside light on the side of the turn; that’s a great safety feature.

The Talon T787’s large headlight puts out surprisingly bright light. I would have no issues riding this at night. Do you see any other lights on the front? No? Hmm… There are no front turn signals. That seems like a huge safety miss, especially at night. Drivers in front need to know you’re turning, just like behind you. Sure, you can use hand signals, but if you’re using your blinker, it should show in both directions.

Another turn signal miss is that the rider has no indicator that the signal is on. There is nothing on the screen, not that you’d see it in the sun anyway. There isn’t an audible signal either. Since the switch is a slide switch and isn’t momentary, it is highly likely that riders will turn on the signal and leave it on, confusing cars behind them.

Riding the Talon T787 Makes Up for the Frustrations

Let’s take a little ride on the Talon T787 and see how it goes.

Please note that this video is a little long, at just over seven minutes. It shows acceleration in both single-motor and dual-motor mode, top speed, and a short off-road suspension test.

Here’s a shorter, two-minute ride that lets you see the riding position and how my 5’11”, 240-pound frame fits on the bike.

Here are some things to note.

1. 1. Pedaling the Talon T787 isn’t really easy or necessary. Don’t get me wrong, the Shimano system worked flawlessly. Indexed shifting was snappy when selecting gears. But with only seven gears, once you’re up to 15MPH or so, you really can’t pedal fast enough to do any good.
   2. Pedaling isn’t practical if you’re tall. I’m 5’11”. Wi h one foot at the bottom of the stroke, your other leg this in a crazy position. It almost hit my arm. A 6’4″ friend tried it and physically couldn’t pedal. The 6’5″ max rider height that they claim isn’t realistic.

• The pedal assist isn’t really pedal assist. Pedaling really just engages the motor. I have a true pedal-assist bike. The motor only adds power when you’re pedaling. With the Talo  T787, when I start pedaling, the motor kicks on hard. When I stop pedaling, the motor keeps supplying power for a few more seconds, or until I hit the brakes. That’s not really pedal assist.

 

You might be asking why the Talon T787 has pedals if they’re essentially useless. There are different classes of motorized two-wheel vehicles: electric bikes and electric motorcycles. Bikes have very little regulation, but motorcycles have all kinds of rules and regulations. The Talon T78  has pedals; therefore, it is a bike. Without pedals, it would be a motorcycle. I can’t believe that many people who ride a bike in this class will pedal, other than in an emergency.

The Talon T787’s main power delivery system is the twist throttle, not your legs. And I’m happy to report that twisting that throttle put a pretty big smile on my face in a hurry. In single-motor mode, the power comes on slowly but still gets you up to speed. It’s easy to ride and perfect for a newbie. The bike defaults to single-motor mode every time you turn it on; I wish that were settable, but alas, it isn’t.

The real fun begins when you flip to dual-motor mode. You get a little extra electric-motor whine from the front motor as the power comes on strong. 20MPH arrives in the blink of an eye. 30MPH isn’t far behind. I topped out at 33 MPH, a little less than the claimed 36 MPH top speed.

Specs for electric vehicles are typically done as follows: 72°F, flat road, 160lb rider, yadda, yadda, yadda. They make their claims in conditions nobody ever rides in. For example, my 240-pound frame is 1.5x the typical test payload. So hauling my tonnage at a real-world 33MPH is pretty impressive.

Let’s talk range. Here’s Talone bike’s claimed range estimates. Note the disclaimer at the bottom.

Did I get 90, 80, or 70 miles on a charge? Nope. Not even close. I did a longer ride in assist mode #4, riding mostly at 24 MPH. I didn’t ride until the battery died, but based on an estimate of what was left, I calculate that I should be able to get 50 to perhaps 60 miles versus the claimed 80 miles. Again, factor in that I was running at the top of the range, plus the 1.5x weight penalty, and 50 to 60 practical miles per charge is pretty darn good.

The not-so-good is the charging time. I charged both batteries from around 33%. Each battery took a little over six hours to charge fully. That means that after a day of riding, you need more than 12 hours to fully charge for the next day, and only if you swap the charger to the second battery as soon as the first finishes charging. That’s painfully slow; plus, it really highlights the downside that the bike comes with only one charger.

The other thing that is weird and a little confusing is the battery indicator on the screen. I was out on a ride, maybe 10 or 15 miles along, and was going up an incline. Of course, I was in assist mode 5 and running full throttle at 30MPH. I glanced at the battery gauge on the screen and was a little terrified to see that I was out of the green and into the red, with 2/10 bars left. Yikes! The thought of pedaling a 112-pound bike home wasn’t appealing. But then, I crested the hill. I had backed off the throttle a bit too. I was surprised to watch the battery gauge climb back to 8/10 bars. Wow, that was strange.

The only thing I can surmise is that the gauge is designed to show you estimated charge left at the current burn rate, but I don’t like it. The bike has no reliable indicator or gauge to answer the question: How much charge do I have left? Pressing the indicator button on each battery is probably the best way to check. But they only have four charge bars, so they are a rough estimate, at best.

Final Thoughts

I have a lot of complaints about this bike: slow charging, only one charger, a hard-to-read display, a confusing battery gauge, no front turn signals or visible/audible indicators, and horrible documentation, all of which make it sound like an awful Ebike. But then I turn it on, sit on it, and twist the throttle. All my complaints disappear, and I smile for miles and miles.

The Talonebike Talon T787 is plain and simple a blast to ride. It’s fast, powerful, smooth, comfortable, and did I mention fun, fun, fun? And at just over a grand, it’s a pretty good bang for the buck. If you’re OK with a bit of initial frustration, the Talonebike Talon T787 Ebike will reward you with fun rides day after day without breaking the bank.

The Talonebike Talon T787 Dual Motor Ebike retails for $1,699 (currently on sale for $650 off, at $1,049); it is available directly from the manufacturer.

As of this writing, ordering the Talon T787 automatically includes a discount code that covers three accessories: a pump, side mirrors, and a cell phone holder. If you don’t need those accessories, replace the code with code GEARDIARY for a $50 discount. The GEARDIARY code will work on any order from TalonEbike.

Source: Manufacturer-supplied review sample

What I Like: Comfortable; Seriously fun to ride; The bike looks great; Everything needed for assembly is sent with the bike; Reasonably priced; Good range; The full suspension eats up the bumps; The hydraulic disc brakes work great

What Needs Improvement: The documentation, both printed and online, is awful; This Ebike is definitely not for riders six feet or taller; The bike really needs front turn signals and a turn indicator that is visible or audible to the rider; The seat could use a little more padding; The pedal assist is a little overly aggressive; The display is very difficult to see in bright sunlight, especially with sunglasses on; Charging is unacceptably slow, even with two chargers; The battery display is confusing