Gogobest GF600 Review

If you’ve been around the shopping for an e-bike for longer than half an hour, you probably know that the e-bike market is dominated by US and Chinese companies.

Sure, they have their storage and R&D facilities scattered all over the world, but at the end of the day, they’re either US or Chinese companies.

But what happens when a relatively small company from Europe tries to make a name for itself in the competitive e-bike market?

Enter, Gogobest and its GF600 fat-tire mountain bike.

I’m not overexaggerating when I say that this is one of the best budget fat-tire bikes currently out there.

The bike comes with a beastly motor and just as juicy battery, and on top of that it’s as comfy as a feather pillow.

To keep the cost low, Gogobest had to skimp on some components and simplify the frame design - but all the tradeoffs are well worth the performance and comfort you get.

But before we get into the details here's a great video you can watch on the GF600:

Frame

Like I mentioned in the intro, Gogobest had to make some sacrifices to keep the GF600 affordable. And the one thing where you can see it most is the frame.

GF600 has a pretty uninspiring frame design. It basically looks like every other budget-fat tire bike out there. You have curved upper and lower tubes, with your mandatory front suspension (that has around 5 inches of travel, by the way).

I must compliment the welding work on the frame - it’s some of the cleanest I’ve seen on a budget bike.

The only two notable things on the frame are the battery and the motor controller. Although most manufacturers these days usually integrate these components, guys and gals at Gogobest realized that would just unnecessarily up the price.

After all, the controller is perfectly safe inside its housing even though it sits right in front of the back wheel. At first, I was a bit skeptical about it, but after two weeks of hard riding, the controller box didn’t even get a scratch on it.

One thing is for sure, the GF600 is a pretty hefty boy. To be more exact, it weighs just a sliver more than 61 lbs. Not only are you going to have a bad time lugging this thing around, but riding this bike without motor assistance will give you a workout of a lifetime.

At least the frame is tough enough to withstand a nuclear blast. I rode this bike on my local rocky trail, and it took its punishment with grace.

Motor

On top of that, it can produce insane amounts of torque. Gogobest claims it can churn out around 100 Nm of torque, but I’m not sure about that. The bike is super-snappy but not 100 Nm of torque snappy. I would say it can produce somewhere around 80 Nm, which is still damn impressive for a budget bike.

The bike is so snappy that it will reach its top speed of 15 MPH in around 5 seconds, that’s just crazy for a bike this cheap.

The only thing keeping the motor from showing its full glory is the somewhat lackluster drivetrain. You see, GF600 comes with an entry-level 7-gear touring drivetrain from Shimano. While it is pretty smooth, it’s not really meant for more serious off-road riding.

When it comes to controls, they’re as simple as apple pie. There’s a control cluster on the left-hand side with buttons for increasing/decreasing the 5 levels of PAS, as well as for changing what info the LCD display, well, displays.

Speaking of displays, GF600 features your standard LCD screen. It’s located in the middle of the handlebars and feeds you all the riding info you need, including your current speed, battery level, PAS level, miles traveled, and more.

And if you ever get tired of pedaling this hefty boy, you can always use the throttle. Now, since the motor is so torquey, expect the bike to take off the second you twist that throttle. If you’re an e-bike newbie, it can be a bit jarring, but you’ll get used to it pretty soon.

Battery

Gogobest claims GF600 can reach around 68 miles on a single charge. This is simply mindblowing. Other bikes in this price range can barely provide half as much range.

However, I was struggling to reach 60 miles of range. And that was on the lowest PAS level and with no cargo. So, if you’re going to ride this bike over rougher terrain, you can expect anywhere between 35 and 50 miles of range - which is still insane for a budget bike.

On top of that, the recharge time is pretty decent - only 5 to 6 hours. This is a whopping 1 hour less than your average recharge time.

Of course, you can charge the battery either while on the bike or separately. Removing the battery is as simple as turning the key and sliding it out.

Brakes

If this were my daily driver, I would probably upgrade it with a fresh set of hydraulic brakes.

Wheels And Tires

Pros And Cons After Testing

As is the case with all budget-friendly e-bikes, GF600 comes with a few trade-offs. 

For starters, the frame design is as basic as it can get. The battery is only semi-integrated, and the motor controller is just bolted on the seat tube.

Secondly, the brakes and the drivetrain are just as basic as the frame. Although they’re perfectly fit to handle your daily commuting around town, I wouldn’t trust them on more difficult offroad trails.

Lastly, there’s a problem with the bike’s height. If you’re under 5’3’’, you’re going to have trouble getting on and off the GF600. I’m pretty sure Gogobest would sell more of these bikes if they included a smaller version.

On the other hand, you have one of the best motor battery combos for the money. There are just a handful of other bikes in this price range that come with this beefy motor and there’s even less that can match its range.

Then you have those fat, cushy tires. They’re so spongy, that you’ll hardly feel road shock. Trust me, after a couple of miles on this bike, you’ll be itching to take it on your local dirt road and just let it rip.

Advice To Consumers

I recommend you pick this bike up if you’re looking for a daily commuter you can take on occasional off-road adventures. The ride is buttery smooth, you get more power and range than you could ever need, and it’s sturdy to boot.