There’s nothing more humbling than the great outdoors. Nothing makes you more humble and grateful you’re alive than a stunning outdoor vista.
But if you’re anything like me, visiting well-known outdoor spots just doesn’t scratch the itch anymore. What gets me going is exploring the backwater place far away from any roads.
But you can’t do that with just about any bike you come across. Even if you have a mid-range mountain bike, this is still a pretty risky activity. You need a bike that can handle ungodly amounts of punishment.
Well, the guys and gals (and everyone in between) noticed this hole in the e-bike market and partnered up with none other than Jeep to design one of the most rugged and comfy e-bikes on the market.
QuietKat comes with everything an outdoors enthusiast needs - super-comfy double suspension, a powerful motor, gigantic tires that can go over anything and a frame that can withstand a nuclear blast.
Let’s see what makes this bike tick, shall we.
Jeep’s frame design is a real thing of beauty. It’s dominated by the thick downtube that also doubles as a battery container. Then you have a super-thin, double-butted upper tube, chain stay and seat stay.
Given that most of the frame is so thin, you’d think that this e-bike is as light as a feather. Well, you’d be dead wrong. The Jeep is anything but lightweight - it weighs a whopping 70 lbs. This is because this bike also comes with gigantic tires, double suspension as well as a pretty hefty motor/battery combo.
Although it’s a nightmare to carry, the Jeep’s heft actually helps it perform better. How? Well, since it’s so heavy, its fat tires will be able to find grip even on the toughest, gravely-est terrain out there.
But grip is nothing if you’re going to rattle your kidney to oblivion, which is why Jeep comes with top-of-the-line suspension. The front suspension from KKE with 140 millimeters of travel utilizes compressed instead of your standard spring to absorb almost all of the bumps coming your way. And since this is an inverted fork design, you don’t have to worry about it accidentally cracking or breaking while you're in the middle of nowhere.
The rear suspension from RockShox is just as impressive. While it uses a standard spring, it has 150 millimeters of travel, which ensures a buttery smooth ride even on terrain that’s nothing but potholes.
My only gripe with the Jeep’s frame is that it doesn’t come with a rear cargo rack and fenders. You can purchase those separately, but this bike is already painfully expensive; the least QuietKat could do is throw in a pair of fenders.
On top of that, the Jeep also doesn’t come with a light. That’s also sold separately. That’s outrageous for a bike that costs as much as a brand-new ATV.
Motor
All the fender and light shenanigans aside, what makes the Jeep worth its price is the Bafang Ultra mid-drive motor.
This motor can churn out 1000 watts of power at a drop of a dime with a peak power output of 1500 watts. Too bad its top speed is only 20 MPH. If I weren’t afraid of voiding the warranty, I would fiddle with the motor’s controller and turn the Jeep from a lowly class 2 to an unrestricted bike to hell with laws and regulations.
Not only is this motor beefier than a bodybuilder, but it’s also torque as all hell. It can produce a whopping 160 Nm of torque. This means you’ll be able to conquer even the steepest of hills without even feeling it.
Now, since Bafang Ultra is so powerful and torquey, you should be careful how you take off with Jeep. If you take off while you’re in the highest gear and at max level of PAS, you’re going to put a lot of strain on the chain. Although the chain is more than capable of withstanding this type of stress the first couple of hundred times, you don’t want it to brake while you’re miles away from the nearest civilization.
When it comes to controls, they’re as simple as pie. You have your control cluster on the left-hand side of the handlebars with buttons for selecting the level of pedal assist as well as turning the motor on/off.
There’s also a thumb throttle right next to the control cluster. It’ll come in real handy when you get tired of pedaling.
Battery
The Jeep comes with an absolutely gigantic 48 V 14.5 Ah battery. QuietKat claims you can squeeze out 58 miles of range, which is pretty optimistic if you ask me.
After a couple of weeks with this bike, I can tell you with full confidence that the most range you’re going to get out of the battery is anywhere between 40 and 45 miles.
This is more than enough range even for the most hard-core offroad adventure you can think of.
If you believe 40 miles is not enough, you can always get a spare battery. They’re pretty affordable, all things considered.
As I mentioned in the frame section, the battery is housed inside the downtube. You can charge it either while it’s on the bike via the charging port, or you can take it out and charge it somewhere more convenient.
As is the case with almost all e-bike batteries, it will take anywhere from 4 to 6 hours for the Jeep’s battery to fully charge.
The battery is secured with a simple lock mechanism, and removing it is simple as turning the key and sliding it out.
Brakes
Jeep comes with some of the biggest, most rugged brakes I’ve ever seen on a bike.
The Tektro Dorado 4-piston hydraulic brakes with 230-millimeter rotors will get you to a full stop in just a couple of feet.
While I’m generally against oversized brake rotors, they make perfect sense on Jeep. After all, this bike is meant for going over gravel, mud, rocks, and other hellish surfaces. And you need that piece of mind knowing the brakes won’t fail you no matter what.
Wheels And Tires
The Jeep comes with gigantic 26 x 4.8-inch CST Roly Poly tires.
These tires run on almost no pressure, which makes them super-efficient at absorbing hits and bumps on the road. It also allows them to find a grip on tough surfaces such as gravel and sand.
While they make the Jeep a bit sluggish when turning, you need all the grip and suspension when riding over rough terrain.
Pros And Cons After Testing
There’s a lot to like about the QuietKat Jeep.
For starters, it comes with cutting-edge double suspension. You can ride this bike over nothing but potholes all day, and you won’t feel a thing.
Then you have a beefy, torquey Bafang Ultra motor. With 1000 watts of power and 160 Nm of torque propelling you forward, there’s no hill you won’t be able to conquer. The only thing bringing the motor down is Jeep’s somewhat lackluster top speed of just 20 MPH.
Lastly, you have those enormous tires. Although they make turning a bit sluggish, they make it up with amazing grip and bounciness. They work perfectly in unison with the double suspension at absorbing all the hits and bumps coming your way.
But there are a couple of things that annoy me about Jeep.
For starters, the bike doesn’t come with fenders and a front light out-of-the-box. This bike already costs as much as a brand-new ATV, I don’t know why QuietCat didn’t include those with the bike. To add insult to injury, you can buy those separately.
Then you have more than a steep price tag. Unless you have serious cash, this bike will be out of your reach forever.
Advice To Consumers
If you have money to burn and have a burning passion for exploring the great outdoors, you should pick up a Jeep. You won’t find another e-bike that’s this comfortable and rugged - that is, until QuietKat releases an improved version.
Our Rating - 85/100
Rugged, comfy, and powerful - QuietKat Jeep is every outdoors enthusiast's dream bike. The only thing bringing it down is its steep price.