QuietKat Rubicon Review

If you’ve ever read one of my reviews on this website, you probably know I’m a bit of an outdoorsy type. No matter what type of bicycle I review, whether it’s a cheapo commuter, or a high-end beast, I take them to one of many local off-road trails.

But what if you need a bike that can handle more than just a rough trail? If you’re a hunter, angler, or just a more courageous outdoors enthusiast, you need a bike that can go over a greased-up pole without breaking a sweat.

Well, in that case, you need something that’s more akin to a Jeep than a bike. 

This is exactly what guys and gals at QuietKat thought, which is why they partnered up with Jeep to create one of the most robust, comfy, and powerful all-terrain bikes in the world - Rubicon.

Equipped with a beastly mid-drive motor, rear and front suspension, and giant tires - there’s no blackwater place you won’t be able to reach.

Of course, these features come at a pretty steep price. Rubicon costs as much as a brand-new ATV. But unlike an ATV, this bike doesn’t guzzle gas and is quiet as a mouse, which is perfect if you want to sneak up on some wildlife or just enjoy the great outdoors in peace and quiet.

Let’s take a closer look at this pinnacle of e-bike engineering, shall we.

Frame

Rubicon features your standard mountain bike frame geometry. What I mean by this is that you have a hefty downtube with a thin upper tube. After all, there’s no point in reinventing the wheel. This frame geometry has been tried and tested.

But geometry is the least interesting thing about Rubicon’s frame. The most interesting parts of the frame are the front and rear suspension.

You see since this is an all-terrain bike, you need double suspension - otherwise, you would probably rattle your kidneys to oblivion. Both the front Firelink inverted fork front suspension and the RockShox rear suspension have around 150-millimeters of travel. What this means is that the ride is going to be buttery smooth even when going over the toughest terrains.

Of course, if you’re carrying cargo, you can lock the suspension out so there’s no bounce as you’re pedaling.

When it comes to weight, Rubicon is a real chunker of a bike. It weighs 75 lbs, which means you’re going to have a bad time if you ever need to carry it somewhere. On the bright side, this heft allows for those gigantic tires to find a better grip on the surface - especially when the bike is fully loaded with gear.

Speaking of loading gear, Rubicon doesn’t come with a cargo rack out of the box. Instead, you’ll have to buy that separately. And if you’re a hunter, you can get something QuietKat calls a hunter kit which includes two Rhino Grip clamps, an all-terrain game trailer, and an external light.

You’re probably going to need that game trailer since the max load capacity on this bike is 300 lbs, including you, the rider. That doesn’t allow much additional cargo.

My only gripe with the frame is that it doesn’t come with any fenders. You have to buy those additionally, which is just mean if you ask me.

Motor

With a mid-drive motor, the force gets applied to the back wheel the second you turn that pedal. This allows for more torque and less power consumption. You’ll be able to conquer even the steepest of hills without breaking a sweat, all thanks to this motor.

When it comes to torque, Rubicon can churn out a whopping 160 Nm of torque. This means you’ll be able to climb up a greased-up pole without breaking a sweat, even on the lowest level of pedal assist.

On top of that, this much torque means you’re able to reach the 28 MPH top speed in a matter of seconds.

Controlling the motor is as simple as pie. You can find the buttons for turning the motor on/off and selecting the level of pedal assist on the left-hand side of the handlebars. Right next to the left handle grip, there is also a thumb throttle. This can come in pretty useful when you get tired of pedaling.

There’s also a large LCD screen in the middle of the handlebars that’ll feed you all the necessary ride info, such as your current PAS level, miles traveled, current speed, and battery level.

The only thing you should be careful of is how you take off with this bike. The mid-drive motor puts a lot of strain on the chain, and if you take off on PAS 5 while in the highest gear, there’s a small chance you’ll break the chain. 

Battery

Still, 45 miles is more than enough for just about any application, whether it’s commuting around town or going on a hard-core offroad adventure.

I forgot to mention that the battery is fully integrated into the lower part of the downtube and is removable. To remove it, all you have to do is unlock it with a key and slide it out.

When it comes to charging 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 to you.

Brakes

Even when blazing at full 28 MPH, you’ll be able to come to a full stop in just a couple of feet, all the while maintaining control over the bike - pretty impressive if you ask me.

Wheels And Tires

And since these tires run on minimal pressure, they absorb most of the road shock coming your way. And whatever they don’t absorb, the double suspension will. I’m pretty sure you could run this bike over nothing but potholes and not feel a single bump.

Pros And Cons After Testing

After 150 miles on this bike, I admit I’m in love. QuietKat Rubicon is every outdoors enthusiast’s wet dream.

Who could say no to a torquey 1000-watt motor, tons of torque, lots of range, and a buttery smooth ride quality?

QuietKat and Jeep really gave it their all when designing this bike. Everything from the frame design to the specs is just perfect.

But there are a few little nitpicks. For starters, Rubicon doesn’t come with any fenders out of the box. I know there are some of you that don’t mind that, but I don’t like my back and legs getting splashed with all the road gunk the tires pull up.

Then there’s the price. Rubicon is more expensive than some ATVs. Sure, you do get a high-end double suspension, a Bafang motor, and a pretty rugged suspension, but the price puts this bike out of reach for most of us.

With that said, I would snag this bike the second it goes on sale.

Advice To Consumers

Whether you’re a hunter, angler, or an outdoors enthusiast and have tons of money to burn - I recommend you pick up a Rubicon. You get a beastly motor, super-cushy suspension, tires that can find grip on anything, and more range than you could ever want.