Mokwheel is a brand popular for offering power station ebikes and now they have released their first folding model: the Slate. But is Slate just another folding ebike in an already saturated market? Or, is the Slate folding ebike offering something different? Let’s find out!
Before we dive into the details, let’s look at the pros and cons of this folding ebike from Mokwheel:
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Mokwheel Slate Review: Pros and Cons
Best Alternatives to Mokwheel Slate
Mokwheel Slate is a decent folding ebike, but there are better alternatives in the market already from well-reputed US-based brands with excellent customer support.
1.Ride1Up Portola
Ride1Up Portola is the best value-for-money folding ebike on the market in 2024. Compared to the Mokwheel Slate, the Ride1Up Portola offers a more powerful 750W motor, a welded rear rack, a better drivetrain, and the ability to carry a passenger! And the Portola won’t break your bank either!
Key Features:
- Powerful 750W Hub Motor
- Welded Rear Rack (130 lbs Capacity)
- Passenger Kit (Optional)
- Hydraulic Disc Brakes
- Shimano Altus 8-speed Drivetrain
- 45 Miles of Max Range
- 28 mph Top Speed
- Front Fork Suspension (80mm)
- 48V 13.4Ah Battery
- 20″ x 3.0″ Fat Tires
2. Heybike Tyson
Heybike Tyson offers you a more powerful 750W motor, dual suspension, app support, 4A fast charging, turn signals, 4″ fat tires, and 400 lbs of payload capacity. Overall, it’s a much better-folding ebike than the Mokwheel Slate and comes with a similar price tag!
Key Features:
- 750W Powerful Motor
- Dual Suspension System
- Hydraulic Disc Brakes
- 48V 15Ah Battery
- 55 Miles of Max Range
- 28 mph Top Speed
- 4A Fast Charging
- App Support
- Turn Signals
- 20″ x 4.0″ Fat Tires
- Shimano 7-speed Drivetrain
- 400 lbs payload capacity
Get a Special Discount of $50 on any Heybike ebike using our Discount code “Mag50”
Mokwheel Slate: Electrical Components & Key Features
| Feature | Mokwheel Slate |
|---|---|
| Motor | 500W Rear Hub Motor |
| Torque | 65 Nm |
| Battery | 48V 15Ah |
| Maximum Range | 60 Miles (PAS 1) |
| Sensor | Torque Sensor |
| Charger | 54.6V 3.0A |
| Display | Snap-on LCD |
| Throttle | Thumb |
| App Support | No |
| Headlight | Yes |
| Taillight | Yes |
The Mokwheel Slate features a torque sensor which is one of the highlights of this folding ebike. So, you can expect a responsive pedaling experience while riding the Slate ebike.
But the Mokwheel Slate is underpowered with just a 500W motor. There are many folding ebikes in the US market already with more powerful motors and lower price tags. So, you’ll have to pedal really hard on this ebike riding uphill.
The 48V 15Ah battery, however, doesn’t disappoint and you can get a decent range on this folding electric bike. Mokwheel claims a maximum range of 50-60 miles on this ebike. However, this is a theoretical range and can be only achieved in ideal conditions with the lowest pedal-assist mode.
On a realistic note, you should expect to get around 35-40 miles on this folding ebike in the pedal-assist mode. In throttle mode, you can ride for around 25-30 miles before the battery runs out.
The snap-on LCD display. however, is something we don’t normally see on electric bikes. If you detach the display, motor power is automatically cut off thereby deterring theft. So, it’s a good feature but we still recommend you get a solid lock to avoid losing your ebike.
Another feature that is missing in the Mokwheel Slate is the app support. Most of the commuter ebikes, especially the expensive ones, now allow you to customise your ebike settings with the app. You can track your rides on the app as well. So, it would have been great to see a dedicated app for the Mokwheel Slate.
Let’s move on to the design section and see what the Mokwheel Slate has to offer!
Mokwheel Slate: Design
| Feature | Mokwheel Slate |
|---|---|
| Frame Material | Aluminum Alloy |
| Frame Type | Step-through |
| Frame Sizes | One |
| Folding | Yes |
| Color Options | 3 |
| Recommended Height | 5’0″ – 6’2″ |
| Bike Weight | 64 lbs |
| Payload Capacity | 350 lbs |
The Mokwheel Slate comes in a step-though frame with only 1 frame size. You can, however, choose between three different color options. The paint job is good from Mokwheel and the aluminum-alloy frame is quite durable as well.
At 64lbs the Mokwheel Slate is not lightweight, but it’s not the heaviest folding ebike on the market either. So, lifting this folding ebike onto your SUV won’t be easy and you need another pair of hands!
The folding mechanism is quite simple and Mokwheel didn’t have to invent the wheel here! Most of the folding ebikes in the US market have the same folding latch and the simple folding process just kind of works out well.
We do want to highlight the fact that the Mokwheel Slate doesn’t have a welded rear rack which means that the rack isn’t as sturdy as you may expect. The bolted rear rack can still support your normal pannier bag or other stuff, but you should avoid putting excessive load on the rack.
Let’s dive into the components of Mokwheel Slate and see what this folding ebike can handle!
Mokwheel Slate: Other Components
| Features | Mokwheel Slate |
|---|---|
| Brakes | Logan HD-E500 Hydraulic Disc Brakes |
| Drivetrain | 7-Speed Shimano Tourney |
| Tires | Chaoyang 20″ x 3.0″ |
| Fork | Suspension Fork 90-110mm |
| Suspension Seatpost | No |
| Fenders | Included |
| Rear Rack | Included |
| Kickstand | Included |
The Mokwheel Slate features the 7-speed Shimano Tourney drivetrain which is a bit disappointing considering the price tag of this foldable bike. To give you a little context, the Heybike Mars 2.0, for instance, features the same drivetrain and is a lot more affordable than the Mokwheel Slate.
So, we think Mokwheel could have included at least an 8-speed drivetrain (like the Shimano Altus) considering this folding ebike is well out of the folding category. Nevertheless, the Shimano Tourney drivetrain with the SIS-index thumb shifter will do a decent job as you expect from Shimano components.
The brakes are solid as the Mokwheel Slate features the Logan HD E-500 hydraulic disc brakes. The 3″ fat tires will give you a smooth ride on different types of terrain as well. Let’s talk about the suspension now.
While the Mokwheel Slate features a good front suspension fork, there is no rear suspension to offer. And you don’t get a suspension seat post either. But this is not a deal-breaker as front suspension is good enough to absorb most of the bumps you may face during your rides.
However, we do recommend you get a better saddle along with a suspension seat post for a more comfortable ride.
Mokwheel Slate Review: Our Verdict
The Mokwheel Slate is a good torque-sensor ebike but comes with a lackluster motor. If you are planning to ride this ebike in a hilly area, you’ll be disappointed at its performance. With an entry-level drivetrain, Mokwheel Slates doesn’t have much to offer considering the high price tag.
The only considerable feature the Mokwheel Slate has to offer is the torque sensor. But it isn’t enough to justify the price tag this foldable electric bike comes with.
A price tag close to $1k could have made this ebike a good value-for-money option. However, we highly recommend you get an ebike with at least a 750W motor if you want to enjoy your rides.
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