iZip 2008 Tricruiser Adult Electric Tricycle (24-Inch Wheels)

This is a lemon, and it's potentially unsafe.

The first time I tried to ride my tricruiser, its controller fried itself, going up a very short (20 foot) hill. The motor was on at full to go up the hill, and remained on at full down the other side. Letting go of the throttle did not stop it. The safety feature that's supposed to make the brake stop the motor failed. Running beside the bike and trying to restrain it did not stop it. It was stopped only by running into, and right up the side of a hedge. An automobile with this failure mode would never be allowed on the road, but electic bikes are basically unregulated, so ..

After this, the controller was burnt out. Currie does has excellent tech support, and they diagnosed this and sent me a new controller, but I had already given up on it. Never again.

Other issues included: The housing around the battery pack is plastic. It arrived cracked. Currie did not have a replacement. Two bolts to attach the rear fenders could not be found. As noted by others, the motor is loud, the construction doesn't feel very solid. Also, the seat is not very well made; mine bent the first time I sat on it. (I'm under the max weight for this bike, but not a lot under.) The motor is controlled by a throttle, but does not have "pedelec" mode, where you get an automatic electic assist when you peddle.

Also, be aware that assembling this is a big job. The back end has to be bolted on, and then the drive chain has to be taken apart to be attached to it. This requires special tools, or a bike shop.

Finally, issues with trikes in general, from the perspective of a new trike user: You need to be aware it doesn't ride like a bike. You have to unlearn how to ride a bike to steer a trike. Road camber can make it tend to run off the side of roads unless you constantly steer it back. It's a pain to get through narrow doors, and the back end is very heavy, so if you have any stairs, forget it. It's awkward to walk beside and push. It has only one gear.

I gave up on this as a lemon, and bought a two wheeled electic, which I'm very happy with. I'll miss the enormous carrying capacity of a trike, but super-large panniers can carry quite a lot too.

I would discourage people from buying this bike. The old phrase "you get what you pay for" definitely applies here. It's a 'good' bike in many ways but disappoints in many others.

What you should know when you buy this bike:
-It's loud
-it's rickety sounding
-replace the tire tubes when you get it, they are thin and mine have all popped within the first few weeks.
-This bike is 1 speed, there are no gears so it feels like your peddling in 10th gear all the time, which is damn near impossible with a bike this heavy unless it's flat or downhill.
-if you lock up the tires the back chain tends to come loose making peddling impossible
-keep a wrench and screwdriver on you, i'm constantly adjusting and tightening
-tighten and watch the back fenders. they tend to move and then get caught up in the wheel. mine were almost torn off several times.
-the help/support number that is stuck all over the bike is someone's personal phone number.
-the battery i received seems to be a dud. the on/off switch doesn't work at all.

Basically, save your money and get a more expensive bike from a local bike shop. I ride this bike 20 miles a day and wish i had saved up and got something else. My coworkers all did and love their bikes.

Feel free to contact me if you have questions. I may be slightly jaded but will give you honest feedback.. dmoola@gmail.com

This item is well-made and working great. It does require assembly by someone better than myself, and it is heavy. This is one motorized item that does not require an operator's license to ride on the streets of a small town; thus, it worked perfectly for my aging father who no longer has a license. This gave him back some independence, boosting his spirit. I recommend this product!

I searched for this item as I did not have any idea of products. I tryed locally in NJ for a source. I no longer drive. I am dependent on family to shop, travel all on their valuable time .
Unit was delivered on schedule and in prime condition. I had my grandson put the unit together. I then had a professional check out the unit . COMENT BY PROFESSIONAL "TOP QUALITY UNIT" It is NOT A POWER ADDED TRIKE AS MOST ARE
I live in Point Pleasant Beach in Ocean county I now can shop on my own. the basket is a good size. I have used the unit with power. the charger works well. prefer the speed and length of charge.

I ENCOURAGE ANYONE WHO HAS THE PROBLEM OF INDEPENDET LIVING TO CONSIDER THIS UNIT . If I can do the manual if needed. think Im 85 yrs. It would have been a breeze at 75. I AM FREE

This is my second adult tricycle. My first one is a 2008 Torker Tri-Star Tricycle. This trike weighs about 95lbs, which is a good 50lbs heavier. This is pretty common on electric bikes. The battery is removable and weighs about 25lbs, just by itself. This added weight does make that first peddle a bit of a chore, unless you use the throttle. Once you get going, it's pretty peppy.

I wound-up switching out the seat, because it really wasn't that comfortable. The new seat and post cost about $35. I've heard the 2007 models seat was a bit more comfy. My trike arrived in two boxes and was in pretty good shape. There were some scratches on the fenders, which another reviewer also mentioned. The grey plastic battery holder was also cracked, but not too badly. I contacted customer service and they replaced the parts.

There was some confusion with customer service, because there is more than one company that sells on Amazon. Those other companies are not covered by the warranty but Currie Technologies is covered by the warranty. When you call customer service, make sure to inform them that you purchased it from Currie Technologies via Amazon.com. The customer service was great and they even registered my trike over the phone.

They informed me that either Home Depot or Lowes sells blue touch-up paint that exact shade. They weren't sure which store it was, but it was one of the two. I intend to bring my new fenders in, and get a bottle, incase I need it later.

The trike is very well made, and has solid spot welds throughout the frame. The tires are large and the basket is great, because it folds-down.

It accelerates very rapidly, and that can take some getting used to. I'm being extra careful around turns, probably more than I need to. There are front and rear hand brakes, but no coaster brake. I think earlier version may have had a coaster brake, but this model does not. It is only one speed, but the throttle more than makes up for that. Going down a hill it can easily reach speeds of 20+, and about 15-18 on flat land.

The manual sucks, but I had a local bike shop assemble it for me, and it was pretty cheep. I highly recommend you pay someone to assemble it, because a common problem with trikes, is that the rear wheels aren't properly balanced and the trike doesn't ride smooth. It's also worth the extra money to have them goo the tires, so you don't get a flat.

Amazon has recently raised the price another $50, and I've heard really good things about this super kids website from the company. They apparently have lower prices too and are covered by the warranty. You may want to compare the prices, before you buy.

This trike does use a lead-acid battery, and it should last about 300+ charges, which can be anywhere from 6 months to 4 years, depending on how often you use the bike and how well you take care of the battery by keeping it charged and out of cold or hot weather. A replacement battery from the company costs $220, and they said they intend to carry this particular battery for quite a few more years. I kinda wish it was lithium ion, but I'm sure it would cost a whole lot more.

Overall, I'd recommend this trike, if you're interested in an electric vehicle. Otherwise, I'm also very happy with my Torker, which looks practically the same, only isn't electric.

**UPDATE**

Three days after writing this review my front tire got a flat. Appearently the innertubes on this trike are pretty thin. For about $7 a tire, you can upgrade to much thicker innertubes (about 3X as thick). It was pretty easy to fix, and well worth the upgrade.