To run the forums, host the website, and travel, I charge a universal service fee for my reviews. This review was sponsored by FTH Power. My goal is to be transparent and unbiased, this video and written review are not meant to be an endorsement of FTH Power products.
The X2-F Abyss is a fresh and sturdy fat tire bike from a new company looking to add value in unique ways. Upon looking at the Abyss, the obvious stand out is these two frame mounted battery packs that power the 750watt nominally rated rear-hub motor. The two 48v 11.6ah batteries are the main attraction here, but there is so much more to cover so we will return to the batteries soon. The bike comes in an aluminum alloy frame with one size and one style, this sort of mid-step. Despite the rugged appearance, there is a lot of comfort here thanks to the suspension fork, suspension seat post, and fat tires. Fat tires can absorb some bumps which is great, but other than that these are kind of basic Inovia tires rated for 5-30psi. Not bad, but they don’t have some of the fancier features like puncture resistance or reflective stripping. The suspension seat post is 30.4mm with 40mm of travel and there is a hex bolt in the bottom to adjust preload. Speaking of which, there is also a preload adjust on the fork as well or you could swap it out with an air fork since it has a tapered head tube. The front fork is an RST Guide spring suspension with 32mm stanchions so it’s a little thicker which is nice because you want that extra strength when you got the weight of the bike to consider. The bike itself is 79lbs, which is on the heavier side, but honestly, I am surprised they would be able to keep the weight that low considering the 2 batteries add 15lbs to the overall weight (7.5lbs a piece). Assisting that weight are these thicker double walled rims with 13 gauge spokes in the front and 12 gauge in the rear really handle the additional forces of that 750 watt nominally rated motor. The front wheel has a 10mm threaded axle with nuts, but no quick release. In the rear, it’s a 15mm axle threaded with nuts, but no additional torque arm. This torque arm washer has some inserts that fit into the frame, but I do have to call out what I am seeing here because with such a powerful motor, it’s nice to have that extra sturdiness. Looking around the bike though I am seeing a lot of branding, I like this shorter beefy stem, the locking ergonomic grips, and this optional rear rack is cool too. I believe it’s $50, and it has a 25kg weight limit, standard gauge tubing, a loop, and these pannier hangers. I love that it also has an integrated headlight, but it is mounted on the fork arch, so do be aware it could get a little bumpy in visibility on rough terrain. It also comes with an independent rear light, but this one didn’t have it installed because it would require that we put the suspension seat post up higher and that could be uncomfortable for some riders to have the seat so high. It may be somewhat of a wonky looking bike, but that may be because the batteries are not quite as streamlined and integrated into the frame as other more expensive bikes, so it probably helps to keep the cost down. But overall, this thing is a beast… it’s rated to hold 240lbs and with 2 batteries it could become a trekking bike or a touring bike that is kind of made for all roads. Other features include an alloy chain guide to protect pants, integrated bell, Wellgo platform pedals, a kickstand positioned out of the way to eliminate pedal lock, and it comes with this really detailed nice manual that even has error codes listed so you don’t need to go to the dealer find out what needs attention.
Powering the Abyss is a 750 watt nominally rated hub-drive by MXUS. It is a fat tire specific hub-drive that is really zippy with 80nm of torque. When I say nominally rated, that means at its lowest point, so in theory, with these twin batteries, it could probably get up to around 900 watts on motor power. That power equates to making hill climbing a piece of cake and it has a top speed of 25mph. It has a 12 magnet cadence sensor for pedal assist. After 0 mode (off), you can engage the 4 modes of assist at eco, tour, speed, and turbo. You can also accelerate with this trigger throttle here which will quickly and easily get you to that 25mph mark. Do be careful though, the throttle is live the moment you turn on the bike and even when the pedal assist mode is off at 0. I am glad it is a trigger throttle, sometimes the always live twist throttles can produce accidents when grabbing the handlebars, but I would still be cautious with any live throttle, especially since this particular bike does not have motor inhibitors built into the brakes. Mechanically they used an entry level 7 speed Shimano Tourney 14-28 tooth cassette with 44 teeth in the front. It looks like its using the thumb shifter, which I am not always a fan of, but it is common to see on lower price point bicycles. For stopping power, FTH Power is using Tektro Aires 180mm mechanical disc brakes in the front and rear. The mechanical disc brakes offer an adjustment and service advantage since they do both easily. However, I prefer hydraulic disc brakes on faster systems for that immediate stopping power since you have to squeeze a little harder on mechanical brakes and there may be a slight delay in the rear brake since it has to travel along the cable.
OK, so let’s talk about these batteries. The Abyss comes standard with two 48v 11.6ah lithium ion batteries, each rated over 500 watt hours, making a combined total of a kilowatt hour! These batteries are made for high range and power. I’ve been told the company only uses Panasonic, Samsung, or LG batteries, they really don’t want to mess with or touch the outlying brands because they want to guarantee the impedance. After all, the company has 37 years in the electronics business, so they really wanted to dial these in the best way possible to prevent headaches and keep satisfaction high. In accordance with this, they offer a battery repair service. If you have an issue after the 1 year warranty period, no problem. FTH Power will still offer a battery reconditioning service where they can assess and even replace the internals with a brand new pack if needed. The even charge all the batteries before they ship them out so the moment you are ready to ride, the battery is too! The batteries are in alloy housing, so they may get scratches a little easier, but overall it is more durable than plastic and it won’t rust. They also have 3 LED ticks on them to display charge level. The bike will come with two separate 2amp battery chargers, that way you can charge both batteries in tandem. A little bit more manual, and not as fancy as a Bosch dual battery system where you can use one plug to fill both batteries evenly, but it definitely helps keep the cost down. With two separate batteries and chargers, you have a couple more options as well. Because you can ride with just one battery if you wish, you could keep one set up at home, and one at the office for example. A lot of single battery bikes have owners that want an additional battery, but they have to carry it in a bag or take up space on the rack. With this setup, you could literally keep your spare battery attached to the bike so you can use it at your convenience. The batteries are do have lock and key, but unfortunately, it is a different key than the one you use to turn on the bike. It kind of makes for a redundant process… to use the bike you have to click the batteries in, turn the batteries on with their power buttons, then click the bike key in the slot you want, then turn on the display. This was a tradeoff for me compared to some of the fancier Bosch systems, but the X2-F Abyss does come at a much cheaper price point. Another gripe is if you want to charge the lower battery on the bike, the charging port is located near the crank arm, so do be careful. To really care for this and other lithium-ion packs, I have heard that storing in a cool dry location vs. extreme heat or cold will extend the life and try to keep it about 50% full when not using for long periods so you won’t stress the cells. Try not to let it run down to zero, because that’s really hard on the cell chemistry.
The display is large and easy to read from its size and the backlight. This one is not removable, but it does swivel. Having a large and somewhat tall display though makes me consider it to be a bit vulnerable in the event of a crash. In another point of redundancy, you have a 4 button control pad for the display mounted on the left handlebar, but also have those same 4 buttons to control the display laid out across the lower section of the display itself. I am a little curious as to why they did this, but I suppose it might come in handy in some rare instance where one is easier to get to than the other. The 4 buttons shown are +, -, L (lights), and power. If you hold L and power while booting up for 3 seconds, you get more settings and adjustments. The speed readout is located in the middle while up and down on the left side it shows the mode you are in. The modes are off, eco, tour, speed, and turbo. When you first switch on the bike it will default to that eco mode. 6 separate notches are shown for the battery level, and the rest of the display lets you choose to show odometer, trip, average speed, or time spent on the bike. I love that this display has a USB port underneath that charges at 5v and 1amp. That is defiantly taking advantage of those batteries and I really appreciate that, as most chargers are just 500mA, barely enough to keep a device going, let alone charge it. I noticed when riding this system that if you switch the key over to the other battery really quickly, the display will keep running and you can go from there. However, if you take your time and do it slow, the display will cut out for a moment and need to be turned back on.
This bike was a lot of fun to review and has a lot going for it. It easy to see why people get so excited for it, but at such a great price for 2 batteries, there are some tradeoffs to consider. A lot of little things pop up here and there, for instance, there are no bottle cage bosses, the tires don’t have puncture protection or reflection built in, and the keys kind of jingle around a lot on bumpy terrain. Also, there is no slap guard, so you may want to protect that with some box tape or something. But I think a lot of the tradeoffs actually come with the electrical system. The redundancy is prevalent, and you see it with the steps that have to be taken in order to turn on the bike each time you want to use it. That redundancy shows itself again in the mirrored control buttons on the control pad as well as on the display. I think for me though. a bike this powerful should really have some motor inhibitors. We also noticed during the video review that even though the display is off, you still need to turn the batteries off. So really be careful and keep an eye on those battery LEDs to see if the bike is truly off or not, especially with that always active live throttle. As I review the X2-F Abyss though, I really can’t complain when looking at that $1,999 price point. It has a 1 year warranty, dealer support network, and the company is located here in the US. They also offer a battery repair service for less than a cost of most batteries out there on the market. As their first iteration, it is a great start, and I can’t wait to see what comes next. I would like to give a big thanks to FTH Power for letting us check out their bike and their factory.
As always, I welcome questions and feedback in the comment section below. Whether you own a previous version of the bike, have taken a test ride, or are brand new to the space, my goal is to provide an objective and honest resource. You can also join the Ebike forums and share your own photos, videos, and review updates to help others! Have fun out there, and ride safe :)
Pros:
- Comes with 2 separate 48v 11.6ah batteries for long range and power, two separate chargers to cut charging time, and is ready for all road adventure
- Driven by a fat tire specific planetary gear hub drive with 80nm of torque, very zippy, and has a nominal rating of 750 watts
- A lot of available comfort with the fat tires, front suspension fork, and even a suspension seat post, both suspensions have a preload adjust
- Thicker double walled rims with 13 gauge spokes in the front and 12 gauge spokes in the rear really help stabilize and add to the strength of the bike
- Comes with an integrated headlight as well as an independent rear light
- I love that the kickstand is positioned out of the way to reduce pedal lock when reversing, definitely a feature missed by some manufacturers
- A lot of customers want a second battery for their bike, but it can become a hinderance to carry it around all the time, with the Abyss, you can simply latch it on the bike allowing you to free up space for your racks or backpacks!
- FTH Power offers a battery reconditioning service, even outside of warranty, replacing your battery pack for a fraction of most competitors cost
- The display is big and easy to read, I also love that it has a nice backlight which made it easy to see as the sun was going down during my video review
- Taking advantage of those batteries, the display has a USB port underneath that charges a 5v and 1amp, great for charging up your smartphone or other devices
- FTH Power is located here in the US, has a 1 year warranty, and a dealer support network
- Probably the most powerful pro is the price point, with an MSRP of $1,999, it is hard to knock the bike considering you get two 48v batteries
Cons:
- A lot of redundancy, having to have two separate keys for the battery and bike can get in the way, a 3 step process to turn on the bike takes time to get going, and the control pad and display share identical buttons
- This bike is powerful with a nominal rating of 750 watts and two batteries, its a shame there is no additional torque arm to reign it in and no motor inhibitors, although the bike does have some sturdy wheels and spokes to help stabilize it
- Even when the display is off, the batteries can still be on powering the bike, make sure to keep an eye on the battery LEDs and power them off if needed, especially with the live throttle
- The tires are beefy, but it is great to see fat tires with puncture protection, or even an additional reflective stripe
- When riding, the keys sit on the flat surface of top tube, I noticed this can create some noise from the keys jingling up and down on bumpy terrain
- There are no bottle cage bosses to be found, but this may have to be a sacrifice to accommodate the dual battery design they have setup here
- To charge the lower battery on the bike, you have to navigate around the crank arm as the charging port is placed in the way, so do be careful of that
- No slap guard is something we see on entry level bikes from time to time so it is normal, but I do worry the matte black could get scratched so I recommend getting a slap guard or putting some box tape on there
- It comes with an independent rear light, but to mount it on the suspension seat post, you need to raise the seat which could hinder shorter riders or even those that prefer a lower seat for their comfort
Resources:
steve briggs
6 years agoFor Canadian buyers, we can pre-order a double battery setup much like this, on a folding 20″ fat tire bike from Alter Ego Electric Bikes the frame of the VeloVillain 750 sport looks like it comes from Maxfoot, which is also not yet buyable.
ReplyCourt
6 years agoThanks for the feedback and links here, Steve :)
ReplyMr. P
5 years agoDo you have any 2X-F Abssy in stock.
ReplyCourt
5 years agoHowdy! I don’t sell any ebikes here, just post reviews about them and have this forum community where people can connect. If you’re curious about FTH Power ebikes, check out their official website here.
ReplyNick
5 years agoDo you deliver to Canada, and how much is the bike?
ReplyCourt
5 years agoHi Nick! You’ve reached ElectricBikeReview.com and not FTH Power. I’m not sure about their policy and pricing for customers in Canada, but you can contact them through their official website here. Good luck!
ReplyEddy Leyva
5 years agoDo you sell 3 wheels electric bikes?
ReplyCourt
5 years agoHi Eddy! I’m not sure that FTH sells a three-wheeled electric bike (or electric trike) at this time. You could contact them through their official site here and in the meantime, check out all of the other e-trikes we’ve reviewed on this page.
ReplyNay
4 years agoDo you guys ship to Australia.
ReplyCourt
4 years agoGood question, Nay. My website just reviews ebikes and lists details, you’d have to reach out to FTH directly on their official website here to ask them about international shipping. Good luck!
ReplyPaul long
3 years agoIs this the same bike as Dynalion, looks the same maybe a name change? looking to buy today but? what up help.
ReplyJune
3 years agoLooks like their site doesn’t have the bike listed anymore? Hope that is wrong because this looks like a pretty sweet ride.
ReplyCourt
3 years agoHi June! Yeah, it was a very unique ebike. I haven’t been in touch with the guys for a while. Perhaps you could reach out on their official site to see if the model was discontinued? I really enjoyed touring their factory and seeing the battery refurbishment services they offer. Pretty unique :D
ReplyJune
3 years agoYeah, I liked how they had an integrated battery section on their business. Was nice to see that they could repair the most expensive part of the bike.