The controversial ProdecoTech Outlaw SS is appropriately named… It’s an outlaw in the world of ebikes because it can only legally be operated in off-road or private spaces in most states. They do sell two street legal version of the bike in the Outlaw EX and SE (both with 750 watt motors and top speeds of 20mph). And I hate to say it, but those are the version I’d go with. I’ve ridden motorcycles, driven cars and even dropped hills on my traditional bicycle at speeds far in excess of 28 miles per hour so what’s the big deal here? In short, it just doesn’t feel stable… none of them do, but the added speed here doesn’t help.
In my experience, the most comfortable place to ride this bike is on flat, smooth tarmac. It’s misleading… When you look at the enormous double crown downhill suspension and that “off road” designation you want to take it off jumps and bomb hills but that’s a risky proposition. The front offers some give but the rear does not and that’s where the motor and battery are… so they’re going to get beaten up inside and wear out faster and they’re also going to impact your ride. Not only is the weight all in the rear, it’s way up high which is the worst place possible for balance. This is true for most of the ProdecoTech bikes and I’ve called it out before but the higher speed only increases the danger here. I am not dramatizing this, I’ve given it a lot of thought, spoken with others who have tested the bike and spent time riding on different terrains (and nearly crashed on multiple occasions despite knowing the risks and being an adept rider). It’s just not very stable, especially when used on sand or dirt. I can guarantee you that crashing on this 62 pound ebike at 25+ mph is going to be awesome in the worst kind of way :)
Okay, end rant! Let’s be honest, people are buying this electric bike because it looks cool, can climb hills and go fast… and they’re riding it on the street or bike paths (hopefully not recklessly, giving other ebikers a bad reputation). Legal liabilities not withstanding, the motor on this thing can really crank. It offers 750 watts of power which is the upper limit in the USA. It’s durable because there are no gears inside… just large magnets. And it’s quiet, even when you’re climbing or cruising at top speed. I had no problem ascending an enormous hill, even starting from a complete stop (see the video review).
The battery pack that comes standard offers 48 volts of power and 9 amp hours of capacity with Lithium-ion cells. It’s good technology, energy dense and long lasting. It’s also removable meaning you can charge it more conveniently and store it inside when the weather gets hot or cold (extreme temperatures will harm the cells). I suggest charging the pack whenever you’ve gone for a ride and topping it off every month or so if you haven’t. The rack that the battery sits on is pretty rigid and without a rear shock the pack can get jolted around as mentioned earlier. The larger tires help a bit and ProdecoTech has reinforced the mounting point with four struts that connect to the rear axle. I’d be hesitant to add more weight to the rear end of this bike but it’s worth noting that there’s no attachment point for adding a saddle bag or panniers.
This bike only comes in one frame size, standard/medium. It’s actually shorter than the Oasis and some of the other models ProdecoTech offers which felt good to me (I’m 5’9″). The grips are solid and I love that they used a trigger throttle on the right because that makes accidental acceleration less of an issue (this can happen if you instinctively squeeze the handles in a tense moment). On the left side you’ve got a standard grip shifter and this works well enough… just don’t accidentally shift gears bearing down. The LED display unit gives you some idea of the battery capacity remaining using red, yellow or green lights but it doesn’t show your speed or distance traveled. The brake levers are high quality, easy to reach and very responsive but they don’t seem to cut power to the motor! One of the times I nearly fell on this bike was rounding a corner at high speed, squeezing both brakes and continuing to throttle the motor accidentally. The rear wheel spun faster than the front (because the motor was pushing through the brake) and the rear end of the bike started forcing my front wheel to skid and slide out. Not a fun moment at all (this coming from a guy who has knocked himself out on two separate occasions while wearing a helmet snowboarding).
I appreciate you reading this review because I don’t feel like the video articulated everything I felt when riding. I don’t want to be a downer, I respect a person’s right to choose and I think the hardware, assembly and support on this bike are superb. I’m not a huge fan of the design and hate to think that the higher top speed could seriously hurt some riders (physically and financially if they are sued). If this bike was more balanced and actually worked well off road I’d be less concerned about the balance… Check out my review of the Stealth Bomber which goes 50mph when unlocked. We were jumping and doing wheelies with that thing but there’s no way I’d try that with the Outlaw SS. The best place to use this thing is on streets… unfortunately, that’s also where it’s illegal. For another independent perspective check out Pete’s review over at ElectricBikeReport.com.
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Greg
10 years agoI have the se bike for over a year. Its awesome to ride. With so many apps for your phone out their its easy to monitor your speed and distance, I have had it up to 39 mph going down hill and felt safe on flat land I can peddle and keep it at 28mph easy even up small hills (note mine is the se with max of 20mph motor). I agree I would not try aggressive off road mountain trails but for the most part grass or average trails are no problem. With no moving parts in the battery don’t think the there is a problem with jolting the battery around or how that would even wear it out.
Did the person writing this review actually ride the bike or edit the article? Why I ask is in the con list it says twist throttle it has a thumb throttle like most quads. Also how does the key jingle around are you keeping more than one key on the lock? You also mentioned braking in a turn who does that I wouldn’t recommend that on any vehicle (motor cycle, car ) you should always brake before the turn. For the money you can’t beat it. again you’re right its not meant for extreme mountain biking but normal trails no problem. 2 out of 5 stars seems a little harsh kind of like when they rate a corvette against McLaren F1. For the money you cant touch it!
ReplyGreg
10 years agoI have the se bike for over a year. Its awesome to ride. With so many apps for your phone out their its easy to monitor your speed and distance, I have had it up to 39 mph going down hill and felt safe on flat land I can peddle and keep it at 28mph easy even up small hills (note mine is the se with max of 20mph motor). I agree I would not try aggressive off road mountain trails but for the most part grass or average trails are no problem. With no moving parts in the battery don’t think the there is a problem with jolting the battery around or how that would even wear it out.
Did the person writing this review actually ride the bike or edit the article? Why I ask is in the con list it says twist throttle it has a thumb throttle like most quads. Also how does the key jingle around are you keeping more than one key on the lock? You also mentioned braking in a turn who does that I wouldn’t recommend that on any vehicle (motor cycle, car ) you should always brake before the turn. For the money you can’t beat it. again you’re right its not meant for extreme mountain biking but normal trails no problem. 2 out of 5 stars seems a little harsh kind of like when they rate a corvette against McLaren F1. For the money you cant touch it!
ReplyCourt Rye
10 years agoHey Greg, awesome feedback. This is Court, I am in the video and I also wrote the review… you’re correct that I mixed up twist throttle vs. thumb (will fix that) and I agree that the price is pretty good for what you get. I rated the Outlaw EX ebikes higher because it has a 20mph top speed which felt safer and would be more usable on roads etc. whereas the SS is marketed as “off road” only due to the higher 28mph top speed and yet in my opinion it’s not really stable at those speeds on dusty or rough trails.
It sounds like you’re comfortable riding many different vehicles and your point about braking before turns is spot on. I also grew up with some motocross riding, mopeds, go carts and cars but I still felt unstable with the Outlaw at higher speeds due to the battery position and probably my limited time with the bike. The review is overly cautious and only my opinion, just wanted to be frank with people about what felt good and what gave me pause :)
ReplyCourt Rye
10 years agoHey Greg, awesome feedback. This is Court, I am in the video and I also wrote the review… you’re correct that I mixed up twist throttle vs. thumb (will fix that) and I agree that the price is pretty good for what you get. I rated the Outlaw EX ebikes higher because it has a 20mph top speed which felt safer and would be more usable on roads etc. whereas the SS is marketed as “off road” only due to the higher 28mph top speed and yet in my opinion it’s not really stable at those speeds on dusty or rough trails.
It sounds like you’re comfortable riding many different vehicles and your point about braking before turns is spot on. I also grew up with some motocross riding, mopeds, go carts and cars but I still felt unstable with the Outlaw at higher speeds due to the battery position and probably my limited time with the bike. The review is overly cautious and only my opinion, just wanted to be frank with people about what felt good and what gave me pause :)
ReplyBob H.
10 years agoI just bought two of these after correcting the front fork installed height. Website shows the forks flush with the top triple clamp. Yours pictured and the one I rode had the forks pushed up two or three inches. Bars too low. Aggressive turning. Too steep of a fork angle. My dealer figured that was to fit the bike in the box. With the forks extended it’s a different ride entirely. Still sharp turning but way different. Look at your video then the companies web site. I thought the same thing until I noticed the mis adjusted forks out of the box.
Bob H.
ReplyCourt Rye
10 years agoHi Bob, thanks for your feedback about the forks and how the different setup changes the ride experience. This is a great catch and will hopefully help other people who are interested in the ProdecoTech Outlaw. As requested I’ve removed your last name and phone number ;)
ReplyBob H.
10 years agoI just bought two of these after correcting the front fork installed height. Website shows the forks flush with the top triple clamp. Yours pictured and the one I rode had the forks pushed up two or three inches. Bars too low. Aggressive turning. Too steep of a fork angle. My dealer figured that was to fit the bike in the box. With the forks extended it’s a different ride entirely. Still sharp turning but way different. Look at your video then the companies web site. I thought the same thing until I noticed the mis adjusted forks out of the box.
Bob H.
ReplyCourt Rye
10 years agoHi Bob, thanks for your feedback about the forks and how the different setup changes the ride experience. This is a great catch and will hopefully help other people who are interested in the ProdecoTech Outlaw. As requested I’ve removed your last name and phone number ;)
ReplySam S
10 years agoI think it would be helpful to have a user review section. The reviewer and I are looking for different experiences, and I can see that’ were very different about our machines. Everyone who’s actually bought this bike loves it. I’d like to know if you dealt with the company at all, I’ve heard they aren’t great in customer service, wanted to confirm that…
ReplyCourt Rye
10 years agoHi Sam, great suggestion! This is something I’ve got on a site-updates roadmap so we could see it once a few other maintenance tasks are complete early next year. Regarding this bike, yeah, I realize I’m taking one viewpoint (and trying to be honest about it). I’m sure it does work great for many users (I’ve heard it sells very well). I have met with the founders of ProdecoTech and much of their staff, visited their headquarters in South Florida earlier this year. Great people and they are really working to improve customer service. I like what they’re doing with the Titanio 29er and Scorpion 27 and appreciate that they build in the US and offer such a wide selection at reasonable prices. Feel free to share your thoughts here or in the forums as an owner in a review format. I appreciate your input :)
ReplySam S
10 years agoI think it would be helpful to have a user review section. The reviewer and I are looking for different experiences, and I can see that’ were very different about our machines. Everyone who’s actually bought this bike loves it. I’d like to know if you dealt with the company at all, I’ve heard they aren’t great in customer service, wanted to confirm that…
ReplyCourt Rye
10 years agoHi Sam, great suggestion! This is something I’ve got on a site-updates roadmap so we could see it once a few other maintenance tasks are complete early next year. Regarding this bike, yeah, I realize I’m taking one viewpoint (and trying to be honest about it). I’m sure it does work great for many users (I’ve heard it sells very well). I have met with the founders of ProdecoTech and much of their staff, visited their headquarters in South Florida earlier this year. Great people and they are really working to improve customer service. I like what they’re doing with the Titanio 29er and Scorpion 27 and appreciate that they build in the US and offer such a wide selection at reasonable prices. Feel free to share your thoughts here or in the forums as an owner in a review format. I appreciate your input :)
ReplyTom
10 years agoI wish these were street legal!
ReplyTom
10 years agoI wish these were street legal!
ReplyScott
10 years agoYou say in your review that the bike is hard to handle and kind of dangerous but you do extensive riding in the review using only one hand while holding the camera in the other! You go over lots of bumps like this, so are you just being a little too cautious with your comments?
ReplyCourt Rye
10 years agoThat’s a great point Scott, I always spend some time testing bikes and scooters with both hands and full focus before I shoot footage. This lets me get comfortable and build an understanding for how they steer and stop. This was definitely the case for the Outlaw SS, the reason I tried to film what I considered unstable moments was to let the footage speak vs. me trying to tell people. It’s just my opinion and I know a lot of people love this bike, it just felt less stable than something like the Stealth Bomber which is also heavy, high power and off-road but has better weight distribution and handling to me.
ReplyScott
10 years agoYou say in your review that the bike is hard to handle and kind of dangerous but you do extensive riding in the review using only one hand while holding the camera in the other! You go over lots of bumps like this, so are you just being a little too cautious with your comments?
ReplyCourt Rye
10 years agoThat’s a great point Scott, I always spend some time testing bikes and scooters with both hands and full focus before I shoot footage. This lets me get comfortable and build an understanding for how they steer and stop. This was definitely the case for the Outlaw SS, the reason I tried to film what I considered unstable moments was to let the footage speak vs. me trying to tell people. It’s just my opinion and I know a lot of people love this bike, it just felt less stable than something like the Stealth Bomber which is also heavy, high power and off-road but has better weight distribution and handling to me.
ReplyJB
9 years agoMany thanks for taking the time to make this review… It answered all the questions I had.. I appreciate the fact you approached the review from a “cautious” angle.. At the tune of 2K, I would much rather be given the “cautious” review before making a purchase as opposed to being hit with any surprises… Thanks again.. I enjoyed the review, layout, and the comments..
ReplyCourt Rye
9 years agoThanks JB, I do my best at presenting an honest and objective perspective while honoring the brand. Whatever you choose, I hope you enjoy it and have a great experience over the long term :)
ReplyJB
9 years agoMany thanks for taking the time to make this review… It answered all the questions I had.. I appreciate the fact you approached the review from a “cautious” angle.. At the tune of 2K, I would much rather be given the “cautious” review before making a purchase as opposed to being hit with any surprises… Thanks again.. I enjoyed the review, layout, and the comments..
ReplyCourt Rye
9 years agoThanks JB, I do my best at presenting an honest and objective perspective while honoring the brand. Whatever you choose, I hope you enjoy it and have a great experience over the long term :)
ReplyAaron M Mazzone
9 years agoI really appreciate the work you do, and enjoy your reviews. I’ve owned this bike for 3 years and commute with it here in Wisconsin year round. I have over 5000 miles on it currently. It must be driven responsibly and with much courtesy, but it’s rugged and fun as hell. I love the key system and just keep a lone key in the ignition, which I keep on a spring loaded fob when not in use. I’ve never felt that this bike is unstable, but would agree the battery placement is crude. It does have legal issues which is a shame. I did get pulled over once, but the cop just wanted to ask questions because he thought it looked so cool. Anyway I’m a big fan of you and my Outlaw SS. Thanks
ReplyCourt Rye
9 years agoI enjoyed your thoughtful commentary on the bike Aaron, my review for the Outlaw SS was done quite a while back and I’ve learned a lot and loosened up some since then. My approach is more inclusive and recognizes the different applications now vs. before when I was extra critical of bikes like this. Appreciate your even keeled demeanor with this comment and so happy to hear that you’re loving your bike :)
ReplyJohn W Quust
8 years agoI’m 72 years old and purchased a Phantom SS two years ago and have been absolutely thrilled with my purchase. I’m able to take it on fire roads in state parks and forest and other than a minor warranty problem I couldn’t be happier. The response, torque, acceleration is overwhelming. It’s a little heavy but that’s OK cause I’m a little old. I found the ride a bit stiff but got use to it and the front shocks are adjustable. All in all a truly great E-bike and hopefully one I’ll enjoy for more years to come… I love my bike!!!
ReplyCourt Rye
8 years agoHi John! Sounds like you’re having a great time with your bike. Thanks for sharing a little bit about how you use it and what parts you’ve enjoyed so far. Happy trails :)
Replysean
7 years ago3 years – Down here in St Pete Florida. bought of the floor. whoever did their review ….. looks they are more adept at writing than riding. you get used to your own ride – it is a part of the rider. cool bike – solid other than battery back mount breaking problems – ( the folks at prodeco have any parts you need) mine is all straight wire, im 55.
ReplyCourt Rye
7 years agoAwesome! Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences with this ebike Sean! I reviewed the Outlaw SS quite a while back and yes, my riding and perspectives have grown and improved. It’s nice to get a first hand account, I hope the bike continues to work well for you and am happy that prodecoTech has been so supportive :)
ReplyBob
6 years ago2 Years and approximately 1,500 miles on my Outlaw. I have the Red 1,200 version of the Outlaw (it has has 1,600 watts peak). I’m a big guy, so I need a big bike. The power is weighted to my needs. Those 12-gauge spokes support everything well. Yeah it’s illegal, but I ride it like a 52-year-old guy would. Respectfully. I’ve passed many an officer or ranger and have never run afoul of the law. It is used mostly on trails with 50% gravel and 50% paved. Rural roads are the only place that I occasionally bring it up to full speed. I have a 30-mile round-trip commute on mixed trails and the bike never feels unstable. The direct-drive hub motor is quiet and strong. The other components are very solid. The brakes work exceptionally well. It has been a joy to own.
ReplyCourt
6 years agoThat’s wonderful, thanks for the thoughtful comment and detailed feedback about speed and range. Really enjoyed reading it, Bob :)
Replymichael benson
6 years agoI purchased an Outlaw in March 2017 and experienced problems with the battery charging and a faulty circuit board and authorized me to install it since I am not close to a dealer. The problem was not resolved and they voided the warranty. I sent the battery to Prodeco to be repaired in August 2018 and spoke to a rep about the problem in September 2018 who stated they were working to correct the issue. I have since attempted to contact Prodeco more than 30 times without result. I have been unable to even get the damaged battery returned to use for a third party repair. The lithium battery is worth more than $900 and the 3rd party work around is $1050 for a monetary loss of $1950.
ReplyCourt
6 years agoWow, thanks for sharing this story with us, Michael. I’m so sorry to hear that you’ve lost money, time, and the opportunity to enjoy riding an ebike. I’m visiting VoltBike right now and told them about your situation. I might be able to help you get a Yukon 750 or Bravo and have it shipped very inexpensively.
ReplyTony
3 years agoI bought the Outlaw SS based on reviews. I rode the bike for 2 months and a part failed, part fixed. Road another month, different part failed, took 3months to fix. Rode a month, another different part failed, company no longer answers phone or returns calls. Bike now out of service for 4 yrs. All local electric bike shops refuse to try and fix it, they say they already have Prodeco bikes that they can not repair because company not responding or sending parts.
ReplyCourt
3 years agoHi Tony, that sucks. I’m sorry to hear that the bike didn’t hold up and you haven’t been able to get support from ProdecoTech or local shops. Thanks for sharing your experience, I hope your next ebike performs better and is easier to keep running long term.
Reply