It’s difficult to design, build and deliver an affordable yet capable full-suspension mountain bike, let alone an electrified model. I know, because I’ve ridden bunches of them, and as the price drops, the performance potential typically descends as well. I’ve even sent back a few that were just not worth the time to review since they performed so poorly as mountain bikes.
On the street, most could be ridden as electric commuter or “fun” motorcycles, but off the pavement, some weren’t capable of even the most basic challenge of mountain biking. And I’m not a championship-winning mountain bike racer with improbable top standards, yet I’ve been mountain biking (and racing) for 3 decades and riding electric motorcycles for up to 10 years.
There is an attractive middle ground between the much more expensive e-MTBs aimed at professional riders and the budget “pretender” motorcycles that struggle when not riding on the pavement. A recent example is the Aventon Ramblas (reviewed below), a $2,500 hardtail e-MTB that’s capable, but also heavy. . . but also affordable.
Lately, I’ve been riding the $1,899 Haoqi Mustang, a mid-engine, full-suspension electric mountain bike that reminds me of the Ramblas but adds rear suspension and some cool bits.
It’s always been awesome and fun to ride. This is an incredibly affordable stand that doesn’t include any branded parts or carbon fiber. Whoever designed it obviously spent time off the pavement and rode a competent full-bounce launcher that also works well as a daily sidewalk rider. It’s also quite imaginable that whoever designed the Mustang also spent time riding dirt bikes.
The Mustang’s 74-pound 6061 aluminum frame is built around a 500-watt, 48-volt Bafang M560 mid-drive motor and a detachable 48-volt, 15-amp-hour battery located on the rear frame rail. The wheels are fitted with 2. 8-inch wide Wanda knobby tires and are decelerated by Gemma hydraulic disc brakes. via a Shimano Altus 8-speed rear cassette and the rider is kept informed of speed and charging prestige via a color LCD screen centered only on the handlebars.
The color demo is easy to read, but includes a typo (not shown) and an overly simplistic battery meter.
The Mustang is a Class 2 bike but only when under assist level 5, and it includes a motorcycle-style twist throttle rather than a thumb throttle. Straight throttle power cuts off above 20 mph. At assist level 5, the Mustang will reach 28 mph on pedal assist, which is Class 3 performance. Motor power is matched to pedal input via a torque sensor. The motor puts out a claimed 130nm/95 lb-ft of torque.
The Suntour SR front fork is a step above what is presented on e-bikes at this price point.
Suspension is comprised of a Suntour SR XCM34 suspension fork with lockout and preload adjustment. The rear suspension is dealt with via an RFloxa RAZ01AR rear shock with 220mm/8. 25 inches of travel, an undeniable rotating collar to adjust preload, and a small knob to adjust rebound damping. The rear suspension geometry is based on the usual four-point pivot system, and the surprise linkage rotates laterally in a sort of tuning fork configuration (below).
The suspension linkage formula seems to work well, quietly, and with progressive action.
There are no lights on the Mustang as stock, but it does come with a bike bell. Since it’s dark in the PNW by 5 p.m. this time of year, I added the excellent Bookman Volume 800 adjustable headlight to the handlebars and a Knog Cobber out back, along with a Xnito Logan NTA-8776 certified bike helmet with LEDs front and back for additional conspicuity and safety.
Since Haoqi markets the Mustang as a mountain bike – and it certainly looks the part – I rode it about a mile on city streets and bike paths to my local mountain biking test site to assess its off-road capabilities. I brought some basic tools and as I rode to the site, I stopped to adjust the handlebar angle, brake handle positions, seat position in the seat clamp and increased preload on the rear shock. I also increased preload in the front fork since I’m a heavy (200lb+) rider. Proper setup is key to mountain biking – and makes riding any bicycle more fun and comfortable.
Riding on the street with a fully charged battery, I cycled through the assist levels and overall, performance was quite good as the mid-mount Bafang motor produces a claimed 500 Watts of power and 95 lb-ft of torque, which is about double what most mid-motor powered mountain bikes offer at this price. The larger power output is significant as the bike is no lightweight at over 70 pounds – and I’m no lightweight rider either. A torque sensor smoothed motor engagement and I kept the assist at level 2 as I wove through Portland traffic, sailed down bike lanes, sidewalks and through parking lots, where I may have found a few early tests for the suspension.
Once in my mountain bike testing area, I put my hand on point four and started a narrow, technical zigzag trail to the top of the hill. The 500 watt Bafang motor intervened in the climb, which made things much easier for me. In tight 180-degree uphill turns that require complex maneuvers (or descents), the Mustang’s motorcycle-style twist throttle and my dirt bike riding instincts pair well.
Unlike many e-bike “throttles” that have a soft maximum force, the Mustang’s 180-degree rotating grip applies force in a wide arc, allowing for precise acceleration, much like a motorcycle. This more precise point allows the driver to handle the Mustang more smoothly in technical situations, adding flooring, rolling hard through the throttle, and sliding the rear tire into a tight uphill turn without wasting momentum. Only offering pedal assist cannot do this, and it is very difficult to do this with most E-MTBs with thumb throttles.
Off-road riding specific features and performance like this is why I suspect someone with motorcycle experience was in on the Mustang’s design, at least around power delivery, and the Mustang is much better for it. Even with torque sensors, pedal assist systems only work when the pedals are turning, so having the nicely variable throttle control allows for much better climbing control, especially in trickier situations.
In its element, the Haoqi Mustang eMTB is off the pavement and a lot of fun to ride.
Heading downhill on the forest paths, the Mustang’s suspension comes more into play, and thankfully, it’s much better than what I usually see on eMTBs at this price level. The front Suntour SR fork is a step up from the budget bits that usually spoil the fun due to a shortage of travel and almost no motion damping. The SR features 130mm/5.1 inches of travel, which is about average, but the fork is well-damped and never bottomed out nor did it emit the infamous “cheap fork extension thunk” when the front wheel was off the ground. If anything, it was a little over-damped, but still far better than the typical boingers I see.
The rear shock is a relatively inexpensive off-the-shelf bit but the preload collar and damping adjuster do allow for setting it up to rider preference and once dialed in, it works quite well. Same for the Gemma brakes: There’s plenty of power and feel, but long downhills can make them fade a bit as they get hot. But on balance, they work well with nice feel at the levers.
When running through tight forest trails, the suspension does a very smart job of absorbing bumps and staying in contact with the ground, and I repeated the loop several times until the 5-segment battery point indicator reaches the last segment. I then drove home in near darkness, usually just using the accelerator to see if I could drain the battery. The battery died a few blocks from my house, the odometer read 47 miles after over 4 hours of very mixed driving. Once the battery was charged, I simply pedaled home. Step on the pedal and the Mustang’s weight becomes evident, of course, but it’s still easy to ride like an analog motorcycle despite its weight.
I’ll say it bluntly: the Haoqi Mustang is at a discounted price on e-MTBs. Offering riders this kind of functionality capability on genuine mountain bike trails at this price point elevates the Mustang above all competition in this field. The Aventon Ramblas and Velotric Summit 1s are competition, but they’re also rigid with no rear suspension, and the Velotric’s rear hub motor also weighs down the rear of the bike. While it doesn’t come with a high-end finish like some of its competitors, the Haoqi Mustang is more balanced, very powerful, and includes that great rear rebound. Even the seat is a true mountain bike position, and it’s comfortable.
It’s not perfect, of course. The Shimano Altus 8-speed gear set, which is not unusual on many electric commuter motorcycles, is not the right selection for a mountain bike because it does not come with true climbing gears. The color LCD screen is excellent but disappointing. I wish it showed the battery charge in terms of percentage remaining, and it also has a typo (“Boot” for “Boost”) that’s more comical than annoying. I would also like it to show the time of day. But overall it does enough to keep the user informed and allows you to very accurately override settings and force delivery.
What would I change? I might add a dropper post seat for better off-road control, and the tires would likely get an upgrade as well. Obviously, I added lights for after-dark riding, and I don’t fault Haoqi for not including them, that’s fairly typical for eMTBs. And I do wish it was a bit lighter overall.
Otherwise, the Haoqi Mustang is almost in condition out of the box. The Mustang’s motorcycle-style twist throttle, well-sorted suspension, great strength, and easy-to-drive nature make it a winner in my book, and even more so at an affordable price. Highly recommended.
Let’s hear your comments! Subscribing to Forbes. com allows you to leave comments and participants like me. You can also receive notifications when I publish new articles and reviews. Follow me on Facebook and LinkedIn. I do not use artificial intelligence equipment to produce content.
A community. Many voices. Create a free account to share your thoughts.
Our network aims to connect others through open and thoughtful conversations. We need our readers to share their perspectives and exchange concepts and facts in one space.
In order to do so, please follow the posting rules in our site’s Terms of Service. We’ve summarized some of those key rules below. Simply put, keep it civil.
Your message will be rejected if we realize that it seems to contain:
User accounts will be blocked if we become aware that users are engaged in:
So how can you be a user?
Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Please read the full list of posting rules found in our site’s Terms of Service.