MATE X Folding Electric Bike

The MATE X is a folding electric bicycle. It was made possible in June 2017 by Christian Adel Michael and Julie Kronstrøm from Copenhagen, Denmark. This was the second Indiegogo campaign they successfully funded. The first campaign was the original MATE folding ebike.

• Campaign started: 1st May 2018
• Campaign published: 16th July 2018
• Campaign concluded: 23rd July 2018 15th August 2018 14th September 2018 22nd September 2018 28nd September 2018 26th April 2019
• First big shipment: May/June 2019, majority July/August 2019, last shipment end of September 2019

• Indiegogo campaign page
• MATE Bike website
• Facebook page
• Unofficial Discord discussion

Models

There are three different models of the MATE X, the 250, 250+ and 750. A set of accessories can also be added to the bike when placing an order.

There are two set of different bikes, due to the new APAC enforcement meaning that the bikes heading for EU (and all later orders) had to be manufactured outside of China. That meant that the majority of the bike components had to be made or sourced in Taiwan instead, making it a different bike than what was promised initial on Indiegogo and after the first batch of orders (all orders delivered after June 2019). The Chinese manufactured bikes made up until then were shipped to non-APAC countries.

MATE X 250 250W high performance hub motor 48V 11Ah Lithium-ion battery 55km range 32km/h max. speed 8-speed gear 20-inch fat tires Computer dashboard Front and rear suspension 2 year warranty Retail price 2199USD Indiegogo price 799USD Shipping 200USD

MATE X 250+ 250W high performance hub motor 48V 14Ah Lithium-ion battery 80km range 32km/h max. speed 8-speed gear 20-inch fat tires Computer dashboard Front and rear suspension 2 year warranty Retail price 2399USD Indiegogo price 899USD Shipping 200USD

MATE X 750S 750W high performance hub motor 48V 14Ah Lithium-ion battery 80km range 48km/h max. speed 8-speed gear 20-inch fat tires Computer dashboard Thumb throttle Front and rear suspension 2 year warranty Retail price 2699USD Indiegogo price 999USD Shipping 200USD

Perks and accessories Tektro Hydraulic Disc Brakes (129USD) Flashy color display (99USD) Custom MATE metal fenders (49USD) Thumb throttle (49USD) BOOSTED battery 17,5Ah (99USD) Limited Edition UNICORN Finish (49USD) Rear-rack with brake-lights (99USD) EXTRA high-speed charger (79USD) EXTRA BOOSTED 17,5Ah Battery (429USD) Spare set of tires incl. tubes (49USD) JOKER Light Set (front+rear) (49USD) JET GREY Color (29USD) IMPERIAL WOODLAND Color pattern (99USD)

Recommended accessories to get:

• Hydraulic disc brakes
• Flashy color display
• Rear rack
• Front and rear fenders - at the moment, these are flimsy
• Extra tires and tubes

Features

• Folding points: 4 steps (main body, steering stem, seatpost, pedals)
• Max. speed:
  • 250: 25 km/h / 15 mph
  • 750S: 32 km/h / 20 mph
• Battery range - w/pedal-assist, dependent upon terrain, weather conditions and rider’s weight
  • 11Ah battery: 55km
  • 14.5Ah battery: 80km
  • 17.5Ah battery: 120km
• Throttle only range:
  • 14Ah battery: 20-30km
  • 17.5Ah battery: 30-40km
• Thumb throttle:
  • 250: Not included
  • 650S: Yes
• Advanced controller configuration:
  • Color display: Ludacris Mode 10 and 35mph / 56kmh real max. speed - see below
  • Black/white display: Ludacris Mode 24mph / 39kmh max. configuration speed
• Keep folded lock: No
• Wheel lock: No
• Kick-stand: Yes
• Folded-stand: Yes
• Carrying handle: Yes, by seat-post
• Pedal assist: Yes
• Walk assist: Yes (color display upgrade required))
• Battery removal: Yes
• Battery lock: Yes
• Extra options: fenders, rear rack with light, front light, color display, thumb throttle

Specs

Hardware

This is a list of reversed model- and part-numbers, for future reference and compatibility use.

General specs

• Type: Electric folding fat bike
• Frame: MATE-customized 6061 aluminum alloy frame
• Suspension front: Adjustable MOZO FATMAN-26-20 front fork, lightweight forged alloy, responsive adjustable spring tension, 60mm travel, mechanical lock-out, 1.5 kg
• Suspension rear: Adjustable HLT HLT-620 rear spring shock suppressor, 125L x 750 LBS - Pre-adjusted with 24 +/- 2 mm travel
• Front hub: 135 mm, 20-inch 36-hole
• Rear hub: 185 mm, 20-inch 36-hole
• Shifter: Shimano 8-speed SIS index shifting / Shimano RevoShift 8-speed twist shifter
• Rear derailleur: Shimano RD-M310 Altus SGS rear derailleur black
• Cogsets: 8-speed 13-32T freewheel (not cassette type)
• Crankset: 170 mm alloy crank arms
• Chain ring: 53T 130mm BCD 5-point chain ring with guard
• Bottom bracket: BB988 68 mm x 164 mm, threaded
• Tires:
  • Chaoyang Big Daddy 20x4.0-inch wide fat bike wire bead studded all-terrain tires [1]
  • Chaoyang Sand Storm 20x4.0-inch wide fat bike wire bead street road tires [2]
• Tire pressure: 20-23 psi / 1.4-1.6 bar
• Rims: 80mm wide rims, 36-hole front and rear, with reflectors
• Spokes: 36 spokes front/rear, 12-gauge Ø1.6mm rear, 13-gauge Ø1.4mm front, black
• Pedals: Foldable with reflectors
• Brakes:
  • Tektro EL350-RS mechanical wire brakes, aluminium lever and caliper, with motor cut-off brake sensors
  • Tektro HD-E350 hydraulic brakes, aluminium lever and caliper, with motor cut-off brake sensors
• Brake discs: Tektro TR160-24 aluminium 160 mm disc rotors
• Brake pads: Tektro A10.11 metal ceramic compound brake pads
• Fenders: Custom made all covering (upgrade option)
• Rear rack tube diameter: Ø16 mm
• Handlebar-stem clamp diameter: Ø22.2mm
• Handlebar controls diameter: Ø31.8mm (MTB standard)
• Handlebar grips: Marspro 2058-44 ergonomic handlebar grips
• Seat saddle: Chaunts FU-5700-1F touring and cruising saddle, PU+Gel, 260x165mm, 440g
• Seat-post diameter: Ø33.9mm
• Seat-post length 450mm
• Colors: Black, White, Red, Green, Off-white, Pink-green, Grey, Camouflage

Electric drive train specs

• Motor:
  • China bikes:
    • Bafang RM G060.750.DC 48V 750W brushless geared rear-drive hub motor
      • 36V to 48V supported
      • Hall-effect sensor built-in
      • Gear reduction ratio 1:5
      • Nominal 50-60 Nm torque (from Mate)
      • Maximum torque of 80 Nm
      • 20 magnet poles
      • Fork width 175mm
      • Cable exit on right hand-side
      • 36 spoke holes 12-guage
      • Efficiency >80%
      • IP65 waterproof
      • Noise <55dBA
      • Weight 4.6kg
    • Shengyi DGW25 SY25N4820TA 48V 250W brushless geared rear-drive hub motor [3] [4]
      • Hall-effect sensor built-in
      • Gear reduction ratio 1:5
      • 16 magnet poles
      • Fork width 175mm
      • Cable exit on left hand-side
      • 36 spoke holes for 13-guage
      • IP54 waterproof
      • Efficiency >80%
      • Noise <55dBA
  • Taiwan bikes:
    • JiaBo CZJB JB-104C2 24V-60V 750W brushless geared rear-drive hub motor
      • Wheel size 16-28-inch
      • Gear reduction ratio 1:5
      • Cable exit on right hand-side
      • 36 spoke holes for 10 to 13-guage
      • Efficiency >82%
      • IP65 waterproof
      • Noise <55dBA
      • Weight 3.3kg
    • JiaBo CZJB 48 250 250W brushless geared rear-drive hub motor
• Controller:
  • China bikes: Bafang MATE-customized sine-wave e-bike controller
    • 24V/36V/48V support
    • 12A continuous
    • 25A max. peak current
    • UART-port for communication and upgrades
    • HIGO-connectors for all bike functions
    • XT60-connector for battery connection
  • Taiwan bikes: AICO controller or Lishui LSW1545-5-2M / LSW856-66-1M e-bike controller
    • Rated voltage 48V
    • Max. current 25A
    • Rated current 12A
    • Throttle adjustment 1.2V to 4.4V
    • Low battery voltage protection 39V
    • UART-port for communication and upgrades
    • HIGO-connectors for all bike functions
    • XT60-connector for battery connection
    • Size 114.3x63.5x57.1mm
• Computer display:
  • China bikes:
    • Key-Display KD51C monochrome/black-white display
    • Bafang DPC-14 / 850C / UK-CT-18 3.2-inch TFT LCD color display (upgrade option), developed by Aptdevelop - Open Source Ebike firmware
      • 3.2-inch IPS TFT LCD screen
      • 24V/36V/48V battery supply support
      • Rated operating current: 40mA
      • Max output current to controller: 100mA
      • Operating temperature: -20 to 70°C
      • Software upgradable through UART-port (regular USB-to-serial adapter required)
  • Taiwan bikes:
    • Most suitable one (Mate statement)
• USB-port: Yes, 5V 500mA USB-A output
• Connectors: HIGO Mini-b connector

Battery specs

• Battery charger:
  • 48V 2A regular charger
  • Coming Data CP05460400 54.6V 4A super charger (upgrade option)
  • Sans MATE-branded SSLC300V55 54.6V 5A Lithium-ion battery charger [5]
• Battery connector: RCA-type, centre-positive (+)
• Battery capacity:
  • 48V 11Ah - 529,1Wh (0.53kWh)
  • 48V 14.5Ah - 697,45Wh (0.70kWh)
  • 48V 17.5Ah - 841,75Wh (0.84kWh) (upgrade option)
• Battery enclosure: Boazhi aluminum casing, with fuse, charging plug and lock
• Battery brand: Samsung/Sanyo/Panasonic/LG cells, Panasonic for Taiwan bikes
• Battery configuration:
  • 65x Lithium-ion 18650 cells, of varying capacity, 13 in series to get the 48V voltage, 5 parallel to build capacity
  • 11Ah battery: 48.1V 11Ah 13s5p (3.7V 2200mAh cells, 2.2x5=11Ah)
  • 14.5Ah battery: 48.1V 14.5Ah 13s5p (3.7V 2900mAh cells, 2.9x5=14.5Ah) - Samsung INR18650-29E [6]
  • 17.5Ah battery (upgrade option): 48.1V 17.5Ah 13s5p (3.7V 3500mAh cells, 3.5x5=17.5Ah) - LG INR18650MJ1 [7]
• Battery lifespan: between 400 and 600 charges (full to empty)
  • Longer lifespan if the battery is charged when around ~40% / 46,6V empty and only up to ~80% / 52,65V full

Dimensions

• Bike dimensions: L180cm/71in x W65cm/25.6in x H124cm/48.8in
• Bike dimensions when folded: L103cm/40.5in x W59cm/23.2in x H78cm/30.7in
  • Old Folded size: approx. L95xW40cmxH73
• Battery dimensions: L345xW115xH58mm [8]
• Weight w/o battery: 26kg / 57.3 lbs
• Weight w/ battery: 29kg / 63.9 lbs
• Battery weight: 3.0kg
• Rider height range: 150-215 cm
• Rider max. weight: 150 kg / 330lbs
• Rider minimum age: 16 years old
• Retail price:
  • 250: 2199USD
  • 250+: 2399USD
  • 750S: 2699USD
• Campaign price July 2018 to November 2018:
  • 250: 799USD
  • 250+: 899USD
  • 750S: 999USD

Upgrades

Must have upgrades:

• Rear shock: DNM AOY-36RC Air Rear Shock 165x35mm [9] - for better off-road performance
  • Or CaneCreek DB Air IL BAD2060 165x38mm 24x8mm bushing [10] [11]
• Chain ring: LitePro 58T BCD 130mm black aluminium front chain ring with guard flange [12] - for lower cadence/peddle comfortably on high speed on assistant level 5 and over, no need to change/extend chain
• Cogsets: DNP Epoch 11-34T or 11-32T 8-Speed freewheel - wider gear-ratio for high speed peddle on assistant level 5 and over, while still retaining good low speed cadence
• Bike lock:
  • Kryptonite Evolution Series 4 1090 10mm 2.77kg - solid, flexible, and insurance certified lock
  • Or ABUS CityChain 1060/85 10mm 2.10kg
  • Or ABUS CityChain 1010/85 9mm 1.85kg
  • Or Kryptonite Keeper 785 7mm 1.59kg
• Inner tube: 20x4-inch fat tire tube with Schrader/car valve

Great upgrades:

• Sticker: Bafang 48V 250W sticker - for 750W models [13] - for quick checks
• Seat: MSDADA Comfortable Bike Seat-Padded cushion memory foam seat - more comfortable than the original
• Helmet:
  • Bell Local helmet
  • Or Bell Segment helmet
  • Or Abus Scraper 3.0 / ACE helmet
  • Or Bluegrass Super Bold helmet
• Pedals: Mzyrh Mountain Bike CNC Machined 9/16" pedals
• Panniers:
  • Ortlieb City Plus panniers (rear rack required)
  • Ibera PakRak IB-BA6-RA6 Quick-Release Mini Commuter Bag and Rack Combo [14] [15]
  • Ibera PakRak Mini Commuter Bicycle Carrier Rack [16]
• Chain guide: Mountain Bike Chainline Director Chain Guide
• Bell: Bicycle Bell Classical Vintage Handlebar Black Ring Bell [17]
• Charger:
  • D-Power 48V 2A charger, quiet no fan, with RCA-plug (special request) [18]
  • Luna 48V Advanced Adjustable Charger [19]
  • Sans 48V 2A Lithium-ion battery charger, fan-less [20]
• Stand: Bicycle Maintenance Stand Pedal Foldable Workstands Bike Repair Tool PH [21]
• Computer: EggRider V2 Bluetooth display [22]
• Tire:
  • Vee Tire Co Speedster Fat Tire 20x4-inch folding bead [23]
  • Kenda 20 x 4.0-inch wire bead all-terrain tire
• Saddle: Selle Royal Bicycle Saddle Comfort Breathable SR Saddle

Usage

• For daily use, assist level 5 or 6 is a good combination of speed and battery capacity conservation
• View current, average and max. speed, press "M"/"i"-button
• Enter configuration menu, double tap "M"/"i"-button
• Walk assistant up hills, set assist level 0 and hold "-" for a few seconds for "P" to appear on the display
• Charge via the USB-port, press and hold the "M"/"i"-button for a USB-icon to appear, and plug in the device
• Turn on the lights, press and hold "+"-button, same to turn off
• Reset average speed, max speed, trip distance and trip time, press "+" and "-" at the same time

Guides

Initial setup Insert the seat stem and adjust the lock bracket Mount the handlebar and lock it in place Install the front wheel and insert the lever Screw in place the pedals Put the reflectors on the wheels Install the fenders and rear rack (if acquired) Attach the front lights and remove the left handle bar grip to install the horn/turning-inducator (if acquired) Adjust to get a flat saddle Adjust the handle bar height and level with the lever Inflate the tires to 20-25 psi, 1.4 to 1.6 bar Charge the battery by plugging the wall socket first, then charger plug Press and hold power button and configure the bike computer, double tap "M"-button

Charging procedure Park bike securely Turn off bike by holding power button on left handle Either take out the battery, or leave it in the bike Plug in charger into wall socket/mains Insert the other charger lead into the battery Wait for the charge to complete, max. 4h for 4A charger, max. 8h for 2A charger Unplug lead from bike then from wall socket Power on bike by holding the power button Verify battery state of charge by looking at the battery indicator on the display

Connect front and rear lights, horn Open the harness under the frame where the MATE-logo is placed Find the yellow 3-pin connector for the integrated front-light/horn Open the controller compartment to find the black 6-pin connector for the rear-light/turning-light/horn-switch The 6-pin black cable connects to a Y-split where the rear-light/turning-light is connected to one end, and the horn-switch to the other

Tighten and secure bike Tighten the two kick-stand screws Fasten the steering folding-stem screw to the headset just enough so it is hard to fold the handle in place Adjust the seat-post clamp-screw for a tight secure fit Secure the handlebar height clamp-screw so it is hard to unfold the handle by accident Adjust the main frame lock handle screw located on the bottom hinge when the lock is open, adjust from bottom side for a secure lock

Remove tire from rim Gear down to the 8th-gear Unplug the rear wheel-cable Unscrew the kick-stand Remove silver bolts and washer holding the axel Bend back the rear derailleur Then lift the wheel out Deflate tire and use a plastic spudger to lift the tire bead off Push in the valve and carefully remove inner tube Lift the tire off the rim

Controller configuration

Enter the settings by double-tapping the M-button on the left handlebar.

Optimal controller settings:

Display settings:

• Language: English
• System: Imperial - for km/h
• Brightness: IIII
• Auto off: 5 minutes - power down the bike after idle period
• Scenes: Digital - the theme of the display layout
• Battery indicator: Voltage - easier to determine battery state, percentage only in 20%/five steps
  • Ranges from 54.6V when full, down to 41.6V when empty, but always charge at around, or before, 44V
• Power indicator: Digital - shows instantanous wattage
• Clock: Set the date and time
• Start password: Prompted for your password when you power on the bike

Basic settings:

• System voltage: 48V - the type of battery drive system used
• Wheel size: 24-inch - even though the real wheel size is 20-inch, gives a more accurate speed indication on the display, can also be input in measured cm
• USB port: On - USB-port beneath the display
• Information: shows max./avg. speeds and ODO meter

Advanced settings:

Go to the "Advanced settings" menu-option and enter the following pin code.

• Enter pin code:
  • China bikes: 1801 - Bafang display
  • Taiwan bikes: 1919

• Speed limit - max. speed before controller/motor stops assisting
  • 250: 25 km/h default/EU
  • 750S: 32 km/h default
  • Max. value: 99 km/h
    • Unlocks Ludacris mode for ~35mph / ~56kmh max. real speed - does not void warranty anymore
    • Unlocks hidden assistant level 10 - turbo mode
• Current limit - maximum current through controller during acceleration and climbing steep gradients
  • Default: 15A (48x15=720Watt)
  • Boost performance: 20A (48x20=960Watt)
  • Max. value: 25A (48x25=1200Watt) - short bursts only, could overheat motor coil
• Poles in motor: 1 - magnetic poles inside the motor
• Start poles: 2 - number of poles (speed sensor) needed to be detected by controller before starting motor
• Clockwise start: Yes - speed sensor turn direction, "Yes" means forward looking from right-side of bike
• Throttle 6km: No - "Yes" turns on walk-mode after twisting throttle
• Throttle level: No - "Yes" limits the top throttle speed according to the assist level
• Start mode: ECO - Power/ECO/Standard, sets the maximum current curve when starting riding/accelerating, limited current with ECO
• Assist levels: 9 - 3/5/9, how gradual/number of steps the levels should be
• Assist setting: Further adjust each assist level, all default to 0

Third-party upgrade ideas

• LED-light strips underneath frame
• Strong head-beams
• GPS tracker
• Folding magnet lock
• Storage bag/box
• Custom front and rear lights - light comparison
  • Connector used: HIGO Mini-b connector

Similar bikes

• Llobe 20" Falt City E-Bike City II
• Lankeleisi G550
• UNI Maxi cool folding electric utility fat wheel bike
• UNI Moke vintage electric bikes

References

• Ebikes.ca MATE X simulation
• e-bikegear.com MATE X tips
• ebikereviewer.com Hub motor review and comparison