Mod Bikes Black Review

Introducing the all new MOD Bikes Black 3. What’s new you might ask? Along with the rest of the updates to the MOD Bikes collection for this year, the MOD Black gets a torque-sensing assist, a color smart display w/ MOD Connect compatibility and will now be Dual Battery Ready.

This Class 2 and 3 ready electric bike is MOD’s solution to offering a bike for the adventurers. With fat tires, full suspension and an abundance of accessory mounts to bring your gear with you, the Black is ready to take you from your door step to your adventure.

We were able to visit MOD Bikes in Austin a few years ago and they had recently begun the development of the Black, it’s been fine tuned since then and the Black 3 proved to deliver nothing but fun and open up endless opportunities.

The MOD Black starts at $3499 as a single battery Class 2,3 electric bike. It has the new MOD Drive 750w rear hub motor with peak output of 1000w. The battery is a removable 48v, 15ah (720Wh) battery with an estimated range of ~50 miles. The Black is dual battery compatible as well. Another new feature of the revamped bikes from MOD is a smart torque sensor system that can be tuned through the display to your riding style.

The Black has a 6061 aluminum frame that accommodates rides from 5’4″ to 7’1″. This one size fits most frame favors the taller rider and may feel large for riders under 5’10”.

It has a Shimano Altus 7-speed drivetrainwith an 11-32T cassette. Braking power is supplied by hydraulic disc brakes with dual-piston calipers and 180mm rotors. Suspension is managed by a MOZO front suspension fork with 100mm of travel and a rear shock air shock.

There are mounting points all over the bike for many of the different accessories that MOD has. The front rack has quick-release mounting hardware allowing you to switch between the rack or basket. The rear rack uses MOD’s patent-pending Snap-On Rack system. Snap-On mounts let you swap your accessories around quickly. The Black has a suggested payload capacity of 300 pounds which is quite impressive for a full power full suspension bike.

No MOD bike is complete without lights, the Black has a wide beam front light mounted to the fork and the rear has an LED light that acts as a running light, and brake light while riding. The Black is compatible with MOD Connect, allowing you to pair a Lumos helmet to the bike for front and rear lights and even turn signals. 

As mentioned this is a fat tire full suspension bike. It sits on 27.5″ wheels with 3″ wide all terrain tires.

The MOD Black is quite the separation from the rest of the MOD lineup. As a fat tire full suspension bike it hardly bares an resemblance to the rest of the bikes we’re familiar with from MOD.

Fortunately this comes without consequence. MOD has built their identity around Urban mobility. The Black shines just as bright around town as it does offroad. In fact I found myself really enjoy the full suspension comfort and powerful motor cruising around Austin. Additionally I noticed that I found myself really enjoy the height, especially while navigating through traffic. The higher riding position of the Black helps to give a better line of site down the road.

Breaking off the tarmac and finding some dirt, the Black pushes onward and has plenty of power to take to the remote place. The air suspension is smooth and comfortable and paired with the fat tires helps to keep things under control.

The MOD hub drive motor is impressively powerful. Just like the rest of the bikes in the revamped lineup, hunting for more power was few and far between. Same goes for battery life. The new battery system is impressively well managed and knowing that you can run a dual battery setup to get even more buffer between charges is very compelling.

Starting at $3499, the MOD Black is a solid performer with plenty of power and range to carry you into adventures big and small. If you’re looking at capable full suspension electric mountain bikes you know that they start closer to $4k and only go up from there, also, they are have a very intended use for mountain biking and aren’t necessarily something you’d want to ride for hours on end around town.

The Snap On rack system is something to not overlook on the Black. Being able to have quickly swappable accessories to keep up with your day is a great way to get the most out of your bike.

Overall, the MOD Black carves a large impact into the full suspension fat tire electric bike space. Having had the chance to ride quite a few others in the category, MOD seemingly is putting down a bit more effort in the complete package to offer riders the most.

Price: $3499
Website: MOD-Bikes.com